The St. Moritz events that define the winter season all take place on the frozen lake, within five weeks of each other: the Snow Polo World Cup from 22 to 24 January, The I.C.E. classic-car concours on 29 and 30 January, and the White Turf horse races on the Sundays of 7, 14 and 21 February. St. Moritz is about 2 hours 45 minutes by road from Zurich Airport, or a little over three hours by train from Zurich main station, so each of them fits comfortably into a long weekend.
Which one suits you depends on whether you are coming for the horses, the cars or simply the scene, and on how much of the day you want to spend out on the ice. This guide sets out the dates, what actually happens on each day, what the tickets cost, and how to get there and back without spending the weekend thinking about logistics.
The St. Moritz events on the frozen lake at a glance
Every winter, once the ice on Lake St. Moritz is thick enough, a small town of tents and grandstands goes up on it, just below the village centre and a few minutes’ walk from the railway station. Three headline events share it in turn. The table gives the essentials, and the sections below go into each one.
| Event | Dates | What you see | Public tickets | Good to know |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Snow Polo World Cup St. Moritz | 22 to 24 January; practice games on 21 January | Six teams, three matches a day at 11 a.m., 12.15 p.m. and 2.30 p.m.; the final is on Sunday at 2.30 p.m. | Ticket needed from age 16, under-16s free in the public area; grandstand (Chukker Club) and VIP tent cost extra | Thursday’s practice games are free, grandstand included; Schlitteda sleigh parade on Saturday at 1.30 p.m. |
| The I.C.E. St. Moritz | 29 and 30 January | Friday: concours cars on static display, close enough to study; Saturday: free laps on the ice and Best in Show | According to the organiser, from CHF 290 (Friday), CHF 220 (Saturday) and CHF 390 (both days); children aged ten and under free | Advance sale only; there are no ticket counters at the lake |
| White Turf | Race Sundays 7, 14 and 21 February; opening day 6 February, Family Days 13 and 20 February | Six races each Sunday: flat racing, trotting and skikjöring, from 11.30 a.m. to about 3 p.m. | Tent city CHF 29, grandstand CHF 55 to 99; under-16s free in the tent city | On 21 February: the Grand Prix of St. Moritz, worth CHF 100,000 |
Snow Polo World Cup St. Moritz: 22 to 24 January
Snow polo was played for the first time here in St. Moritz, just over four decades ago, and the tournament, now in its 42nd edition, is still the only high-goal polo tournament in the world played on snow. Six teams compete over three days, with three matches a day at 11 a.m., 12.15 p.m. and 2.30 p.m. Friday’s matches decide who goes through to Saturday’s semi-finals, and the final for the trophy starts at 2.30 p.m. on Sunday, followed by a prize-giving that includes an award for the best playing pony.
The polo village on the lake is open from 10.30 a.m. to 4.30 p.m. each day. Visitors aged 16 and over need a ticket, sold online, and under-16s are admitted to the public area free of charge. General admission covers the public area with its food stands and exhibitors’ tents; the Chukker Club ticket adds a grandstand seat with a glass of champagne and a warm blanket, and the VIP ticket a seated lunch in the VIP tent and a grandstand of its own. Two things are worth knowing if you like to keep it simple. The practice games on Thursday 21 January, from noon to 3 p.m., are free to watch, grandstand included. And on Saturday at 1.30 p.m. the Schlitteda, the Engadin’s traditional parade of horse-drawn sleighs, is on the programme between matches. The black-tie gala dinner on Saturday evening needs a ticket of its own, which does not include the matches.
One planning note for snow polo in St. Moritz: the opening Friday is also the last day of the World Economic Forum in Davos, which runs from 18 to 22 January. Chauffeur-driven cars across Graubünden tend to be booked well ahead that week, and our peak-date rates apply, so if you plan to arrive on the Thursday or Friday, arrange the journey early.
The I.C.E. St. Moritz: 29 and 30 January
The I.C.E. stands for International Concours of Elegance, and it is what the name promises: rare classic and racing cars, first shown and then driven on the frozen lake. The idea goes back some forty years, to a group of British Cresta riders who drove their vintage Bentleys onto the ice to mark the Cresta Run’s centenary. Today the cars compete in five classes, among them Barchettas on the Lake, Racing Legends and Concept Cars & One Offs, and the Best in Show trophy was designed by Norman Foster.
The two days are different, and the difference matters when you choose a ticket. Friday is the day for enthusiasts: the concours cars are on open display on the lake rather than shut away in a paddock, you can study them at close range all day, and the Best in Class awards are presented. Saturday is the show: the cars run free laps on the ice, and the day ends with the awards for Best in Show, Hero Below Zero and Spirit of St. Moritz. On both days the village on the lake opens at 9 a.m., the concours begins at 9.30 a.m. and the programme on the ice ends at 4.30 p.m.
On the organiser’s ticket page, public tickets start at CHF 290 for Friday, CHF 220 for Saturday and CHF 390 for both days, and children aged ten and under come in free with an adult; check the current price when you book. The number of tickets is limited and they are sold online in advance only; there are no ticket counters at the lake, so this is not an event to decide on over breakfast. It is also the one most exposed to the weather. One edition had to be called off because of snowfall, so it is sensible to book rooms and travel that can still be cancelled.
White Turf: three race Sundays in February
White Turf is the oldest of the three, and the one with the broadest appeal. Horses have raced on snow and ice in St. Moritz for 120 years, and White Turf draws more than 35,000 visitors each winter. Each race day has six races in three disciplines: flat races for thoroughbreds, trotting races in which the sulkies run on runners instead of wheels, and skikjöring, in which skiers are pulled by riderless thoroughbreds around a 2,700-metre course, all starting together. The skikjöring is scheduled for 12.50 p.m. on all three Sundays, and once you have watched it from the rail you understand why it is the image everyone has of White Turf.
Gates open at 10.30 a.m., the first race starts at 11.30 a.m. and the last at 2.45 p.m., and the grounds close at 4.30 p.m. If you can come only once, make it the final Sunday, 21 February: the Grand Prix of St. Moritz, a flat race over 2,000 metres worth CHF 100,000, is run at 12.05 p.m. The programme is subject to change, so check the times on the organiser’s website shortly before you travel.
Tickets are sold per race day through Ticketcorner. Entry to the tent city costs CHF 29 and is free for under-16s; grandstand seats cost CHF 55 in the unnumbered section and CHF 89 or CHF 99 for numbered seats, and every standing and grandstand ticket comes with a race card and a betting voucher. For a day in the warm, the White Turf Lounge costs CHF 440 per person (CHF 490 from 21 December) and the GAMMA Lounge, with its champagne bar and tables that can be reserved, CHF 770 (then CHF 850). Families do better on the Saturdays, all three of which are free: the opening day on 6 February has pony rides and guided tours, and the Family Days on 13 and 20 February add pony races.
More winter dates in St. Moritz
The lake events are the headline, but the calendar around them is full, and several of these dates fit neatly before or after a race weekend.
- 18 to 20 December: Ski World Cup races, starting with a super-G on the Friday.
- From 22 December: the Olympia Bob Run opens, with guest rides that can be booked in advance.
- Shortly before Christmas until the first weekend in March: the Cresta Run, where riders go down the ice head first, with races every Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday.
- 10 to 13 February: Cricket on Ice, a Twenty20 tournament on the lake, between the first two White Turf Sundays.
- 6 to 14 March: Engadin Marathon Week, ending with the Engadin Skimarathon from Maloja on Sunday 14 March.
Getting to St. Moritz: road, rail and air
Zurich is the main gateway to St. Moritz. By road from the airport it is 200 to 230 km, depending on the route, and usually around 2 hours 45 minutes: along the Walensee to Chur, on through Thusis, Tiefencastel and Savognin, then over the Julier Pass at 2,284 metres and down to Silvaplana and St. Moritz. The Julier is open all year, but winter equipment is mandatory, and in heavy snow the pass can be restricted for a time to cars with snow chains or four-wheel drive. When conditions on the pass are poor, the alternative is the Vereina car train from Klosters, which runs every 30 minutes and reaches the Engadin in 18 minutes.
By train, the journey from Zurich main station takes a little over three hours, with a change in Chur onto the Rhaetian Railway, whose Albula line, with its viaducts and spiral tunnels, is a UNESCO World Heritage route; from the airport, allow a little longer for the connection through Zurich. It is a wonderful ride with light luggage. With evening wear, winter boots, skis and children it is harder work, and that is where a chauffeur makes the difference. Driveguard’s chauffeur meets you in the arrivals hall at Zurich Airport with a name sign and tracks your flight, and 60 minutes of waiting are included. A private transfer from Zurich Airport to St. Moritz starts at CHF 702, all-inclusive and fixed before you book. Skis fit only in the V-Class and V-Class Lux, so mention them when you book if you plan to ski between events.
Travellers flying privately can land at Engadin Airport in Samedan, at 1,707 metres the highest airport in Europe and about ten minutes by car from St. Moritz.
On the day: parking, access and what to wear
The lake is a few minutes on foot from the village centre and the station, along marked pedestrian routes. If you drive yourself, the Serletta car park beside the station costs CHF 2 an hour and has a footbridge straight to the lake; from the Quadrellas car park in the village centre it is 10 to 15 minutes on foot, by the escalator next to Badrutt’s Palace. On White Turf Sundays Serletta can fill up, and the police then direct arrivals to other car parks. Being dropped at the lake and collected again after the last race is simply easier, and it means nobody in the party has to say no to the champagne.
As for clothes: you will be standing on snow-covered ice for hours, at an altitude where the sun is strong and the shade is bitterly cold. Warm boots with a proper sole, several layers and sunglasses matter more than anything else. The elegance St. Moritz is known for goes on top.
Planning your trip: which weekend, and how to combine them
For a first visit, choose by temperament. Snow Polo is the most sociable weekend and the easiest to dip in and out of. The I.C.E. is for people who care about cars, and it rewards a Friday ticket. White Turf costs CHF 29 to get in and draws the widest audience, and its final Sunday has the biggest race.
Combining two is easier than it looks. Snow Polo ends on Sunday 24 January and The I.C.E. opens on Friday 29 January, with four days of skiing in between. In the second week of February, Cricket on Ice is played from Wednesday to Saturday, and the second race Sunday follows the next day. And if you are in Switzerland a week earlier, the Lauberhorn races in Wengen fall on the weekend before Snow Polo.
Whatever you choose, book early. St. Moritz is a small place, and its grand hotels are in demand on exactly these weekends. The same goes for cars. Many guests keep their driver for the days in St. Moritz as well, for the lake, dinner and the way back to the hotel, which is what our event chauffeur service is for.
St. Moritz events in winter: frequently asked questions
The Snow Polo World Cup runs from 22 to 24 January, The I.C.E. St. Moritz on 29 and 30 January, and White Turf on the Sundays of 7, 14 and 21 February. All three take place on the frozen Lake St. Moritz, a few minutes on foot from the village centre and the station.
Yes, for all three. At Snow Polo, visitors aged 16 and over need a ticket and under-16s are free in the public area. The I.C.E. sells a limited number of tickets online in advance only, from CHF 220 for Saturday according to the organiser. White Turf costs CHF 29 per race day for the tent city, and grandstand seats start at CHF 55.
By car from Zurich Airport, usually around 2 hours 45 minutes for 200 to 230 km over the Julier Pass; snow can add time. By train it is a little over three hours from Zurich main station with a change in Chur, plus the connection from the airport. The Julier is open all year, and the Vereina car train from Klosters is the alternative in bad weather.
Skikjöring is a race in which skiers are pulled by thoroughbred racehorses around a 2,700-metre course on the frozen lake, all starting together. It is held on each of the three White Turf Sundays and is scheduled for 12.50 p.m.
The ice is measured and tested before anything is built on it. The White Turf organisers put it at 40 to 80 cm thick, with pressed snow on top for the track, and say it carries more than 3,000 tonnes of tents and grandstands. The events do depend on the weather, so check the organisers’ websites before you travel.
Driveguard drives guests to St. Moritz all winter, to the door of the hotel or chalet: in a Mercedes S-Class for a couple, or in a V-Class Lux when skis, hat boxes and friends are coming too. Prices are fixed, all-inclusive and shown before you book, the chauffeurs speak English, German, Russian, Greek and Romanian, cancellation is free up to 24 hours before pickup, and guests rate us 4.9 / 5 on Google. Book your chauffeur-driven journey from Zurich Airport to St. Moritz online, or send us a WhatsApp message with your flight and your event dates, and we will plan the rest around them.
