Golfhotel Riederhof
Why we like it: Hotel on Riederalp's Aletschpromenade, next to the nine-hole golf course, with a wellness area, a restaurant with a terrace and pick-up at the gondola.
Duration2 nights
From GenevaTrain, about 3 h to Fiesch
From SpainFlight to Geneva and train
Getting aroundTrain, cable cars and on foot
CarNot needed
Best timeJuly – September
The plan
The plan, hour by hour
Designed for leaving Geneva on Friday morning and returning on Sunday evening, from July to September, without a car. The glacier crossing runs on Saturday; outside its daily season (28 June to 29 August 2027) there are only departures on Tuesdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, so book in good time. The first night is in Fiesch, beside the meeting point; the second, in Riederalp.
Friday
- 108:55Train from Geneva to Fiesch
Changing at Brig. You reach Fiesch around 12:20; leave your rucksack at the Fiescher Hostel, at Fiesch Feriendorf station.
- 213:15Lake Märjelen via the Tälligrat tunnel
Cable car to Fiescheralp and a 10.6 km circular route, about three hours: the lit tunnel, the lakes and the edge of the glacier. Check the tunnel's status first.
- 319:00Dinner at the Hotel des Alpes
On Fiesch's main street: Goms chouera or rösti and an Aletsch Bier, the house beer. Kitchen until 21:15.
Saturday
- 108:15Guided crossing of the glacier
With the Bergsteigerzentrum Aletsch, from Fiesch: about six hours, two of them roped on the ice with crampons. CHF 99 for adults and CHF 89 for ages 10 to 16; the cable car is extra. Book in advance.
- 216:30Train to Mörel and cable car to Riederalp
About 25 minutes by train and the cable car. The Golfhotel Riederhof picks you up at the station if you let them know.
- 319:00Dinner at the Golfhotel Riederhof
In its restaurant or on the terrace, with regional cooking and Valais wines. Beforehand, the wellness area if you are 16 or over.
Sunday
- 109:30Aletsch forest and Villa Cassel
On foot to the Riederfurka and the Bischofsitz and Silbersand walk, two hours among Swiss stone pines. The Pro Natura centre opens at 10:30.
- 212:30Lunch at the Riederfurka
Next to the villa: the Valais platter with its rye bread, the risotto or the burger. Lunches until 14:30.
- 314:00To Bettmeralp and the Bettmerhorn
Along the promenade to Bettmeralp and the cable car to the viewpoint, at 2,647 m, above the great bend of the glacier. If you have time to spare, a coffee on the Alpfrieden terrace.
- 418:15Return to Geneva
Cable car to Bettmeralp Talstation and the 18:47 train changing at Brig. In Genève around 21:30.
The Aletsch Glacier, the longest in the Alps, deserves a night up high. From Geneva it is around three hours by train to Fiesch, so in a single day you only have time for one thing. With two nights you do the three that are worth it: reaching its edge on foot at Lake Märjelen, walking on the ice roped to a guide and looking at it from above among the Swiss stone pines of the Aletsch forest and from the Bettmerhorn. You don't need a car at any point: the villages on the terrace don't allow them.
How do you get there?
By plane to Geneva (GVA), which has flights from several Spanish cities, and by train. The airport station is next to the terminal. From Genève station, the EC or InterRegio takes you along Lake Geneva and the Rhône valley to Brig, and there you change to the regional Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn train to Fiesch, Betten or Mörel. If you fly on Thursday night, sleep in Geneva and leave on the first train.
Where to sleep
| Accommodation | Area | Who for |
|---|---|---|
| Fiescher Hostel | Fiesch, with its own station | The first night, beside the crossing's meeting point; from CHF 52 with breakfast |
| Golfhotel Riederhof | Riederalp, on the promenade | The second night, with a wellness area and pick-up at the cable car |
| Hotel Waldhaus | Bettmeralp, next to the cable car | An alternative to Riederalp, smaller, with half board at CHF 45 |
What if there is no space on the crossing?
The crossing runs with a minimum of six people and can be cancelled because of the weather. If it doesn't run, swap Saturday for the Eggishorn, at 2,869 m, which in 2027 is open from 5 June to 15 August because of works on the new cable car, or for the crossing from Belalp to Riederalp over the Massa suspension bridge, four and a half hours, which ends in Riederalp, where you sleep.
With children
The crossing is from age 10 and needs some walking experience. With smaller children, swap Saturday for the Bettmerhorn and the forest, and spread Sunday out calmly. The indoor pool at Sport Resort Fiesch is included in the hostel night.
Map
The stops, in order
What to do
Eat
88 €Stay
Services
Plan the trip
Aletsch Glacier, step by step
Each choice narrows the next: the season shapes how best to travel, and how you travel decides where you stay and where you eat.
When to go
When to go to Aletsch Glacier
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Best timeGood timeLow season
How you travel
The same break, your way
The plan stays the same. What changes is where you sleep, how you get there and how much you spend.
Car-free: train to the valley and gondola to the villages
The Aletsch glacier is one of the easiest Alpine destinations without a car, because the three villages on the terrace do not allow cars. The Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn train climbs from Brig up the Rhône valley and stops at Mörel, Betten Talstation and Fiesch; at each station a gondola leaves for its village. Up top everything is done on foot, by chairlift or by gondola.
90–220 €per person per day, approximate
- Where to stayGolfhotel Riederhof, in Riederalp, with…
- Getting aroundTrain from Brig to Mörel…
- Where to eatRiederfurka Restaurant, next to the…
- ServicesPaid luggage trolleys on the…
Where to stay
- Golfhotel Riederhof, in Riederalp, with gondola pick-up for CHF 30 return
- Hotel Waldhaus, in Bettmeralp, 100 m from the station
- Fiescher Hostel, in Fiesch, with its own railway station
Getting around
- Train from Brig to Mörel, Betten Talstation and Fiesch
- Aletsch Bahnen gondolas to Riederalp, Bettmeralp and Fiescheralp
- Gondolas to the Moosfluh, the Bettmerhorn and the Eggishorn; paths between the three villages
Where to eat
- Riederfurka Restaurant, next to the Villa Cassel
- Hotel Alpfrieden Restaurant, in the centre of Bettmeralp
- Hotel des Alpes Restaurant, in Fiesch, near the station
Services
- Paid luggage trolleys on the large gondolas
- Luggage forwarding by SBB train to the villages
Fly to Geneva, Zurich or Milan and take the train to the glacier
The Aletsch Glacier has no airport nearby, but the three that serve this part of Switzerland all have flights from Spain and a railway station. From Geneva station there are trains to Brig, and from Brig the Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn runs to Mörel, Betten Talstation and Fiesch: Geneva to Mörel takes between two and a half and three hours, depending on the train. From Zurich you come via Bern or via Lucerne; from Milan, over the Simplon. You don't need a car: the villages up above don't allow them.
- Getting thereGeneva (GVA), with the station…
- Getting aroundTrain to Brig, then the…
- Where to sleepFiescher Hostel, in Fiesch, next…
- ServicesLockers and left-luggage from Aletsch…
Getting there
- Geneva (GVA), with the station next to the terminal and trains to Brig along Lake Geneva
- Zurich (ZRH), with trains to Brig via Bern and the Lötschberg tunnel
- Milan Malpensa (MXP), from the Italian side via Domodossola and the Simplon
Getting around
- Train to Brig, then the Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn to Mörel, Betten Talstation or Fiesch
- Cable cars from each station up to Riederalp, Bettmeralp and Fiescheralp
- If you hire a car, it stays in the car parks in the valley
Where to sleep
- Fiescher Hostel, in Fiesch, next to its station, handy for late arrivals
- Golfhotel Riederhof, in Riederalp, with pick-up at the cable car
Services
- Lockers and left-luggage from Aletsch Bahnen at the stations
- Luggage forwarding by train with SBB
How much does it cost?
People2
Nights2
Where to stay
Where to stay without a carif you're flying
We show you what suits the way you travel.Change how you travel
Hotel Waldhaus Bettmeralp
Why we like it: Small hotel run by the Berchtold family 100 m from the Bettmeralp gondola, at the edge of the woods, with a sauna, a fireplace and four-course half board.
Fiescher Hostel (Sport Resort Fiesch)
Why we like it: Hostel at the Sport Resort Fiesch, with its own railway station and two minutes from the Eggishorn gondola; breakfast and indoor pool included, from CHF 52.
From €52
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Where to eat
Where to eat in Aletsch Glacier
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.
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.
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.
Tips
Worth knowing first
Local tip
The Aletsch Explorer day pass covers the cable cars, the viewpoint gondolas and the train between Brig, Mörel, Betten and Fiesch. On Sunday, with the Bettmerhorn and the descent, it pays off.
We'd skip it
Don't go down onto the glacier on your own from Lake Märjelen: it has hidden crevasses and you only step on it with a guide.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
How much does the getaway cost?
Add the train from Geneva, the hostel from CHF 52 with breakfast, the CHF 99 crossing, the Sunday Aletsch Explorer pass (CHF 55 in 2026) and meals at CHF 25 to 60 each. The Golfhotel Riederhof does not publish prices on its website: ask when booking or compare with the Waldhaus.
Do I need a car?
No. Everything is done by train, cable car and on foot, and the villages do not allow cars.
When is the best time to go?
From July to September, with the paths free of snow and the crossing running almost daily in July and August.
Do I need to book in advance?
Yes, the crossing and the Riederalp hotel, which is open from 14 June to 11 October 2027.