Scenic mountain views, a charming village, and incredible skiing make Zermatt one of the best destinations in Switzerland. Visit in the summer for beautiful hikes to floral meadows and blue lakes, or visit during the colder months to enjoy a winter wonderland of snowy peaks and apres-ski! Here’s some of the best things to do in Zermatt, Switzerland.
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HOW TO GET HERE
Zermatt is located in the southern Valais canton of Switzerland and is incredibly easy to reach by train. Fly into Geneva (GVA), Bern (BRN), or Zurich (ZRH), then hop on a train! Public transportation in Switzerland is fantastic – it’s convenient and very easy to navigate. I highly recommend downloading the Swiss Travel SBB app for timetables, platform/train info, etc.
SWISS TRAVEL PASS | My recommendation. Can be purchased for the number of days you require it for. Gives you unlimited travel by train, bus, and ferry. You do not have to book anything ahead of time either, you can just hop on whichever ride you’d like! It also offers you 50% off many mountain excursions and gives you free entry into over 500 museums.
HALF FARE CARD | Gives you half off all travel in Switzerland, and half off many mountain excursions. The downside to the half fare card is all tickets will still have to be purchased beforehand or on site at the train station – you can’t just hop on whatever train you want.
It is possible to just book transportation without purchasing the Swiss Travel Pass or the Half Fare Card – but I would only recommend doing this if you’re using transportation infrequently as it gets pretty expensive!
NOTE | Zermatt is a car-free village. It’s quite small, so it’s easy to navigate on foot! Many hotels do have small electric shuttles than can transport you and your luggage to/from the train station, so ask your accommodation about arranging this prior to arrival.
Where To Stay
BEAUSITE ZERMATT | One of my favorite hotels I’ve stayed in! Our room had gorgeous views of the town and the Matterhorn. We had the best time lounging around in our robes, having coffee, and enjoying the view. There is a spa with heated outdoor pool, hot tub, and sauna. Breakfast is exceptional, and the Grill restaurant was 10/10!
LA COURONNE HOTEL AND SPA | A gorgeous hotel with fabulous wellness facilities. Enjoy a sauna, heated outdoor pool, infrared cabin, snow room, and steam bath. This is the ultimate relaxation getaway after a day of skiing!
HOTEL HOLIDAY | A cozy little stay that won’t break the bank! The rooms themselves are pretty standard, but each has a balcony with mountain views!
Things to Do
See The Matterhorn
This one is kind of a given – you can’t visit Zermatt without seeing the Matterhorn. Virtually anywhere you are in town, you can see her looming above. Now, there is a caveat to this – the Matterhorn’s elevation is so high that it is quite literally up in the clouds. On a cloudy day, it can be completely invisible. So if you can’t see it, be patient – you might need to just wait for the clouds to pass!
Some of my favorite viewpoints of the Matterhorn:
- From the hotel balcony of BEAUSiTE Zermatt.
- From various points along the Gornergrat Railway – Riffelsee is especially gorgeous
- Kirchbrücke Bridge
- From Blauherd – you can see the Matthorn up close the second you step off the gondola!
Explore the Town
The town of Zermatt is quite charming – traditional wooden chalets line the streets with flower boxes perched in the windows. I’ve only visited in the autumn, but I imagine it’s absolutely magical during the winter when snow blankets the entire town! While in town, here’s a few things you shouldn’t miss:
- Hinterdorfstrasse: This quiet little cobblestone street is the oldest part of Zermatt! The traditional houses date back to the 1700s, and were originally homes, barns, stores, and stables.
- Bahnhofstrasse: the Main Street of Zermatt. Go for a stroll along it, making sure to stop in plenty of souvenir shops, chocolatiers, bakeries, and boutiques!
- Enjoy the view of the Mattherhorn from Kirchbrücke Bridge!
- Head to Murini Hill for an epic viewpoint over the town and of the Matterhorn!
Ride the Gornergrat
Take the Gornergrat cogwheel train up to 3100 meters and the best Matterhorn view! Your ticket includes all rides on the train for the day, so you can make stops along the way as you wish! Here’s some key stops:
- Talstation Gornergrat Bahn: the first station in the town of Zermatt. This is where your journey will begin!
- Riffelalp: the starting point for many hikes! There’s a few restaurants here as well.
- Riffelberg: another starting point for several hikes, Swiss Topwalk and the Mark Twain trail
- Rotenboden: the stop for Riffelsee lake!
- Gornergrat station: the final stop of the journey. There is a viewing platform at the top with an incredible panoramic view of the peaks! (including the Matterhorn, of course).
Their interactive map is so helpful for planning out your Gornergrat trip!
We unfortunately had awful weather when we took the Gornergrat train (it was our last day in Zermatt as well, so we couldn’t move our tickets to another day). Because of the clouds, we couldn’t see any of the peaks at all. There is a live visibility webcam on their website, so I recommend checking this beforehand!
NOTE | Tickets for the Gornergrat are half off with the Swiss Travel Pass!
Go Skiing
Technically, you can ski in Zermatt 365 days a year. However, many lifts close in April and don’t reopen until November. As we visited in September, we didn’t get the opportunity to ski, but if you’re visiting during the winter months this is a must do! I will definitely be making a return trip to Zermatt in the winter for skiing.
Apres Ski at Chez Vrony
There’s plenty of restaurants and apres-ski spots listed here on Zermatt’s official website, but Chez Vrony takes the cake. The restaurant itself is absolutely stunning, with a massive patio showcasing the snowy Matterhorn. The passionfruit spritz and fondue are both 10/10, and the overall music and vibes are just amazing.
If you’re visiting in the warmer months or don’t want to ski, you can still visit Chez Vrony! Take the funicular from Zermatt to Sunnegga, then you’ve got about a thirty minute scenic walk to Chez Vrony. You can make the walk during the winter too, but you’ll definitely need snowshoes!
Go Hiking
It’s no secret that Switzerland is one of the BEST countries for hiking. Here’s some of the best hikes in Zermatt, ranked by difficulty:
- RIFFELSEE TRAIL | 4.8km, 1.5h, easy | Take the Gornergrat train all the way up to the top, then take the trail down to Riffelsee Lake, where you can see the stunning Matterhorn reflected in the lake. The entire walk is downhill, and the Matterhorn is in front of you the entire time!
- MATTERHORN GLACIER TRAIL | 6.6km, 2.5h, easy | Take the cable car up to Trockener Steg to begin the hike. Then, hike along the glacier and see the different stages of glacial retreat! And of course, views of the mountains along the way. I recommend booking a Kombi-ticket for this hike – it includes a ride up to Trockener Steg (trailhead) and a ride back to Zermatt from Schwarzsee (trail end).
- FIVE LAKES TRAIL | 9.8km, 3h, moderate | This walk winds around five lakes, some with the Matterhorn reflecting in them! It’s one of the most popular hikes in Zermatt. The hike begins in Blauherd and ends at Sunnegga. I recommend booking a Kombi-ticket for the journey. (Hint: Chez Vrony is towards the end of this hike – we ended up heading here before going to the Sunnegga station!)
- BREITHORN SUMMIT | 5.4km, 3.5h, moderate | I can’t speak to this hike myself as I haven’t done it, but supposedly it’s one of the easier 4000m summits to make, making it a great option for first-timers. It’s a relatively short hike, but the altitude definitely makes it more difficult. You will need a guide for this hike as the route changes regularly. Book a guided tour here!
- EDELWEISS HIKE | 20.7km, 7.5h, difficult | This is the only way to get to the Höhbalmen Meadows – where you can see one of the best views of the Matterhorn! The hike begins in Zermatt village up to the Edelweiss hut. Then, there’s a strenuous climb to Trift Guesthouse (a great place to stop for a break and a drink). This is a challenging hike but supposedly one of the best in Zermatt!
HAVE DINNER AT THE GRILL
Our best meal in Zermatt and one of the best meals in Switzerland! You have to make a stop at The Grill for a wood-fired steak dinner. Go for the three pieces of fillet so you can try all three types – Wagyu, Angus, and Swiss!
