Glacier 3000 from Interlaken by GoldenPass Express

The GoldenPass Express runs from Interlaken Ost to Gstaad without a change, a scenic 1 hour 50 minutes via Spiez on Lake Thun and Zweisimmen. In Gstaad, PostBus 180 leaves from the station for the climb to Col du Pillon (1,546 m), where the Glacier 3000 cable car starts.

On the sample timetable, the 09:07 Express reaches Gstaad at 10:57 and the 11:01 bus gets you to the cable car at 11:26. Cabins leave every 20 minutes, and the ride to Scex Rouge takes about 15 minutes with one change at Cabane.

The direct Express ran four times that day from Interlaken Ost to Gstaad, at 09:07, 11:07, 14:07 and 16:07, each taking 1 hour 50. For a day on the mountain the 09:07 is the one to catch. The 11:07 still works, but with a 40-minute wait for the bus in Gstaad you reach Col du Pillon only at 14:06, leaving a short afternoon before the last cable car up at 16:00 in winter.

Between Express trains there is an hourly route at :29 past the hour, changing at Spiez, Zweisimmen and Gstaad. It suits early starters: the 06:29 reaches Col du Pillon at 09:06 and the 07:29 at 10:06, about 2 hours 37 minutes each.

Until 12 December 2026, buses replace the Express between Interlaken Ost and Interlaken West because of works, so allow a few extra minutes. Glacier 3000 itself is closed for maintenance from 19 October to 6 November 2026 and opens for winter on 7 November.

The Swiss Travel Pass, the GA and the Half Fare card are valid on the GoldenPass Express, so pass holders ride to Gstaad at no extra fare. A seat reservation is recommended in 1st and 2nd class and required in Prestige class, and the seat supplement is not included in the pass. Check the current amount on goldenpass.ch when you book.

The pass also halves the cable car: holders of a Swiss Travel Pass, GA or Half Fare card pay CHF 48 for the return instead of CHF 95. Children aged 6 to 15 pay CHF 48, and under-6s and children with an SBB Junior card ride free. The ticket includes the Peak Walk, the Ice Express chairlift and the Glacier Walk.

Buses leave Col du Pillon for Gstaad at 41 minutes past the hour through the afternoon, and each connects to Interlaken Ost in about 2 hours 45 minutes via Zweisimmen and Spiez. The 17:41 is the last bus of the day and gets you to Interlaken at 20:28.

In winter the last cable car up is at 16:00, so the 16:41 or 17:41 bus is the realistic choice; in summer the last ascent is at 16:20. Arriving at 11:26 on the 09:07 Express gives you around four hours at the top in winter, enough for the Peak Walk, lunch and the Ice Express. If you prefer the Express home, take the 14:41 bus and the 15:58 from Gstaad, which reaches Interlaken Ost at 17:48.

By car, Interlaken to Col du Pillon is about 88 km. Route planners give 96 minutes in free-flowing traffic and the operator's own leaflet says 90 minutes, along Lake Thun via Spiez and then through Gstaad and Gsteig to the top of the pass. Winter mountain roads will be slower.

There are large paid car parks at Col du Pillon and at Reusch, with a flat rate paid on arrival.

The organised Glacier 3000 day trips start from Geneva, Lausanne, Montreux and Zurich, so from Interlaken you travel independently. That is no hardship: the GoldenPass Express does the scenic part, and in Gstaad the 11:01 bus leaves four minutes after the 09:07 train arrives.

Splitting the trip turns a long return journey into a relaxed visit. Gstaad is the end of the Express ride, and overnight guests receive the Gstaad Card, which makes PostBus 180 to Col du Pillon free. Les Diablerets, just over the pass, is 5 to 7 minutes from the cable car by car.

Arrive on the afternoon Express, go up on one of the first cabins from 09:00 the next morning and you have the whole day at 2,971 m, with time for the 3 km Glacier Walk as well as the Peak Walk.