The Ultimate Guide to Matterhorn Hiking Trails

Quick Matterhorn Hike Info

The Ultimate One Epic Day Hiking Trail

We are going to combine several trails to create one epic circuit that you can complete in a single day. Below is an overview of the trail we will be taking. I suggest you download the map from the link below and save it on your phone as a backup in case you lose the physical map.

To download the full hiking map with all the available trails on and around the Matterhorn, click here: Hiking Map around the Matterhorn.

The trail begins from the campground in Zermatt. Start as early as 8 AM so that you can make the most of the daylight available that day. Walk towards the northeast of Zermatt and follow the cable car line towards Furi.

Walk through Furi and continue to follow the cable car line upwards. Keep in mind that there are many possible paths to go from Zermatt to Schawarzee Paradise, our first stop, so be careful.

Three hours of steep climbing, and your surroundings should gradually shift from a forest to a completely exposed mountain. You should see a huge Swiss traditional house on top of a hill. Follow the trail until you reach Schawarzee Paradise.

By then, it should already be noon, so feel free to stop here and eat lunch, go to the toilet, or, if you are like me, get more caffeine in your blood. Congratulations! You have completed trail #28. Once you are ready, head off to start trail #27 and make your way toward Matterhorn.

Around an hour of steady ground, you should reach an intersection with the option to either go left to the glacier or up to the Hörnli Hut. Go up and follow the trail along the side of the Matterhorn.

One and a half hours of a crazy, steep, and slippery climb, and you should reach the Hörnli Hut, the last mountain hut that stands right under the mighty Matterhorn. Don't rush it. You deserve to stay up here for a while. Immerse yourself in the Matterhorn.

Once you are done, make your way down to the intersection we briefly mentioned and go right (towards the glacier). Coming down from Hörnli Hut should not take longer than an hour.

Now we start the Glacier trail (trail #26). This trail was not easier than the previous ones, so don't let your guard down. Go to the bottom of the glacier and humbly stare at the mighty Matterhorn from the bottom of the glacier. Trust me, it is quite a sight to behold.

The entire glacier trail should take about 2 hours to complete, and you should end up at the Trockener Steg cable car station. By that time, it should be around 3-4 PM. Proceed to the cable car station and, while facing the station, you should see a path leading down to Zermatt on your right.

Going down should take you no more than 3 hours. The way down is extremely steep, though, so the earlier you are able to start this last trail, the better because walking in the dark on this trail is very dangerous. I had to run down to make it back in time before it gets pitch dark. If you begin the descent at 4 PM, you should be back in Zermatt by 7 PM.

By the time you arrive back in Zermatt, you should have completely exhausted all your energy while your money is still intact. That's why I like hiking, it's free. Once you are done, make sure to treat yourself to some delicious Swiss food and lots and lots of chocolate! You deserve it!

Be warned: This trail is not for everyone. You have to be in good shape to do it. Please also calculate your time very carefully if you decide to go on this trail. You are in the mountains, after all, and shit can happen. Leave a few hours of daylight and prepare lots and lots of snacks and water.

Do also tell someone what your plan is. I was ill-prepared, to say the least, and I ran out of water and food on my way back down. I had to fill up my water from a small waterfall along the trail. I also did not tell my friend about the plan, and I was gone for so long that he almost reported me missing to the police! Other than that, good luck and enjoy the Matterhorn!

Where to Stay in Zermatt?

Budget

Zermatt Youth Hostel

Dorm | $

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👍 Top Pick

Mid-Range

Residence Patricia

Double Room | $$

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High-End

Hotel Ambassador Zermatt

Twin Room | $$$

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What to Pack for Hiking Around Matterhorn?

No matter which season you decide to hike, the weather will be cold. The temperature may range from mildly cold to extreme, so appropriate gear is necessary. Here is a list of things I had with me:

• A Tent: One of the most expensive parts of Switzerland is its accommodation. By camping in a campground, you will save as much as 30 CHF per night compared to staying in a hostel. A tent with a rain cover to prevent condensation is preferable. My friend's tent did not have one, and I woke up with my hair and foot wet every day. I recommend this 2-person tent for your trip.
• Sleeping Bag: It does get cold at night, so a nice and warm sleeping bag is essential. Take the down one so you don't have to carry a sleeping mat. I recommend this Coleman North Rim Sleeping Bag for this trip.
• Headlamp: You will need this to navigate the camping ground at night, so be sure to have one ready. I recommend this Cree LED Headlamp for the trip.
• Good Walking Shoes: If you decided to climb at the same time as I did, then a good pair of walking/hiking shoes is more than enough. There won't be much snow on the majority of the trail (except the one leading to the hut). These Timberland Shoes are my go-to hiking boots in most situations.
• Weather-proof Clothing: The regular clothing you use to hike the mountains is fine. A weather-proof jacket is essential to keep you protected from the wind. I found windproof gloves useful against the chilling wind as well. Here are jackets I recommend you get for the trip: fleece jacket and the beautiful orange Columbia outer-shell jacket.
• A Hiking Map: Before you start the hike, get the map from the Tourist Information near the train station. It will come in handy when you start the trail.
• Food and water supply: Since we will be tackling 3-4 trails in one day and the trip might take more than 10 hours, prepare enough for the worst. I always carry my 2-liter hydration pack, which I recommend so you don't have to stop to stay hydrated.
• Power Bank: The trail we are doing is long, and you might need the power to keep your camera charged. Also, the campground is not the best one. They have a shared power outlet in the toilet, and you will be competing for one with other backpackers. So, get a Power Bank to save yourself from many awkward talks with people in the toilet. I recommend you get the Anker PowerCore 20,000 mAh power bank, which should be enough for all your electronics for the entire duration of the trip.
• A Daypack: You will need a daypack to carry all of your gear with you when you are out and about. During this trip, I use the classic Herschel Supply's Little America Backpack to carry everything with me. It is light with a good capacity and stylish as hell.

Check Out My Hiking Packing List

How to get to Zermatt?

The best way to get here is to fly into Zurich or cities nearby and take a train or a bus from there. I would recommend you browse through Skyscanner or Expedia to find all the cheap flights from where you live to Switzerland and compare them so that you can find the one that best fits your itinerary.

If you are traveling in Switzerland for more than a week, I would suggest buying a 4-day pass train ticket. It should cost around 260 CHF. This is a no-brainer, especially if you are 26 or under. Transportation is incredibly expensive here, and if you want to cover a lot of areas, the cost will accumulate quickly. However, this ticket will save you a fortune.

Zermatt is the closest town to the Matterhorn, and that is where you have to go. Since the town is in a no-car zone, the easiest way to get there is by train.

You can also go with Flixbus because it is cheap, reliable, and operates extensively throughout Europe.

Now that we have all the information we need, it's time to start planning your trip! Here are some resources to help you get going:

Flights: Skyscanner and Expedia are the best places to start looking for cheap flights and great deals from your home country.

Accommodation: Hostelworld, Booking.com, and Agoda.com are the ultimate go-to platforms to search for amazing hostels and hotels at affordable prices.

Travel Insurance: Heymondo covers theft, medical emergencies, cancellations, and more during your travels. Get a 5% discount if you sign up today.

Transportation: For buses, I always go with Omio when traveling in Matterhorn, Switzerland while for trains, Omio is my go-to place to book all my train travels in advance.

Car Rental: DiscoverCars.com is a great and reliable platform to find rental cars.

Internet: Airalo is the best way to get a sim card and has reliable internet access for your trip. All you need is an esim compatible smartphone, install it on your phone prior to your trip, and you are all set.

VPN: To stay connected with people at home, I always make sure to have ProtonVPN, installed before traveling. It's FREE, and I can gain access to services that may be blocked in certain countries.

Day Trips & Tours: Viator, GetYourGuide and TripAdvisor are great platforms to search for trips and tours to join.

Tickets & Deals: Tiqets is always my go-to website when I want to find cheaper deals for entrance tickets to tourist attractions.

Are you planning to travel independently? Be sure to check out my guide on How To Plan A Backpacking Trip here.

Further Reading for Switzerland

I hope you found this guide helpful in your trip planning. If you want to read more about Switzerland, I have written a few more travel guides, all listed here:

• First time in Switzerland? Here are the 10 Most Beautiful Places to Visit in Switzerland.
• Are you traveling to Switzerland as part of a bigger Europe trip? Be sure to check out my 3-month itinerary for Europe from Portugal all the way to Sweden.
• Packing for a trip to visit a region as big as Europe can be extremely daunting. Here's a packing guide to help you: What to Pack for Europe - The Essential Packing List.
• Want to visit Europe in winter? Better prepare for the cold. Here's a winter packing guide to help you: What to Pack for Europe in Winter - The Essential Packing List.
• The Swiss National Park is such an off-the-beaten-path destination in the Swiss Alps that some Swiss don't even know it exists. Here's the ultimate hiking guide to the Swiss National Park.
• Not convinced by my words? Here are 125 photos that will inspire you to visit Europe.
• You can also watch my Switzerland travel video here: "Helvetia - The Great Switzerland" travel video.
• To see all the articles about Switzerland, visit Switzerland Travel Guide page.
• Looking for a place to go after Switzerland? How about Germany or France? Visit our Germany travel guide page and France travel guide page for more.
• Traveling in Europe can be cheap, really cheap. These are the 12 Cheap European Countries to Visit.
• Looking for more travel guides for Europe? You can find more on my Europe Travel Guide page.
• Or, if you want something more specific to the region, visit our Western Europe Travel Guide page.
• For more of my travel guides like this, visit my Destinations page.