The Via Alpina West
10 Days & 9 Nights 4.7 Read 3 reviews- Complete the west 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 specialties like Papet Vaudois
What To Expect
Trip Style:
Self Guided | Go at your own pace on an independent active holiday.
Activity:
Inn to Inn Walking | A classic point to point walking trip, staying in a different location each night
Ideal if you have an interest in:
Mountains
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 with 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 and Montreux? Please see below our standard upgrade hotel options.
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 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
- 6 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.
Getting to the Start
Fly into Zurich, Geneva or Bern then continue by train to Grindelwald (4, 3 or 2 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
Take a train from Montreux to Geneva (1.5 hours) , Zurich (3hours) or Bern (2 hours) airports.; 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 Grindelwald Day 2 Walk to Wengen 10 miles / 16.5 km Day 3 Train to Muerren and walk to Griesalp 11 miles / 17 km Day 4 Walk to Kandersteg 10.5 miles / 17 km Day 5 Walk to Adelboden 10 miles / 16 km Day 6 Walk to Lenk 9 miles / 14.5 km Day 7 Walk to Lauenen and bus to Gstaad 9 miles / 14.5 km Day 8 Walk to L’Etivaz 12.5 miles / 20 km Day 9 Walk to Montreux 14 miles / 22 km Day 10 Onward TravelBlog Articles
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