Zermatt winter snowshoe walking and winter hiking holiday for individuals
This seven-night winter snowshoe walking and winter hiking holiday features a stay in winter in the iconic mountain resort of Zermatt, at the foot of the mighty Matterhorn. This iconic mountain with its sharp features dominates its surroundings, touching the sky at 4,478 metres above sea level. The picturesque resort of Zermatt sits in the narrow valley underneath the majestic mountain, and it is from here that you can enjoy a choice of six marked snowshoe walks and several winter hikes nearby. Enjoy the vistas, the landscape, the snow, the fresh air of the mountains around Zermatt without the need to be on skis. From the resort itself or accessed by the mountain Gornergrat railway or by cable-car, you can enjoy several well-signposted snowshoe walks or just winter hiking trails. Snowshoeing on the Gornergrat offers the most beautiful views: the Matterhorn and many other four-thousanders. Winter hiking leads to undiscovered hamlets or sun-drenched terraces with magnificent views above Zermatt, Täsch and Randa. And then as a great reward, stopping at a cosy mountain restaurant, perhaps in Zmutt, Stafel or at Riffelberg.
Highlights
• A choice of six snowshoe trails • A choice of many mountain hikes • See the Matterhorn in the snow
Holiday price guide Sample prices are per person based on two people sharing a double or twin room for 7 nights.
From about
£1,540
Holiday Code FHCH05
The prices displayed here are a guide only. Each holiday price will be tailor-made at the time of booking to reflect all actual costs including up-to-date special offers.
Call us on 01392 441266
Zermatt winter snowshoe walking and winter hiking holiday for individuals
This holiday can be arranged with flights from the UK to Switzerland or with rail travel from London to Switzerland. If travelling by air, your holiday starts with a flight to Geneva airport where you catch a direct train to Brig. This is a very scenic stretch along the northern edge of Lake Geneva, passing through the towns of Lausanne and Montreux as well as the pretty lakeside Chillon Castle. Change at Brig onto the Matterhorn Gotthard railway which heads up the narrow valley to Zermatt. About 4 hours after leaving Geneva airport, the unmissable shape of the Matterhorn appears overhead and you pull into Zermatt station. If travelling from the UK by rail, you leave London on a morning Eurostar to Paris at around 8am. Take a local taxi from Gare du Nord to Gare de Lyon and catch the afternoon TGV-Lyria service to Basel. You arrive here mid-afternoon and head south via Brig to Zermatt. The hotel will send a complimentary shuttle to collect you from the train station and you check-in to your room to settle in and relax after the day of travelling.
Zermatt offers six different snowshoe trails with a choice of easy or medium difficulty. A map is provided and available in most hotels, at the ski lift points and on-line. The communal authorities of Zermatt are responsible for the opening and closing hours and the maintenance of the hiking trails. The snowshoe trails are signposted in pink. Here is a summary of the snowshoe walks. Snowshoes can be hired at various winter sports ski hire shops in Zermatt. The different snowshoe trails are detailed one by one on the Programme tab.
This can be a challenging hike depending on the snow conditions as the route leads 741 vertical metres down the mountain. Enjoy the outstanding views over Zermatt. The route begins at Schwarzsee and over the pastures of Alp Hermetji. You then enter the woodland and may be able to spot a chamois. The final section of the walk follows the road back to Furi where snowshoes are no longer required. Pink poles mark the route every 100 m.
When you are not on your snowshoes then there are plenty of other activities, both on the snow and in the village. There are the mountain hikes, some reached by cable-car and railway, and others from the village itself, and there are about 15 kms of trails for cross-country ski-ing, between Täsch and Randa with Täsch being a good choice for beginners as it is relatively flat. You can also take the world’s highest 3S cableway to the Glacier Paradise at a height of 3,821 m. There is a viewing platform with panoramic views of 14 glaciers and 38 four-thousand-metre peaks, and a cinema lounge showing short films about alpinism, flora, fauna and the cable cars in this area. Enjoy a traditional and hearty lunch in the ultra-modern restaurant. You might like to visit the Zermatlantis Matterhorn Museum which offers an insight into the development of the village and documents the triumph and tragedy which accompanied the first ascent of the Matterhorn in 1865. Zermatt has a uniquely high concentration of gourmet restaurants and no visit to the Swiss Alps should be complete without having treated yourself to a traditional fondue or raclette.
You enjoy a final breakfast at your hotel before starting your journey home. If flying back from Geneva airport you have time for a relaxed breakfast before retracing your steps via Brig to catch an afternoon flight home. If returning to the UK by rail we recommend leaving the hotel around 9.30am and taking a route home via Brig and Lausanne, instead Basel. This allows you to admire the majestic form of the French Alps and Lake Geneva before heading back through the French countryside. You change onto the Eurostar at Paris and arrive home around 9.30pm.
Holiday price guide Sample prices are per person based on two people sharing a double or twin room for 7 nights.
From about
£1,540
Holiday Code FHCH05
The prices displayed here are a guide only. Each holiday price will be tailor-made at the time of booking to reflect all actual costs including up-to-date special offers.
Our prices include
● 7 nights’ bed and breakfast in a Standard double room at the Romantik Hotel Julen, Zermatt
● One wine tasting at the hotel
● Concierge service, regional helpful hints and walking notes
Additional information This is a winter holiday and dependent upon the snow conditions in Zermatt, and generally possible from just before Christmas until April.
Call us on 01392 441266
Zermatt snowshoe trails
Gornergrat to Rotenboden (easy)
Duration: 1 hour, distance: 1.7 km. Hiking time in reverse direction: approximately 1h 30. This snowshoe trail follows close to the Gornergrat Bahn railway line. The hike features magnificent mountain vistas – taking in the Matterhorn, Klein Matterhorn, Breithorn and other peaks. Start at 3,089 m and descend to 2,815 m. For keen railway enthusiasts, there are also views of the cog trains of the Gornergrat Bahn as they twist prettily through the landscape. Set off to the left of the Gornergrat railway line and follow the pink markers which are approximately every 100m. If you want to extend the hike, it is possible to do so by continuing along the Panorama Trail to Riffelberg (detailed below).
Family trail (easy)
Duration: 2 hours in either direction, distance: 3.6 km. This trail takes you through a light forest between Täsch and Randa and is rooted in the valley of the Mattervispa. There is a varied terrain with gradual descents and gentle climbs making it suitable for a family. Enjoy the upward view of the valley towards the Breithorn and Klein Matterhorn.
Discovery trail (medium)
Duration: 1 hour 20 minutes, distance 4.7 km. Hiking time in reverse direction: approximately 1 hour 40 This route takes you through a green pine forest, where ancient, twisted trees line the trail. If you remain still, you may see a squirrel or deer. The end point is the Findeln hamlet, which is famous for its mountain restaurant and its appealing sunny terraces. From here you can enjoy a spectacular view of the Matterhorn. Start at Riffelalp in the direction of Grünsee and end in Findeln. Pink poles mark the route every 100m. It is also possible to detour to Lake Grunsee.
North Face Trail – Schwarzsee (2,583m) to Stafelalp (2,199m) (medium)
Duration: 1 hour 10 minutes, distance 3.3 km. Hiking time in reverse: 2 hours The route begins at the foot of the north face of the Matterhorn in Schwarzsee and through the pretty landscape around Stafelalp. It is worth noting that the sun disappears very early in the day during winter and temperatures can get very cold. There are pink markers approximately every 100 m along the route. For the final section of the walk, you follow the hiking trail back to Furi where snowshoes are no longer required.
Panorama trail – Rotenboden (2,815m) to Riffelberg (2,582m) (medium)
Duration: 1 hour 30 minutes in either direction, distance 2.5 km. This trail takes you from Rotenboden to Riffelberg. During the hike, you will pass the frozen Riffelsee and go past the chapel at Riffelberg. Enjoy the magnificent panorama taking in the Matterhorn, Obergabelhorn, Zinalrothorn and Weisshorn. The route is marked approximately every 100 m with pink poles.
White Magic Trail – Schwarzsee (2,583m) to Furi (1,867m) (medium)
Duration: 1 hour 45 minutes, distance 7.4 km. This can be a challenging hike depending on the snow conditions as the route leads 741 vertical metres down the mountain. Enjoy the outstanding views over Zermatt. The route begins at Schwarzsee and over the pastures of Alp Hermetji. You then enter the woodland and may be able to spot a chamois. The final section of the walk follows the road back to Furi where snowshoes are no longer required. Pink poles mark the route every 100 m.
Holiday price guide Sample prices are per person based on two people sharing a double or twin room for 7 nights.
From about
£1,540
Holiday Code FHCH05
The prices displayed here are a guide only. Each holiday price will be tailor-made at the time of booking to reflect all actual costs including up-to-date special offers.
Our prices include
• 7 nights’ bed and breakfast in a Standard double room at the Romantik Hotel Julen, Zermatt
• One wine tasting at the hotel
• Concierge service, regional helpful hints and walking notes
The journey and how you get there There are flights with British Airways from London Heathrow to Geneva several times a day. From here there are hourly services via Brig to Zermatt. Travel by rail from the UK starts with taking the Eurostar to Paris. Here you can either take the TGV-Lyria to Basel and travel south via Brig to Zermatt or take the more southernly route to Lausanne before heading east to Brig and Zermatt. We recommend a circular trip taking one route there and a different one back. If travelling by train, you will need to break the journey in Paris, Basel or Lausanne.
Additional information This is a winter holiday and dependent upon the snow conditions in Zermatt, and generally possible from just before Christmas until April.
Call us on 01392 441266
Zermatt winter snowshoe walking and winter hiking holiday for individuals
Holiday price guide Sample prices are per person based on two people sharing a double or twin room for 7 nights.
From about
£1,540
Holiday Code FHCH05
The prices displayed here are a guide only. Each holiday price will be tailor-made at the time of booking to reflect all actual costs including up-to-date special offers.
Our prices include
• 7 nights’ bed and breakfast in a Standard double room at the Romantik Hotel Julen, Zermatt
• One wine tasting at the hotel
• Concierge service, regional helpful hints and walking notes
The journey and how you get there There are flights with British Airways from London Heathrow to Geneva several times a day. From here there are hourly services via Brig to Zermatt. Travel by rail from the UK starts with taking the Eurostar to Paris. Here you can either take the TGV-Lyria to Basel and travel south via Brig to Zermatt or take the more southernly route to Lausanne before heading east to Brig and Zermatt. We recommend a circular trip taking one route there and a different one back. If travelling by train, you will need to break the journey in Paris, Basel or Lausanne.
Additional information This is a winter holiday and dependent upon the snow conditions in Zermatt, and generally possible from just before Christmas until April.
Call us on 01392 441266
Zermatt winter snowshoe walking and winter hiking holiday for individuals
About Valais
Within the Valais region to the east of Lake Geneva sits the mountain resort of Zermatt and one of the most popular and recognisable bases for walking holidays in Switzerland. Zermatt is located at the foot of the Matterhorn and at the heart of a giant hiking and ski-ing region offering access to the natural surroundings by 54 mountain railways and lifts. The region is legendary amongst mountaineers but also renowned for its hiking trails which stretch for over 400 kms through and out of the Matter Valley, including mule traders’ trails which date from the 13th Century. One popular access route to the mountains and its tracks and trails is on the 3089-metre-high Gornergrat cog railway. There is walking for all grades of experience and fitness and the way the trails work around Zermatt is that you can switch from one grade to another as you extend the walk. In this way you can build up the day’s walking from several walks of different grades, if you want to.