Discover what to do, when you only have 3 days in Zermatt! Learn about the most beautiful hikes, tasty food and where to find the best views. We have written a 3 day itinerary so that you won't miss the must-see places during your weekend in Zermatt.
Unforgettable sight: The Matterhorn at sunrise. (© Kurt Müller)
Experience the captivating allure of Zermatt in Summer, with a multitude of activities and sights from May to September.
Start your first day discovering the village, its history and taking the epic mountain train "Gornergrat Bahn" up the mountains.
Sunrise at the church bridge Zermatt
If you arrived the night before, you will have the chance to start your visit with an event that even the locals still admire every morning: the sun illuminating the Matterhorn. This is best seen from the church bridge in the center of the village. Even if you don’t arrive in the morning of the first of your three days, the Kirchbrücke is worth visiting for the best view of the Matterhorn.
Zermatt church square
Right in front of the church bridge is the famous Kirchplatz. Here you can find a delicious ice cream parlor – why not start your vacation on a sweet note? On the square you can also find souvenir shops, which offer not only standard souvenirs, but also rather strange items. For example, you can find stuffed marmots, marmot ointment and everything else related to marmots. Zermatt has also built a marmot fountain here.
Morning walk through Zermatt and Altdorf
Next, a morning walk through the village is perfect. Follow the river “Vispa”, stroll through the Hinterdorf, also called Altdorf, with over 500 year old stables and through the narrow streets of the Bahnhofstrasse with its many little shops. Find out more beforehand in our article on the Zermatt history and use the Matterhorn app for a digital discovery tour.
Lunch in the centre of Zermatt
For a lunch in the centre of the village, you can go to Restaurant Manud, where you have a view of the tennis court and can watch the players, as well as the village life. A speciality of the Manud is their homemade Kombucha. For more lunch or dinner ideas during your weekend in Zermatt. We put together the best restaurants in Zermatt for you.
Afternoon on the Riffelalp
After lunch, get comfortable on the famous Gornergrat train (departure from the Gornergrat Railway, opposite the train station), sit back and enjoy the 30-minute scenic ride up to the Gornergrat. The rack railroad takes you from the village at 1600 meters up to 3100 meters above sea level and is the second highest mountain railroad in Europe. Opening in 1898, it was the second electric rack railroad ever and has been a worldwide tourist attraction ever since.
If you want to start your weekend in Zermatt with a good hike, you can get off at Riffelalp Station on the return trip, and enjoy the 2-hour idyllic forest hike back to the village. Don’t forget to wear proper shoes! All hikes that can be reached from the Gornergratbahn can be found here.
View of the Gorner Glacier in summer. (© Zermatt Holidays)
For a strengthening breakfast on the second day, you’ll be in good hands at the Petit Royal coffee shop with delicious pastries, or at one of the many Fuchs bakeries.
Schwarzsee and Klein Matterhorn
One of the must-see places during your weekend in Zermatt is definitely the Schwarzsee lake. After breakfast, start with a gondola ride up to Schwarzsee, which lies directly below the Matterhorn, and offers breathtaking views of the valley. Tip: high altitude lovers can take the gondola from Schwarzsee even further up to 3883 m.a.s.l. to the Klein Matterhorn (dress warmly).
From Schwarzsee you can either take the gondola back to Furi or start the almost 2-hour themed trail past alpine meadows, old stone pine trees and larches.
Lunch at Furi
Arriving at Furi, a great selection of different mountain restaurants await you to satisfy your midday hunger. For example, “les Marmottes” uses ingredients from its own garden, has a beautiful sun terrace and homemade cake.
From Furi, you have the choice of either taking the pleasant road, the somewhat steep hiking trail via Blatten or the gondola back to the village. All three variants offer a magnificent view.
A visit to Blatten is worthwhile whenever the weather is nice. The atmosphere is calm and relaxed and the surroundings very peaceful.
Gorner Gorge
Start the last day of your weekend in Zermatt by visit the mysterious Gorner Gorge in the morning before everyone else. From the village, a short walk will take you up to the gorge, where you can explore this unique, unspoiled natural beauty.
Winkelmatten and Cervo
Once you have reached the end of the trail, you can turn right and follow the path into the charming hamlet Winkelmatten, with its historic chapel and children’s playground. From there, the path leads you to the Pensioners Trail, a walk of about 1 hour at the forest border with a beautiful view of the entire village.
Leave the Pensioners Trail at Mountain Resort Cervo, where the restaurant with sun terrace will please your culinary senses and the ambience, often accompanied by live music, bringing your vacation mood to an all high.
From Mountain Resort Cervo the way back to the village centre will take you about 15 minutes, so leave early enough to get back to your apartment and pack for departure.
View of Winkelmatten and the Matterhorn from the "AHV Trail". (© Pascal Gertschen)
Take the funicular up to Sunnegga and change into the cable car leading to Blauherd Station. Once you have reached Blauherd, you are at the starting point of the 5-lakes hike.
On the direct route from the Sunnega to the village, the Findeln-Trail will guide you. On the trail you walk past a former Maiensäss, where mountain farmers used to spend their summer with their cattle. In the picturesque restaurant Enzian in Findeln you can get some nice refreshments on hot days.
We hope this daily itinerary helps you plan your weekend in Zermatt! Want to know more? Don't hesitate to contact us! Checkout our complete Zermatt Guide for more inspiration during your stay. Still looking for the best accommodation during your stay? Visit our selection of Zermatt Rentals, we have the perfect accommodation for every budget all year arround.
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