The Via Alpina East
10 Days & 9 Nights 5 Read 1 reviews- Complete the east section of the classic alpine hike across Switzerland
- Walk in the shadow of the mighty Jungfrau, Mönch and Eiger peaks
- Conquer 7 alpine passes and enjoy spectacular mountain views
- Wander through meadows alive with the sound of cow bells and marmots
- Stay in comfortable hotels and enjoy Swiss specialities like Potato Rösti
What To Expect
Trip Type:
Classic Routes | If you’re the active, outdoorsy type, who’s interested in taking on the great routes of the world or looking for a challenge, then our Classic Routes are for you. We’re talking the West Highland Way, Tour Du Mont Blanc and the Passau to Vienna Danube Cycle Path, to name but a few!
Activity:
Inn to Inn Walking | Walk from place-to-place changing accommodations each night. Generally staying in B&B’s, inns, and guesthouses.
Ideal if you have an interest in:
Long-Distance Trails, Alpine Walking
Grade & Terrain
This trip is graded moderate to strenuous with the average daily distance being 18km. Although almost every day there is the option to shorten it by using some form of public transport. Each day has significant ascent and descent and the paths are a mixture of woodland trails, rocky mountain paths, grassy paths, moraine, scree, and paved country roads. There is some light scrambling involved in places and there are cables, ropes, and chains to aid ascent/descent in some places. Please be aware that on the highest passes, there may be some residual snow lying in patches, but this will not require any special equipment or skills; just a steady foot, walking experience and a head for heights. Walking poles are essential. To get the most of this trip, you should be in good physical shape.
Navigation
All trails are very well way-marked, and together with access to our GPS-following app, route notes and maps, you will have no problem finding your way on our suggested walks.
Accommodation Information
Stay 7 nights in comfortable 3* hotels in private en-suite rooms and 2 nights in mountain hotels in private rooms and depending on the availability with ensuite or shared bathroom facilities. An example of the accommodation we use in some of the towns along the way can be found below. If these accommodations are not available, a hotel of the same or better standard will be used.
Single Rooms & Solo Walkers
This trip is not available to solo walkers due to the difficulty of the terrain. Single rooms are on request and a supplement is payable for this.
Hotel Upgrades
Why not upgrade your hotel in Grindelwald at the end of the trail? Please see below our standard upgrade hotel.
Meals
Breakfasts are included each day and tends to be a buffet selection with lots of sweet treats like pastries, home made jams, fruit and cereals. Savoury tastes are also catered for with bread, cheese, ham and eggs usually available. Packed lunch items can be bought locally from supermarkets or the local bakery. If you are staying in a small town without these facilities, order a packed lunch with your accommodation upon arrival. Dinner is included at each overnight location with the exception of Zurich, Grindelwald, Gstaad and Montreux, where there are plenty of dining options to choose from. Meal times are a real highlight, and you can enjoy homemade Swiss specialties. If you have any dietary requirements, please tell us upon booking and we can arrange this with the accommodations. Swiss specialities are mostly based on cheese and potatoes, such as raclette and potato roesti.
- 7 Nights in 3* hotels, 2 nights in mountain hotels and guesthouses
- 9 Breakfasts
- 7 Dinners
- Daily bag transfer
- Detailed pre-departure information pack
- Route notes, maps, GPX tracks and access to our Macs Adventure Navigation App
- 24-hour emergency telephone assistance
- Flights to and from Switzerland
- Travel to starting point/from finish point
- Public transport such as cable cars
- Travel Insurance
- Personal expenses such as drinks, phone calls, extra transfers, tips, etc.
- Any items not specifically mentioned in the program
- Additional nights
When To Go
This trip is available to start any day of the week from the start of July to early September.
Grindelwald hosting the famous Eiger Ultra Trail race (12th to the 16th of July). We recommend avoiding the Via Alpina at this time as the area is extremely busy and most accommodations are full.
Getting to the Start
Fly into Zurich, Geneva or Bern then continue by train to Zurich (10 mins, 3 or 1 hours). For general travel planning and information in Switzerland, please go to: www.myswitzerland.com/en-gb/transport-travel/getting-around
Getting from the End
From Grindelwald most train connections are via Interlaken Ost (35 mins). Travel times are as follows from Grindelwald to city train stations (Hauptbahnhof/HB): to Bern (1h40), Zurich (2h40), Basel (2h40), or Geneva (3h30); please see SBB’s website for timetable planning.
Baggage Transfer
Baggage transfers are included in the price of your trip. We ask you to keep your baggage to a maximum of 1 bag per person with a maximum weight of 20 kg.
Itinerary
Day 1 Arrive Zurich Day 2 Train to Sargans and walk to Weisstannen 8 miles / 12.5 km Day 3 Walk to Elm 15 miles / 24 km Day 4 Walk to Linthal 12.5 miles / 20 km Day 5 Funicular to Braunwald, walk to Urnerboden 8 miles / 13 km Day 6 Walk to Unterschachen and bus to Altdorf 9.5 miles / 15 km Day 7 Bus/cable car to Bruesti and walk to Engelberg 13 miles / 21 km Day 8 Cable car to Jochpass and walk to Meiringen 13.5 miles / 21.5 km Day 9 Walk to Grindelwald 15.5 miles / 24.7 km Day 10 Onward TravelBlog Articles
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