The Complete Guide to Zermatt Switzerland

Guide to Zermatt

You won’t be far from Zermatt no matter where you base yourself. Everything is easily accessible on foot so you can walk everywhere. There are many restaurants in town to suit your needs.

If you are looking for a sweet treat, there is a wide selection of Swiss chocolatiers in town. Crepes are a popular choice, with many cafes and creperies offering them.

You won’t have to forget anything before you hit the slopes. Plenty of shops sell everything, from cowbells to ear muffs to cowbells.

Even if you don’t intend to ski, there are still many things to do in Zermatt. These include an ice skating rink and the Matterhorn Museum. However, most vacationers arrive to hit the slopes, so if you haven’t been skiing before, you should still consider lessons, as, despite the Intermediate-Advanced rating of most of the mountains, you will still find some slopes suited for beginners (especially around Sunnegan – read on for more).

Zermatt: Where to Stay

Zermatt, despite being small, is a resort town that offers many accommodations. Zermatt, Switzerland’s most popular ski destination, is also known for its high prices. Not only are the ski lift tickets the most expensive in the country, but the hotel and chalet rates are some of the highest. Kempston Luxury offers private, self-catered properties that are both catered and fully catered. You can rent a luxury chalet in Zermatt from Tempston, and you will get a private hot tub, sauna, and staff!

The Sunstar Style Hotel, a four-star hotel in Zermatt, was our base for our stay. There is nothing too far in Zermatt. However, this hotel was just a 5—10-minute walk from Zermatt’s city center. It was also far enough from the hustle and bustle of the town to be easily accessible by foot.

The Hotel Monte Rosa is ideal if you are looking for the best in Zermatt. Or, for something more private, check out The Omnia.

Skiing and Mountain resorts

One thing is sure when visiting Zermatt: you will be overwhelmed by the mountain’s size and offerings. You could easily spend a whole week here! You can find a complete map of all the lifts, slopes, and trains here.

Advanced skiers will find 20% of the mountain black. There are plenty of opportunities to ski off-piste. However, a local guide is highly recommended before attempting this terrain.

Intermediate skiers have endless options. There are three main sections, with the possibility to cross the border into Italy. You can enjoy different mountain parts as only two-thirds of the runs are classified as red. Cervinia is an excellent place to begin and lets you see the Matterhorn from up close.

For beginner skiers (like myself! Zermatt, which has only 16% of its mountain classified as blue runs, can initially seem intimidating. Sunnegga, which offers gentle slopes for warming up and then a few blue runs to explore once you have gained confidence, is a great place. Randa ski lift and Tasch ski lift are also great spots for beginners.

Zermatt: Where and What to Eat

You should be prepared for the variety of Swiss flavors if you visit Switzerland for the first time.

The famous mountain restaurant Chez Vrony is the best value for money. It serves delicious, traditional Swiss cuisine at a moderately affordable price.

Linderhof is another popular option in the mountain, offering views of the Matterhorn on clear days.

Say cheese is the perfect place for cheese lovers! The cheese fondue is a Swiss specialty. This is a great winter treat, as it warms your insides from the outside.

There are many fine dining options in town, but don’t expect to leave the city without some change.

How to get to Zermatt Switzerland

Zermatt can be reached by train. However, trains are the fastest and most convenient way to get there. Connections with Geneva, Basel, and Zurich take over three hours. Although Bern is the nearest city in Switzerland to connect, flights into the capital are minimal.

Via Zurich

Zurich has excellent connections to international destinations and may be the most convenient city to fly to from overseas. Emirates offers three daily flights from Dubai. We flew with them. The train ride from Dubai takes approximately 3-3.5 hours, with one or two connections.

Via Geneva

Geneva is also well connected. However, the train ride to Zermatt takes 3 hours and 50 mins, plus a change of Visp. The journey by car is somewhat shorter (under 3 hours), but you will need to leave your car at Tasch, as Zermatt has electronic buses and taxis that can transport visitors around.

Via Basel

You can also fly to Basel, a popular European budget airline option. The train journey takes 3 hours 15 minutes and requires one or two stops.