zermatt photo tour

Zermatt (Matterhorn) Landscape Photo Tour

2-4th of september 2022, highlights of the tour:.

Price: CHF 1,650

P.S The hotel room is guaranteed only for bookings before 1.08.22, after this date, we need to check availability due to the significant popularity of the place.

*Please contact us if you would like to split the payment.

Accommodation: twin room share

Single room supplement: CHF 450

Course Level: Beginners, Intermediate, Advanced

Instructors: Raffaele Cabras Keller ( @mixyourshot ) & assistance by Nika Cabras ( @myswissjourney )

Duration: 3 days

Max Participants: 6-8

Language: English (Group Conversation)

English, Swiss-German, Italian (1:1 Conversations)

Location: Zermatt , Switzerland

Meeting point: Zermatt Train station

“ TAKE PART IN 3-DAY EPIC PHOTO IMMERSION IN SWISS ALPS AND IMPROVE YOUR SKILLS BY WORKING SIDE-BY-SIDE WITH A PROFESSIONAL LANDSCAPE PHOTOGRAPHER. ”

According to modern statistics, the vast majority of the world's population lives in cities. Maybe that's why we appreciate so much the opportunity to escape into nature away from the world of traffic jams, crowded streets and noisy supermarkets. But after returning back, it's nice to be not just alone with your memories, but with something more tangible, such as a pack of photographs that you can not only look yourself, but also share with others.

Zermatt is a perfect place for Landscape photography. It is a charming town, lost between the most beautiful mountains. Next to it rises one of the symbols of Switzerland - Mount Matterhorn. Zermatt is magnificent with its views - they are so postcard that you can’t even believe that this can be a reality.

“ YOUR DAYS WILL BE FULL OF LEARNING, ADVENTURE, AHA MOMENTS AND MEANINGFUL CONNECTIONS! ”

This tour is designed not only to showcase the magnificent photography spots planned according to the best light, but also to teach photographers of all levels to master their technical and creative skills. You will learn you the correct camera settings and techniques, master exposure and focusing, using ND filters, provide you an instant feedback, boost your creativity, master your composition, post-processing and photography skills.

Our instructor Raffaele will share all his knowledge and expertise he got in the last 15 years. You will learn how to turn a simple picture into an extraordinary image. We keep the group small to provide optimal 1-to-1 instruction along with group discussions. We've thought of everything! All accommodations, schedule, restaurants, ground transportation, and instruction programme. You just need to join us, relax and enjoy the trip!

Highlights of the photo tour:

Professional 1-to-1 and group instruction

Landscape Photography workshop

Photographing in different lighting conditions: golden hour, blue hour, alpenglow etc.

Milky way photography workshop (depending on the weather)

Drone flight (depending on the weather)

Special techniques like panorama, focus stacking, HDR, time blending

Camera Settings (Aperture, Shutter Speed, ISO, White Balance)

Composition techniques

Post-processing workshop

Photo critique

Meet your instructor

The author and leader of our Landscape Photography tour is an award-winning photographer Raffaele Cabras Keller ( @mixyourshot ), who is a co-founder of the Swiss Photo School of Photography. Raffaele collaborates with global brands like Sony, Skylum, Peak Design and more.

As a computer engineer, Raffaele blends his excellent technical expertise into the creative part of photography. You can be sure that not even one question of yours will be left without an easy explanation or if needed a very technical one.

Raffaele has 15 years of photography experience and developed his own method of teaching photography and post-processing fast and effectively. He loves to inspire other people to travel and discover the world while sharing his passion and expertise for photography.

What do I need?

All you need is a digital camera, lenses, SD cards, a laptop/iPad, and a desire to take amazing photographs.

We will send you our Recommended Equipment and Clothing list before the tour.

Do you have any questions?

We are happy to help!

+41764657597

[email protected]

What will I learn?

You will learn how to:

Take stunning landscape photos in various light

Learn which lenses to use in certain situations

How to use ND filters

Find your own style

Get practical advice on composition

Landscape post-processing

Planning your trip and researching spots

DATES AND PRICE

2-4 th of september 2022.

P.S Hotel room is guaranteed only for bookings before 1.08.22, after this date, we need to check availability due to the significant popularity of the place.

Max Participants: 6-8 students

Language: English (Group Conversation); English, Swiss-German, Italian (1:1 Conversations)

Please note: if you are a complete beginner we highly advise you to take our Beginners Photography course first in order to prepare for a trip.

NOT INCLUDED IN THE PRICE

Flight tickets to and from Switzerland

Individual arrival/return journey to and from Zermatt

Lunch and Dinner Meals

Extra snacks according to your preferences and/or dietary requirements

Personal expenses

Out of schedule Cable Cars or Attractions visits

Visas (if applicable)

Medical and travel insurance

INCLUDED IN THE PRICE

Snacks and refreshments

Cable cars within our schedule

Workshop classes led by professional photographer

Sony cameras and lenses to test

Guide how to reach our meeting point - Zermatt Train Station

New friends and an unforgettable experience

Testimonials

California, USA

Going on a photography tour with the Swiss School of photography was literally the best photography trip I’ve ever been on. 100% would recommend, and I plan to go on future tours with them at other locations. My photos are amazing and they took us to spots I never would have discovered on my own. Raffa and Nikka are overall just super kind and intelligent people, so I feel like I really genuinely made new lifelong friends.

During our trip, we had many sunrise and sunset opportunities, with lakes and streams, mountains and boats, etc.  Raffa and Nikka took the time to share their knowledge on composition, exposure, etc. They were quick to assess our skill levels and provided just the right amount of coaching - newer folks got more attention on exposure settings and more experienced folks got more help with reviewing composition and advanced techniques. They’ve had experience with just about every full frame and APS-C digital camera available, so no one brand was a challenge for them. Notably, this was the first time I really put ND filters to so much use, so that was a pleasant educational experience.

I can’t say enough about how great of an experience this trip was. It’s one for the memory books. If you’re trying for to decide whether or not to join their photo tour - this is your sign. I flew here all the way from the USA and am already looking forward to the next trip to Iceland next year.

After following the mixyourshot insta account i decided to make the trip to sardinia !!none of the photos you see on the account(which are stunning) do reality justice !!!! Nikki and Raffa make a great team ! Their choice of photographic locations across the island //sunrises and sunsets is spot on !!!the trip itself was great everything was on time...food was beyond great and hotel choices was spot on!!!!

Make sure you pack you hiking boots ...they would be a better choice than regular trainers !!lots of sunscreen and mosquito repellent ...i would suggest this trip for photo enthusiasts of all levels !!we had a mixed level group and everyone was taken care of!!!book your slot and hope you enjoy beautiful sardinia as much as i did!!!

Baden, Switzerland

I am so glad that I have joined Raffaele’s Photography Workshop in Provence. The two instructors, Raffaele and Nika have provided sufficient guidance to each of us and care about the photos that we are taking. Their field advice was very useful, helped me improve the photos in particular the way of compositions. The workshop was well organized and the places we went for shooting are spectacular. This workshop not just offered me a great trip to explore the beautiful Provence, it was also a good learning opportunity in the path of photography. The whole journey was filled with happiness and satisfaction, I bought back with nice photos and unforgettable experience.

Riga, Latvia

One of the most exciting things that have happened in my photography journey. I wanted to thank such talented guys once again for this amazing experience and already two unforgettable photo tours! I was really lucky being a part of their team, and I enjoyed a lot friendly, even familial but still professional atmosphere during both of our trips. It was also pleasant to notice that due to a very limited number of participants (unlike some other photo tour groups that I heard of), our instructors were providing an individual approach to each and every member of the crew; and especially for young photographers like me who are just at the beginning of their journey, I found it super important. Looking forward to joining you next time!

Without Raffaele and Nika I would never have travelled to these locations in Sardinia and get the opportunity to photograph amazing landscapes. The trip was full of adventure, nice weather, epic light, amazing locations, fun, laughs and the chance to make some great friends. Thanks, Raffaele and Nika for the expert knowledge of photography and Sardinia island. This was no ordinary tour but rather a very unique look at Sardinia. One that in many respects was a ‘behind the scenes’ tour that the average tourist simply does not see. Photographically it was very rich training. The group was small which maximised the experience and learning. I have to mention also the great local food we had every day in different restaurants or even homemade food in agriturismo. Thank you again for your expertise and for showing us the unknown and exclusive areas of Sardinia. The images are stunning and will travel again with you.

What level of photography required to join?

Our Photo Tour is open for all levels. Our professional and highly experienced instructors will help you from every aspect whether you are just starting as a beginner or already an experienced photographer. There is always something new to learn at each level.

What to bring for the tour?

To bring home contest worthy photographs and maximize the experience of this workshop, we recommend specific camera gear and equipment. We will send you our Recommended Equipment list before the tour. It is important to come properly prepared for the climate in terms of clothing ,hiking shoes, outdoor apparels and equipment to be able to capture the best photographs in the most comfortable conditions!

What is tour language?

The main language of our Photo Tours is English, however our Instructors also speak Swiss German and Italian.

Where will we stay?

We pay a great attention to comfort of our participants and we want to make our Photo Tours unique and special. We will carefully select cosy and beautiful 4-5 stars hotels.

Where will we eat?

Food is a second passion of ours! The same way we select amazing hotels we will research and book nice local restaurants to provide you with a full travel experience.

Can I rent a camera or lenses?

Sure, just let us know in advance and we can organise photography equipment rental free of charge!

Do I need to bring a computer?

It’s not essential, however we will have post-processing sessions. While you can watch anything we do and make your notes, we are encouraging you to bring your own laptop or at least tablet to practice post-processing techniques with us. The best learning comes through practice and hands on experience!

What is the cancellation policy?

We hope you don’t need to cancel your spot, but if a situation arises where you don’t have a choice, our cancellation policy is the following.

1) If you cancel and your place is filled, we will refund you the full amount you have paid towards the tuition, minus a 340 CHF service charge.

2) If you cancel and your place does not fill, then you will be refunded according to the following schedule, based on the full fee of the Photo Tour:

Greater than 120 days from the Workshop start date: full refund minus 340 CHF service fee.90-120 days or more: 75% refund 60-90 days or more: 50% refundLess than 60 days: no refund

If you would like to cancel the Photo Tour, you must send us an email notification. Please note your cancellation is not considered official until you have received a return email confirmation acknowledging your cancellation.

Refunds will be paid by the same method that the original payment was made.

How do I get there?

We will send you a guide how to get to our meeting spot before the tour

With who will I share my twin room?

We will do our best to accommodate same sex participants in one twin room share, however we cannot guarantee it. You can also book a single room if required at an extra charge.

What if I have food allergies or specific dietary requirements?

We always check if restaurant has vegetarian option. If you have a specific dietary requirements please let us know and also please take some snacks with you according to your diet and taste. Usually every restaurant can adapt and provide any dish on request, you just need to ask at the restaurant.

Can I bring a drone?

Yes, sure! We can also advice you which drone to bring or where you can rent one. We will definitely have drone sessions during each photo tour in places where it is allowed to fly.

What will happen after the registration?

You will receive a confirmation email and 1 month before the tour we will get in touch with you again and send the required equipment and things to bring list. If you will have any questions don’t hesitate to contact us.

What are the travel regulations in regard to COVID-19?

Please make your research if you can fly to Switzerland and if you need to do a quarantine on arrival (in most cases yes). Thus, please plan your trip dates to complete the quarantine before the tour starts. Here is a useful map, where you can find up to date travel requirements across the world: https://reopen.europa.eu/en/map/CHE/7001

At this point, it is not a problem to enter Switzerland for most of the countries.

What if I have more questions?

Give us a shout at [email protected] and we’d be happy to help with whatever questions you have!

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OUR PARTNERS

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Photo tours, where you and your image goals are our focus

Photo Tours and Photo Workshops

Capture great moments skilfully.

Traveling and photography are our passions, which we are happy to share with you. To make every photo tour and every photo workshop an unforgettable experience, we take you to the most beautiful landscapes, the most spectacular national parks and right in the middle of bustling cities. Benefit from our experience and the know-how of the renowned Amazing Views photo guides. These professionals either live at the destination themselves or know it inside out. To make sure that the accommodation is just right, we work together with first-class local providers.

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Benefit from the expertise of our renowned photo guides. As a rule, they live in the location to which you are traveling and know the region inside out.

Exclusive destinations

Travel to unique destinations, visit the right places, and go at the right times, far removed from the tourist masses, in small groups or just on your own.

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Count on us to give you the best. We work together with the best local suppliers. We hand-pick all accommodation and services, and test them thoroughly.

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Tours in retrospect

What our clients are saying.

A great trip to my absolute dream area in southern Africa. Nice people, relaxed atmosphere and wonderful and exciting animal sightings. Walking safaris with safe guides and unimagined photographic opportunities. I will never forget spending an afternoon up close to dozens of elephants at the waterhole. Hannes and Thomas are always on hand to help with camera settings and are also happy to discuss problems in camp. Three different destinations, very different but always with infinitely friendly staff who were happy to fulfil our wishes.

My third trip with Amazing Views in the meantime. As in 2019 and 2023, expectations were exceeded. Wild bears at short distances, sometimes as a mother-child group, sometimes as a single bear is not just a photographic experience. It was also worth sitting for a long time. The hides with prepared camera shots and a good field of vision make photography easy, especially after the first briefing after arriving in a bird hide. Special praise is due to the tour guide, who was always approachable and flexible. We will definitely be back!

The photo trip to the lavender fields in Provence was a complete delight. Of course, the lavender fields are fantastic to look at. But photographing them in the best light with Jenny's professional and personal guidance is simply fantastic. We really were always in the right place at the right time. The trip was perfectly organised from A to Z. A big thank you to you, Jenny, for everything.

The expectations of travelling with Amazing Views are high and were fully met. A fantastic trip with great participants and lots of fun times that we were able to spend together. The many bird and animal sightings in the best light will remain unforgettable. The highlights were the extraordinary number of jaguar sightings in Porto Jofre and the fantastic landscape at sunrise. The first night in Baiazinha, where we all shivered like castle dogs from the cold, was also unforgettable. Many thanks to Thomas, Marcos, the local guide, and the boat drivers who made it all possible.

The photo tour "Unknown Norway" has an incredible number of photo highlights to offer. It was extremely varied and had many different subjects to offer. Thanks to the midnight sun, we were out and about a lot and were able to capture fantastic light moods with our cameras. The trip is not in the usual tourist areas of Norway and that makes it particularly attractive from my point of view. Once again, everything was superbly organized, as I am used to from my last trip with Amazing Views. Everything went very smoothly. I'm already looking forward to my next photo trip.

In the early hours of the morning, when foxes, deer and hares felt safe in the middle of the road, the Amazing Views photo group challenged them for the ‘field’. On the way to the sunrise, to marvellous stretches of coast and beach, to the lighthouse and pier and to real carpets of bluebells. The delicate spring greenery competed with the bluebells and wild garlic to the delight of our eyes. A wonderfully varied week of photography, which I can only recommend, lies behind me. Jenny and Jack could not have provided us with better support and photography. Jenny was always there to help with technical problems and give suggestions, Jack was a tireless motivator and counsellor.

Thanks to the perfect photo guide with great knowledge of the location and weather, we were always in the right place at the right time and used the changing weather to our advantage. Epic locations and capricious weather made for great pictures and great experiences with thrills. The professional support and the ideal group size rounded off the harmonious overall package.

My expectations for this trip were very high, as I had already travelled to Namibia three times before as a self-driver. In the end, I flew home with many unforgettable impressions and my expectations were exceeded by far! A perfectly organised trip with great accommodation, scenic highlights and a fascinating animal world (whether Little Five or Big Five) - from the first to the last day. There was a lot of input from Hannes on how to take the perfect photo, so that at the end everyone flew home with successful photos in their luggage. This trip definitely makes you want more! A big thank you to Jenny and Thomas for the great organisation and Hannes for the great support on site. It was great fun travelling with you. The next trip is already planned...

Thanks to the great all-round organisation and perfect local and weather knowledge of Jenny and Nick, it was a varied trip in a fascinating landscape! Always in the best place on the islands at the right time, always competent and helpful with questions about everything from photography to image processing, perfect group size and including a culinary pampering programme - what more could you want? Thank you for this great experience! I look back fondly on the eventful and varied days with my impressive pictures. The islands are definitely worth a visit!

Great locations. Good group size. In the right place at the right time. Always an answer to questions about motifs, technique or picture ideas. A nice group of fellow photographers and all-round carefree photo support and organisation by Jenny. All this in combination with delicious Italian cuisine in hand-picked restaurants - what more could you want? Thank you, Jenny!

Our expectations were more than exceeded. On our trip to the beautiful Pantanal to see the breathtaking jaguars, we were well looked after by photo guide Thomas. As less experienced photographers, we were able to benefit enormously. Thomas took the time to explain the correct camera settings to us. And then gave us lots of tips on how to get the most out of the pictures with the right photo editing. This, coupled with the best spots and ideal lighting conditions and a great group, rounded off the experience.

It could not have been better: Super group - incredible jaguar and other animal sightings, competent and cheerful tour guide. A trip that will remain unforgettable.

‘Unknown Norway’, this year for the first time as a photo tour in the Amazing Views programme, was very well organised and smoothly executed. The travel programme sent in advance with lots of information and detailed recommendations for packing lists and photographic equipment aroused my curiosity and expectations. In short, it was perfect: the planning and the photographic and travel support were highly professional and hitch-free. The group worked extremely well as a team and I enjoyed a great week with them. My special thanks go to Cody who generously looked after us all week, acted as a safe driver and took us to all the wonderful places I had never been before. It was my 4th photo trip with Amazing Views and once again my expectations were exceeded.

Great photo locations on the island west of Scotland. Wonderful accommodation and perfect organisation by Amazing Views. Jennifer on site took care of everything the traveller could wish for. Nick the great local guide showed us the coolest locations in all weathers. Definitely a trip to recommend.

Hans Ulrich

The trip to Dorset clearly exceeded my expectations. It goes without saying that a bit of luck was involved. A good mix of spots on the coast and inland and then, for me, the bluebells in the woods were an absolute stroke of luck. Good spots, nice new acquaintances, good food and a lot learnt. What more could you want? Gladly again.

My photo trip to Dorset was a real feast for the senses! Between majestic coastlines and idyllic landscapes, we discovered a world of beauty. The bluebells and wild garlic were in full bloom and provided a magical backdrop for some great shots. Jenny and Jack guided us through this picturesque landscape with their unrivalled expertise and passion. Thank you Amazing Views for an unforgettable trip full of magical moments, blooming bluebells and delicious afternoon tea! Hope to see you again soon.

Travelling with Amazing Views and their photo guides is perfect. Not only are we at the photo hotspots at the right time, we also get great professional advice and support. And peace and quiet when the rest of the masses of tourists are out and about. The support was unrivalled. We were in very good and experienced hands with both Hannes and Floyd. Hannes was perfect and had a lot of patience with us. He was happy to pass on his knowledge and it went down well with us. He is a very enthusiastic photographer himself and this rubbed off well on the group. The length of the trip was perfect, there were many new impressions and experiences that I still have to digest, so longer would almost be too much of a good thing. I loved the trip, despite the sometimes very early hour.

I was able to travel to the south of Botswana with Amazing Views in October 2021. The game reserve in the Tuli Block surprised us with unique sightings. In addition to lions, elephants and a wild cat with its cub, we were able to enjoy several leopard sightings. Playful in the flowering Raintree, having fun with a feather, sneaking up on a prey - nothing was missing. Not forgetting the exciting ‘sessions’ in the Hide. Thank you Thomas and Hannes, it was a pure pleasure to be able to share these experiences with you.

Isabella and Stefan

What a fantastic trip. The Faroe Islands offer incredible photo opportunities: jagged cliffs, waterfalls, blue fjords, wild and rugged coastlines and ever-changing weather and light moods. Together with the perfect organisation by Amazing Views and the friendly tour guide Jenny and Bernard, it was an unforgettable week. I would book again in a heartbeat.

Christiane and Sascha

In April 2022, my husband and I went on a photo expedition around Spitsbergen on the M/S Virgo. An absolutely extraordinary trip with great impressions of a fantastic Arctic and touching wildlife encounters that we will not forget for a long time. A big thank you goes to Jenny and Daisy for their excellent support. They always had an open ear for the participants, questions were always gladly answered and there was never a shortage of fun. The M/S Virgo is an absolutely brilliant ‘starting point’ for photo expeditions, as everything is very well tailored to the needs of photographers. As I took photographs myself and my husband accompanied the trip as a non-photographer, we were initially sceptical about what it would be like for our partner travelling with a group of photographers. He was very well integrated by Jenny, Daisy, the guides and fellow travellers and certainly had just as much fun as I did. We often think back to the trip and always say to ourselves ‘What we were able to experience there’... Thank you again!

I had to wait 2 years for this workshop. But it was worth it. Ireland and its landscapes are simply beautiful. The whole thing was rounded off by a friendly group and great guides who kept us on our toes. Despite a lack of sleep, we arrived home happy, satisfied and with lots of great impressions and pictures. A big thank you to Jenny and Bernard for this all-round successful trip!

‘Zimanga in Focus’ scores with numerous highlights: flawless organisation, a comfortable lodge that also has something to offer in terms of cuisine, excellent photographic support from Hannes Lochner and versatile hide sessions and game drives that allow for spectacular images. There is even a good dose of adrenaline (close encounter with cheetahs). However, there is one thing you can not expect: a lot of sleep. Beach holidays are better suited to that... A photo trip that I can recommend to anyone, whether you are a beginner or an ambitious photographer.

The Spitsbergen tour with Amazing Views gave us a close-up immersion into the wildlife world that I would not have thought possible. When I signed up for this trip I thought, so few days for so much money. That changed completely. Every single day seemed like a fulfilling eternity. It's hard to believe how every sense of time dissolved. We were in this incredibly special world, in Spitsbergen, for a long, long time.

Amazing Views, Nansen Polar Expeditions, Daisy Gilardini and David McEown provided a great experience. Many thanks to the team for giving us such an exceptional experience and providing us with optimal opportunities to photograph the wonderful wildlife from the best possible vantage points. This trip will be remembered for the high standards that were always met.

Daisy Gilardini, supported by the excellent team from Nansen Polar Expeditions led by Audun and Martin, delivered a unique and unrivalled photographic experience. The MV Villa is a safe ship in ice-filled waters and provides excellent meals every day. Our expedition had no set itinerary - the expedition leader and Daisy consulted daily on the route to give us the best photo opportunities.

Daisy Gilardini is a first class photographer and an excellent photography teacher. She was able to explain some photographic principles to me in a way that I could understand and improve my photos. Her husband, David McEown, is a gifted painter. Daisy and David are two of the most talented and creative tour guides I have ever met and I feel very lucky to have travelled with them.

This was my second trip with Amazing Views and I highly recommend it! Jennifer handled the uncertainty of the lavender being harvested early this season with grace and professionalism. It was a great trip.

A successful photo trip, great photo spots and perfect timing. Thanks to Jenny's good preparation, we were always in the right place at the right time. The motifs were well worth getting up early for. Highly recommended!

The trip on the MV Villa to the fjords of Spitsbergen is unforgettable. Daisy and Dave are great guides and they shared their great knowledge and expertise with us. We were very lucky to have a polar bear family (mother and 2 cubs) share their family life with us for a day. I will also remember the encounters with the other animals (walruses, seals, arctic foxes etc.) and the beautiful landscape. Thank you for this wonderful experience!

I have already done some excellent trips and workshops with Amazing Views. However, the photo expedition to Spitsbergen went one better. We spent 10 intensive days on board the cosy Origo with full professional support - in terms of photography, cuisine and organisation. Spitsbergen offers countless wonderful motifs for both wildlife and landscape photographers. The north keeps me under its spell!

The name ‘Amazing Views’ was the programme and true in every respect. From the announcement and organisation of the trip, to the choice of accommodation, the tour guide and the choice of locations, everything was perfect. Of course, the weather and the chosen time of the trip in autumn played a major role. And they went perfectly with the impeccably organised photo tour. The size of the group was very pleasant and allowed everyone to be looked after according to their individual needs. The tour participants' suggestions and wishes were also taken into account. I can recommend a photo tour with Amazing Views to the island of Senja in autumn in every respect, although basic photographic knowledge and a good level of physical fitness are an advantage.

It was my first photo trip to Africa. The diverse - and, thanks to the driving skills of the guides, close-up - encounters in the private game reserve were impressive: leopards, cheetahs, lions, hyenas, jackals, elephants, giraffes, antelopes, zebras, monkeys, bee-eaters, eagles, vultures and much more. We also had an excellent photo guide with us in Hannes Lochner, who was able to share a lot of his experiences with us. That makes you want more!

Our polar bear experience in Churchill was incredible. Our photo guide taught us so much and was able to help us take great photos. I enjoyed this trip so much that I am considering travelling back next year. It's worth every penny!

Great experience! Thank you Amazing Views and Daisy Gilardini for a first class photo experience. Daisy's experience and helpfulness, her passion for a great photo experience made this trip so special. She is just as genuine and kind as I had hoped and her professionalism is exceptional!

The photo tour ‘Botswana up close’ exceeded all my expectations. I was able to experience and photograph countless unforgettable moments. Hannes' professional guidance was brilliant. Everything ‘around’ with a super lodge, extremely good safari guides and the cosy group made this trip the perfect experience. Thank you. Can only recommend this to everyone.

Thanks to Jenny and Cody, despite the bad weather we were always in a place where the sun provided a great lighting mood for a short time. Jenny and Cody are a well-rehearsed team who took care of everything for us so that we could concentrate on taking pictures. The tips and tricks on image composition and editing were also very valuable. I can highly recommend the photo trip to the Lofoten Islands with Amazing Views. I'm looking forward to the next photo trip with you.

This photo trip was top in all respects - the guides, the food, the locations, the group. What more could you want?

It was my first photo trip and definitely not the last! It was an unforgettable experience for me. From the beginning to the end of the trip, we were accompanied by Jenny and Nick, who were always helpful and friendly. I didn't have that much photography experience and was able to learn a lot of new things from them during the week. They were able to pass on their photographic knowledge to me in an understandable way. With their help, I was able to achieve the goals I had set myself before the trip. Our accommodation also left nothing to be desired! In my opinion, the fantastic dinner that we enjoyed every evening deserves a special mention! I find what the three ladies conjured up in the kitchen every day incredible. I looked forward to ending the day with the whole group and good food every evening. My conclusion: It was worth every cent and I would book another trip with Amazing Views in a heartbeat!

Stunning nature and fantastic light showed me the beauty of the Isle of Skye and brought me a lot of joy and satisfaction with the superbly organised trip to the north of Scotland. I never thought I would be able to take such beautiful photos. This is of course thanks to our photo leader Nick, who contributed with a lot of local knowledge and many years of photographic experience. Although it was an intensive few days, I would recommend the trip to anyone.

My fifth trip to the Outer Hebrides with Amazing Views has once again confirmed that the overall package on offer (photo spots, hotel, local guide, a perfect group and, last but not least, Jenny as ‘tour guide’) is hard to beat. Starting with the comprehensive information before the trip, the daily organisation of the photo spots, which were not easy thanks to the local guide, also because of the constantly changing weather conditions, the persistent and always available support from Jenny and Nick, the comfortable and safe transport from the hotel to the photo spots to the hotel itself (ambience and cuisine), this trip is a very special experience.

Those who are not afraid of windy, damp and cool weather will be rewarded with the most spectacular, wild and lonely coastal landscapes in Europe on the Faroe Islands. Bernard, the professional photographer and guide from Ireland who knows the Faroe Islands inside out, and Jenny Brühlmann from Amazing Views are the best guarantee that every participant will take home the maximum number of experiences and great pictures. The fact that fun is not neglected is the icing on the cake.

Experiencing Provence with great, like-minded people was a real highlight. The endless, undulating, purple-coloured fields are truly a feast for the eyes and the scent associated with them is simply beguiling. A real benefit for participants is the shared enthusiasm for photography, the trained eye for exceptional motifs and, last but not least, the great commitment of the tour guide, who spares no effort and leaves nothing to chance in order to offer the best that is possible on site. A perfectly organised photo tour down to the last detail. Jenny personally visited the many beautiful lavender locations on the day before our arrival and made it possible for us to photograph the most beautiful fields far and wide at the best time and in the best light. This photo trip is definitely worth recommending. Thank you Amazing Views.

On the Pantanal trip in July 2023, the biodiversity impressed me the most. The jaguars were great, lying in wait for caimans along the rivers and swimming across the river in front of us. Beautiful animals! But also impressive were the giant otters, which even put a jaguar to flight. We also encountered a swimming tapir. The many bird species - kingfishers, herons, giant storks, hawks, cormorants, etc. - always offered great motifs. - offered great motifs again and again. We were competently accompanied by Thomas and Marcos, who shared a lot of his knowledge about the animals with us. Everything was well organised. A rewarding trip!

The Zambia trip in June 2023 was marked by many great animal encounters and beautiful scenery. I especially remember a pair of leopards, about one year old, who were playing with each other and I even managed to take a picture of the female sailing over the male. Wonderful! Equally impressive, however, were the beautiful morning scenes. Antelopes and even lions presented themselves in the ground fog at sunrise! Once again, Thomas and Hannes took excellent care of us, and the local guides also did a good job. This makes us want to do more!

Travelling to North Wales in November is a daring combination. But for a photographer it was a paradise, we had extreme weather but also just as much luck. The capricious weather resulted in great moods and excellent pictures. For me, it was a great and successful trip. Superbly organised and with Jenny and Nick two guides who led us through all situations and to the most beautiful spots. It was nice that we only stayed in one hotel. This made travelling more relaxed as we didn not have to pack again and again. Conclusion: a successful trip, great pictures, pleasant acquaintances.

The enchanting Tuscany in late autumn, the picturesque villages and small towns of the region, the unmistakable charm of "Bella Italia" in culture and gastronomy and the perfect organisation and support by Amazing Views / Jenny from start to finish. In other words: This photo tour is simply not to be missed. It is a "must" for every photo enthusiast and landscape lover.

Fancy a photo detour to an abandoned slate mine? (A little strenuous, but very interesting.) Or would you prefer a filigree cast-iron pier as a photo subject? (Opened in 1878 and no less than 376 metres long.) Are you interested in windswept lighthouses? Or rather a mighty castle from the 13th century? The very varied photo tour "Wales and Snowdonia" has it all. On top of that, there is a diverse landscape to marvel at, babbling brooks, and, and, and. I really appreciate the fact that I learnt a lot thanks to the always patient and professional photographic support. A big thank you for all the suggestions and tips, especially to Jenny, but also to Nick. Photography is fun!

Do you want to experience a great trip where you can fully concentrate on taking photos and experiencing wonderful moments? Then Amazing Views is the right place for you. Everything was perfectly organised on our Lofoten trip. Jenny and Cody looked after us wonderfully throughout the whole trip. Thanks to them both, we got the best out of the most varied weather conditions. As a great bonus, I was able to meet some wonderful new colleagues during the week. To summarise: we had a wonderful time with lots of unique pictures....you guys are amazing.

Once again an extraordinary trip with amazing views that is hard to beat - simply amazing! In addition to the many great bear sightings, Jenny had a well-balanced side programme for photography up her sleeve. We received excellent theoretical and practical support and motivation for a whole week. The trip was a win-win for me, thank you very much!

It was a great photo tour in a country that is a little overlooked but offers great scenic opportunities. The guides are very knowledgeable and the places we went to are great. As always, everything is perfectly organized so we only have to focus on taking pictures. Highly recommended.

The trip was well organised and in my opinion we were always in the right place at the right time. The photo spots were great! Different options were sometimes offered so that everyone could choose the right one. I personally really appreciated that. Our photo guides Ralf and Bernard did a great job! They were always helpful and friendly and drove us safely to our destination, even on the long days. I learnt a lot again! The accommodation was also very comfortable, nothing to complain about. I loved Ireland and would definitely recommend the trip to others. I will certainly be travelling with Amazing Views again next time!

It was a varied journey that conveyed impressions of Mayo, Achill Island and Connemara. Imposing coastlines, a lighthouse, lonely fishermen's huts, a pier left to decay, (sandy) beaches, a pretty harbour town, stone walls that divide the land and at the same time give a ‘face’ to the lush green meadows with grazing sheep, to name just a few examples. Incidentally, the weather was a sky-blue colour and there was no shortage of rainbows. Bernard, the man on site, made sure that we were in the right place at the right time: Early in the morning by the mirror-smooth lake or at an exciting spot for the sunset, but also in a nice coffee house with really good coffee. Or in a restaurant with fine food. Thanks to Jenny, Bernard and Felix, I'm no longer at war with grey filters and I've acquired a taste for long exposures. I would never have thought. It's wonderful that you can always count on support. Thank you very much for all the suggestions and tips.

My trip to Ireland, Connemara and Mayo, was my second trip with Amazing Views. This trip was accompanied by Jenny (founder and managing director of Amazing Views) and local photographer Bernard Geraghty. The very harmonious collaboration between the two, their intimate knowledge of the landscapes combined with the local weather conditions and the clear and detailed sharing of their expertise are the basis for a very successful trip. The flawless planning of the journey, local transport, the choice of hotels and lunch/dinner/coffee spots provide a great recreational value. This trip is unique due to the combination of great photo locations and the insight into Irish culture. I will be back next year and will bridge the time in between with workshops in Switzerland.

Although I have already travelled to Ireland a few times, the wild west of the Emerald Isle surprised me with more great spots, which were visited at the best time thanks to the very competent tour guides Jenny and Bernard. Nevertheless, the trip is not set up as a hectic journey criss-crossing the county, but also leaves enough time to relax. I also got to know lots of great cafés again :) ...and that's exactly how I imagined my holiday week would be!

The careful selection of locations/lodges and the extremely knowledgeable and professional local guide made the trip through parts of Botswana a real highlight. The photographer James Clifford knows the places and positions where the animals can be put in the right light and imparts a lot of interesting information about the nature and behaviour of the animals in this unique environment. I returned home with many great pictures and numerous unique impressions.

The photo tour to Zimbabwe is magnificent! Unique experiences with wildlife at close quarters are guaranteed in Hwange and Mana Pools National Park. The accommodation is all in great locations and the service in the lodges/camps is excellent. Thomas and Hannes looked after us very well and also gave us lots of photographic tips so that our photos were real highlights. In the free time between the game drives we were also able to benefit from them when editing our photos. Thank you very much!

I had a dream; to see and photograph a polar bear in the wild once in my life. So I set out on this adventure with Amazing Views. What I experienced is unsurpassable: accompanying and photographing a polar bear in the Zodic....it was a magical moment that turned into hours!!!! In addition I also had the chance to photograph walruses, sea lions and beautiful landscapes. My big thanks go to Jenny and Daisy for their so benevolent way of accompanying me and to the whole crew of the Virgo. The 10 days went by in a flash and I can only say THANK YOU and my dream came true.

The Outer Hebrides photo trip was my fourth trip with Amazing Views and my expectations were exceeded yet again, especially on this trip. In short, it was an unforgettable photographic experience week with a great and fun group in a time-honoured Highland Lodge with excellent cuisine! Jenny and Nick were always on hand with their photographic knowledge to answer any questions we had. Depending on the weather, time of day and light conditions, Nick took us to wonderful and secluded photo spots. And what I really appreciated: The perfect preparation and follow-up of the photo trips by Amazing Views! Many thanks to Jenny and Nick for the unforgettable week!

We had to wait a long time before we could finally travel to Patagonia. But it was worth it in every respect. What an incredible 10 days we experienced in this unique landscape! Perfectly guided by Thomas Brühlmann, Cristina Harboe and the other local guides, we were able to let off steam photographically. But the highlight was definitely the 3 days of puma tracking. Here we were able to benefit from Rodrigo Moraga's many years of knowledge and photograph the animals at almost arm's length. I would love to go there again right away!

Renowned top photographers

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You benefit from the knowledge and experience of carefully selected photo guides, most of whom live at the respective travel destination or know the destination inside out. As renowned professional photographers, they know the most interesting subjects. They know how to capture them in an exciting way and love to pass on their knowledge. On our trips, our photo guides focus entirely on your requirements. They ensure that you feel completely at ease and that you succeed in taking dream photos.

Daisy Gilardini

Daisy is a renowned nature photographer and specialised in the polar regions for over 20 years. She knows exactly what it takes to capture the Arctic landscapes and the animals in their habitat. Her friendly and funny manner makes every Arctic expedition an unforgettable experience.

Hannes Lochner

Hannes is a renowned and award-winning South African wildlife photographer. His creativity in wildlife photography knows no bounds and our guests learn from him how to get their wildlife shots of a lifetime.

Bernard Geraghty

Bernard is an Irish landscape photographer and outdoor enthusiast. He loves to share his passion for his own country with our guests and guide them to the most beautiful places all over Ireland. Our guests also love his warm and humorous nature and the opportunity to experience the Irish way of life up close with Bernard – for example over a Guinness in a lively pub.

Cody Duncan

Cody Duncan is one of the most renowned and experienced photographers living and working on the Lofoten Islands. He knows every photogenic spot the islands have on offer. Thanks to his excellent knowledge of the local weather system and the Aurora Borealis, our guests have been able to observe and photograph the Northern Lights on each of our Lofoten photo tours.

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And All You Need Visitor’s Guide to Zermatt, Switzerland

LAST UPDATED: 2/2/24 – Visitor’s Guide to Zermatt, Switzerland

If you are into outdoor adventure, then the beautiful city of Zermatt in Southern Switzerland should be near the top of your destinations list.  World-renowned for its skiing, mountaineering, and hiking trails, Zermatt is an outdoor enthusiast’s playground.  Every year, people from around the world visit Zermatt to ski on its amazing slopes, hike on the many miles of beautiful alpine hiking trails, and view and even climb the neighboring mountain peaks.

Home to the Breathtaking Matterhorn

Zermatt is home to the Matterhorn, which may be one of this world’s most beautiful and enchanting mountains.  With its jagged peak, which is often made more alluring by cloud cover, the Matterhorn looks like it could have been conjured up on a Hollywood movie set. 

It is only the 10th highest mountain in Switzerland, but it may be the most famous because of its sheer beauty.  But as beautiful as the mountain is, it can also be deadly.  Since 1865, roughly 500 people have died on the mountain.  This is an average of roughly 3 or 4 people a year.  So, if you are going to try and climb the mountain, make sure you know what you are getting into before you set off.

An All-You-Need Visitor’s Guide to Zermatt

Zermatt is a beautiful place, but planning a trip doesn’t have to be stressful.  In this visitor’s guide to Zermatt, I give you all of the information that you will need to plan a successful trip.  I outline how to get to Zermatt and when the best times to visit are. 

I also talk about where to stay and the top things to see in do while visiting.   For those who are looking for a little more adventure, I also have some great recommendations for tours and activities that will keep you busy during your visit.

Zermatt Visitor Guide Navigation Menu

At a glance.

Before you start making any travel plans, you need to be sure you meet the country’s entrance requirements. This includes all of the passport, VISA, and immunization requirements for Switzerland.

In addition, you need to make sure you have a clear understanding of what languages they speak in Switzerland. This way, you can plan any translation needs you may have. Not only that, but you will need to know what currency they use in Switzerland. Knowing this, you can plan to exchange currency before your trip if necessary.

I have included some of this key information in my visitor’s guide to Zermatt below for you to review as you start to make your travel plans.

Passport and VISA Requirements

Before you start making any other travel plans, please make sure you review the table in my visitor’s guide to Zermatt below so that you understand the immunization, passport, and VISA requirements for visiting Switzerland.  A failure to understand these requirements could lead to not being allowed entry into the country when you make your visit. 

Travel Immunizations

Before you leave for your trip to Zermatt, Switzerland, you need to make sure you have all of the proper vaccinations.  Not only to protect yourself but to protect others.  If you have questions on what immunizations you will need and what to look out for when you go to get them, I can help. In my visitor’s guide to Zermatt below are some general guidelines I can pass on to you from experience.

Travel Vaccination Advice

• Most specialized travel clinics will not accept insurance so you will have to pay for your travel consultation and immunizations and then request reimbursement from your insurance company later.
• Some immunizations aren’t accepted by every insurance company, so check with your insurance provider before getting your immunizations.
• Check with your regular doctor first, as often they can do a travel consultation for you and write you the necessary prescriptions for your immunizations, even if they aren’t able to give them to you.  This way you can ensure that at least your travel consultant will be covered by your insurance up-front.
• Check with  Walgreens   or other drug stores that give flu shots to see if they have any of the immunization shots that you require before going to a specialized clinic that doesn’t accept insurance to get them.  Walgreens can give you many of the immunizations necessary for international travel, and they accept insurance up-front.
• The  Centers for Disease Control (CDC) website   can be a great resource for answering any travel immunization questions that you have.

Switzerland Vaccination Recommendations

You may be unsure of what travel vaccinations you might need. In this case, I have compiled a list below of some of what you might expect your physician to recommend.

• Hepatitis A & B  (if you haven’t had them).
• Tetanus  (if you aren’t current).
• Transderm SCōP Patch (for motion sickness) or at minimum Dramamine pills if you get motion sickness easily and you plan on getting out on the water or doing adventure activities.

Packing Tips

Outside of knowing the entry and immunization requirements, there is no pre-travel task more important than packing. Don’t worry, I am here to make sure you are packed and prepared for your trip. I have included links to my packing resources in my visitor’s guide to Zermatt below for you to review.

How to Get to Zermatt, Switzerland

Located in Southern Switzerland along the border with Italy, the city of Zermatt is located in the district of Visp and is home to roughly 5,800 people.  Zermatt is nestled into the heart of the Swiss Alps, which makes the city all the more alluring, but it also makes it a little more challenging to get to.

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Flying into Switzerland to Visit Zermatt

If you are visiting Zermatt from outside of Switzerland, your best bet is to fly into one of Switzerland’s larger cities with international airports. The best bets would be either Bern or Zurich. From there, you can take a train all the way to Zermatt.

Zermatt is Car Free

While you can drive most of the way to Zermatt, the city itself is car-free, so you will only be able to drive so far before having to park your car and take a shuttle. I cover this in more detail in the “traveling by car” section in my visitor’s guide to Zermatt below.

One of the advantages of being located in Southern Switzerland is that Zermatt is relatively close to several large cities in Europe.  This makes it really easy and convenient to combine a stop in Zermatt with stops in other cities in Switzerland, France, Italy, Germany, and Austria as well.  To give you an idea of how far Zermatt is from some of the large cities in Western and Southern Europe, I have put together a transportation timetable in my visitor’s guide to Zermatt below for you to review.

PLEASE NOTE:  The times by train may vary depending on the train route you schedule.

Traveling By Train

By far, the easiest and most convenient way to travel to Zermatt is by train.  Not only will this typically get you to Zermatt in roughly the same amount of time as driving would, but it also allows you to sit back and relax without having to worry about navigating the alpine roads.  Not to mention, you won’t be able to take your car into Zermatt anyway, so there really isn’t a lot of benefit to driving it there.

Train Cost Table

PRO TIP:   If you are planning on taking trains in Switzerland, the rail pass in Switzerland is one of my favorites in all of Europe.  Not only will the Swiss Rail pass allow you to take any train during the duration of your pass, but it also gets you free admission onto many buses, lifts, and boats in the country as well.  For more information on the Swiss Rail Pass, please check out the Swiss Travel Pass website .

If you are traveling to Zermatt from Bern, the train ride is relatively short and only includes one change-over in Visp.  I have included a table of some of the earlier trains from Bern to Zermatt each day in my visitor’s guide to Zermatt below.

Please Note:   These are not all of the trains available for this route.  Check the www.trainline.eu website for additional trains.

From Zürich

If you are traveling to Zermatt from Zürich, the ride is a little longer than it is from Bern but still isn’t all that bad.  Pay close attention when booking as some of the trains have stops in Bern and Visp while others just stop once in Visp.  I have included a table of some of the earlier trains from Zürich to Zermatt each day in my visitor’s guide to Zermatt below.

From Geneva

The train ride from Geneva to Zermatt is the longest of the three, with the ride taking almost 4 hours with a stop in Visp to switch trains.  On the plus side, this ride is roughly the same price as the ride from Bern, which are both cheaper than the ride from Zürich.  I have included a table of some of the earlier trains from Geneva to Zermatt each day in my visitor’s guide to Zermatt below.

Traveling By Car

If you plan on driving to Zermatt, you should be aware that the town of Zermatt is car-free, so you won’t be able to drive your vehicle all the way to Zermatt.  Instead, you will need to drive to the nearby town of Täsch, park your vehicle, and then take the Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn (MGB) shuttle train from Täsch to Zermatt.  This is the same train you would take from Visp to Zermatt, with Täsch being the last stop before you get to Zermatt.

The Matterhorn Terminal in Täsch has 2,100 covered parking spaces and an additional 1,000 uncovered parking spaces for you to store your car while you visit Zermatt.  Shuttles run roughly every 20 minutes, so the wait time for a shuttle isn’t very long.  There is room on the shuttle train for baggage, and there is transportation (ATV vehicles pictured above) available at the train station in Zermatt to bring your luggage to your hotel.

If you are still interested in driving to Zermatt despite not being able to have your vehicle with you in the city, I have included some maps below on the routes you will need to take from the three largest cities in Switzerland.  When looking at the travel times, please keep in mind that this does not include the time required to catch a shuttle train from Täsch to Zermatt.

Bern to Zermatt

The drive from Bern to Zermatt is roughly 131km and will take you roughly 2 hours and 30 minutes to drive. For more information, please see the map in my visitor’s guide to Zermatt below.

Zürich to Zermatt

The drive from Zürich to Zermatt is roughly 249km and will take you roughly 3 hours and 30 minutes to drive. For more information, please see the map in my visitor’s guide to Zermatt below.

Geneva to Zermatt

The drive from Geneva to Zermatt is roughly 231km and will take you just shy of 3 hours to drive. For more information, please see the map in my visitor’s guide to Zermatt below.

Top Things to See in Zermatt, Switzerland

If you love spending time outdoors, then Zermatt has a lot of activities to keep you busy.  In addition to being one of this world’s premier ski destinations, it is also a very popular hiking and climbing destination as well.  I have included a summary of what the top attractions and activities to see and do in Zermatt in my visitor’s guide to Zermatt below.

Trains and Lifts

The biggest draw in coming to Zermatt is to see and explore the beautiful Swiss Alps that surround the city.  To get a better view of the mountains, you will want to take advantage of some of the trains and lifts in the city that take you up into the mountains.  Below is a map that summarizes some of the more popular train and lift routes into the Swiss Alps surrounding Zermatt.

Popular Attractions

To give you a better sense of what the top attractions and activities in Zermatt are and how to access these activities, I have included a map and description of the top attractions and activities in my visitor’s guide to Zermatt below.

The Matterhorn

Arguably the biggest draw for tourists coming to Zermatt is to see the mighty Matterhorn Mountain.  With its jagged, four-sided face, the Matterhorn is one of this world’s most beautiful and widely recognized mountains.  At 14,692 feet (or 4,478 meters), the Matterhorn is only the 12th tallest peak in Europe, but it is just shy of 200 feet taller than Mount Whitney, which is the tallest peak in the continental United States.

The Matterhorn straddles the border between Switzerland and Italy, with popular climbing routes to the top of the mountain on both sides. Each year, roughly 3,000 people try and make the ascent to the top of the Matterhorn, but an average of 3 or 4 climbers a year don’t make it back down alive.

If you are just planning to visit to do some hiking or skiing and want to enjoy the mountain’s beauty, then I would strongly suggest you visit the Matterhorn Glacier Paradise observation center , which is accessible by cable car.

Another of the amazing viewpoints in the Swiss Alps surrounding Zermatt that is an absolute must-see for visitors is the Gornergrat observation center.  Located on a rocky ridge in the Pennine Alps, southeast of Zermatt, the Gornergrat observation center overlooks the stunning Gorner Glacier. 

Situated at roughly 10,134 feet (or 3,089 meters), the Gornergrat observation center is accessible year-round and includes a restaurant and Europe’s highest hotel, the 3100 Kulmhotel Gornergrat .

To access the Gornergrat observation center, you need to take the Gornergrat Bahn train, which was the world’s first fully electrified cog railway and Europe’s highest open-air railway to this day.  The views from the train on the ride up are stunning and are alone worth the ride up.

Gorner Glacier

One of the prime attractions at the Gornergrat observation center is the stunning Gorner Glacier.  At just shy of 8 miles (or 12.4 km) long and roughly 1 mile (or 1.5 km) wide, the Gorner Glacier is absolutely amazing to see close-up.  The Gorner Glacier system is the second largest glacial system in the Alps after the Aletsch Glacier system, so the size of the glacier alone is something to behold.  It is definitely a must-see for those who are visiting Zermatt.

Klein Matterhorn

At 12,740 feet (or 3,883 meters) tall, the Klein Matterhorn is the second-highest peak in the Swiss Alps immediately surrounding Zermatt.  It is also the highest spot in Europe that can be reached by aerial tramway or other methods of transportation. 

Marketed as the “Matterhorn Glacier Paradise”, the Klein Matterhorn and adjacent ski lifts allow skiers to access some of the best slopes in the Zermatt area. Even if you aren’t visiting to ski, the views from the Klein Matterhorn are out of this world and well worth a visit.

Matterhorn Museum

A great way to learn about Zermatt, the Matterhorn, and the rest of what makes Zermatt so special is to visit the Matterhorn Museum in Zermatt village. In the museum, you can learn about how people lived in Zermatt during the 19th century and even see the actual rope that snapped during the famed first ascent of the Matterhorn in 1865.

Family-friendly and wheelchair accessible, the Matterhorn Museum is a fun activity for everyone to enjoy. Tours are available in German, English, French, and Japanese to accommodate many of its international visitors.

Zermatt Village

In addition to all of the fun activities to do outdoors in the Zermatt area, the village of Zermatt itself is worth exploring.  The classic Swiss-designed houses built on the hills and ridges in the Zermatt Valley are really breathtaking.

Being that Zermatt is a world-class ski, hiking, and climbing destination, the village of Zermatt has many of the amenities that you would expect in such a popular tourist spot, with the added bonus of being situated in one of the most breathtaking landscapes in the world.  When you visit Zermatt, don’t forget to take a stroll through the village, buy some fresh baked goods and delicious Swiss chocolate, and just enjoy this beautiful city.

The biggest tourism draw for the Zermatt Valley is undoubtedly the many amazing ski slopes that the Zermatt area offers.  Every year, skiing enthusiasts from around the world flock to Zermatt to hit the slopes and enjoy this skiing paradise.

• If you are interested in more information on skiing in Zermatt, I would strongly suggest that you check out the Matterhorn Paradise Ski Guide .  You can find all of the information on ski passes and ski tours at this site.
• If you are a beginner who is looking for some lessons before hitting the slopes, I would suggest you check out the CheckYeti website for ski lessons for kids, teens, and adults of all ages.
• For an overview of all of the ski lifts that exist in the Zermatt area, please check out the Winter Panorama Ski Map from the Matterhorn Zermatt website.

Food and Drink

In addition to all of the great restaurants that Zermatt has, there are also a lot of really great bakeries and specialty food shops for you to explore.  Without a doubt, my favorite is the Swiss Chocolate shops.  The Swiss are world-renowned for their chocolate, and I would strongly suggest you not leave Zermatt without tasting some for yourself.

In addition to being a central place from which to explore all of Zermatt’s outdoor adventure activities, the Zermatt village is also home to several unique and wonderful specialty shops.  In these shops, you can find a plethora of Swiss products to purchase as souvenirs. 

Whether you are interested in a Swiss cuckoo clock, a Swiss army knife, a top-notch Swiss-made wristwatch, a Swiss music box, your own Swiss fondue set, or one of the other beautiful gifts you can find in the shops in Zermatt, no trip to Zermatt is complete without a little shopping.

Best Time to Visit Zermatt, Switzerland

The best time to visit Zermatt really depends on what you are coming to Zermatt to do.  With mountains high enough to support skiing year-round and well-maintained alpine hiking trails, there really isn’t a bad time to visit Zermatt.  To give you an idea of what you can expect in Zermatt during the different times of the year, I have included some seasonal summaries and charts in my visitor’s guide to Zermatt below for you to review.

The Spring season is a great time to visit Zermatt.  There is typically still a lot of snow on the ski slopes, but temperatures aren’t as cold as they are in the Winter.  If you visit between April and May, the trails at the lower elevations begin to clear snow for hiking.

The Summer months (between the beginning of July and the beginning of September) are the best months of the year for hiking and climbing in Zermatt.  The warmest months of the year are July and August.  While you can still find snow at the highest elevations, this is the off-season for skiing.  If you visit around the end of May, you will see the wildflowers start to bloom on the hills surrounding Zermatt.  This can be an incredibly beautiful time to visit if you are a photographer.

Fall might be the best time of year all around to visit Zermatt.  During the early fall months (between the end of August and early October), most of the hiking trails are still without snow, but many of the ski slopes are still open.  It also has the added benefit of being less crowded than the peak summer hiking and climbing season and the peak winter ski season.  Not to mention, you get to see all of the beautiful fall tree colors.

The winter months (between November and March) are the peak ski season in Zermatt.  During this time all of the ski slopes have an ample amount of snow, even at lower elevations, and are open.  If you are going to visit during the winter, keep in mind that hotel prices can be much higher during December, especially around Christmas.  You should also keep in mind that November through January can be quite chilly, so make sure you have enough warm-weather gear.

Temperature (°F)

The city of Zermatt and the mountains that surround it are at a high elevation, so temperatures can be quite chilly during the winter.    The months of November thru January tend to be the coldest and the months of July and August typically have the warmest temperatures.

Precipitation (Inches)

Zermatt gets quite a bit of precipitation throughout the year, with most of it coming as rain and snow between May thru November.  This can be a great thing if you are coming to Zermatt to ski and are hoping for some fresh snow to ski on.  However, if you are visiting during the summer months to do some hiking or climbing it may not be as exciting.

Where to Stay in Zermatt, Switzerland

Because Zermatt is such a popular skiing and climbing destination, there are quite a few nice hotels and hostels in Zermatt that have been built to accommodate the large numbers of people who flock to the city each year to enjoy the mountains. 

When we visited a few years ago, we splurged and stayed at the Omnia Hotel, which is one of the nicer hotels in Zermatt.  Because we visited during the fall shoulder months, it was much more affordable than it is during the peak skiing or climbing and hiking months.  It really is a stunning hotel.

To give you some options to look at when you are planning your trip to Zermatt, I have included some hotels and hostels at different price points for you to review below.  Please keep in mind that this list is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to accommodations in Zermatt, but this list includes ones that I have either stayed at and liked or have reviewed and liked.

Where to Eat in Zermatt, Switzerland

In addition to being one of the world’s premier outdoor adventure locations, the town of Zermatt has some really wonderful restaurant options as well.  If you are looking for a good seafood meal, then the Zum See restaurant is one of the only places in the interior of the Swiss Alps where you will find fresh seafood.   

For those nights when you are in the mood for Italian, then the Ristorante Capri serves a fabulous Italian menu.  When cravings call for some grilled meats, the Restaurant Stockhorn does an amazing job with the grill.

While all of those options are outstanding, my favorite restaurants in Zermatt are undoubtedly the Omnia Restaurant at the Omnia Hotel and the After Seven restaurant.  I loved the Omnia Restaurant because they had a really great variety of great food and outstanding service. 

Not to mention, the hotel is drop-dead gorgeous.  However, my pick for the best restaurant in Zermatt is After Seven, which combines Michelin-starred food with a movie experience.  The “Cinedinner” experience you have at After Seven is unlike anything I have seen while traveling and is a must-do for all travelers to Zermatt.

Recommended Tours in Zermatt

The Zermatt area offers a lot of really fun outdoor activities for outdoor enthusiasts.  If you are interested in hiking, skiing, snowshoeing, snow tubing, or just enjoying the amazing views of the beautiful Swiss Alps, then there are activities for you.  Below are just some of the popular tour packages, admissions, and equipment rentals that you can take advantage of when you visit Zermatt.

Zermatt, Switzerland Photo Gallery

Zermatt has an abundance of beauty.  It seems like no matter where you go, there is a beautiful landscape or vista for you to photograph.  Below is a gallery of just some of the many amazing pictures I was able to take when I visited Zermatt.

If you would like to see more of my travel photography, I would also encourage you to give me a follow on Instagram . Putting this blog together to pass on my free guides, itineraries, and travel photography tips is a lot of work and your support in the form of a follow-on Instagram would be so very much appreciated!

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Published by Josh Hewitt

Avid traveler and photographer who loves to see new places, meet new people, and experience new things. There is so much this world can teach us, we just need to explore! View all posts by Josh Hewitt

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12 comments ›.

So amazingly thorough, and beautiful pictures, too. Thank you for a great post!

Thank you so much for the kind words 😀

This blog was very interesting and very detailed. If I ever venture there I am not going near that mountain 😅. http://www.kwerkegal.wordpress.com

Thank you! The Matterhorn is amazing!

Wow, what a beautiful place. I guess I will add this to the list 😁 Great article!

It is amazing! Thank you so much for reading and for the kind words 😀

Switzerland is beautiful!

One of my favorite places! 👍

Thanks for sharing .Keep it up. Private transfer Zurich to Lucerne

Thank you!!

Thanks for sharing .Keep it up. Zurich to Zermatt transfer time

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The 5 Best Matterhorn Photo Spots in Zermatt

If you join us for a holiday in Zermatt , you’ll inescapably find yourself drawn to the Matterhorn and end up taking photo after photo of this iconic mountain.

We understand that all of our guests at Matterhorn Chalets will want to take the best possible photos of Switzerland’s most famous mountain to share on social media and as a memento of your holiday.

Some days it’s shrouded in cloud, sometimes catching the setting sun, but always it’s spectacular.

But where are the best places to take a photo of the Matterhorn in Zermatt?

1. Official Photopoints at Rothorn and Schwarzee

One of your options is to use the resort’s official ‘photopoints’.

The spots are located at the Rothorn (3101m) and Schwarzsee (2583m) lift stations and you don’t even need to use your own phone or camera.

Simply register at skiline.cc then use your lift pass to activate the camera. All you need to do then is say ‘cheese’ and smile. Within a few seconds, you’ll be able to download your free photo from the Skiline website.

2. The classic view from Kirchplatz

A surprise that many first time visitors to Zermatt have is that as you emerge from the train station, you can’t quite yet see the Matterhorn.

Don’t panic, take your time enjoying the shops and cafes of Bahnhofstrasse until you reach Kirchplatz.

Improve your view by climbing the first few step on the church and line up the historic wooden chalets in the foreground for your perfect first picture of the Matterhorn.

3. The North Face from Stafelalp

The imposing north face of the Matterhorn can be captured in both summer (by walking from Schwarzee to Stafel) and in winter (on the piste #52 to Stafelalp).

Take some time to chill out on the bench and enjoy the view (and maybe set your camera on timer for a behind-the-bench selfie).

4. A bucolic view from Zen Stecken

This can only be accessed by foot on the path to Zmutt and Zen Stecken. After about 10 minutes further on, turn right at the bench and follow the signs to the ‘Vita Parcours’.

You’ll find yourself with a view that combines traditional farmers’ barns, forests of larch trees all framing the magnificent Matterhorn.

5. A perfect reflection from Stellisee

This is a shorter walk, just 20 minutes from the top of the Blauherd cable car at 2571m.

To get the perfect picture, you’ll need the weather to cooperate, but when it’s calm, the Stellisee will reward you with a perfect reflection of the Matterhorn.

Other variations on the reflection theme can be found from the lakes at Riffelsee, Grindjisee and Leisee.

Accommodation in Zermatt

If you’d like to come and visit Zermatt and get your own perfect photos of the Matterhorn, then please contact our team .

We can help you find the best chalet, apartment or hotel for you and your group, including providing a concierge service to organise all your transfers, lift passes, restaurant bookings and anything else you need help with.

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Best Views in Zermatt (With Breathtaking Sights of the Matterhorn)

Zermatt is one of the most popular mountain resorts in Switzerland. People from all over the world come to Zermatt for excellent skiing, some of the best apres-ski in Switzerland, thrilling hiking trails, and most important of all, fabulous views. 

The village of Zermatt is close to Matterhorn, Switzerland’s most famous mountain summit, and the inspiration behind iconic Toblerone chocolates . Views of the summit stretch from the village and its many viewpoints, and I’m here to tell you all about them. Here are all the places where you can experience the best views in Zermatt! 

Table of Contents

Matterhorn Glacier Paradise

Matterhorn Glacier Paradise is one of the best attractions near Zermatt. The highest cable car in the Alps can take you to a stunning viewpoint from Zermatt, where you can marvel at a view of some of the country’s tallest summits. The iconic Matterhorn is obviously visible from here, but so are Klein Matterhorn , Zinalrothorn, Weisshorn, Alphubel, and several other summits that rise above 4,000 meters. 

The views at Matterhorn Glacier Paradise are out of this world, but they’re not the only reason to visit. This is one of the best destinations in Switzerland for summer skiing, where many professional athletes come to train in the off-season. The visitor’s center also has a Glacier Palace you can tour, as well as a Cinema Lounge and the highest mountain restaurant in Europe.  

Hiking and mountain biking trails are also available at the Matterhorn Glacier Paradise, so there’s plenty to do here in any season. And no matter how you choose to spend your time here, epic mountain views will follow you everywhere. 

Ride a cogwheel train to the Gornergrat Ridge for epic views of the Gornergrat Glacier. The Matterhorn is also visible from here, and there’s even an observation deck where you can experience an uninterrupted view of the iconic summit. 

Interactive experiences are available at the Gornergrat visitor’s center and Zoom the Matterhorn is by far the best one. You can get really close to the peak with periscopes, and even experience a virtual reality paragliding flight. It’s a fabulous experience that allows you to see the summit from multiple angles, and it’s included with most train passes. 

Schwarzsee is an Alpine lake accessible by the gondola from Furi. It’s a popular destination for hiking , mountain biking, and most importantly, beautiful views of the mountain landscapes. The lake lies at the foot of the Matterhorn, with vistas of the summit on one side, and Zermatt on the other. 

There’s even a lovely little chapel on the lake shore. Exploring this area is wonderful in the summer when the snow melts and the terrain is easily accessible. It’s possible to hike from here to the Matterhorn Glacier Paradise and even all the way to Zermatt, which is a good way to save some money on cable car tickets. 

Riffelsee is a lovely Alpine lake with one of the best views of the Matterhorn. Come here for stunning sunrise vistas of the pyramid-shaped peak illuminated with an orange glow. Camping on the shore of the lake is one of the best things to do in the area, especially if you want to wake up to a mesmerizing view of Switzerland’s most iconic natural landmark. 

The Alpine lake is accessible by mountain trains and hiking trails . The only way to witness a sunrise at the lake is to spend the night here because the trains don’t start running early enough. To get to Riffelsee you must ride a mountain train from Riffelberg to Rotenboden, which is accessible by the Furi gondola. 

Riffelalp is a hamlet in the mountains best known for the Riffelalp Resort . It’s one of the highest hotels in Switzerland, sitting at an elevation of 2,222 meters above sea level. It’s a popular destination for skiing near Zermatt, especially for travelers who want to enjoy panoramic views from the slopes. 

Epic views from the Matterhorn stretch from the hamlet. Many hiking trails are also available at the summit, which allow you to explore the Riffelalp area more and discover other scenic viewpoints. Several mountain restaurants are also here, so there are plenty of places where you can sit down for a break and enjoy some delicious Swiss dishes along with those pretty views. 

Riedweg is a popular viewpoint in Zermatt and one of the best spots for photographs in the village. The path goes up the mountain past the CERVO Mountain Resort , and it’s best to follow it until you reach the first couple of houses. The view is the best form here and you can get a clear shot of the Matterhorn, as well as Zermatt rooftops. 

If you enjoy photography and want to create some epic photographs, you’ll love it here. Bring a tripod and wait for sunset for some truly remarkable shots. Also, Zermatt is absolutely stunning at night, when all the lights come on in the town. This is a great spot for views and photos in every season, so don’t hesitate to hike up the mountain even on snowy days. 

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It’s worth noting that the viewpoint is very close to the village, and you only need to walk up the mountain for 10-15 minutes. 

Kirchbrücke

Head to Kirchbrücke in lower Zermatt for an interrupted view of the Matterhorn. There’s even a small observation platform on the sidewalk for anyone who wants to enjoy the summit vista without disturbing others who might just be crossing the bridge. 

Even the other side of the bridge offers a pretty view of the houses and other mountains surrounding the village. I recommend coming to Kirchbrücke at the crack of dawn, for an opportunity to get a shot of the Matterhorn basking in the orange glow of the sunrise. 

It’s worth noting that the quality of the view highly depends on the weather. If it’s cloudy, your view of the pyramid-shaped peak might be obstructed. 

Le Petit Village at Mürini

The viewpoint at Le Petit Village at Mürini is similar to the one at Riedweg. It’s a little lower down the mountain, but the view is still spectacular. Also, this viewpoint is more easily accessible than the one at Riedweg, so it’s better suited for travelers with limited mobility or those who just don’t want to climb too far up the mountain. 

The views at Le Petit Village are out of this world. The Matterhorn is visible if there are no clouds, preceded by a pretty sight of all of Zermatt’s rooftops. Come here at sunset to experience stunning views, both of the mountains and Zermatt’s twinkling lights. As the night falls the lights in the village start to come on, and everything looks much more beautiful.  

Sunnegga is accessible by funicular from the Zermatt Valley, and it’s one of the most popular destinations in the resort for families. Offering skiing, hiking, a snowpark for children, and spectacular views all around, it’s easy to understand why so many visitors to Zermatt end up at Sunnegga. 

In addition to stunning views of the Matterhorn and all the other tall peaks in its surroundings, Sunnegga offers the opportunity to discover some truly mesmerizing landscapes. It’s one of the starting points for the Five Lakes hike , which is one of the most scenic in Zermatt. 

Other trails are also available at Sunnegga, and all will allow you to discover even more charming mountainscapes. Not every great view in Zermatt is of the Matterhorn, and hiking at Sunnegga will prove that. 

Höhbalmen is a hiking area accessible from Zermatt village. The place is known for exciting trails and sweeping views of the Matterhorn, which can be experienced only by hikers. It takes about two hours to reach Höhbalmen from Zermatt and the place is accessible only by walking trails. 

The views here are incredible and absolutely worth the long walk from the resort. You can see mountains, lakes, forests, and even wildlife in the area, all with the Matterhorn in the background. Hike around for a while and you’ll even come across waterfalls. For diverse views of Swiss landscapes – and stunning vistas of the country’s most famous summit – Höhbalmen is one of the best destinations in Zermatt. 

Arbenbachfall

Arbenbachfall is a waterfall set in a vast hiking area easily accessible from Schwarzsee. It’s only about an hour and 20 minutes from the lake to this waterfall, and during the entire hike, you get to experience some truly magical views. 

Multiple trails are available in this area and Arbenbachfall is accessible from Hornlibahn station as well. Of course, the area offers a stunning view of the Matterhorn, but also of other mountain peaks, waterfalls, Alpine lakes, and much more. For hikers and trekkers who want to be out all day long enjoying pretty views, coming to Arbenbachfall is a must. 

Map for the Best Views in Zermatt

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is the best view of matterhorn in zermatt.

The best view of Matterhorn in the village of Zermatt is from Riedweg and Murini viewpoints. These two places are very popular with photographers in the village because they offer uninterrupted views of the summit and all of Zermatt’s rooftops. 

Where can I watch the sunset in Zermatt?

The sunset in Zermatt is best experienced at Riedweg, Le Petit Village at Murini, and Kirchbrucke. All three viewpoints are easily accessible on strolls in the village and offer stunning views of the Matterhorn. 

Where is the best photo spot in Zermatt?

The best photo spot in the Zermatt resort is at Riffelsee. The Alpine lake is known for pretty views of the Matterhorn reflected on its surface, and it’s one of the most special places in Zermatt for pretty views and panorama photos. 

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• ALL TOURS 2023 - 2024
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About Blue Tongue

Zermatt-swiss alpine landscape photo tour 2024.

SFR 1890.00 | Euro € 1920.00* | US$ 1990.00* Per person

ZERMATT – SWITZERLAND. Join us for the 9th edition of our Zermatt Photography Workshop, Travel Photography & Astrophotography. Experience an unforgettable 4-Day Extended Photography Adventure in the Swiss Alps, including the Gornergrat 360 degrees view (Elevation 3,135 m / 10,285 ft) where you will experience a unique panorama encompassing 29 of the Alps’ mightiest peaks, as well as breathtaking photography locations such as Lake Riffelsee (Elev. 2,757 m), Lake Stellisee (Elev. 2,537 m) and the Klein Matterhorn (Elev. 3,883 m).

IN A NUTSHELL, ALPINE LANDSCAPE AND NATURE PHOTOGRAPHY GUIDANCE AT IT’S BEST, INCLUDING TWO ICONIC 'MATTERHORN AFTER DARK' NIGHTSCAPE PHOTOGRAPHY WORKSHOPS.

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ZERMATT PHOTO TOUR

A unique opportunity to work alongside (Suisse born) Australian professional landscape photographer Martial Fatton and LTG Global Awards Winner 2016 & 2017 Blue Tongue Photography Tours.

ZERMATT – SWISS ALPINE LANDSCAPE 4-DAY TOUR

• DATES & COST
• PHOTOGRAPHY
• REQUIREMENTS
• TOUR EXTENSIONS

Tour Highlight and Inclusions

This Exclusive small-group photographic adventure has been carefully put together, allowing you to experience a diversity of Alpine landscapes and lighting. We guarantee a wealth of photography opportunities, including small group tuition, practical notes and one-to-one support tailored to your individual needs while on-location learning the importance of image composition, available light and night photography techniques.

• Experience a unique overnight stay in a Swiss Mountain Cabin (Elev. 2606 metres)
• 2x cosy nights at Hotel Dufour in Zermatt
• Twin-share room in specially selected accommodation
• Refer to 'Date & Cost' for single room supplement
• 3x Breakfast during the duration of the photo tour
• Welcome dinner on our first night in the Alps
• Cable cars and train pass during the workshop
• All entrance fees to exhibits & locations that we visit for photography
• Train to the Gornergrat 360 degrees view (Elevation 3,135 m)
• Night photography & Sunrise session at Lake Stelisee
• Sunset & night photo session in at Lake Riffelsee
• A smorgasbords of Alpine sceneries throughout the 4 days
• Spectacular panoramic views over the Matterhorn
• Half day trip to the Klein Matterhorn (Elev. 3,883 m)
• Professional photography advise
• Fully escorted tour in French and English
• Photography group of 4 – 8 participants maximum

Mai/June | 2024 (4-Day) Zermatt Photo Tour

Aug/sept  | 2024 (4-day) zermatt photo tour, august 28 to 31 | 2024   (4-day) zermatt photo tour.

Cost: AU$ 2,984* | single supplement AU$ 625.00*

SFR 1890.00  |  Euro € 1920.00*  |   US$ 1992.00*

All prices have been calculated in Swiss franc, exchange rates between currency may vary from day to day.

Take 5% off of the total costs of any tours when you sign up for 2 or more tours* (*conditions apply, not valid with any other offers, applicable only for direct online bookings).  SwissPass  discount applicable on demand.

This Zermatt photo tour is offered as a stand-alone or post – Venice & Tuscany tour extension May/June & Oct. 2024 or Paris May/June & Aug/Sept 2024.  Spouse, companion & non-photographer welcome.

The only extra cost for non-photographers is $1380.00 plus meals and transportation cost during the tour.  (The single supplement fee also applies to the participant). Observers/  non-photographers  companions can either tag along while you are out taking photographs, or do their own exploring of Zermatt’s surroundings and we’ll all meet up in the evenings to share a few stories of the day’s events.

A $1500 non-refundable deposit will secure your spot. Click here to make your deposit »

• 3 nights accommodations
• Breakfast (3x) and welcome dinner (1x) during the duration of the Tour
• Cable Car & train pass in Zermatt required for the workshops for all 4 day
• Martial’s expertise in guiding and photographic instruction

Option B: 3-4DAY (PHOTOGRAPHY WORKSHOP COMPONENT ONLY)

Cost :  SFR 980.00  |  Euro € 896.00*  |  AU$ 1468.00*

Inclusions: Two night of Astrophotography / Night Photography, Alpine landscape & Nature Photography Guidance, Professional Landscape Photographer – guide, Light Refreshment, Small group size. Exclusions: Meals and alcoholic beverages, travel transportation (cable cars & trains), hotel pick up & drop-off, travel insurance, personal expenses and overnight accommodation in Zermatt.

Option C: Lake Stellisee night photography workshop

Cost:   SFR 650.00  |   Euro € 658.00*  |   AU$ 1020.00*

Inclusions: Afternoon/ Morning tea, Dinner, Breakfast and none alcoholic beverage, Train/ Cable Car to Sunnegga Paradise, Landscape, Nightscape & Nature Photography Guidance, Professional Landscape Photographer – Guide, light refreshment, small group size. Exclusions: Travel Insurance, personal expenses and alcoholic drinks.

This overnight workshop is suitable for beginners and experienced photographers of all ages. A moderate level of fitness is required (some walking). SwissPass discount applicable on demand.

Photo Components Only:  SFR 450.00  |  Euro € 455.00*  |   AU$ 740.00*

Option D: Lake Riffelsee night photography workshop

Cost:   SFR 475.00  |   Euro € 480.00*  |   AU$ 585.00*

Inclusions: Afternoon tea, picnic dinner and none alcoholic beverage, train to the Gornergart 360, Landscape, Nightscape & Nature Photography Guidance, Professional Landscape Photographer – guide. Light refreshment, small group size. Exclusions: Travel Insurance, overnight accommodation in Zermatt, personal expenses and alcoholic drinks.  SwissPass  discount applicable on demand.

This 6-7 hour session is suitable for beginners and experienced photographers of all ages. A moderate level of fitness is required (some walking).

Photo Components Only:  SFR 375.00  | Euro € 380.00*   |  AU$ 447.00*

All prices have been calculated in Swiss francs and may vary with the daily international exchange rates.

Level of physical difficulty: 3 out of 5

This 3-4Day Tour / Workshop starts in Zermatt and is suitable for beginners and experienced photographers of all ages. A moderate level of fitness is required (some walking).

Ever dreamed to spend 4 days shooting Alpine Landscapes alongside an award winning professional landscape photographer? There really is no place on earth like the Alpine town of Zermatt in Switzerland; it is truly one of the most exciting locations in the world to explore and photograph.

This Workshop gives you the opportunities to learn all the inside tips and tricks you need to know on how to capture amazing landscapes and nightscape images. Hidden high up in the middle of the Swiss Alps away from all the city light pollution, Zermatt is also the perfect place to have a go at shooting the Milky Way!

The Tour start at 1:00 pm sharp at the Zermatt Train Station where will get a group transfer to our hotel to drop off the excess luggage we wont need for our first day/ night workshop at Lake Stellisee. If you arrived earlier in Zermatt, we will meet in the Dufour Hotel lobby to have a short orientation and get to know each other, what to pack for the first night and go over some important details about the next four days. Martial will give a short tutorial on camera settings, exposure and the use of your camera’s histogram.

Shortly after, we’ll make our way by foot to Zermatt’s Talstation Sunnegga; you don’t want to miss the last cable car, as it will add an extra 1.5 hours steep walk to the upper station!  At Sunnagga, we will be have our first induction to Alpine Photography Landscape, an short easy 30 – 40 minutes walk will take us to Fluhalp, our ‘base camp’ for the night. (It usually takes us a bit longer with all the photo stops and adapting to the altitude!)

With a bit of luck we will spot a few Edelweiss and hopefully get to meet some of the locals along the way; Marmots, Chamois, Alpine Ibex, Chocard and Eagles

We’ll check-in our accommodation late afternoon, and before dinner go through a few basic camera settings and ‘must do check list’ to be ready for our night photo shoot. We will have an early dinner at 7:00 pm so that we can catch on a bit of sleep, and weather permitting wake up half way through the night to capture the Milky Way shining over the mighty Matterhorn!

For those game, who wish to experience the early light, Martial will offer a pre-breakfast session and make his way down with the group (head torch on) to Stellisee in time to claim a spot to capture the blue hour and immortalise the breathtaking reflections of the Alps in the iconic mountain lake at Sunrise.

After breakfast (8 – 9 am) we’ll make our way to the edge of the Findelgletsher (glacier) via the Grimdjibach Track. It is an awesome hidden gem away from the crowds, a fairly manageable hour hike, offering spectacular viewing spots looking out over the Alps and probably as close as you will ever get to the Ice Ages without freezing your bum off!

After lunch, we’ll check-in at Hotel Dufour and all going to plan, have time to recharge and catch up on a couple of hours sleep for the previous night. Mid-afternoon we’ll catch the iconic Gornergrat mountain train and make our way up to the world most famous 360 degrees panoramic view.

Tonight we’ll enjoy a late afternoon picnic style dinner at Lake Riffelsee as we wait for the light to go down for our second twilight photography session and another great opportunity to capture some amazing images of the ‘King of the Mountain’ peaceful giant, the Matterhorn. We’ll catch the last train back down the valley to Zermatt around 10:30 pm from Riffelalp.

A well deserved sleep-in this morning and after a leisurely breakfast we’ll make our way to a traditional little old Swiss Alpine village, typically build with rocks, wood and slate roofs, away from the busy tourists routes After a well-earned rest and a taste of fresh local produce for lunch, we’ll hike down to Furi and catch a cable car to the Schwarzsee. This is a great place to spend the afternoon with a camera and make good use of those ND filters for waterfall and long exposure effects. We will get back in Zermatt late afternoon to explore the town and enjoy a typical Swiss meal all together. Optional free night to your leisure.

We saved the really best for last, this morning after breakfast we’ll make our way up to the Klein Matterhorn, a snow-covered peak of the Pennine Alps, with unobstructed breathtaking views over the Italo-Swiss Alps and Zermatt in the distance. At 3,883 metres above sea level, it is the highest place in Europe that can be reached by aerial cable cars, as well as by any other means of transport.

We will have the place nearly to ourselves at this time of day and will experience the magical early morning sun glowing on the surrounding Peaks. The perfect place to put in practice everything you’ve learned over the past 3 days and experience snow perhaps for the fist time. Time and weather permitting we’ll adventure for a short walk in the snow before heading back to the hotel to collect our suitcases and say our goodbyes. Our tour ends after lunch. Easy transfer and public transportation to Brigg, Sierre and Visp strain stations via Täsch Station is available daily.

Photography Outline

Nature, Landscape, night and astrophotography

In addition to great daily photo opportunities and night excursions, we will also touch on the following photography topics, including:

• Understanding your camera
• Working with available light [read & understand the light]
• How to read your histogram, be in control
• Depth of Field calculation
• What lenses should you use?
• Camera settings to take the perfect shot everytime
• Image composition, the golden rules and how to break it!
• Filters, Neutral Density and Neutral Density Grads
• Photoshop/ Lightroom tips and tricks
• Night photography tutorial
• Capturing raw

Personal Items and Weather Conditions

Temperature range for this time of year: 4C to 20C but it can get very cold in altitude.

Average monthly snowfall for this time of year : 10%

Two pairs of shoes:  One sturdy pair for in the field that you can get wet if we have a rain day. One pair for evenings or the next day in case the first pair is not dry.

Light weight rain jacket and rain pants.  You don’t have to go all out here, but it will also help you to keep warm at night. * I really suggest a rain jacket if nothing else, the rain gear will keep you dry when walking in the mountain. I have a pair of Teflon rain pants & jacket, super light and perfect to keep in you camera bag in case of a sudden change in the weather.

A warm jacket, gloves, ‘woolly knickers’ and a jumper or light jacket for those early morning shoots.   It can get really cold at high altitude all year round, and specially at 4am as we wait for the sun to rise at 2’620 m over sea level.

Hat and high altitude sun screen protection.

Try to pack light on this Zermatt Photo Tour, as you will have to transport your luggage between the train station and Hotel Dufor. You will also need to pack and carry a basic change of cloth in your camera bag for the overnight workshop at Lake Stellisee (Elev. 2,537 m)… our Mountain Cabin is a short 30-40 minutes walk between Sunnegga and Fluhalp. Drop off laundry service is available at most Hotels

Camera Equipment

Your favourite DSLR camera, a multi focal lens (i.e 18-70mm) or fix lens, the wider the angle the better (i.e 14, 18,20mm full frame camera and 10, 12mm cropped sensor camera), and a medium to long-range lens (i.e. 80-300mm), plenty of memory cards and fully charged batteries. A small steady tripod & cable release for long exposure is essential. Don’t forget to bring your camera manual if you are not 100% sure about your camera functions. Please note that for better results a recent DSLR digital camera is preferable (0-5yrs old) as technology changes. Polarizer filter, Neutral Density and grabs filters are not a prerequisite but are great tools to have for long exposure and colour saturation.

This workshop is suitable for beginners and advanced photographers of all ages, however a good sense of humour and minimum fitness is recommended. Sturdy shoes, suitable warm cloths, drink bottle, a head torch and a good camera bag… remember, you will be the one carrying your own photography gears!

Tour Extensions

A perfect add-on before your Zermatt Photo Tour is our popular Paris in the Spring Street photo tour in France or after your Zermatt Photo Tour to join us on either Venice & Cinque Terre or Tuscany photo tour

Take 5% off of the total costs of any tours when you sign up for 2 or more tours or participants.

Paris in the spring | Paris Photo Tour

May/June & Sept/Oct. 2024  (3 nights)

Click here for more information »

Venice & Cinque Terre | Venice Photo Tour

May /June & Sept/Oct.  202 4 (4 nights)

Toscana | Tuscany Photo Tour

October 2024  (6 nights)

Cancellations, Refunds, Guides & Weather Policy

Cancellations and Refunds

Cancellation Policy: A 25 – 50% non-refundable deposit is required to reserve your seat depending on the tour that you have selected - refer to individual itinerary. Seats to be paid in full at the time of booking or within 4 weeks of departure on all Australian tours except all extended tours;  8 weeks for Karijini, Exmouth to Broome, Golden Outback & Southwest WA, Margaret River, Kalbarri Coral Coast 5-Day and Wave Rock, and 12 weeks on all extended European & USA tours including: Paris, Zermatt, Venice, Tuscany, Italian Dolomites, Swiss & French Alps tour and USA Canyons & National Parks . Cancellations less than 30 days on day tours no refund; 12  weeks for all extended tours, including: Karijini, Exmouth to Broome,  Golden Outback & Southwest WA, Margaret River , Kalbarri Coral Coast 5-Day and Wave Rock, it also includes all our international tours & workshops: Paris, Zermatt, Venice, Cinque Terre, Tuscany, Italian Dolomites, Swiss & French Alps tour and all the North American tours . Deposits non refundable except tours cancelled due to sever weather, mechanical failure or minimum numbers not met; full refund will be given. Minimum and maximum numbers are at the discretion of the operator. Tours already commenced no refund. No refund for tours missed due to lateness & sickness. Travel insurance and public liability (in the even you accidentally damage someone else property) are mandatory on all our extended tours and highly recommended on day tours as well. Check-in 15 minutes prior to departure. Maximum 1 baggage* per person i.e. Camera bag water bottle jumper (Extra luggage* allowance on all extended tours (1 pp – personal effects) NOTE: We cannot guarantee that you will see kangaroos emus or any wild animals on our tours nor wildflowers as they are seasonal. For MasterClass workshops extended tours and international travel policy please check our website or individual tours.

Tour Guides

Our tours leader is Martial Fatton – Blue Tongue Tours Owner/ Operator, however we reserve the right to provide a photographer of our choosing, which we guarantee is competent of their position. Your assigned photographer might change from initial notification until the tour departure due to illness, engagements or any other reason deemed necessary by Blue Tongue Tours, not limited to the photographers listed on this site. While we do our best to match you with a photographer of your choosing if requested, for these reasons we cannot guarantee a specific photographer for an individual tour.

Inclement Weather Policy

In the event of inclement weather, before the tour commences, you have the option of a) continuing the tour as planned and we’ll do our best to concentrate the tour to areas sheltered from the elements. At prior request, we can provide an umbrella. Or b) rescheduling the tour at no additional cost (availability permitting). 

Itineraries are subject to change depending on weather and other circonstances beyond our control. Changes in the itinerary are always made to provide the best possible experience and safety of our clients!

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SWITZERLAND

Geneva, zermatt, obergoms, grindelwald, lucerne, vevey, hunting high and low for the perfect shot in switzerland, with too many options.

And it get’s more interesting. Here they speak Italian but the trains are always on time, they have the best chocolate, but the chocolate fondue is a no no (it was invented in New York) and their cows climb mountains at the beginning of the summer and come back down in early fall. Instant coffee was invented here, as was the wristwatch, the world wide web, and the famous Einstein’s equation. Maybe it’s all the pure air of the mountains that makes the brain work faster.

Switzerland is also famous for its clocks, cheese, banking system and pocket knives. 43% of Swiss households have at least one pet, usually a cat, and the country has the lowest crime rates in the world. Here luxury and tradition go hand in hand, as yodel competitions still call large crowds. Did we mention the glaciers? Switzerland has the most of this dying beauties in the Alps. A million year old ice, sparkling in all tones of white and blue, is an incredible sight. Unfortunately, due to climate change, it might not be there for long, so capturing it while it’s still with us should be on the must do list of any photographer. 

This adventure is designed not only to guide you to the most photogenic locations carefully planned for the best light, but to visualize a scene before capturing the decisive moment. Our aim is to raise your awareness and spark your creativity so that you, not only go home with images to be proud of, but use your new found skills to improve and expand your photographic technique in general. Apart from the technical aspect of learning your camera settings and capabilities, you will learn how to turn an ordinary image into an extraordinary image by using your own creativity.  Our time together will include individual and group discussions, inspiring ideas and great fun. Switzerland is the perfect backdrop for a Nightscape, Nature, Wildlife and Landscape Photo Workshop Adventure, we will show you its best. Join us for an adventure of a lifetime.

Experience | Difficulty

• Beginner, amateur, enthusiast and semi-pro photographers
• DSLR, mirrorless, a fast wide angle for the stars, tripod
• Bring a headlamp with a red light, good hiking shoes and a warm jacket
• Busy schedule
• Travel by car or minibus
• Elevation changes with altitude over 7,000 ft.
• Moderate amount of walking
• (non-photographers also welcome)

Weather | Sun

Temps 50/86 F 10/30 C Sunrise 6:00 | Sunset 20:30

• Travel and landscape photography
• Professional photographer | guide
• Photo walks & discussions
• Small group size (4-6 guests)
• 4-star Hotels
• 2 Dinners (Welcome and farewell dinners)
• Entrance fees to parks, cable cars and activities included in the itinerary
• Scheduled local transportation throughout the adventure

Travel Information

Arrival & Departure Airport: Geneva, Switzerland (GVA) – Transfer time to hotel 10 min Our adventure begins at 11 AM on the first day and ends at noon on the last day. Travel Visa: A visa may be required depending on your nationality. Go to Visa Map to find out.

Accommodations

Switzerland prices & dates.

Photographer Leader

Roman martin.

September 4-11, 2025

*All prices are per person and based on double occupancy. Please select single occupancy for a private room. For your convenience, we offer optional early arrival and late departure accommodations so you can extend your stay before or after the trip. We typically stay in upscale boutique hotels in the 4 and 5-star category. Not all destinations offer these types of properties. We look for unique hotels that offer cultural, historic, and/or authentic features. Depending on the size of the group, smaller boutique hotels may have limited room inventory. In some countries or in remote locations, we may be limited to lodges or branded chain hotels. In Cuba, we stay in upscale family-owned Casas (bread & breakfasts). On all of our tours, breakfast is almost always included, but not guaranteed. Meal categories listed include (B) for breakfast, (L) for lunch, and (D) for dinner.

UPCOMING WORKSHOPS

Switzerland   8 days, day 1 | geneva.

We meet at our hotel in the morning at 11am to discuss PWA’s “10 Guiding Principles to Great Photography” as well as our “THE ART OF SEEING” photographic technique. After getting to know each other, we will have a group lunch and an informal discussion on what every guest is trying to achieve in terms of photography, subject matters, styles and techniques. We will then dive into night photography and learn everything about the camera setting and focus for our first night out.  

In the afternoon we will explore Lake Geneva by boat and then go on a beautiful walk along its coastline, exploring also one of the world’s highest water fountain and the Old City of Geneva, before heading back to the hotel to rest.

In the evening we celebrate with our “Welcome Dinner” at one of our favorite restaurants in the city. (D)

Day 2 | Valère Basilica - Zermatt - Matterhorn

After breakfast, we leave Geneva and head to the most spectacular location in Switzerland: Zermatt. On our way we will stop at a special castle called Valère Basilica in the town of Sion. The Valère basilica, also called Valère castle, is a fortified church situated in Sion in the canton of Valais. It is situated on a hill and faces the Château de Tourbillon, located on the opposite hill. It is a Swiss heritage site of national significance.

Upon our arrival in Zermatt, we will take a train to Gornergrat (10,170 feet / 3,100 meters), where we will enjoy not only a great view of the famous mountain the Matterhorn, but also of Monte Rosa, a spectacular snow covered mountain range and its glaciers. We will then return back to our hotel and rest for the day. (B)

Day 3 | Zermatt - Little Matterhorn

After a good breakfast, we will take the highest cable car of Europe to reach the “Little Matterhorn”, at 3,880 meters (12,729 feet) above sea level, where we can enjoy a spectacular view of its bigger brother and its surrounding glaciers. 

Later we will explore the picturesque mountain village of Zermatt. We will also try to capture the Matterhorn from Zermatt during the sunset hour. (B)

Day 4 | Grimsel Pass - Rhone Glacier

We will leave Zermatt in the morning and travel to Obergoms, passing by the beautiful valley of Binn, where we will stay in a hotel with a great wellness area. 

In the afternoon, we will drive to the Grimsel Pass. There is a spectacular mountain road which leads to a stunning landscape made of five lakes, many rocks and a glacier that seem to be from another world. We will first visit the marmots that have found home in this area, then the ice cave of the Rhone Glacier on the Furka Pass and its famous hotel Belvedere. As the glaciers are melting so fast, every year there is a chance that the cave is gone forever.

During the sunset we will go to one of the lakes of the Grimsel to enjoy the view of a spectacular glacier. (B)

Day 5 | Eggishorn - Grindelwald

Today we will have to get up very early and checkout (around 4am). After a short drive to Fiesch we will take a cable car to arrive at Eggishorn before sunrise. From here we will be able to admire the stunning peaks of Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau.

After a delicious breakfast in the Panoramic Restaurant, we will visit the Glacier with a mountain Guide (our hiking equipment will be rented). Aletsch Glacier is one of the safest glaciers with easy access, even for those who have never walked on a glacier. Standing on the ice and photographing an accumulation that is millions of years old is unforgettable!

In the afternoon we will drive to Grindelwald, the village in the famous shadow of the Eiger North Face and then head to Grindelwald with a cable car. We will sleep here in a typical Swiss Chalet where we can enjoy the first cliff walk by Tissot. We can also take sunset, sunrise and night photos here with the stunning view to Grindelwalds mountain, a view of the Wetterhorn, and Eiger.

And we can also take an (optional) walk about 50 minutes to the Bachalpsee. When there is no wind, here you find the perfect mirror for Grindelwalds stunning mountains. (B)

Day 6 | Lucerne

After a wonderful and well deserved rest, we enjoy a lovely breakfast Swiss chalet style, checkout and move on.

Today we will drive to the colorful and romantic Lucerne. We will have the pleasure to see this stunning city with a very well preserved medieval architecture, wooden covered bridge originally built in 1333 and many towers, all surrounded by mountains and facing a beautiful lake. We will spend the night here and will have the chance to see Lucerne by night with its photogenic lights. (B)

Day 7 | Vevey - Lake Geneva

Today we will travel back to Lake Geneva, but on the way we will take the cable car to visit Mt. Pilatous and hopefully see the ibex colonies that live there. From up here you will have the most spectacular view of Lucerne and its surroundings.

Once we arrive in Lake Geneva, we will enjoy looking at the view from the other side, from the pearl of the Swiss Riviera, the small city of Vevey and home of Charlie Chaplin for 25 years. The area is surrounded by wineries, so we will have the chance to try some Swiss wine during our Farewell Dinner. (B, D)

Day 8 | Lake Geneva

Unfortunately today we have to say good bye. But we will enjoy our last breakfast together and have a photo discussion before we depart. (B)

(B) Breakfast, (L) Lunch, (D) Dinner, (E) Excursion

May all who come as guests... leave as friends ®

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Zermatt has many stories. A walk around the village is a trip into the past.

Zermattlife

During two hours we will guide you through our birthplace and tell you stories of the past and present. You will get to know new corners and places of the village.

Zermatt Village Tour

City walking tour | easy

The village of Zermatt has been shaped by ancient traditions and modern tourism. The thrilling contrasts can be explored on a walk through the village. Time required: from 1 hour to half a day.

Guided village tour Zermatt - Ticket

Insider information from knowledgeable local guides.

Pioneers and forgotten figures from Zermatt - Guided Tour (in German)

Dive into a world of forgotten pioneers and monarchs.

Zermatlantis Matterhorn Museum tickets

The underground world of the Matterhorn Museum - Zermatlantis reveals the past of the village of Zermatt. With original houses, multimedia room and objects from the first ascent of the Matterhorn.

Täsch Village Tour

Tradition-rich Valais houses, barns, granaries and old stalls form the backdrop of the village of Täsch. The history of the hamlet can be experienced clearly during a relaxing village walking tour. A brochure about the village walk is available in the tourist office.

Viewpoint Old part of the village

Zermatt is proud of its Old Village, home to more than 30 buildings constructed in the traditional style of the barns and stores of the upper Valais. Many sit on flat stone slabs balanced on stilts to keep out mice. Wonderful for photographers!

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Attracting winter guests for the summer

Meet the Sheep - The cuddliest visitors on the Gornergrat

Rooftop-Ride Zermatt – Furi

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Room / Appartment 4

The Best 2 Day Zermatt Itinerary

By Gemma Tedaldi | Published: 17th September 2024 | Updated: 20th September 2024

A location like no other in Switzerland, Zermatt is world-renowned not just for its Matterhorn, but also for the friendly Valais Black-nose sheep, the stunning hikes and the picturesque typically Swiss historic village centre. Any trip to Zermatt is not complete without seeing at least a couple of these things. So here is our guide to the best 2 day Zermatt itinerary where you can witness all of the above:

Table of Contents

Zermatt Itinerary Map

• 2 Day Zermatt Itinerary including stay in a mountain hut
• 2 Day Zermatt Itinerary including stay in Zermatt centre
• Additional Zermatt Itinerary Options
• Where To Stay In Zermatt

How to get to Zermatt

How to get around zermatt, what is the best time to visit zermatt, how many days do i need in zermatt is one day in zermatt enough is 2 days enough for zermatt, can you do matterhorn and gornergrat in one day, planning your trip use our favourite travel resources below:.

Accommodation: We recommend Booking.com

Rental Car: We recommend Rentalcars.com

Flights: We recommend Kiwi.com

Tours: We recommend Get Your Guide & Viator

2 Day Zermatt Itinerary

We are basing this Zermatt itinerary off a trip we took to Zermatt in the summer that was honestly one of the most memorable trips we have had in Switzerland to date. As we only had a couple of days we opted to stay outside of the centre and instead up a local mountain in a mountain hut, which was incredible and we would highly recommend everyone to do the same! If that isn’t quite your cup of tea, then we have an alternative Zermatt itinerary where you can stay in the centre of Matterhorn as well.

Zermatt Itinerary including stay in a mountain hut:

Zermatt itinerary day 1.

Start the day off with a wander through Zermatt. We can recommend following this rough route which allows you to see all the main sights in Zermatt, stop by some lovely cafes and eateries and see some incredible views of the Matterhorn:

Zermatt Bahnhof > Bahnhofstrasse > Kirchstrasse > Steinmattstrasse > Zum Steg > Vispastrasse > Sunnegga Zermatt Station.

Be sure to stop at Bäckerei Fuchs along the Bahnhofstrasse to grab some lunch/snacks, we can highly recommend the salami brötchen, ham and cheese sandwiches and the apple strudel. Also be sure to taste the unique Zermatt mountain bread, Bergführerbrot , filled with apples, figs, nuts, cinnamon and cocoa – yes it is as good as it sounds!

If you want some incredible views of the Matterhorn whilst in the centre of Zermatt then be sure to head to Schälpmattgasse just off of Kirchstrasse and along Steinmattstrasse too.

After wandering through Zermatt and enjoying the historic town, head along the river at Vispastrasse to the Sunnegga Zermatt Station, where you will then take the funicular up to Sunnegga before switching to the gondola up to Blauherd to start the Five Lakes Hike .

We go into more detail on this hike in another blog post, which you can find here , but for day 1 of this Zermatt itinerary you will be walking from Blauherd to Stellisee and then further on up to the Fluhalp Mountain Hut .

As you will be only doing part of the Five Lakes Hike on this day, the best ticket options are from CHF 33 one way from Zermatt to Blauherd, (for the first day) and from CHF 18 one way from Sunnegga to Zermatt, (for the second day). You can buy these directly at the transport stations.

Zermatt Itinerary Day 2

On the second day of the Zermatt itinerary start the day nice and early with breakfast at the mountain hut, which is the perfect way to set up your day, before heading off on down the mountain towards Sunnegga finishing off the rest of the Five Lakes hike . As you spent the night up the mountain the hike is likely to be pretty much empty, we didn’t see anyone along the route until most of the way down and it made it even more wonderful.

It takes roughly 2.5 hours / 9km to hike from Fluhalp Mountain Hut down to Sunnegga, (we did it in three hours although that did include plenty of stops for photos as well as snacks and meeting the sheep!), leaving you plenty of time to wander through Zermatt for the rest of the day.

Finish off the day with a bite to eat in Zermatt at Theodors Stuba , the Älplermagronen and rosti with veal sausage, along with a glass of the local Valaisanne beer is delicious. Plus, if you are lucky and visit in the summer, you can also catch the daily Blackneck goat tour along the Bahnhofstrasse. (they are walked past at around 9 am and 4:30 pm each day throughout the summer).

After grabbing some food, head down the road to the Bahnhof, maybe popping in a few shops on the way – Mammut and Bayard Sport Zermatt are perfect for outdoor gear/gifts and Swiss Shop 1291 , is great for souvenirs, ready to hop on the train to your next destination.

Zermatt Itinerary including stay in Zermatt centre:

On the first day of the Zermatt itinerary, you are going to spend the whole day exploring what the wonderful town of Zermatt has to offer with the second day spent hiking. Of course, if the weather is not playing ball for you then switch these days around so you get to hike in the better weather. No one wants to be stuck up a mountain in bad weather!

We can recommend following this route through Zermatt which allows you to see all the best bits of the town, as well as see some incredible views of the Matterhorn:

Zermatt Bahnhof > Bahnhofstrasse > Schälpmattgasse > Kirchstrasse > Steinmattstrasse > Zum Steg > Vispastrasse

Both Schälpmattgasse and Steinmattstrasse have incredible views of the Matterhorn overlooking the town and at Kirchstrasse you have the opportunity to visit both the Pfarrkirch St Mauritius and the Matterhorn Museum , where you can learn about the local history and mountaineers of the Matterhorn.

If you are visiting Zermatt in the summer, you can also watch the Blackneck goat tour , they are walked from the lower mountain pastures along Bahnhofstrasse every day at around 9 am and 4:30 pm, or along the riverside in case of events being held along Bahnhofstrasse.

For lunch head to Bäckerei Fuchs , we can highly recommend the salami brötchen and the apple strudel. Also be sure to try the Zermatt mountain bread that they bake, Bergführerbrot. It is filled with apples, figs, nuts, cinnamon and cocoa and is truly delicious!

For dinner, we recommend Theodors Stuba , the traditional Swiss dishes of Älplermagronen and rosti with veal sausage are delicious and go down great with a glass of the local Valaisanne beer.

If you are after a bit of retail therapy then both Mammut and Bayard Sport Zermatt are perfect for outdoor gear and the Swiss Shop 1291, is perfect for souvenirs.

For the second day, we are heading up into the mountains to hike the famous Five Lakes trail . It takes roughly 3 hours to complete the whole hike, not including for stopping and taking photos or eating along the way, so we would recommend allowing for half a day / 5 hours. Believe us when we say you will be stopping to take in the view more than you realise!

We have the full breakdown of the Five Lakes hike here , but this is the basis of the day:

Starting in Zermatt take the funicular railway to Sunnegga , then from Sunnegga transfer onto the gondola up to Blauherd . From Blauherd you then follow the signs for the 5 Seenweg , which will lead you on a short uphill walk to the first of the lakes, Stellisee .

From Stellisee you can either opt to continue on the Five Lakes hike towards Grindijsee  or depending on how hungry you are, (or if you want a drink with a view, which we would highly recommend!), head further up the valley to the Fluhalp Mountain Hut & Restaurant first before continuing on the hike.

From Fluhalp you basically head all the way down through a small valley to Grindjisee before tracking even further down into the valley towards Grünsee . The paths are all very easy to follow throughout this hike with obvious routes so you would struggle to get lost.

Then from Grünsee you hike down past another mountain hut and even further down into the valley until you reach Moosjisee , This is where we met the Valais black-nosed sheep so expect to spend a little longer at this lake if they are around, you can’t walk past without giving at least one of them a head scratch!

The only truly uphill section of the Five Lakes Hike is from Moosjisee to Leisee , but thankfully this is also the shortest section of the hike between lakes. From Leisee it is just a short walk up the hill to get back to the Sunnegga top station. After you arrive at Sunnegga, you can then eat at the restaurant here if you need some sustenance, or just head back down into Zermatt ready to continue on to your next destination in Switzerland.

As you are doing the Five Lakes Hike without stopping overnight at the mountain hut, then you can get a Kombi Ticket which costs from CHF 47.

Buy your Kombi Ticket here

Planning your own trip to Switzerland? Be sure to download Wise   by far the best currency conversion app around. We use it daily living on the border of two countries and it is a game changer when travelling!

More Time In Zermatt: Additional Zermatt Itinerary Options

If you have more time in Zermatt then we can recommend heading up one of the other mountains in the area. Here is what they have to offer:

🥾 Gornergrat 3089m – those famous Valais sheep are often found up here between Riffelalp and Riffelberg during the summer months and if you are after some incredible views of nearby glaciers this is also a great place to visit.

🥾 Schwarzsee 2583m, Trockener Steg 2939m and Hörnlihütte Matterhorn 3260m – this is where you can get up close to the Matterhorn on The Matterhorn Glacier Trail, which passes by a number of lakes before heading up to the Hörnlibahn Bergstation and then down to Schwarzsee. You can of course do this the other way around which would involve less climbing!

🥾 Matterhorn Glacier Paradise 3821m – if you want one of the best views in all of the Alps then this is the place to go with 38 four-thousanders and 14 glaciers that can be seen from here. You can even cross over the highest Alpine crossing into Italy here via Testa Grigia.

Where to stay in Zermatt

During our stay in Zermatt, we actually spent the night in a mountain hut along the Five Lakes hike called Fluhalp , which we can highly recommend, if not for the incredible views, but for the lovely owners and wonderful food.

If staying in a mountain hut is not really your thing, then Hotel Bahnhof Zermatt in the centre of Zermatt is a great option for those on a budget. For those who want to stay somewhere with views of the Matterhorn and an onsite spa then Hotel Schweizerhof or Grand Hotel Zermatterhof are fantastic options.

If you have the budget and want a stay in Zermatt with a difference then Nomad by CERVO is where you should go with its modern hotel cross with mountain lodge vibes, fantastic onsite restaurant and a relaxing spa and hot spring bath with quite possibly the best view of the Matterhorn in all of Zermatt.

Check out the map below for even more accommodation options and deals around Zermatt.

Zermatt Itinerary FAQs

Due to heavy flooding and storms that swept through Valais at the beginning of the summer of 2024, the train between Visp and Täsch is currently not operational as the tracks were washed away. However, there is a replacement coach service between these locations that drops you off directly at the Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn, and the journey is one of the most picturesque coach trips I have ever been on! Plus, the coaches themselves are really comfortable with massive panoramic windows so you can really take in the views on the route.

If you are instead planning to drive to Zermatt you need to be aware that Zermatt itself is car free, (other than for residents), so you will have to park at Täsch, (there are 2,100 covered parking spaces), then take the Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn in.

📍 From Zurich by car / public transport: 3 hours 45 minutes / 230km by car and 3 hours 20 minutes by train

📍 From Geneva by car / public transport: 3 hours / 235km by car and 4 hours by train

📍 From Basel by car / public transport: 3 hours 25 minutes / 225km by car and 3 hours 20 minutes by train

📍 From Bern by car / public transport: 2 hours 30 minutes / 135km by car and 2 hours by train

📍 From Lucerne by car / public transport: 3 hours 20 minutes / 175km by car and 3 hours 45 minutes by train

The best way to get around Zermatt is on foot, which makes it perfect for seeing all the sights and stumbling upon a few good cafes and restaurants too. There are also eTaxi’s and and eBus that run through the centre, namely between the train station and the various hotels as well, so if you have a lot of luggage and don’t want to lug it through the centre there are electric vehicle options.

There is no bad time to visit Zermatt! With those views and the experiences you can have throughout the year, there really isn’t a time that Zermatt is ever not worth visiting. We visited in the summer and loved it because of the hiking we could do, but going back in the winter is high on our list as it is supposedly one of the most picturesque locations to have snow in all of Switzerland.

We spent two days in Zermatt and didn’t feel rushed, but that being said if we had had more time we would easily have filled the days with trips up the nearby mountains. Overall we would suggest at least two days in Zermatt would be ideal.

Assuming you want to just visit Gornergrat and the Matterhorn Glacier Paradise, without doing too much hiking then yes you could visit both in one day but we wouldn’t necessarily suggest it. There is lots to discover at both locations, (including the cute sheep at Gornergrat!), and they don’t deserve to be rushed.

Grab your Peak2Peak Ticket here

Conclusion: The Best 2 Day Zermatt Itinerary

So there you have our 2 day Zermatt itinerary, which we honestly think is the best itinerary for spending two days exploring, hiking and staying in a mountain hut around Zermatt. From the beautiful historic village to the incredible mountain views, and of course the black-nosed sheep and black-necked goats, what is there not to like in Zermatt?

All Our Switzerland Content

Here are a few other articles you may find useful for planning your trip:

📍 How To Visit Switzerland On A Budget

📍  Five Lakes Hike Zermatt Guide

📍 The Perfect Interlaken Itinerary

📍 The Perfect Grindelwald Itinerary

📍 The Perfect Lauterbrunnen Itinerary

Gemma is the owner and author of The Travelling Tedaldi, a travel blog helping travellers to discover the best road trips and travel itineraries throughout the UK and Europe. When she isn’t writing about her favourite travel destinations, she can often be found out exploring local hikes or planning future trips.

15 Top Attractions & Things to Do in Zermatt

Written by Lana Law and Barbara Radcliffe Rogers Updated Jul 12, 2024

In a green valley enclosed between steep mountainsides, the climbing and winter sports capital of the Valais region is also one of Switzerland's great international resorts. Zermatt is dominated by the definitive mountain, the huge and gracefully curved Matterhorn, making almost any angle a postcard view.

You can't drive to Zermatt. The closest you can get by automobile is a large carpark, about five kilometers from the village, to which there are shuttles by electric vehicles. Trains from Brig deposit passengers right in the village; from here, a rack railroad, funicular, and cableways lift visitors to an endless series of panoramic Alpine views, as well as skiing and hiking trails.

Zermatt is famous for its magnificent long ski runs , with terrain for all skill levels, but it also offers outdoor sports for other seasons. There is a mountain trail for cyclists from the Winkelmatten up to the Furi, and the Zermatt Alpin Center offers expert guides for climbers year-round.

Hotels, fine restaurants, and luxury spas abound in Zermatt, but summer or winter, it's the mountains that are still the prime tourist attraction.

Discover the best things to do during your visit with our list of the top tourist attractions in Zermatt.

The Matterhorn

Skiing and winter sports, ride the gornergrat railway, dining in zermatt, kleines matterhorn, toboggan down the gornergrat, day trip to brig: stockalper palace and unesco world nature forum, matterhorn museum, hike through the gorner gorge, theodul glacier and pass, dossen glacier garden, explore the rhône valley, english church.

Without the sharp pyramid of the Matterhorn rising as a dramatic backdrop, Zermatt would be another pretty little Swiss village instead of a world-famous symbol of the Alps and of Switzerland itself. Along with making Zermatt the Swiss poster child, the mountain defines the town and gives it a year-round appeal that no other ski resort can match.

The 4,478-meter peak has four distinct faces, one for each compass point. These are divided by sharp ridges, and below the steep peak lie several glaciers. Three of the faces are in Switzerland, and the south face overlooks Valtournenche, one of the top ski resorts in Italy . To the east of Matterhorn's peak is the Theodul Pass, which was an important trade route in Roman and medieval times.

The Matterhorn was first climbed in 1865 by a British team of five and two Swiss guides. Although a few thousand people master it each year, it should still only be attempted by well-experienced climbers.

Thanks to the surrounding glaciers, Zermatt offers year-round skiing , with ski terrain at altitudes between 2,500 and 3,900 meters and Switzerland's highest vertical drop, more than 2,133 meters. In the summer, you can ski on the Breithorn plateau, via the cableway to the Kleines Matterhorn, and on the 3,500-meter Plateau Rosa near the Theodul Pass.

One of the great ski experiences in the Alps is taking the lifts to the top and skiing over the Theodul Pass and down into the Italian ski resort of Cervina . The world's highest 3S cableway opened in 2019, carrying 2,000 skiers an hour to the Matterhorn Glacier, at 3,883 meters altitude, where you can ski year-round. The mountain scenery up here is fantastic. Note that these high mountain lifts are frequently closed on windy days.

Skiing at Zermatt is a very civilized affair. Dining on the ski slopes can be a high-end experience and one that often involves making a reservation at the slope-side restaurants. The popular Chez Vrony restaurant is even mentioned in the Michelin Guide. If you're not up for a full meal, you can simply enjoy relaxing on sunny decks and appreciating the scenery.

Heli-skiing, high-altitude ski tours, Nordic trails, and night skiing are other options, but you don't need to ski to enjoy winter sports here. There are natural-ice skating rinks, snowshoe trails, and several curling rinks. Because it is far enough away from major cities, Zermatt doesn't attract the big weekend crowds, and you can access three separate ski areas on one pass.

The Gornergrat Bahn, Europe's highest mountain railroad running over open country, takes 45 minutes to climb 10 kilometers to the summit of the Gornergrat. The rack-railroad climbs the east side of Nikolai valley and up the slopes of the Riffelberg in a wide curve, with ever more impressive views of the Matterhorn. Riffelberg, at 2,582 meters altitude, has a hotel and restaurant with a terrace that is a popular sundeck for skiers.

A few minutes' walk below the Rotenboden station, at 2,819 meters, is the Riffelsee with the peak of the Matterhorn mirrored in its water - the view is at its most spectacular in the morning. The line then runs high above the Gorner glacier to the summit station, at 3,089 meters, from which it is only a five-minute climb to the famous Gornergrat observatory on a rocky ridge above the Gorner glacier.

From here is one of the most magnificent panoramas in the Alps: in the middle, the Matterhorn, with the Breithorn, the twin peaks of Zwillinge, the Lyskamm, and Monte Rosa to the left; to the north, the peaks of the Mischabel group, including the 4,545-meter Dom - the highest peak entirely within Switzerland.

You can walk from the Gornergrat back down to Zermatt. The path drops steeply for the first 90 minutes to the Findel Glacier Restaurant where a 45-minute detour leads up to the Findel Glacier. From the restaurant, the walk continues via the resort village of Findeln, from which it is about an hour to Zermatt.

After a busy day on the slopes skiing in the winter, or hiking or mountain biking the trails in the summer, a great meal is always a pleasure. Fortunately, and not surprisingly, Zermatt has an excellent selection of restaurants to satisfy most cravings. Home to four Michelin-starred restaurants , the foodie scene here thrives with the latest innovations from some of the world's best chefs.

The following four are all Michelin-starred restaurants in Zermatt. Located in the Backstage Hotel Vernissage is Capri , the place to go for wonderful Italian, and After Seven , where you can enjoy a surprise menu of Florian Neubauer's creations. For a relaxed, leisurely meal, try the 3.5-hour tasting menu at Brasserie Uno . Right in the center of town at the exclusive Grand Hotel Zermatterhof is Alpine Gourmet Prato Borni featuring two set menus, Heimat (local cuisine) and Fernweh (international cuisines).

If your budget is a bit more mainstream but you still want a good meal, excellent restaurants line Zermatt's main thoroughfares. One of the more popular family restaurants is Grampi's , where you'll find hearty Italian fare and excellent wood oven-fired pizzas in a chalet-style atmosphere. For an authentic fondue meal, Schäferstube is an upper-end restaurant with a rustic ambiance. This small hole-in-the-wall place has both fondue and raclette menus.

If you're looking for a good restaurant on the mountain, you have several choices. Chez Vrony is a popular ski-to Michelin-mentioned restaurant with a rustic charm. You need to book this well in advance. Another great choice is the Chalet Ried Restaurant , which is closer to the bottom of the mountain and can be a nice place to stop near the end of your ski day. You can dine inside or outside, but you are more likely to get a spot without a reservation if you opt for the outside deck.

If you are visiting Zermatt for a few days or longer in high season and are interested in fine dining, consider your choices ahead of time and make a reservation well in advance.

One of the most spectacular trips – in a place where spectacular scenery becomes almost ordinary – is on the highest cable car in Europe, from the Trockener Steg to the north face of the Kleines Matterhorn. From the upper station, there is a lift to the summit of the Kleines Matterhorn, at 3,884 meters.

A cableway from Furgg leads to the Schwarzsee, an Alpine lake with a restaurant. Inside the glacier that lies between the Klein Matterhorn and the Breithorn is the Glacier Palace, which you can access via a lift that takes you 15 meters below the surface into a world of sparkling crystals. Carved out of the glacier are tunnels and halls with ice sculptures and a snack bar.

A funicular climbs in a tunnel from the center of Zermatt to the Sunnegga sun terrace at 2,289 meters. Here, you'll find a year-round restaurant, and in the summer, several other attractions. Children splash in the crystal water of the Leisee, and there is a marmot watching station to see these furry little mammals that live in alpine burrows. This is also the starting point for several hikes.

In winter, Wolli's adventure park is a non-threatening first ski experience for beginners, and experienced skiers continue on the gondolas, chairlifts, and a cable car up to the Rothorn area's trails and snowfields. You can also link from here to the Gornergrat ski pistes.

One area of Zermatt that you won't want to miss is the Hinterdorf. Located higher up in the village of Zermatt, beyond the Monte Rosa Hotel (the first lodging built for early climbers and where you can take a historical tour), is the Hinterdorf, a warren of narrow lanes, weathered old wooden chalets, barns, stables, and storehouses. This area offers a look at a much earlier period in Zermatt's history.

Buildings in the Hinterdorf date from between the 16th and 18th centuries, built of the particularly dense local larch wood and with roofs of stone slab to withstand the weight of snow. These storehouses have large circular slabs of stone on the supporting posts to deter mice. The cats that wander these streets also help with that job now.

Zermatt is one of the few places where you can see such a group of well-preserved old Valais village buildings. For a guided tour with historical insights, ask at the Tourist Office.

The highest toboggan run in the Alps begins at the Gornergrat Railway's Rotenboden station, extending 1.5 kilometers down to the Riffelberg. During the 10-minute ride, you'll see one of the mountain's most spectacular panoramic views.

Depending on your skill – and thrill – level, you can rent one of several types of toboggan, from the traditional double-runner sled to faster Ghosky or Snooc models. The former has a fixed seat on two skis; the latter has a single ski with an attached seat. There are sleds with seats for children, as well.

The train runs every 10 minutes, and with a Sledding Ticket you can ride from Zermatt up to the Rotenboden and make as many sled runs between Rotenboden and Riffelberg as you like, returning to the top between runs.

Although visitors to Zermatt pass through it in droves, few stop or return for a longer visit to Brig. That's a shame, as this town along the upper Rhone is an attractive one, with two important tourist attractions.

Brig was important since Roman times as the gateway to the Simplon Pass, and it has Switzerland's finest Baroque palace, the 17th-century Stockalper Palace (Stockalperschloss). Built by the early business magnate Kaspar Stockalper, it is open for tours of its grandiose halls and an exhibit on the history and importance of the Simplon Pass. This exhibition and the beautiful palace gardens are free.

Across the river in the Naters neighborhood, the World Nature Forum is the base camp for the UNESCO World Heritage Swiss Alps Jungfrau-Aletsch, with interactive and multi-sensory exhibitions on the Alps. The films, interactive displays, and artifacts engage visitors in the grandeur of the mountains, their history, and their future in the face of climate change and rapidly melting glaciers. In the Panorama area, UNESCO World Heritage films are projected on a 100-square-meter screen.

Address: Stockalper Palace, Alte Simplonstrasse 28, Brig; World Nature Forum, Bahnhofstrasse 9a, Naters, Brig

The history of Zermatt as a resort is closely tied to the early climbers, and you'll learn their fascinating story in this well-designed contemporary museum. You'll see dramatic excerpts from Der Berg Ruft (The Mountain Calls), filmed in Zermatt from 1937 to 1938, along with artifacts, photos, and a relief of the Matterhorn showing the different routes to the summit.

But there's a lot more than climbing here. You'll see furnishings and home interiors illustrating mountain life, and dip further into the past with finds from the Neolithic Age.

Outside the museum is one of Zermatt's most popular highlights, the charming 1906 Marmot Fountain. A family of bronze marmots cavorts among the cascades, polished to a high shine by the pats of a century of passers-by. Behind the fountain is a beautiful life-sized bronze ibex.

Address: Kirchplatz, Zermatt

Since the last ice age, the melting snows and ice from the Gorner Glacier have swelled the Gornervispe each spring, and as it swirls and churns through the rock, it has carved a dramatic chasm. About a 15-minute walk from the village of Zermatt, wooden walkways descend into this world of waterfalls where greenish serpentine rock is carved into fantastic shapes over thousands of years. Mosses and ferns thrive in the constant mists that rise from the churning water.

In the winter, you can book an adventure trip through the gorge with a mountain guide.

Cable cars ascend from Zermatt to Winkelmatten via Furi to the Schwarzsee, and via Furi and Furgg to the Trockener Steg at the upper Theodul Glacier, an altitude of 2,939 meters. From the Trockener Steg, a ski lift, also open in the summer, goes up to the Furgg saddle at 3,365 meters on the Italian border. Another ski lift runs via Gandegg to the Theodul Pass.

You can take a five-hour glacier tour with a guide, hiking to the Hermettji then, 2.25 hours beyond, cross the crevassed Upper Theodul glacier with a rope to the pass. The Theodul Pass was already being used in the fourth century as a route into Italy.

From Testa Grigia, near the top, a cable car runs down to Cervina, a resort town on the Italian side. In the winter, skiers cross the frontier to ski both areas in the same day.

From the cable car station at Furi, it's about a half-hour walk to the Dossen Glacier Garden, where you can see the effects of the last ice age on the landscape as the Gorner Glacier , the second largest in the Alps, retreated. Giant potholes , carved into solid rock by the swirling whirlpools under glacial waterfalls, look as though some giant scoop has gouged them out.

You can also see the remains of a soapstone quarry here. The soft stone was easy to work and was used for vessels and ovens. A circular walk crosses a 100-meter footbridge suspended 90 meters above a ravine.

Road and rail access to Zermatt is through the upper valley of the Rhône River as it winds through the Valais from its source in the glaciers into Lake Geneva and on to France . The wide valley, known for its gardens and orchards, is well worth exploring. The starting point for a tour along the Rhone is Brig (see above), the gateway to the Simplon Pass.

Sion, capital of Valais, is dominated by two picturesque, castle-crowned crags. The Château de Valère, and 12th-century church of Notre-Dame-de-Valère that it surrounds, were built on Roman foundations atop one of the crags. The ruined Château De Tourbillon, built in 1294, crowns the other.

The Tour des Sorciers (Wizard's Tower) is a 12th-century relic of the medieval fortifications. Martigny was an important Roman town, gateway to the Great St. Bernard Pass and now to the Mont Blanc Tunnel. Above the valley are the famed ski areas of Verbier and Crans-Montana.

Built in 1870 by the Alpine Club, the Church of St. Peter provided a place of worship for English guests, who at that time made up most of those coming to Zermatt. Many of the donations that financed it were in memory of climbers who had lost their lives in the ascent, and the graves of several of these are in its churchyard.

Inside are a number of plaques in memory of mountaineers with close ties to Zermatt and the surrounding peaks.

More Related Articles on PlanetWare.com

More Places to Visit in Switzerland: After seeing the most famous Swiss ski resort in the Valais region, consider visiting St. Moritz , the resort that first promoted winter vacations. Discover more tourist attractions in Switzerland with our pages on the best attractions in Zurich and top day trips from Zurich . If you plan on visiting any of the following cities, be sure to see our articles on attractions in Basel , Bern , and Lausanne .

More Great Places to Ski: Zermatt and St. Moritz are not the only top-rated ski resorts in Switzerland ; you can learn about those elsewhere in the Alps in our articles on the best ski resorts in Italy , Austria , and France .

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The Best Spots for Photos of the Matterhorn

It’s pretty much impossible to visit Zermatt, Switzerland without taking (many) photos of the Matterhorn. The gorgeous mountain towers over the entire village and is essentially an attraction itself, so it’s not surprising that it’s a popular subject for photos. But where should you go to get the  best photos of the Matterhorn? We teamed up with a couple of other bloggers to come up with a totally instaworthy list!

Grab your camera and head to one of these five spots for stunning photos of the Matterhorn. You never know – your photo might just end up on a Zermatt magnet one day!

1. Riffelsee

If you’re looking for an epic reflection photo, Riffelsee is the place to be. The stunning lake perfectly reflects the Matterhorn on calm days, and it’s a lovely walk to take in any case. To get to Riffelsee, hop off the Gornergrat Bahn at Rotenboden and follow path 21. It’s only a ten minute walk and you’ll be rewarded with an incredible view! Walking can be done year round, but note that the path is not always cleared/visible in the winter, so it’s not advised to head that way if you are unfamiliar with the area.

A similar reflection point is Stellisee. The lake is about a 20-minute walk from Blauherd, accessible by funicular up to Sunnega and then gondola up to Blauherd.

Check Out Our Essentials for Walking in Zermatt

We especially recommend Micro Spikes while walking in Zermatt, no matter what time of year. You never know when you’ll come across an icy patch, and they’ll make your way through it so much easier. And sunscreen is essential – the sun is SO strong in Zermatt.

2. Chez Vrony

Our favorite restaurant on the mountain is Chez Vrony, and the incredible view of the Matterhorn is part of the reason why! Sit down and enjoy a hot chocolate or a glass of wine while admiring the Matterhorn. Fun fact: Chez Vrony is also a great place to get ‘reflection in wine glass’ photos of the Matterhorn – the rosè is to die for!

25 Photos That Will Leave You Dreaming of Switzerland

3. Along the Vispa River

The almighty Matterhorn is surely a beauty and taking a good picture of it is not difficult at all – after all, it is so high it cannot be missed and its shape makes it photogenic from wherever you take a pic.

However, the easiest way to take a picture, and still have this awesome vie of the Matterhorn is to take it from the Vispa River. The river, which flows through Zermatt, cannot be missed so I recommend walking from the Zermatt town center towards the Matterhorn. While taking pictures can be exhausting you have many benches along the way so you can rest as well – always have the Matterhorn Mountain in front of you! 

Thank you Arzo, from Arzo Travels , for submitting this photo and information on your favorite spot for taking photos of the Matterhorn!

4. Klein Matterhorn

For a different angle of the Matterhorn, head up to Klein Matterhorn. The Klein Matterhorn (little Matterhorn) is at a blustery 12,739.5 feet above sea level, so be aware that you will feel short of breath once you reach the top.  When arriving at the top, the doors opened and the cold thin air hits you, immediately chilling you to the bone. Make your way to the elevator, walking through tunnels that feel like you are entering an icy mine.

Once you reach the top, you exit onto a stable metal platform where you are greeted with the imposing backside view of the Matterhorn. It is inspiring and soul-fulfilling to see this wonder of nature commanding the surrounding Swiss Alps. Viewing this impressive mountain nearly makes you want to bend the knee due to it’s dominating presence that fills your camera lens. It is not the iconic shot that you find most people shooting from the town below, but it is well worth the money to see and feel the magnificence of it so close to you on the peak of its little brother. 

Traveler Tip: Make sure to include a polarizing lens and UV filter in your bag as the reflection from the snow on the sunny days can be quite harsh. 

After you have filled your SD card with the 1,000 photos of the Matterhorn, head to Glacier Paradise. Glacier Paradise is just back down the elevator and further into the tunnels. This icy cavern castle is complete with intricate ice sculptures, a short icy slide, and comes with the ‘Glacier Paradise Throne’.

It will be hard to leave this glorious wonder of nature. When you do leave, however, it is sure to leave an impression that you truly were a witness to the majesty that is the Matterhorn. 

Thank you Janiel, from CultureTrekking , for submitting this photo and information on your favorite spot for taking photos of the Matterhorn!

Essentials for Winter Photography

We love taking our  GoPro on the mountain with us if we are doing a combination of photography and skiing. If we are just walking, though, we take our usual kit – our MeFOTO tripod, wide angle lens, and polarizing filter.

5. On the Slopes

There are many spots on the slopes where you can get photos of the Matterhorn. However, of the three major peaks (Sunnega, Gornergrat, and Klein Matterhorn), Sunnega offers the most stunning views, especially on a sunny day! Whether you stick to the blues towards the bottom of Sunnega (near Chez Vrony!) and enjoy the incredible views there, or head all the way up to Rothorn, there are endless opportunities for photos of the Matterhorn while skiing down the runs. Plus – did you even ski in Zermatt without a photo of you skiing with the Matterhorn in the background!?

Check Out Our Zermatt Travel Diary

If you’re looking for some Matterhorn photo inspiration, Nicole Hunziker takes some of the dreamiest photos we’ve ever seen! As she likes to say, they’re total #Matterporn!

Make sure you share your Matterhorn photos with us!

Pin this post for later!

23 thoughts on “ The Best Spots for Photos of the Matterhorn ”

Beautiful photos! Love your site and all the tips of how to best capture this iconic mountain. Thanks!

Thank you so much for your submission Janiel! We absolutely love the views from Klein Matterhorn :)

These photos and sites are breathtaking. Thank you for sharing. We are going to be in Zermatt May 25, 2018 and will be taking the Glacier Paradise express tour to the Matterhorn. Is Riffelsee easy to get to? I would love any recommendations for restaurants, and sites. Have you been to Geneva or Lausanne area? Carrie

We haven’t done the Riffelsee walk ourselves, but hear that it isn’t a tough one at all! You take the Gornergrat train (the station is right across from the Zermatt station) up to Riffelberg and it’s about a 10 minute walk from there.

In terms of restaurants, we love Cafe du Pont for fondue and Backerei Fuchs does a lovely cappuccino. We absolutely love Harry’s Ski Bar and Cervo for drinks and Elsie’s is a nice spot for some champagne and oysters. We have a ton of content on Zermatt coming soon (will be live before your trip!) so feel free to subscribe to our newsletter or follow along on social media so you’re notified when it’s posted.

Hope you enjoy Zermatt!

Love this post! Thinking about visiting Zermatt myself this/next year, so this is very useful! I especially love the view from Riffelsee, i’m a sucker for reflections and lakes :)

Let us know if you plan a trip to Zermatt – we have plenty of recommendations!

That Riffelsee shot is amazing, top tips

Thank you! Unfortunately I can’t take credit for it, but I hope to one day get my own shot like that!

As much as I hate winter, these shots are so beautiful I wish I were there right now!

Zermatt is absolutely beautiful in the winter, but it’s also beautiful year round. So feel free to visit in the warmer season – you’ll still get an incredible view :)

Wow, I am completely awestruck and also motivated by these pictures. I have heard about Zermatt but not Matterhorn, so this was an insightful post. Hoping to see and capture these in my camera when I visit Swiss Alps.

I hope you get the chance to see it – it’s a truly magical mountain!

These are all such amazing, gorgeous pictures! Thank you for sharing.

Your pictures are so lovely! I’ve seen the alps but have not yet been to Switzerland to see the Matterhorn. This makes me want to go!

We highly recommend a trip to Zermatt! We’ll be posting a few more posts about budgeting, where to stay, etc. so keep your eye out!

Such an icon and not a bad angle from any direction I can see! I am going to in Switzerland in April and I am trying to make my itinerary fit this in!

Any view of the Matterhorn is a beautiful view! Let us know if you need any recommendations for Zermatt if you manage to squeeze it in :)

These pictures are stunning! I love the one with the wine glass. So great to see pictures from different perspectives and not the same old ones. :)

Thank you! We spent so much time photographing the Matterhorn through our wine glasses haha

Those are stunning photos. Great tips! I especially loved the one along the river.

beautiful photos! I love the one of the wine glass :)

Stunning photos of somewhere I need to return to to see this mountain out of the clouds!!

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The Matterhorn tour: our 4 day trek from Arolla to Zermatt through high alpine passes

Today we bring you with us on the Matterhorn tour, an incredible trek around the most iconic mountain of Switzerland

Last Update: 21/09/2024 0 COMMENT

If you follow us, you’ll know that we now live in the little village of Les Haudères, at the heart of Val d’Hérens … a village that lies not only at the foot of the majestic Dent-Blanche (4357m), but also on numerous hiking trails such as the Val d’Hérens circle hike , the walker’s Haute Route (between Chamonix and Zermatt), the Alpine passes trail and the Matterhorn tour !

Who knows why, Fabienne and I had never been to the Zermatt region to check out the Matterhorn (maybe we’d already seen too many photos of it). As Swiss hikers, we felt it was time to fill this gap! And if you look on a map, you’ll see that the Matterhorn is very close to where we live (about 20 km as the crow flies)…

So why not hike there from home?

We also wanted to go on this kind of hike with our dog Winchy while he is still in good shape, to enjoy the adventure with him. It’s also what led us to bring all our bivouac gear, as most huts and accommodations don’t accept dogs ( which is fine, as we love to camp).

Anyway… that’s how we decided to embark on the most alpine part of the Matterhorn trek , between the little village of Arolla at the bottom of Val d’Hérens and the bigger resort of Zermatt. And since we honestly had a tough time finding detailed information on this section of the tour, we thought we’d put together a super-detailed guide for you! This way you’ll know what you’re getting into 😉

The Matterhorn tour in numbers (+ map / GPX)

Our 4-day trekking itinerary from arolla to zermatt, arolla – prarayer via the collon pass (crossing the high arolla glacier), prarayer – cervinia through the valcornera pass (or valcornière – valcournera), cervinia – theodul pass and glacier, hiking down to furi and the 5 lakes trail, what we’ll remember from our matterhorn tour.

The official trek around the Matterhorn begins in the village of Randa and ends in Zermatt. Here are some statistics:

• over 140 kms of hiking (depending on the route)
• 10,000m ascent and descent
• 6 different valleys (4 in Switzerland and 2 in Italy)
• 2 glacier crossings (the high Arolla glacier and the Théodule glacier)
• highest point: 3300m (Théodule pass)
• difficulty: T4 on the CAS scale
• between 7 and 9 hiking days

Here’s what it looks like on a map:

With our coliving project , it was difficult for us to leave for more than 4-5 days at a time this summer (summer 2024). And as we were already fairly familiar with part of the route from the Zermatt valley to the Val d’Hérens (we’d already done a 3-day hike between the Zermatt and the Tourtemagne valley , the Barrhorn , and we’d also been to Zinal ), we decided to tackle the more alpine stages of this Matterhorn trekking, between Arolla and Zermatt via the Italian side.

It’s important to note that the 2 stages between Arolla and Prarayer via the Collon pass and then the Valcornera pass are not easy (rated T4 on the CAS grading scale). We’re clearly on high-mountain trails, and you can feel it!

Before crossing the Collon pass, for example, you have to cross the high Arolla glacier… Even if the glacier is fairly flat with few cracks, it’s still a glacier crossing. In my case, I had already scouted out the stage beforehand to make sure I didn’t take Fabienne into areas that were too difficult. This also helped me to judge that we didn’t really need to take ropes and harnesses with us… even the small pair of crampons we had brought with us, we didn’t use.

The Valcornera pass is also quite exposed and we found it more difficult than the Collon pass. It’s well equipped, but you need to be confident on your feet and not too prone to vertigo. With the dog, certain passages were also a little tricky (I had to carry him several times over a few meters when there were steps).

You also need to have enough stamina, as these stages are between 15-20 kms long, with over 1300m of ascent +- and involve quite difficult terrain (lots of scree).

You’ll find full details and photos of the stages below. We’ll let you judge the difficulty for yourself.

So, once we’d crossed the Théodule pass, we made a few variations to make the most of the Matterhorn (we did the Matterhorn glacier trail and the 5 lakes hike ) instead of taking the most direct route down to Zermatt. Here’s a detailed map of our route:

In numbers, our route from Arolla to Zermatt looks like this:

• a distance of over 65 kms
• approx. 4500m d+ and 5000 d-
• 2 glacier crossings
• 3 nights in the tent and one night in Cervinia
• 1 gondola lift taken to save a bit of elevation in Cervinia

Well, I think we’ve given you enough statistics and it’s time to get down to business 🙂

As I’d already scouted this stage beforehand and knew it was a long one, we left the coliving early (6:30) to start hiking at 7am sharp in Arolla. We were joined by our friends Lucie and Louis, who were keen to discover the high Arolla glacier and the Collon pass. So it’s in excellent company that we begin our adventure towards Zermatt.

The first 2 km on a track are perfect as a warm-up until we reach the bottom of the valley. We’re no longer used to carrying big rucksacks with all our bivouac gear (it’s been almost 2 years since we last set off on this kind of adventure) and it’s good to get off to a gentle start.

But not for much longer… due to the severe bad weather / floodings of June 2024, which caused enormous damage in the valley, we had to take an alternative route as a bridge was missing on the normal path (I’ve indicated the normal path on the map… as the path should be re-established by next season). So we start our ascent to the Arolla glacier in the rocks… rocks that won’t be leaving us for the rest of the day lol. But we can’t complain, as the view of Mont Collon and the lower Arolla glacier is already superb.

We then reach a small plateau with picnic tables, overlooked by a Virgin Mary, offering a splendid vista of the entire Arolla valley. We keep going up until we reach an intersection with a path that goes up to the left towards Plan Bertol (and Bertol hut) and to the right towards the high Arolla glacier. We pass a first small section with ladders ( but without much difficulty) even if I have to help Winchy a little to get through.

Above this passage, the view opens up completely over the valley that leads to the foot of the glacier. We also enjoy a little break in the climb, although after a short descent, the path gradually disappears, with just a few cairns to guide us. Well… there’s not much room for doubt as we can already see the bottom of the glacier we have to cross.

We climb up the left bank of the torrent until we reach the foot of the glacier… During my recon, I climbed a little too far to the left, whereas it’s easier to climb directly onto the glacier’s central moraine (see photo below… although conditions can change from year to year).

Then we moved up the glacier, staying on this moraine, to reach a flatter part a little higher up. At this spot, I had met an Italian guide during my recon, who had shown me the best place (according to him) to hike up to Col Collon. He suggested crossing the glacier on its flatter side, then going quite far to the right before climbing the moraine.

So that’s what I recommend you do. We crossed the glacier on its flatter side and then followed it along the right-hand side for quite some distance before heading up the moraine (tracks were clearly visible). We did see a signpost a little earlier on the right side of the moraine, but we preferred to continue further and follow the advice of the Italian guide.

Here are a few photos to give you an idea, with a small red track on one of them. But all in all, it wasn’t too difficult as the glacier is not very crevassed and is almost flat.

It’s a steep climb as we exit the glacier, but there’s only 200m of elevation gain ahead. We pass 2 pretty water pools, with the Dent d’Hérens just around the corner. Ahead we see the impressive Oren glacier (which we have to cross on a short section) and the Col de l’Evêque… the Col Collon is just on our left. We’re almost there!

Speaking of the glacier, we were just crossing the small ice tongue prior to Col Collon when we heard a loud bang! On our right, a few hundred metres away, a whole section of the south-east face of L’Evêque collapses before our very eyes. At this point, Winchy is untied and runs off to the Col Collon… By reflex, even though we’re at a reasonable distance, we also walk quickly towards the pass because a large cloud of dust is heading our way. Truly impressive!

After this brief scare, we find Winchy terrorized next to the Col Collon cross (3074m). From here we have a magnificent view of a turquoise-blue lake in its mineral setting! It’s really stunning, and we make the most of it with a well-deserved picnic break!

I think that from Arolla with our big backpacks… it took us a good 6 hours to get to the pass.

From here we’re officially in Italy and we start the long descent towards Prarayer . To be honest, we found the trail to be well marked and easier on the Italian side. Of course, it’s still rocky, but you don’t have to navigate from cairn to cairn like on the other side.

We pass beneath the Nacamuli hut. The alpine scenery is splendid and this is truly one of the most beautiful days of hiking we’ve done so far in our life. We pass a steeper section (easy to see on the map), but it’s very well equipped and doesn’t present any problems.

We continue down the valley beside the river. We’re getting a bit tired, but we know the next day’s stage will be long, and we’re really hoping to get to the lake Place-moulin in Prarayer.

After 2-3 hours of descent, we finally reach the lakeside. We pass behind the Prarayer refuge, where a sign indicates a 3h30 hike to the top of Valcornière pass (hmmmm… 😉 ).

We finally look for a quiet spot to bivouac on the other side. We find a nice spot among the trees and set up camp for the night. We take the opportunity to test for the 1st time our new Nemo dagger osmo 3p tent (a light, self-supporting tent) and an ingenious little piece of bivvy gear (which acts as tarp + hammock + rain cape for just 500gr) called Trailhopper.

We’ll tell you more about it in separate articles, but we were really happy to have a hammock to chill out in after a long day’s walking 😉 (if you’re interested in this clever new French product, you’ll get 17% off with the code NOVOMONDE ).

• Distance : 18,7 kms
• Elevation : about 1200m+-
• Difficulty : T4 on the alpine club switzerland hiking scale (so quite hard)
• Duration : between 9-11h with breaks (it also depends if you have heavy backpacks like we did 😉 )

Despite hearing cowbells just before we went to bed (so we got up to protect the area around the tent from any approaching cows), we had a pretty good night’s sleep… even if we still have some sore muscles from the previous day.

At 8 a.m. we packed up, had breakfast and drank our instant cappuccino… so we’re ready to tackle the Valcornera pass (or Valcornière in French) which scared Fabienne a bit according to what we’d read online .

No warm-up this morning, and we start off right away with a 200m d+ climb into the Valcornière valley, where the slope becomes gentler. Behind us we have a beautiful view of the descent we made the day before, and of the Dent d’Hérens to our left.

Once at the bottom of the valley, the path forks to the left, and that’s when things get serious! From the looks of it, it’s hard to imagine that there’s actually a path up here, as there are several rocky bars that seem difficult to cross lol.

Of course, the trail goes right through here, between the cliffs! The path is very steep and exposed. Fortunately, it’s well equipped with blue ropes and ladders. But there are clearly places where you don’t want to slip… and I wouldn’t recommend climbing this pass in bad weather.

Also, if like us you’re planning to cross this pass with your dog, it’s likely that you’ll have to help/carry him in a few places. So at the very least, I recommend you have a harness that will allow you to lift him easily. Here are a few photos of this section to give you an idea:

The slope softens a little before we reach a water source (indicated on the map). We take this chance to refill our water bottles and take a short break because, as you’ll see, we’re not quite finished yet 😉 .

After the spring, we come to a sort of large rocky circus (or giant scree, as you prefer 🙂 ). And at the very bottom of this big pile of rocks we can see the summit of the Valcornière pass. At least we’ve got the end of the climb in sight this time!

From here on, there’s no real path. We simply follow the yellow marks on the rocks and cairns. First we cross a snowdrift that lasted until the end of August (easier to walk on snow than on rocks 😉 ), then we tackle the last 200m of steep ascent.

It’s hard to pick out a particular trail, as I had the impression that there were several tracks… but in any case, there’s no need to hesitate. This last stretch is pretty tough with our big rucksacks and all those not-so-stable rocks… but after 4-5 hours of climbing from our bivouac spot, we finally reach the top of the Valcornera pass (the signs said 3h30 from Prarayer).

The view from the summit is truly breathtaking. The Dragon and Grand Lac lakes are right in front of us. In the background, we can see the snow-capped peaks of the Monte Rosa range in the distance. We take the opportunity to enjoy a nice, well-deserved picnic break while enjoying the view. The descent to the Perucca-Vuillermoz hut , although short, is technical and demands all our concentration.

On the map, there’s also a trail that seems to go straight down from the pass… perhaps there was a landslide that partially destroyed this path, but it doesn’t seem to be used anymore (and looks dangerous, to be honest). We then follow the path indicated on the left, which first climbs up a little and then skirts around the boulder bar (which seems difficult to cross from above).

Luckily, this section is also very well equipped, as it’s aerial and you don’t want to slip. In fact, I had to carry the dog again at a point that was going down very steeply with ladders.

But to give you a better idea, a few pictures are worth more than words (I’ve also traced the path more or less in red on a photo taken from the bottom):

Once at the Perucca-Vuillermoz refuge, all the main difficulties of the day are behind us! So we treat ourselves to a slice of cake and a glass of soda to celebrate 🙂 . But we don’t linger too long, since we’ve got our sights set on getting to Cervinia (for a pizza and a shower) and we’ve still got over 12 kms to go.

The path down from the refuge is much easier, and we’re making much faster progress than before. What’s more, the landscapes we cross are splendid! We go from lake to lake, from waterfall to waterfall as we descend along the streams! It’s pure pleasure.

After about an hour’s walk, we reach a mountain pasture where we have to climb up to the Cignana window ( a small climb just for fun 😉 ). From this point onwards, we start to see more people as we approach the town of Cervinia. This is also where we finally manage to book a room for the night in Cervinia… This guarantees us a good shower, a pizza and an extra dose of motivation for the last 7 kms.

Shortly after this little pass, we finally catch sight of the Matterhorn’s south face! We decide to stay on the upper trail, which offers magnificent views of the most famous rock in the Alps! After 3-4 km on the balcony trail, we take the 2nd path down to the valley. The last part of the walk to the village of Cervinia is of little interest, as it runs mainly alongside an ugly golf course.

We also find that the village of Cervinia is not very beautiful… it’s a sort of mixture of architecture from different eras with no real unity. So we quickly get the key to our room, take a nice shower, let Winchy rest in the room while we treat ourselves to a nice pizza (I could have eaten 2 lol) and at 10 pm we collapse in bed 😉

• Distance : 16,5 kms
• Elevation : around 1350m+-
• Difficulty : T4 sur l’échelle du CAS mais on l’a trouvée plus difficile que la veille
• Duration : between 9 and 11h
• infos : Although we booked at the last minute, we found that our hotel in Cervinia offered very good value for money (and is dog-friendly too).

This morning we’re sleeping in, as we have to wait for Cervinia’s only grocery store to open at 8:30 to restock. In the meantime, we treat ourselves to a delicious breakfast (filled croissants and cappuccino) at the sweet side bakery next door, which we highly recommend.

Having found enough to eat for the next 2 days, we decide to save ourselves 800m of not-so-interesting elevation gain by taking the gondola up to the Cime Bianche lakes at 2800m. If we had hiked all the way, the day would have been a bit long, especially as it mainly consisted of walking under the lifts.

The price of the gondolas is already quite expensive (23.5€ per person, and we only did the short trip to the Cime Bianchi lakes… if you want to do the whole trip, expect to pay something like 150€ one way lol), and you’ll also need to muzzle your dog. Obviously we didn’t have a muzzle with us, but they sell them at the information desk at the bottom of the lifts for less than 10€.

Anyway… we bought the muzzle, put it on to get into the cable car and immediately took it off.

Once at the top of the gondola, we make our way down to the lakeside, where we’re somewhat surprised to discover a… concrete factory with trucks, mechanical shovels and all (yes, really). We’d expected it a bit, but in summer, the Zermatt – Cervinia ski area is literally a construction site! We don’t know exactly what they’re doing with all those machines, but they’re already preparing for the winter season.

We follow a wide track that takes us first to the intermediate station of Bontadini, crossing a pretty lake. There are fine views of the Matterhorn, but we have to admit that after 2 days of hiking in a wild alpine environment, the return to civilization is a little brutal.

On our right we can also see the next cable car, which goes up to the Plateau Rosà , where you can ski all year round and easily attempt to climb the Breithorn (one of Switzerland’s easiest 4000 m peaks).

We continue on the track that climbs to the top of Theodul pass ( which is at over 3300m). Even if it’s not difficult, the altitude makes for a fairly slow climb. From the arrival of the gondola at the lakes, it took us about 2 hours to reach the pass.

At the summit, we’re a little conflicted by what we see… on the one hand, the view of the Theodul glacier and the Breithorn is magnificent. But on the other hand, there are ski lifts on almost every summit, people are skiing at the end of August on what’s left of the glacier, there are snow groomers and shovels at 3300m… Man’s influence is total, in striking contrast to our first 2 days on the trail.

This is quite far from our conception of the mountains, and we are glad we chose the Val d’Hérens to settle down and develop our coliving project.

Once over the pass, we descend onto the Theodul glacier, which we have to cross entirely to reach Trockener Steg (literally the dry bridge). Where on the high Arolla glacier we still had to find our way around a bit, here there’s hardly any doubt. There’s literally a groomed trail all the way down to the bottom of the glacier.

As far as we were concerned, we didn’t feel the need to use crampons or ropes, and crossed easily just by hiking. On the way down, the view opens up and we can admire the Mont Rose range on our right, and the Matterhorn, Dent Blanche, Weisshorn and most of the 4000m peaks of the Valais Alps on our left. Leaving aside all the infrastructure, we have to admit that there are a lot of pretty rocks around us 😉 .

Once off the glacier, we take a short picnic break before embarking on a series of “little detours” to make the most of the Matterhorn, which we’re discovering for the 1st time from the Swiss side.

Because yes, for us Swiss kids, we’ve never really hiked around Zermatt before. So we really want to rectify the situation and discover Switzerland’s most famous rock from every angle!

From Trockener Steg, instead of going straight down to Zermatt, we’ll take the Matterhorn Glacier trail to the left. We’ll tell you more about this in another blog post, but it’s a hiking trail that links Trockener Steg to Schwarzsee, with didactic panels about the glaciers.

We were mainly interested in the Matterhorn and its two main ridges (Hornli Ridge and Lion Ridge), rather than the information panels. There are also several alpine lakes along the trail, which gave us magnificent panoramic views! I’ll let you be the judge 😉

The trail passes just below the ridge and the Hörnli hut. You can see the climbers on the ridge, as this is the normal route to climb the Matterhorn on the Swiss side. As for us, we don’t plan to climb the Matterhorn and we’re looking for a good bivouac spot as it’s getting late.

We find a nice location at the foot of the Matterhorn (a little higher than the Schwarzsee) to pitch our tent. We’ll still be seeing/hearing a lot of climbers coming down from the Matterhorn until late in the evening. As for Winchy, he’s knocked out and we first give him a bit of shade with our tarp before letting him sleep in the tent while we enjoy the sunset.

• Distance : around 14 kms
• Elevation : about 700m +-
• Duration : 6-7 hiking hours
• Difficulty : Medium (No technical difficulty on the glacier and the trails)

It’s a chilly morning at 2600m! It’s hard to get Winchy out of the tent, so we wrap him up in a down jacket and a gore tex while we pack up camp (maybe next time we’ll bring his down jacket 😉 ). After swallowing a few cookies and an instant cappuccino, we set off towards the Schwarzsee (or black lake, if you prefer). In the early morning light, the lake looks absolutely stunning, with the Matterhorn and the moon towering over it.

The plan for this last trek day is to head down to Furi and then up to Riffelalp to do Zermatt’s famous five lake hike (because there’s also another one around Pizol in the canton of St. Gallen ). We’ll tell you all about it in a separate blog post, but this will be our last “detour” on this adventure.

The descent to Furi is pretty nice, with the Matterhorn peeking out behind the Schwarzsee hotel and the Monte Rosa range with its glaciers to our right. It takes us about 1h30 to get down… just in time for coffee on a sunny terrace.

Although we’re not far from Zermatt, we head back up towards Riffelalp on a lovely forest path. From time to time, we cross what must be the ski slope in winter. Behind us, through the larches, we still have a magnificent view of the Matterhorn, and we’re thinking that the best time to do this hike must surely be autumn (for the orange larch trees).

Once we’ve reached the alpine pasture, we turn left onto an almost flat balcony trail that will take us to the first of the 5 lakes on the hike: Grünsee (or Green Lake). We pass the Riffelalp railway station, home to the famous Gornergrat train (a viewpoint of the glaciers, the Monte Rosa range and the Matterhorn). Like the Alpine crossing gondola, this train is extremely expensive, costing over 100chfs for the round trip from Zermatt.

From the station, you can feel that you’re on the route of the 5 lakes trail. The path is wide and heavily used. Even the scree slopes have been flattened to facilitate access for hikers.

We take advantage of a picnic table to eat along the trail. It’s a beautiful summer Friday and there are many people walking this itinerary. We first pass by the green lake ( which lives up to its name) where a lot of people are swimming (or sunbathing). Winchy also gets a chance to cool off in the water 😉

We then cross the Findelbach to continue on a track that takes us to Grindjisee , the 2nd of the 5 lakes. This is perhaps my favorite lake, as it’s surrounded by larch trees / vegetation and the Matterhorn reflects itself wonderfully.

Last climb for us, we head up to Stellisee (the 3rd of the 5 lakes), just below the Fluh alp and its pretty mountain restaurant. From here, we also have a fine view of the Adlerhorn, Strahlhorn and Findel glacier. The view from the lake is not bad either, with a reflection of the Matterhorn.

From there, we take the wrong path, following the upper trail to the top of the Blauherd gondola (instead of going down to the last 2 lakes). We stop off at the Blue lounge restaurant to drink the most expensive rivella blue of our lives (14chfs for 2 rivella) and take a souvenir photo in front of the heart of the Matterhorn before moving on.

To reach Sunnegga , we take the marmot trail without making any further detours to see the last 2 lakes. So from the top we’ll be able to appreciate the Mosjesee and Leisee before reaching the Sunnegga station, where a metro takes us back down to Zermatt (and doesn’t cost a fortune for once, 9 chfs for the descent).

We had thought of bivouacking up around the lakes… but to be honest, there are far too many people in this area and it didn’t seem very smart to camp up there. So we decided to head back down to Zermatt and sleep at the campsite. The campsite is pretty cheap for Zermatt (20chfs per person)… but we found that the infrastructure was a bit limited for so many people. The campsite was overcrowded and there were only 4 toilets and 4 showers for everyone. But it has the merit of existing, which also allows the “vulgum pecus” to sleep in Zermatt for cheap!

• Distance : 16,1 kms
• Elevation : around 850m of elevation gain and 1000m down
• Duration : 7-8h
• Difficulty : easy

In conclusion, I’d say it was one of the most beautiful tours we’ve ever done, but also one that took us to the limit of what we can do with the dog and all the bivouac gear. I think Fabienne will agree if I say that she was already well outside her comfort zone on the Valcornière pass. And we couldn’t have taken Winchy any steeper than that either (at least not without suitable equipment and without training him to be carried with a rope, for example).

But we will remember the tranquillity and incredible alpine atmosphere we felt on the first 2 stages between Arolla and Cervinia. The places we passed through on those days were truly wild, and that’s what we’re looking for when we embark on this kind of adventure.

And despite all the infrastructure around Zermatt-Cervinia, we still enjoyed discovering the Matterhorn from all angles. This mountain is simply magnificent, and has not stolen its title as the most beautiful rock in the Alps!

On a eu un peu de peine à trouver de bons retours d’expérience sur cette rando, mais voici les plus utils d’entre-eux:

• The Matterhorn tour by Mark
• On camptocamp there are useful posts in french about the Matterhorn tour or the Valcornera pass
• The official website of the Matterhorn tour

I think you’ve now read all about our adventure between Arolla and Zermatt on the Matterhorn tour! If you still have any questions, don’t hesitate to ask us in the comments below.

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About Benoit

Self-taught web developer and passionate photographer, I love travelling and hiking for this incredible feeling of freedom they bring me. Curious, I constantly need to learn new things, to take on new challenges and I couldn't live any other way. I share with you on this travel blog my experiences on the roads but also my thoughts to travel better while respecting our beautiful planet (which is unfortunately in a very bad shape).

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