Fly to Geneva and transfer by shuttle van to our meeting point in Chamonix. The trip is easy and very scenic, and we can help with this booking. If you arrive early, you can ask us to book a few extra days on your own in Chamonix at the start of the trip.

Chamonix is a fantastic town for simply walking around and soaking in the atmosphere. Grab a crepe or a coffee from one of the food carts, maybe take a ride up a scenic cable car, or do any last-minute shopping for your hike. We’ll meet for dinner and talk about the trip to come. Relax in the evening at our comfortable village hotel.

Arrival: Geneva.  Plan to arrive by the day your tour starts.  You can book a private or shared shuttle from GVA to Chamonix.  The trip takes 1½ hrs.  We recommend booking early with Mountain Dropoffs or Chamonix Valley Transfers.

On our first hiking day of the tour, we’ll hike up to the Col de Balme pass to the border of France and Switzerland, with breathtaking views behind us of Mont Blanc and the Chamonix valley.

Today we’ll make a loop hike and descend to le Tour, then transfer by bus back to Chamonix for a 2nd night.

A morning transfer brings us to the trailhead at Col de la Forclaz.  We’ll have 2 choices today. For an easier hike, an undulating trail leads through alpine pastures and pine forests, the Bovine route, with sweeping views of the Rhone valley.

Weather permitting, a more rigorous possibility leads up to the high pass of Fenetre d’Arpette, one of the highest points along the tour, with wonderful views of the Trient glacier.

Both hikes finish at the pretty, lakeside village of Champex, where we stay in a comfortable 3-star hotel.

After a morning transfer by bus and train to Verbier, you’ll hike high above the valley, through meadows filled with mountain goats, on a gorgeous panoramic hike above Verbier.

Pass through meadows filled with mountain goats while gazing upon the snowy white crown of the Grand Combin mountain. Eventually we’ll reach the lakeside Louvie hut, always a friendly stop and a peaceful night.

A rugged day brings us across 2 passes and through a wild region filled with glaciers and rocky peaks known as the Grand Desert.  Turn off the cell phone – it won’t work anyway.  This is rocky, remote and beautiful.

After a lot of up and down on quiet trails, we’ll finish the day at the bustling Prafleuri hut, our simplest stop on the tour, where a hearty meal awaits.

We hike up and over minor pass to the Grand Dixence reservoir, a stunning turquoise mountain lake, After a long traverse along Dixence, the trail heads up to Dix hut, spectacularly perched on a lonely rock outcrop and surrounded by glaciers and mountains.

After lunch at the hut, we continue with a short, easy glacier traverse, crossing the adventurous and entertaining ladders of the Pas du Chevres, and descend to the tiny, forested village of Arolla, where the handsome Kurhaus is our welcoming base.

After a morning transfer across the valley, a long, steep climb leads to another pass and down into the beautiful Val d’Anniviers and more stunning mountain scenery.

We’ll descend to the Moiry reservoir and then up to the newly renovated Moiry hut, a comfortable base surround by a sea of ice. It’s a bit of a detour but worth it. This is always one of our favorite huts, with thoughtful 4-person dorms, and one of the most beautiful picture windows imaginable.

A slightly easier day leads us over a minor pass and gives us a chance to further explore the Val d’Anniviers, an unforgettable valley with a great blend of ancient villages, quiet trails, and breathtaking views.

Descend to the village of Zinal, a postcard-perfect village of dark timbered houses bursting with colorful geraniums. There is an optional cable car from Sorebois to Zinal that can shorten this to a relatively moderate day.

Another day, another high pass, as our Haute Route itinerary continues over the Meidpass to the Turtmann valley.  This is also a linguistic border, as we cross from French-speaking Valais to German-speaking Wallis.

Capped by the stunning Weisshorn mountain, this is a quiet, gorgeous valley, worth exploring if you have the time. We’ll stay at a hiker’s inn at the base of the valley in a small settlement called Gruben.  We have a few private rooms, but once those are taken the later additions to the group will be in dormitory here.

Our final pass brings us up to more gorgeous views of the Weisshorn, Dom and more. Often we’ll pass herds of Ibex as we descend to the tiny hamlet of Jungen before dropping down to the valley where we catch a short train ride to Zermatt.

Zermatt is a lively village, filled with energy and history, and dominated by the towering presence of the Matterhorn. It also retains its alpine charm, with quiet back alleys, scenic nearby hamlets, and classy shops. Check out the town, take a short walk around Zermatt, or enjoy the local Matterhorn museum or the spa at our hotel, before settling in at the very friendly Hotel Europe.

Zermatt is so nice, we like an extra day here to explore.  There are a ton of great options.  If you’re excited for more hiking, the hike up to Hörnli hut is a classic.  This hut is perched high on the Hörnli ridge of the Matterhorn and serves a sort of Matterhorn base camp for climbers, as well as a stunning destination for hikers.  We’ll use a gondola to keep it manageable.  It’s a fitting finish to a mountain-filled tour.

If you’d rather slow down, the train to Gornergrat or cable car to Klein Matterhorn are both beautifully scenic, or the easy walk to Fluhalp hut passes by many beautifully reflective lakes.  Or you can choose to spend the day in this very walkable, car-free village, book a massage, take in the sights, and simply relax.  We’ll have a final celebratory dinner at our hotel tonight.

After breakfast at our hotel, we’ll say our good-byes and leave for our post-trip destinations.

Departure: Zürich or Geneva. It is 4 hrs from Zermatt to Zürich or Geneva by train.  Trains start at 6 am if you need an early start, and leave frequently throughout the day.