Mountain bike tours

Matterhorn Valley Trail (T1)

Zermatt

6/19°

Closed

Accompanied by fascinating views such as the wild water of the Vispa or the snow-covered mountain peaks, the varied bike route leads from Zermatt to Visp. The route also varies greatly in surface and switches between narrow trails and wide paths.

Difficulty

Intermediate

Length

38.19 km

Duration

3:30 h

Description

On the first section, you ride along the developed path from Zermatt to Täsch and catch the last view of the Matterhorn. At Täsch the beautiful Lake Schali invites you to rest. From Randa, the route continues past the debris cone of the 1991 rockslide with views of the Bis Glacier, continuing on dirt roads to St. Niklaus. From Kalpetran, the biker travels along the historic road, past the still-visible dry stone walls, which are listed in the Inventory of Swiss Historic Transport Routes (IVS), to Stalden. Afterwards it continues to Visp.

The entire route is about 38 km. You can conveniently board the Matterhorn Gotthard Railway at any time to shorten the route. The route can also be traveled in the opposite direction (Visp – Zermatt), but with significantly more elevation gain.

Our favorites

Our favorite itineraries are part of a selection of the best routes in the region and are proposed by Valais/Wallis Promotion to best meet the expectations of our guests.

Turn-by-turn directions

Zermatt – Täsch – Randa – Herbriggen - Mattsand – St. Niklaus – Kalpetran –Stalden – Neubrück – Visp train station

The Matterhorn Gotthard Railway is a constant companion on the route and can be used at the various stations to shorten the route.

The route can also be cycled in the opposite direction from Visp to Zermatt, which increases the physical requirements and the duration. (Duration approx. 4.5 h)

Start

Zermatt (1,620 m) (1605m)

Destination

Visp (647 m) (648m)

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Author's recommendation

A lengthy stay at Lake Schali is recommended: there you will find the Bike Zone, water skiing facility, snack bar, and picnic or barbecue area

Technical information

Altitude

1620m

647m

Ascent

+142m

Descent

-1094m

Stamina

Experience

Landscape

Best time of the year

Public transport

By train to the Matterhorn village: 3½ hours from Zurich Airport or 4 hours from Geneva Airport. Visp is the transfer point to the Matterhorn Gotthard Railway. From Visp the railway line runs through the Nikolai Valley, past small idyllic villages, to Zermatt.

Zermatt is also the start or end point of the world-famous Glacier Express panoramic train ride (St. Moritz / Davos – Zermatt).

Approach

Zermatt is car-free. Access for private traffic is only allowed as far as Täsch (5 km before Zermatt). The road Täsch - Zermatt is closed to public traffic.

Further travel to Zermatt is either with a private taxi provider or with shuttle trains. The trains run every 20 minutes. After about 12 minutes, the journey ends at the train station square in Zermatt.