Choose Your Moderate-Challenging Hike

Our moderate-challenging hiking tours are selected based on effort and terrain. Moderate-challenging hikes are scored between 2.5-3.5 in a combination of our effort and terrain categories. The trails are moderately strenuous with elevations gains of up to 4,000 feet and distances up to 12 miles. Browse our moderate-challenging tours below.

Trip Rating System

COMFORT

comfort rating
  1. Primarily simple accommodations including, berghauses, huts and inns.
  2. A mix of simple accommodations and charming country inns or first class inns.
  3. Primarily charming country inns and first-class inns with best accommodations available in remote locations.
  4. All superior country inns and first-class accommodations.

EFFORT

effort rating
  1. Gentle hikes up to 8 miles with 1500 feet of elevation gain.
  2. Moderate hikes up to 10 miles with up to 2700 feet of elevation gain.
  3. Moderately strenuous hikes up to 12 miles with up to 4000 feet of elevation gain.
  4. Strenuous hikes exceeding 4000 feet of elevation gain.

TERRAIN

terrain rating
  1. Well maintained and graded mountain paths.
  2. Steeper, well-maintained mountain paths possibly with rough footing.
  3. Steeper, occasionally maintained mountain paths possibly with rough footing and/or exposure.
  4. Steep, rarely maintained mountain paths with exposure and rough footing.
Mont Blanc and the surrounding mountains. This photo was taken while hiking the Tour du Mont Blanc with Ryder-Walker Alpine Adventures.

Outside Magazine named Ryder-Walker's Tour du Mont Blanc trek one of the 25 Best Hikes in the World. Hike across the borders of France, Italy and Switzerland during our ten-day Tour du Mont Blanc. Taking advantage of some little-known variations to the standard route, we lead you from the mountain-chic cafés of Chamonix, to remote mountain hamlets en route to...

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Price

$5800*

Guided Tour Date

June 19-28 & Aug 21-30, 2024

Self-Guided Tour Date

Mid June-Mid September: Selling pre-booked dates only.

COMFORT

EFFORT

TERRAIN

Trip Ratings Explained
Hiking in Sicily's Aeolian Islands

From across the aquamarine waves, their call can be heard for thousands of leagues. Ulysses surely wasn’t the first to hear their sound as he crossed the Adriatic, Aegean, and Tyrrhenian seas on his Odyssey, but he definitely was a notable visitor – Sicily's Aeolian islands, home of the sirens. When speaking of Sicily, or the Aeolian Islands, it is...

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Price

$4650*

Guided Tour Date

May 15-22, 2024

Self-Guided Tour Date

May-October

COMFORT

EFFORT

TERRAIN

Trip Ratings Explained
Dolomiti di Brenta Self Guided hiking tour

Unlock the mysteries of the Brenta Dolomites, Italy's westernmost extremity of rugged limestone peaks. Bordered by the Swiss Alps to the west and the Austrian Alps to the north, the Brenta mountains tower above celebrity-studded Lake Garda and its lesser known, but equally spectacular, Lago di Molveno. Similar to the rest of the Dolomites range that stretches across northeastern Italy,...

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Price

$6300*

Guided Tour Date

September 6-14, 2024

COMFORT

EFFORT

TERRAIN

Trip Ratings Explained
Italian Dolomites hut

Towers of vertical limestone, tinged pink in the evening light, loom above the rolling green meadows and intriguing castles, ruins and onion-domed church steeples of the Alto Adige region in northern Italy. This may be the most beautiful mountain region on earth; regularly attracting photographers and mountain enthusiasts enamored of the incredible light and topography of the range. The Dolomites...

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Price

$5750*

Guided Tour Date

June 11-18 & Aug 25-Sept 1, 2024

Self-Guided Tour Date

Mid June - Mid September

COMFORT

EFFORT

TERRAIN

Trip Ratings Explained
VIA LADINIA: HEART OF THE ITALIAN DOLOMITES

The Pusteria Valley on the Italian/Austrian border is where the Alps morph into the Dolomites. The northern flank of the valley is pastoral, with undefined walls of limestone and gentler summits. The southern flank is where the Dolomites find their personality, as jagged summits skyrocket above you. Ryder-Walker’s Via Ladinia begins in the calming town of San Candido. The magnificence...

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Price

$5100*

Guided Tour Date

September 14-21, 2024

Self-Guided Tour Date

Mid June-Mid September

COMFORT

EFFORT

TERRAIN

Trip Ratings Explained
Haute Pyrenees Mountain Trek

Our week-long trip to the high peaks of the Pyrénées offers an opportunity to visit the stunning mountain range which defines the border between France and Spain, and enjoy the unique cultural heritage of this enchanting region. We begin our journey in the French mountain hamlet of Cauterets, nestled on the north side of the Parc national des Pyrénées Occidentales. Over the...

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Price

$5900*

Guided Tour Date

July 24-31, 2024

COMFORT

EFFORT

TERRAIN

Trip Ratings Explained
Aiguille Chardonnet and Verte

The world famous Haute Route crosses the highest mountain range in Western Europe, the Pennine Alps, and links the Mont Blanc region in France with the rugged canton of Valais in southwestern Switzerland. Starting in the bustling alpine center of Chamonix, France, beneath the mighty massif of Europe’s highest summit, Mont Blanc (15,781 feet), the trail crosses eastward into Switzerland...

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Price

$6600*

Guided Tour Date

July 4-15, 2024

Self-Guided Tour Date

Late June-Mid September

COMFORT

EFFORT

TERRAIN

Trip Ratings Explained
Engadine summits

Feel the burn in your legs as our expert team of Bergführer take you mountain hopping across the undiscovered peaks of eastern Switzerland. Beginning in the picturesque village of Zuoz, we spend eight days summiting the many mid-height, un-glaciated mountain peaks that the Engadine region is famous for. Hike to the mountaintops by day, and bed down in the region’s...

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Price

$5500*

Guided Tour Date

August 14-21, 2024

Self-Guided Tour Date

Late June-Mid September

COMFORT

EFFORT

TERRAIN

Trip Ratings Explained
ROCKY MOUNTAINS OF COLORADO

Majestic snowcapped peaks; golden aspen leaves; rolling alpine meadows; tumbling waterfalls and charming Victorian hotels beckon you to explore the Maroon Bells, Elk Range and San Juan Mountains of Colorado, home of Ryder-Walker Alpine Adventures. From bubbling hot springs and historic hotels, to scenic hikes and colorful towns, the Rocky Mountains offer an authentic flavor of the American West. Ryder-Walker’s...

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Price

$5700*

Guided Tour Date

Sept 22-29, 2024

COMFORT

EFFORT

TERRAIN

Trip Ratings Explained
Machu Picchu

Hike Machu Picchu, and enjoy this unique opportunity to experience ancient history in the Land of the Incas. Our 10-day Salkantay Trek begins in the beautiful and bustling city of Cusco, which is perfectly tucked into the hillsides at an elevation of 11,200 feet and was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983. Our lodge-to-lodge trekking experience takes us on a...

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Price

$7100*

Guided Tour Date

May 1-11 & Nov 3-13, 2024

COMFORT

EFFORT

TERRAIN

Trip Ratings Explained
Hiking in Morocco

In Morocco, the Atlas Mountains rise against the burnt-orange sunset, violet rays radiating across the wide desert plateaus, bleached white beaches, and pastel medieval buildings. As you walk across the sand, through the busy markets bustling with wild sounds, colors, and smells, through small mountain hamlets seemingly carved into the peaks, you can feel the antiquity of the land beneath...

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Price

$5550*

Guided Tour Date

October 9-18, 2024

COMFORT

EFFORT

TERRAIN

Trip Ratings Explained
Lake Como town

If Lake Como is best known for its lavish Villas, authentic Italian cuisine, and romantic lakeside views, then its best kept secret is the accessible alpine beauty of the dramatic surrounding mountains. Glacially carved over 10,000 years ago and forming the shape of an upside-down Y, Lake Como’s “Middle Lake” offers exquisite accommodations, genuine culture, historical perspective, and surprisingly remote...

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Price

$5100*

Guided Tour Date

May 28-June 3, 2024

COMFORT

EFFORT

TERRAIN

Trip Ratings Explained
An onion-domed church in front of Germany's highest peak, the Zugspitze.

Fall in love with Germany and Austria during this 8-day village-to-village hiking tour through Bavaria and the Austrian Tyrol. Beginning in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, a town with Roman roots and more than 2,000 years of cultural heritage, we hike a counterclockwise Zugspitzeturm—a complete circumnavigation of Germany’s highest peak, the Zugspitze. Our adventure begins by hopping on a cog wheel train and alighting...

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Price

$5100*

Guided Tour Date

September 5-12, 2024

Self-Guided Tour Date

June-September

COMFORT

EFFORT

TERRAIN

Trip Ratings Explained
Beautiful flowers and town perched on the island of Corsica

Hiking Tour in Corsica! Corsica is a land of pure magic - the island’s craggy mountains are hemmed by the waters of the Mediterranean interspersed with beaches, medieval villages, and pastureland. Ryder-Walker’s tour of Corsica will take you through a suite of different biomes from deserts to the Mediterranean coast, to deep glacial valleys and mountain summits. The heart of...

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Price

$6500*

Guided Tour Date

Sept. 28-Oct. 5, 2024

COMFORT

EFFORT

TERRAIN

Trip Ratings Explained
Austria

Brilliant blue lakes, lush meadowlands, and hundreds of limestone peaks with cascading glaciers are the hallmarks of our eight-day hiking tour through the Salzkammergut region of Salzburg, Austria. While the history runs deep in the Salzkammergut, with evidence of human habitation going back 7,000 years, it is the blend of spectacular mountain scenery and impeccable Austrian innkeeping that makes the...

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Price

$5250*

Guided Tour Date

September 13-20, 2024

Self-Guided Tour Date

June-September

COMFORT

EFFORT

TERRAIN

Trip Ratings Explained
patagonia group photo

Step into Patagonia, a land of vast steppe grasslands, rugged and beautiful coastlines, endless foothills, and forests of indigenous trees. Patagonia’s lakes and rivers sparkle with infinite hues of blue while the massive volcanoes and jagged granite peaks of the Andean cordillera (the longest continental mountain range in world) rise abruptly against the skyline. It is no secret that Patagonia...

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Price

$7000*

Guided Tour Date

March 6-15, 2024

COMFORT

EFFORT

TERRAIN

Trip Ratings Explained
The Mer de Glace and Mont Blanc above Chamonix, France

This self-guided trek links the villages of the Mont Blanc region and the western Swiss Valais, crossing through the highest mountain range in western Europe, the Pennine Alps. You hike through two distinct cultural regions, the French speaking and German speaking Alps. Starting in the bustling alpine center of Chamonix, France beneath the dramatic flanks of Europe's highest summit, Mont...

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Price

$3050*

Guided Tour Date

July 4-15, 2023

Self-Guided Tour Date

Late June-Mid September

COMFORT

EFFORT

TERRAIN

Trip Ratings Explained
Hiking the self-guided Tour du Mont Blanc with Ryder-Walker Alpine Adventures

Outside Magazine named Ryder-Walker's trek one of the 25 Best Hikes in the World. Mont Blanc (15,781 feet) rises more than 12,000 vertical feet above the famous resort village of Chamonix, France. The epitome of everything that is “alpine” in the Alps, Mont Blanc beckons hikers and climbers from around the globe with its snow-white glaciers, sheer cliff walls, and...

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Price

$3500*

Guided Tour Date

June 19-June 28, 2024 and August 21-30, 2024

Self-Guided Tour Date

Mid June-Mid September: Fixed tour dates only.

COMFORT

EFFORT

TERRAIN

Trip Ratings Explained
Group hiking on the Self-guided Switzerland's Jungfrau Loop

While crossing the mighty Berner Oberland range you traverse high ridges, follow valleys, and climb to a number of high, remote passes. The Berner Oberland Traverse offers glaciers, iconic mountains, and quintessential Swiss scenery. Views of the world famous trio of Eiger, Mönch, and Jungfrau make for an unforgettable adventure in the Swiss Alps. Our self-guided traverse through Switzerland's most...

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Price

$3150*

Self-Guided Tour Date

Late June – Mid September

COMFORT

EFFORT

TERRAIN

Trip Ratings Explained
Obersteinberg in Switzerland's famed Berner Oberland

The Berner Oberland is maybe the most visually arresting region in Switzerland. The magnificent summits of the Eiger, Jungfrau, Mönch, and Breithorn all tower high above pastoral valleys. In the heart of the Berner Oberland is the Lauterbrunnen Valley – meaning valley of many fountains in English, a reference to the hundreds of waterfalls cascading towards the valley floor. The...

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Price

$2475*

Self-Guided Tour Date

Late June-Mid September

COMFORT

EFFORT

TERRAIN

Trip Ratings Explained
engadine summit

Feel the burn in your legs as you mountain hop across the undiscovered peaks of eastern Switzerland. Beginning in the picturesque village of Zuoz, you spend eight days summiting the many mid-height, un-glaciated mountain peaks that the Engadine region is famous for. Hike to the mountaintops by day, and bed down in the region’s quintessentially Swiss inns by night. Spend...

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Price

$3148*

Guided Tour Date

August 14-21, 2024

Self-Guided Tour Date

Late June-Mid September

COMFORT

EFFORT

TERRAIN

Trip Ratings Explained
Ascona, Switzerland in the region of Ticino

Ancient villages of stone construction are strung along steep-sided valleys in this Italian-speaking canton of Switzerland: the Ticino. Although once ruled by the Dukes of Milan, the Ticino region still offers quintessential Swiss landscapes. Deeply enfolded pre-Alpine landscapes with many valleys, centuries-old stone villages, and historic mountain pastoral life make Ticino an outstanding hiking destination. Enjoy unspoiled walking along river...

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Price

$3070*

Self-Guided Tour Date

May-October

COMFORT

EFFORT

TERRAIN

Trip Ratings Explained
Dolomites Hiking

The soaring limestone spires of the Dolomites make a stunning backdrop for a number of quaint villages, expansive mountain meadows, and a highly developed trail system. The region is culturally diverse, and on this self-guided tour you visit the German speaking Tyrolean villages in Val Gardena with their onion-domed chapels, Corvara in the Ladin speaking Alta Badia, and the busy...

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Price

$3750*

Guided Tour Date

June 11-18 & Aug 25-Sept 1, 2024

Self-Guided Tour Date

Mid June-Mid September

COMFORT

EFFORT

TERRAIN

Trip Ratings Explained
Como and Bellagio Tour

If Lake Como, Italy is best known for its lavish villas, authentic Italian cuisine and romantic lakeside views, then its best kept secret is the surrounding mountains and the myriad hiking trails that explore them. Glacially carved over 10,000 years ago, and forming the shape of an upside-down Y, Lake Como offers remote and beautiful day hikes, exquisite accommodations, and...

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Price

$3200*

Self-Guided Tour Date

May-October

COMFORT

EFFORT

TERRAIN

Trip Ratings Explained
Village at the base of a mountain and lake

The Pusteria Valley on the Italian/Austrian border is where the high Alps morph into the Dolomites. The northern flank of the valley is pastoral, with undefined walls of limestone and gentler summits. The southern flank is where the Dolomites find their personality as jagged summits skyrocket above. Ryder-Walker’s Via Ladinia begins in the calming town of San Candido. The magnificence...

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Price

$3060*

Guided Tour Date

September 14-21, 2024

Self-Guided Tour Date

Mid June-Mid September

COMFORT

EFFORT

TERRAIN

Trip Ratings Explained
Dusk view of Italian rifugio

Towers of vertical limestone tinged pink in the evening light loom above the rolling, green meadows and intriguing castles, ruins and onion-domed church steeples of the villages below in the enchanting Alto Adige region of Northern Italy. The Dolomites are one of the earth’s most dramatic ranges and a paradise for hikers who come to enjoy the startling, vertical topography...

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Price

$2215*

Self-Guided Tour Date

Late June-September

COMFORT

EFFORT

TERRAIN

Trip Ratings Explained
provence

Experience souleu e terraire, 'the soul of the terrain', as you walk amongst vineyards, historic villages and the famous lavender fields that characterize the Vaucluse region of Provence, France. Enjoy a great combination of countryside walking through farms, vineyards, and orchards, while rambling along herb-scented hillsides toward golden-hued villages. Provence’s landscape and light will enthrall you just as it did...

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Price

$3250*

Self-Guided Tour Date

April-June, Sept-Oct

COMFORT

EFFORT

TERRAIN

Trip Ratings Explained
Telluride, Colorado

Majestic snow capped peaks, expansive alpine meadows, tumbling waterfalls, and charming Victorian hotels beckon hikers to explore the San Juan Mountains of Southwestern Colorado; home of Ryder- Walker Alpine Adventures. From bubbling hot springs and historic hotels, to the outposts of bank robbers and miners gone “mad”, Colorado mountains over a mother lode of scenic hikes and colorful towns. Ryder-Walker’s...

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Price

$2575*

Self-Guided Tour Date

Mid-June - Early-Oct

COMFORT

EFFORT

TERRAIN

Trip Ratings Explained
Self Guided Hiking Trip Costa Brava

Rugged cliffs, crystalline bays, and tranquil coves with tucked-away fishing villages and beautiful beaches are just a few of the highlights of this eight-day inn-to-inn hiking tour along Spain’s Costa Brava on the Mediterranean Sea. Costa Brava literally means rugged, or ‘wild’, coast, but don’t let the name or the abrupt cliffs and cactus-lined trails frighten you. With medieval castles,...

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Price

$3190*

Self-Guided Tour Date

May-Mid July & Mid Aug.-Oct.

COMFORT

EFFORT

TERRAIN

Trip Ratings Explained
High Peaks of Bavaria

Your journey begins in the charming town of Garmisch-Partenkirchen. Garmisch, located on the west side of town and Partenkirchen on the east side, evolved as separate towns, and still maintain somewhat separate identities, in spite of the modern hyphenated name. This is often overlooked by visitors, but the locals will point out subtleties, such as the color of the stitching...

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Price

$2500*

Guided Tour Date

Sept 5-12, 2023

Self-Guided Tour Date

June-Mid Oct

COMFORT

EFFORT

TERRAIN

Trip Ratings Explained
Hallstatt Austria

This is an exploration of the Lake District found around Salzburg, one of Europe’s most amazing cities. The Dachstein is the northernmost high limestone range in the Alps. It is characterized by beautiful verdant valleys, brilliant blue lakes, and towering peaks with cascading glaciers. These attributes earned it recognition as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The villages have been inhabited,...

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Price

$2950*

Guided Tour Date

September 13-20, 2024

Self-Guided Tour Date

June-September

COMFORT

EFFORT

TERRAIN

Trip Ratings Explained

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Berner Oberland Mini Trek

Classic scenery is the hallmark of the Swiss Berner Oberland where the famous trio, the Eiger, Mönch, and Jungfrau, dominates not only the landscape, but also the imagination of the traveler. The Jungfrau region is an alpine wonderland: rolling green meadows lie peacefully beneath awe inspiring, glaciated peaks; tiny chalets dot the hillsides; and farmers continue the ancient herding traditions...

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Price

$1760*

Self-Guided Tour Date

Late June - Early Oct

COMFORT

EFFORT

TERRAIN

Trip Ratings Explained
Italian Dolomites Rufigio

Towers of vertical limestone tinged pink in the evening light loom above the rolling, green meadows and intriguing castles, ruins, and onion-domed church steeples of the villages in the enchanting Alto Adige (Südtirol) region of Northern Italy. The Dolomites are one of the earth’s most dramatic ranges, and a paradise for hikers who come to enjoy the startling, vertical topography...

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Price

$1950*

Self-Guided Tour Date

Mid June - Mid September

COMFORT

EFFORT

TERRAIN

Trip Ratings Explained
Chamonix To Champex Mini Trek

Highest mountains in western Europe, the Pennine Alps, offer a sensational opportunity for hikers to explore a spectacular alpine world. From Chamonix, beneath the Mont Blanc range, with its granite spires and glaciated peaks, a network of trails connects you to Champex. Our shorter hike is part of the Hiker's Haute Route, first walked in 1903 and dubbed the High...

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Price

$1590*

Self-Guided Tour Date

Late June - Mid September

COMFORT

EFFORT

TERRAIN

Trip Ratings Explained
Telluride, CO rock formation

Majestic snow-capped peaks, expansive alpine meadows, tumbling waterfalls, a charming Victorian hotel and more beckon hikers to explore the San Juan Mountains of Southwestern Colorado; home of Ryder- Walker Alpine Adventures. From bubbling hot springs and historic hotels, to the outposts of bank robbers and miners gone “mad”, Colorado mountains offer a mother lode of scenic hikes and colorful towns....

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Price

$1700*

Self-Guided Tour Date

Late June - Early Oct

COMFORT

EFFORT

TERRAIN

Trip Ratings Explained

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