Mountain Biking in Zermatt: Top Outdoor Adventures Awaiting You

While Zermatt is known mostly as a ski touring and mountaineering destination, the small southern Swiss resort town has no shortage of incredible mountain biking opportunities.

While the difficulty level of these mountain biking trips ranges from easy to hard, the vast majority of them take place around the Matterhorn, taking riders to scenic overlooks and through the incredible scenery around the foot of Switzerland’s most iconic mountain.

Overall, there are hundreds of different options to choose from. For beginners, a few of the most popular include the aforementioned 4 Lakes tour; the half-day Glacier Garden Loop Bike Tour, which takes riders over some of the region’s iconic suspension bridges; and the Hohtälli Bike Tour, which takes riders up to the top of Hohtälli.

For intermediate riders, Zermatt offers the Matterhorn Valley Trail Bike Tour; the Moos Trail tour, which is an exciting descent down toward Zermatt with incredible views; and the Kalbermatten-YoYo Bike Tour, which winds through evergreen forests and offers incredible views of the Matterhorn.

For advanced riders, Zermatt offers the Täsch-Täsch Hut Bike Tour, which takes riders up to the Weisshorn and boasts some incredible views en route. There are numerous other shorter rides as well, many of which take place near the Matterhorn and involve steep and technical descents.

Stunning scenery

Sitting at the southern end of the Matter Valley, in the shadow of the Matterhorn, Zermatt is world-renowned for its incredible alpine scenery. Getting out on the trails on a mountain bike is one of the best ways to explore the verdant valleys and iconic snow-capped peaks of Switzerland. Riding a bike allows you to see and do more in a shorter period of time and there is plenty to see here.

Plenty to do

Zermatt boasts 100 kilometers of official, marked mountain biking trails in the surroundings. This should be plenty to keep even the most avid mountain bikers occupied for a solid weekend of riding. However, ask any local guide and this official list is just the tip of the iceberg. There are many hundreds more kilometers of single-track rides waiting to be discovered.

Do the 4 Lakes Tour

Perhaps the most popular mountain biking option around Zermatt is the 4 lakes tour. This half-day excursion takes riders from nearby Blauherd to the Selisse – the iconic reflective lake beneath the Matterhorn – before continuing on to see the other three lakes, each of which offers incredible views of some of Switzerland’s most iconic mountains. Best of all the route is pretty easy, making it ideal for families.

During the summer, average daily temperatures in Zermatt range from 10 ºC to 13 ºC. These drop dramatically as you gain in elevation. Summer is also the wettest time of year in Switzerland, receiving between 50 and 60 millimeters of rain each month.

Flying into Geneva International Airport (GVA) is a common starting point for any trip to Zermatt. From here, it is easy enough to rent a car and make the roughly three hour drive or take a combination of trains and buses to get there. You could also fly into Sion (SIR) and drive or take the bus from there.

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