Saas-Fee
The Glacier Village, Quieter than Zermatt
A car-free village ringed by thirteen four-thousand-metre peaks in the valley next to Zermatt's. It has no railway: PostBuses run up from Visp (about 50 minutes), and drivers park in the garages at the village entrance. The Alpin Express and the underground Metro Alpin reach Mittelallalin (3,500 m), with the world's highest revolving restaurant and an ice pavilion; glacier skiing often runs into summer. Cheaper and calmer than Zermatt, with marmots on the Spielboden trail.
Highlights
- Metro Alpin underground funicular to 3,500 m
- Revolving restaurant at Mittelallalin
- Ice Pavilion inside the glacier
- Feeding marmots on the Spielboden trail
- Car-free village lanes
- Summer glacier skiing
- Mattmark reservoir
Things to do
- Mittelallalin by Alpin Express and Metro Alpin, with the Ice PavilionMorning · 4h
- Marmot trail at SpielbodenJun–SepAfternoon · 2h 30m
- Hannig and the walk back to the villageMorning · 3h
Tours & tickets
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When to go
Best time: June – September (summer); December – March (snow)
Heads up
Ski Season Prices
Winter is high season in the ski resorts: rooms cost most, and are hardest to find, from Christmas to New Year and in the February school holidays, when many hotels sell only week-long stays. Ski passes are priced dynamically and are dearest on those dates too. January (outside the holidays) and March are better value.
Worth knowing
Between Seasons: Hotels and Lifts Closed
May and November fall between the summer and ski seasons: many hotels, restaurants and mountain lifts close for weeks of maintenance, and walking trails above the villages can still be under snow in May. Check that the lifts you want are running before you book.
Heads up
Grimsel, Furka and Susten Passes Closed
The high road passes (Grimsel, Furka, Susten, Nufenen) close for the winter, roughly from late October to late May or June, earlier after a snowfall (they reopened on 29 May in 2026, the Susten in June). Trains and the year-round car trains through the Furka and Lötschberg tunnels are not affected; only scenic drives and pass buses are.
Heads up
Snow Can Cut the Valley Off
After very heavy snow the line and road up the valley can close for a day or two for avalanche danger. Keep a spare day before an international flight in winter.