Photo: Wikimedia contributors · See sourceSimplon Pass & Aletsch Country
Cross from Brig to the Simplon, then turn through Mörel, Fiesch and Ernen for Aletsch viewpoints over three days.
- Allow
- 3 days
- Route
- 160 km
- Drive time
- 2 hr 46 min
- Stops
- 7
Brig’s Stockalper Palace explains why the Simplon mattered before the modern road climbs through galleries to the high pass. The route returns north rather than crossing into Italy, then follows the Upper Valais toward Mörel and Fiesch, where cable cars—not private vehicles—reach the Aletsch landscape.
The Simplon is often available beyond the classic summer-pass window, but ‘often’ is not a forecast. Check TCS status, avalanche and weather information on the day, use low gears on descents and turn back at any closure. Aletsch lifts also have seasonal operating calendars.
The road, in one glance
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Drawing the route…
The route earns
its distance
Each pin is selected as a place to do something—not merely proof that you passed through.
Photo: Wikimedia contributors · See sourceTäsch
Start with the pass report open and a flexible first night in Brig.
Täsch is a municipality in the district of Visp in the canton of Valais in Switzerland. It is located about 5 km (3.1 mi) north of Zermatt. The local language is Swiss German.
Photo: Wikimedia contributors · See sourceBrig
Stockalper Palace and an old transit town introduce the Simplon story.
Brig, known as Brigue in French and Briga in Italian, is a town and former municipality in the canton of Valais. It is part of the municipality of Brig-Glis.
Photo: Wikimedia contributors · See sourceSimplon Pass
A broad high crossing links hospice, stone eagle and immense mountain horizons.
The Simplon Pass (French: Col du Simplon; German: Simplonpass; Italian: Passo del Sempione; Lombard: Pass del Sempion; 2,006 m or 6,581 ft; Romansh: Pass dal Simplon) is a high mountain pass between the Pennine Alps and the Lepontine Alps in Switzerland. It connects Brig in the canton of Valais with Domodossola in Piedmont (Italy).
Photo: Wikimedia contributors · See sourceBrig return
Return through Brig before turning east into the Upper Valais rather than crossing the border.
Brig, known as Brigue in French and Briga in Italian, is a town and former municipality in the canton of Valais. It is part of the municipality of Brig-Glis.
Photo: Wikimedia contributors · See sourceMörel
A valley cable-car station gives access to Riederalp without driving into a car-free resort.
Mörel-Filet is a municipality in the district of Östlich Raron in the canton of Valais, Switzerland. It was formed on 1. January 2009 when Mörel and Filet were merged.
Photo: Wikimedia contributors · See sourceFiesch
The Eggishorn cable-car gateway offers one of the great Aletsch Glacier panoramas.
Fiesch is a municipality in the district of Goms in the canton of Valais in Switzerland. Nearby Fiescheralp is administered by Fiesch and is accessible by the Eggishorn lift. It has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage site for its view of the Jungfrau-Aletsch Protected Area.
Photo: Wikimedia contributors · See sourceErnen
Dark timber houses and a handsome square make a calm Upper Valais overnight.
Ernen is a municipality in the district of Goms in the canton of Valais in Switzerland. In 2005 Ernen incorporated the formerly independent municipalities of Ausserbinn, Mühlebach, and Steinhaus. In 1979, Ernen was awarded the Wakker Prize for the preservation of its architectural heritage.
Drive the conditions,
not the itinerary.
Check live Simplon status and weather, descend in a low gear, stop only in signed areas and use valley cable-car terminals for Aletsch viewpoints.
Checked against
the people who run it
Distances and driving times are planning estimates. Conditions, closures, ferries, permits and park rules can change, so check the linked official guidance before setting out.