Swiss Trails: Bernese Oberland & The Valais
- Traverse the alpine meadows of the Gemmipass as you walk from the Bernese Oberland to the Valais
- Visit the iconic turquoise shores of Oeschinensee high above Kandersteg
- Explore the Gasterntal Valley—a UNESCO World Heritage Site
- Look out for ibex, chamois, marmots, and bearded vulture along the trail
- Relax and unwind in Leukerbad—renowned since Roman times for its thermal springs and spas
Gallery
Itinerary
Day 1 Arrive Kandersteg and overnightEasily accessible from the internationally connected Geneva Airport take the train to Kandersteg. Arrive in this small alpine town —a walkers’ paradise—surrounded by high peaks with the Kander river flowing through it’s bustling heart. It’s the perfect place to rest and relax ready for your upcoming walks.
Located in the heart of Kandersteg Chalet-Hotel Adler is a 5 minute walk from the train station and is surrounded by restaurants and shops.
With over 200 years of history the Belle Epoque Hotel Victoria has plenty of experience to ensure your stay will be a relaxing one.
Waldhotel Doldenhorn is a 15 minute walk from Kandersteg’s centre in the peaceful rolling farmland, surrounded by evergreen trees. This family-run hotel has rooms with expansive views of the forest or of the mountains, and many spa facilities to enjoy including a swimming pool, sauna, baths and a lovely relaxation area.
This hotel can be booked as an Upgrade. Additional costs apply.
Begin the day with a 10-minute cable car ride from Kandersteg to Oeschinensee. From here, take the mountain path up to the Hueberg viewpoint for views over this iconic turquoise lake. Descend over alpine meadows and follow a scenic path along the shores through shady forest to reach the alpine restaurants on the lakeside. After a relaxed afternoon exploring the shores of Oeschinensee return to Kandersteg for a hearty alpine dinner.
Ascent/Descent: 315m/835m
Located in the heart of Kandersteg Chalet-Hotel Adler is a 5 minute walk from the train station and is surrounded by restaurants and shops.
With over 200 years of history the Belle Epoque Hotel Victoria has plenty of experience to ensure your stay will be a relaxing one.
Waldhotel Doldenhorn is a 15 minute walk from Kandersteg’s centre in the peaceful rolling farmland, surrounded by evergreen trees. This family-run hotel has rooms with expansive views of the forest or of the mountains, and many spa facilities to enjoy including a swimming pool, sauna, baths and a lovely relaxation area.
This hotel can be booked as an Upgrade. Additional costs apply.
Follow the River Kander towards it’s source up a dramatic gorge to reach the green pastures of the Gasterntal valley. The Gasterntal enjoys UNESCO World Heritage Site protection, not only for the alpine wildlife and extensive forest, but to preserve the old farming way of life that you can still see evidence of. Follow the untamed alluvial river up the valley towards the little mountain restaurant at Heimritz—you can walk as far as you like here—before retracing your steps to Kandersteg.
Ascent/Descent: 680m
Located in the heart of Kandersteg Chalet-Hotel Adler is a 5 minute walk from the train station and is surrounded by restaurants and shops.
With over 200 years of history the Belle Epoque Hotel Victoria has plenty of experience to ensure your stay will be a relaxing one.
Waldhotel Doldenhorn is a 15 minute walk from Kandersteg’s centre in the peaceful rolling farmland, surrounded by evergreen trees. This family-run hotel has rooms with expansive views of the forest or of the mountains, and many spa facilities to enjoy including a swimming pool, sauna, baths and a lovely relaxation area.
This hotel can be booked as an Upgrade. Additional costs apply.
Walk to the end of the Kander valley and ascend via the alpine meadows of Uschene on a gentle gradient to Allmenalp. Traverse the mountainside and admire the surrounding mountains before reaching the bowl above Allmenalp. Enjoy a refreshing drink at the mountain restaurant with views towards Oeschinensee before returning to Kandersteg by cable car.
Ascent/Descent: 620m/65m
Located in the heart of Kandersteg Chalet-Hotel Adler is a 5 minute walk from the train station and is surrounded by restaurants and shops.
With over 200 years of history the Belle Epoque Hotel Victoria has plenty of experience to ensure your stay will be a relaxing one.
Waldhotel Doldenhorn is a 15 minute walk from Kandersteg’s centre in the peaceful rolling farmland, surrounded by evergreen trees. This family-run hotel has rooms with expansive views of the forest or of the mountains, and many spa facilities to enjoy including a swimming pool, sauna, baths and a lovely relaxation area.
This hotel can be booked as an Upgrade. Additional costs apply.
Take the cable car from the Kander valley up to the high valley at Sunnbuel. A well-signposted route takes you through alpine meadows and ancient pine forest passing the Berg Hotel Schwartzhorn situated in a sheltered spot where alpine chough soar on thermals. Pause here for Kaffee and kuchen before continuing through the rugged landscape to reach the blue waters of Daubensee. From Gemmi there are excellent views of the jagged Plattenhorner peak and the spa town of Leukerbad below. Descend to Leukerbad on the cable car to avoid the steep descent on the track cut into the cliffs below the cable car station (only for those with a head for heights!).
Ascent/Descent: 545m/154 or 1080m
Situated in a quiet spot overlooking the town, the hotel is a 5 minute walk from the centre and public thermal spa facilities.
Relax and enjoy you time at the Park Hotel Quellenhof with a view from your balcony over the surrounding mountains.
Relax and enjoy the view over the town and the Daubenhorn from your south-facing room with a balcony at the Les Sources Des Alpes Hotel & Spa. The hotel has a restaurant, cocktail bar and wine cellar. Alternatively, the hotel is centrally situated in the town where you’ll find many eateries. Combine your daily walks with relaxation to make the most of the hotel’s extensive spa facilities – peruse the treatment options on their website.
This hotel can be booked as an Upgrade. Additional costs apply.
Ascend the forested lower slopes of the Torrenthorn to the dairy farm at Unter Majing. You can stop here to try some of the family’s locally produced mountain cheese before continuing to the small mountain restaurant on the meadows of Fluealp. Walk to Fluekapelle, a tiny chapel built into a rocky outcrop on the mountainside. Pause here to admire the chapel’s stained glass windows and the snow-covered Balmhorn peak in the distance. Then keep an eye out for marmots as you traverse the alpine meadows below the limestone cliffs to descend to Leukerbad. The final 0.5km of the route into Leukerbad follows the Dala Gorge Walkway—learn more about the thermal waters of the river Dala whilst following a series of platforms and metal bridges secured to the gorge sides. There are other descent options for those who don’t have a head for heights.
Ascent/Descent: 1040m/1120m
Situated in a quiet spot overlooking the town, the hotel is a 5 minute walk from the centre and public thermal spa facilities.
Relax and enjoy you time at the Park Hotel Quellenhof with a view from your balcony over the surrounding mountains.
Relax and enjoy the view over the town and the Daubenhorn from your south-facing room with a balcony at the Les Sources Des Alpes Hotel & Spa. The hotel has a restaurant, cocktail bar and wine cellar. Alternatively, the hotel is centrally situated in the town where you’ll find many eateries. Combine your daily walks with relaxation to make the most of the hotel’s extensive spa facilities – peruse the treatment options on their website.
This hotel can be booked as an Upgrade. Additional costs apply.
Take the Torrenthorn cable car from Leukerbad to Rinderhutte. Traverse the mountainside with excellent views over the Rhone valley and snowy peaks in the distance. A narrow mountain path leads past a small alpine lake, through meadows where marmots are commonly spotted. On reaching the Restipass (2630m) you are rewarded with wonderful views of the secluded Lotschen valley. Descend from the rugged Restipass and retrace your steps to Rinderhutte—keep a lookout for chamois and ibex on the higher slopes. Return to Leukerbad via the Rinderhutte cable car and enjoy an evening of relaxing in the thermal waters.
Ascent/Descent: 540m
Situated in a quiet spot overlooking the town, the hotel is a 5 minute walk from the centre and public thermal spa facilities.
Relax and enjoy you time at the Park Hotel Quellenhof with a view from your balcony over the surrounding mountains.
Relax and enjoy the view over the town and the Daubenhorn from your south-facing room with a balcony at the Les Sources Des Alpes Hotel & Spa. The hotel has a restaurant, cocktail bar and wine cellar. Alternatively, the hotel is centrally situated in the town where you’ll find many eateries. Combine your daily walks with relaxation to make the most of the hotel’s extensive spa facilities – peruse the treatment options on their website.
This hotel can be booked as an Upgrade. Additional costs apply.
After breakfast check out of your hotel for your onward travel if you aren’t staying longer in Switzerland. Leukerbad has good public transport links to Geneva Airport (approximately 3 hours). You can also fly from nearby Zurich and Bern airports.
This trip has a carbon score of 6kg per person per night, meaning it’s one of our best trips! For comparison, a carbon count of 6kg is equivalent to 4.5 ham and cheese sandwiches from the store. Here at Macs, we pride ourselves on being a responsible travel company and continue to adopt, develop and innovate ways to positively impact the environment. Find out more information on how we've carbon counted our trips.
Other Information
Is it for me?A self-guided walking holiday ideal for those wishing to sample some of the best hiking Switzerland’s west has to offer. With the exception of the Gemmipass route between Kandersteg and Leukerbad (14.5 km) all of the walks are optional and range from 8.5 km up to 23.5 km so you can make your holiday as energetic or as relaxing as you like. By including cable cars in the itinerary much of the typically steep alpine terrain can be avoided.
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!
Multi Centre Walking | With a mix of loop and point-to-point walks stay 2 or 3 nights in one place which offers the chance to slow down and really explore a destination.
Solo Travellers, Families with Teens
The minimum age for this tour is: 12 Years
The trip is graded moderate; some previous walking experience and a good level of fitness is recommended so you can relax and enjoy the scenery. Our routes follow wide tracks, paths and sometimes narrower mountain paths occasionally with steep slopes above and below—as with most Alpine walking a good head for heights and sure-footedness is required. The incorporation of cable cars avoids most steep ascents and descents, but some steep sections are unavoidable—walking poles are highly recommended.
As all the walks are self-guided you will be responsible for navigation, decision–making and safety during your trip. The walks are graded moderate—they are not strenuous and although there are some uphill and steeper sections, these are not particularly challenging and are all on well-defined paths and tracks. The route notes often describe shortcuts and route variations so you can tailor your day depending on how you feel.
We specifically choose our accommodations to ensure that you enjoy every minute of your stay. All offer a warm welcome to walkers, great hospitality and delicious local food. During the high season, you might be booked into alternative accommodations which are not listed in the description. Any alternative accommodation will be of the same or better standard as those described.
Upgraded Accommodation
Why not upgrade your hotels in Kandersteg and Leukerbad? Please see below our standard upgrade hotels.
Solo Walkers & Single Rooms
This independent walking holiday is available to solo walkers. If you require single rooms in your party we will of course try to accommodate your request, subject to availability. Please note that singles may not be of the same standard or size as twins/doubles.
Meals
Breakfast is included each morning. Lunch and dinner are not included so you are free to choose from the available options. Most accommodations will be able to provide a packed lunch on request and this can be booked on arrival. Alternatively, your route notes include details of local shops and convenient lunch stops on the way at cafes or mountain restaurants. Dinner is available either at your accommodation or at nearby bars and restaurants.
Our routes are easy to follow with detailed route notes and GPS tracks provided on our Macs Adventure smartphone app. Walks are signposted by the yellow Swiss waymarkers and red and white painted markers on rocks and trees but you’ll find some map reading experience helpful.
- 7 Nights in hand-picked accommodations
- 7 Breakfasts
- Detailed trip documents, GPS tracks, maps and access to route notes on the Macs Adventure smartphone app
- Baggage transfer from Kandersteg to Leukerbad
- 24/7 Emergency telephone support from our office
- Travel insurance (required)
- Travel to and from Kandersteg & Leukerbad
- Lunches, dinners, drinks and snacks
- Personal equipment
- Cable car tickets
- Taxis, bus journeys and other public transport
- Additional nights before or after the tour
- Upgraded accommodation in Kandersteg and/or Leukerbad
The alpine walking season is relatively short; from mid-June to mid-September. Please note that if there's a long winter the higher walks e.g. the Rinderhutte to Restipass route, could be affected by snow cover. We keep an eye on conditions from Macs HQ and will update and support you if there's a likelihood high snow cover snow will affect your trip.
For general travel planning and information in Switzerland, please go to: www.myswitzerland.com/en-gb/transport-travel/getting-around . Switzerland is well-connected internationally from Geneva, Zurich and Bern airports. Depending on where you fly from the SBB train service should be able to provide frequent transport links to Kandersteg. From Geneva Airport take the train (approx. 3h 30 bookable with SBB) to Kandersteg. The train journey is a scenic one along the north shore of Lake Geneva (you’ll catch a glimpse of the 140m high Jet d’Eau) before heading south to Martigny, then east into the mountains surrounding Kandersteg and Leukerbad.
Onward travel from Leukerbad to internationally connected Geneva Airport is easiest when taking the bus (30 min) to Leuk train station and catching a direct train (2h 30) to Geneva Airport. The train journey takes you west along the beautiful Rhone valley and through the vineyards on the north shore of Lake Geneva. You can also make your onward travel arrangements from Zurich or Bern airports.
Cable Cars
Some of the routes featured in the itinerary make use of cable cars. This allows you to explore further afield and conserve your energy (and knees!) avoiding the steepest ascents and descents where possible. Your pre-departure information pack will provide all the information you need to navigate the well-organised Swiss cable car system.
Bag transfer on this trip is available as per your itinerary from Kandersteg to Leukerbad with our local transfer partner so you won’t need to carry more than a day bag on the Gemmipass walk. We ask you to limit your luggage to one bag of up to 20 kg per person.
Your information pack has a detailed equipment list which includes standard walking gear such as good walking boots or shoes, warm and waterproof clothes and a day pack.
It is a requirement of booking this tour with Macs Adventure that you have suitable travel insurance which covers you for the activity, emergency evacuation and hospital care.
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Immerse yourself in Swiss tradition, exploring Switzerland’s Pays d’Enhaut and Saanenland regions.Highlights- Leisurely walking in Switzerland
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