Zermatt Highlights (Inn-to-inn combo hiking tour)
Meet: Zermatt
Depart: Zermatt
Length: 7 days
Hike Rating: Strenuous, 5-7 hours/day, 2500'-4500' elevation gain/loss
| 2008 Departure: | August 25-31 |
| Tour Cost: | $2795 |
| $300 (single supplement) |
The Matterhorn region is the classic Swiss hiker's paradise. The lively village of Zermatt is surrounded by dozens of distinctive peaks, and criss-crossed by countless trails, with a wide variety of mountain inns and huts dotting the landscape. This exciting, unique inn-to-inn tour starts with 2 days in Zermatt and winds around on a high-level circuit of the valley. We'll stay in an eclectic mix of unique places - with 3 nights in a beautiful 3-star village hotel, 2 nights in simple mountain inns tucked on remote balconies, and one luxurious night in a 5-star mountain hotel. We'll have one stretch where we need to carry a few extra supplies in our daypacks for 2 nights away from our luggage. Overall, memorable inns and convenient access to remote trails makes this is quite possibly the best way to appreciate the Matterhorn and Zermatt.
Our typical day starts with a continental buffet breakfast at our inn - delicious fresh baked bread, local cheeses, cereal, fruit, coffee and juice - which gives us the energy needed for a full day of inn-to-inn hiking.  Soon we'll be out on the trail for 6-8 hours, where often 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 4-5 pm, giving you time to wash up and relax. After that, we'll enjoy dinner together at our inn. These are multi-course feasts, featuring local specialties like bratwurst, rösti, or cheese fondue, and will definitely be hearty, filling, and very delicious.
Day 1 Arrive in Switzerland, and transfer by train to our meeting point in Zermatt. There is a train station in both the Zurich and Geneva airports, and transferring to Zermatt (4-5 hours) will be an easy and scenic introduction to Switzerland. After we meet, we may have a chance to take a short walk through town before settling in for our delicious welcome dinner at our cozy 3-star Hotel Europe. (Hotel Europe)
Day 2 There are a variety of beautiful trails to choose from for our first warm-up hike. Perhaps we'll pass the numerous small lakes that grace the Findeln valley. The lakes make a nice destination for a brisk swim or reflection view of the mountains. Marmots can often be seen frolicking in the meadows as we walk back to the Findeln hut for lunch and views.  Return to Zermatt for a 2nd night. (Hotel Europe)
Day 3 We start the inn-to-inn portion of our trip with a steep hike into the nearby Trift valley that quickly takes us to birds-eye views above town. From here, the trail follows the Trift stream into a small enclosed meadow, high in the mountains. This is a good place to find edelweiss, Switzerland's elusive national flower. More views await us higher up, towards the end of this quiet valley. Stay in a small hotel with private rooms and bathroom/shower down the hall. (Hotel Trift)
Day 4 A rising traverse brings us to the crest of Hohbalmen, one of the best viewpoints in the valley, or in the entire Alps, for that matter. After gaining the hill, the trail flattens and becomes a panoramic stroll along the north face of the Matterhorn. Later, we get as close as you can to the Matterhorn without actually climbing it, ascending all the way up to the Hornli hut, which serves as a Matterhorn base camp at the edge of the great mountain, where adventurous climbers rise at 4am to set off in pursuit of the summit. We stay in a small hotel below the hut at Schwarzsee lake. (Hotel Schwarzsee)
Day 5 An easier day takes us down from the Hornli ridge, past the small Schwarzsee lake, and on to the opposite Gorner ridge. Along the way, we'll pass through soft pine and larch forest, and see some interesting glacier formations. Our destination is the newly restored 5-star Riffelalp Resort, on the site of the historic Riffelalp Grand Hotel. We will bask in a night of utter luxury here, with a view of the Matterhorn that has long been considered one of the most pleasing angles. (5-star Riffelalp Resort)
Day 6 Our choices today include a rocky ascent of the Rothorn for final mountain views, or a pleasant, meandering path through the woods and through the wild Gorner gorge and back to Zermatt, to the same hotel we started the week in. (Hotel Europe)
Day 7 After breakfast at our hotel, we'll say our good-byes and leave for our post-trip destinations.
Note - On the Zermatt Highlights tour, we have many hikes to choose from each day. Even though our destinations are set, the actual routes we take may vary from this description.
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| Arrive: | Plan to arrive the day your tour begins at the latest (flights from the US would depart the day before). The closest airports are in Zurich or Geneva. There is a train station at both airports that will take you to Zermatt. |
| Depart: | Plan departure for the day after your tour finishes at the earliest. Plan on one night at a hotel in your departure city if you have a morning flight (we can set this up if you like). The Swiss Card rail pass is recommended only if you have extra travel in Switzerland planned before or after this tour. |
I also want to tell you that the weather was fantastic and my only regret is that we couldn't see more of the country on this journey; hopefully someday soon we will be able to return as Switzerland is indeed one of the most majestic places I've ever seen. My husband has twice as many countries under his belt as I but I could definitely see in his face the same tranquility that I experienced there. Needless to say, the Matterhorn literally moved me to tears. I never could understand or appreciate a man/woman having the need or desire to climb such a thing until I set my eyes on it for the very first time... Thank you again for such an incredible brief kiss of your lovely country. Someday I hope to return again for a more extensive journey.
-N Mogel, 2007 self-guided tour, Zermatt |
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