How to have an epic Zermatt Trip – one of the World’s best Mountain Towns

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How to have an epic Zermatt Trip -One of the World’s best Mountain Towns

If a dreamy Alpine town is what you seek, a Zermatt trip is exactly what you need.

Indeed, like many, it is the Matterhorn in all its splendor that drew me to visit Zermatt. The town itself was an afterthought. Still, I was in for a pleasant surprise.

So are you.

This little town in the canton of Valais is home to under 6,000 residents. Undeniably, as you meander Zermatt you can feel the intimacy of the town. Its architecture is quaint and there is something charming about how compact the town feels.

Meanwhile, the fresh, crisp mountain air hits your cheek while taking in the majesty of the mountains in the backdrop. Heading to Zermatt is the right decision. Now, let’s plan you an epic Zermatt trip!

A little Bit of History about Zermatt

As recently as 1847, Zermatt was but a remote farming village. Fast forward a few years, and the “golden age of mountaineering” commenced. Notably, in the early 1890’s, Railways started popping up, which enabled visitors to come and make the Alps their “playground.”

New Years eve of 1927 is significant – Zermatt received its first winter visitors to ring in the New Year.

By 1961, the destination had survived two world wars and the sharp decline in tourists that came with it. But, it was in 1961 that Zermatt had a huge tourism boom – and for the first time had more winter visitors than summer.

By 1975, Zermatt had become a desirable “world famous” winter destination, loved by many. In the next couple decades more and more building ensued to accommodate the popularity.

Booking your Stay for your Zermatt Trip

The first thing we need to discuss when you are planning your trip to Zermatt is where to stay. Markedly, accommodations are quite pricey in Zermatt. I mean, accommodations are pricey in any Alpine mountain town, but this is Switzerland we’re talking about.

It is absolutely possible to visit Switzerland on a limited budget, but we will need to set expectations accordingly. Moreover, hotels in Europe can run more expensive than other countries, but, at times, without the luxury and frills to justify the cost.

Where I Stayed

Since Zermatt was not the only destination we planned to visit in Switzerland, it was imperative that I didn’t break the bank choosing a stay. Furthermore, Zermatt is a global destination. So, accommodations book up fast.

Travelers world-wide flock to this charming mountain town to see the star of the show… the Matterhorn. Obviously, supply and demand comes into play here and the accommodations are far from a bargain.

Since we already splurged on a luxury stay at Chateau de Bonmont in Chéserex, I was mainly looking for something very economical given the prices in Zermatt. We ended up staying at Hotel Weisshorn, which I recommend and is very centrally located in Zermatt Village.

Tip: You can read the full guide to where I stayed, here. Hotel Weisshorn is a great option for a high value, economical stay that is extremely centrally located. It’s hard to beat the central location of Hotel Weisshorn.

Zermatt Trip Accommodation Recommendations

Bucket List Luxury Stays

Grand Hotel Zermatterhof

★★★★★ Hotel

Grand Hotel Zermatterhof is literally my dream bucket list stay in Zermatt. This is an ideal hotel for someone who loves historical stays, luxury and has a pretty steep budget.

The hotel is well over a century old, but has been kept in immaculate condition. It is significant to the town because it’s one of the first hotels built to accommodate Zermatt’s blossoming tourism boom. It’s also centrally located in the center of town. Its Belle Epoque architecture is sure to charm you. Grand Hotel Zermatterhof won the award for “Switzerland’s Best Hotel” in 2021.

Check out Grand Hotel Zermatterhof: here

3100 Kulmhotel Gornergrat

★★★ Hotel with Matterhorn views

This hotel is the epitome of a bucket list stay experience. We’re talking… waking up, glancing out your window and seeing a a view of the Matterhorn. It looks so close, it’s almost like you can reach out and touch it. 3100 Kulmhotel Gornergrat is the highest hotel in the Swiss Alps. Coincidentally, it’s also a part of the same hotel group as the Grand Hotel Zermatterhof.

Firstly, you’d need to arrive in Zermatt and then head to the Gornergrat Railway station. It’s conveniently located within walking distance from the train station in Zermatt village. I spent a lot of time at the Gornergrat Summit while in Zermatt. If you love snow sports or activities, mountain views or just a serene atmosphere, this is where you’d want to be.

Check out 3100 Kulmhotel Gornergrat: here

Mid – Range and Economy Stay Options

Hotel Weisshorn

★★★ Chalet Hotel

This is where I stayed and I think it’s a great option.

Check out Hotel Weisshorn: here

Hotel Bahnhof

★★★ Hotel with Dorm options

While I have not stayed at Hotel Bahnhof, I think it’s a great option for budget conscious travelers. Centrally located in Zermatt Village, close to the train station, eateries and all the action, you will be able to walk most anywhere you’d wish to go. There are also hostel like dorm options as well to further reduce costs.

Check out Hotel Bahnhof: here

Find your accommodation for your Zermatt trip:

Getting to Zermatt

There are no airports in Zermatt.

The closest major airports are in Geneva and Zurich. I have flown in and out of both airports and I personally prefer the Geneva airport myself. However, the Zurich airport is the largest in Switzerland. It certainly is a massive airfield, complete with its own train system and station, a Capsule hotel (that I stayed in), lots of food and beverage options as well.

Whichever airport you choose to fly into (may a good flight deal be your guide in deciding), you will then take the train to Zermatt.

Tip: technically, the closest airport to Zermatt is in the Sion (SIR) airport, which is also in the canton of Valais. The Sion airport specializes in private aviation, although several major carriers do fly there. The town of Sion is known for the beautiful Basilique de Valére.

Food and Language

German is the language predominantly spoken in Zermatt. In fact, Swiss German culture is prevalent all throughout Zermatt. From the food, to the mannerisms, social interactions and architecture, there is German influence all throughout the town.

If you don’t speak any German, you needn’t worry. I always try to learn a bit of the language of where I’m headed, but I speak maybe a total of five German phrases. Despite this, I didn’t use a single one. Zermatt is an international tourist hub, so, it seems that mostly everyone throughout the village speaks English.

Foods to try on your Zermatt Trip

If you’re a foodie, you’ll want to pay attention here. If you’re not an adventurous eater, then you can just take these as suggestions to consider. Here are some Swiss foods you’ll want to try during your time in Zermatt:

Brezels

Have a ‘Brezel’ at the Train Station

I don’t care what anyone says, when you exit your train and arrive in Zermatt, stop everything and get a Pretzel at Bretzelkönig. First of all, if you love soft Pretzels the way I do, then you will adore the Pretzels at Bretselkönig. Grab one to munch on, during your walk to your hotel. They have pretzels with Raclette, Rösti and seasonal sensations like fig and caramel.

Tip: Pretzels are called Brezels in Switzerland.

Fondue

Fondue at Restaurant Whymper Stube

Undoubtedly, Fondue is likely one of the first dishes that comes to mind when you think of Switzerland. It would be practically criminal to visit Zermatt and not have Fondue. Usually, I like to research thoroughly what restaurants I want to visit at a destination. However, during my Zermatt trip I let fate take the wheel. This is partially because I was visiting during the off season and all bets were off as to whom would be open.

After a couple days of thoroughly browsing Zermatt village and peeking in (and at the menu) of several fondue restaurants in town, on complete whim and intuition, settled on Whymper Stube. Boy, was this a great decision. Not only was the service excellent, but the cozy, candle lit dining room with dark paneling on the walls made for the perfect rustic setting to have fondue in Switzerland for the first time. Turns out, this restaurant is named after Edward Whymper whom was the first person to ever summit the Matterhorn. Cheers to you, Edward!

Tip: Whymper Stube is closed from mid – April to mid May and closes again from mid – October to mid – November. During this time it will say “temporarily closed” on Google.

Black Crust Pizza and Raclette

Have you been eager to try ‘black crust pizza’ but haven’t made it to Iceland (where it originated) yet? Well, good news! You can suffice your ‘black crust pizza’ curiosity in Zermatt, if you make it to Switzerland first.

Located in Hotel Helvetia, is Grampi’s Bar & Restaurant. They serve up interesting, fresh, high quality pizza, pastas, entrees and desserts. They serve up the famed charcoal pizza which is said to aid in digestion, is very high in fiber and low in cholesterol. It’s topped with mascarpone (yum!), mozzarella, bacon, radicchio and tomatoes.

Raclette is Swiss’s national cheese. And guess what? It specifically originated in the Swiss Alps in the Canton of Valais (where Zermatt is located). So unless you have a dietary restriction, I’d say you have to have some Raclette while in the area.

You’ll have plenty of opportunities to do so, like my opportunity to have Raclette pizza topped with typical fondue accompaniments (gherkins and pickled pearl onions).

A great example of how prices can mount in Switzerland is a couple pizza pies set me back CHF 53.50 (which is just shy of $60 USD)! Again, part of that is eating in a touristy area in a popular Alpine town.

Tip: if you’re tired and feeling anti-social after a long day of adventuring, you can order your food to go and take it back to your accommodation (that’s what we did)!

Visit the Matterhorn Museum

I genuinely love museums, of any kind – but the Matterhorn museum is a good one. I think even someone who isn’t a museum lover can breeze through this museum and get a lot out of it.

Earnestly, I strongly recommend not skipping over the Matterhorn Museum. At minimum, it will give you lots of context for when you finally lay your eyes upon the famed mountain.

Tip: The museum is only open for very limited hours, so try to plan ahead. Tickets are CHF 12 for adults, CHF 10 for seniors, CHF 7 for kids 10 – 16, children under age 9 are free. Also, great news: if you have Swiss Pass for transportation, you can enter the museum for free!

Take the Gornergrat Railway to the Matterhorn

Visiting Gornergrat to see the Matterhorn is an entire day trip of its own. I had an absolutely divine day taking the Gornergrat Railway up to the summit. Laying eyes on the Matterhorn for the first time on the train was a moving moment, in all honesty.

Once you reach the last stop, there is another museum for you to visit, restaurants and shops to buy as much Riccola and Toblerone as your heart desires.

But, of course, the real moment you’ve been waiting for is grabbing your iconic photo op with the Matterhorn itself. Visiting in the off season (April), there was still quite a fair amount of travelers and snow bunnies roaming about. Although, far less than peak season would bring.

In fact, because we spent more than half a day enjoying ourselves at the summit, we found lots of opportunities to take incredible photos.

Obviously, you could spend an entire day alone just skiing and or snowboarding the various slopes.

Tip: You can book your train ticket in advance to avoid a long queue and hassle. This particular ticket includes admission to the ZOOOM the Matterhorn @Gornergrat Exhibit. You can book your ticket in advance: here.

Are you planning a trip to Zermatt? Have questions? Drop them in the comments, below!

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Tags: Alpine Towns, Destination Guide, Europe, Matterhorn, Switzerland, Zermatt, Zermatt Guide, Zermatt Tips