Lausanne Cable Cars: Glacier 3000 and How to Ride It

Where the Glacier 3000 Cable Car Starts and Finishes

The lower station sits at Col du Pillon above Les Diablerets, and the cable car climbs from there to Scex Rouge, the arrival station at the top. The address published for the lift is Route du Pillon 253, 1865 Les Diablerets, which is what you give a driver or enter in a navigation app. From Lausanne the trip is a train connection toward the Les Diablerets valley followed by the road up to the pass, so build the transfer time into your day before you book anything.

Ticket Prices in CHF

The round trip from Col du Pillon to Scex Rouge and back costs 85 CHF for an adult at the full rate, as listed for 2026. Riders with a Half Fare card, a General Abo, a Swiss Travel Pass or an SBB Day Ticket pay 43 CHF, and children pay 43 CHF. Those three numbers are the ones to budget, and they cover the cable car itself.

Opening Hours and the Annual Maintenance Closure

Glacier 3000 runs daily from 09:00 to 16:30 under the 2026 schedule, so the last ascent fits inside that window and a late start eats into your time at the top. The lift also closes for technical maintenance from 19 October to 6 November 2026, which rules out a late-autumn visit in that stretch. Outside those dates, the published hours are your planning anchor.

What Waits at the Top

Scex Rouge is a modern arrival building designed by the Swiss architect Mario Botta, and its terrace looks out over surrounding peaks including the Eiger, Jungfrau and Matterhorn on a clear day. The signature draw is the Peak Walk by Tissot, a suspension bridge that links two mountain peaks and gives the visit its thrill. The walkway needs no extra booking; just allow time for the terrace and the bridge at altitude.

If the mountain weather turns, the same day in Lausanne offers plenty indoors, from the museums to the covered arcades of the old town. Keep a wet-weather plan ready so a cloudy summit forecast does not waste a day of your break.

When to Go: Seasonal Attractions

The Alpine Coaster runs from May to September, so a summer visit adds a ride on the mountain to the cable car itself. The ski slopes operate from November to April, which makes the winter version of the trip a snow day rather than a walking one. Spring and autumn sit between those windows, with the cable car running but the seasonal draws limited.

Choose your month against those windows rather than against the Lausanne city calendar. A trip in late October also runs into the maintenance closure, so check the dates before you commit a day to the mountain.

How the Lausanne City Pass Changes the Price

The Lausanne City Pass lists a 20 percent discount at Glacier 3000, which applies to the cable car fare for pass holders. The same pass covers public transport in Lausanne on Mobilis zones 11 and 12 and starts from 30 CHF, so it earns its keep on city days as well as this excursion. If you plan several paid sights in Lausanne, price the pass against your list before buying separate tickets.

The pass is worth checking against the city sights you already want to see, such as the Lausanne Cathedral and the Olympic Museum, so you are not buying a card for one discount alone. Add up the covered entries first and then decide.

Money-Saving Combinations

A Half Fare card, a Swiss Travel Pass or an SBB Day Ticket each brings the adult round trip down to 43 CHF, half the full fare. Travelers already holding a Swiss Travel Pass for rail days get the reduced rate on this lift without buying anything extra. A family pays 43 CHF per child on top of the adult fares.

Is Glacier 3000 Worth a Day of a Short Break?

With two days in Lausanne, Glacier 3000 takes one of them, and the transfer to Col du Pillon plus the time at altitude fills the day. The trade-off is real: you give up a morning at the Lausanne Cathedral, an afternoon in the old town or a slot at the Olympic Museum. Travelers with three or more days can fit both comfortably; those with a single full day should pick the city.

The city itself rewards a slower pace, and a self-guided route through the old town covers the cathedral, the squares and the lakefront without a train ride. If the mountain is the reason for the trip, take it on a clear-forecast day and keep Lausanne for the rest of the break.

Practical Points for the Day

Altitude makes the summit colder and windier than Lausanne, so carry a warm layer and a windproof jacket even on a mild day in the city. The 09:00 opening rewards an early start, which leaves more margin if a connection runs late. Keep your return connection in mind when you time the last descent, because the 16:30 close sets the limit on the mountain.

Book the cable car and the train separately, and keep the ticket types consistent so the reduced fare applies where it should. A printed or saved confirmation of your Half Fare card or pass saves discussion at the counter.

Plan Your Visit

Glacier 3000 is a full-day mountain trip from Lausanne, priced at 85 CHF for an adult round trip in 2026, or 43 CHF with a Half Fare card, Swiss Travel Pass, SBB Day Ticket or for children. It runs 09:00 to 16:30 daily and closes 19 October to 6 November 2026 for maintenance. Decide between the mountain and the city before you lock your days, and check the lift's own page for the dates of your trip.