See our Guided Tour Schedule arranged by date.
Jungfrau + Matterhorn Regions (village-based walking/hiking tour)
This two-week guided tour takes us to the heart of the most breathtaking mountain scenery anywhere! Start in Mürren, with unobstructed views of the Jungfrau, the queen of the Swiss Alps. Then it's on to Grindelwald, nestled at the foot of the fearsome Eiger north wall. Afterwards, we'll stay in the world-famous hiking center Zermatt, tucked against the Alps' most striking mountain, the Matterhorn. Finally, we'll finish with 2 days in unassuming Zinal, in the lovely and rugged Anniviers valley. This tour has a little of everything, and is a perfect introduction to the Swiss Alps.
see a detailed itinerary
| 2009 Departures: | June 8-20 |
| July 27-August 8 |
| Tour Cost: | $4395 per person |
| $350 single supplement |
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Hiking the Jungfrau (village-based walking/hiking tour)
The Jungfrau and Eiger mountains are the highlights of an incredible rock wall stretching across the entire region. Visit Mürren, a quiet car-free village perched at the edge of a sheer cliff, and Grindelwald, with a dramatic location at the base of the Eiger North Wall. Everybody's perfect picture of the Swiss Alps - age-old glaciers, colorful wildflowers, towering waterfalls, and peaceful villages.
see a detailed itinerary
| 2009 Departures: | June 8-14 |
| July 27 - August 2 |
| August 31 - September 5 |
| Tour Cost: | $2395 per person |
| $1995 (August 31 departure) |
| $200 single supplement |
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Hiking the Matterhorn (village-based walking/hiking tour)
See the storybook village of Zermatt, at the foot of the mighty Matterhorn, and quiet Zinal, tucked at the end of the nearby Anniviers valley. The Matterhorn is the most captivating mountain in the Alps, dominating an area of surpising richness, while Zinal is another gem - a quiet hideaway near many of Europe's highest mountains. Our walks lead us to wild gorges, colorful flowers, peaceful lakes surrounded by soft larch forests, and enchanting, traditional alpine hamlets. Truly a hiker's paradise!
see a detailed itinerary
| 2009 Departures: | July 14-20 |
| August 2-8 |
| Tour Cost: | $2595 per person |
| $200 single supplement |
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Great Alpine Classics (village-based walking/hiking tour)
Hike beneath the Jungfrau, Mont Blanc and Matterhorn mountains, and ride the Glacier Express to the peaceful Engadine region. Tour Chamonix, Mürren, Zermatt, and Pontresina, four of the most scenic and historic mountain villages in the world. Along the way, we'll stay in absolute comfort in traditional, exquisite 3 and 4-star hotels. Welcoming hotels, walkable villages, and beautiful locations make this a perfect choice for non-hikers as well.
see a detailed itinerary
| 2009 Departure: | July 13-25 |
| Tour Cost: | $4595 per person |
| $550 single supplement |
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Great Alpine Classics, West and East (village-based walking/hiking tour)
Join us for either half of the Great Alpine Classics tour. Great Alpine Classics, West begins with 3 days in Chamonix followed by 3 days in Mürren. Great Alpine Classics, East starts with 3 days in Zermatt and finishes with 3 days in Pontresina. Each is a wonderful week-long tour, with breathtaking mountain scenery, beautiful train rides, and unforgettable villages.
see a detailed itinerary
| 2009 Departure, West: | July 13-19 |
| Tour Cost: | $2595 per person |
| $400 single supplement |
| 2009 Departure, East: | July 19-22 |
| Tour Cost: | $2595 per person |
| $200 single supplement |
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The Grand Tour (village-based walking/hiking tour)
Stay in luxurious inns, enjoy classic train rides, and hike three of the grandest mountain destinations in world. Tour beautiful Mürren, then stay high above Zermatt at the 5-star Riffelalp Resort, and ride the Glacier Express across the Alps to Pontresina. World-class hotels and great hikes in perfect combination.
see a detailed itinerary
| 2009 Departure: | June 21-28 |
| Tour Cost: | $4595 per person |
| $600 single supplement |
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Dolomites Traverse (inn-to-inn hiking tour)
The Dolomites are a unique region, where green meadows, surprising wildflowers, and quaint villages give way to huge pink and yellow limestone towers laced with hiking trails. Situated in northern Italy near the border with Austria, the Dolomites hold a fascinating mix of Italian, Tyrolean and ancient Ladin cultures. Meet in Bolzano, home of the Ötzi ice-man, then hike hut-to-hut from Corvara, near the towering Sella mountain group, to the Gardena valley, in the heart of the Dolomites. Spend 2 nights in mountain huts and 4 nights in luxurious 3 and 4-star village hotels, exploring gorgeous hiking routes. A great introduction to an impressive region.
see a detailed itinerary
| 2009 Departure: | July 5-11 |
| Tour Cost: | $2895 per person |
| $350 single supplement |
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Bernese Oberland Traverse (inn-to-inn hiking tour)
Our signature tour, on this tour we'll move often, staying in a different location most nights, as we hike this breathtaking and challenging section of the Alpine Pass Route. Spend 4 nights in charming mountain inns - remote, memorable spots, and 6 nights in comfortable 3-star village hotels. Our luggage is transported separately, so you can hike unencumbered. This is inn-to-inn hiking at it's best!
We also offer 2-day self-guided pre-trip and post-trip extensions to the Bernese Oberland Traverse. Join us from August 15-17 hiking from Engelberg to Meiringen through quiet meadows, or August 27-29 from Gasterntal over the Gemmi pass to Leukerbad, for their famous thermal baths.
see a detailed itinerary
| 2009 Departure: | Aug 17-27 |
| Tour Cost: | $3495 per person |
| $350 single supplement |
| Pre or post-trip extension: | $600 per person |
| $50 single supplement |
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Bernese Oberland, Parts A and B (inn-to-inn hiking tour)
You are welcome to join us for half the Bernese Oberland Traverse. Part A starts in Meiringen and crosses two moderate passes on the way to Mürren. Part B picks up in Mürren, with two strenuous passes on the way to the Gastern valley near Kandersteg. Part A is slightly easier, with more villages and more famous mountains. Part B is more challenging with quieter trails and destinations. Add the 2-day pre or post-trip extension to the Bernese Oberland tour for a great week-long trip.
see a detailed itinerary
| 2009 Departure, Part A: | Aug 17-22 |
| Tour Cost: | $1995 per person |
| $200 single supplement |
| Pre-trip extension: | $600 per person |
| $50 single supplement |
| 2009 Departure, Part B: | Aug 22-27 |
| Tour Cost: | $1995 per person |
| $200 single supplement |
| Post-trip extension: | $600 per person |
| $50 single supplement |
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Hiker's Haute Route (Inn-to-inn tour)
The Hiker's Haute Route consists of a spectacular series of trails linking Chamonix to Zermatt, marked by high, steep passes, quiet trails, and stunning mountain scenery. On this tour, we'll take a couple bus transfers, and hike the most spectacular sections of the Haute Route. We'll begin in Chamonix and finish in Zermatt. For those who love mountain scenery and challenging hikes, his tour offers the best of one of Switzerland's most dramatic hiking routes.
*Note (7/1/09), this tour has been cancelled and replaced with the August 9 Bernese Oberland Highlights tour.
see a detailed itinerary
| 2009 Departure: | August 8-16 |
| Tour Cost: | $3195 per person |
| $350 single supplement |
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Tour of Mont Blanc Express (inn-to-inn hiking tour)
At 15771', Mont Blanc is the highest mountain in the Alps - a snowy giant surrounded by many other famous peaks with a towering beauty special to this region. The Tour of Mont Blanc is a strenuous hiking tour around the impressive Mont Blanc massif. We'll cross through 3 countries - France, Italy, and Switzerland - enjoying an unequaled variety of cultures, views, and beautiful hikes. Our Express tour uses van transfers to skip some short stretches and accomplish the tour in just 8 days. Classic mountains, high passes, and varied trails make this tour a memorable feat.
see a detailed itinerary
| 2009 Departure: | August 2-9 |
| Tour Cost: | $3095 per person |
| $350 single supplement |
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Bernese Oberland Highlights (inn-to-inn combo tour)
Our Bernese Oberland Highlights tour combines great dayhikes from comfortable village-based hotels with a short and spectacular inn-to-inn stretch. We'll enjoy outstanding stops at 3 and 4-star hotels as well as the most breathtaking and memorable inn-to-inn stretch of the Alpine Pass Route. Starting with 2 nights in Wengen, we'll hike to the far end of the Lauterbrunnen valley for 1 night at the charming mountain inn of Obersteinberg. We'll continue to Mürren for 2 nights there, followed by 2 more in quiet Kandersteg. Enjoy first-class hotels, and plenty of flexibility for longer or shorter hikes each day.
see a detailed itinerary
| 2009 Departures: | June 21-28 |
| June 28-July 5 |
| August 9-16 |
| Tour Cost: | $2895 per person |
| $200 single supplement |
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Engadine Highlights (inn-to-inn combo tour)
See the best that the Engadine region has to offer in this unique and exciting tour of the Engadine valley. We'll start with a night in enchanting Guarda, a short inn-to-inn stretch in the upper Engadine, and finishing with 2 nights in lovely Pontresina. Stay in a remote mountain inn one night, with the other nights in 3-star village hotels. The Engadine is one of Switzerland's best-kept secrets, with glacier-clad mountains, beautiful lakes, and unique villages.
see a detailed itinerary
| 2009 Departure: | September 6-12 |
| Tour Cost: | $2895 per person |
| $300 single supplement |
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Swiss Sampler Tour (train-based sightseeing tour)
Switzerland is great for non-hikers as well, with beautiful cities, easy walking trails, and high-mountain cablecars. Their network of trains is unmatched, with scenic routes such as the Goldenpass and Glacier Express. We'll split out time between great cities and majestic mountains. Every other day, we'll transfer by train to a new destination, leaving plenty of time for local exploration.
see a detailed itinerary
| 2009 Departures: | June 21-July 3 |
| July 19-31 |
| Tour Cost: | $4895 per person |
| $500 single supplement |
For a 6-night trip, join either half of the Sampler Tour. The Sampler Goldenpass starts in Lucerne and finishes in Montreux, while the Sampler Glacier Express starts in Zermatt and finishes in Lugano.
| Swiss Sampler, Goldenpass: | $2695 (7 days) |
| Swiss Sampler, Glacier Express: | $2895 (7 days) |
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Arizona Red Rocks (village-based hiking tour)
Although we summer in Switzerland, the rest of our year is spent in the gorgeous landscapes of Northern Arizona. Prescott, Sedona and the South Rim of the Grand Canyon are all world-class hiking destinations, with towering granite and red sandstone cliffs, beautiful lakes, and green forests. Take the historic Grand Canyon train from Williams, stay in gorgeous hotels, and enjoy the ideal spring and fall climate of Northern Arizona.
see a detailed itinerary
| 2009 Departures: | April 5-11 |
| April 19-25 |
| May 3-9 |
| October 4-10 |
| October 18-24 |
| Tour Cost: | $1995 per person |
| $600 single supplement |
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Private Guided and Self-guided Tours (inn-to-inn, village-based, train or combo tours)
| "We had the best time in Switzerland! It is the ultimate hiking destination. The people are great, the hotels are wonderful, the food is excellent, the country is clean (how about those public bathrooms!?), the hiking trails are well marked, and the scenery is beautiful, and your itinerary and attention to detail were PERFECT. We will be going again (maybe next summer- in August this time), and we wouldn't even consider traveling there without you setting up the trip." |
| -Blake Simpson, Self-guided Bernese Oberland, 2000 |
If you're an independent hiker and prefer to go at your own pace, or have travel dates that don't match up with our guided tours, you may prefer to do a self-guided hiking tour. Our self-guided tours include prepaid hotels with breakfast and dinner, a Swiss transfer ticket for travel to and from the airport or border (Switzerland tours only), hiking maps, 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.
We offer self-guided versions of all of our village-based hiking tours and of our inn-to-inn tours, Bernese Oberland Traverse and Bernese Oberland Highlights. In addition, both private guided tours and independent self-guided hiking tours are available 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've organized hundreds of independent self-guided tours over the past 10 years, and have extensive expertise in Switzerland and the surrounding areas of France and Italy. We will be happy to work with you to build the hiking or train-based vacation that best suits your needs. We can help you choose among the mountain villages of Mürren, Wengen, Grindelwald, Kandersteg, Guarda, Pontresina, Zermatt, Riederalp, Zinal, Ortisei and Chamonix. Add city stops like Lucerne, Zurich, Basel, Lugano, Montreux, or extensions to Italy's lake Como or Cinque Terre regions.
Our Swiss Sampler tours are designed specifically with non-hikers in mind. These include scenic train rides, more city stopovers (Lucerne, Lugano, Montreux) and easy light walks and non-hiking ideas in some of Switzerland's most spectacular mountain villages. All of your hotels, railpasses, maps and reservations are arranged so that all you need to do is enjoy your trip. Our 8-day Swiss Sampler and 13-day Swiss Sampler self-guided tours are designed for a more relaxed sightseeing tour of Switzerland.
It is also possible to hire a private guide for your family or small group at prices similar to our group tours. Click here to learn more about self-guided tours and private guides.
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