March is the month Switzerland runs two seasons at once. The lowlands are visibly in spring – 10°C in Zurich, blossom in Ticino – while the high resorts are still skiing on a full winter base under a much stronger sun. In 2027 it also carries Easter and the clock change, both on the same weekend at the very end of the month.
The numbers
Spring skiing, and where it still works
March is the sunniest part of the ski season and the most pleasant to be outside in, but altitude decides everything.
- High and glacier resorts hold up – Zermatt, Saas-Fee, Verbier, Engelberg, Andermatt and the Jungfrau region keep good cover through the month.
- Lower resorts deteriorate, particularly on south-facing slopes, and some begin closing sectors.
- Snow softens through the day. Ski the morning, take a long lunch on a terrace, and accept that the afternoon will be slush lower down.
- The sun is much stronger than in January. Sunburn on the mountain in March is routine.
- The Engadin Skimarathon, the huge cross-country race from Maloja to S-chanf, is held on the second Sunday of March and fills the Upper Engadine.
Easter and the clock change fall together in 2027
- Good Friday, 26 March – a public holiday in most cantons.
- Easter Sunday, 28 March.
- Easter Monday, 29 March – a public holiday in most cantons.
- Sunday 28 March is also the last Sunday of the month, when Switzerland moves to summer time and clocks go forward one hour at 2am.
Easter is a significant travel weekend here. Resorts that were quietening fill again, trains are busy, and many shops and services close on both the Friday and the Monday. Check opening hours before you plan a shopping day around it.
Spring below the snowline
- Ticino runs several weeks ahead of the rest of the country. Camellias and magnolias flower around Locarno and Lugano through March, and it is the first place that feels genuinely warm.
- Lake Geneva and the Valais valley floor warm early too, with apricot blossom in the Rhone valley towards the end of the month.
- Low-altitude walking restarts – the vineyard paths of Lavaux, the Rhine at Schaffhausen, and the lake shores.
- Waterfalls begin to build as the melt starts, though the real volume comes in May and June.
- High passes stay closed. The Grimsel, Furka, Susten, Nufenen and Klausen do not reopen until late spring; the rail tunnels and the Gotthard road tunnel carry the traffic in the meantime.
Where to go in March
- Zermatt, Saas-Fee, Verbier, Engelberg and Andermatt for skiing that is not compromised by altitude.
- Locarno and Lugano for the earliest spring in Switzerland.
- The Upper Engadine around the Skimarathon weekend, if you want the atmosphere – or deliberately not, if you do not.
- Lavaux and the Lake Geneva shore for vineyard walking in mild weather.
- Bern, Lucerne and Basel, all pleasant now and still in low season before the Easter weekend.
Prices and crowds
The first three weeks of March are among the best-value ski weeks of the season once the February holidays finish. Easter weekend reverses that sharply. The cities stay cheap until the holiday itself. See what travelling Switzerland costs.
What to pack
Layers above everything – you can be in a T-shirt in Lugano and in full winter kit at 2,800 m in the same week. Strong sunscreen and sunglasses for the mountain, where March sun plus snow reflection burns fast. Waterproof footwear for slushy valley paths. A warm layer for evenings, which are still cold everywhere.
The March 2027 calendar
- Second Sunday of March – the Engadin Skimarathon, from Maloja to S-chanf.
- Through March – camellia and magnolia season around Locarno and Lugano.
- Friday 26 March – Good Friday, a public holiday in most cantons.
- Sunday 28 March – Easter Sunday, and the day Swiss summer time begins; clocks go forward one hour at 2am.
- Monday 29 March – Easter Monday, a public holiday in most cantons.
- Through March – the high alpine passes remain closed; tunnels and rail carry cross-Alpine traffic.
Read alongside
- Switzerland in February – carnival and the busiest snow weeks.
- Switzerland in April – snowmelt and closed passes.
- Switzerland in May – waterfalls at full volume.
- Best time to visit Switzerland – all twelve months compared.
- Switzerland travel guide – regions, trains and how it fits together.
- Switzerland in 10 days – the longer route.
- Best things to do in Switzerland – the year-round list.
- What a trip to Switzerland costs – the numbers.
Frequently asked
Can you still ski in Switzerland in March?
Yes, and it is the sunniest part of the season. Stick to high and glacier resorts – Zermatt, Saas-Fee, Verbier, Engelberg, Andermatt – because lower areas soften and some sectors start closing.
When is Easter in Switzerland in 2027?
Good Friday is 26 March, Easter Sunday 28 March and Easter Monday 29 March. Good Friday and Easter Monday are public holidays in most cantons, and many shops and services close.
When do the clocks change in Switzerland?
On the last Sunday of March, which in 2027 is 28 March – the same day as Easter Sunday. Clocks go forward one hour at 2am.
Are the Swiss mountain passes open in March?
No. The Grimsel, Furka, Susten, Nufenen and Klausen stay closed until late spring. Cross-Alpine traffic uses the tunnels and the rail routes instead.
What is the weather like in Switzerland in March?
Spring in the lowlands and winter above the snowline. Zurich averages about 10°C by day and 2°C overnight; Lugano is milder at about 13°C; high resorts stay well below freezing.
Where is warmest in Switzerland in March?
Ticino, south of the Alps. Locarno and Lugano run several weeks ahead of the rest of the country, with camellias and magnolias in flower.
Is March a cheap time to visit Switzerland?
The first three weeks are among the best value of the ski season, once the February school holidays end. Easter weekend is the exception and prices jump.
Do I need sunscreen skiing in March?
Yes, more than in midwinter. The sun is much stronger and snow reflection roughly doubles the exposure.
Switzerland month by month
- January – deep winter, peak ski, and fog on the plateau.
- February – the coldest weeks, carnival, and half-term crowds.
- March – spring skiing and the first valleys thawing (this page).
- April – snowmelt, closed passes, and a country in two seasons.
- May – waterfalls at full volume and the passes reopening.
- June – alpine flowers and the first full hiking month.
- July – peak summer, festivals and long days in the mountains.
- August – warm lakes, National Day and the busiest trails.
- September – the best hiking month and the cattle coming down.
- October – autumn colour, clear air and the passes closing.
- November – the quietest and cheapest month of the year.
- December – Christmas markets and the season opening.
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Written by
John Morrison is the founder and lead travel writer at Packzup. Over the past decade he has explored destinations across Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and Oceania — always self-funded, never on a press trip.
