How to get to the Partnach Gorge, including the 2.2 km nobody mentions
The last 2.2 km
Start here, because it is the part that surprises people. The Olympic ski stadium is as close as any vehicle gets you, and from its car park the entrance is 2.2 km away, about 25 minutes on foot. There is no drop-off at the gate and no road in. If you are planning a tight afternoon, or travelling with somebody who walks slowly, that half hour each way is the number to build the day around — not the entry fee, and not the length of the gorge itself.
From Munich by train
Munich to Garmisch-Partenkirchen takes about an hour and a half. From the station, local bus 1 or 2 in the direction of Skistadion covers the town leg in around 10 minutes. Then you walk. Train, bus and walk together are the whole journey: no transfer anybody needs to explain to you, and no tour required. Whether it is worth paying somebody else to drive it is the argument on day trips from Munich.
Driving and parking
The ski stadium car park is the obvious choice because it is the closest. The operator lists the alternatives with their distances to the entrance, and the gap is large enough to matter:
| Car park | Distance to the entrance |
|---|---|
| Olympic Ski Stadium | 2.2 km — about 25 minutes on foot |
| Badgasse | 3.7 km |
| Rathausplatz | 4.4 km |
| Zugspitzbahnhof | 5.2 km |
| Kongresshaus | 5.2 km |
Parking at Kongresshaus instead of the ski stadium adds three kilometres each way. On a busy Sunday in August that can still be the faster decision, but make it knowingly.
Bus 1 and bus 2 both say Skistadion on the front. That is the word to look for, not “Partnachklamm” — no bus goes to the gorge, because nothing drives to the gorge.
The operator warns that “Kurzfristige Schließungen sind aus Sicherheitsgründen manchmal unumgänglich” — short-notice closures for safety are sometimes unavoidable. Rockfall and high water are the reasons a gorge shuts, and neither gives notice. Check partnachklamm.de the morning you travel, and have a second plan for the day.
Timing the return
Whatever time the gorge closes, add 25 minutes to get back to the ski stadium and 10 more for the bus. In winter that means leaving the gate by about 17:00 to be at the station for an early evening train. The opening hours page has the last-entry times, and how long the walk takes covers the time inside.
Or let somebody else drive
Several Munich day trips include the road journey and the bus at the far end. What none of them reliably includes is the entry fee — check the gate price and carry it.
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Frequently asked questions
How do I get to the Partnach Gorge from Garmisch-Partenkirchen station?
Take local bus line 1 or 2 towards Skistadion, about 10 minutes, then walk 2.2 km from the Olympic ski stadium car park to the entrance — roughly 25 minutes.
How long is the train from Munich to Garmisch-Partenkirchen?
About an hour and a half. From the station it is a 10-minute bus and a 25-minute walk, so budget a little over two hours door to gate. See day trips from Munich.
Can I drive to the Partnach Gorge entrance?
No. There is no road to the entrance. The nearest car park is the Olympic Ski Stadium at 2.2 km; the others are 3.7 km to 5.2 km away.
Where should I park for the Partnach Gorge?
The Olympic Ski Stadium car park, 2.2 km from the gate. Badgasse is 3.7 km, Rathausplatz 4.4 km, and both Zugspitzbahnhof and Kongresshaus are 5.2 km.