Magic Pass 2026/27: Price, Resorts & Is It Worth It?

The Magic Pass started as a bet by a handful of small resorts in western Switzerland: sell one cheap season pass and fill the slopes. Ten seasons later, it covers over 100 destinations, from Saas-Fee to Gstaad, and it's the default season pass for skiers in the Romandie and, more and more, in the Bernese Oberland and central Switzerland.

Here's what it costs this winter, where it works, and when it's worth buying.

Magic Pass 2026/27 at a glance

Price and when to buy

The Magic Pass works like an airline ticket: the earlier you buy, the less you pay. The launch price in March 2026 was CHF 419 for adults, and the price has been rising in steps since. As of mid-October, the adult pass costs CHF 576, guaranteed until November 3, 2026 at 12:00. After that, it goes up again, all the way to the official price of CHF 944 (about $1,180).

There are only two categories: adults (born 2010 or earlier) and children (born 2011 to 2020). There's no youth, senior or family discount, and children under 6 aren't covered by the pass: check each resort's rules for small children.

The pass doesn't renew automatically, and there's no loyalty discount: you buy it again each year. Cancellation insurance must be added at checkout, not later. Without it, the pass can't be refunded once the 14-day withdrawal period is over.

Where the Magic Pass works

Most destinations are in the cantons of Valais, Vaud, Fribourg and Bern, with a growing group in central Switzerland and a few across the borders. Highlights by region:

• Valais: Saas-Fee and Saas-Almagell, Grimentz-Zinal, St-Luc/Chandolin, Vercorin, Anzère, Ovronnaz, Leukerbad, Belalp, Les Marécottes and the Val d'Hérens resorts.
• Vaud Alps: Villars-Gryon, Les Diablerets, Glacier 3000, Leysin and Les Mosses, plus the Jura resorts of the Vallée de Joux and Sainte-Croix/Les Rasses.
• Bern: Gstaad, which joined in 2025/26, Meiringen-Hasliberg and the Niederhorn above Lake Thun.
• Fribourg: Moléson, Charmey, Les Paccots, Schwarzsee and La Berra, all close to Lausanne, Fribourg and Bern.
• Central Switzerland: Melchsee-Frutt and Sörenberg.
• France and Italy: Le Grand-Bornand, Métabief and other resorts in the French Alps and Jura, and San Domenico and Devero in Italy.

What's not on it matters just as much: Verbier and the 4 Vallées, Nendaz, Crans-Montana and Zermatt aren't on the Magic Pass. Crans-Montana and Andermatt are on the Epic Pass instead.

New for 2026/27

Six destinations join this season: Klewenalp-Stockhütte above Lake Lucerne, Sattel-Hochstuckli (Schwyz), Hohe Winde (Solothurn, winter only), Valbirse in the Bernese Jura, Bernex in the French Chablais and Domobianca in Italy.

The other big novelty is Magic Travel: between November 1, 2026 and April 30, 2027, pass holders get five public transport credits for trips from home to a Swiss partner resort. A one-way trip or a same-day return uses one credit. You book in the Magic Pass app, up to 7 days ahead, and some lines have seat limits.

Is the Magic Pass worth it?

Do the math with the day pass of the resort you ski most. At Saas-Fee, the official 2026/27 adult day pass costs CHF 84:

Many smaller resorts use dynamic pricing and sell cheaper day passes online in advance, so the break-even point there can be a day or two higher. On the other side of the scale, add the summer: hiking lifts and bike transport from May to April are included, and the Magic Travel trips save you train tickets.

Buy it if you live in Romandie or Bern, ski at least one weekend in three, and like trying different resorts. Skip it if you mostly ski Verbier or Zermatt, or ski fewer than five or six days a season.

The fine print

• Physical card only. The gates read the RFID card. A photo or a QR code on your phone won't work.
• No lending. A photo is taken at every gate, and misuse costs a CHF 250 penalty plus the day tickets.
• Glacier exceptions. Glacier 3000 and the Metro Alpin at Saas-Fee are covered only from November 1 to April 30. Summer glacier skiing at Saas-Fee isn't included.
• Buses aren't lifts. Local buses and PostBus lines, for example in the Saas valley, aren't covered.
• Baths option. For an extra CHF 301 (adult, as of October 2026), the pass also opens 18 swimming pools and thermal baths, with one entry per place per day.

Opening dates this winter

Dates depend on snow, so check the resort's site before you go.

Ski by day, soak by night

Several Magic Pass resorts come with a hot pool at the end of the day. In Leukerbad, the Torrent cable car leaves from the village, so you can ski in the morning and be in the public thermal baths by mid-afternoon. Saas-Fee has spa hotels in the car-free village, and the Bains de la Gruyère are in Charmey, the same village as the Charmey lifts.

Our honest take

For a skier based in Lausanne, Geneva, Fribourg or Bern, the Magic Pass at the October price is one of the best deals in Alpine skiing: about seven days of skiing pays it back, and you get summer lifts and a few train trips on top. Its weak spot is the very big names: if your winter revolves around Verbier, Zermatt or Crans-Montana, it won't help you there. For those, compare the best ski resorts in Switzerland, and if you also ski in North America, check the Ikon Pass and Epic Pass options. For a weekend stay, see our ski hotels with a spa.

See hotels in Saas-Fee →