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From Garmisch, there are two possibilities for ascending the Zugspitze (2966m) by public transport; each costs DM44/¬22 single, DM79/¬39.50 return in summer, and DM36/¬18 single, DM62/¬31 return in winter. The electric train, the Zugspitzbahn, travels westwards to a forest lake, the Eibsee . Here you can either continue by the rack rail line, the Gletscherbahn, which goes up a winding tunnel carved through the interior of the mountain, or transfer to the Eibseebahn cable car. Whereas the latter goes straight to the summit, the former deposits you at the Schneefernhaus (2645m), which commands a huge skiing area. You can then ascend to the summit by the Gipfelbahn cable car, or walk via the tunnel to the customs point, the Zugspitzkamm (2805m), from where yet another cable car, the Tiroler Zugspitzbahn, runs to Ehrwald in Austria. The views from the top are all you'd expect, stretching from the Tyrolean High Alps to the Allgäu and the Bavarian lowlands.

Closer to Garmisch, the Alpspitze (2628m) is the highest peak in a range popular with serious hikers. In this case, the cable car, the Alpspitzbahn (DM27/¬13.50 single, DM38/¬19 return) does not go all the way to the summit, but terminates at the nearby Osterfelderkopf (2050m). The valley station is at the southwestern edge of Garmisch, reached by bus #2 from the centre; close by is the departure point of another cable car, which ascends to the Kreuzeck (1652m) for DM20/¬10 single, DM28/¬14 return. Two other peaks to the south of town, Hausberg (1350m) and Eckbauer (1236m) also have their own cable cars (DM15/¬7.50 single, DM20/¬10 return, and DM14/¬7 single, DM19/¬9.50 return respectively). A short walk south of the latter's valley station is the magnificent gorge known as the Partnachklamm (a DM3/¬1.50 admission is levied throughout most of the day), which can be traversed by a circular path hewn out of the rock. East of Partenkirchen, the Wank (1780m) offers the best view of the basin in which the town is set, as well as a complete panorama of the Wetterstein chain. A cable car, whose valley station is served by buses #3, #4 and #5, goes to the summit for DM20/¬10 single, DM29/¬14.50 return.