For me, it is one of the most beautiful places in Germany – a vacation at Lake Tegernsee simply leaves nothing to be desired and offers unique activities for all ages. Whether you are looking for wellness, nature or a family vacation – in this article I will give you my tips for your vacation at Lake Tegernsee, including the most beautiful places, activities and restaurant tips.

At the end of this article you will find a map with the most beautiful places on Lake Tegernsee!

What is the best time to travel to Lake Tegernsee?

A trip to Lake Tegernsee can be beautiful all year round. The choice of the ideal travel time therefore depends largely on what you want to experience during your vacation:

Cross-country skiing, skiing, sledding, wellness, hiking, sailing, SUPing, boating, taking a horse-drawn carriage ride, swimming, celebrating at the lake festivals around Lake Tegernsee or simply enjoying nature and having a good time.

In this post, however, I’m focusing particularly on spring, which is my favorite time to visit Lake Tegernsee. From the end of March to the end of May, you have a pretty good guarantee of good weather, but at the same time you avoid the crowds of tourists during the summer vacations.

PS: Autumn at Lake Tegernsee is also worth a trip, I haven’t experienced it for myself yet, but it has been recommended to me many times – so see you next September!

How many days are ideal for your Tegernsee vacation?

Basically, Lake Tegernsee and its surroundings have so much to offer that you can easily spend ten days or two weeks here – especially if you want to take it easy and plan a lot of relaxation. However, if this is beyond your time frame, then 5-7 days is a good amount of days to experience the most beautiful places and activities around Lake Tegernsee.

What is the best way to travel to Lake Tegernsee?

Although it may sound tempting at first to travel to Lake Tegernsee by car, I recommend taking the train and public transport instead. Traveling by train is especially relaxed: From Munich, the Bayerische Regiobahn (BRB) runs hourly to Gmund and the town of Tegernsee. From here, the bus or the lake ships are ideal options. Both journeys are included in the Tegernsee Card. You can find more information about the Tegernsee Card in the next section.

During your vacation, bikes, the bus and the boat shuttle are the ideal modes of transport to get from A to B.

Packing Essentials for your Tegernsee vacation:

• a reusable water bottle – the tap water at Tegernsee, as well as everywhere else in Germany, is of excellent drinking quality. So you can save on plastic bottles.
• a thin rain jacket & sweater – even if it is warm and sunny in the valley, the temperatures on the mountain are usually cooler and windier. There is often even snow on the summit until well into May.
• good hiking boots – good footwear is essential for hiking on Lake Tegernsee. The most beautiful hiking routes are away from paved roads. Especially in spring, the mountain routes are often slippery due to residual snow and meltwater.
• Sun protection – the sun is particularly intense in the mountains, so to protect your skin from UV radiation, a hat, sunglasses and sun cream with a high SPF offer good protection.
• The Tegernsee Card – This discount card gives you a discount or even free entry to numerous partners. You will receive it free of charge with your stay at participating Tegernsee Card accommodations.

→ Book the best accommodations at Tegernsee here!

The best activities for your Tegernsee vacation

A boat trip on Lake Tegernsee

The Tegernsee boats are not only ideal as a way of transportation, but also for a tour around the lake. It’s like a hop-on hop-off bus on the water. There is a small and a large round trip. On a nice day, you can take a seat on the sun deck and watch the mountain panorama and the villages pass by.

→ Here you can find the current departures & routes

Walk through the village of Tegernsee

You can spend a relaxing afternoon in the village of Tegernsee. Stroll along the lakeside promenade, browse through the small stores or enjoy an ice cream and the fantastic view over the lake.

My tips for the town of Tegernsee:

• The → Olaf Gulbransson Museum – Marvel at the artistic legacy of the exceptional Norwegian illustrator Olaf Gulbransson as well as impressive special exhibitions. Until the end of July 2024, the museum shows a collection of unique works by the internationally admired artist Gerhard Richter
• Minigolf – in Tegernsee you will find the most beautiful minigolf course on the lake, with a total of 18 different courses. It is open until 8 pm and you get a 50% discount with the Tegenrsee Card.
• The Eismanufaktur Tegernsee serves delicious homemade ice cream
• The Schlosswirtschaft restaurant is located directly on the lake and is perfect for a cool drink in the sun or a great dinner

Take the “Wallbergbahn” cable car up the Wallberg

You can’t miss this hike during your vacation at Lake Tegernsee:

The “Wallbergbahn” cable car takes you from the village of Rottach-Egern to the summit of the Wallberg at an altitude of 1722 meters. After a relaxing ride with a great view, it’s best to walk to the small summit chapel, which offers a fantastic panorama of the entire Tegernsee. Afterwards, you can go on numerous short to long hikes. For example, up to the Setzberg (approx. 1.5 hours round trip) or just a short hike to the “Altes Wallberghaus” for a leisurely stop. It is even possible to hike back down to the valley.

However, be sure to check my packing list for your Tegernsee vacation to make sure you have the necessary equipment for your hike. During our visit in May, there was still a lot of melting snow on the summit, which made the paths very slippery in many places. Some hikers with simple sneakers unfortunately had to turn back.

Rent your own boat

Feel like James Bond and glide across the blue waters of Lake Tegernsee in your own boat. One of the highlights of our Tegernsee vacation was renting an electric boat from one of the many boat rentals that are open when the weather is nice. We opted for the Reiffenstuel boat rental in Rottach-Egern as it was close to our hotel. However, you can hire boats in any town.

You don’t need a license for the electric boats and you can also rent rowing boats or pedal boats, which are much cheaper. In summer, you can jump straight into the water from the pedal boats to refresh yourself in the cool water.

Enjoy an iodine-sulphur bath

In Bad Wiessee on Lake Tegernsee you will find a brand new bathhouse where guests can bath in a very special healing water: deep black iodine-sulphur water from two natural springs, which are located directly at the health center.

I tested the bath for the first time in my life and was amazed: due to the high concentration of iodine and sulphur in the water, the water cannot be let into pools (the water would destroy the pumps too quickly). Instead, the healing bath is enjoyed in bathtubs. 20 minutes in the tub is enough to feel the healing effect, after which you rest for another 20-30 minutes wrapped in a blanket. Although the water smells a little strange at first due to the sulphur content, the feeling on the skin is unique. After just one application, my skin was as soft as butter. Experts recommend three treatments per week as a cure – ideal during your vacation at Lake Tegernsee. The natural water heals skin conditions such as neurodermatitis or eczema and can also be inhaled in an adapted form to relieve hay fever and other breathing problems.

Alpaca hike

Now the best for last: our alpaca hike was the best activity during our vacation at Lake Tegernsee. The Alpakahof Tegernsee is located in Kreuth / Oberhof and is run by a young passionate local. She knows all the details about alpacas and introduced us to the animals before we went for a walk with the alpacas. We went through the forest and past a river in which the fluffy alpacas love to bath. The stroll is not only a highlight for families, but was also an absolutely relaxing and unforgettable experience for us.

The easiest way to book your preferred date is to contact Karin in advance → via the contact form on her website or → Instagram. She offers both group hikes and private walks.

More tips for the Tegernsee…

… which we unfortunately didn’t manage to do this time, but would like to do next time:

• a bike tour around the lake
• the hike to the Tegernseer Hütte at 1,650m, which is located between the Roßstein and the Buchstein and is open from the beginning of May to the beginning of November

Accommodation recommendation for your vacation at Lake Tegernsee

We stayed at the → Parkhotel Egerner Höfe during our entire trip and were absolutely happy with this choice. The hotel offers the following benefits:

• a park in the inner courtyard with a view over the mountain panorama
• a modern and at the same time cozy ambience
• a large wellness area – the “Mangfall Spa” on 1,500m² with a pool, which is also partly outdoors, a huge sauna area with various saunas, steam baths and ice room, spa treatments
• great restaurants and an extensive breakfast buffet until 11am
• a great location in Rottach-Egern, just a few minutes’ walk from the lake and great restaurants

→ Book your stay at the Parkhotel Egerner Höfe here!

Restaurant tips on Lake Tegernsee:

• Restaurant Schlosswirtschaft in Tegernsee – located directly on the lake with a great view, ideal for cool drinks in the afternoon or a delicious dinner
• Restaurant → Kirschner Stuben in Rottach-Egern – cozy restaurant with a great terrace and garden lounge for relaxing in the sun. The prices are high, but the quality of the food is incredibly good.
• Käfer’s Gut Kaltenbrunn beer garden & restaurant in Gmund – ideal for a lunch break after a boat trip or bike tour with a great view over the lake. The restaurant with terrace is very high quality and in the separate beer garden you can order cheaper food and drinks by self-service.
• Altes Wallberghaus on the Wallberg – ideal for a stop-off during a hike on the Wallberg. The terrace offers plenty of space for sunbathing and enjoying the view over the mountains.

Schlosswirtschaft

Kirschner Stuben

Altes Wallberghaus

Käfer Gut Kaltenbrunn

My map with the best activities and restaurants at lake Tegernsee

I hope this post with my tips for your vacation at Lake Tegernsee will help you plan your own trip so that you don’t miss out on any of the best activities and have an absolutely fantastic stay. I’m sure you’ll fall in love with Lake Tegernsee just as much as I did.

→ For more information & trips for your trip to lake Tegernsee make sure to check out their official website: → Tegernsee.com

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