Via Alpina

The Via Alpina presents an exciting challenge with significant ascents and descents each day. To make the most of this incredible trek, it’s beneficial to be an experienced walker ready to take on the challenge. If you currently don’t maintain an active lifestyle, you can prepare effectively by incorporating regular walks in hilly terrain and engaging in cardiovascular exercise for at least six months prior to your journey. Consider seeking guidance from a gym or a personal trainer who can create a tailored training program to help you build the necessary stamina and confidence for this adventure.

The paths include woodland trails, rocky mountain paths, grassy areas, moraine, scree, and paved country roads. Some sections involve light scrambling, and cables, ropes, and chains are available to assist with ascent and descent in certain areas. Please note that on the highest passes, there may be patches of residual snow, however, this does not require any special equipment or skills—just a steady foot, some walking experience, and a head for heights. Walking poles are essential for this tour.

This tour is graded moderate to strenuous, suitable for experienced long-distance hikers with a good level of fitness. Within the tour, individual days may vary in difficulty - some might be a bit tougher or easier than the overall rating suggests.

You'll stay in a mix of comfortable 3-star hotels in private en-suite rooms and mountain hotels in private rooms, with either en-suite or shared bathroom facilities depending on availability. If any of these aren't available, we'll use a hotel of the same or better standard. Worth knowing: twin and double rooms in Switzerland are typically two single mattresses side by side on one double bed frame, each with its own duvet and pillows.

If you have some extra time, we'd suggest adding a few extra days along the route. After a long flight, an extra night or two in Zurich is a great way to settle in before starting your Via Alpina tour. Further along, consider extra nights in Grindelwald or Wengen, right under the Eiger, Mönch, and Jungfrau peaks, with the chance to visit the Jungfraujoch, or in Mürren, a car-free village with picturesque, rugged scenery that's perfect for adventure and relaxation - visit the Schilthorn while you're there. Engelberg is another popular summer mountain spot with locals and plenty of great walking. We'd also recommend an extra night in Gstaad, where you can indulge in a blend of luxury and exclusivity set against the backdrop of the Swiss Alps, and in Montreux, where the laid-back Mediterranean vibe is the perfect way to unwind after all that high-altitude hiking.

At the end of the trail, you can also upgrade your hotel in Grindelwald or Montreux - just get in touch with us for more information.

Unfortunately, this is not available to solo travelers. We can, however, offer single rooms if you are traveling with others. These are available for a supplement.

Breakfast is included daily, and is generally a hearty buffet with pastries, homemade jams, fruit and cereals, as well as savory options like bread, cheese, ham and eggs. Packed lunch items can be bought locally from supermarkets or bakeries, or ordered from your accommodation if you're staying somewhere without easy access to shops. Dinner is included at most overnight stops, with a handful of exceptions in larger towns such as Zurich, Grindelwald and Montreux, where there's no shortage of dining options nearby. Expect homemade Swiss specialities based on cheese and potatoes, like raclette and rosti - let us know about any dietary requirements when you book so we can arrange this with your accommodation.

This tour is available to start any day of the week, from the start of July to early September. It's worth avoiding late July if possible, as Grindelwald hosts the Eiger Ultra Trail race around this time and the area gets busy with limited accommodation availability. Availability in Montreux, your final overnight stop, can also be tricky around the time of the Montreux Jazz Festival, usually held in July.

Your bags will be collected from your accommodation each day and moved onto your overnight accommodation. We ask you to limit your luggage to one bag of up to 20kg/44lbs per person.

All the hiking trails in Switzerland are very well marked with yellow route signs indicating distances and directions to key destinations.

Navigation is straightforward using our app which has maps, tracks and daily route info. Simply download the information and tracks for offline use and follow the route on your phone. Once on the trail you do not need signal for the app to work and follow your progress.

You can fly into Zurich, Bern or Geneva, with good onward rail connections across Switzerland (see www.myswitzerland.com for general travel planning).

If you choose the Via Alpina tour, a short train journey of around 1 to 3 hours connects your arrival airport to the start of the walk. The tour ends in Montreux, from where trains run to Geneva (1.5 hours), Zurich (3 hours) or Bern (2 hours). Check www.sbb.ch for timetables and details of public transport in Switzerland.

If you choose the Via Alpina East tour, the same airport connections apply at the start. The tour ends in Grindelwald, from where most onward train connections run via Interlaken Ost (35 minutes). From Grindelwald, journey times to the main city stations are around 1 hour 40 minutes to Bern, 2 hours 40 minutes to Zurich or Basel, and 3 hours 30 minutes to Geneva: see SBB's website for timetable planning.

If you choose the Via Alpina West tour, you'll travel on to Grindelwald to begin the walk, around 2 to 4 hours by train depending on your arrival airport. The tour ends in Montreux, from where trains run to Geneva (1.5 hours), Zurich (3 hours) or Bern (2 hours): see SBB's website for timetable planning.

You'll need good hiking shoes or boots, comfortable hiking clothes, waterproofs, a daypack, and we recommend hiking poles. A portable charger for your cell phone is essential. On booking, our Tour Info will give you a complete packing list.

On certain days you can shorten the route or skip it entirely by using a taxi or public transport.

The full Via Alpina crossing of Switzerland can also be split into two separate tours - an East and a West section - each a standalone inn-to-inn hike. The East route follows a quieter, more remote path, moving through peaceful valleys and less-travelled alpine passes before finishing beneath the Jungfrau region, making it a good choice if you're after solitude and fewer crowds. The West route begins in the heart of the Bernese Oberland and crosses a more varied landscape - alpine passes, meadows and traditional mountain villages - before descending to Lake Geneva and the Swiss Riviera, offering a greater contrast between high alpine terrain and lakeside scenery. Both offer the same comfortable accommodation, well-marked trails and luggage transfer throughout, and some travelers choose to complete the full route over the course of several tours.

We highly recommend that you have travel insurance when you book with Macs Adventure. Your policy should cover medical treatment (including repatriation and emergency evacuation by air ambulance or helicopter), injury, death, third-party liability, and trip cancellation