Our typical day starts with a continental buffet breakfast at our Murren hotel - delicious fresh baked bread and croissants, local meats and cheeses, cereal, fruit, coffee and juice - which gives us the energy needed for the task ahead. Soon we'll be out on the trail, where you'll get to choose between an easier or more strenuous hike for the day. Each morning, you'll be handed a lunch to carry, and at a mid-point along the way we'll choose a beautiful spot to stop and enjoy our picnic. We get a lot of compliments on our imaginative lunches - making them something to look forward to as well!

We should finish our hike around 4 pm, giving you time to wash up, relax, or perhaps do a bit of shopping in Murren. After that, we'll enjoy dinner together at our hotel or another local restaurant. These are usually multi-course feasts, centered on local specialties like bratwurst, lamb, or cheese fondue, but may also feature chicken, fish, or other continental specialties. Our hotel serves fabulous food, and dinners will be hearty, filling, and very delicious.

While our actual hikes vary, your week will go something like this:

Day 1 Arrive in Switzerland, and transfer by train to our meeting point in Murren. There is a train station in both the Zurich and Geneva airports, and transferring to Murren will be an easy introduction to Swiss precision and friendliness. The trip itself is an incredibly scenic 4 hours into the heart of the Bernese mountains, culminating with a cablecar ride to the village. Murren is an idyllic, car-free village, perched atop a sheer 3000 ft. cliff above the waterfall-filled Lauterbrunnen valley (picture Yosemite with a Swiss village on top). After we meet, we may have time for a short walk around the outskirts of town before settling in for our welcome dinner at the Hotel Jungfrau. (Hotel Jungfrau)
Day 2 One of our favorite hikes starts in town, and gently meanders up the hills to the pastoral setting at Spielboden. Here we cross the Schiltbach stream, and start a steep and invigorating ascent to the local peak of Bryndli. We'll take our lunch enjoying birds-eye views of Murren and the Lauterbrunnen valley, perhaps with a soaring golden eagle for company. From here the trail levels off, and becomes a relaxing stroll through flowery meadows to a quiet alpine hut at Bogangen. The trail back leads over a small ridge for more great views, before dropping back down to Murren. (Hotel Jungfrau)
Day 3 A lovely panorama walk leads north out of the village through fields of wildflowers, past quiet farms at Grutschalp, and into hidden Soustal valley. On the return trip, we can hike through fern-filled forests, and up to the beautiful panorama at Allmendhubel, before dropping down to the Blumental ("flower valley"). The mountains are particularly well-framed from this little corner above Murren. A short, steep descent along the Murren stream leads us back to town. (Hotel Jungfrau)
Day 4 The Upper Lauterbrunnen valley curls back beneath the white-capped Breithorn - considered by many to be the most perfect mountain in the region. It's also a nature preserve, and contains many wonderful hiking trails. One of our favorites takes us to the small farm at Obersteinberg, where the proprietors keep cows and make cheese by the same simple methods that have been used for centuries. This part of the valley also contains some of the area's prettiest waterfalls. (Hotel Jungfrau)
Day 5 We may start with a morning stroll through the sleepy village of Gimmelwald. From here a wooded trail leads down past impressive waterfalls to the floor of the Lauterbrunnen valley. After a relaxing picnic lunch, a flat hike takes us through the center of this amazing valley. 3000' cliffs tower on either side of us, boasting some of Switzerland's most famous waterfalls. After arriving in the town of Lauterbrunnen, we can transfer by funicular train back to Murren. (Hotel Jungfrau)
Day 6 A morning transfer brings us to the Wengen, the quiet village on the opposite side of the Lauterbrunnen valley. Underneath the gorgeous backdrop of the glacier-draped Jungfrau, we'll hike through forests and meadows to Kleine Scheidegg. Here we can watch avalanches peel off the Jungfrau, perhaps make an ascent of a local peak, and enjoy stunning, close-up views of the Eiger North Face throughout. (Hotel Jungfrau)
Day 7 After breakfast at our hotel, we'll say our good-byes and leave for our post-trip destinations.

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Arrive:	Plan to arrive June 11 at the latest (flights from the US would depart June 10). The closest airport is Zurich where there is a train station that will take you to Murren. The Swiss Card rail pass is recommended only if you have extra travel in Switzerland planned before or after this tour.
Depart:	Plan departure for June 18 at the earliest, and plan on 1 night at a hotel in your departure city (we can help with this if you like).

Dates don't work? Check out our very similar Jungfrau tour.

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 the Murren tour as a self-guided hiking tour. See Gimmelwald, Jungfraujoch and Schilthorn and enjoy gorgeous hikes every day. This is a 7-day tour at a price of $1290 per person for our 3-star option, or $1890 for our 4-star option, based on two people sharing a double room. This tour can easily be lengthened or shortened to fit your schedule.

Our self-guided tours include prepaid hotels with breakfast and dinner, a Swiss Transfer Ticket for rail travel to and from the airport or border, 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.

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.

In addition, customized guided and self-guided hiking tours are available at surprisingly affordable prices. If you'd like to lengthen or shorten an existing tour, upgrade hotels (or go rustic), or create a customized tour of the Swiss Alps from scratch, let us know. We have extensive experience in many parts of the Alps, and will be happy to work with you to build the hiking vacation that best suits your needs.

Learn more about custom and self-guided tours