What the Zermatt Peak Pass gets you on the mountain
It's an unlimited ticket for the three lift systems out of Zermatt, plus a few things that ride along with them. Here's the list the operator actually publishes:
- Zermatt to Gornergrat, unlimited
- Zermatt to Matterhorn Glacier Paradise, unlimited
- Zermatt to Rothorn, unlimited
- Furi to Riffelberg
Ski lifts and chairlifts are out. Testa Grigia isn't on the list either, so treat the crossing into Italy as something you pay for separately rather than something you'll talk your way onto.
The extras are already in your Swiss Travel Pass
The Peak Pass also carries you on the Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn between Randa, Täsch and Zermatt, on the local Zermatt buses, and into the Glacier Palace, the Cinema Lounge, the Klein Matterhorn viewing platform and the InfoCube at Trockener Steg. That reads well until you check what you're already holding. The Täsch train and the town buses are ordinary public transport, which your Swiss Travel Pass covers outright, and the Glacier Palace, Cinema Lounge, platform and InfoCube all come with any Matterhorn Glacier Paradise ticket anyway. So the second half of the sales pitch is a list of things you own twice.
Peak Pass prices: about CHF 250 in winter, CHF 320 in summer
The operator doesn't publish a price grid by duration, only that the number moves with how many days you buy and which season you're in, so those are four-day figures. The discount is where it gets awkward.
| Full price | With Swiss Travel Pass, Half Fare or GA | |
|---|---|---|
| Peak Pass, four winter days | CHF 250 | CHF 187.50 (25% off) |
| Peak Pass, four summer days | CHF 320 | CHF 240 (25% off) |
| Individual mountain tickets | Full | 50% off |
The Peak Pass is discounted at half the rate of the thing it is meant to replace, which is the whole problem in one line. Swiss Travel Pass, Half Fare Card and GA holders all get the same 25%, so there's no clever combination hiding in there.
One ascent of each mountain in summer: CHF 146 to 161 with the pass, CHF 292 to 322 without
This is the sum that decides it, and it flips completely depending on what's in your pocket.
| Summer ascent | Full price | With Swiss Travel Pass |
|---|---|---|
| Gornergrat | CHF 132 | CHF 66 |
| Matterhorn Glacier Paradise | CHF 100 to 120 | CHF 50 to 60 |
| Rothorn | CHF 60 to 70 | CHF 30 to 35 |
| All three | CHF 292 to 322 | CHF 146 to 161 |
| Four-day Peak Pass | CHF 320 | CHF 240 |
If you're buying at full price, a guide telling you a three-day Peak Pass beats three separate tickets is telling you the truth. With a Swiss Travel Pass, the same three ascents cost CHF 146 to 161 against CHF 240 for the discounted Peak Pass, a gap of CHF 79 to 94. Closing that takes roughly one and a half ascents of every mountain across your four days, which means going back up Gornergrat, back up Klein Matterhorn and back up Rothorn, and then doing half of it again. Possible. Rarely what your legs or the weather have in mind.
Rothorn runs 27 June to 4 October only
Outside that window your summer Peak Pass is covering two mountains out of three, and Rothorn is the cheapest of the three anyway, so it's the smallest possible consolation. Whether the price drops to match isn't published.
Peak2Peak is the better stack in winter at CHF 78
If you're in Zermatt in winter with a Swiss Travel Pass, this is the one to look at instead. Peak2Peak is CHF 156 full price and CHF 78 with the Swiss Travel Pass, a proper 50% reduction rather than 25%, and it covers Gornergrat and Matterhorn Glacier Paradise on a single day. Set that against CHF 187.50 for four winter days on the Peak Pass, with Gornergrat and Klein Matterhorn coming to CHF 98 to 108 as halved singles, and the Peak Pass has to earn its keep purely on repeat rides. Four days of going up and down the same three mountains is a specific kind of holiday, and if it's yours, buy it. If it isn't, don't.
Snowsports need a separate ticket
The Peak Pass isn't a ski pass and won't get you through a ski lift gate. In summer there's a snow sports option sold at the Matterhorn Glacier Paradise desk, CHF 40 a day and CHF 20 for children, available 1 May to 31 October.
How to work out whether it pays for you
- Count how many separate ascents you'll genuinely make, not how many you'd like to.
- Halve the single-ticket price of each one, because that's what your Swiss Travel Pass does.
- Add them up and compare against CHF 187.50 for four winter days or CHF 240 for four summer days.
- If you're within about CHF 80 of the Peak Pass, you'd need to ride everything one and a half times over to break even, so take the singles.
- In winter, check what your pass already covers and price Peak2Peak at CHF 78 before you do anything else.
The same sum decides the Half Fare Card and the Lake Geneva Alps Pass, both of which are set out with the rest on the pass comparisons.
FAQ
How much is the Zermatt Peak Pass?
About CHF 250 for four days in winter and CHF 320 in summer. The operator doesn't publish a full price list by duration, only that the price moves with the number of days and the season.
Does the Swiss Travel Pass give a discount on the Zermatt Peak Pass?
Yes, 25% off, so around CHF 187.50 for four winter days and CHF 240 for four summer days. Half Fare Card and GA holders get exactly the same 25%.
Which mountains does the Zermatt Peak Pass cover?
Gornergrat, Matterhorn Glacier Paradise and Rothorn, all unlimited, plus Furi to Riffelberg. Ski lifts and chairlifts aren't included, and Testa Grigia isn't on the operator's list, so the crossing into Italy sits outside it.
Can I ski on the Zermatt Peak Pass?
No, it isn't valid for snowsports. There's a summer snow sports option at CHF 40 a day, CHF 20 for children, sold at the Matterhorn Glacier Paradise desk between 1 May and 31 October.
Is Rothorn open all summer?
It runs 27 June to 4 October. Outside those dates a summer Peak Pass is covering two of its three mountains, and whether the price drops to match isn't published.
What's the cheapest way to do Gornergrat and Klein Matterhorn in winter?
Peak2Peak, at CHF 156 full price and CHF 78 with a Swiss Travel Pass, covers both on one day at a 50% reduction. Buying them as halved singles comes to CHF 98 to 108, so Peak2Peak wins if you're doing both.
