The journey from Zermatt starts at the dead end of an Alpine valley, the Mattertal, just below the world-renowned Matterhorn at an elevation of before it descends to the huge valley of the Valais in Brig. It traverses the journey through the center of the Swiss Alps, over 291 bridges, through 91 tunnels, such as the Furka Tunnel at an elevation of to circumvent the Furka Pass, makes an intermediate stop at Andermatt on a secluded high Alpine valley, just to traverse its highest point on the Oberalp Pass at in order to descend to its lowest point at Chur at . From Chur, the capital of the canton of Graubünden, the GEX backtracks to higher altitudes again in order to reach the resort St. Moritz in a further valley to the south. Previously, before traversing the Albula Range by a tunnel at , in Filisur travelers can change to a connecting train to reach Davos to the east.