What to Expect on the Gornergrat Railway
Which side of the train to sit on, how long the ride takes, what the four stops look like, what to wear, and how to reach car-free Zermatt in the first place.
The Gornergrat is an easy trip — a seated train, no walking required, a station at the top with a restaurant and a level platform. But a handful of small decisions made before you board change the experience substantially, and almost all of them are made in the first five minutes.
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Sit on the right
Going up from Zermatt, the Matterhorn is on the right-hand side. The left faces the valley wall and, for much of the lower section, trees. Coming back down it reverses, so the left is the Matterhorn side on the descent.
Seats are not reserved. In July and August trains fill through the middle of the day, so if a window matters, be on the platform a few minutes before departure rather than arriving as the doors close. The 07:00 and 08:00 departures are consistently the easiest to get a good seat on.
Reviewers repeatedly mention two things about the carriages: they are clean and run on time, and the seats are not especially comfortable. It is 33 minutes, so this matters less than the view.
The ride, stop by stop
The line climbs 9.3 km and 1,484 vertical metres on the Abt rack system, from Zermatt at 1,605 m to the summit at 3,089 m. It takes about 33 minutes each way.
Zermatt (1,605 m) — The Gornergrat Bahn station is on Bahnhofplatz, directly opposite the main railway station. Exchange your voucher at the desk or a vending machine before you board; in peak season allow a few extra minutes for the queue.
Findelbach (1,770 m) — Early, in forest, over a bridge above the gorge. Most trains pass through without much ceremony.
Riffelalp (2,211 m) — The treeline begins to thin. The Matterhorn appears and disappears between larches.
Riffelberg (2,582 m) — Above the trees, and the moment the mountain stops being glimpsed and simply stands there in the open. A good place to break the journey on the way down.
Rotenboden (2,815 m) — One stop below the summit, and the one most people should use. A short walk below the station is the Riffelsee, the small lake that mirrors the Matterhorn on a still morning.
Gornergrat (3,089 m) — The end of the line. The viewing platform sits at 3,131 m and is open year round; the Gorner Glacier runs away below, with 29 peaks over 4,000 m around the horizon.
Your ticket is a day pass — use it
This is the single most under-used feature of the Gornergrat return ticket: it is valid for the whole day and permits stopovers at every intermediate station. Ride to the summit, spend your time there, then get off at Rotenboden or Riffelberg on the way down and pick up a later train.
It costs nothing extra. Most visitors never do it, and it is the difference between a 90-minute errand and an actual day in the mountains. What to do at the top covers the walks worth doing.
What to wear and bring
- A warm layer and a windproof jacket, in every season. The summit runs roughly 15–20 °C colder than the village, before wind chill.
- Sunglasses and high-factor sun cream. Glare off snow and glacier at 3,089 m is severe, and it burns faster than people expect.
- Sturdy shoes if there is any chance you will walk a stage of the descent — the paths are well made but they are mountain paths.
- Your booking voucher, to exchange for a ticket before boarding.
- Nothing technical is required. This is not a hike; it is a train.
Getting to Zermatt at all
Zermatt admits no combustion cars. That surprises a lot of first-time visitors, and it shapes the whole approach:
- By train, the normal route is via Visp, then the Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn up the valley into Zermatt. It is straightforward and scenic.
- By car, you drive as far as Tasch and park in the multi-storey there, then take the shuttle train for the last few kilometres — about 12 minutes.
- Once in the village, electric taxis and small electric buses cover what walking does not.
Everything on this mountain starts from Bahnhofplatz, so the transition from arriving to boarding is a walk of a couple of minutes.
What can go wrong
Cloud. The view is the product, and no policy insures you against a grey day. Check the Gornergrat webcam on the morning of travel and use the free-cancellation window — up to 24 hours before — rather than gambling on a poor forecast.
Missing the last train. It leaves the summit at 19:22 in July and August and 18:22 in the other seasons. Check the board at the top rather than trusting memory.
Winter frequency. From mid-November the service drops to roughly every 48 minutes instead of every 24. Plan the descent with the timetable in hand.
The November closure. The railway is shut from 2 to 14 November 2026 for construction work, with no replacement transport.
Frequently asked questions
Which side of the Gornergrat train has the best view? The right-hand side going up from Zermatt; the left on the way back down.
How long is the Gornergrat train ride? About 33 minutes each way. Allow three to four hours for the round trip with time at the summit.
How many stops does the Gornergrat train make? Four intermediate stations — Findelbach, Riffelalp, Riffelberg and Rotenboden — plus Zermatt and the summit.
Can I get off and walk part of the way? Yes. Stopovers at all four stations are included in a return ticket, and rejoining a later train costs nothing extra.
Do I need to book a seat? Seats are unreserved and cannot be booked. Board a few minutes early at peak times.
Is it suitable for wheelchair users? The railway is wheelchair accessible and the summit platform is level, which makes this one of the more accessible high-alpine viewpoints in the Alps.
Can I drive to Zermatt? No. Park at Tasch and take the shuttle train, roughly 12 minutes into the village.
Ride to 3,089 m Above Zermatt
Round-trip cogwheel train ticket, stopovers at Riffelberg and Rotenboden included, and free cancellation up to 24 hours before you travel.
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