What the Swiss Travel Pass takes off the Gornergrat fare
The Gornergrat Bahn gives Swiss Travel Pass holders 50% off. In summer that's CHF 66 return instead of CHF 132. In winter it's CHF 48 instead of CHF 96, because the full fare drops to CHF 96 once the season changes.
The round trip includes the ZOOOM the Matterhorn exhibition at the top, so that isn't a second ticket. Where people lose money is the buying channel: the discount shows up online through swissrailways.com, the official SBB tourist webshop, with free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead. A third-party reseller will happily sell you a full-price CHF 132 ticket and never mention the pass.
Why two Gornergrat singles beat a return ticket
This is the one thing worth knowing before you tap buy, because the pricing has no loyalty bonus for booking the round trip.
| Return ticket | Two singles | |
|---|---|---|
| Summer cost with the pass | CHF 66 | CHF 66 |
| Walking down instead of riding | Wasted half of the CHF 66 | Just don't buy the second one |
| Breaking the journey partway | Fine, but you're still riding home | Buy down from Rotenboden or Riffelberg |
So buy singles. It costs the same and it leaves the decision open until you're standing at 3,089m deciding whether your knees fancy the descent.
The ride from Zermatt to Gornergrat: 33 minutes and 1,500m
The cogwheel leaves from beside Zermatt's main station, so you don't need to work out a bus or a walk across town. It's 9.3km and 33 minutes each way, climbing from Zermatt at 1,604m to Gornergrat at 3,089m while you sit still.
Sit on the right going up. That's where the Matterhorn is, and the people who sat on the left spend the second half of the journey standing in the aisle pretending they meant to.
There are four intermediate stations: Findelbach, Riffelalp, Riffelberg and Rotenboden. You can get off at any of them and walk to the next, which is what makes the singles advice worth following. First train is 7am. Last one down is 19:22 in July and August, 18:22 the rest of the year.
Zermatt Peak Pass and Peak2Peak: when a regional pass beats the 50%
If Gornergrat isn't your only mountain in Zermatt, two other tickets are worth doing the sums on.
- The Zermatt Peak Pass covers Gornergrat unlimited and is itself 25% off with a Swiss Travel Pass, so the discounts stack. No price recorded here, so check before you commit.
- Peak2Peak is a winter ticket at CHF 156 full price and CHF 78 with the Swiss Travel Pass, covering both Matterhorn Glacier Paradise and Gornergrat in a single day.
Peak2Peak at CHF 78 against CHF 48 for Gornergrat alone means the second mountain costs you CHF 30, if you've got the stamina for both in one day.
Walking down from Gornergrat instead of riding
The descent is the reason to buy singles, and it's not a scramble. Gornergrat down to Riffelberg is 4.5km, well marked, with the Matterhorn in view for nearly all of it.
Shorter options exist if you'd rather not commit to the whole thing. Rotenboden to Gornergrat is 2km uphill, Rotenboden down to Riffelberg is 2.8km, and Rotenboden to the Riffelsee is a 10 minute walk to the reflection photograph you've already seen a hundred times and will still take yourself.
Budget half a day if you're riding both ways, 3 to 4 hours if you're walking a section. Go in the morning: it's quieter, the lake sits flatter for reflections, and there are free tables.
What's actually at the top of Gornergrat
The view is the Matterhorn, the Gorner Glacier, the Monte Rosa massif and a horizon of four-thousanders, seen from 3,089m. The built stuff is more than you'd expect at that altitude.
- ZOOOM the Matterhorn, an exhibition included in the CHF 66.
- The Stellarium Gornergrat observatory, with a telescope.
- The 3100 Kulmhotel, the highest hotel in the Swiss Alps.
- The highest shopping arcade in Europe, which is a sentence that exists.
- Wheelchair-accessible toilets.
If the weather turns, ZOOOM, the Stellarium, the arcade and the hotel all keep you indoors.
When Gornergrat runs and when it doesn't
The railway runs year round, with one gap: a maintenance break from 2 to 14 November 2026. In winter there are Thursday evening rides with stargazing and fondue, which is the only time the mountain does anything after dark.
Getting to Zermatt from Zurich takes about 3 hours 15 minutes via Visp, all of it covered by your Swiss Travel Pass, so the CHF 66 is the only money you spend on the day beyond food.
Altitude at 3,089m and how it feels
You climb over 1,500m in 33 minutes without doing any of the work yourself, and your body notices. Breathlessness is normal at the top and some people get a bit dizzy walking around at the top.
It passes. Move slowly at first rather than sprinting to the best photo spot, and if you're planning to walk down, that's the direction your lungs prefer anyway.
More half-price mountains are listed on the mountain coverage page, and the previous one in this run is Pfingstegg.
FAQ
Is Gornergrat free with the Swiss Travel Pass?
No, it's 50% off rather than free. You'll pay CHF 66 in summer against a full fare of CHF 132, or CHF 48 in winter against CHF 96.
Where do I buy the discounted Gornergrat ticket?
Online through swissrailways.com, the official SBB tourist webshop, which shows the pass discount and gives you free cancellation up to 24 hours before. Other resellers will sell you a full-price ticket instead.
Should I buy a Gornergrat return or two singles?
Two singles. A return costs exactly the same and commits you to riding back down, so singles keep the option of walking open at no extra cost.
Which side of the Gornergrat train should I sit on?
The right side going up. That's the Matterhorn side, and it's a 33 minute journey, so it's worth getting on early enough to choose.
How long do I need at Gornergrat?
Half a day if you ride both ways, 3 to 4 hours if you walk a section such as Gornergrat down to Riffelberg. Mornings are quieter and the Riffelsee reflections are calmer.
Does the Gornergrat ticket include the ZOOOM the Matterhorn exhibition?
Yes, ZOOOM the Matterhorn is included in the round trip ticket at no extra cost. The Stellarium observatory, the shopping arcade and the 3100 Kulmhotel are also up there.
Is Gornergrat open all year?
Year round, apart from a maintenance break from 2 to 14 November 2026. First train is 7am and the last one down leaves at 19:22 in July and August, 18:22 for the rest of the year.