Mürren and Zermatt – arguably the two best hiking destinations in Switzerland – a perfect combo for a private guided tour.
Private Guided Great Hikes: Jungfrau and Matterhorn Regions
Private Guided Great Hikes: Jungfrau and Matterhorn Regions
Mürren and Zermatt – arguably the two best hiking destinations in Switzerland – a perfect combo for a private guided tour.
- Private Guided,
- Base Camp Adventures,
- Relaxed to Moderate,
This private guided tour immerses you in our two favorite regions in the Swiss Alps, Jungfrau and Matterhorn. Mürren and Zermatt.
Mürren is a walker’s paradise, small and slow-paced, surrounded by mountains, waterfalls, cows, flowers and trails. It’s the home of the Eiger and Jungfrau, the stars of the Bernese Oberland, and it’s the perfect place to get away from it all and relax. Zermatt is lively and thrumming with energy, dominated by the nearly unbelievable Matterhorn, and boasting some of the very best hotels in the Alps. If you want a stunning, rejuvenating trip to the Alps, you won’t find a better combination than Mürren and Zermatt.
Your private guide will lead you on hidden trails to powerful viewpoints, and pamper you with every detail. You’ll have a great 4-star hotel each night, wonderful food, memorable hikes, and no decisions to make. One of the many joys of staying put for a few days is getting to know a place. You unpack at your hotel and leave it be for awhile. Explore the hidden corners. On this trip, we will wake up, exhale, explore for a bit, come home, relax, enjoy a great dinner together, get a good sleep. Then do it again. It’s perfect.
Days 1-3
Mürren
Welcome to Mürren, a hiking paradise! Stunning views of the Eiger and Jungfrau are a little hard to believe, but they’re real. Meet your guide and hit the trails exploring rustic farms, remote waterfalls, and scenic viewpoints.
Days 4-7
Zermatt
Then hop a scenic Swiss train to Zermatt, the amazing, thriving, beautiful, welcoming village at the base of the Matterhorn. Enjoy a luxurious stay in our favorite 4-star hotel and explore the myriad trails of the Matterhorn region by day.
Included
Your tour will be led by an experienced Alpinehikers guide, with guided hikes daily. All transfers to and from trailheads are included. You’ll stay 6 nights in luxurious 4 star hotels, with all breakfasts and 5 dinners. You’ll also receive a 2nd class 3 day Swiss rail pass for arrival, transfer to Zermatt, and departure.
Day 1
Arrive in Mürren
Arrive in Switzerland, and transfer by train to our meeting point in Mürren. The trip itself is incredibly scenic, and takes about 4 hours. Mürren is an idyllic, car-free village, perched atop a sheer 3000 ft. cliff above the waterfall-filled Lauterbrunnen valley (picture Yosemite with a Swiss village on top).
You’ll meet your guide and talk about your tour before settling in for our welcome dinner.
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 this region. Travel time, 3:30 hrs (Zürich) or 4:30 hrs (Geneva)
- Dinner
Day 2
Hike to Rotstock hut
One of our favorite hikes starts in town, and winds through meadows and forest to the dairy farm at Spielboden. Here you cross the Schiltbach stream, and start a steep and invigorating ascent to the local peak of Bryndli. We’ll take our lunch enjoying birds-eye views of Mürren and the Lauterbrunnen valley, perhaps with a soaring golden eagle for company.
From here the trail levels off, and winding through high alpine meadows to Rotstock hut, a quiet alpine hut at Bogangen with views up to the Schilthorn. Stop for a drink and enjoy this beautiful corner of the Alps. The trail back leads over a small ridge before dropping back down to Mürren.
HIKE: 4-6 hrs, 8 miles; Elevation: 2100 ft up, 2100 ft down
- Breakfast
- Lunch
- Dinner
Day 3
Hike to Obersteinberg
The Upper Lauterbrunnen valley curls back beneath the white-capped Breithorn – considered by many to be the most perfect mountain in the region. This valley is also a nature preserve, with stunning waterfalls, lots of wildlife and many wonderful hiking trails.
One of our favorite hikes leads to the small farm at Obersteinberg, where the proprietors keep cows and make cheese by the same simple methods that have been used for centuries. Return on a loop trail. Dinner will be on your own tonight in Mürren.
HIKE: 5-7 hrs, 9 miles; Elevation: 2180 ft up, 4710 ft down
- Breakfast
- Lunch
Day 4
Transfer to Zermatt, hike to Zmutt
After breakfast, we’ll take a morning transfer to Zermatt, the lively village at the base of the Matterhorn. You’ll have a chance to check out the town, take a short walk around Zermatt, or even take the cable car up to the glacier views of Klein Matterhorn. Afterwards, enjoy the wonderful pool and spa before settling in for our welcome dinner at the very friendly Hotel Europe.
There’s also time for a great half-day hike today, and the walk from Zermatt up to Zmutt is hard to beat. Zmutt is a cluster of 400 year old barns, formerly used only in summer for a month or so while the cattle grazed nearby. Today there is a wonderful restaurant tucked amid the blackened huts, with the Matterhorn overhead. It’s a great destination for a shorter hike.
HIKE: 4-5 hrs, 5 miles; Elevation: 1680 ft up, 1680 ft down
- Breakfast
- Lunch
- Dinner
Day 5
Hike the Trift valley
We like to get off the beaten path in Zermatt, and the Trift valley is ideal for quiet trails and sweeping views. There are no cable cars into the side valley, and it’s relatively easy to leave the crowds behind on one of the many trails on this side of town.
Take a secret trail to a favorite viewpoint high above town, then enjoy a refreshing stop at the Trift inn, known for their homemade ice tea made from local alpine herbs. Afterwards, we’ll enjoy exquisite food and great Matterhorn views from our hotel on the outskirts of town.
HIKE: 4-6 hrs, 5 miles; Elevation: 2330 ft up, 2330 ft down (Trift) or 6-8 hrs, 12 miles; 3800 ft up and down (Hohbalmen)
- Breakfast
- Lunch
- Dinner
Day 6
Hike to Tasch hut and Sunnegga
Experience the quiet side of Zermatt. Start with a short train and taxi shuttle to the Täschalp. Taking a quiet route through scenic meadows, we’ll steer you away from the crowds on a favorite trail to Täsch hut for views of the surrounding mountains.
From here, return to Täschalp and take an absolutely stunning balcony trail to Sunnegga. Constant views of the Matterhorn accompany this quiet walk. Return to Zermatt by funicular train for a final night.
HIKE: 5-7 hrs, 9 miles; Elevation: 2710 ft up, 2330 ft down
- Breakfast
- Lunch
- Dinner
Day 7
depart
After breakfast at your hotel, say good-bye to your guide and leave at any time for your post-trip destination.
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.
- Breakfast
What's great about this tour
- Perfect flexibility for easy, moderate or epic hiking days
- A flexible base camp adventure with 2 stops in 6 nights
- Comfortable and welcoming 4-star hotels in both villages
- Your own private guide, your group, your trip
- Epic mountain scenery… Eiger, Jungfrau, Matterhorn
- Our two favorite villages in the Alps.
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