13 Best Ski Resorts Near Zurich (Epic Winter Adventures)

There are plenty of reasons to visit Zurich in the winter season, and skiing is definitely one of them.

There are lots of good ski resorts around Zurich, easily accessible by car or by train and offering a wide range of snow activities. Even if you don’t want to go skiing, you can still go and have a really good time winter walking, snowshoeing, sledging or just enjoying the sun.

I sometimes forget how beautiful winter is being stuck in the eternal fog in and around Zurich. It is so worth it to get up early and head to the mountains and rise above the dreary fog!

Whether you want to be able to go out to a ski resort in the morning and be back in the city in the afternoon, or you’re traveling to the resort from Zurich and you plan to stay there for a few consecutive days, we’ve got you covered.

This guide to the best ski resorts near Zurich includes all the best options in the Swiss Alps for apres-ski, ski-in/ski-out, and more!

Ski Resort Travel Time

Travel time from Zurich to the nearest ski resorts by train often takes a little longer than by car. However, there are regular traffic jams on weekends, so keep that in mind.

By Train

By Car

Mythen Region

The Mythen Region is one of the closest ski resorts to Zurich. You can take a direct train to Schwyz (less than an hour) and from there you can ride the cable car from Rickenbach to Rotenflue where the ski lifts are.

The Mythen Region ski resort boasts a total of 56 kilometers of ski slopes at a maximum altitude of 1,593 meters above sea level. The vast majority of the slopes are for intermediate skiers, with a total of 31 kilometers of red pistes. There are also 18 kilometers of easy blue pistes, and only 1 kilometers of black skiing pistes for experts.

The ski season at this Swiss resort is from mid-December to mid-March when there’s plenty of snow on the ground.

Hoch-Ybrig

Hoch-Ybrig has long been a favorite amongst the locals if it comes to skiing close to Zürich: it has a good amount of well-prepared pistes for all levels and it’s very close to Zurich. It often also has a good amount of snow due to its microclimate. The area close to Oberiberg is excellent for families with lots of little slopes for beginners. If you’re more of a pro you might want to head out to the SkiCross Park close to the Sternen chairlift. If extreme snowboarding is more your thing, you can try the NBC Snowpark where you can perfect your jumps and tricks.

As with all ski resorts, there are enough restaurants in the area for when you get hungry after all that exercise!

Most people go up from the station Weglosen as it will give you access to most of the slopes. There is however another station called Hoch-Ybrig Laucheren from which you can access a few other slopes. There are car parks at the bottom of each lift/cable car.

Andermatt

Andermatt is one of the best and most popular ski resorts in Switzerland, some two hours outside Zurich by train. The ski area of Andermatt includes eight Alpine passes and it encompasses the neighbouring ski resort Sedrun and even Disentis. This entire region has more than 70 kilometers of ski slopes, most of which are red and blue runs.

There are also some 12 kilometers of black runs, which will live up to the standards of even the most experienced and demanding skiers. A total of 13 chairlifts, ski lifts, and gondolas transport skies to the top of the resort’s best slopes.

The pistes are suitable for skiing and snowboarding, but the Anermatt holiday region is also known for off-piste terrain that allows for cross-country skiing.

Engelberg

The Titlis-Engelberg ski resort is one of the best options for intermediate and advanced skiers. This ski region is about an hour and 45 minutes away from Zurich by train, with just one train change in Lucerne.

This resort area features a total of 80 kilometers of ski slopes, with plenty of options for beginners, experts, and intermediate skiers. There’s a total of 17 lifts to transport the skiers to the slopes, so it shouldn’t be too hard to avoid the crowds. The ski season in Titlis-Engelberg is from mid-October to mid-May, and most slopes are on an elevation of 1,000 to 3,000 meters above sea level.

This is one of the largest ski areas in Central Switzerland and it’s worth checking out regardless of your previous skiing experience.

Sattel-Hochstuckli

Situated in the Schwyz canton just an hour outside Zurich, the Sattel-Hochstuckli ski region is a good option for skiers who don’t want to go too far outside Zurich. This is one of the smaller resorts near the big city, with a total of 12 kilometers of ski pistes.

Six kilometers of slopes are easy blue runs and the other six are red runs, so unfortunately there are no options here for extremely experienced skiers. Most slopes are on an elevation of 800 – 1,491 meters above sea level, with a total of 9 lifts that transport the visitors. The length of the ski season in this resort heavily depends on snow and weather conditions, but it often starts in November and lasts until mid-March.

Flumserberg

Flumserberg is a very popular region for winter sports: it’s very close to Zurich, offers a wide range of snow activities, the slopes are good and the views from the top down to the Walensee are absolutely stunning. If you’re in the area and you haven’t been up, give it a try, it’s well worth it.

Once at the top, you can choose your favourite activity

• skiing/snowboarding
• sledging
• snowshoeing
• ski touring
• cross country skiing

You can find all the activities here. On top of that, there is a wide variety of restaurants and shops where you can rent the necessary gear.

The easiest way to get to Flumserberg is by train. However, you can also get there by car. You either park in Unterterzen (or Oberterzen if Unterterzen is full) and take the cable car up or drive to Tannenboden and skip the first cable car.

Stoos – Muotatal

The Stoos-Muotatal region might not be as big as other resorts, but it sure makes up for the stunning views on the top! The skiing is superb and will easily fill a day. The fun starts with taking the world’s steepest funicular! It has a gradient of up to 110%. You can read more about it here.

There are slopes for everyone. More experienced skiers can test their skills on the three challenging black slopes starting at the Klingenstock. Especially the Franz-Heinzer-Racing Slope is supposed to give you a real thrill. But there is also a wide variety of red and blue slopes for the ones who want to take a bit easier. I would really recommend going up the Fronalpstock at least once, as the view on a sunny day is truly breathtaking.

As with all the other resorts Stoos-Muotatal also offers many other snow activities like winter walking, snowshoeing, sledging and cross-country skiing, to name a few.

Click here to find a more detailed overview.

Stoos can be easily reached by car via Schwyz or by train. There is parking available at the bottom of the funicular.

Rigi

Rigi is called the “queen of the mountains” for a reason. The view from the top is absolutely amazing and there is even a Thermalbad at the top to relax those muscles after a day of winter activities. While Zurich and the rest of the lower lands are in a thick fog, Rigi will often reward you with sunny weather because of its location and altitude.

Rigi is rather small in terms of amount of slopes, but that doesn’t make it less interesting. It’s perfect for a day trip filled with some fun in the snow and some good food, maybe a cheese fondue? I would also recommend going to Rigi, if you want to go winter walking or snowshoeing. There are many trails for different levels of fitness.

And don’t forget:

• If you have a valid ticket for the cogwheel train or any of the cable cars, you ski for free on Rigi
• Children up to 15 years old (including 15 years old), travel for free up Rigi and thus also ski for free

Laax

The Laax – Flims – Falera ski resort is approximately two hours outside Zurich and it’s the best ski resort if you want to have a wide variety of options when it comes to ski terrain. With 197 kilometers of ski pistes, this resort offers fantastic skiing and snowboarding to skiers of all experience levels.

There are more than 80 kilometers of blue runs that are perfect for beginners, some 90 kilometers of red runs, and around 22 kilometers of black runs for expert skiers. The region also boasts 35 kilometers of off-piste ski terrain, making this region one of the best in all of Switzerland for a proper ski holiday.

More than 70% of pistes in the region are at an altitude of 2,000 meters above sea level, and some are even at 3,000 meters. There are 28 lifts and gondolas throughout the resorts to transport the skiers.

Chäserrugg

Chäserrugg is a good ski resort about an hour and a half outside the city of Zurich. However, it’s important to note that the ski region will be accessible only to travelers with a personal vehicle in Switzerland since the public transport options are not convenient.

It’s not impossible to reach the ski resort of Chäserrugg from Zurich by train and bus. Still, it would include traveling for more than two hours and changing 3-4 trains/buses in each direction, which is a nightmare if you’re carrying your ski equipment.

In any case, this ski resort is best suited for beginner and intermediate skiers with 40 kilometers of red runs and 8 kilometers of blue runs. There are only 2 kilometers of black runs, so although there are some options for expert skiers, it’s not like you’ll have plenty of variety of trails to choose from.

Arosa-Lenzerheide

About two hours outside Zurich, just above the Igl Lake is the Arosa-Lenzerheide ski resort with more than 220 kilometers of slopes. With 110 kilometers of easy blue runs, it’s the best ski resort near Zurich for beginners and very young skiers.

Intermediate and advanced skiers can also have fun at this ski resort since the remaining 100+ kilometers are red and black pistes. There are 87 kilometers of red runs and 28 kilometers of black runs, and some of those are at an altitude of more than 2,800 meters above sea level.

The ski season at this resort is from mid-November to mid-April but can depend on the weather and snow conditions.

Pizol – Bad Ragaz/​Wangs

Nestled above Bad Ragaz, at 2200m, Pizol guarantees a full day of fun in the snow and the sun! Having traveled to this area, we noticed that the sun just seems to shine more often in Bad Ragaz.

With 50km of slopes, Pizol is quite big and offers a wide range of slopes for all levels. Freestylers can optimise their tricks in the Riderpark and a new Funslope park has been created: numerous jumps, waves and steep curves will satisfy the more passionate downhill skiers.

All this combined with several good restaurants, lots of other snow activities and a splendid view, makes Pizol the perfect destination for a day trip.

Amden

The Amden ski resort is only about an hour outside Zurich and it’s great for skiers who want to stay close to the big city. This is one of the smaller resorts in Switzerland, and it’s best suited for people with little or no previous experience on the slopes.

This ski resort has 10 kilometers of blue runs and 10 kilometers of red runs, with no black runs nearby. It’s open from mid-December to mid-March, provided that the weather conditions are good and there’s enough snow on the ground.

It’s worth noting that this is also one of the more affordable ski resorts in central Switzerland, so if you’re trying to organize a skiing trip on a tighter budget, it’s definitely worth considering. Especially if you’re not a very advanced skier, and you’re okay with having access to various red runs.

Tips & Tricks

Here are a few extra tips and tricks I have learned over the years.

Traffic

Traffic can be quite heavy on a sunny weekend winter day, but you will face this problem going to any ski resort close to Zurich on a weekend

So, just leave early (I’m talking 7-8 a.m.) and you will be fine. The same goes for your return trip to Zurich. You either leave a little earlier (say 3 p.m.) or stay later and maybe have dinner there.

Cost

Skiing can be quite expensive if you’re a family, but why not take your picnic and find yourself a nice little place in the sun and enjoy your lunch in peace?

Some regions also offer half-day passes or tickets at reduced prices if you go at certain times – like after lunch. So, make the most of these discounted offers and only do half a day, as that is usually enough time on the slopes for most people anyway.

Another thing you can take advantage of if you use the train is Snow N Rail from SBB. This gives you quite a significant discount on the train while combining that ticket with your ski pass.

Frequently Asked Questions