Are there food options for vegetarians and vegans?

Vegetarian meals are usually available in most accommodations. Vegan options are harder to be found in huts, but we're happy to let you know about them in advance so you can plan accordingly.

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Walker’s Haute Route Self Guided

14 days / 13 nights

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Set out on the Walker’s Haute Route self-guided and hike this iconic trek from Chamonix to Zermatt amongst the highest peaks of the Alps.

Starting point

Chamonix

Finish point

Zermatt

Season

June - October

Technical level

4/5

Fitness level

5/5

Tour type

Hut-to-Hut

Set out on the Walker’s Haute Route self-guided and hike this iconic trek from Chamonix to Zermatt amongst the highest peaks of the Alps.

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Self-guided from 2.995 €/person

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Set out on the Walker’s Haute Route self-guided and hike this iconic trek from Chamonix to Zermatt amongst the highest peaks of the Alps.

Starting point

Chamonix

Finish point

Zermatt

Season

June - October

Technical level

4/5

Fitness level

5/5

Tour type

Hut-to-Hut

Admire the views of both Mont Blanc and Matterhorn — the two most iconic peaks in the Alps
Hike the Walker’s Haute Route self-guided and let us handle the logistics
Trek through the most picturesque landscapes of Switzerland and France
Complete the full route on this 14-day itinerary
Sleep in mountain huts with incredible views

Itinerary of the trip

The first day starts strong. Your goal is just a little higher up in the Chamonix Valley, but to get there, take the trail to the iconic Lac Blanc. After taking in postcard views of the Mont Blanc massif, descend the TMB ladders, where the day ends in Montroc or Le Tour. If you’d like to start the Haute Route easier or you want to get in some hiking on the day of arrival, you can also take the direct way to your accommodation, following the gently ascending trail along the valley.

Hiking

17 km and 1350 m of elevation gain / 1160 m of elevation loss

Gallery

The last day in France will be relatively undemanding. Following the ridge of Aiguillette des Possettes, it takes you to Col de Balme, the border of Switzerland. When you leave France, you also leave the most up-close views of the Mont Blanc massif behind (though they return later), descending down into the green pastures of the Swiss village Trient.

Hiking

16.5 km and 1150 m of elevation gain / 1100 m of elevation loss

Gallery

A challenging path awaits you on the third day. You’ll ascend over the Fenetre d’Arpette, with spectacular views of the Glacier du Trient. The tricky rocky descent soon turns into a pleasant walk into the green valley, where Champex-Lac, the welcoming town beside a lake, awaits. In the case of bad weather, the easier Bovine route (part of the Tour du Mont Blanc) is preferable.

Hiking

15 km and 1350 m of elevation gain / 1190 m of elevation loss

Gallery

As the only day on the trail without huge mountains, you’ll explore more of the Swiss countryside. You will follow the side of the picturesque Val Ferret and into Sembrancher of Val de Bagnes, where you hike along the river towards Le Châble. Even without any big mountains in sight, this day is still interesting as it shows you ordinary Switzerland, not often advertised.

Hiking

15.5 km and 220 m of elevation gain / 840 m of elevation loss

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Start early and get ready for a big climb on this day. The steep footpaths will take you above the tree line, on the slopes of the world-renowned Verbier ski resort. Traversing them, you will soon start to notice another great Alpine massif — the Grand Combin — before reaching the Cabane du Mont Fort hut, where you end the day.

Hiking

13 km and 1650 m of elevation gain / 15 m of elevation loss

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The sixth day presents itself a stage full of contrasts — first the panoramic green ridges with a good chance of seeing an ibex, and then the moonlike plateau. From the panoramic trail over Col Termin (optional over Col de Louvie), you’ll soon reach the dying Grand Désert Glacier. The route takes you just below it, on the barren land of scree and stones. After passing many small lakes, you cross over Col de Prafleuri (2987 m), the highest point on the Haute Route. From there, you’ll soon reach the hut of Cabane de Prafleuri.

Hiking

15 km and 890 m of elevation gain / 690 m of elevation loss

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This stage will keep you high up in the mountains, with some of the best views on the Haute Route. Lac de Dix will surprise you just over the morning Col. After traversing alongside this 5 km long accumulation lake, you’ll cross over the morain of Glacier de Cheilon, admiring the pyramid-shaped Mont Blanc de Cheilon on your right. You have two passes you can choose before descending down to Arolla. One has ladders and the other will give you a slight glimpse of Matterhorn.

Hiking

18 km and 700 m of elevation gain / 1330 m of elevation loss

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This stage is easier, and doesn’t feature any high mountains, but still very scenic. It takes you down the valley from Arolla, past typical Swiss villages, towards Les Hauderes. In between, you can also do a detour to the small but fairytale-like Lac Bleu. The day ends at the small village of La Sage.

Hiking

9 km and 150 m of elevation gain / 720 m of elevation loss

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You’ll climb your way up from the valley towards the ridge above Val d’Hérens, crossing it at its lowest point in Col du Tsate. After a descent to the small Lac Châteaupré, the way up along the Moiry Glacier begins. As the landscape becomes rockier and you start to get a closer look at the glacier, switchbacks will bring you to one of the best-situated huts on the route. The Cabane du Moiry has a great atmosphere and is for many people a destination on its own.

Hiking

12 km and 1825 m of elevation gain / 500 m of elevation loss

Gallery

After a breakfast admiring the view through the panoramic glass windows of the hut’s dining room, head back down yesterday’s path to Lac de Moiry. The ascent then leads towards Col de Sorebois, a great outlook over Val d’Anniviers and iconic peaks like Weisshorn (4505 m). The descent to Zinal is steep and long, but can be shortened about halfway by a cable car.

Hiking

16 km and 530 m of elevation gain / 1640 m of elevation loss

Gallery

This is the first day when you will cross into the German-speaking part of Switzerland. The ascending trail leads high above the Zinal Valley with great views of its head every time you look behind. The shortest route to the valley of Turtmanntal on the other side is across Forcletta pass.

If you have more time, you can extend the Haute Route with a night stay at the iconic Victorian Hotel Weisshorn, and hike across Meidpass the next day. See the description of the extra day right below.

Hiking

17 km and 1200 m of elevation gain / 1040 m of elevation loss

Gallery

If you decided to stay the night at Hotel Weisshorn, you've made the right choice. The hotel interior is like from an old story, while the views are incredible. After the morning breakfast, you will make your way up alpine meadows to Meidpass. There, a gorgeous view will open up with the 4505 m tall Weisshorn dominating it. Descend down both rocky and green alpine landscape, pass some Swiss hamlets, enter the forest, and finally end up in the village of Gruben, richer for an extra day of beauty.

Hiking

11 km and 600 elevation gain

Gallery

This is another day full of contrasts, crossing the last mountain pass on the Walker’s Haute Route. From the green forests above Gruden, across the rocky landscape of Augstbordpass, you’ll be walking on a historical trading route. After coming around the corner, the epic views of Mattertal valley will vow you. Although no sight of Matterhorn yet, you’ll see Dom (4545 m), the highest peak only in Swiss territory). Past the lovely hamlet of Jungen, descend into the valley into St. Niklaus.

Hiking

18 km and 1100 m of elevation gain / 1780 m of elevation loss

Gallery

The last two-day stretch on the Walker’s Haute features one of the best hikes in the alp, the Europaweg. Redesigned in 2021, because of a landslide, its first part now takes you from Gasenried to Herbriggen at a lower altitude. But we suggest you skip this part, taking the valley route from St. Niklaus to Herbriggen. Otherwise, this stage is needlessly long without any extra great views. From Herbriggen, a long but grand ascent to the Europahutte begins. With epic views at every stop, including panoramas with Weisshorn, you’ll cross bridges and soon arrive at the hut.

Hiking

11.5 km and 1220 m of elevation gain / 75 m of elevation loss

Gallery

Every grand route should have a grand ending, and this one is exactly that. You’ll be traversing up high above the valley, crossing the longest pedestrian suspension bridge in the Alps. Later, the imposing view of the sharp Matterhorn at the end of the valley will come into view. You'll traverse all the way to Sunegga, where you descend down into Zermatt — the end of the Walker’s Haute Route.

Hiking

22 km and 750 m of elevation gain / 1400 m of elevation loss

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What’s included in the price?

Self-guided

8 nights in 3-star hotels with breakfast

5 nights in (mountain) huts with half-board

Digital guidebook with itinerary, route instructions, and practical information

GPS navigation with an easy-to-use app

Tour design and organization

Service and support during your hike

NOT INCLUDED

Tourist tax

OPTIONAL EXTRAS

Airport transfer

Extra day

Extra nights

Hotel upgrade

Luggage transfer

Private room (if available)

Single supplement

Transfer from Zermatt

What to bring to the tour

Hiking shoes/boots
25 to 45-liter backpack
Base layer
Sports T-shirts
Hiking shorts
Hiking water-repellent pants
Waterproof jacket
Midlayer
Sports socks and underwear
Leisurewear for evenings
Down jacket
Gloves
Shade hat/cap

Warm headwear
Sunscreen
Sunglasses
Headlamp
Hiking poles
ID card or passport
Snacks
Cash
Water bottles or hydration pack
Sleeping liner
Toiletries
Toilet paper
Small first aid kit

The Walker’s Haute Route is probably one of the most epic hikes in the Alps. From Chamonix to Zermatt, from Mont Blanc to Matterhorn – it connects the two most important mountaineering centers in Europe and two of its most iconic mountains. You can confidently say that you’ve been to this part of the world after you experience all the diverse scenery on this long-distance route.

The Walker’s Haute Route is a challenging trek, tougher than some of its counterparts (like Tour du Mont Blanc). This makes it more rewarding, with fewer crowds on its trails. It starts in France, overlapping with the TMB, and soon enters Switzerland, where it stays until the end.

It has 14 stages that a reasonably fit hiker can complete in 14 days of about 5-7 hours of hiking, with optional detours that can extend it for an extra day (Hotel Weisshorn). Crossing many mountain passes that never quite reach 3000 m of elevation, the Haute Route trek is challenging without even considering the planning aspect.

We can help this once-in-a-lifetime adventure be as hassle-free as possible.

We take your wishes and preferences to best advise you on your perfect Walker’s Haute Route itinerary. We book all of your accommodations and other services, so you can focus on the journey. And a few weeks before setting off, we’ll send you the detailed itinerary booklet with the planned GPS route. All that’s left for you is to get to Chamonix and start walking! But if you are short on time, you can also choose to hike just half of the Walker’s Haute Route – the West or the East.

Map

Frequently Asked Questions

The summer season for hiking is usually from mid-June to mid-October. Its start depends on the amount of snow left on the high mountain passes from the winter. The Walker’s Haute Route and Via Alpina have some high passes, which are usually free of snow only in July. Hiking before that could be dangerous without proper skill and equipment. In October, there is usually the first bigger snowfall, and the huts close to prepare for the winter ski season.

Read more about the hiking season in the Swiss Alps here.

We've rated our tours on a difficulty scale from 1 to 5 — with 1 being the easiest and 5 the most difficult.

The difficulty level of a tour tells you how fit you need to be and how much hiking is involved. Most of our tours are appropriate for people who are regularly active and can hike for about five to seven hours per day.

Technical difficulty means how skilled you need to be to hike on the path. Level 1 means the trail is smooth and wide (like a gravel road), while 5 means the surface is uneven and exposed, and you have to use your hands to help yourself move forward. In practice, that means that the higher the level, the more surefooted and skilled in scrambling you need to be.

It is best to book your tour early because most accommodations along the trail fill up quickly. That way, you can ensure that you have a place to stay.

Even though the routes are usually quite close to at least a farm or a small village, they also feature lots of wild and remote sections where you cannot just stop. In case of injury, it’s best to call the local emergency services.

On the other hand, if you just feel that you cannot hike anymore, you can always stop in any of the towns and villages along the way and use public transport to get to a bigger Swiss city.

Showers in Swiss mountain huts are rare and are only offered for an extra charge. That’s why it’s wise to bring wet wipes with you for the days that you are staying in one of them.

No, because the huts provide their blankets and pillows. Still, you should bring a sleeping liner instead.

Cell connection is very changeable in the mountains. A good rule of thumb is that if you can see a town, you’ll have a reception. Mountain huts are the same — the signal usually doesn’t reach the insides, so try catching it outside. Wifi is available only in some huts, while most don’t have it.

If you dress accordingly, most stages can be done in light rain. However, do not hike if a storm is forecasted. In that case, you can take public transport to the next point when possible to make up for the lost time.