Category: Europe

Honest Review of the Gornergrat Railway in Zermatt, Switzerland (Worth It?)

8/28/2024

When visiting Zermatt, Switzerland - most visitors are drawn to the incredible views in the area of the Matterhorn. Some of the best views of the Matterhorn are said to be on the Gornergrat Railway, however with the prices to book a ride you might be wondering if the Gornergrat Railway is truly worth it. Even though we had terrible weather on our Railway ride, we would still 100% recommend it, and below you can find out why.

Our Essential Travel Resources :
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For fun things to do, we always recommend Viator to find the best tours in the area, otherwise Klook also does the trick, especially for tours in Asia.

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Lastly, my packing list for your international or domestic travels.

Booking Your Gornergrat Experience & What to Expect

Booking tickets on the Gornergrat is quite simple if you go through their website, however you'll need to book as far in advance as possible if you want to ensure a ride during your preferred times and days as it can get quite full. When booking your tickets, you'll have two options - general admission or priority boarding. If you want to ensure good views and a window seat on your ride, then I recommend either getting in line as early as you can or splurging for the Priority Boarding. When we visited, there were only 4 of us in Priority Boarding, so we were all able to easily get the prime viewing seats we wanted.

After booking your tickets, you'll have to actually make your way to Zermatt to board the Gornergrat Railway. Although there are a few ways to make your way across Switzerland and to Zermatt, we began our journey in Zurich, and took the train (with only 2 transfers) to Zermatt. Luckily, the Gornergrat Railway boarding station is located right across the street from the train arrival station.

Book your Gornergrat Summit tickets here!

Our Favorite Tours near Zermatt :
- Paragliding with Matterhorn Views
- Private Walking Tour of Zermatt

Our Experience & Honest Review

I'll be honest, we had terrible weather on our Gornergrat Railway experience. Because it was snowing, we unfortunately didn't get a single glance of the Matterhorn during our ride up or down the mountains. However, would we still say it's worth it? Honestly, yes we would, and here's why.

Taking the Matterhorn views off the table, the experience in itself was truly incredible. We still had the most amazing views overlooking Zermatt, and because it was snowing the train ride through the tree line felt like an absolute fairy tale. Once we arrived at the top, there was a restaurant serving very expensive food (just like everywhere else in Switzerland, especially Zermatt) so I recommend packing your own food you can eat outside since they don't allow outside food at the restaurant. There was also a fun little chapel to explore, and even an Interactive Exhibition called "Zooom the Matterhorn" where you can learn all about the Matterhorn and even participate in a virtual experience of paragliding over the Matterhorn itself. It was honestly a blast, and thankfully, all fully included in the price of our ticket.

If you're able to add this epic experience to your visit to Zermatt, we highly recommend. And if you end up having bad weather like us, you can explore a few of the other best places to view the Matterhorn while you're in Zermatt. Either way, the aerial view of Zermatt and the virtual experience at the top made this one experience we'll never forget!

Watch our Adventures in Zermatt here!