Gornergrat Bahn

The rack railway that leaves about 50 metres from Zermatt station and climbs in 33 minutes to the Gornergrat, at 3,089 m, with stops at Findelbach, Riffelalp, Riffelberg and Rotenboden.

Who they are

The Gornergrat Bahn is one of the ten subsidiaries of the Swiss BVZ group, the same one that owns the Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn and the Glacier Express. Its line is historic: it opened on 20 August 1898 as Switzerland's first electric rack railway, using the rack system of the engineer Roman Abt, and the company now presents it as the oldest electric rack line in service in the world. It climbs from the Zermatt valley station, at 1,604 m, to the summit of the Gornergrat, at 3,089 m. The website is in German, English and French.

What it offers

The train is the excursion in itself. From the top of the Gornergrat you see the Matterhorn, the Gorner Glacier and, according to the company itself, 28 peaks of more than 4,000 metres. On the way there are intermediate stations that are starting points for walking trails: Findelbach, Riffelalp, Riffelberg and Rotenboden, where you can get off to walk a section and catch a later train. The website organises the offer into three blocks: outdoor activities, food at the stations and on the summit, and viewpoints, with an interactive panoramic map and a day planner at myday.gornergrat.ch.

Timetables and seasons

The train runs almost all year, with seasonal timetables. From 20 April to 1 November 2026 a train leaves every 24 minutes from 8:00, with a first train at 7:00. From 2 to 14 November 2026 there is no service because of works. From 15 to 27 November it runs every 48 minutes from 8:24, Monday to Friday only, with a first train at 7:00. From 28 November, and throughout the winter until 29 March 2027, the 24-minute frequency returns from 8:24. The departure station is directly opposite Zermatt railway station, which you reach by train from Visp or Täsch, because Zermatt is a car-free village.

Tickets and contact

Tickets are bought at the ticket office or online at gornergrat.ch, which avoids queuing at the station. Each season the company publishes a PDF with all the 2026-2027 prices and discounts; the price varies by season and type of ticket, and there are reductions for children and for holders of Swiss travel passes such as the Half Fare Card. For any questions, the helpline is +41 848 642 442. The website does not publish rules on dogs, bicycles or accessibility on its general pages, so check them before the trip.

A practical tip: it is cold at the top even in summer, because you are above 3,000 metres; bring a warm layer, sunglasses and sun cream, and keep in mind that the weather can change fast. Looking at the summit webcam before going up helps you avoid paying for a ticket on a cloudy day.