Visit Rhone Glacier Ice Grotto

You know those pictures of stunning glaciers and ice tunnels? I always thought I would have to go to Iceland to see something like that. Or even further away.
But we happened to drive by a glacier where you can actually walk through an ice tunnel. I was really excited and wanted to see it with my own eyes. The fact that it happened by chance made the trip all the more enjoyable.
The day started with the fact that we were going over a pass again. I didn’t know the Furka Pass yet, so we got in the car and drove.
Let me give you all the details so you can have a wonderful visit to the Rhone Glacier and its ice tunnel.

The Furkapass – Start your visit to Rhone Glacier right

The Furka Pass, one of the most famous Alpine passes, connects Andermatt in the Canton of Uri with Gletsch in the Canton of Valais.  It is situated at an altitude of almost 2500 meters and offers fantastic views all the way. It is possible to combine it with the Susten Pass or the Grimsel Pass; we chose the second option.
Especially on the Grimsel Pass you can see interesting rock formations that I have never seen before.
If you are in Switzerland, I recommend that you drive at least one pass (there are over 100) because the scenery is breathtaking. If you have a motorcycle license, of course you should take your bike. By the way, many passes are only accessible in summer because there is too much snow in winter. Originally, we wanted to ride to Thun after our Furka and Grimsel Pass route, but that didn’t work out. On the way, we happened to see a sign for an “Ice Grotto” and I was really curious to see what it was. So we parked at the Hotel Belvédére, which is across from the Rhone Glacier, and went to see what exactly was there.
Obviously, we found an absolute tourist attraction that we just hadn’t heard of before.
The Furka Pass was used as a location in the James Bond movie “Goldfinger”, one curve of which is marked as “James Bond Street”, complete with a lookout point and a small parking lot.

Visit Rhone Glacier with its Ice Tunnel

Where is the Rhone Glacier located?

Coordinates: 46° 36′ 12″ N, 8° 22′ 57″ O; Just type “Rhone Glacier”, “Rhone Glacier” or “Rotten Glacier” into your Google Maps.

The entrance fee for the glacier is CHF 9, but it is also possible to pay in Euro, which is converted 1:1. So you can get there with €9. I recommend paying in cash, there is a surcharge of a good 10% with a credit card.
Through the ticket office you can see an impressive and sad glacier. It must have been a huge once, but it is constantly melting and will eventually disappear. The path to the ice cave is covered with gravel, so you should bring good shoes. We weren’t the only ones who slipped on the rocks.
The trip is not suitable for wheelchair users.

Not just an Ice Cave

You actually pay CHF 9 for the ice cave, but the view of the surrounding area is not to be missed. There are many information boards with explanations about the glacier, which will probably be completely gone by 2090. So if you have the chance, you should visit it now. You can already see the extreme decline. The ice cave itself is covered with tarpaulins in the hope that it will not melt so fast.
The glacier moves 30-40 meters per year, sometimes more than 10 cm per day.
You can also walk down a bit and marvel at the ice-free area (the glacier forefield). These are absolutely smooth polished rocks with huge cracks. How are they formed? I like to quote the information board here: “A mixture of sand, ice, and water at the base of the glacier acts like sandpaper, grinding, smoothing, and polishing the rock. I can’t tell you exactly how it works.
But of course you can touch the rocks and they really are as smooth as glass.
Even though it was designed for tourists, there weren’t that many people here. Maybe it was because it was Swiss National Day and people were busy with something else. But we were happy to be there with only a dozen other people.

The Ice Grotto

Since 1870, a 100 meter long ice tunnel has been cut into the glacier every year. Previously, there was a natural ice tunnel in the glacier, but it melted away. I have never been so close to a glacier and the ice tunnel has a mystical attraction. The blue light shimmering inside adds to the mystique.
In some places there are holes in the wall and if you put your hand in the hole you can see how crystal clear the ice is.
Inside the glacier it is not as cold as expected, but that was probably because we visited on a very warm day. I still recommend wearing a sweater or jacket. The path itself is not demanding, you just need good shoes because of the scree between the entrance and the ice cave. However, you can also walk in sneakers.
Technically, you should allow yourself a visit time between 30 minutes and an hour. Of course, you can do it faster, but if you take your time to enjoy the surroundings of the ice cave, you will definitely get more out of the trip.

Hotel Belvédère

When you leave the ice cave and the area of the Rhone Glacier, do not forget to take a picture of the famous Belvedere Hotel. The Carlen family from Brig bought the hotel in 1988. However, they found it increasingly difficult to maintain the old building. In 2015, they gave up and it has been closed ever since, but it is still a popular Insta photo spot.

Hiking at Furka Pass

Of course, there are also hiking activities in the area. One of them is the hike to the Siedelen hut. We have written an article about it here: Hiking to Siedelen Hut

We hope this article has helped you plan your visit to the Rhone Glacier or inspired you to visit.