The Gstaad holiday region has about 200 km of pistes between roughly 1,000 m and 3,000 m, spread over separate mountains rather than one linked circuit. The biggest is Rinderberg, Saanersloch and Horneggli above Saanenmöser, Schönried and Zweisimmen, with 105 km; Glacier 3000 adds skiing to 3,000 m from 7 November 2026, and Les Diablerets connects to Villars and Gryon. Most Gstaad lifts open on 18 or 19 December 2026, and the Magic Pass 2026/27 covers all of them, Glacier 3000 included.
Bergbahnen Destination Gstaad runs most of the lifts: the Rinderberg, Saanersloch and Horneggli area in the east, Eggli and La Videmanette in the west, and Wispile above Gstaad. Wasserngrat, also above Gstaad, is a separate company with its own tickets. Lauenen and Gsteig each have a single ski lift. Glacier 3000, above Col du Pillon, is run by its own company too.
The areas are not joined by lifts, so you choose a mountain each morning and use the free ski buses, which run between the valley stations in Gstaad and Saanen from mid-December to mid-March, or the train between villages. Across the Col du Pillon, Les Diablerets is part of the Villars-Gryon-Les Diablerets area in canton Vaud, with over 100 km of its own.
Rinderberg, Saanersloch and Horneggli form the largest area, with 105 km of pistes reached from Zweisimmen, Saanenmöser and Schönried. Saanenmöser to Saanerslochgrat, including Hornberg, is planned to open first, on 20 November 2026 if there is enough snow (weekends only until 13 December), and runs to 4 April 2027. Schönried to Horneggli and Zweisimmen to Rinderberg run from 18 December 2026 to 29 March 2027.
For good skiers, the Mike von Grünigen run on the Horneggli is 3.1 km with 555 m of descent, steep pitches and jumps. The Rinderberg Ronda is a ski safari of about two hours from Zweisimmen that crosses three mountains without repeating a run. Snowpark Hornberg has lines from beginner to advanced, and the Funslope at Hornberg is built for young children. The lift company names the Saanenmöser slopes and the Rinderberg learning park as good places to start.
Where to stay for this
Saanenmöser · 4-star superior · 57 rooms
At Saanenmöser station, three minutes' walk from the Saanersloch lifts, with half board
A year-round four-star superior at Saanenmöser station, three minutes from the lifts, with a 1,000 m² spa and half board.
From €418 a night
Schönried · 4-star · 20 rooms
A lift from Schönried village centre goes up to the Horneggli
A family-run 20-room boutique hotel in Schönried with big rooms and a gourmet restaurant, for food-minded couples.
From €402 a night
Schönried · 5-star
Lifts close by, most meals included and guided ski tours on weekdays
A five-star spa hotel in Schönried built around warm brine pools and seven saunas, with most meals included.
From €625 a night
Saanen · 4-star superior · 136 rooms
Free shuttle from Saanen and Schönried stations and a ski rental shop in the hotel
A modern family hotel on the edge of Saanen, with a panoramic indoor pool, a kids' club and a teen games room.
From €692 a night
Eggli and La Videmanette make up the western area, reached by gondola from Gstaad, Saanen and Rougemont. The lift company pitches it as the relaxed side of the region. From La Videmanette down to Rougemont runs the region's longest piste, 7.5 km with 1,160 m of descent, in red and blue sections that the operator says less experienced skiers can manage.
Gstaad and Saanen to Eggli run from 19 December 2026 to 14 March 2027. Rougemont to La Videmanette opens on the weekends of 5 to 13 December 2026, conditions permitting, then daily from 19 December 2026 to 14 March 2027. Eggli Night Vibes, night skiing on the Schopfen lift, runs every Thursday from 31 December 2026 to 25 February 2027.
Where to stay for this
Gstaad · 4-star · 30 rooms
One minute's walk to the Eggli gondola, with the ski school office opposite
A family-run hotel a minute from the Eggli gondola, with a ski shop opposite, for families and active holidays.
From €521 a night
Gstaad · 5-star superior · 56 rooms
Free shuttle to the Eggli, Wispile and Wasserngrat lifts
A five-star chalet hotel above Gstaad with a Six Senses spa and a 25 m pool, for couples and families.
Winter season from 11 December
Rougemont · 4-star superior · 33 rooms
In Rougemont, where the La Videmanette gondola leaves from the village
A 4-star superior spa hotel above Rougemont, with south-facing terraces and an indoor pool, for couples who want quiet comfort.
From €498 a night
Rougemont · 3-star · 11 rooms
Village inn two minutes from Rougemont station
A historic village inn in Rougemont with a chef-owner kitchen, for food-minded guests who want a simple room near the station.
From €238 a night
Wispile is Gstaad's family mountain, with gentle slopes, a learning park and the Zückerli and Rütti lifts for first turns. In 2026/27 the Wispile gondola runs daily from 26 December 2026 to 3 January 2027, then Thursday to Sunday only until 28 February 2027.
Wasserngrat, with its top at 1,920 m and about 10 km of pistes, is small but has the Tiger Run, whose black section the tourism office calls the steepest piste in the holiday region. Its other runs suit families and less confident skiers. The 2026/27 season starts on 18 December 2026 and runs to mid-March 2027. Wasserngrat sells its own 2-hour and 4-hour tickets at its ticket office.
Where to stay for this
Gstaad · 4-star · 66 rooms
The Gstaad lifts are about a 10-minute walk, and there are duplex family rooms
A family-run 4-star near Gstaad's Promenade with duplex family rooms and a good restaurant, for families and walkers.
Seasonal
From €377 a night
Gstaad · 5-star superior · 57 rooms
Hotel shuttle to the slopes and dinner at Leonard's included in winter rates
A 1912 cure house turned five-star at the Promenade, with a 3,000 m² spa, for spa lovers and young families.
Winter season from 18 December
From €1,189 a night
Gstaad · 5-star superior · 90 rooms
Shuttle into Gstaad and a kids' club for ages 5 to 12
The turreted grand hotel above Gstaad, run by one family for three generations, for families and guests wanting everything on site.
Winter season from 15 December
From €1,236 a night
Glacier 3000 is the only glacier ski area around Gstaad, from 3,000 m down to 1,300 m, and the longest season: 7 November 2026 to 30 April 2027. The tourism office gives 28 km of pistes. The glacier runs are easy, and the long descents are not: the Red Run is 8 km with 1,700 m of descent, the Combe d'Audon 7 km, and the Black Wall from Scex Rouge 6 km with 1,450 m. There is a snowpark from November to early January and freeride routes for those with a guide.
Glacier 3000 lists its 2026/27 one-day ski pass at CHF 84 for adults, and the ski pass includes the cable car, the Peak Walk and the Glacier Walk. Multi-day Gstaad ski passes and the Magic Pass include Glacier 3000; Gstaad single-day tickets do not.
Where to stay for this
Les Diablerets · 4-star superior · 111 rooms
Opposite the Les Diablerets cable cars, about six minutes by car from Col du Pillon
Les Diablerets' biggest hotel, opposite the village cable cars, with an indoor pool and apartments for families of up to six.
Winter season from 19 December
From €491 a night
Gsteig · 2-star · 16 rooms
About eight minutes by car or 11 by PostBus to Col du Pillon
Gsteig's village inn beside the church, with simple rooms and an all-day restaurant, eight minutes' drive from Glacier 3000.
Winter season from 4 December
Les Diablerets · 3-star · 52 rooms
About five minutes by car to the Glacier 3000 cable car
A 52-room three-star at the entrance to Les Diablerets, every room with a balcony, for families, hiking groups and young couples.
Seasonal
From €267 a night
On the Vaud side of the Col du Pillon, Les Diablerets is linked by lift to Villars and Gryon. Télé-Villars-Gryon-Diablerets runs 32 lifts and over 100 km of pistes between 1,200 m and 2,113 m, with snow gardens for children in all three villages, snowparks and the Willy Favre run in Les Diablerets for stronger skiers, floodlit on Thursday evenings.
There is no lift between Les Diablerets and Glacier 3000. From 1 November to 30 April the bus from Les Diablerets to Col du Pillon is free with an Alpes Vaudoises or Villars-Diablerets ski pass, a Glacier 3000 ticket or a Magic Pass. The opening dates for 2026/27 had not been published by mid-October 2026.
Where to stay for this
Les Diablerets · 4-star superior · 111 rooms
Across the road from the Les Diablerets cable cars, at the foot of the slopes
Les Diablerets' biggest hotel, opposite the village cable cars, with an indoor pool and apartments for families of up to six.
Winter season from 19 December
From €491 a night
Les Diablerets · 3-star · 48 rooms
A few minutes' walk from the lifts, with family rooms and half board from two nights
A three-star family hotel in Les Diablerets with family rooms, a playroom and mini-golf, a few minutes' walk from the lifts.
From €245 a night
Les Diablerets · 3-star · 10 rooms
Les Vioz chairlift about 700 m away, and a shower after check-out for a last ski day
A small 1891 chalet hotel on the road into Les Diablerets, with a sauna and a seven-day restaurant, liked by couples.
Vers-l'Église, near Les Diablerets · Not classified · 6 rooms
Six-room inn in Vers-l'Église, eight minutes by car from Col du Pillon
A six-room inn on the square in Vers-l'Église, run by its chef-owners, for food lovers and families who need a duplex.
Beginners and young families: the lift company and the tourism office both point to Wispile, Saanenmöser and the Rinderberg learning park. Free learning parks are in Zweisimmen, Schönried, Saanenmöser, Gstaad, Lauenen and Rougemont, and the Saani trial ticket covers only the first sections and beginner lifts.
Intermediates who want mileage: Saanenmöser or Schönried put you on the 105 km Rinderberg, Saanersloch and Horneggli area. Strong skiers: the Tiger Run on Wasserngrat and the Black Wall and Red Run at Glacier 3000. Quiet and cross-country: Lauenen has one ski lift and a cross-country trail; across the region there are 20 cross-country trails totalling about 130 km, including a floodlit trail between Schönried and Saanenmöser.
Ski schools listed by the Gstaad tourism office include Skischule Gstaad, Snowsports Saanen-Schönried, Alpinzentrum Gstaad in Saanenmöser, Lauenen Snowsports, Ski School Rougemont and the ski school in Château-d'Oex. In Les Diablerets there is the Swiss Ski School Les Diablerets.
GetYourGuide
Private ski guide who collects you from your hotel and skis a resort of your choice with you, lift pass and rental included.
Departs from Hotel pickup anywhere in Switzerland · 6 to 12 hours
Where to stay for this
Lauenen · 3-star superior · 24 rooms
In Lauenen, with the cross-country trail from the door and a small T-bar opposite
A sunny three-star superior at the far end of Lauenen, by the cross-country trail and a small T-bar, for quiet nature stays.
From €342 a night
Gstaad · 4-star · 30 rooms
By the Eggli gondola and the ski school, with a children's playroom
A family-run hotel a minute from the Eggli gondola, with a ski shop opposite, for families and active holidays.
From €521 a night
Saanenmöser · 4-star superior · 57 rooms
Cross-country tracks from the door and the Saanersloch lifts three minutes away
A year-round four-star superior at Saanenmöser station, three minutes from the lifts, with a 1,000 m² spa and half board.
From €418 a night
From 2026/27, Gstaad day and half-day tickets have fixed prices that vary by weekday and by season instead of changing every day; the lift company sells them online, and the prices sit behind its shop rather than on a published list. Multi-day tickets are still dynamic, so buying early online is cheaper. A day ticket covers every Bergbahnen Gstaad lift but not Glacier 3000; multi-day tickets include Glacier 3000. A flexible pass for any 6 days of the season costs CHF 504 for adults, CHF 408 for teenagers and CHF 252 for children. Children up to 5 ski free with a free ticket from the ticket office. Lauenen, Wasserngrat and Glacier 3000 also sell their own tickets.
The Gstaad Card gives no discount on ski passes or on the Gstaad lifts.
The Magic Pass 2026/27 covers the Bergbahnen Gstaad areas, Wasserngrat, the Lauenen and Gsteig lifts, Glacier 3000 from 1 November to 30 April, Villars-Gryon, Les Diablerets, Les Mosses and Leysin, and the rest of its 103 winter resorts. It does not cover the Sanetsch cable car. Its price rises in steps through the autumn to CHF 944 for adults and CHF 419 for children from mid-December, and it is sold only at magicpass.ch.
Gstaad's lifts close at about 16:30, and several hotels make dinner part of the stay, which helps on a week of early starts.
Where to stay for this
Saanenmöser · 4-star superior · 57 rooms
Half board with a five-course dinner, by the Saanenmöser lifts
A year-round four-star superior at Saanenmöser station, three minutes from the lifts, with a 1,000 m² spa and half board.
From €418 a night
Gstaad · 5-star superior · 57 rooms
Winter rates include a three-course dinner at Leonard's
A 1912 cure house turned five-star at the Promenade, with a 3,000 m² spa, for spa lovers and young families.
Winter season from 18 December
From €1,189 a night
Schönried · 5-star
Most bookings include breakfast, a light lunch, afternoon cakes and dinner
A five-star spa hotel in Schönried built around warm brine pools and seven saunas, with most meals included.
From €625 a night
Les Diablerets · 4-star superior · 111 rooms
Half board from two nights, opposite the Les Diablerets cable cars
Les Diablerets' biggest hotel, opposite the village cable cars, with an indoor pool and apartments for families of up to six.
Winter season from 19 December
From €491 a night
Gstaad · 3-star · 21 rooms
Half board can be added at this family-run inn on the Promenade
A historic inn on Gstaad's Promenade, run by the Widmer family since 1922, for travellers wanting simple rooms and Swiss cooking.
From €236 a night
Saanenmöser to Saanerslochgrat is planned to open first, on 20 November 2026 if there is snow. Most other Gstaad lifts open on 18 or 19 December 2026. Glacier 3000 opens on 7 November 2026.
Multi-day Gstaad passes include Glacier 3000; single-day Gstaad tickets do not. The Magic Pass includes Glacier 3000 from 1 November to 30 April.
No. The Gstaad Card gives free buses and local trains but no discount on ski passes or on the Gstaad lifts.
Yes. The 2026/27 Magic Pass covers the Bergbahnen Gstaad areas, Wasserngrat, the Lauenen and Gsteig lifts and Glacier 3000 in winter, but not the Sanetsch cable car.
Wispile above Gstaad, the Saanenmöser slopes and the Rinderberg learning park. Free learning parks are also in Zweisimmen, Schönried, Gstaad, Lauenen and Rougemont.
No. Rinderberg, Saanersloch and Horneggli are linked to each other, as are Eggli and La Videmanette, but the areas are separate mountains joined by free ski buses and the train.
Sources: bergbahnen-gstaad.ch, bergbahnen-gstaad.ch, bergbahnen-gstaad.ch, bergbahnen-gstaad.ch, bergbahnen-gstaad.ch, bergbahnen-gstaad.ch, bergbahnen-gstaad.ch, bergbahnen-gstaad.ch, bergbahnen-gstaad.ch, bow.datacycle.cloud. Checked October 2026.
