Glacier Bike Tour 10. Visp - Zermatt
Visp
15/32°
From vineyards to snow-covered peaks, from the heart of the Valais to the foot of the Matterhorn, this final stage between Visp and Zermatt has a 1,400-metre climb ensuring a finish on a high note.
Difficulty
IntermediateLength
37.65 kmDuration
3:21 h
Description
On this final leg of the Glacier Bike Tour (GBT), the terraced vineyards gradually give way to a more mountainous backdrop. Departing from Visp, you’ll pass through the villages of Stalden and Kalpetran, following an old mule track along historic dry-stone walls, before continuing on to St Niklaus. From here, follow the railway line and the Vispa, past thundering waterfalls and the imposing Bishorn glacier tongue on the eastern side of the Weisshorn massif. Straight ahead, you’ll be able to admire the Klein Matterhorn and the gleaming ridge of the Breithorn, one of the region's many 4,000 m peaks. From Täsch onwards, the forest path turns into a tough mountain bike trail, which you can avoid by branching off prematurely onto the road where the last stretch before the finish takes place. On the final stretch, the majestic Matterhorn finally appears, that 4,478 m high rock pyramid with its striking triangular shape: a magical moment.
Our favorites
Our favorite itineraries are part of a selection of the best routes in the region and are proposed by Valais/Wallis Promotion to best meet the expectations of our guests.
Turn-by-turn directions
On the way to the Zermatt valley, the Rhône is replaced by the Vispa, and you’ll follow mountain bike route no. 150 Visp-Zermatt following the Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn line, until you arrive in Zermatt. As you depart from Visp, you’ll leave the vineyards and head for the village of Stalden on the other side of the valley, continuing towards Kalpetran along an old mule track with dry-stone walls. Shortly afterwards, you’ll return to the road as far as St Niklaus, then continue along the railway line and the Vispa to Randa with its meadows and pastures. From Täsch onwards, the forest path turns into a tough mountain bike trail, which you can avoid by branching off onto the road, and the last stretch before the finish takes place on a road with very little traffic, as Zermatt is a car-free village. Once you've completed all ten legs of the Glacier Bike Tour, the first thing you'll want to do is have a drink and celebrate!
Start
Ulrichen (1,346 m) (648m)
Destination
Visp (658m) (1605m)
Author's recommendation
Don’t miss a chance to relax, swim or waterski on the Schalisee lake in Täsch, not to mention the pumptrack and skill center at the Bike Zone Schali.
Technical information
Altitude
1346m
658m
Ascent
+1150m
Descent
-190m
Technique
Stamina
Experience
Landscape
Best time of the year
- Jan
- Feb
- Mar
- Apr
- May
- Jun
- Jul
- Aug
- Sep
- Oct
- Nov
- Dec
Tags
Public transport
Visp(Viège) is accessible by train.
Approach
From Bern, drive to Kandersteg and use the car transport (piggyback) to Goppenstein, then continue in the direction of Visp (Visp).
From Geneva/Lausanne, take the A9 freeway to Sierre-Est, then continue in the direction of Brig to Visp (Visp).
Parking
Follow the car-park signs in Visp.
Source
This activity is brought to you by Valais/Wallis Promotion
