- Summits
- Eagle's Nest
- Opening times
Eagle's Nest · 2026 seasonEagle's Nest opening times, season & winter
The Eagle's Nest (Kehlsteinhaus) is only open for as long as the buses run – and they only run when the road is safe. That means: May into the autumn, daily, and not at all in winter.
- May–Sept 08:30–16:50
- October shorter hours
- Winter closed
- First bus up
- 08:30
- Last bus up
- 16:00
- Last bus down
- 16:50
- Departures
- every 25 min
Times checked on 21 September 2026 · Source: Zweckverband Bergerlebnis Berchtesgaden · Photo: Geolina163, CC BY-SA 3.0
Eagle's Nest opening times 2026
The house has no opening times of its own that would be independent of the buses: the only way up is on the Kehlstein line, so its operating hours apply. The Zweckverband Bergerlebnis Berchtesgaden (the regional tourism association) gives these dates for 2026:
| Period 2026 | Operation | Days of the week |
|---|---|---|
| 8 May to 30 September | 08:30 – 16:50 | daily |
| 1 October to 8 November | 08:55 – 16:00 | daily |
| Rest of the year | closed | – |
The times describe the bus service from Obersalzberg: in the main season the first bus up leaves at 08:30, the last at 16:00, and the last bus down at 16:50. In between, the buses run every 25 minutes.
For the late season there are two slightly different statements from the same operator. The table above gives 08:55 to 16:00 from 1 October. The “frequently asked questions” (as of January 2026) say that from roughly the end of September the first bus up is at 09:20 and the last bus down at 15:35. So in October, plan with the narrower window and check the operator's website the day before.
When does the season begin and end?
The operator deliberately does not commit to fixed calendar days: the Kehlstein season begins “depending on the weather, at the beginning/middle of May” and ends “in mid/late October”. In 2026 the autumn is scheduled more generously – operation is listed until 8 November. Whether it lasts that long is decided by the first snow.
2027 season: The operator has not yet published dates for the coming year. If you are planning for May 2027, you should not firmly count on the first two weeks of May.
Rule of thumb: As a general rule the Eagle's Nest is open from mid-May to mid-October. Anything before and after that is a bonus and depends on the weather.
Eagle's Nest in winter: closed, and completely so
In winter the Eagle's Nest is closed. The Kehlstein road is shut because of the highest avalanche risk; according to the Zweckverband, three metres of snow are not unusual there. The closure applies to all traffic – even when no buses are running, you may not use the road with vehicles, with sports equipment or on foot.
Honestly: Between November and April there is nothing to visit and nothing to book on the Kehlstein. If you are in Berchtesgaden in winter, the trip to Obersalzberg is still not wasted: the Dokumentation Obersalzberg (documentation centre) is open all year round, daily from 09:00 to 17:00, except on a few closing days.
Snow, storms, rockfall: closures in the middle of the season
Even in summer, operation can be suspended at short notice. The operator names storms, snowfall and rockfall as reasons; the bus route is then suspended and the house stays shut. The rock faces above the road are inspected continuously during the season.
- Information in bad weather
- +49 8652 2029
- Updated daily
- Ausflugsticker Berchtesgaden (excursion ticker)
If you have booked online: be there at least 30 minutes before departure; according to the Zweckverband, if you arrive late there is neither rebooking nor a refund. What happens to tickets already bought when operation is suspended is not stated on the operator's website – if in doubt, ask before buying.
Best time of day: what the operator itself says
Three pieces of advice are documented, all from the Zweckverband:
- Go early. “Use the first buses in the morning” – the first departures on weekdays and on Sundays are usually not full.
- Avoid Saturday. Saturdays are the busiest day on the Kehlstein line.
- Allow two hours. That is what the operator estimates for the stay including the journey there and back. Your return journey is automatically booked for two hours after the trip up; you can rebook at the terminals in the house and at the turning area.
What follows for the afternoon: with the last bus up at 16:00 you have less than an hour at the top before the last bus goes down at 16:50. That is enough for a look, not for the summit path and a stop at the restaurant.
Honestly: The visibility matters more than the time of day. If the summit is in cloud, you will see grey at the top – whether at 08:30 or at 14:00. Before buying a ticket, look at the operator's webcam and look up. There are no official statistics on the time of day at which the Kehlstein is most often clear; we are not going to invent any.
And how do I get to the first departure?
By car you park at Obersalzberg. Without a car, for the 08:30 bus up you need scheduled bus 838 at 07:35 from Berchtesgaden station – in the 2026 summer timetable it runs Monday to Saturday, not on Sundays. All departures are under bus, getting there and car park, the prices under tickets & prices. The Eagle's Nest page shows the whole route at a glance.
Where the figures come from
| Detail | Source | Checked |
|---|---|---|
| Operating hours 8 May – 30 September and 1 October – 8 November 2026, interval, first and last departure, winter closure, avalanche risk, rock inspections, weather closures, busy periods, online ticket | Zweckverband Bergerlebnis Berchtesgaden – Kehlsteinhaus (in German) | 21 September 2026 |
| Season “depending on the weather”, shorter hours from the end of September, length of stay, rebooking | Kehlsteinhaus – frequently asked questions, as of January 2026 (in German) | 21 September 2026 |
| Closed in winter, short-notice closure in summer too, webcam | Kehlsteinhaus, operator's website | 21 September 2026 |
| Documentation centre open all year 09:00–17:00 | Dokumentation Obersalzberg – Besuch (visit) | 21 September 2026 |
| Route 838, first departure | RVO timetable route 838, valid 24 May – 24 October 2026 (in German) | 21 September 2026 |