The Walker's Haute Route

Hike between two of the greatest mountaineering centers in the world - Chamonix, France and Zermatt, Switzerland. You'll hike among the great 4000m/13,000ft peaks in the Alps. This tour is more demanding than the well-known Tour du Mont Blanc, but does cover some of the same days when leaving Chamonix.

How long is the Walker's Haute Route (WHR)? The complete route is around 201km/125mi. We recommend taking 13 days to hike the route, but if you do not have that much time available, you can choose to do the East or West section, one section at a time. Also if you'd like to slow the pace down a little, we can add in rest days along the way. Whatever your desire, Macs Adventure can sort out the perfect WHR for you. 

When to Go is all-important! The route is at a high altitude, so snow can be an issue. Therefore we only operate the trip from mid-July to mid-Sept. and keep a constant eye on the conditions.

How high does the Walker's Haute Route go? The highest points on the official route are the:

• Col de Riedmatten which sits at 2919m/9,577ft and the Augustbordpass (2894m/9,495ft),
• but there are alternative hikes that take you equally as high, such as,
  • Forceletta (2874m/9,429ft),
  • Col de Sorebois (2847m/9,340ft)
  • and the impressive Tete Noir (2981m/9,780ft).

On the trip, you will gain around 10,600m/34,777ft, which is a good bit higher than Mt Everest. However, don't let this put you off. It is a lot more straightforward, safer, and more fun than climbing Mt Everest.  

Most Challenging Sections

The Walker's Haute route is a visually spectacular trail, but it has many exposed sections that have been safeguarded with fixed rope handrails. On several occasions, the way crosses rockfall areas, and warning signs have been set to urge hikers to walk quickly past these sections.

• Trient to Champex - The descent from Fenetre d’Arpette to Champex is a skree descent.
• Cabane Mont Fort to Cabane de Prafleuri - Col de Louvie and the Col de Prafleuri, where you cross large areas of rocks and boulders
• Cabane de Prafleuri to Arolla – Crossing the Col de Riedmatten, the highest section of the trip
• Europahutte to Zermatt - The final leg into Zermatt, along the Europaweg, is commonly affected by rockfall.

The Walker’s Haute Route can be completed as a single journey or split into two sections, East and West, each offering a different trekking experience.

The East is mostly in Switzerland and is slightly easier, making it a great choice for those wanting a classic alpine trek without highly technical terrain. It also includes many of the route’s best-known highlights and finishes spectacularly in Zermatt beneath the Matterhorn.

The West section begins in France and overlaps with the Tour du Mont Blanc for the first few days, which is why availability is limited and early booking is essential. This half is more dramatic and physically demanding, with exposed passes, hut-to-hut trekking, and features like the ladder section at Pas de Chèvres, offering a more adventurous feel. And time in the lakeside village of Champex is a treat.

In short, choose the East for a more accessible trek with iconic scenery and a famous finish, or the West for a tougher, more rugged alpine experience with fewer frills — but bigger thrills. Or complete both over the course of a few years. 

Due to the remoteness of many of the overnight stops, luggage transfer is not available on on the Walker's Haute Route tours. You will, therefore, need to carry your kit with you each day. Be sure to bring a sleeping bag liner for when staying in dormitory-style accommodation. Bed linen is provided when staying in private rooms.

If you have excess baggage with you, it is possible to send this from Geneva ahead of you to Zermatt by train. For more information, visit the SBB train website.

Since 2008 we’ve organized thousands of hiking tours in Switzerland. Each year our staff spend time here ensuring classic routes run smoothly and seeking out the best hiking trails, accommodations and restaurants.

As in all of our self-guided hiking tours we transfer your luggage and you can travel on your terms by choosing your own departure date and who you travel with. We provide route info packs, maps in our easy-to-use app which even works offline. Sustainable travel is important to us, and traveling with us supports local small businesses.

Our specialists are here to help connect you with your perfect adventure. Just get in touch if you have any questions.