Eagle's Nest · getting there 2026Eagle's Nest bus, directions & parking

How do you get to the Eagle's Nest?

Always via Obersalzberg. There, next to the Dokumentation Obersalzberg (documentation centre) and the Kempinski hotel, is the departure point of the Kehlstein buses. From here the Kehlstein road is closed to everything that is not a scheduled bus – since 1952, and expressly to bicycles and pedestrians as well.

You have two ways of reaching the departure point: scheduled bus 838 from Berchtesgaden or your own car. The Kehlstein ticket for €34.70 is only valid from Obersalzberg; route 838 is a normal RVO bus with its own ticket.

Bus to the Eagle's Nest from Berchtesgaden station: route 838

RVO route 838 runs from the ZOB (central bus station) at Berchtesgaden station via Schießstättbrücke, Erika, Rottl Sepp and Staatlicher Gutshof to the stop “Dokumentation Obersalzberg”. That takes 12 minutes. According to the Zweckverband (the regional tourism association), it is only a few metres from the stop to the Kehlstein bus departure point.

Rule of thumb: For the first bus up at 08:30 you need the 07:35 bus – which runs Monday to Saturday. On Sundays the earliest you can reach Obersalzberg by scheduled bus is 09:27.

Before 24 May and after 24 October a different timetable applies on route 838. The Kehlstein season begins earlier and ends later – in those weeks, check the current RVO journey planner before you rely on a departure.

Eagle's Nest bus timetable: the Kehlstein line 849

In season the buses on route 849 run daily at 25-minute intervals. The journey to the Kehlstein car park takes around 15 minutes: six and a half kilometres, 800 metres of ascent, five tunnels and only one hairpin. Since June 2023 eight electric buses with 41 seats each have been running here.

First bus up

08:30

Last bus up

16:00

Last bus down

16:50

Interval

25 min

Towards the end of the season the hours get shorter. For 1 October to 8 November 2026 the Zweckverband gives operating hours of 08:55 to 16:00; its “frequently asked questions” give a first bus up at 09:20 and a last bus down at 15:35 for the period from roughly the end of September. The two statements do not quite match – so in October, check the operator's website beforehand or phone (+49 8652 2029). All season dates are under opening times and season.

How the bus journey works: Your ticket states a fixed departure. The return journey is automatically booked for two hours later and is printed on the ticket. If you want to stay longer or shorter, you rebook at the terminals in the Eagle's Nest or at the bus turning area. If you bought online, you are asked to be at the departure point 30 minutes before departure; if you are late there is neither rebooking nor a refund.

Honestly: According to the operator, Saturdays are the busiest day on the Kehlstein line. The first departures on weekdays and on Sundays are usually not full. If you can choose your day, don't pick a Saturday – and if the summit is in cloud, save yourself the bus journey altogether.