Zermatt and Gornergrat day tour from Interlaken
Visit with me Zermatt and the majestic Matterhorn, Switzerland’s most famous mountain on this spectacular day tour from Interlaken. You can enjoy up to six hours in Zermatt. That gives you plenty of time to admire the gorgeous views, discover the village, have lunch, and do the one-of-a-kind ride on the Matterhorn railway to the Gornergrat, from where you have a fabulous view of the Matterhorn, the Gorner Glacier, and the Monte Rosa, Switzerland’s highest mountain.
Highlights
Spectacular ride to the Gornergrat with the Matterhorn railway
Fantastic views of the Matterhorn and Monte Rosa
Visit the lovely car-free village of Zermatt
A scenic train ride through Switzerland
No rush: up to 6 hours in Zermatt
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Season 2025 & Availability
Summer: May 1 - October 13
Winter: December 1 - April 30
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 & Gornergrat tour from Interlaken
On the way to Zermatt, we travel on three different trains. By noon we arrive at the idyllic car-free mountain village.
Soon after, we board the Gornergrat railway. On busy days, we get priority boarding so that we can board ahead of everyone else and select the seats with the best views of the Matterhorn.
This mountain railway will take us on a spectacular journey to one of the best vantage points for the Matterhorn, the Gornergrat.
The views from this summit, located at 3,090 m/ 10,140 ft. above sea level, are impressive. On a clear day, you have perfect views of the Monte Rosa massif. See the Dufour Peak, the highest peak in Switzerland, the Matterhorn, and the Gorner glacier.
You will have plenty of time to relax, enjoy the panorama, and have lunch. When you are ready, we start the descent back to Zermatt.
In Zermatt, you can have some free time for shopping or early dinner before we head back to Interlaken.
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Inclusions & Exclusions
Inclusions
- All required train tickets in first class for you and the guide
- Gornergrat mountain railway tickets for you and the guide (price includes entry fees)
- 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 9:00 a.m. - 9:10 a.m at any centrally located Hotel or ApartmentCustomization possibilities:
You can spontaneously extend or shorten the visit to the Gornergrat summit. The train between the Gornergrat summit and the village of Zermatt runs every 24 minutes or 48 minutes (depending on the season).
You can spontaneously shorten the visit to Zermatt. We have a connection back to Interlaken 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:
à la carte restaurant Pinte in the village of Zermatt (= lunch before heading to the peak) * +
The restaurant Pinte is a typical Valais style restaurant with a cosy atmosphere.
Their menu includes Valais and Swiss specialities such as raclette and cheese fondue, alongside with other classics.
Vegetarian dishes are available.
Click here to see the website and menu
Click here to read the restaurants' reviews on TripAdvisor
à la carte restaurant Glacier Alpine Kitchen at the Gornergrat (summit) * +
This restaurant serves various specialties of Switzerland and the Canton of Valais.
Vegetarian dishes are available.
Click here to see the website and menu
Click here to read the restaurants' reviews on TripAdvisor
à la carte restaurant saycheese! at the Gornergrat (summit) * +
This restaurant serves mainly Swiss cheese specialties.
Vegetarian 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 Gornergrat. There are a few food outlets in Zermatt with an open kitchen throughout the day.
Quick lunch:
There are bakeries, convenience shops, sandwich outlets, a sausage stand, and a fast food outlet in Zermatt, where you can grab a bite, either before or after the visit to the Gornergrat peak.
International food options:
Tiger Bowl (at the Gornergrat peak) *
An Asian fusion restaurant. The fresh and healthy meals are served in fully recyclable bowls. Vegan, gluten-free and lactose free options are available.
Click here to see the website and menuClick here to read the restaurants' reviews on TripAdvisor
Restaurant Golden India (at the village of Zermatt) *
Click here to see the website and menuMcDonalds (at the village of Zermatt)
(online menu not available)
Click here to read the restaurants' reviews on TripAdvisor* This option may not be available at all times, especially during low season (i.e. April, November, and early December). If you want to eat at this restaurant, please let me know at the time of booking, so that I can check availability for our tour date.
+ For restaurants marked with a plus (+), reservations are recommended. I'm happy to reserve a table for you.
Disclaimer
Restaurant menus, prices, and options are subject to change.
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Activity level
The activity level is moderate: 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, a walk at the Gornergrat at your discretion
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Pick-up area
I can meet you at any centrally located hotel in Interlaken.
Click here to see a map of the pick-up area
If you're staying outside of the pick-up area, we can meet at the train station of Interlaken Ost, Interlaken West, Spiez or Thun.
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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, the Gornergrat railway has often to halt operations or run only on parts of the route 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 (tour specific)
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.
Prices, valid for all route options
As the Gornergrat railway has different ticket prices depending on the time of year, this tour has seasonal prices.
Summer season: May 1 - October 13
Winter season: December 1 - April 30