October is the month Switzerland looks its best and costs the least. The larches turn gold in the Engadine and Valais, the autumn air is the clearest of the year, the cattle come down from the alps with bells and flowers, and the summer crowds have gone. The trade-off is that the mountain infrastructure starts shutting down around you as the month goes on.
The numbers
Larch season
Switzerland has one tree that makes autumn spectacular: the European larch, a conifer that drops its needles and turns a deep gold before it does. The best larch country is the Engadine – the woods around Pontresina, the Val Roseg and the Stazerwald near St Moritz – and the Valais, especially the Lotschental and the Aletsch forest, where some of the trees are several hundred years old.
The turn generally runs from late September into the third week of October, moving down in altitude as the month progresses. If you are timing a trip for it, the second week of October is the usual bet in the Engadine.
The cattle come down
The Alpabzug in the German-speaking cantons, the Desalpe in the French-speaking ones, is the descent of the herds from the summer pastures to the valley farms. The lead cows wear enormous bells and flower headdresses, the villages hold markets and cheese sales around it, and it is a working agricultural event rather than a show.
It runs from mid-September through October depending on the valley and the weather, with Appenzell, the Entlebuch, Charmey in Fribourg and the Val d’Anniviers among the best-known. Dates are set locally and late – check with the regional tourist office rather than booking blind.
What starts closing, and when
- Mountain lifts and cable cars begin their between-season shutdown from mid-October. Many close for maintenance until the ski season opens. Always check the specific operator.
- The high passes close for winter from late October, starting with the highest. The Grimsel, Furka, Susten, Nufenen and Klausen typically shut between late October and November.
- Mountain huts close for the season, most by early October.
- Lake steamers drop to reduced autumn timetables.
- What keeps running: the main rail network, the scenic routes, the year-round mountain railways at Jungfraujoch, Pilatus, Rigi and Gornergrat, the cities and the thermal baths.
Clocks, holidays and harvest
- Sunday 31 October 2027 – Swiss summer time ends; clocks go back one hour at 3am, and the evenings shorten abruptly.
- No national public holidays fall in October in Switzerland.
- Swiss school autumn holidays run for about two weeks in October, staggered by canton, so domestic travel is busier than the international numbers suggest.
- The grape harvest finishes in the Valais and Lavaux, with village wine festivals through the month.
- Chestnut season in Ticino, where castagnate festivals roast them in the squares.
Where to go in October
- The Engadine – Pontresina, the Val Roseg and the Stazerwald for the larches, plus the Bernina line running through them.
- The Lotschental and the Aletsch region in the Valais, for old larch forest above the largest glacier in the Alps.
- Lavaux and the Valais vineyards during and just after harvest.
- Ticino, still mild, with chestnut festivals and the Verzasca and Maggia valleys empty.
- Appenzell, the Entlebuch and Charmey for the cattle descents.
- The cities – Zurich, Bern, Basel, Lucerne and Geneva are all at their most comfortable and cheapest now.
Prices and crowds
Low season on both, with the Swiss school holidays the only exception. Resort hotels either discount heavily or close for the between-season break, and city rates fall. Along with April and November this is the cheapest time to be here. See what travelling Switzerland costs.
What to pack
Layers and a waterproof shell. A warm hat and gloves for anything above 2,000 m, where it can already be below freezing. Walking boots with grip – wet leaves and early frost make paths slippery. Sunglasses, because the autumn light is low and sharp. Something warm for evenings once the clocks change.
The October 2027 calendar
- Late September to mid-October – larch turn in the Engadine and Valais, working down in altitude.
- Through October – Alpabzug and Desalpe cattle descents, dates set locally.
- Through October – grape harvest festivals in the Valais and Lavaux; chestnut festivals in Ticino.
- From mid-October – cable cars and lifts begin their between-season shutdown.
- Late October – the high alpine passes begin closing for the winter.
- Sunday 31 October – clocks go back one hour at 3am as summer time ends.
Read alongside
- Switzerland in September – the best hiking month.
- Switzerland in November – the quietest month of the year.
- Switzerland in December – markets and the season opening.
- 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.
- Cost of travelling Switzerland – low-season numbers.
Frequently asked
When is autumn colour in Switzerland?
The larches turn from late September into the third week of October, moving down in altitude through the month. The Engadine and the Valais are the best areas, and the second week of October is the usual bet.
Are the cable cars open in October?
Some are, and many close from mid-October for the between-season maintenance break. The year-round railways – Jungfraujoch, Pilatus, Rigi, Gornergrat – keep running. Check each operator.
When do the Swiss mountain passes close?
From late October into November, highest first. The Grimsel, Furka, Susten, Nufenen and Klausen all shut for the winter; tunnels and car-carrying trains take over.
What is the Alpabzug?
The descent of the cattle from the summer alpine pastures to the valley farms, with decorated lead cows and village markets. Dates are set locally through September and October depending on the weather.
When do the clocks change in Switzerland?
On the last Sunday of October, which in 2027 is 31 October. Clocks go back one hour at 3am.
Can you still hike in Switzerland in October?
Yes, and the visibility is the best of the year. Stay below the first snow, start earlier because daylight is shorter, and remember that huts are mostly closed.
Is October a cheap month in Switzerland?
One of the three cheapest, with April and November. The exception is the two weeks of Swiss school autumn holidays, staggered by canton.
Where is warmest in Switzerland in October?
Ticino, at about 16°C in Lugano, and it also has the chestnut festivals and the emptiest valleys of the year.
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.
- 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 (this page).
- 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.
