Saas Fee Ski Resort Switzerland
Saas-Fee is an all-year-round ski resort in the Valais, Switzerland. The Saas valley (Saastal) provides the world's best up close & personal glacier skiing experience. Visit Saas Fee & its fantastic opposite number, Saas Grund before climate change impacts on its natural wonders.
The traditional village of Saas Fee is beautifully situated in a high valley at the base of the Fee Glacier, surrounded by numerous 4000m+ peaks. The glacier provides the opportunity for both winter & summer skiing at Saas Fee.
Saas Fee village is 'car free', but unlike neighbouring Zermatt, doesn't have the convenience of direct train line access. Thankfully, it is still easy to get to via combination train & bus, or if you really must, by car.
The village markets itself as the 'Free Republic of Holidays', which gives one a hint that the ski resort takes having fun and making people happy very seriously indeed! One only needs to count the number of après ski bars on the way back from a ski day to get a sense of their attitude.
Pros & Cons for Saas Fee Ski Resort
Pros
- High elevation glacier based Swiss ski resort.
- Incredible scenery & natural features - the world’s best location for getting up close & personal with a glacier whilst skiing.
- Skiing available for 10 months of the year.
- Good range of piste trails for all levels.
- Interesting variety of off-piste terrain.
- Wide range of backcountry ski touring options.
- Superb terrain parks.
- Some of Switzerland’s best après ski bars.
- Excellent number & range of restaurants on the mountain & in the village.
- Gorgeous car free village, perfect for walking.
- Loads of non-ski winter activities for the non-sliders amongst us.
- Easy public transport access by bus from the Zermatt train line or Visp.
Cons
- Can be extremely cold in the village & upper mountain (shaded for much of the day), but conversely doesn’t get as much snow as surrounding valleys.
- The terrain forces some awkward piste trail & lift connections requiring careful consideration of the trail map!
- Marked freeride routes are relatively short & the off-piste in general requires a few days to get to know without a guide.
- Some of the major piste trails descending to the village can get quite icy on their steeper pitches, regardless of recent snowfall.
Pro or Con (depending on your perspective!)
- Glorious location when the sun is shining, tough to ski in poor weather - but if the sun is shining, the snow isn't falling!
- Accommodation can be relatively expensive in the upper village & books out quickly, but there are some great value alternatives an easy 10-15min walk from the lifts.
- Several sections of intermediate trail into the valley would be classed as advanced in other resorts (we didn’t mind, but there is no easy way for beginners to ski the mountain from top to bottom - a lift download will be required).
Ski & Snowboard, Lifts & Terrain
The local ski terrain skiing is broken up into 3 main areas - Saas Fee, Saas Grund & Saas Almagell. The areas are not lift or piste interlinked but free local buses regularly join the dots, so it is easy skiing every zone!
See the ski trail map for the Saas Valley (Saastal) ski areas below.
Saas Fee itself is a shaded north-facing resort ensuring cold winter temperatures & crisp snow conditions. Its standard ski pass is also valid in the Saas Almagell sector (read below). In Saas fee, a large, sheltered novice & beginner area on the edge of town and whilst it spends alot of time in the shade, it is nonetheless a great place to learn to ski. Intermediate skiers and boarders will enjoy the long red pistes on the top half of the glacier, which make up approximately 60% of the ski terrain. Advanced and expert skiers will enjoy the many ski routes and also find some steep sections around Eggenerjoch. A feature of Saas Fee are the wonderful ski touring opportunities to some of the peaks like the 4190m Strahlhorn.
One highlight of Saas Fee is travelling Europe’s first funicular railway up through the inside of the mountain to 3,500 metres altitude, before skiing all the way down to the Saas Fee village at 1,800 metres. The skiing being the highlight, not the funicular ride!
The Fee Glacier provides skiing and snowboarding for around 10 months of the year from mid-July through to mid-April. Daily lift opening and closing times gradually increase as the winter season approaches.
See the Saas Fee ski trail map.
Summer Skiing at Saas Fee
For anyone put off skiing because of the cold, Saas Fee has the perfect tonic. Lifts on the glacier start spinning every year from mid-July for summer skiing & then roll on all the way through winter. Summer skiing costs more than winter if you don't have a 'citizen's pass' (now called a Sasstal pass - what a nonsense!) & provides around 20km of mainly lower intermediate piste trails. A top-quality snow park is also functional in Summer, so terrain park junkies can get their fix in the off-season too!
See the Saas Fee summer ski trail map.
Other Saastal Ski Areas & Lift Passes
The regional Saastal Destination Pass lift ticket includes all Saas-Fee ski areas including Saas-Almagell, Saas-Grund and the single lift at Saas Balen. It also covers use of the normal PostBus service between the villages. The super value Magic Pass is also valid in both Saas Fee & Saas Almagell, plus gets you 10CHF off a day pass at Saas Grund.
Saas Grund is a smallish, sunny resort that skis BIG, with two main gondolas running top to bottom. Just a short bus ride from Saas Fee. Saas Grund has a huge nearly 1700m skiable vertical from the Hohsaas (3,200 m) & one of the world's most gob-smacking views as one skis down the sensational upper glacier runs. If not purchasing a 'Destination Pass', the ski area has its own (affordable) 'local' lift pass.
Saas Almagell is a small, pretty ski area with a north-west aspect that is mostly protected in amongst the trees, so makes a good choice on inclement weather days. With 12km of beginner and intermediate runs serviced by 8 lifts (2 chairs) and around 600m of skiable vertical, it is a favourite with families.
See the Saas Grund & Almagell ski trail map.
Where is Saas Fee Switzerland?
Saas Fee is in the Valais canton of Switzerland & part of the Saas Valley (Saastal) near the border with Italy. It is about 220km from both Bern and Geneva plus only 35km from the world renowned Zermatt ski resort.
The nearest useful airport to Saas Fee is Geneva (GVA) (3½hr by combination train/bus). The airport at Basel (BSL) provides an alternative for some European & UK travellers, whilst Zurich (ZRH) & Milan Malpensa (MXP) cover all flight origins.
Whilst we always recommend using the train when skiing Switzerland, in a post-covid world, one may prefer a private transfer direct from the airport or a major city. Search & book here for transfers to Saas Fee.
Trains typically connect all the airports to Saas Fee via Brig or Visp. Connection is then to the half hourly Route 511 Post Bus service to the towns in the Saastal including Saas Fee. The trains & Post Bus run precisely like a Swiss watch, stop for literally just a few minutes & leave exactly on time - be ready! Search & book train tickets Brig or Visp here. Buy a bus ticket from the driver.
Visitors travelling by rental car from the north of the Alps can travel via Bern through the Lötschberg tunnel (car-train), but the easiest and least painful route is from the west via Montreux and Martigny to Visp. The Saas Fee village is car-free so you will need to park in one of the public car parks at the town entrance and then continue via local electric taxi, hotel shuttle or on foot to your accommodation.
Saas Fee Accommodation
The town of Saas-Fee is the highest of the Saas valley's traditional villages located at the base of the main ski area. Saas-Fee village offers numerous ski-in lodging options, plus an abundance of romantic and traditional large Swiss chalets & hotels.
The best ski in option is Hotel The Larix, situated right next to the lifts & overlooking the children’s' learn-to-ski area. Three & four-star hotels abound in the centre of the village including the Hotel du Glacier & Hotel Metropol. Value options include the Hotel Collina, run by a young crew making their way up in the world and the well located (& quite flash) youth hostel, wellnessHostel4000. Alternatively pick one of the many self-catering apartments, especially those within a few minutes easy walk of the lifts. If you stay at the other end of the village from the lifts, you face either a 15min walk to the lifts or a ride on the local electric bus service.
Other accommodation options are in nearby Saas-Grund (predominantly large chalet hotels), Saas-Almagell & tiny Saas Balen down the valley.
Search & book Saas Fee ski accommodation.
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Ski Rentals, Lessons & Guiding
Ski rentals from our partners are available in Saas Fee near the lifts & at Saas Almagell. Receive a discount when you search & book via our Saas Fee Ski & Snowboard Rental page.
If looking to head into the Saas Fee off-piste & are unsure about your abilities; off-piste ski lessons (or regular lessons) & guiding can make all the difference. For more information & booking, see our Saas Fee Ski Lessons & Guiding page.
Activities
When you are not skiing or snowboarding, other activities include chilling out in one of the many wellness centres, ice-climbing on the glacier, dog sledding, sledding, snow tubing, snow kiting, winter walking trails, visiting the famous ice pavilion, or even learning how to brew beer! There are also Nordic skiing tracks around Saas Fee.
With the “no-noise after 10pm” rule & no cars, the town is remarkably quiet at night, even though there is still partying behind sound proofed double glazed windows until dawn!
Nearby Ski Resorts
Numerous superb ski resorts are in this area of the Valais. Not the least of which is Zermatt ski resort. Zermatt is surrounded by many 4,000m+ peaks so it is well worth a visit even if only to enjoy them. Monte Rosa (or Dufourspitze, Switzerland's highest peak at 4,634 metres above sea level), the Dom (4,545 m), Lyskamm (4,527 m), Weisshorn (4,505 m) and of course the famous Matterhorn (4,478 m). It takes about one hour to get to Zermatt by combination Post Bus & railway from Stalden Saas station. Zermatt also offers year-round skiing on their dedicated glacier plus long ski runs in winter of between 8-13km.
Between Saas Fee and Zermatt is family-oriented Grächen ski resort (via St Niklaus railway station). We have never been so cannot comment on its merits. Back down in the Rhone River valley, Anzere, Leukerbad, Crans Montana, Belalp & Aletsch Arena are within an easy day trip
Why Ski or Snowboard at Saas Fee?
Saas-Fee is a snow sure, high alpine ski resort with a classic "old world" European feel. The village is beautiful and romantic plus the year-round glacial skiing experience & sensational mountain surrounds offer unforgettable memories. Saas-Fee provides more than just a ski experience & is a cheaper, less crowded, more authentic alternative to neighbouring Zermatt.
Review
The Powderhounds last reviewed Saas Fee in 2019. We found it be an amazing place to visit and way more than just a ski destination. Go here whilst the glaciers are still magnificent. We are headed back this coming season, Magic Pass in hand! Click on the review link in the left column (or top of the page if on a mobile) to read the latest inciteful & droll postulations!
See how Saas Fee compares to the rest of the Swiss ski resorts on the Switzerland ski resort ratings page, or compare to the rest of Europe the European ski resort ratings page.
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