The 50% comes off the ascent, not the trip to the valley
Every one of these twenty-four mountains works the same way at the counter. Your train, bus or boat to the bottom station is free on the pass, in full, no fiddling. Then you buy the ascent ticket at half price and go up. So the number that matters is the mountain fare itself, not the total on the board. Twenty of the twenty-four halve cleanly. Three do something odder, and then there's Bürgenstock, where the boat and the bus are free and only the funicular is discounted at all.
You hand over the pass at the ticket window, ask for the Swiss Travel Pass fare, and pay. There's no rebate, no form, no claiming anything back later.
Every fare before and after the Swiss Travel Pass
All figures in Swiss francs, return unless the route says otherwise, and a few move with the season.
| Mountain | Full fare | With the pass |
|---|---|---|
| Pilatus, Silver Round Trip from Lucerne | 94.20 | 42 |
| Titlis from Engelberg | 102 | 51 |
| Bürgenstock funicular | — | 50% off |
| Brienzer Rothorn from Brienz | 96 | 48 |
| Brienzer Rothorn through to Sörenberg | 125.50 | 62.75 |
| Harder Kulm | 51 | 25.50 |
| Schynige Platte from Wilderswil | 68 | 34 |
| The Niesen from Mülenen | 68 | 34 |
| Schilthorn from Mürren | 91.40 | 45.70 |
| Schilthorn from Stechelberg | 115 | 57.50 |
| Männlichen from Grindelwald Terminal | 34 | 17 |
| Männlichen from Wengen | 62 | 31 |
| Grindelwald First, June to August | 76 | 38 |
| Grindelwald First, September to May | 72 | 36 |
| Pfingstegg | 32 | 16 |
| Gornergrat, summer | 132 | 66 |
| Gornergrat, winter | 96 | 48 |
| Matterhorn Glacier Paradise | 100 to 120 | 50 to 60 |
| Sunnegga from Zermatt | 26 | 13 |
| Zermatt's Rothorn | 60 to 70 | 30 to 35 |
| Mittelallalin from Saas-Fee | 79 | 39.50 |
| Eggishorn from Fiesch | 52 | 26 |
| Glacier 3000 from Col du Pillon | 89 | 44.50 |
| Monte Generoso, summer | 72 | 36 |
| Monte Generoso, winter | 54 | 27 |
| Monte Brè | 30 | 15 |
| Monte San Salvatore | 32 | 16 |
| Monte Tamaro | 34 | 17 |
| Cardada-Cimetta from Locarno | 47 | 25.50 |
| Säntis from Schwägalp | 58 | 29 |
| Oeschinensee, three summer bands | 36 / 40 / 36 | 18.50 / 22.50 / 18.50 |
| Oeschinensee, winter | 32 | 16 |
Three mountains where the half isn't a half
Twenty of the twenty-four do exactly what the tier says. These three don't, and they are the ones that catch people out.
- Pilatus. Only the cogwheel and the cableways are halved. The Lucerne legs sitting inside that CHF 94.20 Silver Round Trip are already free on your pass, so you pay CHF 42, not the 47.10 you'd get from halving the whole thing.
- Cardada-Cimetta. The only trip on the network carrying two discount rates at once. The Locarno to Orselina funicular is CHF 8 with 25% off, so CHF 6. The Orselina to Cardada to Cimetta legs are CHF 39 with 50% off, so CHF 19.50. Total CHF 25.50 against CHF 47, and you can't buy the two halves together at Locarno.
- Oeschinensee. A flat CHF 17.50 off each summer band rather than a proportion: CHF 18.50 against 36, CHF 22.50 against 40, CHF 18.50 against 36. Winter is CHF 16 against 32, which is the only band where it does land on a half.
Bürgenstock is a fourth kind of odd. The Lucerne boat and the Stansstad bus are free, the Kehrsiten funicular is 50%, and the Hammetschwand lift, the highest outdoor lift in Europe, isn't covered at all. The funicular fare itself isn't published as a figure, so the discount is a percentage rather than a price.
Schilthorn and Männlichen: two ways up, two prices
These are the two mountains where the valley station you start from changes what you pay.
| Schilthorn | Männlichen | |
|---|---|---|
| Cheaper base | Mürren, CHF 45.70 | Grindelwald Terminal, CHF 17 |
| Dearer base | Stechelberg, CHF 57.50 | Wengen, CHF 31 |
| Full fares | 91.40 and 115 | 34 and 62 |
| Why the gap | Stechelberg buys a leg your pass already gets you free | Two separate cableways, each halved from its own fare |
| Best move | Up one way, down the other via Grütschalp and Stechelberg | Up one side, walk to Kleine Scheidegg, cogwheel down free |
Your pass reaches Mürren free from three directions, so paying the Stechelberg fare is paying twice for the bottom of the mountain. At Männlichen, the Grindelwald Terminal line is the longest passenger cableway in Europe and the Wengen car climbs 947m. The panorama trail from the top station to Kleine Scheidegg is 4.68km and takes about an hour and a quarter, and the cogwheel down to Grindelwald or Wengen is free on the pass, so a day on the ridge costs you nothing but the ride up: CHF 8.50 from Grindelwald Terminal, CHF 15.50 from Wengen.
Booking ahead: one is compulsory, three are worth doing
Most of these you can just turn up at, but one will send you home if you do.
- Oeschinensee. A time slot is compulsory from 20 June to 20 September 2026. It's free, it isn't included in any pass, and it isn't in a ticket bought through SBB Mobile. People get turned away at the station without one.
- Pilatus. Recommended on the Alpnachstad cogwheel at weekends and around midday. Booked direct with the railway, and not part of the mountain ticket.
- Titlis. Free and optional, and only for the Trübsee to Titlis leg.
- Brienzer Rothorn. Strongly recommended in good weather, at weekends and through the summer holidays.
- Schynige Platte. You can't reserve a seat at all. First come first served, and it tightens on clear days in July and August.
- Schilthorn, Gornergrat, Männlichen and Cardada. Nothing needed. At Cardada, though, the funicular station in Locarno sells funicular tickets only, and the ticket for the two legs above is bought at Orselina.
One booking quirk worth CHF 66: the Gornergrat pass fare is sold online through swissrailways.com, the official SBB webshop, with free cancellation up to 24 hours before. Resellers will happily sell you the full-price ticket instead.
When these mountains are actually running in 2026
A half-price ticket is worth nothing if the cable car is in pieces, and a few of these have long closed seasons.
- Säntis. Cable car suspended since 1 May 2026 for a full rebuild. No reopening date beyond late autumn.
- Schynige Platte. 13 June to 25 October 2026, and no winter service at all.
- Mittelallalin. 18 July to 31 October, then 5 December to 19 April. Shut in between.
- Brienzer Rothorn. Full service to the summit 6 June to 25 October.
- Niesen. 25 April to 8 November 2026.
- Männlichen. Summer season 23 May to 25 October 2026 on both routes.
- Sunnegga and Rothorn. Sunnegga 13 June to 11 October, Rothorn only 27 June to 4 October.
- Grindelwald First. Shut roughly November into early December.
- Monte San Salvatore. Runs to 18 October 2026, then closed until 28 March.
- Monte Generoso. December to March it's four trains a day, weekends and public holidays only, and daily over Christmas.
- Oeschinensee. Shut about ten days in November and from mid March to mid May.
- Year round. Gornergrat, Titlis, Schilthorn, Glacier 3000 and Monte Brè.
What the halved ticket already buys you at the summit
Several of these mountains fold their attractions into the fare, which is where the 50% starts looking better than it reads.
- Gornergrat: the ZOOOM the Matterhorn exhibition.
- Titlis: the Rotair, the glacier cave and the Cliff Walk.
- Grindelwald First: the Cliff Walk.
- Schynige Platte: the Alpine Botanical Garden.
- Glacier 3000: the Peak Walk, Ice Express, Glacier Walk and Snow Fun Park.
- Matterhorn Glacier Paradise: the Glacier Palace, Cinema Lounge and summit platform.
And if you happen to be there on your birthday, the Niesen and the Schilthorn will take you up for nothing. Bring ID.
Where a regional pass beats the 50%
On a few of these mountains the half-price fare is the second-best deal on offer, so it's worth knowing what the local passes do.
- Lucerne Travel Pass: covers the whole Pilatus Golden Round Trip, the Titlis cable car and the Bürgenstock funicular in full.
- Berner Oberland Pass: covers the Brienzer Rothorn round trip in full, bus and train back included, but excludes the Mürren to Schilthorn leg and has given nothing at Oeschinensee since January 2026.
- Jungfrau Travel Pass: both Männlichen routes in full, and 25% on the Schilthorn top leg.
- Zermatt Peak Pass: itself 25% off if you hold the Swiss Travel Pass.
- Peak2Peak: a winter ticket covering Gornergrat and Matterhorn Glacier Paradise in one day, CHF 156 full and CHF 78 with the pass.
Children on the 50% mountains
Kids aged 6 to 15 pay half price on most of these, and under 6s ride free everywhere. On Pilatus, Brienzer Rothorn, Schynige Platte and Glacier 3000, a child with a Swiss Family Card travels free as long as a parent is holding the pass, which turns the Pilatus round trip for a family of four into two adult fares.
What your half-price ticket won't stretch to
The reduction stops at the lift, and a fair number of the fun bits at the top are sold separately.
- Grindelwald First: the Flyer, Glider, mountain carts and Trottibikes aren't in the fare, though the pass discounts them.
- Pfingstegg: no discount at all on the toboggan run or the Fly-Line, with any pass, and both are sold on site only.
- Bürgenstock: the Hammetschwand lift isn't covered at all.
- Männlichen: the Royal Ride on the cable car roof is CHF 5 one way on top of whatever pass you hold.
- Monte Tamaro: the Adventure Park is a separate CHF 46.
- Matterhorn Glacier Paradise: the operator prices dynamically, which is why the fare is a range and not a figure.
- Gornergrat: a return saves you nothing over two singles and ties you to coming back down by train. Buy singles and walk part of the way.
All twenty-four, region by region
Every one of these has its own page with the fare, the season and what the halved ticket leaves you paying for at the top. They're grouped by where you'd be staying, because that decides which are a day out and which are a trek.
Central Switzerland and Lucerne
Half priceKehrsiten by boat · 1h 30mins from ZurichBürgenstockThe boat from Lucerne is free. The Hammetschwand lift at the top is not covered at all. Half off the funicularSee Bürgenstock →
Half priceAlpnachstad or Kriens · 1h 30mins from ZurichMount PilatusGetting to either valley station costs you nothing, and the climb is half price.You pay CHF 42See Pilatus →
Half priceEngelberg · 1h 45mins from ZurichMount TitlisEngelberg is free to reach. Only the cable car above it is discounted rather than covered.You pay CHF 51See Titlis →Bernese Oberland and the Jungfrau region
Half priceStechelberg or Mürren · 2h 45mins from ZurichSchilthornFree as far as Mürren, then half price on the cable cars above it.You pay CHF 57.50See Schilthorn →
Half priceWengen or Grindelwald · 2h 30mins from ZurichMännlichenHalf price from either side, and the start of the easiest famous ridge walk in the region. Half off either ascentSee Männlichen →
Half priceGrindelwald · 2h 30mins from ZurichGrindelwald FirstThe Cliff Walk is in the ticket. The zip lines and the carts are not.You pay CHF 38See First →
Half priceWilderswil · 2h 15mins from ZurichSchynige PlatteMid June to late October only, and 50 minutes each way on the cogwheel. Half off the cogwheelSee Schynige Platte →
Half priceInterlaken Ost · 2h from ZurichHarder KulmThe shortest and cheapest of the Interlaken viewpoints, and a signed walk from the station.You pay CHF 25.50See Harder Kulm →
Half priceBrienz · 2h 15mins from ZurichBrienzer RothornA steam cogwheel that only runs from June to late October.You pay CHF 48See the Rothorn →
Half priceMülenen · 2h 20mins from ZurichThe NiesenLate April to early November only, on the longest staircase in the world.You pay CHF 34See the Niesen →
Half priceGrindelwald · 2h 30mins from ZurichPfingsteggThe cheap, quiet Grindelwald mountain, though the toboggan and the Fly Line cost extra.You pay CHF 16See Pfingstegg →
Half priceKanderstegOeschinenseeThe lake and the hour-long walk up from Kandersteg are free to everyone.You pay CHF 16 in winterSee Oeschinensee →Valais, Zermatt and Saas-Fee
Half priceZermatt · 3h 15mins from ZurichGornergratDon't buy the full-price ticket online if you are holding a pass.You pay CHF 66 in summerSee Gornergrat →
Half priceZermatt · 3h 15mins from ZurichMatterhorn Glacier ParadiseThe highest mountain station in Europe, and the priciest ride in the country.You pay CHF 50 to 60See the Glacier Paradise →
Half priceZermatt · 3h 15mins from ZurichSunnegga and RothornThe cheapest Zermatt viewpoint. Carrying on up to Rothorn is CHF 30 to 35.You pay CHF 13See Sunnegga →
Half priceSaas-Fee · 3h 15mins from ZurichMittelallalinIt opens in two windows a year, so check the dates before you plan around it.You pay CHF 39.50See Mittelallalin →
Half priceFiesch · 2h 30mins from ZurichEggishornThe best view of the Aletsch Glacier. Bettmerhorn, opposite, gets no discount at all. Half off the cablewaySee Eggishorn →Lake Geneva and the west
Ticino
Half priceCapolago · 3h from ZurichMonte GenerosoThe cogwheel from Capolago is the highest ride in the Lugano area.You pay CHF 36 in summerSee Monte Generoso →
Half priceLugano-Paradiso · 3h from ZurichMonte San SalvatoreIn midsummer it runs to 22:30, which makes it the best evening view in Lugano.You pay CHF 16See San Salvatore →
Half priceCassarate, Lugano · 3h from ZurichMonte BrèThe sunniest of the two Lugano mountains, and the quieter one.You pay CHF 15See Monte Brè →
Half priceRivera-Bironico · 2h 30mins from ZurichMonte TamaroThe family mountain of Ticino. The rope park and the coaster cost extra. Half off the cablewaySee Monte Tamaro →
Half priceLocarno · 3h from ZurichCardada-CimettaHalf off the cableway above Orselina, but only a quarter off the Locarno funicular below it.You pay CHF 25.50See Cardada →
Mountains on a different rate to these twenty-four
The 50% tier isn't the whole picture, and two of the famous names sit outside it.
- Rochers-de-Naye: 60% off, the deepest reduction the pass gives anywhere.
- Jungfraujoch: 25%, on the last leg only, and a Half Fare Card works out about CHF 49 cheaper up there.
- Rigi, Stanserhorn and Stoos: covered outright, no ticket to buy.
- Five summits: nothing at all. Full price, pass or no pass.
The full breakdown of which tier each mountain falls into is on the mountain coverage hub.
FAQ
Does the Swiss Travel Pass cover the train to the mountain?
Yes, in full. Train, bus and boat to the valley station cost you nothing, and the 50% applies only to the ascent above that point. That's why the Pilatus fare is CHF 42 rather than half of the CHF 94.20 round trip.
How much is Gornergrat with the Swiss Travel Pass?
CHF 66 in summer against a full fare of CHF 132, and CHF 48 in winter against CHF 96. Buy it through swissrailways.com, the official SBB webshop, which gives free cancellation up to 24 hours before.
Do I need to book a slot for Oeschinensee?
Between 20 June and 20 September 2026, yes, and it's compulsory. The slot is free but it isn't included in any pass or in a ticket bought through SBB Mobile, and people without one get turned away at the station.
Is Säntis open in 2026?
No. The cable car has been suspended since 1 May 2026 for a full rebuild, and there's no reopening date on the table beyond late autumn.
Is Jungfraujoch 50% off with the pass?
No, it's 25%, and only on the final leg. If Jungfraujoch is your main target, a Half Fare Card comes out around CHF 49 cheaper.
Should I go up Schilthorn from Mürren or Stechelberg?
Mürren, at CHF 45.70 against CHF 57.50 from Stechelberg. Your pass already gets you to Mürren free from three directions, so the Stechelberg fare is paying for a leg you already hold.
