Overview
The Via Alpina Highlights: Bernese Oberland walking holiday takes in the best sections of one of the classic treks in Switzerland. Also known as the ‘Alpine Pass Route’, Via Alpina is a classic long-distance hike starting in Sargans and reaching the shores of Lake Geneva. Our itinerary covers the western sections from Meiringen to Lenk and is perfect for those who don’t have the time to complete the whole trail. This is a challenging but a rewarding trek, offering views of the famous Bernese Oberland trio of the Jungfrau, Mönch and Eiger; the added comfort of daily luggage transfers and staying in comfortable hotels in private rooms on all nights makes it a perfect Alpine adventure.
- Breathtaking mountain landscapes
- Walk in the shadow of the mighty Jungfrau, Mönch and Eiger
- Wander through lush meadows and high mountain passes
- Stay in comfortable hotels and enjoy Swiss specialities
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Itinerary
Day 1: Meiringen
Arrival in Meiringen. Meiringen is a picturesque village, famous for the nearby Reichenbach Falls, a spectacular waterfall that was the setting for the showdown between Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes and his nemesis Professor Moriarty.
- Overnight in Parkhotel du Sauvage or similar
Day 2: Meiringen – Grindelwald | 14km
A short bus transfer bus takes you to Rosenlaui where your first hike starts. You walk up to the Grosse Scheidegg from where you have a magnificent view to Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau. From here, you continue to Grindelwald.
- Overnight in Hotel Kirchbühl or similar
- Walking for the day: 4-5h, 14km, ↑700m ↓980m
Day 3: Grindelwald – Wengen 16.5km
Today the trail leads you up to the Kleine Scheidegg, then towards the car-free resort of Wengen. Small paths will bring you past the spectacular Trümmelbach waterfall down to Lauterbrunnen.
- Overnight in Hotel Bélvèdere or similar
- Walking for the day: 5.5h, 16.5km, ↑1,155m ↓915m
Day 4: Wengen – Griesalp/Pochtenalp | 21.5km
Early in the morning, the cable car brings you up to Mürren. Walk past breathtaking Alpine scenery to your destination.
- Overnight in a mountain hotel, private rooms but shared facilities on each floor (optional upgrade)
- Walking for the day: 7-8h, 21.5km, ↑1,315m ↓1,415m
Day 5: Griesalp/Pochtenalp – Kandersteg | 17km
The ascent to the Blüemlisalp is probably the most spectacular leg of this hiking tour. After a long and steep walk up to 2,843m, you can enjoy a hearty meal at the Swiss mountain pasture “Blüemlisalphütte”. From here, the trails lead on glacier moraines down to Lake Öschinen. Now Kandersteg is within short walking distance (easy option: take the cable car down to the valley).
- Overnight in Hotel Blümlisalp or similar
- Walking for the day: 7h, 17km, ↑1,450m ↓1,685m
Day 6: Kandersteg – Adelboden | 11.5km
Take the cable car up to Allmenalp from where you hike up to Bonderchrinde. The views of the surrounding peaks are breathtaking. The trail leads down into the valley to Adelboden.
- Overnight in Hotel Bären or similar
- Walking for the day: 4.5h, 11.5km, ↑835m ↓1,220m
Day 7: Adelboden – Lenk | 14km
From the widely-known village of Adelboden, you walk towards the Hahnenmoospass. Beautiful views to the peak of mount Wildstrubel guide your way down to the valley of Simmental. You will spend one last night in the Bernese Oberland.
- Overnight in Sporthotel Wildstrubel or similar
- Walking for the day: 4.5h, 14km, ↑700m ↓980m
Day 8: Departure
Return home or individual stay extension.
What to expect
Accommodation
Accommodation is in middle-class hotels, in double or twin private rooms. Six overnights are in en-suite rooms and one overnight (Day 4) is in a mountain hotel with shared facilities on each floor. We have carefully hand-picked all places and regularly monitor their quality. We have tried to choose accommodations that offer friendly service, clean and comfortable rooms and local flavour.
Click to view default hotels
Hotels are subject to availability. In the event of a particular hotel being fully booked for your chosen dates, we will replace it with a hotel of equal value and quality level. We will provide exact accommodation details to you upon booking confirmation.
Click to view upgraded hotels
Accommodation in charming 3 and 4-star hotels (some of them with spa facilities) on all nights.
- Victoria Meiringen
- Victoria Belle Epoque
- Bellevue Parkhotel & Spa
- Hotel Kreuz
- Hotel Silberhorn
- Hotel Waldrand
Hotels are subject to availability. In the event of a particular hotel being fully booked for your chosen dates, we will replace it with a hotel of equal value and quality level. We will provide exact accommodation details to you upon booking confirmation.
Meals
Accommodation is on a bed&breakfast basis. Picnic lunches are optional at an additional charge and can be ordered locally. You can have dinner at your hotel or the restaurants in the villages.
Difficulty and terrain
The trails are in perfect condition, but still, this tour is not an easy walk. Sure-footedness and good physical condition are mandatory. You must not be afraid of heights to go on this alpine tour. Some (but not all!) sections of the tour can be cut short in the case of bad weather using local transport (read more about difficulty grades). We strongly advise you to follow only marked trails and never try to shorten the path through the unknown and unmarked terrain. We will provide you with detailed road notes and maps, and you can call our 24/7 local assistance phone number anytime. More detailed info on route navigation will be included in your holiday information pack.
When to go
This trip is available on any date between June and end of September.
Please note that availability may be limited during big events such as Eiger Ultra Trail (14-18 Jul 2022).
The flexibility of self guided holidays means that there are no fixed dates and you can start your trip on any date in the season – so please indicate desired beginning date when booking.
Getting there
Click to view travel options
By train or bus
- By train to Meiringen. The hotel is at walking distance from the railway station.
- Parking: affordable parking close to the hotel, CHF 20.- per week.
- Free parking is available at the cable car station. No reservation is necessary.
- Return travel from Lenk to Meiringen by train takes approx. 3 hours.
- For more information use the Omio planner above.
Inclusions
Included
- 7 overnight stays with breakfast as described in the itinerary (all overnights in private rooms; 6 overnights in en-suite rooms and 1 overnight with shared facilities)
- Luggage transfer on all walking days (one piece of luggage per person, 20kg)
- Detailed route notes (1 x per room), Navigation app
- SwitzerlandMobility-Plus subscription for one year
- 24/7 phone assistance by our local office/representative
Excluded
- Airfare and connecting land transfers
- Lunches, dinners, drinks and snacks
- Travel insurance (required – get a quote online)
- Cable car tickets and other local transportation
- Personal expenses
- Local tourist taxes and entry fees (payable on-site)
- Any items not explicitly listed as included
Options, extras and supplements
- If you’re travelling in a group, a supplement applies to group members who would like to have a room of their own
- This holiday is available for solo travellers; a supplement will be charged as accommodation and luggage transfer costs are not shared (we never mix and match – solo travellers will be accommodated in single rooms)
- ‘In Style’ upgrade: includes charming 3 and 4-star hotels (some of them with spa facilities) on all nights
- Go digital – Discount available for opting out of printed travel documents
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