There is a one reasonable question to ask before visiting the ski resort with Europe’s most expensive lift pass. Is skiing at Zermatt worth the price? In short, yes, it is. Zermatt is simply worth every cent. It has the ultimate wow factor. (including, ‘wow, that’s expensive’ 😊)

On this trip I only visited for one day midweek in March with a small group that were visiting for the first time. I was keen to see what they thought of the region. Needless to say they were suitably impressed.

Visiting the region from the Swiss side, we paid 102CHF each for a single day lift pass that did not include the train up from Tasch or the international crossing into Cervinia. Whilst that’s far and away the most costly pass in the entirety of Europe, it’s what one gets for the price that blows the mind. One a windless, sunny day we enjoyed the skiable vertical of well over 2,000m, untracked off-piste powder up high on the glaciers, incredible lift infrastructure, perfect pistes, no lift lines (with the exception of one crowded sector where everyone was heading over to Italy), awesome food & après ski plus those unbelievably breathtaking views across one of the world’s most iconic landscapes. On top of all this, with a little bit of fresh snow the scope of the resort’s off-piste terrain & backcountry is incredible as well.

Taking the train up to Gornergrat is almost the perfect start to an on-piste ski day. Chasing the train down with the Matterhorn as the backdrop is just about as good as it gets on a groomer. From the top of the resort on Kleine Matterhorn (Matterhorn Glacier Paradise!) off-piste lines between the cliffs & glacier crevasses allow one to avoid the masses on the extremely popular piste. Off the chair at Furggsattel, traversing out wide to skier’s left will usually reap some powder turns. The Hirli chair is one of our favourites. No crowds, long skiable vert and great powder in the shadow of the Matterhorn. The Blauherd/Rothorn sector proved quiet too, and it is there that we finished our day.

We lunched in the sun at the Käsestube Furgg, sited beautifully in the valley between Trockener Steg & Schwarzsee. Try the burgers from the grill on the deck – delicious. Spinat Knödels from the kitchen inside were woeful (frozen inside – yuk).

There are loads of opportunities for après ski drinks as you descend the mountain. The best options are the busy ones in and around Furi on pistes 41 & 50, or our preference on the valley trail below Sunnegga on the quiet piste 2/2a.

Settling in on the warm, sunny deck of Ottmar’s Skihütte gazing up to the Matterhorn is one of the better après ski experiences going round. We were well lubricated for the final ski down to the bottom of piste 2/2a. The trail ends well above the village, but of course there is an elevator to take you down into the tunnel linking to either the Sunnegga funicular or out to the free ski buses. That’s what you are paying for. An excellence of experience that whilst common in Europe, is elevated to the next level in Zermatt (pun intended).

At the start of any day, the village and locations up the mountain like Trockener Steg (where on fine weather days loads of people try to get up the top to travel across to Cervinia) can feel busy & overcrowded. In reality, the masses disperse quickly and the pistes away from the zone above Trockener Steg are generally quiet and with no lift lines. Start early and stay out wide!

At the end of the day, care needs to be taken on the valley trails as some of them can get quite tricky after lunch (even for intermediates). If in any doubt at all, put away your ego & download on a lift to the village!

For a more affordable visit to the region, stay down the valley at Tasch, or across in Italy at Cervinia or Valtournenche, or even Aosta. Lift passes are way cheaper when purchased from the Italian side, but you will get less time skiing the stellar Swiss side of the cross-border resort.

Whether you ski Zermatt for a single day, a week, or a month is up to you. But whatever you do, just ski it at least once in your life on a sunny day. It is absolutely incredible. And if by chance you have an IKON Pass, that 102CHF day lift pass will cost you nothing. Giddy up!

See more about the pros & cons of the ski resort on our Zermatt overview page.

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I admit I had preconceived ideas about what skiing Zermatt would be like based on the costs of staying, eating and skiing in winter. It is fair to say they were not positive. So it came as a surprise to find I had a fabulous time. Apart from a few choke points, Zermatt is so large that there generally weren’t that many people. There is the capacity to find fresh snow days after snowfall and there are options for everyone.
I will be going back.
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Oh my God. Massive, massive resort. Did 6,000m vertical in the first 6 runs! Highlights included: train rides, Kleine Matterhorn lookout, superfast groomers, burgers on the deck with Matterhorn as a backdrop, bluebird sunny day riding with the Matterhorn as a backdrop, apres ski beers on a terrace with the Matterhorn as a backdrop ....... you get the idea.
One day is definitely not enough. Could easy spend a week here......
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Great variation. Quite large, you need a week to explore. Hidden gems away from main trails. Huge vertical. Has it all.
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Awesome!

(Editors note - Says it all really!)
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In four days we were there( from 09 to 12.122021) only 15 lifts of 54 were opened.

Also if it was windy at the pass to Italy, one could have opened more lifts and departures on Zermatter side in the lee, in order not to annoy the guests.

And then the price you have to shell out for 4 days: 316 € for 15 open lifts in Zermatt.
For comparison in the same period 08 to 12 Dec: 189 € for 31 open lifts in Ischgl.

I was so far in the Kaunertal, Ischgl, Kappl, Galtür, Ötztal, Zillertal, Kitzbühl, Warth-Schröcken, Damüls and Oberstdorf and already in Zermatt to ski.
Everywhere except Zermatt they open all the lifts in the morning. If it is very windy, one or the other gondola is stopped briefly until the gust has subsided.
But Zermatt is quite different - they open only a few lifts in the morning and then wait to see how full the lifts are.

Such a thing is not possible in a place with such a reputation!
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Simply put, Zermatt lives up to the hype. It's easy to attach the terms world class & world's best to a ski resort when you have a big powder day. Its better when you can say it of a place when you haven't. We didn't have a massive powder day at Zermatt, but we still did ski powder & got to experience the best of the resort, all the while with our eyes being drawn with dropped jaws to surrounding glaciers & the amazing Matterhorn. We are happy to put 'world's best' in front of Zermatt for a few categories like: the train to the resort, the piste trails, off-piste & freeride terrain plus its extraordinary ever improving lift system.

Having said that, Zermatt isn't perfect. It can get overcrowded & the village is growing every year. Large areas of the resort are often closed in bad weather with the upper glacier particularly vulnerable to localised strong winds. Its not that child friendly. Lift bases are spread across a wide area & most of the learn-to-ski areas are up high in exposed positions - great in fine weather, not so great if its cold, snowing, blowing, white out or a dastardly combination of them all. The resort is also the most expensive in Europe. Still not as expensive as other continents, but still....

We do love Zermatt though. The mountain restaurants are sensational & the après ski options on the way down from Gornergrat via Furi are sensational all the way into town. The freeride terrain inbounds is awesome. Wind blown powder was untracked off the Rothorn & Rote Nase plus a few other spots that shall remain nameless to protect the vulnerable! (And a special mention to the extraordinary elevator shaft perched on the Rote Nase - wonder who thought that up & more to the point who approved it! Kudos to them!) The backcountry ski touring potential is endless. The village is vibrant & friendly even though filled with a high percentage of visitors that are more interested in how they look than anything else! We love the range of bars & restaurants too.

And in the end, even though it is the most expensive resort, in the most expensive country in Europe, it is still possible to stay & ski in Zermatt on a budget & have a fine old time.

Zermatt is an eye opening experience even for the most hardened campaigner. Save your pennies & spend a few days skiing here before you die. Would suck to miss out.

You can see our thoughts on the pros & cons on the Zermatt overview page and also see our European ski resort ratings regarding how we score it compared to other skiing areas.

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The view of the glacial panorama from the Gornergrat leaves you speechless. The exhilaration you get from an early morning bomb down to Cervinia from the GMP gondola leaves you breathless. The cheeky powder runs under the Matterhorn (using the tucked away Hornli lift) and the more spectacular BC Swartzor, leave you frownless. Racing down through the upper village of Furi for apres beers leaves you knackered! This is quintessential Swiss Alpine skiing.

The lift infrastructure is first class. There is a considerable "Bogner Set" here whose idea of a day on the slopes is to ski between coffee - lunch - schnapps venues, so most of the mountain is virtually untouched.
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Excellent summer skiing experience on Theodul Glacier. Trails were long and well-groomed. Less than 20 people on the slopes. Runs from 9am to 2 pm. Incredible scenery and excellent night-life with plenty of restaurants to choose from.

Prices are quite reasonable for such an excellent venue. Lots of 4 star hotels to choose from. Easy to get to with the Gottardbahn. Would definitely revisit.
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Skiing on the Italian side (Cervinia) is fast, easy cruisy runs, perfecto if you're an Italian who just wants to look cool on the slopes; or indeed any other nationality for that matter. The powder is largely left untouched but you'll have to hunt around for decent inclines to use it on. There some good, if rather short runs through the pow on the lower slopes of Monte Cervinia (the Matterhorn) itself!

Otherwise, head on over to Zermatt, chalk and cheese. There's loads of off-piste but it gets skied-out very quickly when there's been some fresh. The Gandegghütte is highly recommended for lunch. No running water ,it's a rambling old wooden house/chalet a wee bit of walking/skating to get there but well worth it.

Heli-skiing on the Cervinia side is remarkably cheap and then there's all the powder you can shake a ski pole at! Pick ups can be organised in the resorts on the glacier at Plateau Rosa near the Swiss/Italian border.
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