Photo: W. Bulach · CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Zermatt
The Matterhorn, glaciers and a car-free mountain village.
A car-free mountain village at the foot of the Matterhorn, with trails, glaciers and mountain railways in every direction. Beautiful and very dear: budget for one big lift and walk the rest.
Places to see
- The Matterhorn from the church bridgeViewpoint · The classic view of the Matterhorn's crooked pyramid from the bridge over the river by…Free
GornergratViewpoint · A cog railway climbs to 3,089 m for a panorama of 29 peaks over 4,000 m, the Matterhorn…≈ A$205
Sunnegga and the Five Lakes WalkWalk · An underground funicular to Sunnegga, then a well-marked walk past five mountain lakes,…≈ A$56
When to go
- Jan-2° / -10°Mostly dryVery busy
- Feb0° / -9°Mostly dryVery busy
- Mar4° / -6°Mostly dryVery busy
- Apr8° / -2°Some rainBusy
- May13° / 2°Some rainQuiet
- Jun17° / 6°Some rainBusy
- Jul20° / 8°Some rainVery busy
- Aug19° / 8°Some rainVery busy
Staying and getting around
Good areas to stay
Zermatt village. The car-free main street, the old Hinterdorf and the church bridge view.
Täsch. The village below, with cheaper beds and a shuttle train up.
Flying in
Zurich (ZRH): Train to Zermatt via Visp, about 3 h 30 min, ≈ A$186. Saver tickets can halve the fare (check).
Geneva (GVA): Train to Zermatt via Visp, about 3 h 45 min, ≈ A$186. Saver tickets can halve the fare (check).
Flewaway's estimate for the usual budget way into Zermatt; check times and fares before you fly.
Getting around
You can walk everywhere. A single ticket is ≈ A$0. Zermatt is car-free and walkable; electric buses run through the village. The mountain railways and cable cars are the big cost (check).
Swiss Half Fare Card (≈ A$279, 1 month): Halves train, boat and most mountain-lift fares; worth it if you'll spend more than about CHF 300 on them.
Tourist tax
Zermatt's tourist tax: usually about CHF 4–7 a person a night, paid with your bed (check).
