Zermatt & Matterhorn Glacier Paradise
Visit Zermatt and the Klein Matterhorn Glacier Paradise - the highest cable car station in Europe at 3883 meters above sea level. Without mountaineering you can’t go higher in Europe. See the Matterhorn from two sides, and tour worry-free with your private guide from Zurich.
Highlights
Spectacular views of the Matterhorn from the Swiss and Italian side
Aerial cable cars to the Klein Matterhorn peak
Visit the lovely car-free village Zermatt
Highest cable car station in Europe
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Season 2025 & Availability
Season 2025: June 1 - October 1
As a sole proprietor with a capacity of one tour per day, I can be fully booked far in advance.
Click here to see my availability calendar -
Detailed tour description
Zermatt & Glacier Paradise / Klein Matterhorn tour from Zurich
From Zurich, we start our train journey to Zermatt. We travel to Zermatt on the direct route. Around 11 AM, we will reach the alpine village.
From there, we take one of Zermatt’s unique electric taxis to the base station of the aerial cable car.
Two different aerial cable cars will take us to the Klein Matterhorn station, the highest cable car station in Europe, at 3883 meters above sea level (12739 ft.) One of them is the newly built 3S cableway. You can admire close-up views of the Theodul Glacier from the large panoramic windows of this gondola.
We have plenty of time to visit all the attractions, such as the observation platform with the summit cross, the vantage point, and the Glacier Palace (ice cave).
When you are ready (at the latest by 4 PM), we start our descent back to Zermatt. In Zermatt, I will take you on a walk through the village, and you can have free time for shopping or an early dinner.
At the latest by 6.30 PM, we leave Zermatt and head back to Zurich.
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Inclusions & Exclusions
Inclusions
- All required train tickets in first class for you and the guide
- Klein Matterhorn aerial cableway tickets for you and the guide (price includes entry fees)
- Ride with a Zermatt electro taxi
- Meeting at any centrally located Hotels, Apartment, or Airbnb
- Return to any centrally located Hotel, Apartment, or Airbnb after the tour
- Fee for the private guide, who will stay at your disposal throughout the tour
- Car-free tour by train, mountain railway, and aerial cable car as per the tour description
- Photography by the guide (with your own camera or smartphone)
- A booklet with comprehensive information about Switzerland (one per party, for groups of four persons or larger are two printed copies included)
- Use of a mobile hotspot with unlimited data (Speed: 4G)
What is not included in the tour price?
- Your meals and drinks
- Any personal expenses
- Optional activities
- Travel insurance (participation at your own risk)
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Example itinerary
This itinerary is only an example. The schedule can vary due to various factors such as the season, the day of the week, construction work, service, and schedule changes.
The exact departure and return time depends on the pick-up/drop-off location.
Pick-up 6:15 a.m. - 6:40 a.m at any centrally located Hotel or ApartmentCustomization possibilities:
You can spontaneously extend or shorten the visit to the Glacier Paradise / Klein Matterhorn summit.
You can spontaneously shorten the visit to Zermatt. We have a connection back to Zurich every half-hour. The connection at 6.37 PM is the latest possible departure time from Zermatt.
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Lunch options
Please regard that your lunch is not included in the tour price
During lunch hours:
Self-service restaurant at Matterhorn Glacier Paradise (peak)
This restaurant serves various local dishes and comfort food.
A few vegetarian and vegan dishes are available.
Click here to see the website and menu
Click here to read the restaurants' reviews on TripAdvisor
Outside of regular lunch hours:
We can have a late lunch after descending from the Glacier Paradise. There are various restaurants in Zermatt.
Quick lunch:
There are bakeries, convenience shops, sandwich outlets, a sausage stand, and a fast food outlet (Mc Donalds) in Zermatt, where you can grab a bite, either before or after the visit to the Glacier Paradise.
International food options:
McDonalds (at the village of Zermatt)
(online menu not available)
Restaurant Golden India (at the village of Zermatt) *
Due to to time constraints, a visit to this restaurant is only possible after the visit to the Klein Matterhorn peak (=late lunch).
Click here to see the website and menuClick here to read the restaurants' reviews on TripAdvisor
Disclaimer
Restaurant menus, prices, and options are subject to change.
The restaurant menus are hosted as a PDF file on the restaurants' websites.
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Activity level
The activity level is high: high altitude, few changes of trains (the changes are easy but require some walking and steps to get in and out of the trains), a walk through Zermatt at your discretion, walking at the Klein Matterhorn peak at your discretion
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Pick-up area
I can meet you at any centrally located hotel in Zurich.
Click here to see a map of the pick-up area
If you're staying outside of the pick-up area, I can meet you at the central train station of Zurich.
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Weather
Weather forecast
Once a reliable weather forecast is available (usually one to three days before departure), I will send you a link to the forecast.
If there is bad weather forecasted, I will include my recommendations for our tour day.
I use the weather forecasts provided by the Federal Office of Meteorology and SRF (Swiss Radio and Television).
With the link below, you can check the weather forecast at any time by yourself. The forecast is available for the next five days.
Click here to see the current weather forecast for ZermattOperability
This tour can run in any weather condition except during a storm. During a storm, aerial cableways have to halt operations for safety reasons. If there is a storm with gale-force winds in the forecast, I need to cancel the tour. On rare occasions, there may be a cancellation due to landslides, avalanches, and other natural forces or the risk thereof. I will fully refund the deposit in this case.
Your options in case of bad weather
- You can choose a different tour/mountain peak in an area with better weather (if available, the price of the newly selected tour will apply).
- We can do the tour as planned despite the weather.
- I also have a few full-day train tours. For example, the Glacier Express route on local trains tour. These tours are ideal on rainy days as we are for most of the day inside and not exposed to the weather, and as on rainy days the views are usually better at lower altitudes. Further, this tour has a lower tour price as it doesn't require any expensive mountain railway tickets.
- If not having perfect weather is a dealbreaker, you can cancel by forfeiting the deposit.