Guide · The ride

The Matterhorn Glacier Paradise cable car, stop by stop

A gondola, a change of cabins and a long glide over the ice: the way up from Zermatt is three rides in one. Here is each stage, what you see from the window and where you can step off.

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Editorial team, matterhornglacierride.comUpdated October 22, 2026Reading time 7 min62 sources

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The ride at a glance

01Journey time: Around 40 minutes from Zermatt to the summit, changes included.¹
02First stage: The Matterhorn Express gondola climbs via Furi and Schwarzsee to Trockener Steg.²
03Second stage: The Matterhorn Glacier Ride I crosses the Theodul Glacier to the top in 9 minutes.³ ⁴
04Altitude: From the valley station at 1,638 m to the summit station at 3,883 m.⁵ ⁶
05Where it starts: The Matterhorn-Express valley station, Schluhmattstrasse 123 in Zermatt.

Three rides in one morning

The Matterhorn Glacier Paradise cable car is really a chain of lifts run by Zermatt Bergbahnen, and the journey from Zermatt to the summit takes around 40 minutes including changes.¹ A gondola, the Matterhorn Express, climbs from the village via Furi and Schwarzsee to Trockener Steg.² There you change to the Matterhorn Glacier Ride, a cable car that carries you across the Theodul Glacier to the top station.⁴ Seen as a whole, the trip is less one ride than three, each with its own cabin and its own view.

The Matterhorn Express is the long first stage. Zermatt Bergbahnen standardized all 260 vehicles on the Zermatt, Furi, Schwarzsee and Trockener Steg route to one cabin type, and the new cabins entered service on 18 June 2022.² ⁷ The operator also says that no gondola passes closer to the Matterhorn than this one.⁸ Keep your camera ready from the first pylon onward: the mountain fills the windows long before you reach the ice.

Every ride starts at the Matterhorn-Express valley station on Schluhmattstrasse 123, where the GetYourGuide voucher is exchanged for a valid ticket. The station sits at 1,638 m, and access to the cable car and the gondola is at ground level and barrier-free.⁵ ⁹ Of the Zermatt cable car stations, this is the one to find the evening before, since a free local bus runs to it from several stops in the village.¹⁰

Stage by stage

From the village to the summit station

Zermatt

Valley station

Board the Matterhorn Express at the step-free station, 1,638 m above sea level.⁵ ⁹
Furi

First stop

A suspension bridge 100 metres long spans the Gorner Gorge nearby.¹¹
Schwarzsee

Second stop

12 minutes from Zermatt, facing the Matterhorn's east face.¹² ¹³
Trockener Steg

Change of cabins

Leave the gondola at 2,939 m; the InfoCube here is free.¹⁴ ¹⁵
Over the glacier

Matterhorn Glacier Ride I

9 minutes across the Theodul Glacier, up to 170 m above the ground.³ ¹⁶
The summit

Matterhorn Glacier Paradise

Arrive at 3,883 m, with the platform, the ice palace and the cinema.⁶ ¹⁷

Furi and Schwarzsee, the stops below the ice

Furi comes first. The station stands at 1,867 metres above sea level, in an old hamlet of summer pastures.¹⁸ ¹⁹ Close by, a suspension bridge 100 metres long hangs 90 metres above the Gorner Gorge, and it is open in summer.¹¹ ²⁰ Since November 2023 a separate aerial cableway also links Zermatt and Furi, running alongside the gondola.²¹ On the way down, Furi makes a good place to leave the lift and finish on foot through the meadows.

Schwarzsee is the second stop, 12 minutes from Zermatt, at 2,583 metres above sea level.¹² ²² From the station you look straight at the east face of the Matterhorn and the Hörnli ridge, the route mountaineers use to the summit.¹³ The small chapel by the lake is a 5-minute walk from the gondola station.²³ It makes a natural break on the return journey, when the summit is done and the afternoon light has softened.

If you would rather walk part of the way back, the Matterhorn Trail leads from Schwarzsee via Stafelalp down to Furi in 2 hours, over 7.4 km with 746 m of descent and no ascent.²⁴ The path stays below the glaciers and the cabins of the Matterhorn Express pass overhead most of the way. Wear proper shoes and carry water, and at Furi the lift is waiting to take you back to the village.

Altitude

How high each station stands

Station altitudes as Zermatt Bergbahnen gives them on its station pages; Testa Grigia as the border crossing.⁵ ¹⁸ ²² ¹⁴ ²⁵ ⁶

The lift chain

Each stage and how long it takes

Stage	Kind of lift	Ride time	On the way
Zermatt to Trockener Steg	Gondola with two stops	21 minutes	Stops at Furi and Schwarzsee
Trockener Steg to the summit	Cable car over the glacier	9 minutes	Crosses the Theodul Glacier
Summit to Testa Grigia	Cable car to Italy	4 minutes	Crosses the border
Zermatt to the summit	Whole journey	Around 40 minutes	Changes included

Ride times from Zermatt Bergbahnen's crossing flyer and its summit page; the whole trip includes the change of cabins.²⁶ ¹

Cabins

Three ways to ride the lifts

In the ticket

Standard glacier cabin

Matterhorn Glacier Ride I

Seats: 28, heated
Design: Pininfarina
Ride time: 9 minutes

Book the ride

Costs extra

Crystal Ride cabin

Glass floor over the ice

Floor clears: After 3 minutes
Height then: 170 m
This ticket: Not included

Book the ride

Private cabin

VIP gondola

Matterhorn Express stage

Group size: Up to 4 people
Route: Zermatt to Trockener Steg
Operating days: 270 a year

Book the ride

Decision helper

How to get the most from the ride

Pick what matters to you on the way up

I want the closest look at the Matterhorn I want to see the glacier below me I want a break on the way I am traveling with a child under three I am bringing a bike

Watch from the gondola

Zermatt Bergbahnen says no gondola passes closer to the Matterhorn than the Matterhorn Express.⁸

Ask about the Crystal Ride

Its glass floor clears at 170 metres above the ground.²⁷

Step off at Schwarzsee

It is 12 minutes from Zermatt, with a view of the east face.¹² ¹³

Turn back at Trockener Steg

Children under three may not ride the last section.²⁸

Leave it below

Bikes are not carried between Trockener Steg and the summit.²⁹

Three minutes into the journey, at a height of 170 metres above the ground, the previously opaque glass floor will clear in seconds to offer a dramatic view down onto the glacier landscape below.

Zermatt Bergbahnen AGSource 27

Trockener Steg, where you change cabins

The gondola ends at Trockener Steg, which Zermatt Bergbahnen gives as 2,939 metres above sea level; its VIP gondola page states 2,929 metres.¹⁴ ³⁰ Here you step out, walk through the station and board the cable car for the last climb. The InfoCube, an exhibition about the cableway project, is in this station, open all year round and free to enter.¹⁵ It is a good way to spend the wait if the queue for the next cabin is long.

Two rules apply from this point on. Children under three may not ride from Trockener Steg to the summit, for health reasons that the operator names as altitude sickness.²⁸ Bikes are not carried between Trockener Steg and the Matterhorn Glacier Paradise either.²⁹ Families with a toddler can still enjoy the view here, the glacier stretching away towards the border and the summit station on its ridge high above.

Travelers who want the gondola stage to themselves can book the Matterhorn-Express VIP gondola from Zermatt to Trockener Steg, which takes up to four people and runs 270 days a year.³¹ ³² It is a separate product from the standard ticket sold on this site. The shared cabins have their own charm: strangers point out peaks to each other and cameras crowd every window.

Map

From Zermatt up to the glacier and across to Italy

The lift chain from the village to the summit station and the border at Testa Grigia, then the rail and road routes that bring you to Zermatt.

Map of Zermatt, Täsch, Furi, Schwarzsee, Trockener Steg, the Matterhorn Glacier Paradise, Testa Grigia and Breuil-Cervinia with the cable car lines — Zermatt to the summit

Map of western Switzerland with Zermatt, Visp, Geneva, Lausanne, Montreux and Zurich — The way to Zermatt

1
Zermatt valley station
The Matterhorn Express starts here at 1,638 m, with step-free access, and a free local bus runs to it from several stops in the village.⁵ ³³ ¹⁰
In Google Maps ↗
2
Furi
The first stop of the lift chain, at 1,867 m; a suspension bridge 100 metres long crosses the Gorner Gorge nearby.¹⁸ ¹¹
In Google Maps ↗
3
Schwarzsee
Twelve minutes from Zermatt, with a direct view of the Matterhorn's east face and the Hörnli ridge.¹² ¹³
In Google Maps ↗
4
Trockener Steg
At 2,939 m the ride changes from the Matterhorn Express to the 3S cable car; the InfoCube exhibition here is free.¹⁴ ¹⁵
In Google Maps ↗
5
Matterhorn Glacier Paradise
The summit station at 3,883 m, which Zermatt Bergbahnen calls Europe's highest, with the viewing platform, the Glacier Palace and the Cinema Lounge.⁶ ¹⁷
In Google Maps ↗
6
Testa Grigia
The border with Italy at 3,480 m, a 4-minute ride from the summit on the Matterhorn Glacier Ride II.³⁴ ³⁵
In Google Maps ↗
7
Breuil-Cervinia
The Italian resort at 2,050 m in the municipality of Valtournenche, reached from Plateau Rosa via Cime Bianche Laghi and Plan Maison.³⁶ ³⁷
In Google Maps ↗
8
Zermatt station
Trains arrive in the middle of the village, close to the Gornergrat Railway.³⁸
In Google Maps ↗
9
Täsch
The end of the road for cars: the Matterhorn Terminal has 2,100 covered spaces and a shuttle train to Zermatt every 20 minutes.³⁹ ⁴⁰
In Google Maps ↗
10
Zermatt
Trains from Visp run every half hour straight into the car-free village.⁴¹
In Google Maps ↗
11
Visp
Here you change to the Matterhorn Gotthard Railway, which runs to Zermatt without another change.⁴²
In Google Maps ↗
12
Geneva
Zermatt Tourism puts Geneva airport four hours away by train; a bus day trip from Geneva lasts 13 hours.⁴³
In Google Maps ↗
13
Lausanne
A day tour bus collects guests outside the Lausanne Vennes metro station at 8:00 am.
In Google Maps ↗
14
Montreux
A day tour bus stops in front of the CGN loading dock at 8:30 am.
In Google Maps ↗
15
Zurich
Zermatt Tourism gives three and a half hours by train from Zurich Airport.⁴³
In Google Maps ↗

Open the map in Google Maps

Checklist

Before you board and on the way

Before boarding

Exchange the voucher at the valley station
Take the free village bus to the station
Note the last descent from the summit

On the ride

Sunglasses for the glare off the glacier
A warm layer for the top
Ground-level entrance on the glacier cabins⁴⁴

Video

[ 8K ] Zermatt Switzerland - Matterhorn Express Gondola Ride to Glacier Paradise | 8K UHD Video

The video starts loading once you tap play.

Across the Theodul Glacier on the 3S line

The last stage is the Matterhorn Glacier Ride I, which Zermatt Bergbahnen calls the world's highest 3S cableway; it began operating for the 2018/19 winter season.⁴⁵ The line has 25 cabins with 28 seats each, designed by the Pininfarina studio, and the seats are heated.⁴⁶ ⁴⁷ Leather and Alcantara inside make the cabin feel closer to a car than to a ski lift.⁴⁸

The figures are striking. The cabins travel at 7.5 metres per second, the line carries 2,000 passengers per hour, and the ride takes 9 minutes.³ The hauling cable is 7,930 m long, the climb is 900 m, and at its highest point the cabin hangs 170 m above the ground.¹⁶ The route is an almost three-kilometre traverse of the Theodul Glacier, and much of the ride passes over snow and crevasses.⁴

Some cabins on the line are special. In the Crystal Ride cabins the opaque glass floor clears three minutes into the journey, at 170 metres above the ground, and the glacier appears beneath your feet.²⁷ Both 3S cableways have these cabins.⁴⁹ The ticket sold on this site does not include the Crystal Ride, so book it separately with the operator if a glass floor is on your list.

Where the top station stands

The Matterhorn Glacier Paradise location is the top of the Klein Matterhorn, the peak that the Italian side calls Piccolo Cervino, right at the edge of the border with Italy.⁵⁰ Zermatt Bergbahnen gives the station as 3,883 metres high and calls it Europe's highest mountain station; its own Alpine Crossing site prints 3,821 m.⁶ ⁵¹ This site uses 3,883 m, the figure on the operator's own summit page.⁶

A cable car first reached the Klein Matterhorn in late autumn 1979, after approximately three years of construction.⁵² Since 1 July 2023 the line has continued: the Matterhorn Glacier Ride II links the summit station with Testa Grigia in Italy, given as 3,480 metres, over a 1.6 km link.²⁵ That ride takes four minutes.³⁵ Cervino, the Italian lift company, puts the Testa Grigia station at 3,458 m and says it stands entirely on Swiss soil.⁵³ ⁵⁴

From the summit station a lift takes you up to the viewing platform with its 360-degree panorama.⁵⁵ Visitors need no mountaineering experience or equipment to reach it.⁵⁶ The glacier you crossed on the way up lies below on one side, and on clear days the view runs from the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau in the north to Mont Blanc in the west.⁵⁷

Timetables, maintenance and the last ride down

The lifts follow two timetables: summer 2026 runs from 4 May to 31 October, and winter 2026/27 from 1 November 2026 to 2 May 2027.⁵⁸ ⁵⁹ The summit can be reached in both. The last descent from the top for the ticket sold here is at 3:45 PM, which is the time to plan the whole day around. An early start leaves the most time at the top.

Maintenance changes the cabins, not the destination. From 28 September to 30 October 2026, the older cable car runs instead of the Matterhorn Glacier Ride I between Trockener Steg and the summit.⁶⁰ From 28 September to 13 November 2026, cable cars run between Zermatt, Furi and Trockener Steg, and the Matterhorn Express via Schwarzsee returns on 14 November 2026.⁶¹ On those dates expect an extra change and check the operator's timetable before you set off.

How much you see from the cabins depends on the sky. Zermatt Bergbahnen publishes a forecast for the foot of the Matterhorn and links to its live webcams, and those pages answer most questions before breakfast.⁶² Clear mornings are worth catching early, while a cloudy summit still leaves the ice palace and the films. The return ticket gives you the whole day, so a short wait in Zermatt for the clouds to lift costs nothing.

Above the clouds