Conflicted about Matterhorn

With all due respect, I've never regarded riding cable cars or trains in Suisse Alps as a wasted day. Pick a day for your one singular attempt for a clear view of the Matterhorn , it will not be a lost day either way.

Just monitor the weather in Zermatt each night before each day that you may want to go. I successfully saw the Matterhorn on a day trip from Murren which is next door to Wengen just from monitoring the weather over 3 days.

Great point Periscope. At least we get to see some great scenery I would assume and visit a new city. Thanks for the perspective!

It is a "must see" if the weather makes it a "must see." We were in the Lake Geneva, but saw a perfect day forecast on the weather app for Zermatt and took the opportunity. Worth every minute of the transit back and forth.

On the day you decide to go,you will want to get an early start, and take the fastest route to Zermatt so you arrive before conditions change. This is the direct train from Spiez to Visp using the deep Lôtschberg Base Tunnel. Note that beyond Spiez this route is NOT covered with the Berner Oberland Pass (it is with a regular Swiss Pass).

The SBB.ch website or app should automatically route you this way is you buy your tickets online.

For your return, you can take your time and use the slower regional train from Brig to Spiez via Kandersteg. This route IS covered with the Berner Oberland Pass, from Brig to Spiez and on back to Wengen.

You can see the two routes on these maps, one showing the Swiss Travel Pass validity and the other the Berner Oberland Pass validity area.

https://www.mystsnet.com/en/download/swiss-travel-system-map-en-2023/?wpdmdl=14294&masterkey=63a023c8da36c

https://www.berneseoberlandpass.ch/assets/Uploads/Geltungsbereich-Berner-Oberland-Pass-2024.pdf

Depending on the time of day, you might like to get off the train in Kandersteg to have a look around the village.

You could even ride the gondola up to beautiful Oeschinensee—-but be sure to find out the time of the last gondola down, or you will have to walk. (It is actually not a bad walk, as long as it doesn’t get dark).

https://www.oeschinensee.ch/en/

You could even have an early dinner in Kandersteg before catching a later train back to Wengen. It would make for a long day, but a good one.

You will get various opinions on this and not really any one "correct" answer. I personally think the Matterhorn is a bit overrated as an "absolute must see". Of course it's a beautiful mountain, but so are the mountains all over Switzerland. If you feel like for you personally that you'd always feel a "what if" then sure, go for it. I personally would not spend a full day of logistics getting there and back from Wengen, especially because the weather could look fine in the morning when you leave and it could cloud over by the time you get there.

Seems to me if you're in the BO there is more than enough to do there, and you chose it for some reason.

Everyone has their own perspective of what is a "must see" in Switzerland. On my first trip to Switzerland, I visited Zermatt for the day because I had to see the Matterhorn. I grew up in the shadow of the Matterhorn (Disneyland). It was everything I had imagined and more. While I love the BO and the Montreux area, Zermatt and the Matterhorn is Switzerland to me. I have since visited all the areas several more times over the past 30 years.

The train ride from Visp to Zermatt has fantastic scenery.. terraced vineyards, rushing rivers and forested gorges. Also look for the black noise sheep and the black neck goats in the pastures on the left hand side of the train. It is a "Heidi" moment to me.

Have fun.

OMG The Heidi movie has stayed with me since childhood. Zermatt it is. Thanks!!

As a couple of others have said, check the weather for the next day and if clear in Zermatt, GO. Did that from Bern and saw the Matterhorn on a clear cloud free day. Well worth the travel.