Saas-Fee
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About Saas-Fee
Saas-Fee lies at 1,800 m at the head of the Saas valley, one valley east of Zermatt, and the setting is the reason people come back: the village is ringed by thirteen 4,000 m peaks, the Dom among them, the highest mountain entirely in Switzerland, and the glaciers come down almost to the last houses. It has been car-free for decades — you park at the entrance and move on foot or by electric taxi.
The skiing goes up to Mittelallalin at 3,500 m, reached by the Metro Alpin, an underground funicular bored through the rock, with a revolving restaurant and an ice pavilion at the top. Because nearly all of it is high and north-facing on the glacier, this is one of the most snow-sure ski areas in the Alps: it opens early, closes late and offers summer skiing on the Allalin, where national teams and freestyle camps train in July.
The pistes themselves are mostly broad and open, with around 100 km across the valley once you add Saas-Grund and Saas-Almagell — a smaller area than the big names, but a more reliable one.
Last reviewed 13 September 2026
Best suited to
- Beginners
- Families
- Intermediates
- Snowboarding
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Where lessons start
The nursery slopes are at the bottom of the ski area, right by the village, so a first lesson is a short walk from most accommodation and no lift is needed until you are ready. Higher up, the runs from Mittelallalin are wide and forgiving for a first week on real pistes. Saas-Fee suits beginners, families and anyone who wants guaranteed snow; what it does not offer is much steep terrain, and off-piste is limited because the glacier is crevassed — that part needs a guide, not an instructor.
Getting there
Take the train to Visp — around two hours from Geneva, Bern or Zurich — and then the PostBus up the valley, about fifty minutes. By car you climb the same road and leave the vehicle in the car park at the village entrance; from there it is electric taxis or your own feet. Zermatt is in the next valley west, but there is no lift link and getting between them is a long way round by road.
Qualifications required in Switzerland
Teaching skiing or snowboarding for payment in Switzerland is a regulated profession: an instructor must hold the Snowsports instructor diploma. Instructors listed as certified on Alpine Pal have either sent theirs to us for review or are vouched for by the ski school that invited them.
Find instructors in SwitzerlandSaas-Fee: common questions
Can you ski in Saas-Fee in summer?
Yes. The Allalin glacier opens for summer skiing, typically from mid-July, with a few pistes and a park at around 3,500 m, and it is used heavily by national teams and freestyle camps. Skiing is in the morning only — the snow softens by lunchtime — and the ride up on the Metro Alpin is part of the experience. It is one of only a handful of places in the Alps where that is possible.
Does the altitude matter for a first-timer?
At village level, no — 1,800 m is fine for almost everyone. Mittelallalin at 3,500 m is another matter: expect to be short of breath on the first day, drink more water than you think you need and keep the first outing up there short. Beginners will spend their first days low down anyway, so it rarely becomes an issue.
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