The Haute Route

BM-39915

5.0Based on

9 days

“

Excellent adventure! Only regret not having done the entire hike, end to end. Accommodations and route notes, digital and paper maps were spot on.

Anonymous | Traveled in September

5 - Excellent

Carbon neutral

9 daysDuration

Group TourJoin a group of travelers

20 peopleMaximum group size

18 - 99 yearsAge range for participants

EnglishGuide language

Starts

Ends

Arolla, Switzerland

Zermatt, Switzerland

Select Date

Best price guaranteedNo credit card or booking fees.Carbon neutral tours.

2 other people are considering this tour right now.

Highlights

Alpine hiking in the Valais canton

Hotel-based Swiss Alps hiking holiday

A classic itinerary staying in high mountains & low valleys

Explore remote districts that are little visited

Follow sections of the well-known Haute Route

Excellent variety of alpine flowers & animals

Extra days to get fully immersed in the Swiss mountains

Excellent variety of alpine flowers & animals

Extra days to get fully immersed in the Swiss mountains

Itinerary

Walk along stunning sections of one of the world's most iconic mountain trails in the Swiss Alps. The scenic Swiss canton of Valais is one of the most magnificent mountain regions in Europe. It is an alpine network of valleys that lead off into beautiful and little-visited areas, some of which rarely see a tourist.
This 9-day hotel-based Swiss Valais trek, following part of the well-known Haute Route, visits these remote districts. Here, the hiking is of true alpine character and charming villages lie in lush, green meadows, dominated by rugged and dramatic mountain scenery. There is some very dramatic scenery on offer, Mount Colon, the Pigne de Arolla, the Dent Blanche, Weisshorn and Dom, not mentioning a huge range of peaks at the head of the Mittertal Valley including the Matterhorn, and Briethorn.
Although the Haute Route is popular, you will find that, compared to many other areas in Switzerland, most of the paths on this section are little trodden. This gives rise to an excellent variety of alpine flowers and frequent sightings of alpine animals. As you cross the linguistic frontier from French-speaking to German-speaking Switzerland you have a chance to practice both languages. Many people praise their stay on this tour at a rather eccentric Victorian hotel with some of the Alps’ finest views and the top-notch accommodation that we book for you.

day 1Arrive Les Haudères

Make your own way to the famous climbing village of Arolla (1998m). It is a tiny place with a small supermarket, a post office and a couple of hotels. At this altitude, you are already almost up among the glaciers and if there is time you could walk up the valley for a bit from the hotel towards the glaciers of Mount Colon.
Accommodation:You spend 2 nights at Hotel Melezes is our 3* hotel and is located at the entrance of the village and is close to all amenities.

Meals

Dinner

day 2Bus to Arolla then walk to Les Haudères (1452m) 9.5 km/6 miles, 3-4 h

day 3Les Haudères (1452m) to Grimentz (1572m) 17.6 km/11 miles, 7-8 h

day 4Grimentz (1572m)

day 5Grimentz (1572m) to Hotel Weisshorn (2337m) 19.2 km/12 miles, 7 h

day 6Hotel Weisshorn (2337m) to Gruben (1822m) 10.5 km/6.5 miles, 5-6 h

day 7Gruben (1822m) to St Niklaus (1127m) 17.2 km/10.6 miles, 7-8 h, train to Zermatt

day 8Zermatt

day 9Arrangements end after breakfast

What's Included

Accommodation

6 nights accommodation in 3* hotels on a twin share basis with ensuite facilities, 1 night in a mountain hotel and 1 night in mountain refuge

Meals

8 breakfasts, 5 dinners

Others

Luggage transfers (1 bag per person not weighing anymore than 20kg) except night 5 where you have to carry overnight gear with youDigital information pack including navigational appEmergency hotlineGPX Files on request

What's Excluded

Customer Reviews

5.0

based on 3 reviews

Availability

Loading availability...

Good to Know

Travel Insurance

Visa

Other Practical Information

Do you need help from our trip consultants?

If you have any question about this tour or need help with planning a trip, please do not hesitate to get in touch with us.

Our travel experts are ready to help.

Why Book with Bookmundi

No credit card or booking fees.

Best price guaranteed.

Carbon neutral tours.

25,000+ trip reviews, with an average rating of 4.8 out of 5.

What are customers saying about Bookmundi

4.67/5

Excellent based on 849 customer reviews from

Bronwyn

Booking with Bookmundi is so easy. The website is straightforward and easy to use. Peter Adley is an absolute star! He is quick to respond to my many queries and to offer helpful guidance. I am looking forward to the 2 tours I have booked!

1 month ago

Similar Tours You Might Like

Discover our top tours similar to The Haute Route that you might like.

Meiringen: Panoramas of the Swiss Alps - 8 Days

5.0(3 reviews)

Walk beneath the Eiger, Monch and Jungfrau for unrivalled panoramas of the Swiss Alps. This is a 'centre based' self-guided walking holiday in the Swiss Alps. Unpack only once in our inviting, independent 4* hotel in Meiringen and choose from a wide selection of walks to undertake in the next 6 days. Getting around in Switzerland is so easy that you can fill your time with excellent day walks. Meiringen is the perfect centre for walking holidays for all grades. There are over 300km of well-marked footpaths, which range from gentle strolls to high ridges and even glacier exploring. In spring you can follow the melting snows into meadows of glorious Alpine flowers. In summer the high ridges and rugged glacial scenery become accessible. In autumn the landscape is painted with a riot of colour as the first frosts come. The potential for walking is limitless and our team have prepared for you route notes, maps and GPX files for the best routes in the area. Come rain or shine and whatever level of fitness you prefer each day, there'll be a suitable route to choose from. Meiringen has none of the trappings of mass tourism. It is a small market town with excellent shops, banks and facilities. Thankfully, it remains unspoiled and very Swiss. The local people are welcoming, kind and hospitable. The Alpine town is a natural transport hub situated at the convergence of three of Switzerland’s major passes. From here it is possible to set out each day in a different direction using the incredible network of cable cars, postbuses and mountain railways. You can reach the high places quickly and easily without the necessity of long uphill climbs out of the valley. *Meiringen is on the main railway line from Luzern to Interlaken and trains run to and from those towns on an hourly timetable. Interlaken is a 30-minute journey and Luzern is 1 hour 10 minutes. Transfers from Zürich airport are a pleasure with the last leg of the journey into the mountains possible on the spectacular narrow-gauge Brünig line. (Departures will vary as the Interlaken route is more direct). Meiringen is also the centre for Postbus routes in the Eastern Oberland.

8 days

Kandersteg & the Wildstrubel Circuit

5.0(2 reviews)

A quieter classic Alpine walk in Kandersteg and around the Wildstrubel Circuit between the Valais (French speaking) and Bernese Oberland (German) staying in hotels. This is a one-week, 'quieter' hotel trek in Switzerland, which starts and finishes at Kandersteg. Follow a circular route around the Wildstrubel and walk along two stages of the famous Alpine Pass Route. Throughout the hike, the scenery is expansive with views extending across the Oberland, to the 4000m peaks of the Valais, and down the Rhone valley. You will use trails that have served since Roman times to link the German-speaking Bernese Oberland and the partly French-speaking Valais. Most notoriously there is the Gemmi Pass, which has been a principal route through the Alps for centuries. We will also cross the Rawyl, Lotschen and Hahnenmoos passes to link the attractive villages of Leukerbad, Crans, Lenk and Adelboden before completing our circuit in Kandersteg. Our final pass, the Bundeschrinde, due to its beauty and position is perhaps the highlight of this walking holiday in Switzerland. The towering crags above the pass are a superb point for watching Chamoix (mountain antelope) prancing around upon the ledges. You have an extra day in Kandersteg in which you can do a circular walk up to the Oeschinensee: a fantastic post glacial lake. Please talk to our team if you would like to add extra nights in some of the other places. There are some long days but lifts and cable cars can sometimes be used to shorten some of the walks (not included in the tour price). Before the rail tunnels were bored through the mountainsides and threaded through the adjacent valleys; the mountains formed a natural barrier. Kandersteg was a hamlet literally at the end of the road. Surprisingly a lot of the trade over the high passes before rail, was done in winter with heavy oxen-pulled sledges. There wasn't much work to be done on the land at that time of year and the sledges could move quite rapidly. On the other hand it was a very risky business and many were caught out on high passes in blizzards.

8 days

Mont Blanc Rambler Self Guided Hike

5.0(1 review)

A comfortably paced self guided walk between France and Italy taking in the highlights of the Mont Blanc region. Specially devised for hikers who like to 'smell the roses' en route to the next comfortable gîte or mountain refuge, this relaxed walk around Mont Blanc still takes in the vistas for which the Tour du Mont Blanc is so famous. The walk traverses high passes, meadows brimming with alpine flowers and wanders through typical mountain villages. There is ample time to stop and take in the stunning scenery, enjoy a picnic of local ingredients and absorb the alpine culture as you make your way to the next accommodation. This is relaxed alpine hiking at its best

7 days

Monte Rosa Alpine Hike

5.0(5 reviews)

Discover the cultural richness and alpine majesty of the Monte Rosa region on this 8-day self-guided hiking adventure from Pont-Saint-Martin to Anderbatt. Designed for experienced travelers and seniors with a taste for moderate trekking, the route traverses the Gressoney Valley—home to the Walser people and their enduring traditions. Hike through wild forests, traditional villages, and high mountain passes, with sweeping views of Monte Rosa, Western Europe’s second-highest peak. Enjoy stays in family-run accommodations and sample local cheeses and cuisine. The standout feature? Deep immersion in both natural beauty and living heritage, offering hikers a truly memorable alpine escape.

8 days

The Alpine Pass Route

5.0(3 reviews)

One of Europe's most spectacular alpine walks showcasing Switzerland's most famous peaks. This two-week walking holiday easily ranks in quality with the popular Tour de Mont Blanc, following the most impressive section of one of Switzerland’s most classic alpine routes. Crossing through alpine regions such as the incomparable Bernese Oberland, the walk will take you over many passes, some a leisurely stroll, others a tougher proposition, but all offering their own spectacular visual rewards. Lush valleys with thickly wooded hillsides, unspoilt farming villages, deep-blue lakes and flower-decked chalets are among the classic Swiss scenes that you will come across. Although there are some long days, lifts and cablecars can be used to shorten some of the walks. Overnight locations can all be reached by public transport in case of bad weather and, on three separate occasions, you have ‘free’ days to pursue optional walks or take in other attractions such as the famed Jungfraujoch. This truly is Switzerland at its very best.

14 days

Tour du Mont Blanc Week Trek

5.0(55 reviews)

The Mont Blanc Circuit – also known as the Tour du Mont Blanc (TMB) – is deservedly one of the world’s classic walks, circumnavigating the highest mountain in western Europe. This exciting itinerary concentrates on some of the most spectacular sections, enabling us to produce a hard and exhilarating one-week trip for the trekking enthusiast who can pack lightly. Overnighting in family-run accommodation, we trek clockwise around the Mont Blanc massif, enjoying hearty local cuisine from three countries, phenomenal views and some of the best walking in Europe.

8 days

Rome to Amsterdam

5.0(38 reviews)

Discover Europe’s legendary cities and natural beauty on the Rome to Amsterdam tour, a thoughtfully crafted 10-day adventure. Begin amid Rome’s ancient splendor, wander the romantic streets of Venice, and wake up surrounded by the Swiss Alps’ grandeur. The route winds through Germany’s mystical Black Forest and along the scenic Rhine, culminating in Amsterdam’s cultural riches. With a balance of thrilling activities and leisurely free days, this journey is perfect for experienced travelers seeking a moderate yet enriching sightseeing trip. The tour’s standout feature is its seamless progression from southern to northern Europe, offering contrasting experiences and unforgettable memories in just over a week.

10 days

Barcelona to Zurich with Paris

5.0(12 reviews)

Barcelona’s coastal flair and Paris’s artistic spirit await you on the "Barcelona to Zurich with Paris" tour. Spanning eight days and designed for seniors, this sightseeing group trip covers Spain and France, with all accommodations, meals, and transport included. A relaxed itinerary ensures you can take in the highlights at your own pace. The unique appeal of this tour is its focus on two of Europe’s most iconic cities, making it ideal for travelers who want a concise yet immersive European experience.

8 days

Europe Tours

Asia Tours

South America Tours

Africa Tours

North America Tours

Oceania Tours

Polar Tours

Sightseeing, attractions, culture and history Tours

Adventure and sport Tours

Wildlife, landscapes and nature Tours

Boat tours, water sports and marine wildlife Tours

Beach, romance, getaways and relaxation Tours

Food, wine, events and nightlife Tours

Air tours, road trips and transfers Tours

Special interests and hobbies Tours

Hi there

Highlights