Switzerland
Klausen Pass usually opens mid 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 Altdorf to Linthal in Uri and Glarus, Switzerland, 29.8 miles that take about 1 hr 12 min if you drive it properly rather than chase it. We score it 8.8 out of 10 for driving and 9 out of 10 for scenery.
Lower and therefore a reliable early season alternative when Furka is still shut.
Summit
1948 m
Typically opens
Mid 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 19 May 2026
The drive
A historic race road with narrow forested switchbacks opening onto high pastureland.
Hotels
Tracing the road between your start and finish
0%About 20 seconds left
Nearby
16.2 mi away
A high, wide open pass paralleling the scenic Glacier Express rail line.
19.3 mi away
Through a granite slot past the Devil's Bridge, the approach every Gotthard driver knows.
21.1 mi away
A flowing, beautifully engineered road beneath the Steingletscher ice cliffs.
25.5 mi away
A cobbled historic switchback climb that predates the modern Gotthard highway entirely.
28.6 mi away
Bond film hairpins skirt the Rhone Glacier on this high, exposed Alpine crossing.
Common questions
Klausen Pass typically opens mid 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 1948 metres in Switzerland.
About 1 hr 12 min for the 29.8 miles between Altdorf and Linthal, without stops. Allow twice that if you want photographs and a coffee at the top.
We rate it 8.8 out of 10 for driving and 9 out of 10 for scenery, which puts it among the roads worth building a trip around.