Riederfurka Restaurant
What to order: the Walliser Plättli of cured beef, sausage, bacon and cheese with its rye bread, CHF 32.50 on the winter menu, or the Binntal cheese risotto
Depends on the Aletsch Bahnen gondola. In bad weather, call first.
geocalia
Day itinerary · 46.44° N · 8.08° E
The Aletsch Glacier in a day, by train from Geneva and on foot between two car-free villages.
Train to Mörel, the Aletsch forest and Villa Cassel, lunch at the Riederfurka, a walk to Bettmeralp and the glacier from the Bettmerhorn. Works on a Sunday.
Leaving from
Direct flight to Zúrich fromBarcelona 1 h 45Bilbao 2 hPalma de Mallorca 2 hAlicante 2 h 15Madrid 2 h 15Valencia 2 h 15Málaga 2 h 45Sevilla 2 h 45Fuerteventura 4 h 30Lanzarote 4 h 30
Part of Aletsch GlacierAlps
Add to my trip
Total time14 h
By car2 h 30 each way
From GenevaTrain, about 2 h 30 to Mörel
From SpainFlight to Geneva and train
On footAbout 3 h spread through the day
LiftsAletsch Explorer day pass
DifficultyModerate: mountain paths
With childrenYes, if they can walk for two hours
The plan
The day at a glance
Any part can be swapped for another without spoiling the day.
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Leave Geneva 2 h 30 by train
EC from Geneva to Brig and regional train to Mörel
- 10 min by cable car · gondola from Mörel to Riederalp West
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1
Aletsch Forest and the Pro Natura Centre at Villa Cassel
30 min on foot from Riederalp West; Bischofsitz and Silbersand walk, about 2 h; Pro Natura centre, CHF 8
- 5 min on foot
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2
Riederfurka Restaurant
on the Riederfurka, next to the villa; meals from 11:30 to 14:30
Riederfurka, 3987 Riederalp · +41 27 928 66 42
Restaurant €€€Book - 1 h 30 on foot
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3
Bettmerhorn and the bend of the glacier
on foot along the promenade to Bettmeralp and gondola up; with the Aletsch Explorer pass
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Back home 15 min by cable car
gondola to the village and cable car to Bettmeralp Talstation
- 2 h 45 by train · 18:47 train with a change at Brig; in Geneva around 21:30
Approximate cost
About €35–60 per person
Adds up the activities and meals in the plan at their published prices; travel and accommodation not included.
The route
Aletsch Forest and the Pro Natura Centre at Villa Cassel
The Aletsch Glacier is a long way for a day from Geneva, but it can be done: two and a half hours by train to Mörel, a cable car and you are in Riederalp, a car-free village at around 1,900 m. This plan fits the best of the terrace into one long day: the Aletsch Swiss stone pine forest, which grows right above the ice, the Villa Cassel, lunch at the Riederfurka restaurant, a stroll along the promenade to Bettmeralp and the great bend of the glacier from the Bettmerhorn. You return to Geneva in the evening without having touched a car.
Getting there from Spain
The plan starts at Geneva station. There are flights to Geneva from several Spanish cities and the airport station is next to the terminal. Arrive the evening before and sleep in Geneva, or better still in the Valais: if you sleep in Brig or at the glacier itself, you save five hours of train. If you have two nights, look at the two-night getaway to the glacier.
The day, hour by hour
7:27 · Train to Mörel. The EC from Genève to Brig follows Lake Geneva and the Rhône valley. At Brig you change to the regional Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn train, which drops you at Mörel in eight minutes. Check the summer timetable on SBB.
10:00 · Cable car to Riederalp West. Two leave from Mörel: the large one goes to Riederalp Mitte and the small cabins go to Riederalp West, which is the one that puts you closest to the forest.
10:45 · Aletsch forest and Villa Cassel. From Riederalp West it is about 30 minutes on foot to the Riederfurka. Do the Bischofsitz and Silbersand walk, about two hours through old Swiss stone pines and moorland, with the glacier glimpsed between the trees. On the way back, go into the villa's Pro Natura centre (CHF 8), open from 10:30 to 17:30.
13:00 · Lunch at the Riederfurka. Next to the villa. Valais cooking with the house rye bread: the cured meat and cheese platter, the risotto with Binntal cheese or the burger. Lunches from 11:30 to 14:30.
14:15 · On foot to Bettmeralp and up the Bettmerhorn. Follow the promenade east to Bettmeralp and take the cable car up to the Bettmerhorn, at 2,647 m. The viewpoint is 200 m from the station, on a flat path, and from it you see the great bend of the glacier.
18:15 · Return. Take the cable car down to Bettmeralp and the aerial cableway to Bettmeralp Talstation. The 18:47 train changes at Brig and reaches Genève around 21:30.
What it costs
The train from Geneva to Mörel and back is the most expensive part of the day; look at SBB's saver fares. Up top, the Aletsch Explorer day pass covers the cable cars up, the viewpoint gondolas and the train between Brig, Mörel, Betten and Fiesch: it cost CHF 55 until 12 December 2026 and half price with the Swiss Travel Pass or Half Fare Card. Add the Pro Natura centre and lunch, CHF 35 to 60.
Time2 h 30
Change the route
If you prefer to eat late in Bettmeralp: kitchen until 13:45 and a terrace in the centre of the village:
Hotel Alpfrieden Restaurant
To walk further: the crossing from Belalp over the suspension bridge ends at the Riederfurka, in 4 h 30:
From Belalp to Riederalp over the Massa suspension bridge
To avoid returning the same day: sleep in Riederalp and leave the Bettmerhorn for the morning:
Golfhotel Riederhof
Where to eat
Where to eat?
Lunch is half the plan: book before you set off.
Hotel des Alpes Restaurant
What to order: the chouera, the Goms pie of potato, leek, apple and cheese, CHF 27, with a flight of three beers and beer and garlic popcorn, CHF 10
The terrace cannot be booked. From November until the December holidays it is closed on Sunday.
Hotel Alpfrieden Restaurant
What to order: the Valais Chasselas white wine soup, CHF 16, and the Raron perch fillets with lemon and herb butter, CHF 49.50
Book online or by phone. Closed between seasons.
Map
The stops, in order
With where to park at each one.
What to do
Eat
88 €Stay
Services
Getting there
By car or without one?
When to go
When to go to Aletsch Glacier
From late June to mid-October, including Sundays. The Riederfurka restaurant is open every day from 20 June to 17 October, and the Villa Cassel from 12 June to 17 October 2027. The Bettmerhorn runs from 5 June to 24 October 2027. Check the lift updates and the weather before you set off.
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Best timeGood timeLow season
Tips
Worth knowing first
- 1Leave on the first train
The day is long and the Bettmerhorn cable car runs to a timetable. Check the last descent in the Aletsch Arena's updates.
- 2Take a jacket
It is cold on the Bettmerhorn even when it is sunny in Riederalp.
- 3Don't go down onto the ice on your own
You only set foot on the glacier with a guide.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
Can you see the Aletsch Glacier in a day from Geneva?
Yes, with about five hours of train travel there and back. If you can, sleep one night up there.
Do I need a car?
No. The villages do not allow cars and everything is done by train, cable car and on foot.
Does it work on a Sunday?
Yes: the Riederfurka and the Villa Cassel are open every day of their season.
Is it suitable for children?
Yes, if they can walk for about two hours. The Bettmerhorn has a flat viewpoint beside the station.
More plans like this
Other days of walking and good food
geocalia.com/en/switzerland/valais/aletsch-glacier/itineraries/riederalp-forest-and-bettmerhorn
Prices, opening hours and times are approximate: check them before you go. Each place has its own page on Geocalia.