Stoos Ridge Hike: A Complete Guide to One of the Most Popular Trails in Switzerland
If you're looking for the perfect day trip from Zurich, with beautiful views, and moderate difficulty, then look no further than Stoos Ridge Hike.
This area is perfect for those that want to get out in nature without straying too far from the city. It also has a variety of trails to offer, making it perfect for any kind of traveler. You can experience the steepest funicular in the world, a charming mountain town, and all different paths for different viewpoints.
In our full guide we're going to go over how to get to Stoos, how long you need, and all the details for completing the Stoos Ridge hike in Switzerland.
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📍 Where Does the Stoos Ridge Hike Start?
The Stoos Ridge hike starts from Stoos, which is a mountain village in Central Switzerland.
Stoos is located in Central Switzerland.
How to Get to Stoos Ridge
Being a mountain village, it's not as simple as putting Stoos in your GPS and driving there. Here are the answers to any questions you may have, as well as a step-by-step guide for getting there.
🚗 Can You Go to Stoos By Car?
The town of Stoos can only be reached by taking a funicular, which is actually the steepest one in the world! The Schwyz–Stoos funicular (also known as the Stoosbahn) is located in the small town of Schywz, which is 60 km south of the city of Zurich.
The funicular station has plenty of parking spaces next to it, and can be reached by a 40-45 minute drive from the center of Zurich.
How to Get from Zurich to Stoos Ridge
If you don't have a car, then you can easily take a train from Zurich to Schwyz, which takes a little under an hour. From the town you can then take an 8 minute cab ride, or you can walk the 7 km, which takes around an hour and a half.
How to Get to Stoos Ridge from Lucerne
Lucerne is a half hour away driving from Schwyz, or you can take an hour train from Lucerne to Schwyz.
How to Reach Stoos from Interlaken
Interlaken is a bit further away from the Stoos Ridge hike, and it takes an hour and a half driving. Renting a car is certainly the best option, but you can also take a train from Interlaken to Schwyz. The ride has two connections with Bern and Lucerne, and takes around 2 and a half hours in total.
🚡 Taking the Funicular from Schwyz to Stoos
In order to get to Stoos you'll take the iconic funicular from the funicular station. You can get tickets in advance, or you can purchase them from the ticket office upon arrival.
The funicular ride has stunning views, and is definitely a cool experience in itself! The ride is 1.7 km long, and takes about 7 minutes to get up to the village of Stoos.
Schwyz-Stoos is the steepest funicular in the world!
Stoos Ridge Hike
You've arrived in Stoos! So now what? You'll notice that this isn't just an area to hike, but it is actually an adorable mountain village with a few different hotels, restaurants, and activities to enjoy. However, we're here to tell you about the Stoos Ridge Hike first!
⏳ How Long Does the Stoos Ridge Hike Take?
The Stoos Ridge Hike length really depends on if you'd like to take advantage of the chairlifts. There are two chairlift routes that you can use, and each one requires its own ticket.
We got a chairlift ticket starting at Klingenstock, and got the gondola going down from the end of the trail at Fronalpstock.
The easiest way to get to the Stoos Ridge hike is by chairlift.
The Stoos Ridge hike itself from one chairlift station to the other takes around 2 to 2 and a half hours. It is a very scenic hike the entire time, and easy for all ages to complete.
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How Long Does the Stoos Ridge Hike Take Without the Chairlifts?
The Klingenstock chairlift is a 15-20 minute walk from where the funicular drops you off in Stoos, and then the ride is about 10-15 minutes. If you walk to the top rather than taking the chairlift, it will take around 45 minutes- one hour to do this leg of the journey.
The Fronalpstock chairlift is around 2 hours and 15 minutes to hike from the village of Stoos on average.
So if you only take the funicular, and hike the entire loop, it should take around 5-6 hours with small stops for pictures or breaks.
The gondolas save 3 hours in total of hiking.
Stoos Ridge Hike: What to Expect
The Stoos Ridge hike hugs the side of the mountain overlooking the lake below, Vierwaldstattersee.
The Stoos Ridge hike has stunning views of the lake below.
The paths are always clearly marked, and get pretty crowded, especially in the middle of the day. There are parts that are very easy, and some parts that are a bit steep, but honestly the hike can be done by all ages groups.
I actually hiked in flip flops and a dress, and didn't find it difficult at all! A lot of it is made of steps, and the terrain overall is pretty even.
That being said, it's a long day and a lot of walking, so you'll want to make sure you are well rested and hydrated. There are big grassy areas and some picnic tables along the way, making it easy to take breaks throughout the Stoos Ridge hike.
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Stoos Ridge Hike: Amenities Around
Along the Stoos Ridge hike itself there aren't any bathrooms or restaurants, but there are a few picnic tables to be able to rest and take breaks along the way.
There is a restaurant at the top of Fronalpstack, and you'll also find a small petting zoo with goats at it, and bathrooms that you can use.
The town of Stoos itself has hotels, restaurants, a museum, and a small church. We suggest leaving yourself at least an hour to walk around the village of Stoos, and enjoy the mountain vibes and beautiful views all over.
There are aquite a few restaurants in the village of Stoos.
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Stoos Ridge Hike: Hours & Prices
Now that you know how to do the Stoos Ridge hike, it's important to be transparent about the prices to do everything! Unfortunately, Stoos comes with a high price- either spending a lot of time, money, or both.
🎫 Stoos Ridge Hike Tickets
Each leg of each chairlift and the funicular are priced separately. You can get small discounts by purchasing round trip tickets, and also if you get a bundle ticket with everything included. Tickets are valid for up to 30 days after purchase.
Here are the prices for Stoos transportation:
Tickets | Adult | Child | Junior Travel Card |
|---|---|---|---|
1st section single trip (Fronalpstack) | 10 | 3 | Free |
1st section round trip (Fronalpstack) | 14.50 | 5 | Free |
2nd section single trip (Fronalpstack) | 12 | 4 | Free |
2nd section round trip (Fronalpstack) | 18.70 | 7 | Free |
both sections single trip (Fronalpstack) | 22 | 7 | Free |
both sections round trip (Fronalpstack) | 33 | 12 | Free |
single trip (Klingenstock) | 22 | 7 | Free |
round trip (Klingenstock) | 33 | 12 | Free |
Schwyz-Stoos Funicular one way | 11.60 | 5.80 | Free |
Schwyz-Stoos Funicular round trip | 23.20 | 11.60 | Free |
Is Stoos Included in the Swiss Pass?
Stoos is included in the Swiss Pass, which means that if you have the Swiss Pass, you can get to Schwyz-Stoos Funicular ticket for free, and you will only need to pay for the chairlifts if you choose to take them.
🕘 Stoos Transportation Timetables
The transportation and activities have different timetables depending on the time of year, and each mode of transportation has its own hours which we are going to outline below.
🥾 Stoos Ridge Hike Trail Hours
The Stoos Ridge hiking trail is accessible and secured with chains from the beginning of June until typically the beginning of November. It is open 24 hours a day, but the chair lifts are the ones that have a timetable. This means if you want to hike without the chair lifts, you are free to go at anytime.
The Stoos Ridge hike trail is open from the spring to autumn.
🚡 Schwyz-Stoos Funicular Timetable
The times for rides from Sunday to Thursday start at 7:10 am, and go until 10:40 pm. From 7 am- 7 pm there are rides on the 10th and 40th minute of every hour (for example 7:10 am and 7:40 am and then 8:10 and 8:40, etc). After 7:40 there are 3 more funicular rides at 8:40 pm, 9:40 pm, and 10:40 pm.
On Fridays and Saturdays rides start at 7:10 am, and go until 11:40 pm. From 7 am- 8 pm there are rides on the 10th and 40th minute of every hour (for example 7:10 am and 7:40 am and then 8:10 and 8:40, etc). After 8:40 there are 6 more funicular rides at 9:10 pm, 9:40 pm, 10:10 pm, 10:40 pm, 11:10 pm, and 11:40 pm.
🚠 Fronalpstack Chairlift Timetable
From May 18th to November 3rd the chairlift is open from 9 am to 4 pm, and until 5:30 pm when Klingenstock chairlift is still in operation. From November 9th - December 8th the chairlift is available on weekends and public holidays from 9 am to 4 pm.
In addition to the normal hours, on Fridays in August and September there are sunrise rides available. These are every Friday from August 2nd - 30th, 2024 at 5 am, and September 6th - 27th, 2024 at 5:40 am.
There are also evening rides every Saturday from May 18th - September 14th, 2024 until 10 pm and September 21st - Oct. 26th, 2024 until 8 pm to be able to enjoy sunset.
🚡 Klingenstock Chairlift Timetable
From now until April 7th, 2024 the Klingenstock chairlift is open daily from 9 am to 4 pm. From June 8th - October 13th, 2024 it's open daily from 9 am to 4 pm as long as the weather is good. Then from October 19th - November 3rd it is available on weekends and public holidays so long as there is good weather.
All chairlifts are available in the winter months for skiing, from 9 am to 4:15 pm.
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Safety for the Stoos Ridge Hike
Stoos Ridge hike is actually very safe, as it has barriers all along it. The trail is also very well marked and easy to follow, so it's impossible to get lost, or to find yourself in any kind of danger.
The Stoos Ridge hiking trail is well-marked and has barriers around it.
🥵 How Hard is the Stoos Ridge Hike?
The hike is not too physically demanding, which means it is accessible for all ages and skill levels. It is pretty long, and only has a couple of areas that are steep, but a lot of it has steps and even terrain.
If you are not in good shape, have a disability, or have young kids, you can simply take the one of the chairlifts to the top to enjoy the views. We would suggest doing this to Fronalpstack, as it has the best views, and has a restaurant next to it.
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Other Things to Keep in Mind for the Stoos Ridge Hike in Switzerland
Now you know what to expect during the Stoos Ridge hike! But here are a few other things to keep in mind.
☀️ Weather Conditions Stoos Ridge
The weather in Switzerland is very unpredictable, and can change quickly, especially up in the mountains. It can get particularly chilly at night, so if you are gong to be there in the evening or in the early morning we suggest bringing a jacket or layers.
📆 The Best Time to Hike Stoos Ridge
The best time to visit Stoos Ridge in Switzerland is in the summer months, when the weather has the best chances of being warm and sunny. If you want to avoid the crowds but still have nice weather, then we would suggest visiting in May, June, or September.
The Stoos Ridge hike is super crowded in the summer.
Also, if it happens to rain, then we suggest you to go the next morning, as you'll have a high chance at experiencing a cloud inversion above the lake.
🥶 Can You Hike Stoos Ridge in Winter?
Stoos Ridge trail is not available in the winter months. However, there are plenty of other ways to enjoy Stoos!
There is skiing, snowboarding, sledding, and other fun activities that are family-friendly to take advantage of, and you can still enjoy the views from the top of the gondolas where the Stoos Ridge hike is located.
🎒 How to Prepare for the Stoos Ridge Hike
Here are a few of the things we suggest bringing with you to Stoos:
- A pair of sneakers or comfortable shoes
- Light jacket (if you are visiting at night or early in the morning)
- Tripod to take the pictures if you are alone
- Sunscreen (if you are hiking during the day)
- Reusable Water Bottle (we use this water bottle from Cafago because it is insulated)
- Insta 360 X3 with the extra long selfie stick for drone-looking shots
- Sandwich or snacks
- Camera (we use the Sony A7Riii)
- Standard Lens (we use the Sony GM 24-70)
- Wide Lens to capture great panoramas of the area (we use the Sony GM 14 F1.8)
- Telephoto Lens to capture a close-up of surrounding landscapes (we use the
- Sony GM 70-200)
- Tripod to get pictures while no one is around or for multiple shots from far away (We use the Rangepod Tripod)
- Drone (We use the Mavic Mini 4 Pro because it's super light and doesn't sacrifice quality)
- Reusable Water Bottle (we use this water bottle from Cafago because it holds the temperature)
- Power Bank (we use Anker power banks as they are super long lasting and durable)
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🤔 Is it Worth Doing the Stoos Ridge Hike?
We'll be honest- Stoos was pretty tiring, and pretty expensive. However, the funicular itself is a unique experience, and the hiking is beautiful!
You can certainly find similar places all around Switzerland for lower prices and less crowds, but do recommend Stoos Ridge for a full day experience, or to spend one night if you have the budget for it.
Stoos is a beautiful town, but is similar to a lot of other places in Switzerland.
Tips for the Stoos Ridge Hike in Switzerland
Here are a few things we suggest for the Stoos Ridge Hike:
- Start early to beat the crowds.
- Bring plenty of water!
- Use the bathroom before starting the hike.
- Start from Klingenstock and go down from Fronalpstock.
- Skip the Klingenstock chairlift if you have time - the 30 CHF to save 45 minutes isn't really worth it in our opinion.
- If you do plan on taking all the chairlifts, get a ticket bundle to save money rather than buying them all separately.
- Spend one night in Stoos so that you can enjoy it without all of the crowds in the evening and the following morning.
- Bring sandwiches and lots of snacks! Prices for restaurants are super expensive in Stoos.
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