Zermatt, Swiss Alps
Swiss Alps

Zermatt

The Matterhorn watches over every run, and no cars are allowed to spoil the view. Zermatt skis all year on the Theodul glacier, the only resort in the Alps that genuinely never closes.

Altitude
1620 - 3899 m
Vertical drop
2279 m
Pistes
360 km
Lifts
53
Snow score
98/100
Season
All year

Zermatt is a ski resort with genuine ski-in/ski-out hotels in Switzerland, in the Swiss Alps. The village sits at 1620 m and the lifts top out at 3899 m, with 360 km of pistes and 53 lifts. Its BestSnowHotels snow score is 98/100, and the season usually runs All year.

How we score and classify resorts

Researched by the BestSnowHotels team

Pistes and lifts

Glacier skiing
What you can ski here
AlpineSnowboardGlacier
73 marked runs
Blue
26
Red
32
Black
15
Average snow by month
170cm
Dec
250cm
Jan
310cm
Feb
295cm
Mar
185cm
Apr

Run counts and piste kilometres are indicative. Green runs only exist in France, Spain, Andorra, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Japan, the United States, Morocco, Algeria, Lesotho, South Africa, Egypt, Canada, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand and Chile; Italy, Austria, Switzerland and Germany start at blue. Indicative average snow depth near the top of the resort, in cm.

Where to stay

A handful of well-rated hotels in and around the resort. Pick one, then compare live prices across Booking, Expedia and Hotels.com.

Hotel Alpen Resort & SPA
4.61.8k reviews
320
Top pick

Hotel Alpen Resort & SPA

Excellent · 1.8k reviews

Why we like it

A polished, high-end base for Zermatt when you want to be properly looked after after a day on the snow.

Guests rate this hotel as excellent (4.6/5 from 1,760 reviews). A luxury option for Zermatt, with live nightly rates shown for your exact dates so you always see the best price.

Luxury
From
320/ night
Check availability
CERVO Mountain Resort
4.71.4k reviews
275

CERVO Mountain Resort

Excellent · 1.4k reviews

Why we like it

One of the highest-rated places to stay in Zermatt, with guests singling out the service and comfort.

Luxury
From
275/ night
Check availability
BEAUSiTE Zermatt
4.8824 reviews
315

BEAUSiTE Zermatt

Excellent · 824 reviews

Why we like it

Moments from the lifts in Zermatt, so you can ski back to the door and skip the morning queues.

Luxury
From
315/ night
Check availability
THE OMNIA
4.9681 reviews
350

THE OMNIA

Excellent · 681 reviews

Why we like it

Moments from the lifts in Zermatt, so you can ski back to the door and skip the morning queues.

Luxury
From
350/ night
Check availability
SCHLOSS Hotel Zermatt nähe Bahnhof mit Spa & Yoga
4.8692 reviews
325

SCHLOSS Hotel Zermatt nähe Bahnhof mit Spa & Yoga

Excellent · 692 reviews

Why we like it

Moments from the lifts in Zermatt, so you can ski back to the door and skip the morning queues.

Luxury
From
325/ night
Check availability
Matterhorn FOCUS Design Hotel
4.9590 reviews
350

Matterhorn FOCUS Design Hotel

Excellent · 590 reviews

Why we like it

One of the highest-rated places to stay in Zermatt, with guests singling out the service and comfort.

Luxury
From
350/ night
Check availability
Hotel Butterfly
4.5907 reviews
310

Hotel Butterfly

Very good · 907 reviews

Why we like it

Moments from the lifts in Zermatt, so you can ski back to the door and skip the morning queues.

Luxury
From
310/ night
Check availability
Resort La Ginabelle
4.7605 reviews
320

Resort La Ginabelle

Excellent · 605 reviews

Why we like it

One of the highest-rated places to stay in Zermatt, with guests singling out the service and comfort.

Luxury
From
320/ night
Check availability
Christiania Mountain & Spa
4.8523 reviews
320

Christiania Mountain & Spa

Excellent · 523 reviews

Why we like it

One of the highest-rated places to stay in Zermatt, with guests singling out the service and comfort.

Luxury
From
320/ night
Check availability
Unique Hotel Post
4.5779 reviews
255

Unique Hotel Post

Very good · 779 reviews

Why we like it

Moments from the lifts in Zermatt, so you can ski back to the door and skip the morning queues.

Upper-scale
From
255/ night
Check availability
Hotel Bellerive
4.9414 reviews
360

Hotel Bellerive

Excellent · 414 reviews

Why we like it

Moments from the lifts in Zermatt, so you can ski back to the door and skip the morning queues.

Luxury
From
360/ night
Check availability
Mont Cervin Palace
4.7522 reviews
350

Mont Cervin Palace

Excellent · 522 reviews

Why we like it

Moments from the lifts in Zermatt, so you can ski back to the door and skip the morning queues.

Luxury
From
350/ night
Check availability

Ratings from Google, prices indicative per night. Live availability and rates via our booking partners.

Ski-in/ski-out

Zermatt is car-free, and ski-in/ski-out hotels are concentrated around Sunnegga and Riffelalp. Other addresses use the village's small electric taxis or a short cable-car ride.

Get to know the resort

The pace is set by little electric taxis and the cog railway up to Gornergrat, and the whole place feels engineered to a Swiss standard. It is not cheap, and beginners face a bus or lift to the gentle areas, but few resorts deliver scenery and grooming on this level.

Good to know

  • The terrain is well balanced: 0 green, 26 blue, 32 red and 15 black runs, which suits a mixed group skiing together at different levels.
  • With a base at 1620 m climbing to 3899 m, snow reliability is among the best on our index (score 98/100).
  • It is one of the bigger domains here, 360 km of piste on 53 lifts, enough to ski a different sector every day of a week.
  • Snow lies year-round here, so it skis well outside the usual winter window too.
Zermatt, Swiss Alps
Zermatt, Swiss Alps

Hotels in Zermatt

Hotels and apartments around the lifts. Compare prices on Booking, Expedia and Hotels.com.

Plan your trip

Frequently asked questions

Is Zermatt good for beginners?+

Zermatt offers 360 km of pistes across 53 lifts, from 1620 m to 3899 m. Whether it suits beginners depends on the dedicated learner zones at the base of the slopes, so check the local ski-school options for green and blue run access.

When is the best time to ski Zermatt?+

The season runs from All year to All year, with a snow score of 98/100. Snow is usually most reliable in the heart of that window, deep in winter, while the closing weeks bring longer days and softer afternoon snow.

Where should I stay for true ski-in/ski-out?+

Zermatt is car-free, and ski-in/ski-out hotels are concentrated around Sunnegga and Riffelalp. Other addresses use the village's small electric taxis or a short cable-car ride.

How big is the Zermatt ski area?+

Zermatt has 360 km of marked pistes served by 53 lifts, between 1620 m and 3899 m of altitude.

Is Zermatt more for beginners or experts?+

Zermatt counts about 73 marked runs in total. The colour breakdown above shows how they split by difficulty, a good guide to whether the resort fits your level.

Planning your trip to Zermatt?

A few of our sister sites cover this destination too.