Klebestrasse 16
8041 Zürich
+41 76 281 00 00
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This day trip from Lucerne will take us to Zermatt. Visit the Matterhorn, Switzerland's most famous mountain. We cross the Alps from north to south by train over the scenic Lötschberg mountain line. Shortly after noon, we arrive in Zermatt. You can enjoy up to six hours in Zermatt. That gives you plenty of time to admire the gorgeous views, discover the village, have lunch, and for the one-of-a-kind ride on the Matterhorn railway to the Gornergrat, from where you have a fabulous view of the Matterhorn, the Gorner Glacier, and the Monte Rosa, Switzerland's highest mountain. Afterward, we return to Lucerne on the direct route through the Lötschberg base tunnel.
Highlights
Spectacular ride to the Gornergrat with the Matterhorn railway
Fantastic views of the Matterhorn and Monte Rosa
Visit the lovely car-free village of Zermatt
A scenic train ride through Switzerland
no rush: up to 5 hours in Zermatt
Lötschberg mountain line
- Season 2024 & Availability
Summer: May 1 - October 15
Winter: December 1 - April 30
As a sole proprietor with a capacity of one tour per day, I can be fully booked far in advance.
Click here to see my availability calendar
- Detailed tour description
Zermatt & Gornergrat tour from Lucerne
From Lucerne we travel through the Emmen valley to Berne, there we change to a train to Visp which will take us through the 34 kilometers (21 miles) long Lötschberg base tunnel. From Visp we take another train to Zermatt.
Soon after arrival in Zermatt, we board the Gornergrat railway. On busy days, we get priority boarding so that we can board ahead of everyone else and select the seats with the best views of the Matterhorn.
This mountain railway will take us on a spectacular journey to one of the best vantage points for the Matterhorn, the Gornergrat.
The views from this summit, located at 3,090 m/ 10,140 ft. above sea level, are impressive. On a clear day, you have perfect views of the Monte Rosa massif. See the Dufour Peak, the highest peak in Switzerland, the Matterhorn, and the Gorner glacier.
You will have plenty of time to relax, enjoy the panorama, and have lunch. When you are ready, we start the descent back to Zermatt.
In Zermatt, you can have some free time for shopping or early dinner before we head back to Lucerne.
- Inclusions & Exclusions
Inclusions
- All required train tickets in first class for you and the guide
- Gornergrat mountain railway tickets for you and the guide (price includes entry fees)
- Meeting at any centrally located Hotels, Apartment, or Airbnb
- Return to any centrally located Hotel, Apartment, or Airbnb after the tour
- Fee for the private guide, who will stay at your disposal throughout the tour
- Car-free tour by train, mountain railway, and aerial cable car as per the tour description
- Photography by the guide (with your own camera or smartphone)
- A booklet with comprehensive information about Switzerland (one per party, for groups of four persons or larger are two printed copies included)
- Use of a mobile hotspot with unlimited data (Speed: 4G)
What is not included in the tour price?
- Your meals and drinks
- Any personal expenses
- Optional activities
- Travel insurance (participation at your own risk)
- Example itinerary
This itinerary is only an example. The schedule can vary due to various factors such as the season, the day of the week, construction work, service, and schedule changes.
The exact departure and return time depends on the pick-up/drop-off location.
Pick-up 7:20 a.m. - 7:40 a.m at any centrally located Hotel or Apartment
RegioExpress 7:57 a.m. - 9:26 a.m. Lucerne - Bern
InterRegio 9:34 a.m. - 10:31 a.m. Bern - Visp
RegioExpress 10:41 a.m. - 11:51 a.m. Visp - Zermatt
Gornergrat Matterhorn Railway 12:12 p.m. - 12:45 p.m. Zermatt - Gornergrat
Sightseeing 12:45 p.m. - 3:07 p.m. Enjoy the Gornergrat summit
Gornergrat Matterhorn Railway 3:07 p.m. - 3:51 p.m. Gornergrat - Zermatt
See AlsoZermatt In Winter: Things To Do For Non-SkiersIs Zermatt Worth Visiting? 25 Reasons & Things To Do - An Aimless WalkJungfraujoch – visit to the Switzerland’s most expensive tourist attractionTravel Guide to Glacier Paradise - Excursion to Klein MatterhornSightseeing 3:51 p.m. - 6:13 p.m. Visit Zermatt
RegioExpress 6:13 p.m. - 7:22 p.m. Zermatt - Visp
InterCity 7:27 p.m. - 8:24 p.m. Visp - Bern
InterCity 9 p.m. - 10:01 p.m. Bern - Lucerne
Drop-off 10:10 p.m. - 10:40 p.m. at any centrally located Hotel or Apartment
Customization possibilities:
You can spontaneously extend or shorten the visit to the Gornergrat summit. The train between the Gornergrat summit and the village of Zermatt runs every 24 minutes or 48 minutes (depending on the season).
You can spontaneously shorten the visit to Zermatt. We have a connection back to Lucerne every half-hour. The connection at 6.13 PM is the latest possible departure time from Zermatt.
- Lunch options
Please regard that your lunch is not included in the tour price.
During lunch hours:
à la carte restaurant at the Gornergrat (summit) * +
This restaurant serves various specialties of Switzerland and the Canton of Valais.
Vegetarian dishes are available.
Click here to download the menu
Click here to read the restaurants' reviews on TripAdvisor
self-service restaurant at the Gornergrat (summit)
This restaurant serves a range of hot and cold dishes, including comfort food and local dishes.
A few vegetarian and vegan options are available.
Click here to download the menu
Click here to read the restaurants' reviews on TripAdvisor
Outside of regular lunch hours:
We can have a late lunch after descending from the Gornergrat. There are various restaurants in Zermatt.
Quick lunch:
There are bakeries, convenience shops, sandwich outlets, a sausage stand, and a fast food outlet in Zermatt, where you can grab a bite, either before or after the visit to the Gornergrat peak.
International food options:
McDonalds (at the village of Zermatt)
(online menu not available)
Restaurant Golden India (at the village of Zermatt) *
Click here to download the menu
Click here to read the restaurants' reviews on TripAdvisor
* This option may not be available at all times, especially during low season (i.e. April, November, and early December). If you want to eat at this restaurant, please let me know at the time of booking, so that I can check availability for our tour date.
+ For restaurants marked with a plus (+), reservations are recommended. I'm happy to reserve a table for you.
Disclaimer
Restaurant menus, prices, and options are subject to change.
The restaurant menus are hosted as a PDF file on the restaurants' websites.
- Activity level
The activity level is moderate: frequent changes of trains (the changes are easy but require some walking and steps to get in and out of the trains), a walk through Zermatt at your discretion, a walk at the Gornergrat at your discretion
- Pick-up area
I can meet you at any centrally located hotel in Lucerne.
Click here to see a map of the Lucerne pick-up area
If you're staying outside of the pick-up area, I can meet you at the central train station of Lucerne.
- Weather
Weather forecast
Once a reliable weather forecast is available (usually one to three days before departure), I will send you a link to the forecast.
If there is bad weather forecasted, I will include my recommendations for our tour day.
I use the weather forecasts provided by the Federal Office of Meteorology and SRF (Swiss Radio and Television).
With the link below, you can check the weather forecast at any time by yourself. The forecast is available for the next five days.
Click here to see the current weather forecast for Zermatt
Operability
This tour can run in any weather condition except during a storm. During a storm, the Gornergrat railway has often to halt operations or run only on parts of the route for safety reasons. If there is a storm with gale-force winds in the forecast, I need to cancel the tour. On rare occasions, there may be a cancellation due to landslides, avalanches, and other natural forces or the risk thereof. I will fully refund the deposit in this case.
Your options in case of bad weather (tour specific)
early bird or standard rates
If you booked an early bird or standard rate, then a free cancelation is not possible anymore once a reliable weather forecast is published, as I need to purchase train tickets in advance for these rates.
You can choose a different tour/mountain peak in an area with better weather (if available, the price of the newly selected tour will apply).
We can do the tour as planned despite the weather.
I also have a few full-day train tours. For example, the Glacier Express route on local trains tour. These tours are ideal on rainy days as we are for most of the day inside and not exposed to the weather, and as on rainy days the views are usually better at lower altitudes. Further, this tour has a lower tour price as it doesn't require any expensive mountain railway tickets.
If not having perfect weather is a dealbreaker, you can cancel by forfeiting the deposit.
Swiss Travel Pass rates
If you have booked a Swiss Travel Pass rate you can cancel the booking up to 12 hours before departure for a full refund of the deposit. Hence if the weather forecast looks bad you are free to cancel the tour free of charge if you desire.
All other options which are published under the early bird and standard rate section are also available to you.
Book this tour (Summer: May - October)
Book this tour (Winter: December - April
Prices, valid for all route options
As the Gornergrat railway has different ticket prices depending on the time of year, this tour has seasonal prices.
Summer season: May 1 - October 31
Early Bird Rate
The Early Bird rate is bookable up to 30 days before departure and includes all required tickets.
CHF
Currency
All prices are in Swiss Francs
CHF
846
1 Adult
846
846
1092
2 Adults
546 per person
1092
1338
3 Adults
446 per person
1338
1584
4 Adults
396 per person
1584
1850
5 Adults
370 per person
1850
2100
6 Adults
350 per person
2100
98
Children 6 to 15 years
Must be accompanied by an adult.
98
free
Children 4 to 5 years
Must be accompanied by an adult. Four years is the minimum age for this tour.
free
included
Private guide
It will be only your party and the guide. The price per person depends on the size of your group. The more adults join the tour, the lower is the cost per person, as the guide fee and the guide tickets are getting divided among several people. Children travel at cost price.
included
6 persons
Maximum group size
The group size will be determined by your party as the tour is private.
6 persons
The tour price includes:
1st class day pass for the trains, early booking rate (CHF 97 - 119 per person, dynamic prices), Gornergrat mountain railway tickets at the summer rate of CHF 110 - 126 per person, all tickets for the guide (approx. CHF 180), guide fees
CHF 150
Reservation deposit
Deposit per adult, payable at the time of booking. The remaining amount can be paid online at any time before departure or directly to the guide on the morning of the tour day.
CHF 150
Cancelation & refund
With the Early Bird rate, the deposit is non-refundable from the time of booking. You can't amend the tour date and destination. If you like more flexibility, please choose the standard rate.
Winter season: December 1 - April 30
Early Bird Rate
The Early Bird rate is bookable up to 30 days before departure and includes all required tickets.
CHF
Currency
All prices are in Swiss Francs
CHF
$810
1 Adult
810
$810
$1030
2 Adults
515 per person
$1030
$1170
3 Adults
390 per person
$1170
$1420
4 Adults
355 per person
$1420
$1700
5 Adults
340 per person
$1700
$1980
6 Adults
330 per person
$1980
= adult
Children 16 years and above
adult prices apply
= adult
$98
Children 6 to 15 years
Must be accompanied by an adult.
$98
free
Children 4 to 5 years
Must be accompanied by an adult. Four years is the minimum age for this tour.
free
included
Private guide
It will be only your party and the guide. The price per person depends on the size of your group. The more adults join the tour, the lower is the cost per person, as the guide fee and the guide tickets are getting divided among several people. Children travel at cost price.
included
$6 persons
Maximum group size
The group size will be determined by your party as the tour is private.
$6 persons
The tour price includes:
1st class day pass for the trains, early booking rate (CHF 97 - 119 per person, dynamic prices), Gornergrat mountain railway tickets (winter rate, CHF 88 per person), all tickets for the guide (approx. CHF 160), guide fees
CHF 150
Reservation deposit
Deposit per adult, payable at the time of booking. The remaining amount can be paid online at any time before departure or directly to the guide on the morning of the tour day.
CHF 150
Cancelation & refund
With the Early Bird rate, the deposit is non-refundable from the time of booking. You can't amend the tour date and destination. If you like more flexibility, please choose the standard rate.
*The published deposit amounts and cancelation policies are valid for reservations of up to three tours. If you are reserving four or more tours a custom deposit amount and cancelation policy will be offered, with a minimum of a CHF 500 non-refundable deposit.