Zermatt in the Mattertal, canton Valais, at 1608 m.

Where to stay in Zermatt

Stay in Zermatt if the mountains are the reason for the trip: the Gornergrat railway and the glacier cable cars both start in this car-free village. Sleep near the station for a first stay, in the old village for character, at the south end for the glacier. For a smaller, quieter base in the same valley, Grächen is the alternative.

1608metres above sea level12minutes from Täsch by shuttle train, every 20 minutes360km of pistes across Switzerland and Italy

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Photo: Jérémy Toma, CC BY-SA 4.0

Hotels in Zermatt, live prices

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Zermatt at a glance

Why Zermatt

Because few places put the high mountains this close. Less than an hour after breakfast you can stand at 3089 m facing nearly thirty four-thousanders, or on the glacier at 3883 m, then come back down to a village where cars are not allowed.

Where to sleep

First stay or heavy bags: Bahnhofstrasse, by the station and the Gornergrat train. Looking for character: the old village behind Kirchplatz. Here for the glacier or summer skiing: the south end, near the Matterhorn Glacier Paradise cable cars.

Watch out

The Gornergrat railway stops entirely from 2 to 14 November 2026 for construction work, and its busiest timetable, a train every 24 minutes, applies only from 20 April to 1 November. If the ride is the highlight of your stay, check the dates before you book.

Zermatt, before you book

Zermatt lies at the head of the Mattertal, at 1608 metres, and the road stops short of it on purpose. Private cars go no further than Täsch; the last stretch is covered by a shuttle train that leaves every twenty minutes and takes twelve. Up in the village you get about on foot, by electric taxi, by bicycle or on the free e-bus, and the calm that follows is less a selling point than the everyday consequence of that rule.

Everything here turns towards the mountains, and that is what should decide where you sleep. The Gornergrat railway leaves fifty metres from the station and reaches 3089 metres in thirty-three minutes, in sight of nearly thirty four-thousand-metre peaks. At the opposite end of the village, cable cars climb to Matterhorn Glacier Paradise at 3883 metres, where the glacier keeps skiing open all year. Between the two, the Sunnegga side leads to the lakes in summer and to the pistes in winter.

The choice of hotels is as wide as the village is compact. The historic grand hotels stand on Bahnhofstrasse, the Zermatterhof among them, completed in 1879. Around them you find family hotels run by the same families for decades, a contemporary address set on the rock above the centre, and a youth hostel with a view of the Matterhorn. Our dated price samples show winter nights well above summer ones, most of all in the grand hotels.

Winter runs from 1 November 2026 to 3 May 2027 across 360 km of pistes shared with Italy. Summer belongs to walkers, with the Five Lakes Walk above Sunnegga and the Gornergrat railway at its most frequent from 20 April to 1 November. From Zurich Airport, allow about three and a half hours by train, with a departure every half hour, and you step off the train in the village itself.

Summer or winter?

Pick a season, or set your dates above: prices and advice follow.

Summer in Zermatt

Where to stay this season

In summer, the choice depends on how you want to spend your days. The Sunnegga side is closest to the funicular towards the Five Lakes Walk, the station end sits at the foot of the Gornergrat railway, and the south end is nearest the glacier cable cars and the viewing platform at 3883 m.

33 min

Gornergrat Bahn, from Zermatt to 3089 m

11 km

5-Seenweg, from Blauherd down to Sunnegga

On the rock above the centre · 5 stars

From

CHF 690/ night

Summer average CHF 690

Set on the rock above the village centre, at Triftweg 40, The Omnia is the contemporary counterpoint to the grand hotels below: nine categories of rooms and suites, from the Queen Room to the Roof Suite, and a spa reserved for hotel guests. Its raised position above the village is the whole point of staying here.

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Grand Hotel Zermatterhof

Bahnhofstrasse and the station

No price collected on our sample dates

Completed in 1879 and still owned by the Burgergemeinde, the community of Zermatt’s burgher families, the Zermatterhof is one of the village’s historic grand hotels. It stands at Bahnhofstrasse 55, about ten minutes on foot from the station, and its gourmet table is the Prato Borni.

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Alpine Hotel Perren

Near the Sunnegga funicular

No price collected on our sample dates

In the same family since 1956, the Perren has 72 rooms three minutes from the Sunnegga funicular and five from the station, by its own count. That position makes it a practical base for skiers and for walkers heading up towards the lakes, and the Alpine Brasserie La Barrique is one of its two restaurants.

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CERVO Mountain Resort

At the foot of the piste, Sunnegga side

No price collected on our sample dates

Ski-in, ski-out at the foot of the piste on the Sunnegga side, CERVO has 54 rooms and suites and seven lodges. Dinner can mean Valais cooking at Ferdinand or Italian at Madre Nostra, and the Ātman Mountain Spa closes the day.

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Riffelalp Resort 2222m

On the Gornergrat line, above the village

No price collected on our sample dates

Not in the village but 600 metres above it, at 2222 m on the Gornergrat line, the Riffelalp is reached by cog railway. It opens for two seasons only, from 19 June to 21 September and from 11 December to 4 April, and claims the highest spa in Europe, reserved for its guests. Choose it for evenings above the valley rather than nights out in the village.

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Prices: lowest and average nightly rate seen on Booking.com for 2 adults and 1 room, on 2 winter dates and 1 summer dates, collected on September 16, 2026. They are indicative, the real price depends on your dates. Hotel facts come from each hotel’s own website. Some hotel links are affiliate links.

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Where to stay, area by area

Bahnhofstrasse and the station

The main street south of the station

This is the street you walk up as you step off the train. The historic grand hotels line it, the Mont Cervin Palace at number 31, the Zermatterhof at 55 and the Monte Rosa at 80, and the Gornergrat railway leaves fifty metres from the station. It is the obvious base for a first or a short stay, and for anyone arriving with heavy luggage. The trade-off lies at the far end of the village, where the glacier cable cars start: from here, that means a longer walk or the e-bus.

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Hinterdorf and Kirchplatz

The old village

Step behind the main street and Zermatt becomes a mountain village again. More than thirty barns, granaries, stables and houses built in larch between the sixteenth and eighteenth centuries still stand here, many raised on stone slabs. On Kirchplatz, the Matterhorn Museum tells the story of the first ascent of 1865 and shows the rope that snapped that day. Choose this side for character rather than convenience; the Allalin, on Kirchstrasse, sits at its edge.

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Winkelmatten and the south end

Uphill, towards Matterhorn Glacier Paradise

South of the centre, the village climbs gently towards the valley station of the Matterhorn Glacier Paradise cable cars. This end is more residential and quieter, and a free e-bus on two routes links it to the station. It is the right base if the glacier is the point of the trip, for summer skiing or for the viewing platform at 3883 metres; in return, the Gornergrat railway is no longer round the corner.

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What to do in Zermatt

Zermatt is not short of things to do, but a few places give a stay its shape. These are the ones we would plan a day around, with the figures their operators publish.

On foot

A lakeside trail and a walk through the old quarter

5-Seenweg11 km · 3 h 15 · 380 m up, 660 m down
From Blauherd down to Sunnegga, the path strings together five lakes, the Stellisee, Grindjisee, Grünsee, Moosjisee and Leisee, in a long descent that fills half a day. It is signposted as Zermatt hike number 11.
A walk through Hinterdorf16th to 18th century · more than 30 buildings
The old quarter is best seen slowly: more than thirty barns, granaries, stables and houses built in larch between the sixteenth and eighteenth centuries, many raised on stone slabs. The Matterhorn Museum on Kirchplatz makes a natural end to the walk.

Up the mountain

Two summits above the village

Gornergrat Bahn3089 m · 33 minutes
The cog railway leaves fifty metres from Zermatt station and climbs to 3089 m in thirty-three minutes, stopping at Findelbach, Riffelalp, Riffelberg and Rotenboden. At the top, the view takes in nearly thirty peaks above four thousand metres.
Matterhorn Glacier Paradise3883 m · about 40 minutes
The cable cars reach 3883 m in about forty minutes from the village, changes included, at what the operator calls Europe’s highest mountain station. Up there you find a panoramic platform, the Glacier Palace, the Cinema Lounge and the Crystal Ride cabins.

Where to eat

Two mountain restaurants in Findeln

Chez VronyFindeln · 2100 m
In the hamlet of Findeln, at 2100 m, the same family has run this mountain restaurant for more than a century. The kitchen works with its own organic produce, from fish and game to fondue and raclette, and serves hot meals every day from 11:30 to 16:00, which makes it a lunch stop rather than a dinner address.
FindlerhofFindeln · 2051 m
Just below, at 2051 m, the Findlerhof sits in the middle of the walking and skiing area above Zermatt, an easy stop whether you arrive on foot in summer or on skis in winter.

Times, altitudes and figures come from Zermatt Bergbahnen, the Gornergrat Bahn and Zermatt Tourismus, checked on 16 September 2026. We publish no ratings and no route descriptions: check conditions on the spot before you set off.

Swiss Travel Pass, on the mountain railways

Section

Swiss Travel Pass

Gornergrat Bahn to Gornergrat

50% off

Matterhorn Glacier Paradise cable cars

50% off

2026 fare · CHF

WithoutWithout pass

WithWith pass

Matterhorn Glacier Paradise, adult return, 2026 fare

120.00

60.00

An adult return to Matterhorn Glacier Paradise costs from CHF 120.00, and half that with the Swiss Travel Pass or the Half Fare Card. The Gornergrat railway gives the same 50% reduction with the Swiss Travel Pass, the Half Fare Card or the GA travelcard. Both discounts were checked with the operators on 16 September 2026. Whether the pass covers the train up to Zermatt could not be confirmed on an official page, so we do not state it.

Found your area? Check what is still free in Zermatt.

Prices and availability change daily in the Alps, especially in July, August and over Christmas.

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What runs, month by month

	J	F	M	A	M	J	J	A	S	O	N	D
Ski season, overall	Open	Open	Open	Open	Partly closed	Closed	Closed	Closed	Closed	Closed	Open	Open
Sunnegga / Rothorn sector	Open	Open	Open	Partly closed	Closed	Closed	Closed	Closed	Closed	Closed	Partly closed	Open
Gornergrat sector	Open	Open	Open	Partly closed	Closed	Closed	Closed	Closed	Closed	Closed	Partly closed	Open

Open

Partly closed

Closed

Ski season 2026/27: 1 November 2026 to 3 May 2027 overall; Sunnegga/Rothorn sector 28 November 2026 to 11 April 2027; Gornergrat sector 28 November 2026 to 18 April 2027. The Gornergrat Bahn’s own summer timetable for sightseeing runs 20 April to 1 November 2026, with a construction closure from 2 to 14 November 2026. Checked 16 September 2026.

Car-free, in practice

Leave the car in Täsch

Private vehicles go no further than Täsch. The Matterhorn Terminal there has 2100 covered spaces, and private operators in the village add more than a thousand; you leave the car and carry on by train.

Shuttle train up

A shuttle train leaves Täsch every twenty minutes and reaches the centre of Zermatt twelve minutes later, so the last leg never takes long to fit in.

By rail from the airports

Allow about three and a half hours by train from Zurich Airport and about four from Geneva or Basel, with a train up the valley every half hour. The station is in the village itself.

In the village

Once in the village, you get around on foot, by electric taxi, by bicycle or on the free e-bus, which runs on two routes. Horse-drawn carriages are part of the picture too.

Zermatt is car-free, but a car still earns its place elsewhere in the country. Compare rental prices and see where you leave it in the valley.

Car rental in Switzerland →

Frequently asked questions

Can I drive to Zermatt?

No. Zermatt is car-free by rule, and private vehicles may only drive as far as Täsch. Leave the car at the Matterhorn Terminal Täsch, which has 2100 covered spaces, and take the shuttle train: it runs every twenty minutes and reaches the village in twelve.

How long does it take from Zurich Airport?

Allow about three and a half hours by train from Zurich Airport, according to Zermatt Tourismus, and about four hours from Geneva or Basel airports. Trains run up the valley every half hour, and the station is in the village itself.

How high is the Gornergrat and how long is the ride?

The Gornergrat station stands at 3089 m. The cog railway takes thirty-three minutes from its valley station, fifty metres from Zermatt’s main railway station, so you can be at the top well within an hour of leaving a hotel near the station.

Does the Swiss Travel Pass cover the mountain railways in Zermatt?

Not for free. It halves the fare on both the Gornergrat railway and the Matterhorn Glacier Paradise cable cars, where an adult return starts at CHF 120.00, or CHF 60.00 with the pass.

When does the ski season run?

The 2026/27 season runs from 1 November 2026 to 3 May 2027 across the whole area. The Sunnegga and Rothorn sector is open from 28 November 2026 to 11 April 2027, and the Gornergrat sector from 28 November 2026 to 18 April 2027. On the glacier, the operator advertises skiing all year round.