Churfirsten Round Trip
Once around the seven Churfirsten – in a single day, on a single ticket. The Churfirsten Round Trip combines train, PostBus and mountain railways into a route that shows the range from every side and takes you right into the middle of it, up to 2,262 m above sea level. Waiting for you at the top: Bloderkäse ravioli at the Gipfelrestaurant – lunch is included.
Many people know the Churfirsten from driving past Lake Walen: a wall of rock rising almost vertically out of the water. From the Toggenburg side they look entirely different – gentle, green and wide open. The Churfirsten Round Trip brings both views together in one journey. And in between, you stand on the Chäserrugg, one of the seven peaks, looking down on both sides.
Buy one ticket and set off. Travel, the ride to the summit and lunch at the Gipfelrestaurant are all included, along with a coffee in the train bistro. There is nothing left to arrange along the way – all you choose is your connection and your direction.
Autumn shows the route at its finest: clear long-distance views, forests turning colour in the valley and, on many days, a sea of fog that stays below the summit. Spectacular, without the spectacle.
How the round trip works
The route runs one way via Wattwil and the Toggenburg valley, the other via Wildhaus to Buchs and through the Rhine Valley. Which direction you travel is up to you. You can start from Zurich, St. Gallen, Chur, Einsiedeln or Glarus, among others.
In Unterwasser, the funicular takes you from Bahnhof Unterwasser up to Iltios, and from there the cable car continues to the Chäserrugg. At the top, the Gipfelrestaurant is ready with your lunch – and the view stretches across more than 500 peaks in six countries.
The easiest way to plan your journey is to enter «Chäserrugg» as your destination in the online timetable and compare the routes «via Wattwil» and «via Buchs» for the outward and return legs.
Facts
| Period | September to October 2026 |
| Duration | Full-day excursion |
| Start / finish | Your choice, e.g. Zurich, St. Gallen or Chur, via the Toggenburg valley or the Rhine Valley |
| Lunch | Lunch at the Gipfelrestaurant is included |
Prices
Churfirsten Round Trip
Includes the outward and return journey by public transport, the ride up to the Chäserrugg, Bloderkäse ravioli or the dish of the day at the Gipfelrestaurant, and one drink in the train bistro.
2nd class with HalfFare Travelcard
CHF 89.–
2nd class with GA Travelcard
CHF 62.–
Tickets are sold directly in the SOB shop.
Blodekäse
At the Gipfelrestaurant, Bloderkäse ravioli are on the menu. Bloderkäse is a soft, rindless sour-milk cheese from the region, milky and slightly tart in flavour – or, as the local cheesemakers put it: like mozzarella, but with a kick.
The seven Churfirsten
The Churfirsten rise between the upper Toggenburg valley and Lake Walen. On the round trip you see the range from constantly changing angles – and on the Chäserrugg, at 2,262 m above sea level, you stand on one of the seven peaks yourself.
Architecture by Herzog & de Meuron
The summit building settles gently into the mountain landscape and underlines the distinctive silhouette of the Churfirsten. With Bahnhof Unterwasser, the Basel architects have recently completed their sixth building in the area. You pass both on your round trip.
Questions & answers about the Churfirsten Round Trip
No. The QR code on your public transport ticket can be scanned directly at the mountain railway gate.
No. With this offer, the outward and return journey are only possible via Unterwasser.
Reservations are not possible at the Gipfelrestaurant.
If you would rather not try the Bloderkäse ravioli, the dish of the day is served as an alternative.
Drinks at the Gipfelrestaurant are not included and are paid for separately on site.
