Switzerland in 8 Days: 4 Recommended 8-Day Itineraries to Switzerland

Are you spending 8 days in Switzerland? Our Switzerland 8-day itinerary suggestions will help you hike the Great St Bernard Pass, see the Swiss Alps, and go on a cycling tour.

Make your dream of visiting the Swiss Alps come true during this Switzerland 8-day itinerary plan. The quaint resort town of Meiringen will be your base throughout this trip. From there, you will go out on day hikes, soaking up prettier-than-a-postcard Alpine scenery along the way. Do a circular walk in Kaltenbrunnen and explore the highland meadows off Hasliberg. Wander through scenic highland forests and pastures to reach Kleine Scheidegg Pass, or discover the sites of nesting eagles that lead you to a breathtaking panorama of hundreds of peaks and glaciers as you sight the magical Bernese Oberland Massif. See all tours in Switzerland.

This eight-day itinerary covers all the best sections of Tour du Mont Blanc across France, Switzerland, and Italy. Start your journey with a view of the Trient Glacier, followed by hikes through the forests and pastures of the Rhône Valley. From the foot of the St Bernard Pass, climb to the highest point on the route, the Grand Col Ferret (2,537m). Descend into Italy into the Val Ferret (1,760m) and hike below the Glacier de Miage before heading across the Col de la Seigne (2,516m), which brings you into France. The next stage is tough, with both the Col de la Croix du Bonhomme and Col du Bonhomme to cross before descending into Les Contamines (1,175m). Enjoy some home-cooked treats at the Chalets de Miage (1,560m) to fuel you for a climb of the Col de Tricot (2,119m) before descending into the Chamonix Valley with views of Mont Blanc. With a final hiking stretch past the photogenic Lac Blanc (2,352m), you’ll arrive in Chamonix, where you can rest and celebrate. Describe your ideal 8-day holiday for a customized trip to Switzerland.

If you want to spend your 8-day trip to Switzerland walking amongst world-class vineyards and historic sites in the footsteps of ancient pilgrims, this itinerary is for you. Following the Via Francigena route, you’ll start in Lausanne, quickly moving to the UNESCO-listed vineyards terraces around Lavaux and Vevey. Continue walking along Lake Geneva, checking out the Swiss Museum of Games and the Schloss Chillon, before you reach the renowned Chablais wine region. Next, stop at the cliffside abbey of St. Maurice, the pilgrimage mid-point between Canterbury, UK, and Rome, Italy. Arrive in the historic town of Martigny, known for its Roman baths and amphitheater and the St Bernard Dog Museum. Leaving Martigny, head through forests up onto the narrow Les Trappistes Pass to Orsieres. Then, head onward to Bourg St Pierre, with its breathtaking alpine views. Finally, hike to the St. Bernard’s Pass, wandering past the archeological sites of L’Hospitalet and on the Barasson-Pass, where your journey ends. See all 8-day tours in Switzerland.

Prefer to spend your 8 days in Switzerland exploring on two wheels? With this itinerary focused around cycling, you can speed by the pink stone cathedral of Strasbourg, and the 12th-century Romanesque church at Rosheim, sampling local wines from the Alsace wine route. Spend your days exploring the medieval towns of Riquewihr and Colmar. Stop off at the church in Ottmarsheim before riding through Hardt’s forest and along the Rhone-Rhine Canal. Arrive at the thriving Swiss city of Basel, at the border of Switzerland, France, and Germany, where you can explore the Fine Arts Museum, Basler Münster, and more before ending your eight-day cycling tour in Switzerland.

If you’re thinking about spending 8 days in Switzerland, you can split your time between the metropolitan cities of Basel and Zurich, experience world-class multi-day hikes around the Swiss Alps, or even cycle through underrated wine regions filled with history and culture. However, if you’re short on time, you might want to check out our guide on how many days to spend in Switzerland for more itinerary ideas. Need a hand organizing your Swiss adventure? Get in touch with our local travel experts, who can put together the perfect tailor-made tours to Switzerland to match your needs.

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