Glacier 3000 has something no other mountain in the world has: a suspension bridge that links two summits to each other, rather than crossing a gap between a cliff and nothing. That, a glacier you can walk on in February, and an alpine coaster on the way down make it the most activity-dense mountain in Switzerland — and it is 50% off with a Swiss Travel Pass.
Planning essentials
Glacier 3000 at a glance
| Altitude | 3,000 m, above Les Diablerets |
| Base station | Col du Pillon, between Gstaad and Les Diablerets |
| Swiss Travel Pass | 50% off the cable car |
| The Peak Walk | The only suspension bridge in the world joining two mountain summits |
| On the glacier | Glacier Walk, snow bus, dog sledding, skiing and snowboarding |
| On the way down | Alpine Coaster — a rail toboggan at altitude |
| Also up there | Lake Blue Ice, a natural glacier-formed lake, and restaurants at the top |
| Season | Open year-round, with activities varying by season and weather |
The Peak Walk — what makes it different
Most alpine walkways are bolted to a cliff face and take you out over empty air. This one is a genuine bridge between two peaks, anchored on a summit at each end — the only one of its kind anywhere.
In practice that means the experience is different too: you are not looking down a rock wall, you are walking across a gap with mountain on both sides and a 360-degree horizon that includes the Matterhorn, Mont Blanc, the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau on a clear day. It takes a few minutes to cross, it is included with your cable car ticket, and it closes in high wind.
Winter is the point here
Most Swiss mountains are better in summer. Glacier 3000 is the reverse — the glacier is the attraction, and the activities built on it only exist when there is snow to run them on.
Snow bus and dog sledding
A tracked bus runs out across the glacier to a point you could not otherwise reach on foot, and husky sledding operates on the snowfield in season.
Both are extras on top of the cable car ticket, and both are weather-dependent — check on the morning rather than booking blind.
Skiing and the Glacier Walk
Lift-served glacier skiing runs here well outside the normal season, and the marked Glacier Walk lets non-skiers cross the ice on foot in proper conditions.
The Alpine Coaster runs on the descent when conditions allow — a rail toboggan you control yourself, at 3,000 m.
The practical catch: almost everything above the cable car is an individual paid activity and each one is weather-dependent. Your pass halves the cable car and nothing else. Budget for the mountain ticket first, then decide what to add once you can see the conditions — not the other way round.
Getting there
From Montreux or the GoldenPass side
Via Gstaad
The GoldenPass line runs through Gstaad, and Col du Pillon is a bus ride from there. That makes Glacier 3000 the natural mountain excursion for anyone travelling the Montreux–Interlaken section rather than doubling back to the Bernese Oberland.
From the Bernese Oberland
Via Spiez and Zweisimmen
Longer, but straightforward by train and bus, and all of the transport is covered by your pass. Allow most of a day from Interlaken; it is not a half-day trip from there.
How it compares
- Against Titlis: both have a glacier and both are 50% off. Titlis is easier to reach from Lucerne and has the rotating cable car; Glacier 3000 has the unique bridge and more to do on the ice.
- Against Jungfraujoch: Glacier 3000 is dramatically cheaper on a pass — 50% off against 25% — and you can walk on the glacier rather than look at it through glass.
- Against Schilthorn: Schilthorn wins on value and on the classic Eiger-Mönch-Jungfrau panorama. Glacier 3000 wins if you want activities rather than a viewing platform.
When to pick a different winter day
High-altitude winter attractions are the most weather-sensitive product in Swiss travel.
- Wind closes things that snow does not. Lifts and exposed installations up here stop for wind on days that look perfectly fine from the valley. Check the operating status the morning you go rather than assuming a clear sky means everything is running.
- The access journey is long enough to matter. Getting up here takes a serious part of the day. On a short trip, a nearer winter mountain gives you more time on the snow and less on connections.
How this fits the rest of your trip
Glacier 3000 belongs to a western Switzerland itinerary rather than a Bernese Oberland one — it pairs with the GoldenPass line and Montreux, and works well as the mountain day on that section of the Grand Train Tour.
Check what else your pass covers before adding excursions: boats, buses and mountain discounts sets out which mountains are free outright, which are half price and which are only 25% off.
The mountain excursions guide compares Glacier 3000 with the other high-altitude days and sets out the pass position for each.
Glacier 3000 questions
Is Glacier 3000 covered by the Swiss Travel Pass?
The cable car is 50% off with the pass, and the trains and buses to the Col du Pillon base station are covered in full. Activities on the glacier — the snow bus, dog sledding, the Alpine Coaster — are all extra.
What is the Peak Walk at Glacier 3000?
A suspension bridge joining two mountain summits — the only one in the world built that way, rather than running out from a cliff over empty air. It is included with your cable car ticket and closes in high wind.
Is Glacier 3000 better in winter or summer?
Winter, unusually for a Swiss mountain. The glacier is the attraction and the activities built on it — the snow bus, dog sledding, glacier skiing — need snow to operate. The Peak Walk and the views work all year.
How do you get to Glacier 3000?
Via Col du Pillon, between Gstaad and Les Diablerets. From Montreux or the GoldenPass line, take the train to Gstaad then a bus; from the Bernese Oberland, go via Spiez and Zweisimmen. All the transport is covered by a Swiss Travel Pass.
Glacier 3000 or Jungfraujoch?
Glacier 3000 is far better value on a pass — 50% off against 25% — and you can walk on the glacier rather than view it through glass. Jungfraujoch is higher and more famous, and much more expensive.
How long do you need at Glacier 3000?
Most of a day, especially from the Bernese Oberland. The cable car and Peak Walk alone take a couple of hours, but the glacier activities and the Alpine Coaster on the descent are what justify the journey.
Visit Glacier 3000
Check tickets and Swiss Travel Pass discounts for the Peak Walk and the glacier.