Start Location: Zurich or Geneva, Switzerland; End Location: Zurich or Geneva, Switzerland
Duration: 5 Days
Travel Season: December to April (Best: February to March)
Accommodation: CERVO Mountain Resort
Ascend above the legendary peak of the Matterhorn, where towering Swiss summits meet the chic alpine luxury of CERVO Mountain Resort. This sustainable sanctuary blends high-altitude backcountry thrills with design-forward mountain hospitality - thermal spas, global culinary artistry, and après-ski under the world's most iconic mountain.
Highlights at a Glance
• The Matterhorn: Directly above the village, and visible from the resort.
• The skiing: The highest lift-served skiing in Europe, up to 3,883 m at the Matterhorn Glacier Paradise, and a glacier that holds snow when everywhere else has none.
• The resort: 54 rooms across seven chalets.
Itinerary
46°N46.5°N47°N47.5°N7°E8°E9°E10°EBaselLausanneMonzaBernBergamoMulhouseZurichZermattTesta Grigia, Italy12·34100 km
1 Zurich · 2 Zermatt · 3 Gornergrat · 4 Testa Grigia, Italy
Day 1Arrive Zermatt — Check In at CERVO
Arrive into Zermatt, a car-free village reached by train from Täsch or Visp, and continue the short distance up to CERVO, which sits on a terrace above the village with its own lift connecting it to Zermatt below. Check in to one of the 54 rooms and suites spread across the seven lodges, then take the first look at the Matterhorn from your balcony or terrace. Dinner is in-house at Bazaar, the oriental-market heart of the resort, or at Madre Nostra for modern Italian.
Day 2Sunnegga and the Rothorn Side
CERVO's elevator drops you to the Sunnegga Express funicular in about two minutes, putting you on the Rothorn side of Zermatt's Matterhorn Ski Paradise before most of the village. The linked area runs to some 360km of groomed slopes, with CERVO's own recommendation being the Tuftern run, Piste No. 9, which brings you back towards the hotel. Ski straight in to the boot room at the end of the day and move on to the Après Ski bar at the foot of the slope.
Day 3Gornergrat — the Long Descent
Cross to the Gornergrat sector for the big-mountain day, riding the cog railway up beneath the Matterhorn and the Monte Rosa massif. CERVO singles out the Hohtälli–Gornergrat–Zermatt descent, a run of around 1,600 vertical metres back down to the village. Return to Ātman Mountain Spa for the Japanese-inspired onsen with Matterhorn views, the Finnish sauna and the Bhutanese herbal bath with hot stones, then fondue or raclette at Ferdinand.
Day 4Over the Border to Italy — Testa Grigia
With a Zermatt–Cervinia international lift pass and a third-party mountain guide arranged through the concierge, ski over the Testa Grigia and down into Italy, with CERVO's published route options running to Valtournenche and to the Cime Bianche. Lunch is on the Italian side before the lifts bring you back over to Switzerland in the afternoon. Close the day at Grapes & Juniper, the bar hidden in the cellar vaults, or in the Mongolian yurts and on the yoga deck at Ātman Mountain Spa.
Day 5Final Morning and Departure
Take a last run off Sunnegga, or spend the morning between the onsen, the sauna, the gym and the in-house climbing wall. Breakfast is served before check-out, and the concierge arranges the electric taxi down to Zermatt station for the train to Täsch, Visp or Geneva. Onward transfers and flights are booked separately.
Accommodation
CERVO Mountain Resort. CERVO Mountain Resort - 54 rooms and suites across seven lodges; Nomad 4* rooms; Alpinist S (22 sqm); Alpinist M (28 sqm); Alpinist L (32 sqm); Alpinist Roof L (32-37 sqm, with balcony); Alpinist Roof Junior Suite (49 sqm, with fireplace); Alpinist Roof Suite (82 sqm, kitchenette and fireplace); Alpinist Spa Suite (68 sqm, sauna, solarium and outdoor bathtub); Huntsman S (23 sqm); Huntsman Spa Suite (55 sqm, terrace with outdoor bath and steam bath); Huntsman Triple Suite (240 sqm, saunas, solariums and terraces with outdoor baths); Huntsman Lodge - whole-lodge exclusive use with private catering; Overlook Lodge - five serviced apartments in Zermatt village, studios to three-bedroom penthouses.
Included
• Gathering and dismissal point: Zermatt, Valais, Switzerland (car-free; reached by train via Täsch or Visp)
• Accommodation at CERVO Mountain Resort - 54 rooms and suites across seven lodges - in the category booked
• Room with breakfast basis
• Ski-in access directly to the CERVO boot room, and ski-out via the resort's own lift to the Sunnegga Express funicular, roughly a two-minute ride below
• Ski room, boot room and ski storage at the resort
• Access to Ātman Mountain Spa - Japanese-inspired onsen with Matterhorn views, Finnish sauna, Bhutanese herbal bath with hot stones, Mongolian yurts and yoga deck
• Use of the gym and the in-house climbing wall
• Complimentary WiFi in all rooms and suites
• In-room Nespresso machine, Fender speaker and Samsung tablet
• Concierge booking of third-party ski guides, instructors, lift passes and rental equipment
• Virtuoso and Design Hotels member property - Virtuoso amenities apply where booked through a Virtuoso agency
• Season: December to April
Not Included
• International flights, rail and transfers to and from Zermatt
• Zermatt / Matterhorn Ski Paradise lift pass, including the international Zermatt-Cervinia pass, and ski and boot rental
• Third-party ski guides and mountain guides, typically CHF 700-2,000 per day depending on the programme
• All meals other than breakfast, plus drinks, Ātman Mountain Spa treatments and private training
• Travel insurance, Swiss visa where required, and gratuities
Image 1 of 22
Image 2 of 22
Image 3 of 22
Image 4 of 22
Image 5 of 22
Image 6 of 22
Image 7 of 22
Image 8 of 22
Image 9 of 22
Image 10 of 22
Image 11 of 22
Image 12 of 22
Image 13 of 22
Image 14 of 22
Image 15 of 22
Image 16 of 22
Image 17 of 22
Image 18 of 22
Image 19 of 22
Image 20 of 22
Image 21 of 22
Image 22 of 22
