3 day hiking suggestions in the Alps?

Short summary – read this first

Matt and a friend are planning a 2-3 day hiking trip on the northern edge of the Swiss Alps, aiming to meet in Switzerland and traverse towards the center around the end of August. They are experienced hikers looking for multi-day hikes or suggestions on whether to stay at a centralized location for day trips, favoring paths less traveled.

Key takeaways:
  • Consider routes like the Trans Swiss Trail or Via Gottardo for a unique hiking experience over a few days.
  • Wild camping is restricted in Switzerland, so plan for overnight stays in huts.
  • Zermatt can be very touristy in August; look for less crowded trails instead.
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InfoAI-generated summary
  • Anonymous
    Inactive
    83503 posts
    8 May 2017 at 20:48:14 #811738

    Hello all,

    I and a friend are interested in planning a rendezvous somewhere on the northern edge of the Swiss alps, committing to a 2-3 day traverse, and ending up somewhere relatively central.

    The details are as follows:

    I am traveling from Paris and my partner will be traveling from Berlin. We are experienced hikers, and very fit. We Ideally want to meet somewhere on the North boarder of Switzerland, and spend 2-3 days hiking towards the center, potentially over a traverse or the like. In terms of accommodation, Tents/huts or a combination of the two. Our trip dates are flexible but, will be around the end of August. Are there multi-day hikes worth doing as explained above? or is it worth our time to take a train/other means and go see Zermatt or, Chamonix and take day tips from a centralized location. I’m looking to experience the alps but on the path less traveled.

    Matt.

  • Annika
    Moderator
    7334 posts
    Reply 1 of 1 • 11 May 2017 at 15:19:21 #863013

    Hi Matt, welcome to MySwissAlps!

    There are many options for a 2-3 hiking tour in August. It’s a perfect hiking season and all major routes, even the high-alpine ones, should be accessible. A multi day hike with overnight stays in huts (wild camping in tents is restricted in Switzerland) offers a very different experience from staying in one base town and making day trips from there. Note that Zermatt is pretty touristy in August, and since you’re looking for something off the beaten path this may not be your best option. There are some national routes that get you from the north to a central location, but depending on what you see as “central” this might take more than 3 days. So you may want to start closer to the Alps for better views. Please find some suggestions below, with links to http://www.wanderland.ch for more information:

    • Trans Swiss Trail. The sections around Bern and Giswil/Flüelen might be interesting;
    • Via Gottardo. You might start off in Basel and hike towards Lucerne, or start in/south of Lucerne for the more spectacular sections.

    Apart from this, there are many regional routes that present countless other options, e.g. near the Emmental, Lucerne, the Jungfrau region (located quite centrally in the country), and so on. I hope this gets you started!

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