I’m lucky to have sped down the slopes of the best ski resorts in Switzerland. Even luckier, I’ve lived for whole winters in Saas-Fee, Villars, Verbier and Grindelwald. During and since then, I’ve skied the slopes of Zermatt, Wengen, Mürren, Andermatt, St Moritz, Arosa, Davos, Gstaad, Crans-Montana, Leysin and Les Diablerets.
I love everything about winter in the Swiss Alps. The first snow leaves behind gleaming glaciers and snow-tipped pine trees that make me shiver in anticipation of what lies ahead. As smoke rises from the chimneys of warm wooded chalets, I’m drawn to the warm glow beyond their shutters. Later, the light fades and the crest of the moon appears above the white silhouettes of the Alps. The sky comes to life, bursting with stars. Or even better, the clouds roll in releasing huge flakes of snow to spin weightlessly in the nighttime void before floating to earth to coat the pistes in powder.
Winter in the Swiss Alps can be as idyllic as your whitest winter dreams. Whether those dreams take your skis skimming across snow-crusted slopes below the Toblerone-shaped Matterhorn, or clad your feet in racketed-snow shoes to venture into marshmallow worlds of forested silence. Picture-perfect mountain huts welcome frozen feet with bubbling fondue pots and the sweet spice of mulled wine. While, for those who wish, cobbled streets host swish boutiques and gourmet menus.
When looking for the best ski resorts in Switzerland for your winter holiday, it can be hard to know where to start. Here are a few of my favourites.
Saas-Fee
Why you might love it – This winter wonderland of Swiss charm and tradition lies high in the Alps with snow-sure slopes, glacier skiing and a traffic-free village centre.
Why you might skip it – It’s a long transfer, can get extremely chilly mid-winter and might not have enough slopes or chairlifts for some.
The stats
Ski area – 100 km
Village height – 1800 m
Ski high point – 3500 m
My view – I have a soft spot for Saas-Fee. It’s where I fell in love with Switzerland. It’s so pretty and so snowy it’s exactly like living in a Christmas card. When I arrived in Saas-Fee I was a very novice intermediate, I’d not mastered red runs and had only ever skied in one small Italian resort. I was happily enamoured with the Saas-Fee ski area. Not once did I pine for the modern purpose-built convenience of a ski-in, ski-out French resort with a slick network of heated chairlifts. For me (and many others), the unique charm of Saas-Fee more than compensates for the somewhat clunky lift system and long transfer. There’s a magic that sparkles in the air and dances around the frozen landscape.
Read more about winter in Saas-Fee in my blog post here.
Villars
Why you might love it – The picturesque ski area has gentle rolling slopes and is relatively quiet making it ideal confidence-boosting terrain for beginners and intermediates.
Why you might skip it – The relatively low altitude makes early and late-season snow unreliable.
The stats
Ski area – 104 km (Villars-Gryon-Les Diablerets)
Village height – 1253 m
Ski high point – 2020 m
My view – Both the village of Villars and the ski area are picturesque, welcoming and friendly. There is nothing particularly threatening about the skiing and you’ll struggle to find any raucous après-ski. You can feast on traditional local dishes in authentic mountain restaurants, and you’ll find a tempting choice in the compact chalet-style village too. It’s all very pleasant and understated. The star of the show is the south-facing view over the Rhône valley.
The ski area is accessed via the Roc d’Orsay gondola (a short ski bus ride from the village centre) or an 18-minute mountain train. The quaint red carriages depart from the main Villars train station, winding through pine trees up to Bretaye, the heart of the ski area. If you’re a first-time skier, you’ll learn on the nursery slopes here so all abilities can easily meet up for a typical mountain lunch.
For intermediates and above, what the ski area lacks in size, it makes up for in scenic rewards. Cruise sweeping treelined runs to the villages of Gryon in one direction and Les Diablerets in the other.
Along with the short transfer (it’s one of the quickest Swiss resorts to reach from Geneva airport), it’s a fantastic option for families or a short ski break.
Note:
After skiing over to Les Diablerets, you can hop on a bus to Col du Pillon. From here, take two cable cars to reach Glacier 3000. Here you’ll find an extra 25 km of snow-sure slopes up to 3123 m. There are a few lovely gentle blues at the top and a couple of reds. However, unless you want to ski one of the steepest blacks in the world back to Col du Pillon, you’ll need to take at least one cable car back down before catching the bus back to Les Diablerets (and then skiing back to Villars). Most skiers would realistically only consider doing this once during their holiday.
Verbier
Why you might love it – The adrenaline-fueled ski area has much to excite and inspire confident intermediates and experts. Plus, some of the most renowned après-ski in the Alps.
Why you might skip it – A lot of the skiing can be scary for beginners as well as anyone with a nervous or cautious mindset. While if you’re looking for Swiss charm, its in limited supply.
The stats
Ski area – 412 km (4Vallées)
Village height – 1500 m
Ski high point – 3330 m
My view – Beyond the designer shops, gourmet dining and luxury accommodation, there’s an energy in the air that I love about Verbier. The chalet-style architecture softens the somewhat urban vibe and dancing in your ski boots contrasts with showy night spots. It’s a tussle of extremes but the real heart of the resort is the hardcore skier and seasonnaire community.
With over 412 km of skiing, the 4Vallées is Switzerland’s largest ski area. Verbier’s main Medrain gondola accesses the local ski area of Les Ruinettes, Attelas and La Chaux. There are a few blues to cruise but it’s the steeper challenges that are most plentiful. If you ski Verbier with determination, you can’t help but improve. It becomes increasingly wild and remote as you head up towards the glacier at Col des Gentianes culminating in the horrifying Mont Fort black run with moguls the size of polar bears. Much more fun (for me) is the long red run that sweeps below the Cabane Mont Fort with a view of Mont Blanc in the distance.
On the other side of Verbier, a second gondola lands you at the top of the Savoleyres area. Here, the more forgiving treelined slopes are a good option if you’re a nervous intermediate accidentally on holiday in Verbier.
Verbier is where I made my biggest leaps in becoming a skier; nowhere else has so inspired me since. The ungroomed itinerary runs (marked yellow on the piste map) open up a whole new world of off-piste adventures. Plus, there’s a vast amount of backcountry to explore with a guide. Not to mention heliskiing.
Despite my best efforts, I remained defeated by the polar bear-sized moguls and only ventured timidly (but enthusiastically) into the tamest of off-piste terrain. But both are there for the taking in abundance. This is undoubtedly one of the best ski resorts in Switzerland. If you’re serious about skiing, Verbier is the place.
Jungfrau Ski Region – Grindelwald, Wengen, Mürren
Why you might love it – Easygoing cruising and some of the most spectacular mountain scenery in the world. Combine with plenty of alpine charm for a good all-round winter holiday and some of the best ski resorts in Switzerland.
Why you might skip it – The three separate ski areas are not fully linked. Plus, there’s limited terrain to challenge experts.
The stats
Ski area – 210 km (Jungfrau Ski Region)
Village height – 1034 m (Grindelwald), 1274 m (Wengen), 1650 m (Mürren)
Ski high point – 2970 m*
(*2677 m for winter 24-25 due to cable car closure)
My view – I have so much to say about winter in the Jungfrau Region. To prevent this post from becoming ridiculously long I’ve dedicated a separate blog to the subject. Please click here
Still searching for the best ski resorts in Switzerland?
The resorts above are those I know the best having spent whole winters there. But Switzerland has lots more to offer:
Crans-Montana –
Put Crans-Montana on your shortlist if you’re an intermediate skier and/or looking for a family-friendly resort with lots to do off the slopes too.
- 140 km of scenic slopes are well linked and reach an impressive altitude of 3000 m.
- The resort claims 300 days of sunshine a year making the odds high for amazing views of Mont Blanc and the Matterhorn across the valley.
- Sun-soaked mountain lunches are the norm. Just be wary of slushy slopes if booking early or late season.
- Don’t expect to see too much quaint alpine village charm. But whether you’re into shopping, ice skating, bowling or munching popcorn in the cinema, Crans-Montana is a ‘proper’ town with lots going on.
- The town’s lantern path through the forest is a truly magical experience for all ages. It’s one of many family-friendly festivities taking place throughout the winter
Zermatt
If I was in the exciting position of designing my own ski resort, it would look very much like Zermatt. I’d just move it closer to the airport and make it much cheaper. Really the only reason you should think twice (if you can afford it) is if you’re a beginner. Or if you don’t have the stamina for a 3 to 4-hour transfer from Geneva. Otherwise, Zermatt is hard to top as one of the very best ski resorts in Switzerland.
- The huge ski area (360 km) is connected by an efficient lift network. Plus, since 2023, a new fancy cable car has sped up the link to the Italian slopes of Cervinia.
- With a ski high point of 3889 m, this is the highest ski area in the Alps. It’s incredibly snowsure with lots of glacier skiing.
- For dreamers of winter wonderlands, Zermatt has it all. Cobbled traffic-free streets (often snow-dusted as the village sits at 1620 m), traditional chalets, and horse-drawn sleigh rides, all set at the foot of the iconic Matterhorn.
- Don’t be fooled by the traditional village charm, Zermatt is far from quiet and sleepy. The town centre is packed with shops and eateries, the fun apres-ski is irresistible and there’s a packed calendar of winter events.
More Swiss ski resorts
Check back for more to come including Andermatt, St Moritz, Arosa, Davos and Gstaad.
Switzerland’s Christmas markets
Read about Luzern’s Christmas markets here.