Matterhorn
Trip Guide & 3D Map
Pennine Alps · Difficulty, season, and access — then explore the 3D terrain
Planning snapshot
Matterhorn is a 14,692 ft summit in the Pennine Alps (Switzerland). PeakAtlas rates it alpine technical (Alpine rock ridge); best season is Jul–Sep. No special summit permit. Typical staging is Zermatt (6.0 mi). PeakAtlas lists 3 OpenStreetMap lodging pins near the summit — coverage is often thinner outside well-mapped regions. Use the 3D map and trip checklist before you go.
- Elevation
- 14,692 ft
- Prominence
- 3,431 ft
- Difficulty tier
- Alpine technical
- Best season
- Jul–Sep
- Permits
- No special summit permit
- Staging
- Zermatt · 6.0 mi
- Mapped lodging
- 3 OSM places
- Listed trails
- 2
As of 2026-07-31 · Figures come from the PeakAtlas3D catalog: surveyed elevations and prominence, curated difficulty tiers, best-season windows, permit notes, staging-town distances, trail lists, and OpenStreetMap lodging near each summit. Not live weather, quotas, or prices.
Compare: Matterhorn vs Mont Blanc · Matterhorn vs Eiger
How hard is Matterhorn, and what do you need before you go?
Matterhorn is listed as Alpine rock ridge with a best season of Jul–Sep. Use the difficulty, permit, and staging details below before you commit to a date.
- Difficulty
- Alpine rock ridge
- Best season
- Jul–Sep
- Access / staging
- Zermatt, Valais
How tall is Matterhorn, and where is it?
- Location
- Valais, Switzerland
- Elevation
- 14,692 ft
- Prominence
- 3,431 ft
- Mountain range
- Pennine Alps
- Difficulty
- Alpine rock ridge
What makes Matterhorn notable?
The world’s most famous alpine silhouette — a guided rock ridge, not a hike.
The Matterhorn’s Hörnli Ridge is a long alpine rock climb above Zermatt: fixed ropes, exposure, rockfall, and mandatory fitness for moving fast on a crowded route. Most parties hire a UIAGM guide and overnight at Hörnli Hut. No government summit permit—hut space and conditions are the real gates. Cervinia offers the Italian Lion Ridge approach.
After you check trip readiness for Matterhorn, explore the summit on PeakAtlas3D’s interactive 3D topographic map in the Pennine Alps, Valais, Switzerland.
Closest places
- Zermatt — Valais via Bahnhofstrasse
Notable trails & routes
- Hörnli Ridge
- Lion Ridge