Updated on:
Planning a Trip to Zermatt
Zermatt is one of the most popular towns in the Swiss Alps. This car-free village is filled with classic chalets, stuhnning views of Matterhorn from every corner, cozy restaurants, and some of the best skiing & snowboarding in the Alps.
I was so happy to finally get to visit this winter! I’ve spent a bunch of time in Switzerland and this was one of my favorite spots!
Jump To:
- Backpacks & Bubbly – Top Picks for Drinks With A View
- Where to Stay in Zermatt
- Best Things to do in Zermatt
- Best Restaurants in Zermatt
- Best Après Ski Bars in Zermatt
- Getting to Zermatt
- How Many Days to Spend in Zermatt
- Safety for Solo Female Travelers in Zermatt
- Zermatt Top Blog Posts
Disclaimer: This article contains some links where I earn commission through booking. There is no extra cost to you, and I only recommend things I’ve used and love or places I’ve stayed and enjoyed!
Planning a longer trip to Switzerland? See my full Switzerland travel planning guide here to explore other areas that are perfect to combine with your Zermatt trip.
*Backpacks & Bubbly – Top Picks for Drinks With A View*
Cervo Mountain Resort – Après Ski
Zermatt has stunning views literally everywhere, but Cervo Mountain Resort’s Après Ski has some of the best. Their rooftop patio is such a vibe, and it’s location right at the end of the ski trail makes this an ideal spot for drinks with views after a long day. They have a DJ after the lifts close, so this place is lively après spot
Champagne Bar
A smaller option with similar unreal views. This place doesn’t have a ton of space, but it’s worth the wait for the views & the fun lively vibe you’ll find here.
Where to Stay in Zermatt
BEAUSiTE Hotel
I LOVED this hotel on my last trip to Zermatt. It was so cozy, in the best location, had an unreal infinity pool heated year round with epic Matterhorn views & so much more. I would stay here again in a heartbeat!
Cervo Mountain Resort
For an upscale option with endless views and a super convenient location to the slopes. Cervo is your spot. This place was stunning, is literally at the end of a trail, has some of the best après options in Zermatt, and some unreal restaurants. The only drawback is it’s a bit of an uphill walk from the main downtown area!
Europe Hotel & Spa Zermatt
Another one of the highest reviewed hotels in Zermatt – I loved this cozy, but simultaneously modern and upscale chalet-style hotel in dowtown Zermatt.
Hotel Bristol
For a cheaper, but still great option in Zermatt, try Hotel Bristol.My faovrite part of this hotel was the stunning terrace!
Best Things to do in Zermatt
Hit the Slopes
Zermatt is most famous for it’s epic skiiing/snowboarding. Zermatt has some of the most terrain in the Alps, and is the one of the only places you can ski year round! You can even ski from Switzerland to Italy from Zermatt. Oh, and the views are unparallelled.
See my skiing in Zermatt guide here!
Watch the Sunset from the Zermatt Viewpoint
Zermatt has great views of Matterhorn essentially everywhere, so you may be wondering why you need to climb the 10-15 minutes up stairs to get to the viewpoint, but trust me you do. And you should do it at suset (and stay until dusk)
The Matterhorn views with all of Zermatt and it’s adoriable chalets spread before you are breathtaking. Watching the colors of the sky change as the sun sets and dusk settles was ureal (and worth the frezinfg temps) I could not get over the pinks and puples.
Find the exact location on google maps here.
Take the Gornergrat Train
Heading to the top of the Alps is a must do on any trip to Switzerland. From Zermatt (right across from the main train station) you can grab the Gornergrat Cog Railway up into the Alps. The views for the entire ride and from the station at the top are some of the best in the Alps.
Once you’re at the top explore, take in the views, grab some food or a drink at the station all while admirning Matterhorn.
This one comes at a bit of a heft price tag, a round trip is about $115. Tickets and timetables can be found on their website directly.
Visit Matterhorn Glacier Paradise
Matterhorn’s Glacier Paradise is home to Zermatt’s year round skiing, and is the connecting point between Switzerland and Italy. Even if you’re not skiing it’s fun to visit for the views, and to grab a meal or drinks!
Explore Zermatt Town
Charming Zermatt town is small and can be easily explored in a few hours. The charming chalets, pedestrian-only streets, free ice rink with Matterhorn views, cozy restaurants and cafes all make this feel like a Swiss Alps village straight from the movies.
Experience Some of Switzerland’s Best Hiking
If you’re visiting in the non-winter season, Zermatt is still stunning and offers some great hiking! Some of the most popular trails
- The Hängebrücke
- Gorner Gorge
- Gourmetweg
Best Restaurants in Zermatt
See my full blog post on best restaurants in Zermatt here!
Old Zermatt
Fine dining, a modern twist on traditional Swiss cuisine. This restautant feels old school, has great views and a menu with good variety of Swiss options. Definitely make reservations if you’re planing to head here!
https://www.oldzermatt.com/enhttps://www.oldzermatt.com/en
The Grill
A classic steakhouse located in the BEAUSiTE hotel. This place was delicious! A bit pricy, but everywhere in Zermatt is fairly pricy, and the quality was good for the price. The 15 hour potatoes were unreal!
https://www.beausitezermatt.ch/en/restaurants-bars/the-grill
Grampi’s
A popular, and family-friendly Italian spot right on the main street of Zermtt town. This casual spot had good pizza & pasta. It gets crazy busy, you definitely need a reservation in advance!
Soupi’s
The cutest little to-go soup window in the cutest town. This spot was so cozy, and exactly what I needed on a chilly day. The baked potato soup was unreal. Grab a cup and enjoy it at the benches nearby with stunning Matterhorn views.
Ferdinand’s
What’s a trip to Switzerland without a fondue restaurant? The upscale Ferdinand’s at the trendy Cervo Mountain Resort is the perfect spot after a long, chilly day in Zermatt.
https://cervo.swiss/de/restaurants-bars/ferdinand
Restaurant Vieux-Valais da Nico
Homemade Italian in Zermatt. This spot is a bit pricy, but the homemade pastas were delicious. I loved the lasagne.
https://www.danico-zermatt.ch/deutsch/home
Herz Stüberl
Cozy little breakfast & lunch spot. This place was so cute, and everything was clearly homemade. They had the cutest outdoor patio and were super friendly!
Zermatt Kitchen
Talk about views! Zermatt Kitchen has the best views from their patio. They do breakfast/brunch/lunch daily, and it’s the best place to sit outside and enjoy their views over the river and to Matterhorn beyond!
https://zermattkollektiv.ch/zermatt-kitchen-brucke/
Manud
A fun ecclectic spot with views over Zermatt’s ice skating rink. This spot is part cafe/part Asian restaurant. This place was super lively
https://manud.ch/essen-trinken/
Madre Nostre
Another great spot in the Cervo Mountain Resort, Madre Nostre is chic & serves delicious Italian food.
Best Après Ski Bars in Zermatt
Zermatt not only has great slopes and conditions, they also offer tons of fun après ski options. One of my favorite parts of my trip was checking out all the different bars in the Zermartt area (yay research haha) these were my favorites!! See my full blog post on best apres in Zermatt here!
- Harry’s Ski Bar
- Papperla Pub
- Cervo Mountain Resort – Après Ski
- Hennu Stall
- Champagne Bar
- Snowboat
- Bar 55
- Zermama Bistro
How to Get to Zermatt
Zermatt is nestled deep in the Alps, so it takes a bit of time to get there from the major cities in Switzerland, but i’ts so woth the trip.
The best way to get there is by train. You’ll want to get a train to Visp. From Visp, take the Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn to Zermatt. The train is a bit slow moving, but scenic. It takes about an hour from Visp.
You can get to Visp by train from all other major cities in Switzerland.
Another fun train option is the scenic Glacier Express. This popular route goes from St. Moritz Switzerland ro Zermatt, and is know as one of the most scenic train routes in the world!
Zermatt is car-free, so you can’t drive there. If you are driving you’ll need to park you car in Täsch and take a cab or the shuttle to Zermatt.
How Many Days to Spend in Zermatt
2-3 Days
Zermatt takes a bit of travel to reach, so I recommend staying for at least 2 days. The town itself is small and can easily be explored in a few hours, but for skiing/hiking etc. you’ll want at least 2-3 days.
Safety for Solo Female Travelers in Zermatt
5 out of 5
I love Switzerland for solo travel, and Zermatt was no exception. I felt totally safe being alone and exploring at all times of day and night. If you’re new to solo travel Switzerland is a great first trip!
