One day in Zermatt – Complete Itinerary & Planning Tips

Zermatt is one of the most popular destinations in the Alps. You could easily spend longer, but it’s possible to pack all the best sights into 24 hours. Here’s how to spend one day in Zermatt.

Zermatt is one of the must-see destinations in the Swiss Alps.

It is home to the iconic Matterhorn Mountain, the steepest open-air railway in the world, and the highest cable car station in Europe.

Paul and I have visited Zermatt many times.

We spent 3 to 4 days on most visits exploring the sights and hiking the trails. However, if you are pressed for time, the trains, cable cars, and funiculars are so well connected that you can visit all the highlights in one day.

This is our suggested one-day itinerary for Zermatt.

We have included a detailed itinerary, a map of the area, and tips to help you plan your trip. We have also covered the best tickets to buy to save you money.

The itinerary is jam-packed with sights, so you’ll need to start early and move quickly to see them all. But it makes for an incredible day in Zermatt.

WHAT NOT TO MISS IN ZERMATT

Before we get started, let’s cover the best sights in Zermatt that you really shouldn’t miss if you only have one day. They are:

• The Matterhorn Glacier Paradise on Klein Matterhorn
• Gornergrat via the Gornergrat Railway.
• Riffelsee reflections and views.
• Zermatt town centre,

We have packed a lot into this itinerary, but we have purposely put the best stuff at the beginning.

If time is short or you want to take things slower, skip the afternoon at Rothorn. This will give you time for a slower, lazier lunch. You could then pick any of the things we have covered in our guide to the best things to do in Zermatt to fill in the rest of the day.

MAP: ZERMATT ITINERARY

Below is a map of this one-day itinerary. We have colour-coded it into four sections.

• Glacier Matterhorn Express in red
• Gornergrat in orange
• Rothorn in purple
• Zermatt in brown

ONE DAY IN ZERMATT ITINERARY

Here’s how we suggest spending a full day in Zermatt, starting early to fit in as much as possible.

MATTERHORN GLACIER PARADISE

We recommend starting early and heading to the Matterhorn Glacier Express cable car station at the southern end of Zermatt.

There are two reasons to start here.

Firstly, the cable car opens before the others (as early as 6.30 am in summer) and is ideal for a busy day.

Secondly, the skies are clearest in the morning, and the top cable car station is the highest you will reach on this itinerary.

On the way to the station, we stopped at Kirchbrücke. This tiny bridge over the Vispa River offers one of the best views of the Matterhorn and is particularly special at dawn. It’s a great spot to capture the Matterhorn with the river in the foreground.

Then we took the Matterhorn Glacier Express Cable Car to Klein Matterhorn, the highest cable car station in the Alps at 3,883m.

To the northwest is the Matterhorn, and (if you look carefully) Hornlihütte – Matterhorn’s base camp – can be seen on the slopes below it.

To the north is Zermatt and the Gorner Glacier, and to the southeast is Breithorn. This is one of the easiest 4,000m mountains to walk up, and you’ll probably see a queue of hikers en route.

On a clear day, you can even see Mont Blanc (the highest mountain in the Alps) in the distance. We have been here several times and never tire of the view.

You can also walk out onto the snow at the observation platform and see the ice sculptures in the Glacier Palace.

FURI STATION

When you have finished exploring, jump on the Matterhorn Glacier Express back down to Furi Cable Car Station.

On the way down, we stopped at Trockener Steg. It only takes a minute, and the views over the glacial lake to the almost triangular eastern face of the Matterhorn are great.

TIP—As long as you get to the Matterhorn Glacier Cable Car station in Zermatt by 8 a.m., you should have enough time to complete this itinerary. However, the earlier you arrive, the more time you’ll have to explore.

GORNERGRAT EXPRESS

After returning from the Matterhorn Glacier Paradise, we took the Gornergrat Express, the steepest open-air railway in the world.

The train begins in Zermatt, but to save time, we suggest taking the Riffelberg Express Cable Car from Furi to Riffelberg.

At Riffelberg, you can join the train for the last section of its journey to the Gornergrat Train Station.

The Gornergrat Train Station is 3,089 m high, surrounded by several glaciers and 29 four-thousand-metre peaks.

The Matterhorn rises in the distance, but the highlight is the Gorner Glacier, which winds around the base of Dufourspitze, the highest mountain in Switzerland.

Adjacent to the viewing platform is the iconic Kulmhotel. It has two observatories and an interactive ZOOOM exhibition. A café offers a quick snack, and a restaurant offers a more leisurely lunch.

Riffelberg Express Option – If the Riffelberg Express from Furi to Riffelberg is only open from late June to mid-August. If you are visiting outside this time, you’ll need to return to Zermatt from the Matterhorn Glacier Paradise Cable Car and take the Gornergrat train. This will add about an hour to the day. In this case, try to get to the Matterhorn Glacier Express Station in Zermatt as soon as it opens.

RIFFELSEE

We have tried to reduce the walking on this itinerary to leave time for all the best sights.

However, we suggest you make time to hike from Gornergrat to Riffelsee if possible. It is our favourite short hike in Zermatt and is well worth doing.

The well-signed trail leaves the Gornergrat Observation Platform and heads down to Riffelsee.

The hike is 2 kilometres long and takes about 1 hour. The trail has wonderful views over the Gorner Glacier.

The lake is protected from the wind and often reflects the Matterhorn in its waters. It’s number one of our favourite viewpoints of the Matterhorn.

From the lake, you have two options. Take the short hike to Rotenboden Station (5 minutes) or the longer hike to Riffelberg Station (45 minutes) and get another good view over Riffelberg Chapel.

Whichever you choose, hop back on the Gornergrat Train and head into Zermatt.

For more comprehensive details and a map of the Gornetgrat-Riffelsee-Riffelberg walk, read our best hikes in Zermatt post.

Train tip – On the descent, sit on the left-hand side of the train to get the best views.

ROTHORN & STELLISEE

After returning to Zermatt from Riffelsee, we suggest making your way to the cable car that connects Sunnegga, Blauherd, and Rothorn.

How much you explore this area depends on how much time you have left in the day.

• Option 1: You could grab a late lunch at Sunnegga or Rothhorn and then hike to Stellisee. This lake has another great reflection of the Matterhorn.
• Option 2: If you decide to skip lunch at Sunegga or Rothorn, the shortest and easiest route to Stellisee is a 1-hour round-trip hike from Blauherd.
• Option 3: You could also hike the Crystal Trail from Rothorn via Stellisee to Blauherd. It’s 5.5km and takes about 1 hour and 45 minutes to complete.

You can find maps and instructions for all the walks on our best hikes in Zermatt post.   

SUNSET

After the Rothorn / Stellisee area, take the cable car back down to Zermatt.

It’s time to put your feet up, grab a drink, and rest. The centre of Zermatt has pavement cafes and bars where you can wind down.

However, if you still have a bit of energy, consider going up to Murini Hill.

It’s a 10-minute walk from the bottom of the Sunnegga Cable Car and a great place for sunset photos. The classic shot is the lights of Zermatt slowly rising as the sun fades with the Matterhorn in the background.

PRACTICAL INFORMATION

Zermatt is well set up for visitors and is a very easy place to travel to. However, here are a few tips from us to help with your planning.

1-DAY PEAK PASS

One of the benefits of visiting Zermatt in one day is that you can buy a one-day Peak Pass. This pass gives you access to every cable car and train on this itinerary, as well as the Glacier Palace.

It’s still not cheap, but it’s cheaper than doing it over several days.

WHEN TO VISIT ZERMATT

For this one-day itinerary, the best time to visit Zermatt is from late June to mid-August, when the days are long and the hiking trails are open. Another benefit of this timeframe is that the Riffelberg Express is open.

If you visit in late August or early September (which is also good), the Riffelberg Express is not open, so you’ll need to return to Zermatt after visiting the Matterhorn Glacier Paradise and board the Gornergrat Train. This adds an extra hour to the day.

GETTING TO ZERMATT

Zermatt is car-free, so to get here, you need to park at Täsch, 5 kilometres away. Trains from Täsch Station run roughly every 20 minutes and take 12 minutes to reach Zermatt.

There is plenty of parking at Täsch Station, so it’s a good idea to take a photo of where you parked so you can find your car when you return.

WHERE TO STAY?

It’s not a bad idea to arrive the night before so you can fit as much as possible into your day in Zermatt.

Here are our top accommodation recommendations, for more read where to stay in Zermatt, which has more options in different parts of the area.

• Hotel Sarazanna – A reasonably good value close to the Zermatt and Gornergrat train stations.
• Unique Hotel Post – A mix of Swiss tradition and urban cool in this boutique hotel right in the middle of the old town.
• The Omnia – Top-end stay with an indoor pool, outdoor jacuzzi, and sauna. It’s situated 45 metres above Zermatt with excellent views.

MORE SWITZERLAND GUIDES

• See the best of Zermatt on our 1-day itinerary.
• Here’s how to get the best views of the Matterhorn.
• These are the best things to do in Zermatt.
• Our top hikes around Zermatt are ranked from easy to challenging.
• Find your perfect stay with our Zermatt accommodation guide.
• Looking for something different? We highly recommend Appenzell.
• Take a scenic road trip on the Furka Pass.