Gstaad Ski Lifts

Ski Lifts in Gstaad

Gstaad boasts an efficient mountain lift system featuring 43 ski lifts serving 200 km of well-groomed slopes across six distinct ski areas. This includes 12 lifts at Glacier 3000, a 30-minute train journey from Gstaad. However, the region’s stand-out mountain transportation attraction is the MOB railway line that connects two main ski areas east and west of Gstaad and transports tourists between Montreux and Interlaken.

Gstaad Ski Lifts

Gstaad is justifiably proud of a longstanding record of innovation and excellent mountain transportation, including many ‘firsts’:

• The first cable cars in Switzerland in the early 1900s,
• The longest 4-seater chairlift (2,764m) in Switzerland
• The first covered triple chairlift in Switzerland
• The first gondola lift in Switzerland to have a curve in its route.

Recent enhancements include the Saanenmöser–Saanersloch gondola (2018/19) and the Gstaad-Eggli gondola (2019/20), with 10-person cabins designed by the Porsche Design Studio.

The Gstaad holiday region (nine villages and six ski areas) lift system includes 25 lifts serving two main ski areas east and west of Gstaad. As many as eight entry points to the main ski areas east and west of Gstaad help avoid long lift lines, and there were no lift queues when skiing Gstaad mid-week in January (low season).

Cable cars 1
Gondolas 7
Chairlifts 11
Surface lifts 12
Total lifts 31

Glacier 3000 Ski Lifts

Glacier 3000 has 12 lifts, including three cable cars, three chairlifts, five surface lifts, and a tunnel that leads to the steep Black Wall.

Glacier 3000
Cable cars 3
Tunnel 1
Chair lifts 3
Surface lifts 5
Total lifts 12

From Gstaad to Glacier 3000, it is a 20-minute drive (17km) or 30 minutes by train (direction Le Diableret) to Col du Pillon. Before setting off from Gstaad, please check local weather conditions and the current status of the Glacier 3000 lifts, as high winds or lousy visibility can cause lift closures.

Check the current status of the ski lifts in Gstaad and Glacier 3000 >

Gstaad & Glacier 3000 Interactive Ski Map >

Gstaad Mountain Rides Free Ski Bus

In winter, the Gstaad Mountain Rides free ski bus service is available to everyone during the day (9 am to 5 pm). Two routes run between Saanen, Gstaad Bahnhof, and Wispile, with multiple stops, including ski lifts at Rubeldorf-Eggli, Gstaad-Eggli, and Wispile. For more information and timetables, see SkiWelt Gstaad >

Ski Lifts + Rail Connections

One of the region’s stand-out mountain transportation attractions is the excellent MOB railway line between Montreux and Interlaken, serving Gstaad and six other stops from Rougemont to Zweisimmen. So, although no ski lift connects Gstaad’s two main ski areas (east and west), they are connected by train!

Gstaad Lift Passes

Children aged 5 years or younger can ride the lifts for free when accompanied by an adult. A free child ticket can be obtained from the ticket office (official ID needed). Ski pass prices for adults (20-64 years).

Multi-day tickets from 2-31 days and day tickets are available with discounts of approximately 50% for children aged 6-15, 25% for youth (16-19), and 10% for seniors (women aged 64 and men aged 65). Dynamic pricing includes discounts if you order and pay in advance online. Multi-day ski tickets also give you access to the Glacier 3000 ski resort.

Adult day ticket CHF 79 and 6-day ticket CHF 420 at Feb 2025

Book Ski Tickets for the whole family online >

The Magic Pass

Frequent visitors can opt for an annual Magic Pass, valid from May until the end of the subsequent winter season. The Magic Pass provides unlimited and unrestricted access to mountain lifts across 80 Swiss ski resorts and 37 summer mountain destinations, including Glacier 3000 and Gstaad. To secure the maximum discount, Purchase your Magic Pass for the upcoming year before the April deadline at the end of the current winter season.

Gstaad Lift Company

Bergbahnen Destination Gstaad AG is among the largest mountain railway companies in the Bernese Oberland. It is responsible for the safety and smooth operation of 34 mountain lifts, five mountain restaurants, and approximately 160 km of slopes.

Bergbahnen Destination Gstaad AG
Egglistrasse 43
CH 3780 Gstaad, Switzerland
Tel: 41 33 748 87 37

Emergency Rescue: +41 33 744 14 14 connected directly with the echoSOS app, which you can download on the App Store or Google Play

Gstaad Snow Record and Snowmaking

Over the ten years ending in 2023/24, the average annual snowfall in Gstaad was approximately 360 cm, with an average of 27 snowy days each year. January is typically the snowiest and best time to experience maximum snow depth and enjoy uncrowded slopes.

Approximately 60% of slopes are equipped with snow cannons, ensuring snow cover from mid-December until the end of March.” The latest snowmaking technology equipment increases snowmaking capacity and reduces the time it takes to cover the slopes with snow.

However, most skiing is at a relatively low altitude (between 948m and 2,151m), which makes Gstaad vulnerable when the temperatures are not cold enough for snow.

Sustainability

Gstaad-Saanenland has a long history of maximising renewable energy sources, such as water, sun, and wood residues, to avoid long-term negative environmental impacts. The region is committed to making tourism sustainable. Nowadays, most of the electricity consumed by tourist activities and households comes from renewable energy, with an increasing number of individuals and businesses opting for CO2-neutral electricity and heat generation.

The regional mountain cable cars are committed to sustainability in various ways, including solar power on the roofs of the mountain restaurants at La Videmanette and Eggli and at the valley lift stations in Saanersloch and Eggli. They also utilise eco-friendly fuel and GPS technology for snow grooming. Furthermore, the carbon footprint from skiing activities is further reduced by encouraging skiers to deposit their expired lift passes in designated boxes at the valley stations. For every lift card (value CHF 5), the lift company’s Swiss partner, Climeworks, uses Direct Air Capture technology to remove 5kg of CO2 from the atmosphere.