Glacier 3000 with kids: ages, prices and a family day plan

Children under 6 travel free. From 6 to 15 the return from Col du Pillon to Scex Rouge costs CHF 48, against CHF 95 for adults, and children holding an SBB Junior card or an SBB Accompanied Child card ride free, which makes the trip very good value for families with Swiss rail cards. There is no separate family ticket.

Babies under 15 months are not accepted, for medical reasons linked to the altitude, and Glacier 3000 recommends waiting until a child is 2. The operator also advises against the trip during pregnancy, because the first section of the cable car climbs very quickly, from 1,546 m to 2,525 m.

The Peak Walk is usually the first stop: a suspension bridge 107 m long and 80 cm wide between two summits, with the glacier below. It is included in the ticket and open all year, weather permitting. Reaching it takes about 100 steps, so a child who can manage stairs will be fine, but plan to carry little ones.

From Scex Rouge the Ice Express chairlift drops down onto the glacier, and the Snow Fun Park lets children play on snow all year round, even in midsummer. Both are included in the cable car ticket. Older children with stamina can try part of the Glacier Walk, a marked route across the snow towards the Quille du Diable that takes about an hour each way.

In summer the Alpine Coaster is the highlight for most children. Glacier 3000 calls it the highest rail toboggan run in the world: 1 km of track with 10 curves, 6 waves and 3 jumps, at up to 40 km/h. It usually runs from June to October, depending on the snow, daily from 09:15 to 16:00.

Children can ride alone from their 9th birthday if they are at least 140 cm tall. From the age of 3 they can ride with someone aged 9 or over. Seatbelts are compulsory. Rides cost CHF 9 each for adults and children, or CHF 36 for five, and tickets are sold at the start of the run.

From November 2026 a team of huskies runs sled rides on the glacier, a few minutes' walk from the bottom of the Ice Express. The shortest, the Discovery Tour, takes about 15 minutes in all, which suits small children. Glacier 3000 describes the Fun Tour, about 45 minutes in all with a 3 km ride, as perfect for families with young children.

On the operator's ticketing page a sleigh ride costs CHF 42, or CHF 110 combined with the cable car. Book ahead, and if the ride is cancelled for weather or snow you can rebook or ask for a refund.

Le 3, the self-service restaurant at Scex Rouge, is the easy choice with children: it opens daily from 09:00 to 16:00, you order by scanning the QR code on your table, and the building has lifts. Its summer 2026 menu has a Kids Corner with smaller portions at smaller prices.

For a warming drink, a Caotina or Ovomaltine hot chocolate costs CHF 5.50. The menu changes with the season, so treat these prices as a guide.

Scex Rouge stands at 2,971 m, and the operator warns that conditions at this height can be extreme and the weather can change quickly. Dress children for the summit, not the valley.

In winter that means warm boots, ski trousers, a warm jacket, gloves, a hat, sunglasses and sun cream. In summer pack mountain boots, a windproof jacket, sunglasses and sun cream, as there is snow at the top all year. In spring and autumn it can snow at any time or be very warm, so bring layers. Check the webcams on glacier3000.ch before you leave.

Start early. The ticket office at Col du Pillon opens at 08:45, the first cabin leaves at 09:00 and they run every 20 minutes, so there is no slot to book. The ride takes about 15 minutes with one change at Cabane, and the Peak Walk and Ice Express open at 09:15.

A morning on the bridge and the snow, then lunch at Le 3, makes a full day for younger children without a rush. The operator asks visitors to reach Col du Pillon by 15:00; the last cabin up is at 16:00 in winter and 16:20 in summer.

Without a car, PostBus 180 runs to Col du Pillon from Gstaad and Les Diablerets. From 1 November to 30 April the bus between Les Diablerets or Reusch and Col du Pillon is free with a Glacier 3000 ticket, and the Gstaad Card (from Gstaad) or the Welcome Card (from Les Diablerets) makes it free too.

Les Diablerets is the closest village, a few minutes by car from the cable car, and has hotels that welcome families. Gstaad, about 20 minutes away, adds a grand hotel with a kids' club for longer stays.