Switzerland
Susten Pass usually opens early june and shuts late october. 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 Wassen in Bern and Uri, Switzerland, 29.2 miles that take about 1 hr 28 min if you drive it properly rather than chase it. We score it 9.2 out of 10 for driving and 9.6 out of 10 for scenery.
The best surfaced of the central Swiss passes and the easiest to flow.
Summit
2224 m
Typically opens
Early June
Typically closes
Late October
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 20 April 2026
The drive
A flowing, beautifully engineered road beneath the Steingletscher ice cliffs.
Hotels
Tracing the road between your start and finish
0%About 20 seconds left
Nearby
9.3 mi away
Through a granite slot past the Devil's Bridge, the approach every Gotthard driver knows.
10.6 mi away
Bond film hairpins skirt the Rhone Glacier on this high, exposed Alpine crossing.
11.8 mi away
Granite reservoirs and stark rock walls line this dramatic climb from the Bernese Oberland.
11.8 mi away
A high, wide open pass paralleling the scenic Glacier Express rail line.
12.4 mi away
Three of the best passes in the Alps stitched into one loop back to the same valley.
Common questions
Susten Pass typically opens early june and closes late october. Treat that as a planning window rather than a promise, because the snow decides the date.
The summit sits at 2224 metres in Switzerland.
About 1 hr 28 min for the 29.2 miles between Innertkirchen and Wassen, without stops. Allow twice that if you want photographs and a coffee at the top.
We rate it 9.2 out of 10 for driving and 9.6 out of 10 for scenery, which puts it among the roads worth building a trip around.