Switzerland
Grimsel Pass usually opens late may and shuts early november. Those dates move with the snow every single year, so a late spring can hold the opening back by two or three weeks and an early autumn storm can close it without warning.
The pass road runs Innertkirchen to Gletsch in Bern and Valais, Switzerland, 16.2 miles that take about 49 min if you drive it properly rather than chase it. We score it 9 out of 10 for driving and 9.4 out of 10 for scenery.
Usually opens a little earlier than Furka, and the reservoir views are the reason to go.
Summit
2164 m
Typically opens
Late May
Typically closes
Early November
Country
Switzerland
Checked by the Drivers Atlas desk
Scored and written by the Drivers Atlas editorial desk, drawing on driven routes across the UK and Europe, mapping data and member road reports. Opening dates reflect the long term pattern of the pass, not a single season. Always check on the day. How we score roads.
Last reviewed 29 April 2026
The drive
Granite reservoirs and stark rock walls line this dramatic climb from the Bernese Oberland.
Hotels
Tracing the road between your start and finish
0%About 20 seconds left
Nearby
0.6 mi away
Three of the best passes in the Alps stitched into one loop back to the same valley.
3.7 mi away
Bond film hairpins skirt the Rhone Glacier on this high, exposed Alpine crossing.
6.8 mi away
Switzerland's second highest paved pass, wide, smooth and gloriously empty.
11.2 mi away
A cobbled historic switchback climb that predates the modern Gotthard highway entirely.
11.8 mi away
A flowing, beautifully engineered road beneath the Steingletscher ice cliffs.
Common questions
Grimsel Pass typically opens late may and closes early november. Treat that as a planning window rather than a promise, because the snow decides the date.
The summit sits at 2164 metres in Switzerland.
About 49 min for the 16.2 miles between Innertkirchen and Gletsch, without stops. Allow twice that if you want photographs and a coffee at the top.
We rate it 9 out of 10 for driving and 9.4 out of 10 for scenery, which puts it among the roads worth building a trip around.