Located in Bavaria, Germany, close to Berchtesgaden, you can find one of Germany’s most picturesque and popular lakes –Königssee. This beautiful emerald-green lake is surrounded by mountain peaks and might not be what you expect when visiting Germany or the Bavarian Alps. During our road trip through Southern Germany and the Alpine Road, we of course made a stop at Königssee. The experience was great, but we had to learn some things about the lake the hard way. In this Königssee travel guide, I’ll share some practical insights you want to know before visiting. If you’re planning to include Königssee in your Bavaria itinerary, keep reading for everything you need to know to make your visit unforgettable.
The Königssee can perfectly be combined with the Jennerbahn and should be part of your 7-day Bavaria itinerary
It is also possible to book a tour from München to Königssee
Hotel AlpinaRos (€200), Ferienwohnung am Luitpold (€175), Hotel Schwabenwirt (€125), Design Hotel ALPENLIEBE (Inzell - €100)
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The summer months are ideal for visiting Königssee, especially if you want to experience the full boat route to Obersee and hike to the Röthbach Waterfall. Unfortunately, we visited a couple of days after the boat stopped service to Salet, and we could only get out at St. Bartholomä. Spring and autumn are beautiful and there are fewer crowds, however, it is quite a shame if you can’t visit Obersee.
Königssee is located in Schönau am Königssee, which is close to Berchtesgaden in the southeast of Germany (around 2-hours from Munich). If you’re driving (rent a car), you can park at the large parking area directly at the lake (Parkplatz Königssee), which is huge and offers EV charging stations as well (near the entrance!). Parking tickets for a day cost €9.00. Alternatively, you can take a train to Berchtesgaden, followed by a local bus.
A visit to Königssee equals doing an electric boat tour to visit St. Bartholomä and Obersee. This boat tour is the absolute highlight and brings you to amazing scenery. The boat tour itself is a great experience, where you are surrounded by mountains covered in trees and clear waters.
Ticket Tip: You can also buy the See-Gipfel-ticket, which costs €54 in 2025 and includes both the return boat tour as well as the return cable car ride on the Jennerbahn, saving you around €15. The combi ticket is valid on different days (within 6 months), so you don’t have to cram both activites into one day.
The main stop is the St. Bartholomä chapel, which is a picturesque site with the famous red domes surrounded by mountains. Around the chapel, you can walk around and start some smaller hikes, such as Eiskapelle. Alternatively, you can also walk along the lake and head to the waterfall. We took it a bit further and tried hiking towards Obersee as the boats were not running there anymore; however, that turned out to be impossible within the timeframe we had.
At the chapel, you can also find a small beer garden to relax!
As mentioned, in summer months, the boats continue past the chapel to Salet. From Salet you can walk to Obsersee, which is a stunning lake. You can also walk around the lake and visit. the Röthbachfall, with 470 meters the highest waterfall in Germany. On this side of the lake, you can also findt he Fischunkelalm, a cute little mountain hut.
Reaching Obersee from St. Bartholoma involves a long and unmarked mountain trail. If you try to reach Obersee this way, you won’t have enough time to return before the last boat. So, always double-check the seasonal schedule. Generally, boats to Obersee run between easter and mid-October.
If you’re looking to escape the crowds around the lake and enjoy a more active way to experience Königssee, consider hiking to the Archenkanzel viewpoint. This is a panoramic look-out above the lake and offers great views over the lake and the Berchtesgaden Alps. You can start the hike from the same parking lot, and it takes about 2 to 3 hours one way. It is quite a challenging route, as you will be gaining around 800 meters in elevation. It is also possible to extend your hike towards the St. Bartholomä chapel.
We decided not to hike to Archzenkansel as this could not be combined with the attempt to see Obersee, and as we went up the Jennerbahn the next day, including views over Königssee.
Near the boat pier, you can find the Jennerbahn cable car. It takes you to 1,800 meters for stunning alpine views over Königssee and offers different hiking routes and great mountain huts. The Jennerbahn is a great add-on if you want to see the lake from above. I would recommend taking two separate days to have sufficient time to enjoy both sights.
Read more on how to spend a day around Jenner.
If you want to explore Bavaria, I would highly recommend staying a couple of days in Berchtesgaden. Don’t forget to also visit Garmisch-Partenkirchen, to explore the Eibsee and Neuschwanstein. The town is small, but it has enough to offer for a couple of days. Alternatively, you can stay outside a town, where accommodations are cheaper.
Hotel AlpinaRos: A beautiful hotel centrally located in Berchtesgaden with rooms and balconies overlooking the Bavarian Alps. There is breakfast, a bar, free parking and a swimming pool. Rooms start around €200 a night.
Ferienwohnung am Luitpold: These large rooms / small apartments are located above a lovely Italian restaurant. The view from the balcony is stunning, and we have enjoyed our morning coffees here. The pictures don’t do the place justice. Rooms start from €175 with a minimum stay of 3 nights.
Hotel Schwabenwirt: Located at 50 minutes from the train station and including a restaurant AND biergarten, this is a great place to stay. The rooms are traditional and simple, starting from €125 a night.
Design Hotel ALPENLIEBE (Inzell): If you don’t mind staying a bit further and driving a bit to the main sights, then alpenliebe is a great option. This design hotel has modern, but small, rooms for a good price. Rooms start from €100 a night.
