Family Hike to Beautiful Lake Eibsee! Capture the “German Caribbeans”

Beautiful Lake Eibsee, every bit of its 1.796 km², holds true magic in the Bavarian Alps. This is especially true midsummer when hiking and photography enthusiasts are on the photo hunt for unparalleled, breathtaking sights.

Mountain Moments is here to show you the map of one particular easy and rewarding route, to explain what awaits on the way, and to share professional photography tips and tricks. We’ve got you covered, from start to finish.

What’s so special about this hiking route? Where do we begin!

Crystal clear and emerald green, the Eibsee shimmers in front of the majestic backdrop of the Zugspitze. The scattered small rocky islands look like they belong on a page of a fairytale, and they invite you to daydream.

The islands were once part of a massive rockslide that gave the lake its current shape. The Eibsee has become such a natural wonder that many argue you can experience something so pure only in Canadian national parks.

Whether with a camera at sunrise in summer, with family in spring and autumn, or on a sled in winter – the circular route around the lake is very well developed and easy to cover. The entire circumnavigation of the Eibsee is a relaxing, approximately two-hour walk for the whole family.

Directions! This is how your Bavarian Photo adventure looks like on a map 

The routing of this tour is very simple: from the car park and bus stop at Eibsee, it goes past the Eibsee Hotel and then a few meters down to the lake. Continue on the way north. Now walk counterclockwise along the lakeshore to the starting point.

The first photo spot with the menhir on the water after about 1.5 kilometers on the left-hand side on the bank. We find the view of the famous islands with the lonely hut and some trees after another 500 – 1000 meters directly on the shore path.

Photo tips that will make your Instagram pop! Crystal clear lake, lovely islands and portraits

The Eibsee can do both: it is a wonderful place for rest and relaxation and at the same time a photographic highlight of the Bavarian Alps.

Also because of the easy access, the Eibsee is one of the most popular photo motifs in Germany. Accordingly, there is sometimes a lot of activity here. The lake has crystal clear mountain water, wonderful romantic islands, and the massive northern flank of the Zugspitze contrasts in the background.

Both wide panoramic shots with the Zugspitze in the background and close-up detailed shots of the islands are often chosen motifs.

Mountain Moments Photo Workshops provide Photo Tours for everybody, Alpine Experience for beginners and intermediate-level photographers with 3 to 6-hour routes, as well as Summit Experience for more advanced photographers and hikers. We have private workshops and group classes.

Portraits are also particularly popular on the first menhir.

More information about your trip – from arrival to the finish line

Arrival: A95 to Garmisch-Partenkirchen and then B23 towards Ehrwald. Turn left towards Grainau/Eibsee. Paid parking.

Public transport: To Garmisch-Partenkirchen, continue by bus via Grainau to Eibsee.

Difficulty: easy

Duration: 2h, 7km

Ascent/descent: 75hm/75hm

Highest/lowest point: 1035m/974m

Refreshments: various at the start and finish point

Start/finish: Eibsee parking lot/bus stop (coordinates: geogr. 47.457402, 10.991100) 

Particular dangers: –

Tips: Sunrise photoshoot in midsummer

The most beautiful photo spots and hikes in the German Alps – experience this hiking tour and 29 other exceptional regions now.

Fancy more hikes in the mountains – and beautiful photos? Get out into nature! Experience the best hikes and locations with our new book: German Alps – Photo and Hiking Guide. The 90 best Photo Locations and 30 most panoramic Hikes.

Here we have compiled the most beautiful locations and photo opportunities. 30 hikes with 90 photo spots are selected and described in such a way that you can easily experience these wonderful landscapes in Bavaria for yourself – including GPS tracks and hiking map and all other information.

You can take a closer look at the ebook here– – why not share it with your hiking partner in crime?