3 Amazing Hiking Destinations in Switzerland

Sparkling glacial fields, Alpine lakes, cascading waterfalls, and lush green hillsides—these elements combine to make hiking in Switzerland a top-notch experience. With an impressive 38,000 miles of trails winding through the country’s peaks, valleys, and hills, there’s no shortage of choices, especially considering Switzerland covers less than 16,000 square miles.

Hiking here is even more enjoyable, thanks to a network of Alpine huts, guesthouses, and inns that provide a warm welcome to tired hikers, allowing for easy inn-to-inn hiking with just a daypack.

Are you ready to join in on the country's unofficial national pastime? Discover some of the finest hiking regions and trails in Switzerland.

The Jura Mountains: Jura Vaudois Nature Park

With 2,081 named peaks, none exceeding 5,600 feet, the serene Jura Mountains create a natural border between Switzerland and France, offering a tranquil escape. Stretching from the shores of Lake Geneva near Lausanne to the 5,500-foot summit of La Dôle, the 270-square-mile Jura Vaudois Nature Park features quaint villages, shady riverbanks, rugged cliffs, and steep slopes blanketed in spruce and pine forests.

Embark on a historical journey along the Romainmôtier Heritage Trail, which meanders through the peaceful Nozon River valley, beginning and concluding at the 10th-century Romainmôtier Abbey, one of Switzerland's best-preserved Cluniac Romanesque priories and possibly the oldest monastery in the country. Visitors can explore the stone church and enjoy meals at the newly renovated restaurant, serving locally sourced regional specialties like spit-roasted rosemary chicken and fresh fruit tarts in a lovely courtyard.

This trail is part of the 200-mile Cluny Way, which traces the historic Way of St. James from the influential Cluny Abbey in France, established in 910, through Burgundy and the Loire Valley to Le Puy-en-Velay. Just outside the park, another historical hike follows the Alpine Panorama trail through the Lavaux Vineyards, a UNESCO World Heritage site recognized for its longstanding terraced vineyards and viticultural heritage dating back to the 11th century.

A popular hiking choice in the park is the Jura Crest Trail, Switzerland's oldest long-distance hiking route, stretching nearly 200 miles from Zurich to Geneva, following the ridgeline and providing stunning views of the Alps.

How to Reach It

Just 45 minutes from Geneva, the park features multiple access points that can be reached by car or bus. The visitor center at the Hôtel du Marchairuz, located at Marchairuz Pass and accessible by Post Bus, serves as an excellent starting point.

The Engadine Dolomites: Swiss National Park

Established in 1914, Swiss National Park is Switzerland's first national park—and, strangely, still the only one of its kind, despite the establishment of various nature parks and reserves. Covering a relatively small area of 65 square miles, this secluded part of eastern Graubünden was heavily affected by logging and mining, which had nearly eradicated its ecosystem and wildlife before the government designated it for preservation in 1914. Today, it resembles a wilderness more than a park, with once barren slopes now densely forested and home to around 250 ibex, 1,800 red deer, and many other species, including chamois, marmots, and bearded vultures.

The park's altitudes range from 4,500 feet to 10,500 feet, offering a variety of challenges for hikers. For those seeking a rigorous hike, the 10-mile trek to Fuorcia Val Sassa Pass or the climb up 10,933-foot Piz Quattervals, which takes five hours and involves navigating scree-covered slopes, are excellent options. One of the most popular hikes is the 8-mile Munt la Schera, which traverses tundra-like high-altitude steppes, providing views that stretch into Italy’s Stelvio National Park to the south while passing old mine tunnels and meadows adorned with wildflowers. The 13-mile route from Lavin to Zernez leads through the Zeznina Valley to the Alpine Macun Lakes before ascending to the 9,350-foot Fuorcletta da Barcli pass.

Cyclists flock to the 86-mile loop surrounding Swiss National Park, as well as the Graubünden Route, one of nine designated National Cycling Routes that skirts the edge of the park.

Getting There

Swiss National Park is conveniently accessible by Swiss Rail from Zurich to Zernez, as well as by local bus or a bus from Livigno in Italy.

The Valais

The Pennine Alps, the tallest mountains in Western Europe, form the backbone of Valais, home to the highest density of 12,000-foot peaks in the Swiss Alps.

So isolated that its roads were among the last in Switzerland to be paved, this region of southwestern Switzerland remains steeped in tradition, where fresh cheese, homemade sausages, and freshly baked bread are ubiquitous. This is the Alps depicted in your grandparents' postcards, with slate-roofed wooden hay sheds dotting the hillsides, and the soothing sounds of cowbells and the jingling of sheep and goats lulling you to sleep at night and waking you in the morning.

Hiking the historic Leukerbad via ferrata is an unforgettable experience, featuring eight precarious ladders designed to transport goods up the nearly vertical mountainside. The endpoint, Albinen, is a national heritage site known for its beautifully preserved wooden houses dating back to the 1600s and 1700s.

No trail is more famous in Switzerland than the Walker’s Haute Route, an inn-to-inn trek stretching from Chamonix in France to Zermatt beneath the Matterhorn. Possible stops include the charming villages of Trient, Champex-Lac, Verbier, Arolla, Les Hauderes, Grimentz, and Gruben. Zermatt, a mountaineering hub since the first ascent of the Matterhorn in 1865, proudly showcases its adventurous legacy at the quaint Matterhorn Museum.

How to Reach It

Chamonix and Zermatt are both reachable via Swiss Rail, with Zermatt additionally serving as the endpoint for the Glacier Express, a popular tourist attraction known for its scenic route across the Alps. To get to the Leukerbad via ferrata, take the train to Leuk and then hop on the postal bus to Leukerbad.