Switzerland in March: Spring Skiing, Early Easter and Ticino Sun

Switzerland runs two seasons at once in March. Above about 5,000 feet it is some of the best skiing of the year: a deep base, longer days and much more sun, with the Engadin Skimarathon crossing the frozen lakes of the Upper Engadine on March 14, 2027. At lake level, spring arrives in Lugano and Locarno, tulips open in Morges from March 23, and in 2027 Easter comes early, on March 28.

That split makes March a good month for travelers who want snow in the morning and a lakeside terrace in the afternoon. Here is what to expect, region by region. Our best time to visit Switzerland guide covers the other seasons.

Sunshine doubles, and the snow is still deep

The biggest change from mid-winter is light. Zurich averages 143 hours of sunshine in March against 59 in January, and on March 15 the sun sets there at 6:30 p.m. In the resorts, the snow that fell in January and February is still in place, and the sun on south-facing slopes softens it by late morning. Our advice on spring ski days: ski the shaded, north-facing runs early, then switch to sunny slopes, and finish before the lower runs turn heavy in the afternoon.

Closing dates for the 2026/27 season are already published for several areas: Grindelwald-First closes on March 29, Grindelwald-Männlichen and St. Moritz Corviglia on April 4, Wengen and Kleine Scheidegg on April 25, and Mürren-Schilthorn and Zermatt on May 2. On the Matterhorn Glacier Paradise above Zermatt, skiing continues into summer.

Region by region in March

1991-2020 averages calculated from MeteoSwiss station data:

The south side of the Alps is the warmest and sunniest, and still fairly dry: Lugano has about six days of rain in an average March, against about ten in Zurich. The Engadine remains firmly in winter, with frosty nights, which is why its snow lasts so well.

Engadin Skimarathon and the bells of Chalandamarz

On March 1, a Monday in 2027, children in Engadine villages parade with cowbells for Chalandamarz, an old custom to ring out the winter. Two weeks later, on Sunday, March 14, 2027, the Engadin Skimarathon sends thousands of cross-country skiers 42 kilometers from Maloja to S-chanf, across the frozen lakes of Sils and Silvaplana. A women's race runs on March 7 and a night race on March 11. Engadine hotels fill for the marathon weekend, so we either book early or avoid it.

Further west, the Fête de la Tulipe opens in Morges, on Lake Geneva, on March 23 and runs until May 9, 2027, and the Jazzfestival Bern starts on the same day at Marians Jazzroom.

Easter 2027 falls in March

Easter Sunday is March 28, 2027, with Good Friday on March 26 and Easter Monday on March 29, both public holidays in most cantons. Expect busy ski resorts, full family hotels and higher rates that week, and busy trains on the Thursday evening and the Monday. Europe moves its clocks forward on the same Sunday, March 28, so check your morning train times twice that day. After the change, sunset in Zurich jumps to around 7:50 p.m.

What is open, and what is between seasons

• Running normally: every ski area, the Jungfraujoch, Gornergrat, Schilthorn and Titlis, the Glacier Express on its winter timetable and the Bernina Express.
• Reopening: the Harder Kulm funicular above Interlaken from March 26, 2027.
• Under revision: on the Rigi, the Weggis to Rigi Kaltbad cableway closes from March 1 to April 2, 2027, but the Vitznau rack railway runs all year. On the Stoos, the spring revision begins on March 30, with the funicular and cableway staggered so one of them keeps running.
• Still in winter mode: Pilatus by gondola and the Dragon Ride only (the cogwheel railway reopens in May), Lake Lucerne boats on the winter timetable until April 16, and the high passes closed.
• Bernina Express bus from Tirano to Lugano: in 2026 it ran Thursday to Sunday from late February and daily from March 26. The 2027 dates are not yet published, so we confirm before building a Bernina-to-Lugano day.

Who travels in March, and what it costs

The first days of March still catch the end of some cantonal sports holidays. From about March 8 to the days before Easter, the resorts are noticeably calmer and rates soften, which makes mid-March one of our favorite ski windows. Easter week is busy everywhere in the mountains. Cities and lake towns stay quiet and good value, and Lugano starts to fill on sunny weekends with visitors from north of the Alps.

Packing for snow and lakeside lunches

• Sunscreen with a high SPF and lip balm: the March sun reflected off snow burns fast.
• A light down jacket and a windproof shell that work both on the slopes and on a terrace in Lugano.
• Waterproof shoes for villages where the snow is melting into slush.
• Layers for a 40°F swing in a single day if you cross from the Engadine to Ticino on the Bernina Express.

Three ways to spend March

Engadine snow and the Bernina line. Three nights in St. Moritz or Pontresina around the Skimarathon or Chalandamarz, then the Bernina Express down to Tirano, as described in our Bernina Express guide, and on to the Glacier Express for Zermatt. This follows the route of our Legendary Swiss Trains trip.

Spring in the south. Lake Maggiore, Lugano and Zurich, with an Italian start in Milan: our Italy and Switzerland in 7 Days suits late March, when Ticino's gardens are in flower and the lakes are quiet.

Ski and lake in one week. Four nights in Zermatt for spring skiing and the Gornergrat, then three nights on Lake Geneva for the Lavaux terraces and Montreux. Our 7-day Switzerland itineraries show how we pace a week like this.

As the ski season winds down, the country enters its in-between weeks, described in Switzerland in April. If March is your month, tell us whether you lean toward snow or spring, and we will shape the trip around it: start planning.