Rappel through limestone narrows, slide past waterfalls in Bavaria's alpine throat
Hand-picked by our editors — only the best 8 canyoning experiences from 23 reviewed.
Verified partners for Canyoning Allgäu tours, free cancellation where available, and instant confirmation on every booking.
3 hr 30 min
Navigate a dramatic Alpine gorge with jumps, slides, and fossil-rich rock formations in Bavaria's Allgäu region.
Reserve
3 hr
Navigate waterfalls, natural slides, and rocky pools in one of the Allgäu's most dramatic gorges
Reserve
4 hr
Rappel down waterfalls, jump from rocks, and conquer an 18-meter slide in the stunning Allgäu canyon
ReservePrices from verified partners. Availability updates in real time at checkout. Free cancellation policies apply where shown.
The landmarks, rooms, and views travelers on Canyoning Allgäu tours remember — all visible on a single visit.
A 12-meter high waterfall that serves as the iconic entrance point to the Starzlachklamm. Visitors often pause here for photos before starting the steep hike.
Circular rock basins formed by centuries of stones swirling in the current. These geologic features are best viewed after crossing the first bridge.
A massive, arch-like rock roof that creates a dramatic tunnel effect. This site showcases the raw power of the Starzlach river.
Rock faces containing ancient nummulite fossils from the Alpine formation period. Enthusiasts can spot these coin-shaped remains along the gorge walls.
A traditional mountain hut located near the gorge entrance. It offers a perfect setting for refreshments before or after exploring the trail.
Every Canyoning Allgäu tour side-by-side — duration, what's included, how you redeem.
| Experience | Duration | Rating | Guide | Small group | Free cancel. | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Standard Entry Most popular
Starzlachklamm Gorge Canyoning Adventure
|
3 hr 30 min | ★ 4.9 | — | ✓ | ✓ | €99 | Book → |
|
Standard Entry
Starzlachklamm Gorge Canyoning Adventure
|
3 hr | ★ 5.0 | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | €87 | Book → |
|
Standard Entry
Starzlach Gorge Beginner Canyoning Adventure
|
4 hr | ★ 4.8 | — | — | ✓ | €119 | Book → |
All prices from verified partners. Availability and exact terms confirmed at checkout.
Starzlachklamm offers a more adventurous experience for those seeking active canyoning Allgäu tours, while Breitachklamm is better suited for scenic, accessible walking tours. Most visitors find the former more exciting for water sports, whereas the latter provides a classic geological experience.
| Feature | Top pick Starzlachklamm | Breitachklamm |
|---|---|---|
Experience type |
Active water canyoning | Gorge hiking trail |
Technical difficulty |
Moderate to high | Low |
Accessibility for families |
Teens and older | All ages |
Peak crowd levels |
Moderate | Very high |
Main visual highlight |
Waterfall pools | Deep vertical rock walls |
Region |
Sonthofen | Tiefenbach |
| See tickets → |
Verdict: Choose Starzlachklamm if you prefer an active adventure with canyoning Allgäu tickets, or visit Breitachklamm for a relaxed walk through one of the deepest rock gorges in the region.
Choose your ticket, select your date, and reserve in under two minutes. Secure checkout handled by our verified partner.
Instant confirmation by email, with a mobile voucher you can save offline. No printing, no queuing at a collection desk.
Arrive at the entrance, show your voucher on your phone, and walk in. Most tickets include priority or skip-the-line access.
Practical details for Canyoning Allgäu tickets straight from our verified partners — hours, access, rules, and how to get there.
Sturdy, closed-toe footwear is mandatory for walking the Starzlachklamm paths. Canyoning allgäu tour participants are provided with specialized wetsuits and safety gear, but should wear swimwear underneath.
Avoid bringing bulky bags, as the Starzlachklamm trail features narrow walkways and steep stairs. Secure all personal belongings in a locker or vehicle prior to starting your canyoning allgäu tour.
Photography is permitted throughout the Starzlachklamm, capturing the natural waterfalls and rock formations. Ensure your camera gear is waterproof, especially if you book a canyoning allgäu tour.
The path through the Starzlachklamm involves steep stairs and narrow walkways, making it unsuitable for wheelchairs or strollers. Access is restricted to physically capable individuals on foot.
Mobile phone signal can be intermittent deep within the Starzlachklamm gorge. Keep devices in waterproof pouches if you are participating in canyoning allgäu tickets activities.
Children are welcome on the hiking trails but must be supervised at all times due to slippery sections. For canyoning allgäu tours, age restrictions usually apply and vary by service provider.
There are no food vendors inside the Starzlachklamm, but visitors can find refreshments at local huts like the Klammwirt near the exit. Pack water and light snacks, but please carry all trash out of the gorge.
Dogs are permitted in the Starzlachklamm but must be kept on a short leash at all times. Be mindful that narrow metal walkways can be uncomfortable for some pets.
The Starzlachklamm path is maintained via a 5 EUR conservation fee per adult. Follow all posted safety signage, particularly during or after heavy rainfall when water levels rise rapidly.
Best time to go, insider tips, nearby landmarks, and the cancellation fine print — flip through to skim what matters to you.
Flexible, no hidden fees.
Full refunds for canyoning allgäu tours are typically offered if canceled within the operator's specified window, usually 24-48 hours. Conservation fees for the Starzlachklamm entrance are generally non-refundable once the gorge is accessed.
The Starzlachklamm gorge has carved its channel through Jurassic limestone for twelve thousand years, yet guided canyoning descents through its narrows began only in the early 2000s when regional adventure operators recognized the gorge's combination of vertical pitch and year-round water flow.
Located three kilometers southwest of Sonthofen in the Oberallgäu district, the gorge drops eighty vertical meters over a two-kilometer course, its walls closing to less than three meters in the deepest sections. The Starzlach stream, fed by snowmelt from the Grünten massif, maintains a flow rate between fifty and two hundred liters per second depending on season, creating a natural training ground for rappelling, slide navigation, and cold-water immersion techniques that form the core of modern canyoning allgäu programs.
The gorge's geological structure—alternating bands of hard dolomite and softer marlstone—produces the stepped profile that defines a canyoning allgäu tour: vertical drops requiring rope work followed by slick chutes where participants slide on their backs through polished rock channels. Commercial operators running canyoning allgäu starzlachklamm expeditions deploy fixed anchor points drilled into the gorge walls at five key rappel stations, the longest descent measuring fourteen meters into a plunge pool carved smooth by centuries of hydraulic action. The narrow profile that makes Starzlachklamm ideal for supervised descents also means groups are limited to eight participants per guide, and tours typically run between three and four hours including equipment fitting and safety briefings at the upstream entry point near Winkel.
Canyoning allgäu kinder programs, modified for participants as young as ten, use shorter rope sections and bypass the gorge's two highest rappels in favor of walking detours along the established hiking trail that parallels the upper gorge. Adult expeditions tackle the full course, which includes a six-meter jump into the Hexenkessel pool—optional but taken by an estimated seventy percent of participants based on operator feedback—and a fifteen-meter wet rappel under the main cascade where water volume can obscure visibility and communication requires hand signals. The limestone walls, darkened by algae and mineral staining, rise twenty to thirty meters above the stream bed in the central narrows, blocking direct sunlight for most of the descent and keeping water temperatures between eight and twelve degrees Celsius even in summer.
Canyoning allgäu sonthofen operators provide seven-millimeter wetsuits, helmets, harnesses, and neoprene gloves as standard issue; participants supply only closed-toe water shoes with aggressive tread, as the gorge floor alternates between smooth limestone and loose cobble. The conservation fee of five euros per adult, collected at the trailhead kiosk, funds maintenance of the wooden walkways and steel cable handrails installed along the hiking route that shares the gorge with canyoning groups. Canyoning allgäu gutschein vouchers, sold by regional adventure schools, remain valid for one calendar year and can be applied toward any scheduled descent, though summer weekends between June and August book out three to four weeks in advance due to demand from both German and international adventure tourists drawn by the gorge's reputation as one of the most accessible technical descents in the Bavarian Alps.
"The limestone walls, darkened by algae and mineral staining, rise twenty to thirty meters above the stream bed in the central narrows, blocking direct sunlight for most of the descent."
A step-by-step walkthrough of Canyoning Allgäu tickets — what you'll see, how long each stage takes, and the details that matter.
You meet your guide at the upstream trailhead near Winkel at nine in the morning, early enough to avoid the afternoon hiking traffic that shares the gorge trail.
After fitting your wetsuit and harness in the equipment shed, you hike fifteen minutes uphill to the entry point where the Starzlach narrows to four meters and the first rappel anchor is bolted into the right wall. Your guide clips you into the rope system and you lean back over the edge, boots scraping limestone as you descend twelve meters into the first pool, cold water rising to your waist the moment you touch down.
The next forty minutes alternate between walking through knee-deep current and rappelling past waterfalls, the gorge walls closing in until you can touch both sides with outstretched arms. At the Hexenkessel pool your guide demonstrates the jump entry—feet first, arms crossed—and you follow from the six-meter ledge, the plunge pool deeper and colder than expected. The main cascade comes next: you rappel backward under the full force of the waterfall, visibility reduced to a gray blur of spray, and your gloves slip twice on the wet rope before you find the pool below.
The final section opens into a wider basin where sunlight reaches the water for the first time in an hour. You unclip from the rope system, swim twenty meters to the exit beach, and hike the return trail back to the equipment shed where hot tea and a debrief await. Your hands are still shaking from the cold, but the guide logs your descent as complete: two kilometers, five rappels, ninety minutes in the water.
The Starzlachklamm is open daily from 09:00–17:00, which applies to general visitors and the start times for most canyoning allgäu tours. Activities are subject to weather conditions and may close during storms.
Most canyoning allgäu tickets must be booked in advance through professional operators, rather than at the gorge entrance. General entrance to the gorge requires a 5 EUR conservation fee.
No, the path through the Starzlachklamm is restricted to foot traffic on stairs and bridges and is not suitable for strollers.
The best arrival window is 09:00–11:00, which avoids peak afternoon crowds and ensures enough time for a full hike or canyoning allgäu tour.
Yes, dogs are welcome but must be kept on a leash while walking through the Starzlachklamm.
The conservation fee of 5 EUR per adult is for public hikers; canyoning allgäu tours typically include access within their service price.
There are no facilities inside the gorge, but food is available at nearby locations like the Klammwirt once you exit the Starzlachklamm.
Yes, photography is permitted, though you should protect your equipment from spray during your canyoning allgäu experience.
Participants in a canyoning allgäu tour are provided with wetsuits, but should wear swimwear underneath and sturdy, closed-toe footwear for the approach hike.
