Welcome to some of the world's most magnificent mountain walks and hikes! Whether you are looking for one memorable afternoon stroll, or series of high mountain adventures, "The Walking Guide" presents to you much of Zermatt's stunning best.

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Enjoy browsing and planning your visit to this beautiful mountain walking area.  Look at all the walks at a glance, read some recommendations, look at some visual highlights (photos) of the walks, or jump to the large map for orientation.

Disclaimer: Although the author and ski-zermatt.com try to make the information in The Walking Guide as accurate as possible, we accept no responsibility for any loss, injury or inconvenience sustained by anyone using this guide.

New for Summer 2008 - The Walking Guide now includes a fantastic supplement for users of Google Earth. Get it here.
The Walking Guide is also available in Adobe Acrobat format, for easy printing & offline reading.- Download here.  

Difficulty: The more stars given, the more difficult a walk will be. We have rated each walk according to how strenuous the walking is. But another important factor is if the walk requires any particular care or preparation. Read each walk description for specific details. A walk of one or two stars difficulty could be accomplished by anyone who can walk, including young children. A three-star-difficulty walk requires a reasonable level of fitness. i.e. Regular exercise is part of your life. I would not recommend taking a walk of 4 or 5 stars difficulty as your first Zermatt walk, unless you are fit and have previous mountain walking experience. All the High Mountain walks require respect for the mountains and appropriate clothing (see below).
Popularity: The greater the number of stars 'popularity', the more people you can expect to share the trail with. In the high season (July and August), taking a 5 star popularity walk in the middle of the day will see you sharing the walk with dozens of other people. But whatever the season, you can have any walk to yourself by walking early mornings or late evenings (after 6pm). You will see more wildlife then too.

Lift Costs: Some of the walks make use of Zermatt's impressive mountain lift system, and prices are given here. Walking purists and those on a very tight budget can therefore easily choose alternatives.
Trails Open: The given dates indicate when each particular trail is normally free of snow and therefore 'open'. The highest walking trails don't open until well into summer, simply because they are only snow free a few months of the year. Some of the lower walks have been marked as open 'Year round", not because they are always snow free, but these are all gentle and relatively safe - even when snow is on the ground during the winter months (December through April). On the 'year-round' trails, local authorities make efforts to clear deep snow, put gravel on any ice, and provide ropes for handholds. Even down in the village of Zermatt snow might fall a few days each summer. Although a summer snowfall would melt within hours at lower altitudes, a large snowfall might close the highest walks for days (which makes for great summer skiing!). As autumn comes to the alps, cooler temperatures prevail and the snow line marches back down the mountains towards the village of Zermatt. 
As a rule of thumb, winter snows normally melt as follows:
@ 1600m/5300ft altitude (Zermatt village itself) should be 'Snow free' from the end of March to November
@ 2000m/6600ft altitude should be 'Snow free' from the end of April to November
@ 2500m/8200ft altitude should be 'Snow free' from late May to mid October
@ 3000m/9900ft altitude should be 'Snow free' from the start of July to late September
Call the Tourist Office (+41 (0)27 967 01 81) if you wish to confirm if a particular walk is open. Remember you can also check the local weather forecast at our website here, and watch the live cameras for local conditions and perhaps to follow the 'snowline'.

What to bring on a walk: 

Clothing: At the altitude of Zermatt itself (1600m) temperatures can get to 30 degrees centigrade (80s Fahrenheit) in summer, and even high in the mountains (3000m altitude) it can be pleasantly warm in the sun on a good windless day. Short trousers can be most comfortable in fine weather, although I recommend packing long trousers on hikes ascending to 3000m. The basic rule is this: the higher one goes, the cooler the air becomes, the greater the contrast between full-sun and shade temperatures, and the quicker the temperature can change from one extreme to the other.  Therefore the higher one goes the more important it becomes to 'be prepared' for every eventuality. 
Any walk to altitudes of 2000m or above should include a waterproof and windproof jacket as a precaution. Any walk to 3000m altitude really must include such a jacket. At an altitude of 3000m (10,000 ft) the temperature can drop 20 degrees in five minutes, even in mid-summer. Combine that sudden drop of temperature with freezing rain and strong winds and hypothermia becomes a real danger to anyone unprepared. A good goretex jacket can mean the difference between freezing to death and remaining quite comfortable. A very good range of high-quality mountain clothing and equipment is available for sale in Zermatt itself.  Nb. Shop sales and discounts are often available in April/May and October/November. You can also get a year-round 10% discount on all gear at one of Zermatt's best sports shops.
Some tips on the local weather: It is always a good idea to consult a weather forecast before setting out on a longer walk. The local media provide detailed reports, but even hotels and some shops post printed forecasts in various languages on notice boards. Typical fair weather patterns last several days in summer. However it would be well to note that the prevailing weather comes in from the west, and the view west from Zermatt village (in the valley) is immediately blocked by an imposing wall of mountains. Therefore one should not rely exclusively on clear skies in the village as definitive evidence of fine weather continuing. Inclement weather can arrive within minutes, rather than hours. This is another reason to be suitably prepared (with spare clothing) before setting out into the mountains. Another thing worth noting is that it is often quite calm and windless in Zermatt, while blowing fiercely at 3000m/10,000ft. At the three valley lift stations in town, there are computerized displays noting temperature and wind conditions at the mountain stations, if you wish to know what is happening above. Otherwise one can sometimes get an idea by looking at the Matterhorn itself. If you can see clouds moving about the faces of the Matterhorn with the naked eye, be prepared for very windy conditions at higher altitudes. If the clouds are visibly boiling, I would not recommend planning a walk to 3000m. Remember you can also check the local weather forecast at our website here.
Shoes: Check the difficulty rating of the walk. A walk of 1 or 2 stars difficulty could be accomplished in any decent walking shoes. A three star walk would be a real test  for a standard pair of Nikes or Reeboks. Four and five star difficulty hikes require hiking shoes or boots with really excellent grip, some water resistance, and perhaps ankle support.
Food and water: On any longer walk it is important to keep drinking. The mountain air is fresh and clean but very dry. The higher one goes the more one must drink to avoid dehydration. Fresh drinking water is normally available for free at the climbers' huts, and soft drinks (et al) at the mountain restaurants. Otherwise you are advised to take sufficient water supplies to cover your whole walk.
Many of the lower walks feature superb mountain restaurants with professional table service. Food quality is good, but never cheap (17 sFr. for a typical plate of pasta). Don't forget there are countless opportunities for memorable picnics in the mountains. Take a daypack and buy your supplies at any of the supermarkets or bakeries in Zermatt.. and don't forget the Swiss chocolate!
Accessories: A small backpack to safely carry a few necessities is a recommended inclusion. Sunglasses and suncream are recommended inclusions for all walks, becoming essential for any of the high mountain walks. A sun hat is useful for longer walks on fine days. Gloves and warm headgear are rarely necessary unless you really feel the cold and plan on going to 3000m. Although they could be useful if you plan to stay at a hut and linger outside for a beautiful sunset or sunrise. Nights are always cold above Zermatt - expect it to drop to freezing at 3000m - even in mid summer..
 

Special Walk Recommendations:

Mountain Views: All of the walks have very nice views, but for the most absolutely outrageous, jaw dropping views, I recommend these (weather permitting): to the Monte Rosa Hut / Gornergrat Descent, Ober Rothorn, Hörnli Hut, Höhbalmen, Schönbiel Hut, and Mettelhorn.
Matterhorn Views: Most every walk about Zermatt features a nice view to the Matterhorn (except those up the narrow Trift valley (Edelweiss and to the Rothorn Hut). For a particularly memorable experience, try the Hörnli Hut hike for unmatched close up views and great ambience by the Matterhorn. For outstanding views up the shear north face, try the walks to Höhbalmen or the Schönbiel hut. The Gornergrat descent and Glacier Gate walks feature nice views to the east and north-east faces, while the walk to Findeln has a really nice mid-range view to the postcard north-east face.
Wildlife: The following walks can be recommended for wildlife: the "Easy Forest Walk" (deer at dawn or dusk), Edelweiss (marmots), Zum See and Blatten (deer), Gornergrat descent (Ibex, Steinbok, mountain sheep, marmots, mountain goats, deer), Höhbalmen (marmots, Ibex, Steinbok, mountain sheep, Stone Eagle), etc.  It should be noted that you increase your chances of seeing wild life considerably by walking early mornings or toward dusk. The Bambi-like deer in particular are very shy and will rarely be seen outside of dawn and dusk - when they are quite common.
Wildflowers: These walks feature outstanding wildflower displays: Zmutt, the Easy Forest Walk, Zum See and Blatten, Edelweiss and Trift, as well as Findeln. The prime time of year to see wildflowers is from mid May to mid June at the altitude of Zermatt itself (1620m). After mid June, try ascending above 2000m to find the prettiest wildflower displays.
Good walks in Bad Weather: The forested trails deep in the valleys offer some protection from rain and winds. Try Zum See and Blatten, which also offer charming & excellent mountain restaurants for breaks. The Easy Forest Walk is quite short and protected. Both of these do not feature constant mountain views even if the weather is good, so you won't feel that you are missing Zermatt's best views on a bad day. The walks to Zmutt, and Findeln are a bit longer, but also offer some protection from the worst elements, as well as featuring charming restaurants for shelter and sustenance. Remember you can check the local weather forecast at our website here.
Winter walks: The following walks are also open in winter: Zmutt, the Easy Forest Walk, Zum See and Blatten, as well as Findeln and Tufteren, and the walk around town of course. On these 'year-round' trails, local authorities make efforts to clear snow, put gravel on any ice, and provide ropes for handholds. Phone the Tourist Office (+41 (0)27 967 01 81) if you wish to confirm if a particular walk is open. Some of these winter walks will not be opened until a few days after a big snowfall.

Some Visual Highlights of the walks:

Click on the photos to see a larger version of the photo. Click on a text link to take you to the appropriate walk description.

I wish you a truly memorable time in Zermatt. Sharing these walks has been a labour of love for me. If you wish to share some of your unique experiences, or have any constructive feedback about the Walking Guide,  I would love to hear from you. Please Email me