How many days do you need in Davos?

Four to seven nights, the ski area is huge with six linked mountains, and you'll want time for the Parsenn, the cross-country, and Klosters. In summer it's an equally big hiking and biking base.

Do you need a car in Davos?

No. Davos is well served by the Rhaetian Railway and local ski buses, and the slopes are lift-reached, so it works well car-free. A car helps only for exploring the wider Graubünden valleys.

What is Davos known for?

Being the highest town in Europe, a vast Davos-Klosters ski area with the famous Parsenn, a long heritage as a mountain-air health resort, and as host of the annual World Economic Forum each January.

They share the same linked ski area. Davos is the larger, higher, more urban town with more amenities; Klosters is smaller, prettier, and more village-like. Choose on scale and buzz versus charm and calm.

When is the best time to visit Davos?

It's a strong two-season base. January to March delivers the vast Davos-Klosters skiing and legendary cross-country, while July and August open big high-altitude hiking and biking off the Jakobshorn and Schatzalp. Note that the World Economic Forum each January briefly fills the town and pushes up prices.

Yes, it runs toward the higher end and its value score is modest. As a large, high Swiss resort town with a vast ski area, lodging, lift passes, and dining all command Swiss prices. You can find more range here than in a tiny village, but it isn't a budget base.

🇨🇭 Swiss Alps

Davos

Europe's highest town, big skiing and famous mountain air.

Davos

Davos is the highest town in Europe, a broad high-valley resort in Graubünden that pairs a serious ski area, six mountains linked with neighbouring Klosters, with a long history as a mountain-air health resort and the modern home of the World Economic Forum. It's larger and more urban than a typical Swiss village, more town than postcard, but the skiing is vast, the Parsenn and the cross-country legendary, and the summer hiking and biking off the Jakobshorn and Schatzalp equally big. A high-altitude all-rounder with a cosmopolitan edge.

Go car-free

Car or train?

Skip the car. Davos is well served by trains and easy to get around on foot or by mountain lift. Parking is tight and a car is more hassle than help.

Train access 4/5Nearest airports: Zurich (ZRH), Friedrichshafen (FDH)Alps by rail guide →

How it scores

Scenery

Food scene

Romance

Family-friendly

Hiking

Value for money

Best for

✓Skiers and snowboarders
✓Cross-country skiing
✓Big high-altitude terrain
✓Summer hiking and biking
✓Train travelers

Who should skip it

✕Tiny-village charm
✕A quiet, intimate base
✕Budget travelers

Signature experiences

Skiing the legendary Parsenn and the six linked Davos-Klosters mountains
A glide along the high cross-country trails in the Flüela and Sertig valleys
Summer hiking and biking from the Jakobshorn and the historic Schatzalp

Browse Davos experiences All Alps experiences →

Biggest mistake

Expecting a chocolate-box village. Davos is a big, high, slightly urban town, so come for the scale of the skiing and the high-alpine terrain, and pick neighbouring Klosters or a side valley if you want the storybook version.

Worth the splurge

A wellness hotel with a spa near the Parsenn railway, and a day across the full Davos-Klosters ski area.

Good to know

Davos questions, answered

The practical things travelers ask most before booking this base.

How many days do you need in Davos?: Four to seven nights, the ski area is huge with six linked mountains, and you'll want time for the Parsenn, the cross-country, and Klosters. In summer it's an equally big hiking and biking base.
Do you need a car in Davos?: No. Davos is well served by the Rhaetian Railway and local ski buses, and the slopes are lift-reached, so it works well car-free. A car helps only for exploring the wider Graubünden valleys.
What is Davos known for?: Being the highest town in Europe, a vast Davos-Klosters ski area with the famous Parsenn, a long heritage as a mountain-air health resort, and as host of the annual World Economic Forum each January.
Davos or Klosters?: They share the same linked ski area. Davos is the larger, higher, more urban town with more amenities; Klosters is smaller, prettier, and more village-like. Choose on scale and buzz versus charm and calm.
When is the best time to visit Davos?: It's a strong two-season base. January to March delivers the vast Davos-Klosters skiing and legendary cross-country, while July and August open big high-altitude hiking and biking off the Jakobshorn and Schatzalp. Note that the World Economic Forum each January briefly fills the town and pushes up prices.
Is Davos expensive?: Yes, it runs toward the higher end and its value score is modest. As a large, high Swiss resort town with a vast ski area, lodging, lift passes, and dining all command Swiss prices. You can find more range here than in a tiny village, but it isn't a budget base.

Keep planning

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