Independent Self-Guided Tours and Private Guides
(Inn-to-inn, Village-based, or Combo tours)
In addition to our guided group hiking tours, Alpinehikers also offers independent self-guided tours for those who like to hike without a group, independent Swiss Sampler tours for city sightseeing and scenic train trips, and Private guided tours for those who would like to hire their own private guide. We have many itineraries to choose from, but remember all of our self-guided and private guided tours are fully customizable.
Self-guided tours:
Self-guided tours provide a great balance between a guided group tour and planning a trip on your own. We'll organize all of the reservations and logistics, buy appropriate railpasses, recommend favorite hikes and sights, and arrange a trip that meets your specifications. There's no guide and no group, so you have the freedom to go at your own pace and enjoy Switzerland at your leisure. As Swiss travel specialists, you can count on knowledgeable advice and superb vacation planning.
There are many reasons to take a self-guided tour to the Alps. Perhaps you don't want to be part of a group, maybe you have your own group, or just prefer to go at your own pace. Many people have restrictive travel dates that don't match up with our guided tours. Self-guided tours are more flexible (in the planning stages) and affordable - generally running about 2/3 the cost of a comparable guided tour. We've designed self-guided tours as short as 3 days or as long as 3 weeks. We can arrange quiet, intimate tours for two or larger getaways for groups of friends, work collegues, or family reunions. You can stay in absolute luxury of 4 or 5-star hotels or take in the rustic ambiance of remote mountain inns or alpine club huts. The choice is yours!
We offer a variety of well-tested self-guided packages, self-guided versions of many of our guided tours that have proven to be very popular with our clients.  We can also customize any of these tours to lengthen or shorten them, add inn-to-inn stretches or extended village stays, upgrade (or downgrade) accommodations. We only arrange self-guided tours in the areas we know and love best, and you'll benefit from the experience and expertise accumulated as a former year-round resident of Switzerland and long-time hiking guide. We know the inns and the locations, and will direct you to the best options Switzerland has to offer.
Our self-guided tours include prepaid hotels with breakfast and dinner, a Swiss transfer ticket or appropriate railpass for travel to and from the airport or border (Switzerland tours only), hiking maps with highlighted routes, carefully detailed route descriptions (including longer, shorter, and rainy day options), instructions for independently sending luggage ahead, and lots of useful information that will help your trip run smoothly.
Not included are lunches, drinks with your meals, extras (such as laundry, phone calls from the room, etc), transportation not covered by your rail pass, or the cost of luggage transport.
Our route descriptions are detailed and descriptive, and are customized to fit your trip. View a sample route description (pdf, 53kb).
We use official Swiss topographic maps, the best available, and generally include a larger fold-out map of the region as well as page-size maps for daily use. View part of a sample hiking map (110kb).
Choose from these suggested self-guided options:
Jungfrau + Matterhorn
village-based (3-star hotels), 13 days, $2490 per person
Jungfrau
village-based (3-star hotels), 7 days, $1390 per person
Matterhorn
village-based (3-star hotels), 7 days, $1490 per person
Mürren
village-based (3-star hotel), 7 days, $1290 per person
village-based (4-star hotel), 7 days, $1890 per person
Engadine
village-based (3-star hotel), 7 days, $1490 per person
The Grand Tour: Mürren, Zermatt, Pontresina
luxury village-based (distinctive 4 and 5-star hotels), 11 days, $3590 per person
8-day version, 3 nights Mürren, 2 nights Zermatt, 2 nights Pontresina $2690
Great Alpine Classics: Mürren, Chamonix, Zermatt, Pontresina
village-based (3 and 4-star hotels), 13 days, $2990 per person
7-day version, 3 nights Mürren + 3 nights Chamonix, or 3 nights Zermatt + 3 nights Pontresina $1590
Bernese Oberland
inn-to-inn (blend of mountain inns and 3-star village hotels), 11 days $1890 per person
inn-to-inn (blend of mountain inns and 3-star village hotels), 6 days, $1190 per person
Bernese Oberland Highlights
inn-to-inn combo (3 to 4-star village hotels with 1 mountain inn), 8 days $1590 per person
These prices are per person based on 2-4 people sharing double rooms. There is a small single supplement for single travelers, and we can arrange discounted prices for larger groups.
In addition, these tours can all be adjusted and customized at surprisingly affordable prices. If you'd like to lengthen or shorten one of our existing tours, or create a customized tour of the Swiss Alps from scratch, let us know. We have extensive experience hiking in many different areas of the Alps, and will be happy to work with you to build the dream vacation that best suits your needs. Family trips, honeymoons, solo travels, ski vacations, and more are all possibilities. Inn-to-inn tours are available in the Bernese Oberland. For village-based tours, we can help you choose among the villages of Grindelwald, Wengen, Mürren, Kandersteg, Zermatt, Zinal, Riederalp, and Chamonix.
You should also consider adding a night or two in the cities of Zurich, Geneva, or Lucerne. Swiss cities are clean and walkable, and these three are all very interesting for a day or two. Most people will need to spend a night in their departure city before flying home the next day, and we have great 3 and 4-star hotel options in each of these cities. Ask about it when we're discussing your tour.
Self-guided Sampler tours (for the non-hiker...)
Our Swiss Sampler self-guided itineraries are designed specifically with non-hikers in mind. These are independent sightseeing tours that include more city stopovers (Lucerne, Lugano, Zurich), scenic train rides, and easy light walks and sightseeing suggestions in some of Switzerland's most spectacular mountain villages. Our Swiss Sampler self-guided tours are an easy, enjoyable way to see all that Switzerland has to offer, and can be done either by car or train. As always, these itineraries can be customized to fit your travel plans.
Swiss Sampler, 8-day - Zermatt, Wengen, Lucerne, Lugano, Zurich
7 nights hotels with breakfast
4 dinners
8 day railpass
maps, packing list, sightseeing ideas, Glacier Express and Bernina Express reservations
modest inns and 3-star hotels, 2nd class pass, $1690 per person
luxury inns and hotels, 1st class pass, from $2690 per person
Swiss Sampler, 11-day - Zermatt, Wengen, Lucerne, Lugano, Pontresina, Zurich
10 nights hotels with breakfast
6 dinners
15 day railpass
maps, packing list, sightseeing ideas, Glacier Express and Bernina Express reservations
modest inns and 3-star hotels, 2nd class pass, $2190 per person
luxury inns and hotels, 1st class pass, from $3590 per person
Read more about all of these destinations on our online travel guide, www.alpinetraveler.com.
Private guided tours:
Are you looking for a private guide? If you have a small group and would like a private guided tour, Alpinehikers has knowledgeable guides available for private guided tours on a time-available basis. A group of just 5-6 people will receive pricing very similar to our scheduled group tours, and guides for smaller groups can be arranged for a small premium. One advantage of booking a private guide is the flexibility to enjoy either one of our standard routes, or to create your own personalized itinerary. Choose your own hiking companions and pace. Stay in huts, 5-star hotels, or anything in between, from a few days to a few weeks. Private guided tours can also be arranged for itineraries that we don't offer on a self-guided basis, such as the Haute Route, Dolomites, or Tour of Mont Blanc. Give us a call or email to start working on the right itinerary for your family or group.
"I just wanted to let you know we had a wonderful time in Switzerland, and that you did a magnificent job of organizing and pointing us in the right direction. We've had numerous comments on how "cool" an idea it was to hike in the Alps for our honeymoon.
One of the many things that stood out to me was the amazing view from the Hotel Europe's balcony of the Matterhorn. We both walked into the room and were like "right on Troy". We felt very safe and very much in the know as it was nice to have the trail maps and directions on were to go and how the culture works.
We ended up doing 3 days of trails. All of which kept us busy most of the day. In Kandersteg we did the entire Oschinscnee Lake hike up to and around. Amazing views of the lake and beautiful weather. In Zermatt we did the hike half way to Schwarzee, then cable car to Schwarzee, and then the amazing hike to Hornli Hut. The weather also cooperated that day. Saw the base of the Matterhorn and the statue at the beginning of the ascent. Finally we did much of the hike to Gornergrat [also a very strenuous one :)]. Through Riffelberg and Riffelalp, then cable car up to Gornergrat. Probably the most exhilerating view of all. We bought a couple Panoramas of the view and have one in my office here at work :). Good conversation piece.
At any rate, we had a blast, and would recommend your services to any friends that were interested. Hope your travels though Europe are safe and fun this summer. Sure beats sitting in front of this computer 8-9 hrs a day!" |
-Andrew and Cari Sloma, Self-guided Matterhorn, 2003
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| "I'm sure you're still leading trips in Switzerland but have been meaning to thank you for all your help in planning our trip. My son, daughter, and I had an incredibly wonderful experience ... mostly because of your knowledge, patience, and experience!
We never did require the "alternative" modes of transit but it was nice to know we had options. The first 3 days were in drizzle and mist but the remaining time was perfectly cloudless! I'm sorry we barely missed you at the hotel in Murren. We felt strong on the last hiking day in Murren, so substituted a climb to Piz Gloria rather than your suggested hike. The last 400 meters was all snow ... but a great climb nonetheless!
I've given your name to a few friends looking for this type of adventure - hopefully they will seek you out.
Many, many thanks!" |
-Warren Alpern, Self-guided Bernese Oberland, 2001
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| "I've never taken a trip arranged by someone else before. I must say, it was worth every penny! We would never have found all the places you meticulously mapped out for us. We only had trouble in Kandersteg on one walk finding our way per your directions. A couple of times we thought about doing a hike backward, but were always glad we didn't. Your instructions were well thought-out and delightful to follow!
Do you organize trips in any other areas such as South America? We would definitely use you again and recommend you to our friends.
Thanks for an unforgettable trip!" |
| -Rachel Weaver, Self-guided Bernese Oberland, 2002 |
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