Zermatt is the best place to start as a novice skier, and the perfect spot for learning how to ski. Whether you are a beginner ski family or a keen off-piste expert, there is a perfect Zermatt terrain for you. The entire ski area of Zermatt is vast, but beginners are well catered for. The vastness of the ski area, and also the steep prices for ski passes, certainly puts off some beginners from getting started.

Unlike at many resorts, there are more affordable Zermatt chalets available for beginners, who are likely to use just the smaller areas and the beginner runs during their first week on skis. However, there is a very well organised beginners’ area around Sunnegga, near Zermatt, while intermediate skiers will get a taste of the highest pistes in Europe, located on Theodul Glacier, though getting up there takes time and the risk is of low visibility or lifts closing in poor weather. Also, beginners and intermediate skiers will not be left behind, as the groomed slopes with 63km of blacks and 75km of blues will provide everyone with more than enough opportunities for enjoyment on their Zermatt skiing holiday. For the first-time skiers and beginners, Zermatt is a stimulating destination for starting your skiing adventures at a traditional resort, but a traditional resort enhanced with modern facilities.

We suggest everyone who loves to ski visit Zermatt at least once. Zermatt is an awesome place to have your first mountain winter vacation, few places are as spectacular, and you would be wise to avoid getting hooked on skiing holidays if you begin here. If you are not planning on skiing, there is still a lot going on that’ll keep you occupied over 5 – 7 days in Zermatt, ranging from the skating rink through to the Matterhorn Central Museum. If you are heading into the city but are not looking to ski, make sure to read the Wanderlust Chloe Guide on Top Things To Do In Zermatt For Non-Skiers.

As a lifelong skier, the gorgeous pistes and the city of Zermatt will hook you. The blue runs at Zermatt are of course beginner runs, but the feeling is incredible just to be skiing them as anyone (and, needless to say, leaving all the kids behind is awesome. Just after learning how to ski the baby slopes for just two hours, we were quickly being led up to Zermatts blue slopes. For the next hour, we were skiing on the blue slopes, simply getting used to skiing with varying speeds.

The majority of runs in Zermatt remain good in late afternoon, but you can be certain of this by staying clear of busy ones which are getting cut up: Do not take a downhill run in the village, keep up higher and just ride around the higher slopes, and then descend downhill on the way out, so as to avoid a village running bottleneck. The Sunnegga area in Zermatt is a good place to start the skis in the morning, because it is on the resorts most south-facing face, so it is sunnier, and gets warmer early in the day.