Glacier 3000 from Gstaad by bus or car

Line 180 leaves from Gstaad station and runs through Gsteig and Reusch to the stop Col-du-Pillon, Glacier 3000, then on to Les Diablerets. The ride takes about 25 to 30 minutes, with a bus every hour at :37 through the day.

Coming back, three buses a day run straight to Gstaad on the sample January timetable, and hourly buses at :41 continue through Gstaad to Saanen, the last at 17:41.

Book a night in Gstaad or anywhere in the Saanenland and your hotel hands you a Gstaad Card at no charge. PostBus 180 to Col du Pillon is on the list of rides it covers, all year round, so getting to the cable car costs nothing.

The cable car itself is separate: the return is CHF 95 for adults, or CHF 48 with a Swiss Travel Pass, GA or Half Fare card, and free for children under 6.

By car Col du Pillon is about 20 minutes from Gstaad, roughly 19 km on the road up through Gsteig to the pass.

There are large paid car parks at Col du Pillon, next to the cable car, and at Reusch on the Gsteig side. Both charge a flat rate that you pay when you arrive; an unpaid car risks a CHF 40 fine. Parking in Gstaad itself is scarce in high season, so if you are staying in the village the free bus is often the simpler choice.

The GoldenPass Express stops at Gstaad on its way between Montreux and Interlaken Ost, and Glacier 3000 runs a bus, the Glacier 3000 Express, timed to meet it. In summer 2026 it ran from 6 June to 23 August, leaving Gstaad at 11:01 and 13:01.

On the sample January 2027 timetable an 11:01 bus also meets the Express from Interlaken, which arrives in Gstaad at 10:57, and reaches Col du Pillon at 11:26. Summer 2027 dates are not out yet, so check the bus timetable on glacier3000.ch before you plan around it.

Take the 08:37 bus and you are at Col du Pillon at 09:06, in time for one of the first cable cars; they run every 20 minutes from 09:00 and take about 15 minutes to Scex Rouge. Walk the Peak Walk, which opens at 09:15, or book the Peak Brunch at Le 3, served from 09:15 (CHF 35, or CHF 108 with the cable car).

Add the Ice Express and the Glacier Walk, about an hour each way, then catch the 13:41 direct bus back. About half an hour later you are in Gstaad with the afternoon free for the car-free Promenade, its shops and cafés.

Staying in Gstaad gives you the free bus, the GoldenPass Express on the doorstep and plenty of places to eat after a day at altitude. These four are all 20 to 26 minutes by car from Col du Pillon. Our sister site, Gstaad Hotel Guide (gstaadhotelguide.com), covers every hotel in the area if you want a wider choice.