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Five nights too long for Zermatt in August?

Avid hikers here! Hubby and I have done the entire Tour du Mont Blanc and spent two separate trips in the Bernese Oberland (once Murren-based and once Grindelwald-based). Love the BO but want to explore new places. We also based ourselves in Pontresina a few years ago and hiked around there. Loved it! We did a Zermatt day trip a few years ago and while we didn't hike, we were enchanted by the views.

This summer we have a wedding to attend in Sicily, and are flying from there to Geneva on July 30th, arriving around noon. Flying out of Geneva on August 5. We want to spend most of our time hiking over moderate terrain (i.e. not as difficult as the Tour du Mont Blanc) as well as go to the wine festival in Vevey. Right now I have 5 nights booked in Zermatt (which amounts to 4 days for hiking) but I wonder if that is too much, especially since I understand weather can be variable.

We have Eurail Global passes so can do day trips, but know day trips out of Zermatt can be long! So given our interests and weather concerns, what do you suggest? Dates and Geneva airport are written in stone. Thanks for your tips!

Posted by
7209 posts

A Eurail Pass is rather unhelpful compared to a Swiss Pass if you’re spending all of your training time in Switzerland.

Posted by
67 posts

We will be in Italy, Switzerland, Scotland and England. Got it on a special promotion earlier in the month, so it made sense financially.

Posted by
11776 posts

I think 5 nights is great, especially with variable weather. One rainy day out of four is better than one out of two! We found lots of hiking in Zermatt and enjoyed it immensely. Rick’s book outlines several doable hikes. Try the Gourmetweg and reserve for lunch at one of the options on the trail.

Posted by
17427 posts

Five nights would be great for me (also an avid hiker). You need that time precisely because the weather is so variable. We had only two full days there and hiked one day in a light snowfall, the next in beautiful sunshine. The village is in the valley and ringed by some 400 km of hiking trails, with different exposures and different views. You can start in the village or ride one of the three lifts/trains up to a higher point and hike there. It’s all good.

https://www.zermatt.ch/en/Media/List-Tours/Hiking-trails