Every summer the same question lands in our inbox: can you really still ski in the Alps once winter is over? The answer is yes, on a few high glaciers where the snow holds through the warm months. Taxi 2 Ski runs private ski transfers across the Alps all year, and in summer we still drive skiers up to the lifts. We’ve dropped them at the cable cars in shorts and t-shirts, watched them gear up, then picked them up a few hours later for lunch in the valley sun.
This guide covers four glacier options for 2026. Three of them work deep into summer. Les Deux Alpes is the exception: its ski window closes in early July, but it’s still one of the best late-spring and early-summer glacier options in France. We’ve left out the places that market summer skiing but rarely have the snow for it.
These are the summer ski resorts where skiing on glaciers still makes sense in 2026.
The quick version
Here’s the short answer before we get into detail:
- Zermatt (Switzerland): early May to end of October. Up to 21 km, top point 3,883 m. The most reliable, with the longest season.
- Saas-Fee (Switzerland): 18 July to 31 October. About 20 km, up to 3,573 m. Best for intermediates and above.
- Cervinia (Italy): 27 June to 6 September. Around 25 km on the linked area, with access to 3,883 m on the Zermatt side. A lower-cost Italian base with linked high-altitude glacier terrain.
- Les Deux Alpes (France): until around 5 July only. Europe’s largest skiable glacier, up to 3,600 m. A late-spring and early-summer pick.
Why glaciers keep their snow when everything else melts
Summer skiing only happens on high glaciers, mostly above 3,000 metres, where the ice stays frozen year-round. The rules up there are different from winter. Most glacier ski areas open early and the ski day is concentrated in the morning, before the sun softens the snow. Plan your day around that, not around a full afternoon on the slopes.
Most of our summer guests treat it as a half-day on snow. They ski in the morning, then spend the afternoon hiking, biking or sitting by a lake. It’s a different trip than a winter week, and a lot of people prefer it.
Four glaciers stand out for 2026. Here’s how they compare, and why the drive to each one matters.
Zermatt: the highest and most reliable bet
If you only trust one glacier for summer snow, this is it. Zermatt skis on the Theodul Glacier below the Klein Matterhorn, at around 3,883 metres. It runs as a proper year-round ski area, the highest in the Alps, with up to 21 km of pistes open through the summer.
The summer ski pass period in 2026 runs from early May to the end of October. That’s the longest window of the four. There’s a beginners’ area near Testa Grigia, plus a summer snow park on Plateau Rosa that pulls in freestylers and national race teams. Lifts run early, so plan to be skiing by mid-morning at the latest.
One thing worth knowing before you book: Zermatt is car-free. The road ends at Täsch, about 5 km below the village. From there it’s a short cog train or an electric taxi into Zermatt itself. We explain this to every guest, because it shapes how the drop-off works.
What the drive is really like
Most people fly into Geneva, Zurich, Milan or little Sion. Geneva to Täsch is around 230 km. That’s roughly two and a half to three hours, depending on traffic over the passes. Sion is by far the closest, at around 80 km. We drive guests to the Täsch terminal, help with bags, and point them to the train for the final 12-minute leg.
If you’re flying into one of these airports, these are the connections we handle most often:
- Geneva Airport to Zermatt transfer
- Zurich Airport to Zermatt transfer
- Milan Airport to Zermatt transfer
- Sion Airport to Zermatt transfer
Saas-Fee: Zermatt’s quieter neighbour
A valley over from Zermatt, Saas-Fee skis on the Allalin (Fee) Glacier, reaching up to around 3,573 metres. There are about 20 km of summer slopes. The glacier is reached by an underground funicular that climbs inside the mountain to Mittelallalin.
The summer season here is shorter and later than Zermatt’s. It runs from 18 July to 31 October 2026, with shifting daily timetables through the season. One point we always pass on to guests: the summer area is not for beginners. There are no easy blue runs up top. It suits intermediates and above, plus the race teams that train here every year.
Saas-Fee is also car-free, like Zermatt, with a large parking structure at the village edge. The day pass for summer skiing sits in the region of CHF 83 to 93 for adults, with cheaper rates for children.
Getting there
The airport options are the same Valais cluster as Zermatt, since the two valleys sit side by side. The transfers we run most for Saas-Fee:
- Geneva Airport to Saas-Fee transfer
- Zurich Airport to Saas-Fee transfer
- Sion Airport to Saas-Fee transfer
Cervinia: Zermatt’s Italian-side summer ski alternative
Here’s something a lot of people miss. Cervinia, on the Italian side of the Matterhorn, gives access to the Plateau Rosà summer ski area, which is linked with Zermatt’s high-altitude glacier terrain. So the summer snow is essentially shared across the border. The Italian side reaches around 3,480 metres, with access up to the Klein Matterhorn at 3,883 metres on the Swiss side.
For 2026, Cervinia’s summer ski area is listed as opening from 27 June to 6 September. The linked area offers around 25 km of summer slopes. Cervinia also tends to be cheaper than Zermatt for food, drink and lift passes. That’s part of why we get asked about it.
The big practical difference is the drive. Cervinia is not car-free, and the closest airports are Italian. Turin is the nearest, at roughly 90 minutes. Milan and Bergamo add about an hour. Geneva works too, through the Mont Blanc tunnel into the Aosta Valley.
The drive in from Italy
The village sits at around 2,050 metres. You reach it on the regional road up from the Châtillon exit on the Turin-Aosta motorway. These are the connections we cover for Cervinia:
- Turin Airport to Breuil-Cervinia transfer
- Milan Airport to Breuil-Cervinia transfer
- Bergamo Airport to Breuil-Cervinia transfer
Les Deux Alpes: a big glacier, but a short window
Over in France, Les Deux Alpes runs summer skiing on what it calls the largest skiable glacier in Europe, with terrain reaching up to 3,600 metres. Its high-altitude setup is more accessible than Saas-Fee’s. That includes Snowpark 3200, which stays open to the public during the training period.
Here’s the catch, and it’s a real one. In 2026 the glacier ski season runs until 5 July. The June and early-July period is geared heavily toward training, so check the live opening status and available terrain before booking. Either way, this is a late-spring and early-summer option, not a July or August one.
If summer skiing is your main goal, aim for June or the very start of July. Outside the ski window, the resort stays busy as a biking and hiking base. Lifts keep running for pedestrians well into August.
How you get there
Grenoble is the closest airport, around 65 to 70 km and roughly an hour and fifteen up the valley. Lyon and Geneva are the bigger international options, both a longer drive. The connections we run for Les Deux Alpes:
- Grenoble Airport to Les Deux Alpes transfer
- Lyon Airport to Les Deux Alpes transfer
- Geneva Airport to Les Deux Alpes transfer
Austria’s glaciers: real, but not your safe summer bet
Austria has summer glacier skiing too, but it didn’t make our main four, and 2026 shows why. Hintertux is long known as Austria’s year-round glacier. This year it’s only skiing until late July, then it switches to non-ski summer activities. Kitzsteinhorn, above Kaprun, closed its ski season back in late May. It doesn’t reopen for skiing until October. Other big names like Stubai and Sölden skip summer and reopen in autumn. For a fixed July or August ski trip, Zermatt, Saas-Fee and Cervinia are much safer choices. Always check the live ski status before booking an Austrian glacier in summer.
Which glacier fits your summer trip?
If you want the surest snow and the longest season, Zermatt is the safe pick. It’s open into October and skis year-round. Want linked high-altitude glacier terrain for less money and don’t mind an Italian airport? Cervinia works into early September. Looking for a quieter Swiss option, and you’re already a confident skier? Saas-Fee works from mid-July. And if you can travel in June or very early July and want big terrain plus a strong park, Les Deux Alpes is the French answer, as long as you accept the short window.
One pattern holds across all four. Ski in the morning, do something else in the afternoon. Pack like a spring ski day, not midwinter, and start early. The snow is best before the sun gets to it.
How we help guests reach these glaciers
We arrange private ski transfers to all four resorts during their glacier-skiing periods, from late spring through the summer season. We use a private car and a driver who knows the mountain approaches. Bags, gear and the timing around early lift openings are all part of what we plan for. For Zermatt and Saas-Fee, that means getting you to the car-free village edge in good time for the train or funicular. For Cervinia and Les Deux Alpes, it’s a door-to-door drive.
Planning a summer ski trip and want the airport leg sorted? Send us your dates and group size, and we’ll handle the rest.
Frequently asked questions
Can you really ski in the Alps in summer?
Yes, on high glaciers above roughly 3,000 metres. Zermatt, Saas-Fee and Cervinia all offer skiing deep into summer, while Les Deux Alpes runs until early July. Lifts usually open early and close around midday, before the snow softens.
Which Alpine glacier has the longest summer ski season in 2026?
Zermatt. Its summer ski pass period on the Theodul Glacier runs from early May to the end of October, the longest of the four, and it operates as a year-round ski area.
When does Saas-Fee open for summer skiing in 2026?
Saas-Fee runs its summer ski area on the Allalin Glacier from 18 July to 31 October 2026, with about 20 km of slopes. It suits intermediates and above. There are no easy beginner runs up top.
Is summer skiing at Cervinia the same as Zermatt?
Largely, yes. Cervinia gives access to the Plateau Rosà summer ski area, which is linked with Zermatt’s high-altitude glacier terrain across the border, so the high snow is shared. Cervinia’s own summer season for 2026 is listed from 27 June to 6 September, and it’s usually cheaper than the Swiss side.
Can you ski in Austria in summer?
Barely. Hintertux is only skiing until late July in 2026, then switches to non-ski summer activities. Kitzsteinhorn near Kaprun is closed for skiing from late May until October. Stubai and Sölden skip summer too. For a fixed July or August trip, Zermatt, Saas-Fee and Cervinia are far safer choices.
Can you ski at Les Deux Alpes in August?
No. In 2026 the Les Deux Alpes glacier ski season runs only until around 5 July, and the final weeks lean heavily toward training. For summer skiing there, aim for June or the very start of July, and check the live status first. In August the resort is a biking and hiking base, not a ski one.
