Matterhorn Glacier Paradise in Zermatt • Tips for your visit

The Matterhorn Glacier Paradise is tourist attraction in Zermatt, reached by the top of the highest cable car in Europe at 3883m. At the top, you’ll find a variety of amusements including a restaurant, cinema, and the Glacier Palace, a series of tunnels and caves carved into the glacier ice cave 15 meters below the surface.

You can enjoy breathtaking views of the Matterhorn from the observation deck, reached by an elevator and stairs. You can play outside in the snow and ride snow-tubes down a small slope. 

This is a good choice for non-hikers that want to catch epic views without all the work, just a somewhat hefty price tag. Below are all the details to help you plan your visit, ways to get some discounts on your tickets, and nearby hiking options.

Note: children under 3 are not allowed on last cable car from Trockener Steg to the Matterhorn Glacier Paradise due to risk of altitude sickness.

Featured image: © Zermatt Bergbahn, Aerial photo of Matterhorn Glacier Paradise visitor center. 

Zermatt itinerary eBook

If you want a printable itinerary for Zermatt that includes this outing, you can purchase my new eBook:

Switzerland with Kids: 3 Days in Zermatt

Gallery

Location

This mountain peak accessed by a series of cable cars from Zermatt in southern Switzerland, on the border of Italy. See on Google Maps.

Overview of Matterhorn Glacier Paradise

A series of cable cars take you to the Klein Matterhorn peak, about 40min ride. At the top, you’ll find the big Matterhorn Glacier Paradise complex, with the ice cave, restaurant, summer skiing/sledding and other amusements.

Nearby hiking options

There is no hiking at the top since it’s covered in snow year round. If you want to hike after your Matterhorn Glacier Paradise visit, here are a few options. If you plan to hike, make sure to mention this when purchasing your ticket, since you may pay less if you are skipping any of the cable cars.

Option A – Matterhorn Glacier Trail

Our favorite hike in this area is the Matterhorn Glacier Trail, which hikes over a rocky landscape, quite close the base of the Matterhorn.

To reach the trail, get off the Matterhorn cable car at the Tröckener Steg station. The trail ends at the Schwarzsee, where you can catch a gondola back down to Furi, then Zermatt.

It’s not a dangerous trail, but it is a mountain trail with uneven terrain and steep switchbacks. Best for those with some hiking experience and proper hiking shoes.

Hike: moderate • 2.5 hrs • 6.4 km • 150 m up, 500 m down

View trail map

Option B – Furi to playground & glacier garden

With younger kids, we suggest this short hike from the Furi cable car station to a fantastic playground in the forest. Along the way, you’ll cross a bouncy suspension bridge over a gorge. The playground has a picnic area with grills.

Near the playground, there is a “glacier garden” showing some interesting rock formations that were created by the glacier long ago.

Hike: easy • 1.2 km • 90 mins trip • 120m up (then back the same way)

View trail map

Option C – Furi To Gorner Gorge

For an easy hike, you can ride down to Furi station and hike down to the Zermatt village, visiting the Gorner Gorge on the way. For a small fee, you can walk through the gorge on elevated wooden walkways.

The trail from Furi to Zermatt takes about one hour, more depending how long you linger at the gorge. It’s a pretty walk, admiring the rustic mountain huts and alpine meadows.

Hike: easy • 1 hr • 2.5 km • 10 m up, 220m down

See trail map and learn more about Gorner Gorge.

How to get there

The cable cars to Matterhorn Glacier Paradise are located in Zermatt, a car-free village in southern Switzerland. If you are traveling by car, park at the Täsch train station and take the train to Zermatt – 17 min ride, every 20 mins. If you are traveling by public transportation, simply take the train from wherever you are directly to Zermatt. 

To reach Matterhorn Glacier Paradise, you take a series of cable cars, starting with the Zermatt-Furi gondola, which is located on the far south side of the village (Schluhmattstrasse 121, 3920 Zermatt).

By foot to cable car station

From the Zermatt train station, it’s a 15 min walk (1.2 km) to the Zermatt-Furi gondola as shown here. It’s more direct (and very pretty) if you walk through the Zermatt village, but there’s a little up and down and cobblestone streets. If you prefer, you can walk down to the river and walk on the street paralleling the river. However buses drive on this street, so it can feel a little busy.

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By bus to cable car station

Zermatt has two bus lines that service the village, the Red and Green lines (see bus stops and timetables). The bus is free to ride.  

Both bus lines pick up at the Zermatt train station and take you to a stop called Matterhorn Glacer Paradise. The red bus drops you directly at the cable car station (see on map). The green bus drops you off by the river (see on map). Then you walk up some stairs or ride up an elevator to reach the cable car station.

Operating Times

The cable cars to Matterhorn Glacier Paradise run year round. For a short period in spring and late fall, there is a short maintenance break for the modern cable car from Trockener Steg to Matterhorn Glacier Paradise. During this time, this section is possible with the older model cable cars.

The cable cars start service from Zermatt at 8:30 most of the year, and at 6:30 during high season in July through late August. The cable cars may stop service in poor weather, particularly on windy, stormy days. Check the current operating times.

Tickets

You need a return ticket from Zermatt to Matterhorn Glacier Paradise. This includes three cable cars, which a transfer at each middle station: Zermatt – Furi, Furi – Trockener Steg, and Trockener Steg. You will need to scan your ticket at each station on the way up and down. You ticket includes can exiting at any station and re-enter to continue your journey.

Buy tickets online.

Price vary by season, with July and August the highest price. In summer 2022, this round trip ticket costs CHF 120/adult. Discount for SBB GA, Half-fare, Swiss Travel Pass and children aged 6-15. Free for children under 8 and children with a SBB Junior Card. See current ticket prices.

Note: For children, you must show an ID with proof of age (happened to us when buying ski tickets).

Crystal Ride upgrade

You can pay extra to ride in one of four “Crystal Ride” cabins, decorated with glittering Swarovski crystals and a glass floor to add to the excitement.

In 2023, this supplement ticket costs one way CHF 11/adult and CHF 5.50/child age 9-15. Buy Crystal Ride supplement ticket here. 

Planning your day

I would plan for about a half-day for this excursion. It takes about 40 mins each way to ride between Zermatt and Matterhorn Glacier Paradise. I would expect to spend about 1 hour at the top, longer if you go sledding or eat at the restaurant. 

Photo story

Riding up to Matterhorn Glacier Paradise

Note: we visited Klein Matterhorn during our ski holiday, so it was a slightly different experience than you might have in summertime.

Starting at the Zermatt – Furi gondola.

Get off the gondola at Furi and transfer to the large cable car up to Trockner Steg. (The Furi gondola continues to Schwarzsee). 

View down to Zermatt just before you get to Trockener Steg.

Here is Trockener Steg. You can see the summer ski run extending from the glacier through the rocky terrain.

At Trockener Steg, transfer to the new gondola with extra large cars. 

It’s a 9 min journey to the top, passing over the impressive Theodul glacier

Looking down towards Trockener Steg. In summer, there won’t be as much snow, mostly just the glacier below the cable car.

Exploring Matterhorn Glacier Paradise

When you reach the complex at the top, you walk through a tunnel to reach the various attractions. This sign points the way. There is an ppen-air observation deck, glacier palace (tunnels in the ice), cinema, snow tubing, and restaurant.

To reach the observation deck, you ride an elevator up, then climb a few stairs as shown here.

The observation deck is quite small.

Here’s the view of the Matterhorn from the observation deck. From this vantage point, it doesn’t have it’s classic arched shape, which was a bit of surprise. Also, it was hard to get a nice pic with all those ladders in the way.

You also get a view of the Breithorn peak and the glacier, which is the nicest view from here in my opinion. Some brave people go ski touring to the top of that peak.

From the observation deck, you can see the ski run below. The T-bar lifts you can see below only run in summer. In winter, it’s not necessary because there are so many other pistes open. 

Take the elevator back down and walk through the tunnel to reach the snow. Near the exit, you’ll find a gift shop and cafe. There is a toilet, which costs CHF 2 but you get a voucher to use in the cafe. You’ll also find the entrance to the glacier cave. We didn’t visit it since we were skiing. I heard it’s pretty similar to other glacier caves like at Titlis and Jungfraujoch – tunnels carved into the ice a few meters below the surface. 

In this picture, we are looking at the cafe on the left and the observation tower at the top of the rocky peak.

Here’s the ski run, which is open year round. In summer, the T-bars on the left are open and the main run here to Trockener Steg.

This run is pretty easy, in fact so easy that we only did it a couple times before moving on to more interesting slopes.

But the reason to ski here is the Matterhorn view, pretty epic. More summer skiing T-bars here because this is where the glacier snow is. Lower down, in summer, they have to artificially build up snow on a narrow piste so you can get all the way to Trockener Steg.

Looking up to Klein Matterhorn from the ski piste.

See more of the best Swiss viewpoints for non-hikers