--- title: "Top 10 Things To Do in Zermatt, Switzerland | Wimup" description: "The 10 best things to do in Zermatt, from Gornergrat and the 3,883 m Glacier Paradise to the Five Lakes Walk and the Hinterdorf. Ranked, mapped and priced." url: https://wimup.com/city/zermatt type: City guide updated: 2026-09-06 publisher: Wimup (https://wimup.com) --- # Top 10 Things To Do in Zermatt Zermatt, Switzerland · Europe · By Wimup Editorial, 13 min read Zermatt sits at 1,620 metres at the head of the Mattertal, and no combustion car reaches it: you stop at Täsch and take the train. The village is ringed by 38 of the Alps' four-thousand metre peaks, and one of them is the reason almost everybody comes. ## Quick answer Ride the Gornergrat cogwheel railway to 3,089 metres on your first clear morning, then take the cable cars to Matterhorn Glacier Paradise at 3,883 metres, the highest lift station in Europe. Walk the Five Lakes Trail down from Blauherd to Sunnegga, give an hour to the Matterhorn Museum, and end in the Hinterdorf among barns from the 16th century. ## Quick facts - **Best months:** Jan · Feb · Mar · Jul · Aug · Sep - **Ideal length:** 3 to 4 days - **Budget per day:** CHF 190–400 - **Language:** German, spoken locally in Valais dialect - **Getting around:** The village on foot, electric taxis and small buses, mountain railways above it - **Tourism board:** [Official site](https://zermatt.swiss/en?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) ## The 10 best things to do in Zermatt ### 1. Gornergrat Mountain · Gornergrat Bahn station, Bahnhofplatz, 3920 Zermatt The cogwheel railway climbs more than 1,400 metres in 33 minutes to a ridge at 3,089 metres, facing the Matterhorn across the Gorner glacier. Ride it on the first clear morning of the trip. The light is better early and the terrace empties again after the lunch trains. - **Time:** Half day - **Cost:** Ticketed - **Best at:** Early morning - **Tip:** Get off at Rotenboden on the way down for the Riffelsee Links: [Gornergrat Bahn](https://www.gornergrat.ch/en?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) ### 2. Matterhorn Glacier Paradise Mountain · Matterhorn Glacier Paradise valley station, Schluhmattstrasse, 3920 Zermatt Europe's highest cable car station, at 3,883 metres on the Klein Matterhorn. The platform reads 38 four-thousanders and 14 glaciers across three countries, and the Glacier Palace is cut about 15 metres into the ice below it. Altitude is the catch: move slowly up there. - **Time:** Half day - **Cost:** Ticketed - **Best at:** Clear mornings - **Tip:** The Glacier Palace is included in the lift ticket Links: [Zermatt Bergbahnen](https://www.matterhornparadise.ch/en?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) ### 3. The Five Lakes Walk Hike · Blauherd to Sunnegga, 3920 Zermatt Just under ten kilometres from Blauherd down to Sunnegga, past Stellisee, Grindjisee, Grünsee, Moosjisee and Leisee. Two and a half to three hours, 165 metres of climb against 454 of descent, and the Matterhorn reflects in two of the five when the wind drops. - **Time:** 3 hours - **Cost:** Lift ticket - **Best at:** June to September - **Tip:** Walk it downhill from Blauherd; the reverse is a long climb Links: [Zermatt Bergbahnen](https://www.matterhornparadise.ch/en?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) ### 4. Matterhorn Museum, Zermatlantis Museum · Kirchplatz 11, 3920 Zermatt A reconstructed village dug in under a glass dome beside the church, built around the first ascent of the Matterhorn in 1865 and the descent that killed four of Edward Whymper's party of seven. The broken rope is here, in a case. - **Time:** 1 hour - **Cost:** Ticketed - **Best at:** Afternoon - **Tip:** It opens at 14:00 from June to September and at 15:00 the rest of the year Links: [Matterhorn Museum](https://www.matterhornmuseum.ch/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) ### 5. The Hinterdorf Neighbourhood · Hinterdorfstrasse, 3920 Zermatt The old village, one street back from the shops: larch barns and granaries built between the 16th and 18th centuries, raised on stilts capped with flat stone discs to keep mice out of the grain. Five minutes' walk, free, and it explains what Zermatt was before 1865. - **Time:** 30 minutes - **Cost:** Free - **Best at:** Late afternoon - **Tip:** Walk on to Zmutt or Findeln to see the same barns still in use Links: [Zermatt Tourism](https://zermatt.swiss/en?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) ### 6. Riffelsee at Rotenboden Viewpoint · Rotenboden station, Gornergrat Bahn, 3920 Zermatt The reflection shot, ten minutes below Rotenboden station on the Gornergrat line. Come before the wind picks up, which usually means before nine, and the water holds the whole mountain. A second, smaller pool sits just beyond the first. - **Time:** 1 hour - **Cost:** Included with the Gornergrat ticket - **Best at:** Before 09:00 - **Tip:** Break the descent here and walk on down to Riffelberg Links: [Gornergrat Bahn](https://www.gornergrat.ch/en?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) ### 7. The Hörnli Hut trail Hike · Schwarzsee to Hörnlihütte, 3920 Zermatt The path to the foot of the Matterhorn's ridge, from Schwarzsee at 2,583 metres to the Hörnli Hut at 3,260. Around two hours up, rocky and exposed, and it puts you where the climbers start. Turn back early if the weather closes in. - **Time:** 4 to 5 hours return - **Cost:** Lift ticket - **Best at:** July to September - **Tip:** Check the hut's season before you commit; it is short Links: [Zermatt Tourism](https://zermatt.swiss/en?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) ### 8. The Gorner Gorge Landmark · Gornerschlucht, Furi, 3920 Zermatt A wooden walkway bolted into the slot the Gornervispa has cut through the rock below Furi, about twenty minutes' walk from the edge of the village. Short, cold and loud, and the best hour to keep in reserve for a day the cloud takes the summits. - **Time:** 1 hour - **Cost:** Small fee - **Best at:** Warm afternoons - **Tip:** Combine it with the walk up to Furi rather than taking the gondola Links: [Zermatt Tourism](https://zermatt.swiss/en?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) ### 9. Rothorn and Blauherd Mountain · Sunnegga funicular, Vispastrasse, 3920 Zermatt A funicular and two cable cars reach Rothorn at 3,103 metres, on the sunny side of the valley and looking straight across at the Matterhorn. Blauherd, one stage below, is where the Five Lakes Walk starts and where the afternoon light is best. - **Time:** Half day - **Cost:** Ticketed - **Best at:** Late afternoon - **Tip:** Fluhalp, above Stellisee, is the terrace to aim for Links: [Zermatt Bergbahnen](https://www.matterhornparadise.ch/en?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) ### 10. The mountaineers' cemetery Landmark · Kirchplatz, 3920 Zermatt Beside the parish church lie climbers who did not come back, among them men from the 1865 first ascent. It takes ten minutes and it is the quietest correction to the cable-car version of this valley. - **Time:** 20 minutes - **Cost:** Free - **Best at:** Any time - **Tip:** The museum next door tells the same story in detail Links: [Matterhorn Museum](https://www.matterhornmuseum.ch/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) ## Best mountain restaurants in Zermatt Six terraces reached on foot, on skis or by lift, each with the mountain in front of it. 1. **Chez Vrony** (2,100 m · Findeln): A century-old family farm turned terrace, and the benchmark lunch above Zermatt. [Chez Vrony](https://www.chezvrony.ch/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) 2. **Findlerhof** (Findeln · Findeln): Michelin and Gault Millau regulars, a few metres downhill from Chez Vrony. [Findlerhof](https://www.findlerhof.ch/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) 3. **Fluhalp** (2,620 m · Sunnegga): Above Stellisee at 2,620 m, with live music on the terrace in season. [Fluhalp](https://www.fluhalp.ch/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) 4. **Zum See** (On the Furi path · Zum See): A chapel, a handful of tables and a kitchen with a long reputation. 5. **Blatten** (On the Furi path · Blatten): The guides' canteen, ten minutes downhill from Zum See. 6. **Adler Hitta** (Findeln · Findeln): A Findeln chalet with a long rösti list and an all-day sun terrace. ## Best restaurants in Zermatt Where Zermatt eats once it has come down off the mountain. 1. **Whymper-Stube** (Hotel Monte Rosa · Village centre): Fondue and raclette in the hotel where the 1865 party slept. 2. **Schäferstube** (Hotel Julen · Village centre): Valais lamb cooked over an open fire, in the Julen family's hotel. [Schäferstube](https://www.julen.ch/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) 3. **Le Gitan Zermatterstübli** (Bahnhofstrasse · Village centre): Grilled meat and rösti, one of the village's long-running rooms. 4. **Grampi's** (Bahnhofstrasse · Village centre): Pizza and pasta downstairs, a bar upstairs that runs late. 5. **After Seven** (Backstage Hotel · Village centre): A tasting-menu room in the Backstage Hotel, the most ambitious cooking here. 6. **Snowboat Bar & Yacht Club** (Riverside · Village centre): A deck over the Vispa, open through the afternoon and into the evening. ## Best hiking trails in Zermatt Five walks that let the lifts do the climbing and leave you the descent. 1. **Gornergrat panorama trail** (About 1 hour · Gornergrat): Rotenboden down to Riffelberg past the Riffelsee, on an easy path. 2. **Matterhorn Glacier Trail** (About 2.5 hours · Schwarzsee): Trockener Steg to Schwarzsee, under the north face and across moraine. 3. **Höhbalmen Höhenweg** (6 to 7 hours · Zmutt): The big day out: a balcony loop above Zmutt, facing the mountain throughout. 4. **Europaweg to Randa** (494 m bridge · Randa): The high traverse north, ending at the Charles Kuonen suspension bridge. 5. **Sunnegga to Findeln** (About 1 hour · Findeln): A short forest descent into the hamlet, and the way most people walk to lunch. ## Best ski areas in Zermatt Three linked Swiss sectors, plus the Italian side over the Theodul pass. 1. **Gornergrat and Riffelberg** (3,089 m · Gornergrat): Long cruising runs off the cogwheel railway, and the sector that holds the sun. 2. **Rothorn and Sunnegga** (3,103 m · Sunnegga): Steeper and quieter, reached by funicular straight out of the village. 3. **Matterhorn glacier paradise** (3,883 m · Klein Matterhorn): Glacier terrain to 3,883 m, and the reason the resort still skis in August. 4. **Breuil-Cervinia** (Italy · Theodul): The Italian half of the pass, on the International ticket. Lunch costs less there. 5. **Gravity Park** (Glacier · Trockener Steg): The glacier snowpark, groomed well past the end of the winter season. ## Best après-ski bars in Zermatt From a shed on the piste to a cellar that has been open half a century. 1. **Hennu Stall** (On the Furi run · Furi): The shed on the Furi run, and the first stop on the way down. 2. **Papperla Pub** (Village centre · Village centre): Across the Kirchbrücke, loud from four o'clock and busy long after. 3. **Broken Bar Disco** (Hotel Post · Village centre): A cellar under the Hotel Post, dancing around a barrel since the 1970s. 4. **CERVO** (Riedweg · Village edge): Two terraces where the Sunnegga run meets the village, drinks from three. [CERVO](https://cervo.swiss/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) 5. **Elsie's Bar** (Kirchplatz · Village centre): Oysters and whisky in a small wooden room on the church square. ## Best things to do with kids in Zermatt The family half of the mountain, most of it on the Sunnegga side. 1. **Wolli Park at Sunnegga** (2,288 m · Sunnegga): A playground, rafts and barbecue pits at 2,288 m, three minutes up by funicular. 2. **Leisee** (Sunnegga · Sunnegga): A shallow bathing lake with a beach and a wooden raft to haul across it. 3. **Wolli Wonderland** (17 stations · Sunnegga): Two kilometres and 17 stations of puzzles, dioramas and audio stops. 4. **ZOOOM the Matterhorn** (3,089 m · Gornergrat): Three multimedia rooms at the top station, included in the Gornergrat ticket. ## Best day trips from Zermatt Five trips that use the one railway line out and back inside a day. 1. **Breuil-Cervinia** (Italy · Aosta Valley): Over the pass into Italy on the Matterhorn Alpine Crossing, on lifts the whole way. 2. **Randa and the Charles Kuonen bridge** (494 m · Randa): Two stops down the line, then the 494 metre footbridge on the Europaweg. 3. **Saas-Fee** (About 1h30 · Saastal): The other car-free village in the Saastal, reached by train and postbus. 4. **A leg of the Glacier Express** (From Zermatt · Valais): The panoramic line starts here. Ride it to Brig or Andermatt and come back. 5. **Sion and the Valais vineyards** (About 2 hours · Central Valais): Two castles on two hills, and the largest wine region in Switzerland. ## Festivals & annual events in Zermatt (2026) - **Horu Trophy** (January): Switzerland's largest open-air curling tournament, played on rinks laid out in the village. - **Patrouille des Glaciers** (April): A ski-mountaineering race the Swiss army runs every two years, 57.5 km from Zermatt to Verbier. - **Zermatt Unplugged** (April): Five days of acoustic sets, with more than 130 concerts across seventeen stages in the village. - **Zermatt Marathon** (July): A field capped at 2,222 runners climbs from St. Niklaus up the valley to the Riffelberg finish. - **Swiss National Day** (August): The 1st of August brings bonfires on the slopes, brass bands and a programme through the village. - **Folklore Festival** (August): Around thirty groups fill the streets with costume, alphorn and yodelling across one weekend. - **Matterhorn Ultraks** (August): Trail races over several distances, starting from the Obere Matten and run here since 2013. - **Zermatt Music Festival & Academy** (September): Chamber music at the Riffelalp chapel, 2,222 m up, led by players from the Berlin Philharmonic. ## Must-try dishes in Zermatt, Switzerland - **Raclette du Valais AOP**: Half a wheel melted at an open fire and scraped onto potatoes, plate by plate. - **Fondue moitié-moitié**: Half Gruyère, half Vacherin Fribourgeois, and the default winter dinner here. - **Walliser Teller**: The Valais cold plate: dried meat, raw ham, bacon, alpine cheese and rye bread. - **Viande séchée du Valais IGP**: Beef salted, spiced and air-dried for weeks, then sliced thin over rye bread. - **Walliser Roggenbrot AOP**: Dense sourdough rye, at least nine tenths rye flour, baked dark and kept for days. - **Cholera**: A covered Valais pie of potato, leek, apple, cheese and onion, baked in one dish. - **Älplermagronen**: Macaroni, potato, cream and cheese under fried onions, with apple sauce alongside. - **Valais apricot tart**: Luizet apricots from the Rhône valley on short pastry, in season from July. ## Zermatt transport & airports - **Geneva Airport** (GVA): The usual way in from outside Switzerland. Trains run through Visp and take about four hours. Zurich (ZRH) is a similar journey from the north. [SBB](https://www.sbb.ch/en?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) - **Zermatt station** (MGB): The Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn climbs the Mattertal from Visp, on the main Swiss network, in a little over an hour. The Glacier Express terminates here. [Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn](https://www.matterhorngotthardbahn.ch/en?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) - **Matterhorn Terminal Täsch** (Park & ride): Zermatt is car-free, so drivers stop at Täsch. The terminal holds 2,100 covered spaces and the shuttle train up to the village takes 12 minutes. [Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn](https://www.matterhorngotthardbahn.ch/en?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) - **In the village** (Electric only): No combustion vehicles. Small electric taxis and two bus lines cover the village, though almost everything is inside a ten-minute walk. [Zermatt Tourism](https://zermatt.swiss/en?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) ## Zermatt at a glance - **Country:** Switzerland - **Region:** Canton of Valais, Visp district, at the head of the Mattertal - **Population:** About 5,800 residents, rising to roughly 32,000 in peak season - **Founded:** A farming hamlet in the Mattertal. Tourism dates from the Matterhorn's first ascent in 1865 - **Nickname:** Horu, the Valais dialect name for the Matterhorn, which local events borrow - **Language:** German, spoken locally in Valais dialect - **Currency:** Swiss franc (CHF) - **Time zone:** CET (UTC+1), CEST (UTC+2) in summer - **Calling code:** +41 27 - **Airports:** Geneva (GVA) and Zurich (ZRH), both about four hours away by train - **Power:** 230V, 50Hz, Swiss Type J sockets - **Emergency:** 112 general, 117 police, 118 fire, 144 ambulance, 1414 air rescue ## Interesting facts - No combustion cars are allowed in Zermatt. Visitors park at Täsch and ride the shuttle train up. - The village sits at 1,620 metres and is ringed by 38 of the Alps' four-thousand metre peaks. - Edward Whymper's party first climbed the Matterhorn on 14 July 1865. Four of the seven died descending. - Matterhorn Glacier Paradise, at 3,883 metres, is the highest cable car station in Europe. - The linked Zermatt and Cervinia ski area covers 360 km of piste across the Swiss-Italian border. ## Watch [Zermatt at a Glance](https://wimup.com/watch/zermatt.md), 1:46 ## Zermatt travel FAQ ### How do you get to Zermatt if it is car-free? Trains climb the Mattertal from Visp, which sits on the main Swiss network, and terminate in the village. Drivers stop at the Matterhorn Terminal in Täsch, park in one of its 2,100 covered spaces and take the shuttle train, which takes 12 minutes. ### When is the best time to visit Zermatt? Mid-December to early April for skiing, and July to mid-September for hiking, when the high trails and the Five Lakes Walk are clear of snow. Late spring and November are the quiet shoulders, when many lifts and mountain restaurants close. ### Can you see the Matterhorn without hiking? Yes. The Gornergrat railway, the Sunnegga funicular and the Klein Matterhorn cable cars all end at viewing terraces, and the mountain is in plain sight from the Kirchbrücke in the middle of the village. ### How many days do you need in Zermatt? Three to four. That covers Gornergrat, Matterhorn Glacier Paradise and one long walk, with a spare day for weather. Weather matters here more than usual: a cloudy day hides the reason you came. ### Is Zermatt expensive? Yes, by Swiss standards as well as European ones. Lift tickets and mountain-restaurant lunches are the two big lines. Half-board in the village and a multi-day Peak Pass are the usual ways to bring the daily figure down. ## Nearby guides - [Lugano](https://wimup.com/city/lugano.md): Day trip · 10 picks - [Lucerne](https://wimup.com/city/lucerne.md): Switzerland · 10 picks - [Annecy](https://wimup.com/city/annecy.md): France · 10 picks - [All of Europe →](https://wimup.com/europe): 158 cities Part of the [Switzerland guide](https://wimup.com/country/switzerland.md) · [Europe](https://wimup.com/europe.md) ## Sources - [Zermatt tourism board](https://zermatt.swiss/en?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) - [Gornergrat: Gornergrat Bahn](https://www.gornergrat.ch/en?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) - [Matterhorn Glacier Paradise: Zermatt Bergbahnen](https://www.matterhornparadise.ch/en?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) - [Matterhorn Museum, Zermatlantis: Matterhorn Museum](https://www.matterhornmuseum.ch/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) - [Chez Vrony: Chez Vrony](https://www.chezvrony.ch/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) - [Findlerhof: Findlerhof](https://www.findlerhof.ch/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) - [Fluhalp: Fluhalp](https://www.fluhalp.ch/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) - [Schäferstube: Schäferstube](https://www.julen.ch/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) - [CERVO: CERVO](https://cervo.swiss/?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) - [Geneva Airport: SBB](https://www.sbb.ch/en?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) - [Zermatt station: Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn](https://www.matterhorngotthardbahn.ch/en?utm_source=wimup.com&utm_medium=referral) - Rankings are Wimup editorial picks. Prices, durations and budgets are editorial estimates, not live quotes; check the official site before you go.