Glacier 3000

After riding the cable car to the 9,842-foot (3,000-meter) mountaintop of Glacier 3000, visitors can take in the views from the Botta restaurant and terrace, ride the Ice Express chairlift, and brave the Peak Walk by Tissot, the only mountain peak suspension bridge of its kind in the world. Guided tours run from Montreux, Geneva, and Lausanne, often combined with a stop in the village of Les Diablerets or at viewpoints around Lake Geneva.

• Tickets for Glacier 3000 include entrance to the Fun Park, Glacier Walk, the Ice Express chairlift, and the Peak Walk.

• It can be chilly on the mountaintop even in the summer months, so be sure to wear appropriate clothing.

• The cable car and Botta restaurant are both wheelchair accessible.

To get to Glacier 3000, take the Ski Bus from the town of Les Diablerets to the cable car station in Col du Pillon. Les Diablerets can be reached by train from Montreux via Aigle, or Gstaad (both around an hour away).

The Glacier 3000 area is open all year-round, aside from a month of annual scheduled maintenance (typically late September to early October). The best time to visit depends on your chosen activities—skiers will want to visit in the winter season (October to May), while some activities, such as the alpine coaster and snow bus, are only open in the summer months (June to September).

Along with more than 16 miles (26 kilometers) of ski and snowboard runs and a snow park, winter visitors can enjoy cross-country skiing, sledding at the Fun Park, and glacier hiking, while summer visitors can choose from a range of hiking trails or tackle the Via Ferrata climbing route. Other activities include dog sledding, helicopter flights over the glaciers, snow bus rides, and the Alpine Coaster, the world’s highest toboggan run.

The cable car ride from Col Du Pillon to the top Scex Rouge station of Glacier 3000 takes around 15 minutes each way. Also described as an aerial ropeway, the cable car runs roughly every 20 minutes and operates on two slightly different schedules: summer and winter.

Yes, visitors to Glacier 3000 can go skiing, cross-country skiing, and snowboarding alongside less sporty activities. There are multiple downhill slopes, two loops for cross-country skiing, and a snowpark for snowboarding. Visitors can rent equipment from several stores in Les Diablerets below Glacier 3000 before traveling up to its slopes.

The dining options at Glacier 3000 have changed since the 2022 fire that destroyed its Botta restaurant. Visitors can find places to eat at each station along the cable car, from a mountain hut at the Cabane des Diablerets station to the Carnotzet restaurant at the Scex Rouge hut and the replacement Botta restaurant opening in the summer of 2024.

The Peak Walk by Tissot at Glacier 3000 is a suspension bridge connecting two mountain peaks to the Scex Rouge peak. There is no fee to walk across the Peak Walk, and people of all ages can try it, but it's likely better for parents to stick close to children as the experience of crossing the bridge can be hair-raising.

Yes, Glacier 3000 is worth visiting, whether you’re looking to enjoy snow sports high up in the Swiss mountains, walk on a glacier, or just enjoy the alpine scenery. Thanks to its selection of hikes, via ferratas, and climbing routes, it also works as a summer destination when visiting Montreux or Gstaad.

While the Glacier 3000 cable car is wheelchair accessible, generally the areas around the cable car stations and attractions, such as the Peak Walk, are inaccessible for people with reduced mobility. This is due to a mix of staircases, uneven surfaces, and snow or ice affecting ground conditions.