Arrive in Switzerland, and transfer by train and bus to your meeting point in the car-free village of Saas Fee. Saas Fee is tucked against a cirque of attractive mountains with plenty of trails and high mountain lifts to explore if you arrive early.

There is a train station in both the Zurich and Geneva airports, and traveling to Saas Fee will be easy and scenic. In Saas Fee, we stay near the center of town in a beautiful and friendly 4-star hotel. Enjoy your first views in the Valais region of Switzerland before meeting your private guide for dinner and to discuss the tour to come.

Arrival: Zürich or Geneva. Plan to arrive by the day your tour starts. There is a train station in both the Zürich and Geneva airports, with hourly departures for Saas Fee.  The final leg of the journey, from Visp, is by bus. Travel time, 3:30 hrs.

Our first hike of the tour takes us along the Mattmark reservoir to the Monte Moro pass, where we cross from Switzerland into Italy with sweeping views of the Monte Rosa massif.

After a short transfer from Saas Fee we find ourselves atop a remote mountain reservoir at the back of the Saastal Valley where we begin our hike with views of cascading waterfalls coming off the glaciers to the west. As we begin climbing through the stream fed meadows those with a keen eye can make out the statue of the Golden Madonna della Nevi watching over the region from her perch at the pass above.

From the pass, a clear day will present awesome views of Monte Rosa at the back the valley.  We’ll begin our descent to Macugnaga over rocky slabs and through flowery meadows. There’s an early stop where we have the option to be whisked to the valley floor below by cable car or continue our descent on foot.

Hiking past small alpine hamlets and across glacially fed streams with a craggy skyline above, we’ll reach the rustic Rifugio Pastore, a simple mountain inn with fantastic food and 5-star views of the Monte Rosa.

After passing through several small settlements we’ll trade quaint trails for meticulously built stone “roads” once used to transport goods during medieval times. The Quarazza valley is both quiet and epic in scale. Once on the other side of the Colle de Turlo, we’ll take a series of meandering switchbacks down to our alpine hut for the evening, where we’ll have small shared dorms with separate bathroom/shower.

Taking a quiet trail down past a roaring waterfall and meandering through the forest from Rifugio Pastore we’ll stroll through the nearby village of Alagna before beginning our ascent for the day.

Today is a big day, but there is a lot to see.  We’ll walk through the Valle d’Otro and its quaint Walser stone buildings. Following switchbacks through the shade of larch pines and past the hamlets of Scarpia and Pianmisura, we climb up and then up, through the high alpine meadows leading to Passo Foric and the Col d’Olen.

From the pass, we’ll enjoy sweeping views of the valley below before beginning our descent toward Lago Gabiet and a welcome gondola ride into Stafal where we’ll sleep in a comfortable and friendly hotel for the night.

Nestled just on the slopes just above treeline and the villages of Resy and St. Jacques is tonight’s mountain hut

We’ll take a scenic and enjoyable route from Stafal up past a series of small lakes and hanging meadows towards the Passo del Rothorn. Once here we’ll enjoy our lunch before following the trail through a maze of boulders above an open and grassy trail below. Once we’re back on trail we’ll contour around a series of small slopes towards our destination for the evening, two neighboring huts with a fantastic view of our hike for tomorrow as a backdrop.

For a more deluxe trip, it is possible to upgrade to the 4-star Hotellerie de Mascognaz today (taking a different pass).  Ask if interested.

Leaving our simple rifugio, we’ll stroll through past bubbling streams and rocky overlooks towards the picturesque Ventina Valley.

Following a wide and softly trodden path through this lush and grassy valley, we’ll gradually gain altitude until we’re rewarded with views of the Grand Lake. This hanging glacially fed lake has a deep emerald color from the water draining off of the high peaks of the Monte Rosetta and Grand Tournalin above. After following a set of steep switchbacks above the lake we’ll reach the Nord des Cimes Bianches pass where we are rewarded with a stunning view of the Matterhorn perched above the town of Cervinia.

Taking a rocky trail down towards the Lago Cime Bianche we’ll hop on the gondola and down to our hotel for this evening.

If you’d like a deluxe trip, ask about upgrading to the 5-star Hotel St Hubertus here in Cervinia.

Our last day of hiking is full of breathtaking views and new modes of travel as we hike up and over the Theodul Pass crossing from Italy back into Switzerland. We’ll take the new Matterhorn Alpine Crossing cable car and gondola up to Testa Grigia then across the border to Klein Matterhorn.

We’ll enjoy ever changing views of the Matterhorn and spend some time exploring the glacier world at Klein Matterhorn.  On your descent from the top, you either take the cable car all the way down to Zermatt, or walk a pleasant trail. Once back in town we’ll enjoy a luxurious night at one of our favorite hotels, the 4-star Hotel Europe, and a beautiful dinner for our final night together.

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

For a slightly longer trip, an extra night in Zermatt is always welcomed.  Ask if you would like to extend the trip further.

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.