The Matterhorn region is the classic Swiss hiker's paradise. The village of Zermatt is historic and fun, and the Matterhorn is one of the world's defining mountains, anchoring a region filled with great hikes and jaw-dropping views. On this guided tour we'll spend 4 nights in Zermatt and 2 nights in Kandersteg, a small village in a nearby valley with wonderful hiking opportunities and a gorgeous alpine lake. We'll stay in comfortable and classy 3-star hotels each night, taking 5-7 hour dayhikes during the day.

Our typical day starts with a continental buffet breakfast at our hotel - delicious fresh baked bread and croissants, local meats and cheeses, cereal, fruit, coffee and juice - which gives us the energy needed for the upcoming tours. Soon we'll be out on the trail, where you'll get to choose between an easier walk 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, perhaps do a bit of shopping in town or relax in our fun hotel pool and spa. After that, we'll enjoy dinner together at our hotel or another local restaurant. These are usually multi-course feasts, featuring both local and international specialties like chicken, fish, or cheese fondue. Our hotels enjoy excellent reputations for their fine cuisine. We will leave one night in Zermatt free, so you will have a chance to explore on your own.

While hiking in Zermatt and Kandersteg, we have literally dozens of hikes to choose from each day. We've described some of our favorite hikes here, but expect your own tour to vary slightly.

Day 1 Arrive in Switzerland, and transfer by train to our meeting point in Kandersteg. There is a train station in both the Zurich and Geneva airports, and transferring to Kandersteg (3 hours) will be easy and scenic. We stay in the center of town in a comfortable 3-star hotel. (Hotel Bernerhof, Alfa Soleil or Victoria Ritter)
Day 2 The enchanting Oeschinen lake is Kandersteg's top attraction, a spectacular emerald-green lake surrounded by cliffs, waterfalls, and glacier-clad peaks. We'll hike up to the lake and make a high loop through meadows and forest and back to Kandersteg for the night. (Hotel Bernerhof, Alfa Soleil or Victoria Ritter)
Day 3 Leave Kandersteg by train for Zermatt, the lively village at the base of the Matterhorn. Take a short hike above Zermatt for views of the surrounding mountains, perhaps to the centuries-old hamlets of Zum See and Zmutt, before returning to the wonderful spa and friendly reception at the Hotel Europe. (Hotel Europe)
Day 4 It's nice to start with a walking tour of the village that takes you past 400 year-old houses and into the history of this fascinating town. Then perhaps up to the Findeln glacier, hiking through larch forests and passing numerous small lakes with the Matterhorn towering in the distance. Afterwards, we'll enjoy exquisite food and great Matterhorn views from our hotel on the outskirts of Zermatt. (Hotel Europe)
Day 5 Taking quiet trails through fields and forest, we have a range of choices up to the wide ridge of Gornergrat, past marmots and small glacial lakes, to what has to be one of the finest viewpoints in Europe. The jumbled mass of the Gorner glacier stretches out before us, and behind that, Dom, Monte Rosa, the Breithorn, and the Matterhorn form a spectacular backdrop. Dinner will be on your own tonight in Zermatt. (Hotel Europe)
Day 6 There are many peaceful trails criss-crossing the larch forests outside of Zermatt. We'll take one that leads us to a suspended wooden walkway through a narrow river gorge. After a harrowing walk through the gorge, we emerge and continue on high ridge above town. Perhaps we'll make the strenuous climb up to the Hornli hut (a sort of Matterhorn base camp) to enjoy fabulous, close-up views of the Matterhorn and and a sweeping look back at the valley below. (Hotel Europe)
Day 7 After breakfast at our hotel, we'll say our good-byes and leave for our post-trip destinations.

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This self-guided tour includes prepaid hotels with breakfast each morning and dinners listed above, a Swiss Flexipass railpass for 3 free days of rail travel plus 50% discounts on most other trains and cablecars, hiking maps, detailed route descriptions, and lots of useful information that will help your trip run smoothly.

This tour can be customized to fit your needs. If you'd like to lengthen or shorten the tour, upgrade hotels (or go rustic), or create a customized tour of Switzerland from scratch, let us know. We have extensive experience across the Alps, and will be happy to work with you to build the hiking vacation that best suits your needs.

See our self-guided Matterhorn tour page