Klosters Ski Resort Review 2026
Klosters is the smart money way into one of the biggest lift networks in the Alps: you ski the exact same Parsenn, Gotschna and Madrisa slopes as Davos on the exact same pass, but you sleep in a calmer, prettier, more grown up village. Choose it if you want serious intermediate and expert mileage without the traffic and concrete of its famous neighbor. The catch is that the lodging here is quietly expensive, so the value comes from the lift area, not the bar bill.
The best big mountain skiing in eastern Switzerland for skiers who would rather have peace than nightlife, and who book lodging carefully.
Klosters sits at around 1,200 m in the Praettigau, linked by the Gotschnagrat cable car into the vast Parsenn, and by its own Madrisa gondola to a sunny family area. The combined Davos Klosters pass covers around 300 km across six mountains, which is enormous value for one ticket. The village trades on understated wealth and royal history rather than apres ski, so the saving is in lift access, not in the price of dinner.
How it scores for your group
Families. Good, especially on the Madrisa side. Madrisa is a self contained sunny area above Klosters Dorf with gentle pistes, a toboggan run and a kids' adventure park, separate from the more serious Parsenn terrain across the valley. The budget tip is that families rarely need the full regional pass for young children; a Madrisa only ticket is cheaper and plenty for a learning week.
Beginners. Fair. Madrisa has nursery slopes and easy blues, and the ski school is calm and competent, but true never evers will find the village base itself short on gentle terrain and will be riding lifts up to ski. It works, it is just not purpose built for first timers the way a high French station is.
Intermediates. Excellent, this is the core audience. The Parsenn is one of the great cruising mountains of the Alps: enormous, rolling and famous for its long valley runs, including the legendary descent all the way down to Kublis, which is around 12 km of almost continuous skiing and the best value single run in the region. You could ski here a week and not repeat yourself.
Experts. Good. The Gotschna face is genuinely steep, the off piste between the Parsenn ridges is plentiful after a storm, and the Jakobshorn and Pischa areas across in Davos add freeride and backcountry. It is not Verbier for sustained steeps, but a strong skier who hires a guide for a powder day will be very happy and will spend far less doing it.
Non skiers. Decent. Klosters is a lovely village to walk, with good food, the Madrisa side for easy gondola lunches and sledging, plus the rail link to Davos for shopping and the spa. There is less to fill a week than at a true spa resort, so a non skier is best paired with a half day skier rather than left alone.
Terrain by ability
The headline is access to the Parsenn, the broad high plateau shared with Davos and reached from Klosters by the Gotschnagrat cable car. Up top you get wide open intermediate terrain spilling in several directions, with the signature long descents that run for kilometers back down to valley villages such as Kublis and Serneus. Catch the train back up afterward; it is part of the ritual and it is included with the pass.
On the other side of the village, the Madrisa gondola opens a sunnier, gentler, family friendly pocket with views toward Austria. Across the valley in Davos sit the Jakobshorn for freestyle and freeride, plus Rinerhorn and Pischa for quieter days, all on the same ticket. The snow record is solid thanks to altitude and largely north facing aspects on the Parsenn, which holds cold snow well into the season, the main reason this counts as snow sure value rather than a low altitude gamble.
Photos via Google, contributed by Parsenn Davos Klosters, Dominik Schwaiger and Welt Reisen.
Charm, convenience and the evening
Klosters is two linked villages, Klosters Platz around the Gotschna station and the smaller Klosters Dorf by the Madrisa gondola, both built of real timber chalets rather than resort blocks. It is famously the discreet alternative to glitzy St Moritz, long favored by the British royal family and a quiet international set who like their wealth unannounced. The mood is refined and residential, not a party town.
Evenings are about good dinners and early nights. There are excellent restaurants, a handful of cozy bars and hotel lounges, and the train to Davos if you want more buzz, but nobody comes to Klosters for apres ski. That restraint is exactly why it is calmer and, for the skiing on offer, why your money goes further on the mountain even if the hotel does not feel cheap.
Lodging and chalet quotes
Lodging runs from grand traditional hotels to family run guesthouses and a strong stock of catered and self catered chalets. Staying in Klosters Platz puts you steps from the Gotschna lift and the train; Klosters Dorf is quieter and handier for Madrisa families. The smart money move is a self catered chalet or apartment slightly out of the center, since Swiss restaurant prices are where a Klosters week quietly balloons. Book the February and Christmas weeks early.
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Prices, lessons and ski hire
The regional Davos Klosters pass runs around $75 a day and is the single best value in the resort, because it covers around 300 km over six mountains and the connecting trains. Multi day prices drop the daily rate, and families should price a Madrisa only ticket for small children rather than paying the full regional rate they will never use. Lessons and hire sit at standard Swiss levels; book the mid range hire tier online ahead of arrival and skip the slope side premium shop.
Book the extras and save
Lift passes, lessons and ski hire are where a trip quietly leaks money. Booking ahead almost always beats the resort window price.
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Zurich is the gateway at around 2 hours, and Klosters is one of the rare big resorts where the train genuinely beats the car: a smooth ride from the airport with one easy change lands you in the village center, steps from the lift, with no transfer fee and no parking. Drivers can reach it on cleared roads through Landquart, but the railway is cheaper, greener and stress free for most groups.
Sort the transfer
A smooth airport to resort transfer sets the tone for the week. Book ahead, especially over peak weeks.
Book a transferThe best weeks to ski Klosters
January and early February bring the coldest, most reliable snow to the high north facing Parsenn, and the quietest village mood outside school holidays. The 2026 to 2027 season dates should run from early December to mid April as usual, with the high terrain skiing well at both ends.
March is the value sweet spot here: long sunny days, the famous Parsenn descents in good shape, lighter crowds and softer lodging rates than the peak weeks, all on the same big pass. Avoid the Christmas and February half term fortnights if budget matters, since that is when Swiss prices and the demand for the better chalets both peak.
Klosters FAQs
Is Klosters better value than Davos?
For the skiing, it is the same value: both share the around 300 km regional pass and the same six mountains. The difference is the base. Klosters lodging is generally pricier and calmer, Davos is bigger, busier and has more budget beds. Smart skiers pick Klosters for peace and a self catered chalet, Davos for cheaper nights out.
What is the skiing at Klosters like?
Mostly long, wide intermediate cruising on the Parsenn, reached by the Gotschna cable car, plus the gentler family Madrisa area and steeper Gotschna face. The signature run is the descent from the Parsenn ridge down to Kublis, around 12 km, with a train ride back. Strong intermediates and experts get the most from it.
How much does a week in Klosters cost?
A comfortable week typically lands in the $2,000 to $4,000 per person band, rising to $4,000 to $8,000 for grand hotels or large catered chalets. The lift pass is around $75 a day. The real saver is self catering and using the train, since Swiss restaurant bills are what push the total up.
Is the snow reliable in Klosters?
Yes, by Swiss standards. The Parsenn rises to around 2,840 m on largely north facing aspects, so it holds cold snow well, and the wider Davos Klosters area spreads risk across six mountains. Early and late season skiing is best kept high; the valley runs need a good base.
Can you get to Klosters by train?
Easily, and it is the recommended way. From Zurich airport it is around 2 hours by rail with one change, arriving in the village center beside the lift. There is no transfer cost, no parking and no mountain driving, which makes the train both the cheapest and the simplest option for most groups.
Is Klosters good for families?
Yes, particularly the Madrisa side, which has nursery slopes, easy blues, a toboggan run and a kids' park, separate from the busier Parsenn. Buy a Madrisa only pass for young children to save money, and use the regional pass only for the adults skiing the bigger terrain.
Nearby alternatives
Staying in Graubunden? These three neighbors each solve a different version of the trip.
Davos
The same lift area, bigger, busier and cheaper to sleep in, the pick when nightlife and budget beds matter.
Laax
Switzerland's freestyle and park capital, modern and snow sure, the choice for boarders and intermediates.
St Moritz
The glamorous opposite of Klosters, high, sunny and grand, when the scene is part of the point.
Where should you stay and when should you go?
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By the Ski Resorts for Kings editorial team · Last reviewed May 2026.