The most memorable thing a family can do in Montreux at Christmas is not on the lakeside market itself. Ten metres away in style, at the end of a fifty-five-minute cogwheel climb, stands the Maison du Père Noël — the Santa House — set in the snow at 2,042 m above the lake, reachable only by the MOB’s Christmas train and staffed, on selected days from 20 November to 24 December, by Santa himself.[1]
Short answer: the Santa House is an official Montreux Riviera Noël attraction reached exclusively by the MOB cogwheel railway from Montreux station to Rochers-de-Naye (2,042 m). The ~55-minute ride and the private meeting with Santa are sold as one combined ticket: adults CHF 49 (CHF 39 with the Half-Fare Card, CHF 20 with a GA or Swiss Travel Pass), children 6–15 CHF 19 (CHF 10 with a child’s day card or GA), under-6s CHF 10 with a seat or free without. Each child keeps a souvenir photo, a certificate signed by Santa and a surprise bag.[1][2]
Photo: Popo le Chien, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
On this page
The Santa House runs from 20 November to 24 December 2026, Wednesday to Sunday, plus Monday and Tuesday 7, 8, 21 and 22 December. It sits at 2,042 m in the Rochers-de-Naye and is reached only by the MOB cogwheel train from Montreux — the ride and entrance are a single combined ticket. Source: MOB, “La Maison du Père Noël aux Rochers-de-Naye”.
What the Santa House is
The Santa House is a certified by Montreux Noël yourself-and-meet-him seasonal attraction rather than a grotto tucked behind the market. It is deliberately placed where snow is guaranteed: in the heart of the Rochers-de-Naye at 2,042 metres, so high above the lake that the festive lights of Montreux below look like a map you have left behind. The experience is a meeting more than a visit — families cross the threshold of Santa’s enchanted house for an exclusive appointment with “the real Santa Claus,” where children can whisper their secrets, hand over their wish lists and have the moment captured in a souvenir photograph.[1]
Inside, comfort replaces altitude drama: the house is a warm, indoor installation, which matters on a mountain that sees rain, fog and heavy snow in December. Because the venue itself is indoors the experience runs whatever the weather, and the operators close it early only when conditions are genuinely unsafe for the railway — violent wind, avalanche risk or very heavy snow — in which case you are warned by email and refunded in full if the MOB stops its trains.[1]
Two practical limits shape the visit. Under-threes are advised against attending because of the altitude, so this is best for children from about age three to early primary school. And on weekends and public holidays the crowds are real — plan up to three hours on site between the ride and the meeting, while a weekday visit can be done in about ninety minutes.[1]
The Christmas train from Montreux
The gateway is a charming MOB cogwheel train that leaves from Montreux station — the same one a minute from RivieraHost’s lakeside apartments — and climbs roughly 55 minutes through grand snowy landscapes to the top of the line at Rochers-de-Naye. On the way it stops at Glion and Caux, the two villages that sit on the terraced hillside above Montreux, before the panorama opens up as the track rises above the tree line toward the massif’s high plateau.[1][2]
You cannot walk to the Santa House: the attraction is reachable exclusively by this train, and the railway ride and the entrance are sold together as a single combined offer, so there is no separate admission ticket to buy on the mountain. Book the whole thing as one trip, choose your slot, and the train both takes you up and brings you back through the same winter scenery.[1]
Dates and opening days in 2026
| Date window | Opening days |
|---|---|
| 20 November – 24 December 2026 | Wednesday to Sunday |
| Additional dates | Monday & Tuesday 7, 8, 21 and 22 December |
| Time on site (weekday) | Approx. 1h30 |
| Time on site (weekend / holiday) | Up to 3 hours |
| Train journey | ~55 minutes each way from Montreux |
Weekdays are the quiet way to do it and the ones that fit the smallest visitors best. On a Tuesday the house is calmer and you can be down in Montreux again in time for a late-afternoon turn around the market by the lake. Weekends and public holidays feel more like an occasion — livelier, with the queue you would expect — but reward you with the mountain at its fullest. Note that the town itself changes its rhythm over the season: on Christmas Eve, 24 December, the Montreux market runs a shorter day from 11h to 17h.[1]
Tickets and what each child receives
| Passenger | Ticket price |
|---|---|
| Adult (16+) | CHF 49.00 |
| Adult, Half-Fare Card (16+) | CHF 39.00 |
| Adult, GA / day card / Swiss Travel Pass | CHF 20.00 |
| Child (6–15) | CHF 19.00 |
| Child (6–16), child’s day card / GA | CHF 10.00 |
| Under 6, with a seat (not recommended under 3) | CHF 10.00 |
| Under 6, no seat for outward trip | Free |
Every ticket is bought in advance as the combined train-plus-entrance offer through the MOB’s booking page, so reserve ahead of the dates you want rather than hoping for a slot on the day. Orders are direct with the railway — there is no separate entrance to pay for at the summit.[2]
Each child leaves with three keepsakes: an original certificate signed by Santa in person, a personalised souvenir photograph of the meeting, and a surprise bag holding a soft toy, an apple, a mandarin and a piece of Läderach chocolate. Source: Montreux Riviera Noël, “La Maison du Père Noël”.
Practical details and weather
The attraction stays open in rain, fog or snow, since the house lies indoors — the mountain weather above Montreux is exactly why the experience is sheltered. Only extreme conditions close it: violent wind, avalanche risk or heavy snowfall that stops the railway. In that case the MOB emails you directly and, if a train is cancelled on their side, your tickets are refunded in full. Book directly with the MOB so that you are the first address on that list, and keep an eye on your inbox close to your date.[1]
Dress for 2,042 m, not for the lakefront: even on a mild December day in Montreux the summit is cold, exposed and snowy, so bring proper winter layers, hats and gloves for children. If you need a meal, the Restaurant des Rochers-de-Naye serves a full meal with unbroken views across the lake and the Alps, and lighter snacks and treats are available inside the Santa House itself — handy for the little eaters on the ride down.[1]
Building it into a Montreux day
The Santa House pairs naturally with the rest of Montreux Riviera Noël — the market on the lakeside promenade, the funfair, and the floating Santa Cruise on Lake Geneva, which runs on the same 20 November–24 December window and shares the same official programme. On the mountain side, the full Rochers-de-Naye outing also gives older visitors the hiking plateau’s 360-degree panorama and, on clear days, the marmot park; the Santa House is the seasonal, family-focused highlight of the same line.[1]
For a family staying in Montreux, the shape of the day writes itself: a late-morning train up, the Santa meeting and a mountain lunch, then the descent and the market’s lights by the lake as the afternoon turns to early evening. It is one of the rare trips where the transport is part of the magic — a cogwheel climb through the snow that is worth doing slowly, in the mornings especially, when the light off the lake below is at its best.
Since it is best for families with apartments rather than hotel rooms, the welcome news is that our Montreux apartments sit a two-minute walk from Montreux station — so the Christmas train, and the Santa House, are effectively on your doorstep.
Stay steps from the Christmas train
RivieraHost manages furnished apartments in Montreux — lakeside addresses two minutes’ walk from Montreux station and the Santa train.
See our apartmentsFrequently asked questions
How do you get to the Santa House at Rochers-de-Naye?
Exclusively by the MOB cogwheel railway. The Santa train (Train du Père Noël) departs from Montreux station and takes about 55 minutes up to Rochers-de-Naye at 2,042 m, where the Santa House itself is located. The ride and entrance are sold as a single combined ticket.
When is the Santa House open in 2026?
From 20 November to 24 December 2026, Wednesday to Sunday, plus the additional dates of Monday and Tuesday 7, 8, 21 and 22 December. At altitude, plan about 1.5 hours on site on weekdays and up to 3 hours on weekends and public holidays, not including the train journey.
How much do Santa House tickets cost from Montreux?
Adults (16+) pay CHF 49; CHF 39 with the Half-Fare Card; CHF 20 with a GA or Swiss Travel Pass. Children aged 6–15 pay CHF 19, or CHF 10 with a child’s day card or GA. Under-6s ride for CHF 10 with a seat on the outward journey or free without one.
What does each child receive at the Santa House?
Every child leaves with a personalised souvenir photograph of their meeting with Santa, an original certificate signed by Santa himself, and a surprise bag containing a soft toy, an apple, a mandarin and a piece of Läderach chocolate.
Sources
- Montreux Riviera Noël — “La Maison du Père Noël” attraction page (dates, altitude, the Santa meeting, children’s keepsakes, weekday vs weekend timing, weather and cancellation policy): montreuxnoel.com/attraction/la-maison-du-pere-noel/.
- MOB — “La Maison du Père Noël aux Rochers-de-Naye” product page (2026 opening days, full price list, single combined ticket): mob.ch/fr/products/noel.
Base yourself in Montreux
RivieraHost’s apartments sit steps from the lake — with kitchens, more space and better value than a hotel for families and groups. Every one is right on this guide’s doorstep.