What are the absolute can’t-miss experiences in Zermatt? Visiting Matterhorn Glacier Paradise? Doing the 5 Lakes Hike? Exploring the village? Guess you’ll have to keep reading to find out!
If we haven’t met, we’re Jana and Brett, Aplins in the Alps, and we help you travel Switzerland with confidence! After spending 2 weeks in Zermatt, we put our brains together to come up with a list of the top 10 activities we’d recommend to a first-time visitor.
So here’s how this works: If you only have time for one activity, we recommend doing #1 on this list. If you have time for 2 activities, prioritize #1 and #2. The more time you have, you can keep working your way down the list. But of course, we’re doing this count-down style, so let’s get started with #10!
Want to Watch instead of Read?
#10: Spa
On our first big trip to Zermatt, we walked more than 50 miles in one week! And honestly, there was nothing better than soaking in a warm spa after being on our feet all day long.
I love the relaxation benches and swimming pools while Brett likes to linger in the sauna. Most hotels in Zermatt have a spa for guests, but non-guests can often pay full day, half-day, or hourly rates. Not to mention that this is the perfect activity for when the weather is less than ideal.
By the way, if you’re a major fan of spas, consider staying at Riffelalp Resort, which has the highest spa in Europe! I’d love to stay there one day, and I’m sure Brett would too! But it’s just a little pricey for our tastes.
#9: Gorner Gorge
You might be surprised to hear this since we live in the Swiss Alps, but my favorite type of landscape is not a mountain, but a gorge. And Gorner Gorge is #9 on our list because, I can’t not include it!
If you’re looking for a cloudy day activity, head here. This was carved during the last Ice Age and left behind a deep chasm of green rocks and blue water. It’s lined with walkways so you can admire the cliffs above and the river below.
The Gorner Gorge is just a few minutes walk from the end of town, or we outline in our 3-Day Guide to Zermatt how you can pair this with a day enjoying Glacier Paradise or other nearby activities.
You can also do a guided via ferrata through the gorge, which is on my list for a future trip to Zermatt!
#8: Zermatt Cultural Experiences
When we were brainstorming our top 10 things to do in Zermatt, we had this random collection of unique ideas. We couldn’t figure out what to call them, so we’ve lumped them together as cultural experiences.
You won’t be able to miss edelweiss growing in town or as potted plants in nearly every restaurant.
There are daily concerts in the square throughout the Summer with alphorns, accordions, and yodelers. The performers are often wearing traditional Swiss clothing too.
Also during Summer, you can watch blackneck goats parade through the village every afternoon.
If you’re curious to learn more about the history of mountaineering on the Matterhorn, pop into the small but really well-done Matterhorn Museum and the climber’s cemetery just behind the church.
I know this one might seem a bit random, but it’s pretty unusual that you can stay in one village and see all of these things! We can’t even see all of these on a regular basis from where we live in the Jungfrau Region — although I wish we could!
#7: Glacier Paradise Cable Car Ride
If you’ve done any research about Zermatt so far, then you’ve certainly heard of Matterhorn Glacier Paradise. A lot of you have asked us if it’s worth visiting, and we’ve included pages of notes in our Zermatt itinerary to help you decide.
But #7 is not actually about Matterhorn Glacier Paradise. It’s specifically about the Matterhorn Glacier Ride!
This cable car between Tockener Steg and Glacier Paradise is the highest 3S cableway in the world and delivers you to the highest cable car station in Europe. During the 9-minute journey, you get the most spectacular views as you ride right over the top of sparkling glaciers.
We chose to pay extra for the Crystal Ride, which is where the exterior of the cabins are studded with Swarovski crystals and the floor is made of glass, giving you an even more impressive glimpse of the bright glaciers beneath you.
We couldn’t even begin to count how many cable car rides we’ve taken, but this one was a unique experience purely because you’re gliding over glaciers. However, it’s pretty expensive which is why it’s ranked lower on our list. But in our opinion, it was worth the little splurge for the Crystal Ride and glass floors.
#6: Ritzengrat Ridge Hike
If Brett could pick only 1 trail to hike again in Zermatt, it would be the Ritzengrat Ridge Hike, also called the Adventure Trail, listed as trail #1 on the Zermatt hiking map.
Ride up to Rothorn, the top station on the Sunnegga-Blauherd-Rothorn line. This 3.7km, 1 hour and 15 minute trail starts by descending below the station until you reach the Ritzengrat, where we kept stopping along the way to snap pictures of the view. When you reach the trailhead split, we recommend following the Panorama Trail, which is #9 on the Zermatt Hiking map, and ending in Blauherd.
Hiking along an alpine ridge with dazzling views of the Matterhorn and Zermatt village below is awesome enough. But honestly the trail itself was just ultra enjoyable. Not to mention that you’ll only pass a few other hikers on this trail compared to many of the others, such as the 5 Lakes Hike. Although now that we’ve mentioned it in a few of our videos, I have a feeling it might be gaining popularity!
#5: Mountain Carts
If you’re looking for some fun in Zermatt, our #1 recommendation is the Mountain Carts! At first glance I didn’t think they’d be that cool, but I could not stop smiling and laughing during the entire ride!
You pick up a helmet and these sweet, low-profile, tri-wheel carts from Blauherd. Then you bounce and cruise down a gravel path to Sunnegga. As the wind whips through your hair, you’ll catch imposing views of the mighty Matterhorn and plenty of green alps.
We stopped a few times along the way to check in on each other. And we both had huge grins on our faces, along with quite a bit of dust from the track.
In our opinion, this is a relatively “safe” activity because the carts are so low to the ground which reduces your chances of tipping. But of course there are risks — including the possibility of driving off the mountain — so you can’t be too crazy.
#4: Meet the Blacknose Sheep
Without a doubt, my most memorable experience from our trips to Zermatt was petting the blacknose sheep!
They graze between Gornergrat and Riffelberg during the summer months, and you can easily hike to meet them. Surprisingly, they are super friendly and absolutely love to be pet right between their horns.
Last time we saw them, the shepherdess spoke English and was happy to answer our questions. In fact, she told us not to pet the youngest babies otherwise they might follow us home along the trail. If I’m honest, I would have loved that!
And in case you’re wondering, they can see through all of the wool covering their eyes. Apparently it keeps the flies away! If you want to pet the famous blacknose sheep on your next trip to Zermatt, you can use this map to find their live location.
#3: See the Matterhorn reflected on an alpine lake
If you’re like most tourists, then you’re coming to Zermatt to see the Matterhorn! Lucky for you, you can see it from all over the village when the sky is clear. But there’s something extra captivating about seeing this peak reflected in water. And there are at least 5 different lakes where this is possible on a clear day!
3 of the lakes on the 5 Lakes Trail reflect the Matterhorn: Stellisee, Grindjisee, and Leisee. You can also see the reflection in Riffelsee, the lake just below Gornergrat. And if you take the Matterhorn Glacier Trail between Trockener Steg and Schwarzsee, you can also experience this in the Theodulgletschersee.
Amazingly, you don’t have to complete an entire hike to see a watery Matterhorn view. Most of these are just a 10-20 minute walk from a transportation station. Your best chance for calm winds and clear skies tends to be first thing in the morning, and some of these destinations even offer special sunrise trips.
#2: Eat your way through Findeln
I don’t know about you, but we’re foodies who have no problem splurging on an incredible meal while on vacation. And Findeln is a cute hamlet that combines amazing food with Matterhorn views for a nearly perfect Zermatt experience!
First, Findeln is only accessible by walking or mountain biking. But once you get here, there are 5 high-quality restaurants worth visiting, a few of which have earned Michelin stars. Not only is the food unique and top notch, but it comes at standard Swiss prices and with a backdrop of the Matterhorn from nearly every terrace seat.
We like to make a progressive meal by starting with drinks at one spot, entrees at another restaurant, and ending somewhere else for dessert. And seriously, if there’s any one place in Switzerland worth blowing your food budget, we think it’s right here in Zermatt.
#1: Visit Gornergrat
If we only had one day in Zermatt and could only choose one activity, hands down it would be…a visit to Gornergrat!
The train ride offers 33 minutes of nonstop scenery. But then the views don’t stop once you reach the top! In our opinion, the view from Gornergrat is even more breathtaking than the one from Glacier Paradise.
To take in the 360° views, don’t skip the short panoramic walk behind the hotel. From here, you can spy 13 different glaciers and Switzerland’s highest peak. We just kept counting glaciers and peaks in every direction we looked!
Not to mention that when you buy a ticket to Gornergrat, you can also experience all the intermediate stops along the way, including #3 and #4 from this list!
Be sure to read our Ultimate Guide to Gornergrat next. But something tells me you’ve added at least a few of these other spots to your Zermatt itinerary, too.
So if you’re wondering how to fit these into a few short days, or which train pass is best, or even the best restaurants to eat at, we’ve got you covered with our 3-Day Guide to Zermatt. So check that out, and we’ll see you in Switzerland!