How to reach Klein Matterhorn - Glacier Paradise
Klein Matterhorn can be reached by gondola from Zermatt. Zermatt is car free and can be reached by train.
The route to Klein Matterhorn - Glacier Paradise: all details
The first part of your trip is getting to the car free resort of Zermatt. It can be reached by train as explained here.
From the rail station, follow the signs to the gondola station. This takes 20 minutes on foot. Alternatively, there are electric buses to get there.
The actual trip starts from the valley station at an altitude of 1640 m. You will board the gondola to mid-station Furi at 1867 m. The route crosses the forests and meadows just outside Zermatt.
In Furi, you need to change to a cable car. After bits of forests, the cable car will fly over a rough, rocky, high-alpine landscape. Then you will reach mid-station Trockener Steg at 2939 m.
You need to change again to cover the final section: the cable car to Klein Matterhorn at 3883 m. There are two parallel cable car routes on this leg. The Matterhorn Glacier Ride is the one we recommend: it features a few extra luxurious cabins, named the "Crystal ride", with a glass floor that turns transparent during the ride. An older cable car is available as well.
For certain you will now feel that the thin air slows you down, and the temperature has dropped quite a bit! You've now reached the eternal snow of the Alps.
The entire ride from Zermatt takes about 45 minutes.
Alternative route via Schwarzsee
Instead of the direct cable car from Furi to Trockener steg, you can also take the gondola from Furi to Schwarzsee, the little lake at the base of the Matterhorn. From there, another gondola takes you up to Trockener steg.
Additional route to Testa Grigia in Italy
From July 1 2023, you can take an additional cable car down to the ski area of Testa Grigia just across the border in Italy. This short stretch is covered by a 4-minute ride in mid-sized cabins, called "Matterhorn Glacier Ride II". You can board close to where the cabins from Trockener Steg arrive.
Dates of operation
The route via Furi and Trockener Steg to Klein Matterhorn is available yea- round. Other options:
- The alternative route via Schwarzsee is available from December to 1 May 2023, and from 29 May to 8 October 2023.
- The Riffelberg Express operates from 3 December 2022 to 23 April 2023, and from 1 July to 20 August 2023.
Check the timetable for the exact dates.
TIMETABLE
Check the timetable of the trains to Zermatt and the cable cars. The top station is called 'Klein Matterhorn'. Mid-stations are 'Furi', 'Trockener Steg' and 'Zermatt, Schwarzsee'.
Plan your trip