Furka Pass Route Guide: Itinerary, Map, Hotels

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We choose the roads, waypoints are preserved so Google Maps follows the intended route.

Editorial

Why drive it

Swiss road engineering at its most quietly superior: perfect surface, perfect sightlines, guardrails that never spoil the view. Drive it early, before nine, while the tour coaches are still in Andermatt.

Best driven Gletsch to Andermatt so the Rhône glacier stays in your mirrors on the climb and the Belvédère hairpin, the one from Goldfinger, arrives as a reward rather than a warm up.

Pair it with Grimsel and Susten for the finest three-hour loop in Europe, and stop for coffee at the Hotel Belvédère itself, a shuttered relic standing right on the bend.

What makes it special is restraint: no barriers where none are needed, no speed bumps, just camber and sightlines that let a good car actually flow.

Difficulty: Moderate
Road width: Wide, immaculately maintained
Surface: Flawless
Best direction: Gletsch → Andermatt
Best time of day: Early morning
Best season: June to October
Elevation: 2,429 m
Community rating: 4.9 / 5

Proprietary scoring

The numbers

Driving enjoyment9.5

Scenery9.4

Road quality9.6

Traffic (higher is quieter)7.5

Grand touring9.0

Sports car9.6

Classic car9.1

Convertible9.7

The journey

Route highlights

Start
Gletsch
Glacier hotel, thin cold air
Photo Spot
Belvédère
The Bond hairpin
Viewpoint
Rhône Glacier
Ice cave and meltwater below the road
Mountain Pass
Furka Summit
2,429 m
Finish
Andermatt
Driver's basecamp

The full guide

Driving the Furka Pass, stage by stage

The Goldfinger pass and the centrepiece of any Swiss loop. How to link the Furka with the Grimsel and the Susten in a single unforgettable day.

The Furka is the road James Bond drove in Goldfinger and it has aged better than the film. Wide, smooth and hung on the side of the valley above the Rhone glacier, it flows in a way that flatters almost any car.

On its own it takes barely an hour. Its real value is as one leg of the three pass loop from Andermatt, which is arguably the best single day of driving in Europe.

Summit: 2,429 m
Length: 30 km
Open: June to October
Tolls: None, vignette for motorways
Nearest base: Andermatt

Stage 1

Andermatt to Realp

The valley approach

Flat, fast and useful for warming tyres and brakes before the climb begins in earnest.

Stage 2

The western climb to the summit

2,429 m

Long open hairpins with excellent sight lines. Third gear for most of it. The Hotel Belvédère bend above the Rhone glacier is the photograph.

Stage 3

Gletsch and the Grimsel

Continue the loop

Drop to Gletsch and turn for the Grimsel, a darker and more granite lined pass with the reservoir at the top.

Stage 4

The Susten back to Andermatt

Closing the loop

The smoothest and fastest of the three, with sweeping curves and a long tunnel at the summit. Finish in Andermatt in time for dinner.

Planning notes

What drivers ask about the Furka Pass

When is the Furka Pass open?

Usually June to October. It closes for winter and the car train through the Furka base tunnel is the alternative when it does.

How long is the three pass loop?

Around 100 km. Allow a full unhurried day with stops, or three and a half hours of pure driving.

Do you need a Swiss motorway vignette?

Not for the passes themselves, but you will need one for almost any motorway approach into the region. Buy it at the border.

Is it busy?

Motorcycles dominate on summer weekends. Weekday mornings are calm and the surface is consistently excellent.

Guide last reviewed August 2026 by the Drivers Atlas road team.

Where to stay

Stay along this drive

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Furka Pass