Matterhorn View Circuit

Overview

Few treks serve the Matterhorn like the high balcony trails above Zermatt. From the car-free village you climb through larches to the Höhbalmen meadows, where the 4,478-metre pyramid fills the sky across the Zmutt valley, then continue to the Schönbielhütte at 2,694 metres, set directly opposite the mountain's shadowed north face and the tumbling Zmutt Glacier. Link this over five days with the Gornergrat ridge — Riffelsee's dawn reflection of the east face is the photograph everyone chases — and a stretch of the Europaweg high above the Mattertal, crossing the 494-metre Charles Kuonen suspension bridge. July to September is the window; even then afternoon cloud builds fast around the peak, so walk early and keep binoculars handy for climbers on the Hörnli ridge. Zermatt prices sting — budget around £1,500 for huts, half-board and lifts — but the Gornergrat railway and Schwarzsee cable car let you trade ascent for time when the weather window is short.

Book This Trip

Plan Your Dates

Prefilled for 1 July 2027 — the next best-season window. Search on partner sites — opens in a new tab.