Imagine stepping back in time, hiking through valleys where the culture feels as untouched as the landscape. Ryder-Walker’s latest trek combines two beautiful, lesser-known regions of Europe—the Appenzell region in... read more →
Switzerland is the crown jewel of the Alps and the heart of Ryder-Walker’s expertise and history. The mountainous country has more than earned its reputation for the highest standards of trekking. With views and vertical relief that rival the Himalaya, glaciated peaks that have captured the imaginations of generations of mountaineers, and a trail system that is truly unrivaled in terms of quality and breadth, even the most hiking conscious countries aspire to be like Switzerland.
Ryder-Walker offers guided and self-guided treks in three major regions of Switzerland: The Engadine is a peaceful valley that combines world-class accommodation with a sense of peace unique to the Engadine, the Berner Oberland is the premier tourist destination in Switzerland where the country’s most varied hiking is hidden in precipitous valleys, and the Swiss Valais is the mountainous heart of the country where the world-famous giants of the Matterhorn and Monte Rosa are found to the east and Mont Blanc rests just over the French border to the west.
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In the Engadine region of Switzerland Ryder-Walker offers two unique guided and self-guided tours, the Engadine Summit Series and the Engadine Trek. Both follow the Engadine valley to its junction with the Italy-adjacent Val Bregaglia in the medieval village of Soglio. The Engadine is unique among trekking destinations because of the accessibility and flexibility of the region. Here there is a truly exceptional breadth of options for both experienced and beginner trekkers. An expansive transit network of trains, gondolas, and funiculars allows the tour to be tailored exactly to your group’s abilities. The Engadine remains one of Ryder-Walker’s most classic destinations because of the pure unrivaled quality of the accommodations – a bevy of five-star hotels offer old-world sentimentality with modern comforts and excellent local cuisine. Highlights include the medieval village of Soglio and the lakeside village of Sils Maria which was referred to by Friedrich Nietzsche as the most beautiful and thought-provoking village in Europe. Finally for more relaxed self-guided hikers, we offer the Allegra Engadine Trek which explores the pastoral valleys between Scuol and Pontresina.
The Berner Oberland is the perfect Switzerland destination for dedicated hikers who are looking for a trek that tests their endurance while rewarding them with some of the most iconic mountain views in the Alps. All of these routes explore the glaciated valleys high above Bern and visit the Lauterbrunnen – the most dramatic alpine valley in the world. For those looking for an ultimate adventure, the guided Eiger Trail offers the most complete exploration of the Oberland. Ryder-Walker’s Eiger Trail hike journeys between Gstaad and Grindelwald. Along the way, we cross over the highest passes in the Alps, through secret valleys, and international destinations such as the cliff-bound villages of Wengen and Mürren and the sleepy hamlet of Kandersteg. For self guided clients we offer a variety of shorter excursions into the Berner Oberland including: the Berner Oberland Traverse which tackles some of the highest mountain passes in the Alps, the slightly shorter Berner Oberland Trek, the Jungfrau Loop which is an easier-going circuit of the Lauterbrunnen valley, and our Pastoral Berner Oberland which avoids the more strenuous sections of the other hikes.
The Swiss Valais region of Switzerland has a lot to brag about, the slopes of the region’s highest peaks, such as the Mont Blanc (FR), Monte Rosa, and Matterhorn cascade down into lush valleys, where cows graze and the swiss cheese industry is practiced as it was hundreds of years ago. For guided clients we offer a suite of truly classic hiking tours: the Tour du Mont Blanc – perhaps the most recognized hike in the world, the Hiker’s Haute Route – a historic route which connects the Mont Blanc and Matterhorn, the Matterhorn Trek – a well kept secret that circumnavigates the Matterhorn to Zermatt and could be considered one of the most epic hikes in the world, and our Highlights of Switzerland: Engadine, Lago Maggiore, and Zermatt tour which visits all of our favorite Swiss hikes and villages across three distinct biomes. For those that wish to take a self guided tour of Switzerland’s heart we offer the Hiker’s Haute Route, Tour du Mont Blanc, and Matterhorn Trek as well as a collection of self-guided exclusives: Our Secret Swiss Valley’s Trek which was profiled by National Geographic, the Swiss Haute Route which follows the Swiss half of the Hiker’s Haute Route, and the TMB Vitesse which is a truncated Tour du Mont Blanc for those short on time.
Outside of these major regions we offer two additional self-guided treks: The Appenzell Hut Hop and the Ticino: Swiss Lakes District. Appenzell is a stunning and remote section of Switzerland that is considered by many to be the most authentic region in the entire country, while the Swiss Lakes District gives the Italian Lakes District a run for its money in terms of natural beauty and elegance.
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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$6800*
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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$6000*
The highest mountains in Western Europe, the Pennine Alps, offer hikers an opportunity to explore a spectacular alpine world. This hike begins in Italy beneath the Matterhorn, one of the most iconic peaks in the world. The tour also partially circumnavigates the Monte Rosa, the highest mountain in Switzerland and the second highest peak in Western Europe. The Tour de...
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$5900*
The Highlights of Switzerland is designed to provide exceptional hiking with a broad range of physical challenge. This makes it perfect for families and parties with different interests and abilities. It is also designed to please those who prefer to unpack and stay unpacked for a few days at a time. We begin in Sils Maria, one of the loveliest...
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$6350*
The Bernese Oberland in central Switzerland is one of the most stunning mountain ranges on earth. High, glaciated peaks and vertical rock walls ascend thousands of feet above tumbling waterfalls, pristine valleys, and flower-filled meadows sporting the world’s happiest cows. Our nine-day hiking tour begins on the west side of the Berner Oberland in the fashionable resort village of Gstaad....
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$6450*
This week-long inn-to-inn hiking tour covers the length of the Inn River Valley from near the Austrian border to that of Italy. Staying in the most charming villages and quaint inns, we pass from the gentler terrain of the lower Engadine with its quaint old villages, through the upper Engadine with its majestic, glaciated peaks and into the wild and...
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$5300*
Our trek begins in a hidden gem of Switzerland, the Appenzell region, where the majestic limestone cliffs of the Alpstein and Säntis ranges rise dramatically above lush pastures. This area offers a well-planned network of huts and Berghaus inns, each comfortably within a day’s walk of one another, making it ideal for trekking. We then cross into the Principality of...
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$6050*
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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$3280*
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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$3615*
The highest mountains in western Europe, the Pennine Alps, offer a sensational opportunity for hikers to explore a spectacular alpine world. This itinerary starts and finishes beneath the Matterhorn, the most iconic peak in the world, and circumnavigates the Monte Rosa, the Alps’ second highest peak. The Tour Monte Rosa has become a much sought after achievement in recent years,...
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$3500*
For those who want to hike the Tour du Mont Blanc, but have a limited amount of time, we offer the Tour du Mont Blanc Vitesse. Vitesse means "speed" in French, and this shortened TMB itinerary covers the greatest highlights of our standard itinerary in five hiking days instead of eight. Our abbreviated TMB begins in Courmayeur, Italy, hikes around...
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$2780*
Swiss perfection is embodied in the world famous Jungfrau region, the very heart of the Swiss Alps, and hiking beneath the dramatic glaciated peaks of the Eiger, Mönch, and Jungfrau lures mountain enthusiasts from around the world. Picture-perfect views surround you in every direction, and the fabulous system of lifts, cable cars and funiculars make hiking in this lofty region...
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$2650*
Retreat in time to another era and a place far away: the enchanted Inn River Valley. Time forgotten 16th century villages, with their fascinating architecture, cling to the hillsides, and numerous ruins and a castle mark the valley’s importance through the medieval period and Hapsburg Empire. Above the valley the peaks of the Silvretta, Lischana, and Bernina ranges soar. This...
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$3395*
Lose yourself in Appenzell, a unique corner of Switzerland where airy mountain trails, punctuated by steel cables and iron pegs to aid the hiker, lead you through a world of striking landforms, traditional Swiss hamlets, and well-appointed mountain houses that are never more than a day’s walk apart. Beginning in the quirky and colorful village of Appenzell, this 6-day point-to-point...
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$1700*
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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$3400*
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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$2900*
Classic scenery is the hallmark of the Eiger Trail trek that begins in Gstaad and ends in the heart of the beautiful Bernese Oberland, where the famous trio, the Eiger, Mönch, and Jungfrau, dominates not only the landscape, but also the imagination of the traveler. Most feel this is the Alps’ most classic route. Charming glimpses of the active Bernese...
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$4050*
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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$3395*
Retreat in time to another era and a place far away: the enchanted Inn River Valley. Time forgotten 17th century villages, with their fascinating architecture, cling to the hillsides, and numerous ruins and a castle mark the valley’s importance through the medieval period and Hapsburg Empire. Above the valley the peaks of the Silvretta, Lischana, and Bernina ranges soar. This trek...
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$3460*
Moderate inn-to-inn hikes link the fabled villages of the Jungfrau region in this quick tour for those with other stops on their European itinerary. Beginning in the quiet, picturesque village of Meiringen, this this loop explores the Lauterbrunnen Valley, with its cascading waterfalls; and visits sleepy Mürren; the busy alpine center of Grindelwald, beneath the impressive north face of the Eiger; as...
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$2375*
This self-guided trek links the Swiss villages of the Hiker's Haute Route, but with simpler logistics, a shorter hiking time, and a grand finish along a high level route into Saas Fee. You will cross the Valais by a number of high passes between small villages with blackened timber houses and slate roofs while enjoying outstanding views of the Pennine...
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$2600*
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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$3215*
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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$1825*
Retreat in time to another era and a place far away: the enchanted Inn River Valley. Time forgotten 17th century villages, with their fascinating architecture, cling to the hillsides, and numerous ruins and a castle mark the valley’s importance through the medieval period and Hapsburg Empire. Above the valley the peaks of the Silvretta, Lischana, and Bernina ranges soar. This...
View trip detailsPrice
$2150*
Hear It From Our Guests
“The trip is very well organised and so it seems seamless and easy. I am sure there is a lot of preparation goes into making the trip seem seamless! It is in a very beautiful area, breathtaking really. One of my friends is not convinced that the photos are real. Each walk is different and this was enchanting. We had people at different levels of fitness and I loved the way that this was managed so everyone was able to do what they wanted without feeling in any way disconnected from the group. The guides were impressive at managing this.”
“The hiking was challenging, the food incredible, and the accommodations top-notch (even the hut night)! We feel really good about and totally satisfied with another fine Ryder-Walker experience and those wonderful memories will last forever! We’re already trying to figure out our next Ryder-Walker Adventure.”
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