Detailed guide to visit Gornergrat (Switzerland)
Gornergrat is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Switzerland. Once you’ve visited the area, you’ll understand why, as it’s a real treat.
This route is located in the mountains surrounding the famous town of Zermatt, one of the most typical destinations in Switzerland, both in winter for skiing and in summer for cycling or hiking along its many routes.
But what makes it such a popular spot? Gornergrat is one of the best viewpoints in the whole country, as from its highest point (3135 m), you can clearly see the most famous mountain in the country, the Matterhorn, the third largest glacier in the Alps and the peak of the Dufour. And if you choose to go up the most popular option, which is by train, you’ll board Europe’s highest open-air train for a spectacular ride through the mountains of the Swiss Alps.
Before we start with the details, we would like to tell you that we visited it as part of a 10-day camper van tour in Switzerland, so we leave them here for you to have a look at them:
- 10-day camper van tour in Switzerland
- Route of the 5 lakes: Complete guide
- Stoos Route: From Klingenstock to Fronalpstock
Finally, some parts (especially the beginning) of this post, is common to the introduction that we do in the post of the 5 Lakes route, since the logistics to sleep and arrive are quite similar, so we will repeat this part.
That said, let’s go to the mountain 🙂
How to get to Zermatt?
Zermatt is the most famous village at the foot of the famous Gornergrat mountain, where you can see Switzerland’s most famous mountain, the Matterhorn, and is the base village for a Gornergrat Route. It is a village that serves every year as a base for many people who want to do activities in the mountains, either in winter or in summer. If you go there, you will see that it is a very well prepared place for this type of tourism, as it has numerous restaurants, accommodation and shops to enjoy your stay there.
The only problem with this place is that it does not allow arrival by private transport, so you cannot get there by caravan or car. Therefore, we should distinguish the options of the two ways to get there:
- Private transport: If this is your case, the best option is to get to the nearest village before the road is cut, Tasch. In this village, you also have all kinds of facilities for travellers and even a large campsite where you can camp if you use this mode of transport. From Tasch, there is a train every few minutes to Zermatt, which costs between 3-4 euros and lasts 10 minutes.
- Train: In this case you will also arrive in Tasch and take the train mentioned above, so the idea is the same.
For us, it is much more cost-effective to stay in Tasch, as it is less crowded, quieter and has everything you need.
Where to stay in Zermatt / Tasch?
As accommodation for the Gornergrat route, we will distinguish between those who go in a caravan or camper or car + tent and those who travel wanting to sleep in a hotel.
For the first case, we believe that the best option is to stay at Camping Alphubel in Tasch, which is a 2-minute walk from the station and is economical, so it is the option that will save you the most money. You can book with them directly on their website for around €20 a night.
For those of you who want to stay in a hotel, here are the best value for money options we have seen. Keep in mind that Switzerland is VERY EXPENSIVE, so the prices are already high:
- Hotel Alphubel (€ -> 169 night in October): One of the best value for money in the area. It is a hotel located in the town of Zermatt, perfect for the 5 lakes route and others in the mountains. It is not particularly nice, but it is one of the best locations you can find, it has storage for ski equipment and you have the necessary amenities to climb the mountain and be comfortable (restaurant, wifi, garden…).
- Zermatt Youth Hostel (€ -> 52 € in shared bed or 130 night in private in October): Probably the cheapest place in Zermatt. It is a very well equipped hostel in the centre of Zermatt, with all facilities. It has a very rustic and mountain atmosphere, we think it’s pretty cool. You can choose between different types of bathrooms (private or shared) and rooms (shared or single).
- Mountain Paradise (€ -> 160 night October): This is a typical mountain house, with wooden interiors and very authentic. Of the lower-ranked ones, it is probably the nicest and also the one with the best rating. It has excellent mountain views, is superbly located and has a sauna and steam room to relax after a long day in the mountains.
- Backstage Spa Boutique Hotel (€€€ -> 320€ night October): It is not one of the most expensive, but we are going to give you an option of a high price in Zermatt so that you can see the prices that are managed in the area. It is a PRECIOUS hotel, located right in the centre of Zermatt, with fireplaces in the rooms and full SPA services. It has a Michelin-starred restaurant that opens in the winter season, but you can imagine the level. A great accommodation for those who can afford it.
How to get to the start of the Gornergrat train ride?
Price and detail of the Gornergrat train
We’ll talk about the different options for this visit to Gornergrat later, but if you want to take the train up the mountain, bear in mind that it’s one of the most expensive in the country. The price is €57 with the Half Fare Pass, which we highly recommend if you’re going to be doing a lot of mountain hiking in Switzerland or taking a lot of trains. So as you can see, it’s not cheap at all, if you go and come back without a pass it’s €120 per person.
The journey to Gornergrat stops at 4 stops which are quite nice and which you can enjoy if you want to get off as you can get back on with the same ticket. These stops are Findelbach, Riffenalp, Riffelberg and Rotenboden. If you take the direct route to Gornergrat, it takes about 35 minutes.
What to take in a Gornergrat hike?
- Comfortable hiking boots (Goretex if possible).
- A waterproof jacket in case it rains
- A warm mountain jacket
- Water (basic)
- Food (basic)
- Comfortable sports/mountain clothes
- Small backpack to carry everything
Gornergrat Route: Description and options
We have already talked about all the logistics of getting to Zermatt, to the summit by train and what to take. But what routes can you do in the area? Well, as we have mentioned, there are several options for visiting Gornergrat and for all levels of fitness.
Boarding and disembarking on the train to and from the Riffelsee lake
- Difficulty: Low
- Distance: 2.5 km approximately
- Time: 30-45 minutes
- Details: This is probably the most popular Gornergrat route option. This option takes the train up from Zermatt station and climbs up to Gornergrat, to admire the views from the top, which, as we have said, are absolutely insane. Afterwards, there is a very easy 45-minute descent from the summit to Lake Riffelsee, famous for having the best views of the Matterhorn and the famous image of the mountain reflected in its waters. From this lake, you can take the train back down to Zermatt.
- Wikiloc: We leave you this example route on Wikiloc so that you can see the detail.
Train up and walk down to Zermatt
- Difficulty: Low-Medium
- Distance: approx. 13-14 km
- Time: 6 hours
- Detail: For us, if you have a minimum of fitness, this is the best option for a long route on the Gornergrat (and the one we did). You enjoy the train ride which is a blast and also the scenery and a super cool route with constant views of the Matterhorn. The route is not complicated as it is always downhill, but as you can see, it is quite long and it gets a bit more difficult in some sections because of the rocks and having to go down carefully. The rest are very well signposted paths and there are no problems whatsoever going down. We recommend that you take some food with you and enjoy the views by eating somewhere along the route.
- Wikiloc: We leave you this example of route in Wikiloc so that you can see the details.1212
walk up to Gornergrat
- Difficulty: Medium
- Distance: Approximately 12 km if you only go uphill, almost 24 km if you go up and down.
Time: 6 hours or 13-14h - Details: This is a route for more advanced climbers. You will be climbing about 1400 metres for 7-8 hours, so it is advisable to be prepared. However, the paths are very good, so it’s not a very complicated route. The good thing? You save the train fare.
- Wikiloc: We leave you this example route on Wikiloc so you can see the details.
Our Poscast On The Swiss Camper Tour
We also leave you our chapter of the podcast where we talk about this route we did and we give a lot of detail about the whole process of preparation and tips to visit this country like this. It’s just in Spanish sorry 🙁
For us, this route is a must if you go to Zermatt, as it offers the best views of the surrounding Alps and is a beautiful route with options for everyone. We loved it and would highly recommend it.
If you need any help with your organization, please don’t hesitate to contact us.
