The Best of Via Alpina: 8-Day Hiking Trip in Swiss Alps
Hike on the #1 National Trail Via Alpina, one of world’s most spectacular hikes
Tour Overview
From $5,240 | Semi-Guided Private Hiking Tour | June to September
On our 8-day The Best of Via Alpina Hiking Trip you will hike on Switzerland’s National Via Alpina #1 signposted trail and are constantly surrounded by breathtaking Swiss Alps panoramas throughout your entire itinerary. You will be surprised how well marked, wide with easy to moderate hiking all the while in the middle of the Swiss Alps.
During your multi day hike, you experience awesome breathtaking views of glaciers, dramatic mountain peaks, green pastures with alpine flora and fauna and lots cow bells ringing in the air. This is one of the most popular hikes in Europe. Completing this hike is one of the best feelings in the world! It gives you a sense of accomplishment that not many other adventures can.
Hightlights
- Private tour with flexible schedules
- Personalized itinerary
- Semi-guided: discover Switzerland independently
- Eiger, Mönch, and Jungfrau peaks at hand's reach
- Most scenic Swiss Alps panoramas
- Luggage transfers
- Overnights in Lucerne, Melchsee-Frutt, Grindelwald and Mürren
- Dedicated local helpline
Featured Sites
- Jungfrau Region
- Famous trio: Eiger, Mönch, and Jungfrau
- Overnight in the car-free village of Mürren
- Grindelwald - gate to the Jungfrau region
- Overnight in Melschsee-Frutt at 6,300 ft
- 12th century Benedictine Monastery in Engelberg
- Optional: ride to the summit of Schilthorn (Piz Gloria) and Jungfraujoch
Book the Swiss Alps hiking tour today!
The Best of Via Alpina Hiking Trip Itinerary
Embark on a captivating journey with Via Alpina, where you can immerse yourself in the beauty of the Alps through exhilarating trekking experiences, unveiling the breathtaking landscapes and diverse wonders along the way.
Welcome & Orientation
Our ECHO Rails Guide will be waiting outside the customs area with a sign, so just look for the person with a red or white ECHO ball cap.
You will be welcomed, greeted and along with your luggage, you will be transferred to your Lucerne hotel.
Our Guide will give you a detailed briefing of the itinerary and will provide you with all the documentation for the trip.
The rest of the day is on your own to explore Lucerne.
Accommodation: Hotel Walstätterhof (or similar accommodation).
Our Guide will meet you at the hotel at 7:45 am.
Place your luggage by reception with the ECHO Rails Tags in place. It will be transferred to your next hotel in Melchsee-Frutt.
Pack lightly – just sufficient things for the day.
You’ll take a 45 min train ride from Lucerne to Engelberg. Then we’ll being the day’s hike.
Our guide will accompany you on this day’s hike. Throughout the day, your guide will explain how the Swiss hiking trails and trail signs work. You have the entire day to ask all your questions about how the hiking trails in Switzerland works.
By the time you reach Melchsee-Frutt, you will feel very confident about continuing.
While hiking, be sure to enjoy the breathtaking vistas, walk past beautiful alpine lakes, historic hotels, alpine dairies, and mountain chapels.
Today’s Hike
The hike is flexible and your Guide can adjust the route depending on your fitness level.
On average:
- 4 to 5 hours total hiking;
- 8 miles distance;
- total day’s ascent 1,400 ft;
- total Day’s descent 1,600 ft.
After your first full day of hiking, you will enjoy your very comfortable hotel with indoor swimming pool, sauna and steam rooms to relax & recharge.
Tip: bring your swimming suit with you as your luggage will arrive no later that 6 pm.
Meals included: Breakfast.
Accommodation: Frutt Mountain Resort (or comparable accommodation).
At an elevation of 6,300 ft Melchsee-Frutt a mountain village resort offers you that “Swiss Alps experience” you envisioned. You are nestled in between green mountain pastures, hearing the clanging bells of brown cows and have a few local shops to visit offers you that real authentic Swiss Alps experience. Now you realize why this place is only accessible via foot or cable car.
Today’s hike will be gorgeous. There will be alpine peaks in the distance while viewing green valleys and pastures below. One of the Swiss hiking guides describes this segment as a “Hike near to heaven”, with Swiss peaks of the Wetterhorn, Mittelhorn & Rothorn in your sights.
Today is a combination of hiking to a cable car station, riding down to Meiringen, then taking the local postal bus from the Meiringen train station to the resort of Grindelwald.
The guide will have explained the options of how to get to Grindelwald. Given the weather conditions you will want to choose the safest route possible.
Today’s Hike
On Average:
- total hiking time: 3 to 4 hours
- 6 miles distance
- 700 ft up and hiking on level ridge trail.
In the afternoon you reach the Alpine village of Grindelwald, surrounded by the majestic trio: Monch, Jungfrau and Eiger.
Your luggage will be delivered not later than 6 pm.
Meals included: Breakfast.
Accommodation: Hotel Alpina (or similar accommodation)
The Jungfrau region is a world famous gateway that faces the Eiger, Mönch & Jungfrau mountain peaks.
The two days you spend here, provide you the time to hike the summit trails so you can fully capture the awesome ambiance of this magnificent nature. A visit to the Jungfraujoch summit at 11,362 ft. places you on the Aletsch, Europe’s largest glacier. Once on top you have time to walk on the packed snow and be at eye level with these mountain peaks. Your Half-Fare card provides you a reduction on the Jungfrau railway.
You are in a hiking paradise with stunning views of dramatic mountain peaks, glaciers, green pastures and Alpine flora and fauna, often with cow bells clanking in view.
During the briefing with our guide in Lucerne, we will discuss the many safe, Grindelwald based sign-posted mountain trails. This way you choose your hikes on the day according to prevailing weather conditions and your energy levels.
Insider tip: we have local English speaking guides in Grindelwald available. They are experts on all the trails and will make this part of the tour even more stunning.
Meals included: Breakfast.
Accommodation: Hotel Alpina (or similar accommodation).
Depart via train to Lauterbrunnen with time to walk around the valley of 72 waterfalls.
We highly recommend to visit the Trümmelbach falls gorge: a series of glacier waterfalls inside the mountain.
Afterwards ride a cable car and train to Mürren. (This is why Rick Steves loves this area). A mountain village at 5,450 ft not only provides an eye level view of the Eiger, Mönch & Jungfrau, but also presents you with an entire new mountain range of peaks.
From Mürren you continue your Swiss Alps trek, hiking on some of the most beautiful Swiss Alpine trails.
You also have time to take the gondola up to the 9,744 ft Schilthorn and enjoy one of the most awesome Swiss Alps summit views. Your Half-Fare card also provides you reductions on the cable cars and trains during your Mürren stay.
In Mürren there are many hiking options while viewing the Jungfrau alps of the Eiger, Mönch & Jungfrau.
Your luggage will be at your Mürren hotel by 6:00p.m.
Meals included: Breakfast.
Accommodation: Hotel Edelweiss (or similar accommodation).
You have a full day to experience the beauty of Mürren.
In your Itinerary we will include some of our favorite hiking option you have in this village.
If anyone is a James Bond 007 fan, the movie “On Her Majesty’s Secret Service” was filmed on the Schiltorn at 8,370 ft. One can experience incredible Swiss Alps vistas. Here too you can use your Half-Fare card and receive a reduction on the cable car rate.
Meals included: Breakfast.
Accommodation: Hotel Edelweiss (or similar accommodation).
After breakfast departure to your own destination.
It is suggested you coordinate with the hotel front desk on the best way to help you with your luggage to the Mürren train station. Plan on about 1 hour by the time you depart your hotel, to take the train to Grütschalp and the cable car down to Lauterbrunnen. Once in Lauterbrunnen you have access to all the trains to your onward destination. Your Swiss Half-Fare card offers you a 50% reduction on all Swiss public transportation.
For those continuing on to Zermatt, plan on about a 3 hour train ride with easy connections in Interlaken Ost, Spiez, and Visp.
For those traveling to the Zürich airport, also plan on a 3 hour train ride with connections in Interlaken Ost & Bern.
Meals included: Breakfast.
Not ready to go home?
The Post-Tour option extends your Via Alpina Hiking Tour with 3 nights in Zermatt. Via Apina Post-Trip Information and Pricing.
Book the Swiss Alps hiking tour today!
Details and pricing
Adult Standard: US $3,274* per person, based on 2 or more
Adult Standard single supplement: US $620 for one person
Reserve your place on this hike with a 10% deposit – balance due 90 days before the departure date.
- Zürich airport Meet & Greet
- Full Day hiking with our local English-speaking Guide – accompanying you on first hike from Lucerne to Melchsee-Frutt
- 7 nights lodging in twin-bedded rooms in comfortable 3-4 star hotels/lodges including breakfasts
- Luggage Transfers from Lucerne to Melchsee-Frutt, from Melchsee-Frutt to Grindelwald and from Grindelwald to Mürren
- Half-Fare Card that offers unlimited half price tickets on trains, buses, boats and public transport in cities valid 1 month. Also offers reductions up to 50% discounts on most mountain excursions
- Full set of travel documents including detailed itinerary, digital hiking routes, etc.
- Dedicated helpline from 9:00 am to 6:00 pm.
- First-Aid Safety Kit.
- Lunches and dinners
- Ground transportation – cable car, local postal bus, train tickets (with your Half-Fare card these all at 50% reduction rates)
- Items of personal nature
See our Cancellation Policy for more details.
Visa, Maestro, and Mastercard are commonly accepted in Switzerland. American Express is not so popular and many businesses don’t accept it. The country is becoming more and more cashless with contactless and mobile payments (Google and Apple Pay). Still, it’s useful to have some cash on you while travelling. All banks provide currency exchange services at a favorable rate.
Good Fitness Required
This is a hiking tour and while most of the trail do not involve any challenging up or downhill stretches, you require good physical health, endurance, sense of balance and sure-footedness.
Many paths are uneven and rocky, sometimes very narrow with steep hills on both sides. Previous experience in mountain hiking is advised. Make sure you bring good gear: sturdy hiking boots to protect your ankles, clothes made of breathable materials, a hat, a good backpack, sunblock and water bottle. For a full guide on packing list, click here.
Click on the “Book Now” button on this tour page
- On the right hand side, select the Date you wish to take the tour in the Date Box
- Input the number of participants
- Go to the Tour Box and click on BOOK button – the payment form will open
- Review the final price – make sure it is correct
- Read our Cancellation Policy – check the Terms & Conditions Box
- Pay with either a PayPal account or debit/credit card
Once the payment has been processed, a written confirmation will be sent to your email address
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