The Via Alpina West

10 Days & 9 Nights 4.6 Read 5 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
Walk the western section of the Via Alpina and explore Alpine Switzerland on this inn to inn trail. Start in the buzzing mountaineering town of Grindelwald and walk to the glistening shores of Lake Geneva. Hike below countless peaks such as the famous Bernese Oberland trio; the Jungfrau, Mönch and Eiger. Expect peaceful alpine meadows and quaint towns with wooden chalets bursting with colourful flower-filled balconies. Finish each day in comfortable 3* hotels or mountain hotels in private rooms. Daily bag transfer is included giving you the freedom to walk each day with just a light bag each day. With well-maintained and signposted trails, Switzerland is a self-guided walker’s paradise. Combine this with mountainous scenery, fresh Alpine air and seamless public transport, you have the perfect recipe for a fantastic adventure along the Via Alpina.
This tour is perfect for experienced long-distance walkers who like their creature comforts. Rated moderate to strenuous with significant ascent and descent each day; on average 1000m. There are some long days; on average 18km a day. The terrain is varied and includes short sections of aided ascent/descent in the form of cables. Daily bag transfer is included meaning you need only walk with a light bag each day. Accommodation is in comfy 3* hotels and atmospheric mountain hotels, always in private rooms.

Tour 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

Activity Level & 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. 

Accommodations

Stay 7 nights in comfortable 3* hotels in private en-suite rooms and 2 nights in mountain hotels in private rooms with, depending on availability ensuite bathrooms 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 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.

Included
  • 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
Excluded
  • 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
Extras
  • 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 is hosting the famous Eiger Ultra Trail race (12th to 16th 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 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.

Luggage 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.

How fit do I need to be?
How does the bag transfer work?
How far in advance do I need to book?
What personal equipment do I need?

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 Travel

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