Walker’s Haute Route
Self-Guided Walking Holiday
Holiday Type:
Hut to Hut
When:
Mid-July to Mid-Sept
Start:
Chamonix, France
Finish:
Zermatt, Switzerland
Distance:
225km (140 miles)
Length:
12 to 19 days
Grade:
Moderate to Strenuous
2024 Price:
from £ 1,440.00
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Trek from magnificent Mont Blanc to the iconic Matterhorn
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Cross high mountain passes surrounded by 4000m peaks
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Visit quiet Alpine valleys rich in wildlife
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End your trek in the beautiful, car-free mountain town of Zermatt
The Walker’s Haute Route takes you from one famous centre of mountaineering to another - from Chamonix, resting in the shadow of Mont Blanc, to Zermatt, nestled beneath the Matterhorn. The route in between takes walkers over a series of dramatic mountain passes and through remote Alpine scenery, surrounded by some of the highest peaks in Europe. Many nights are spent in high mountain refuges, where civilisation feels a million miles away.
Whilst Zermatt and Chamonix are bustling, many of the valleys and villages in between feel quiet and off the beaten track. Amongst wildflower meadows, verdant forests and rocky ridges, you’re likely to spot Marmots, Chamois and Ibex.
Photo Gallery
Walker’s Haute Route Itinerary & Price Options
We offer three suggested itineraries on the Walker’s Haute Route, which are set out below. However, we are also happy to create a tailor-made itinerary based on your preferences - please just get in touch. From solo walkers to groups of friends, we are happy to help with all requirements.
WHR-1 Itinerary
Length: 16 Days / 15 nights
Difficulty: Moderate to Strenuous
Price: from £ 1,910.00 per person (GBP)
▼ Find out more...
2024 Prices in GBP (for 2 persons sharing a room)Basic: £ 1,910.00 per person
Classic: £ 2,150.00 per person
Comfort: £ 3,175.00 per person
2024 Prices in GBP (for 1 person)
Basic: £ 2,415.00 per person
Classic: £ 2,760.00 per person
Comfort: £ 3,990.00 per person
Please see accommodation section below for details on our different accommodation levels.
Day 1
Arrive Chamonix
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Day 2
Chamonix to Argentière
9km & 300m ascent (5.5 miles & 980ft)
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Day 3
Argentière to Trient
15km & 1000m ascent (9.5 miles & 3280ft)
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Day 4
Trient to Champex
16km & 1390m ascent (10 miles & 4560ft)
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Day 5
Champex to Le Châble
14.5km & 200m ascent (9 miles & 670ft)
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Day 6
Gondola to Verbier, walk to Cabane de Louvie
14.5km & 1172m ascent (9 miles & 3845ft)
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Day 7
Cabane de Louvie to Cabane de Prafleuri
11km & 1050m ascent (7 miles & 2055ft)
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Day 8
Cabane de Prafleuri to Arolla
18km & 740m ascent (11 miles & 2430ft)
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Day 9
Arolla to La Sage
11.5km & 520m ascent (7 miles & 1705ft)
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Day 10
La Sage to Barrage de Moiry, bus to Grimentz
13km & 1250m ascent (8 miles & 4100ft)
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Day 11
Bus to Barrage de Moiry, walk to Zinal
9km & 600m ascent (5.5 miles & 1970ft)
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Day 12
Zinal to Gruben
17km & 1250m ascent (10.5 miles & 4100ft)
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Day 13
Gruben to St Niklaus
18km & 1150m ascent (11 miles & 3770ft)
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Day 14
Bus to Gasenried, walk to Europahütte
15km & 1180m ascent (9.5 miles & 3870ft)
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Day 15
Europahütte to Zermatt
23km & 850m ascent (14.5 miles & 2790ft)
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Day 16
Depart Zermatt
WHR-2 Itinerary
Length: 19 Days / 18 nights
Difficulty: Moderate to Strenuous
Price: from £ 2,440.00 per person (GBP)
▼ Find out more...
2024 Prices in GBP (for 2 persons sharing a room)Basic: £ 2,440.00 per person
Classic: £ 2,690.00 per person
Comfort: £ 3,830.00 per person
2024 Prices in GBP (for 1 person)
Basic: £ 2,900.00 per person
Classic: £ 3,350.00 per person
Comfort: £ 4,700.00 per person
Please see accommodation section below for details on our different accommodation levels.
Day 1
Arrive Chamonix
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Day 2
Chamonix to Argentière
9km & 300m ascent (5.5 miles & 980ft)
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Day 3
Argentière to Trient
15km & 1000m ascent (9.5 miles & 3280ft)
▼
Day 4
Trient to Champex
16km & 1390m ascent (10 miles & 4560ft)
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Day 5
Champex to Le Châble
14.5km & 200m ascent (9 miles & 670ft)
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Day 6
Gondola to Verbier, walk to Cabane de Louvie
14.5km & 1172m ascent (9 miles & 3845ft)
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Day 7
Cabane de Louvie to Cabane de Prafleuri
11km & 1050m ascent (7 miles & 2055ft)
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Day 8
Cabane de Prafleuri to Cabane De Dix
12km & 880m ascent (7.5 miles & 2890ft)
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Day 9
Cabane De Dix to Arolla
10km & 370m ascent (6 miles & 1215ft)
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Day 10
Arolla to La Sage
11.5km & 520m ascent (7 miles & 1705ft)
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Day 11
La Sage to Barrage de Moiry, bus to Grimentz
13km & 1250m ascent (8 miles & 4100ft)
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Day 12
Bus to Barrage de Moiry, walk to Zinal
9km & 600m ascent (5.5 miles & 1970ft)
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Day 13
Zinal to Hotel Weisshorn
11km & 810m ascent (7 miles & 2660ft)
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Day 14
Hotel Weisshorn to Gruben
11km & 600m ascent (7 miles & 1970ft)
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Day 15
Gruben to St Niklaus
18km & 1150m ascent (11 miles & 3770ft)
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Day 16
Bus to Gasenried, walk to Europahütte
15km & 1180m ascent (9.5 miles & 3870ft)
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Day 17
Europahütte to Taschalp
9km & 620m ascent (5.5 miles & 2030ft)
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Day 18
Taschalp to Zermatt
12km & 335m ascent (7.5 miles & 1100ft)
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Day 19
Depart Zermatt
WHR-3 Itinerary (Highlights)
Length: 12 Days / 11 nights
Difficulty: Moderate to Strenuous
Price: from £ 1,440.00 per person (GBP)
▼ Find out more...
2024 Prices in GBP (for 2 persons sharing a room)Basic: £ 1,440.00 per person
Classic: £ 1,765.00 per person
Comfort: £ 2,245.00 per person
2024 Prices in GBP (for 1 person)
Basic: £ 1,750.00 per person
Classic: £ 2,300.00 per person
Comfort: £ 3,100.00 per person
Please see accommodation section below for details on our different accommodation levels.
Day 1
Arrive Chamonix
▼
Day 2
Argentière to Trient
15km & 1000m ascent (9.5 miles & 3280ft)
▼
Day 3
Trient to Champex
16km & 1390m ascent (10 miles & 4560ft)
▼
Day 4
Bus & Gondola to Verbier, walk to Cabane de Louvie
14.5km & 1172m ascent (9 miles & 3845ft)
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Day 5
Cabane de Louvie to Cabane de Prafleuri
11km & 1050m ascent (7 miles & 2055ft)
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Day 6
Cabane de Prafleuri to Arolla
18km & 740m ascent (11 miles & 2430ft)
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Day 7
Bus Arolla to La Sage, walk to Barrage de Moiry, bus to Zinal
13km & 1250m ascent (8 miles & 4100ft)
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Day 8
Zinal to Gruben
17km & 1250m ascent (10.5 miles & 4100ft)
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Day 9
Gruben to St Niklaus
18km & 1150m ascent (11 miles & 3770ft)
▼
Day 10
Bus to Gasenried, walk to Europahütte
15km & 1180m ascent (9.5 miles & 3870ft)
▼
Day 11
Europahütte to Zermatt
23km & 850m ascent (14.5 miles & 2790ft)
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Day 12
Depart Zermatt
What’s Included?
✔ Accommodation each night
✔ Breakfast every morning
✔ Dinner on nights in Huts
✔ Detailed Itinerary, Map & Guidebook
✔ GPX Waypoints and online mapping
✔ 24/7 Emergency Phone Number
What’s not Included?
X Travel Insurance
X Flights to and from the trail
X Lunches
Optional Extras
? Luggage Transfers
? Rail Transport to and from the trail
? Taxi Transfers to and from the trail
Walker’s Haute Route Itinerary Detail
The below is based on our most popular itinerary on the Walker’s Haute Route, WHR-1 (16 days / 15 nights).
▼ Day 1: Arrive Chamonix
Easily Accessible by Train & Bus
Easily accessible by train or bus from Geneva, the bustling town of Chamonix makes a great starting point for the Walker's Haute Route.
Accommodation:
Guest House or Hotel in Chamonix
▼ Day 2: Chamonix to Argentière
9km & 300m ascent (5.5 miles & 980ft)
A short warm-up day, leaving behind the bustle of Chamonix and heading up the valley through woodland and meadows, with the spectacular Mont Massif a constant presence above.
Accommodation:
Guest House or Hotel in Argentière
▼ Day 3: Argentière to Trient
15km & 1000m ascent (9.5 miles & 3280ft)
The first of many passes to cross is a relatively easy one - the Col de Balme provides great views back to Mont Blanc, and marks the border between France and Switzerland. It’s then a short descent into the small village of Trient.
Accommodation:
Guest House or Hotel in Trient
▼ Day 4: Trient to Champex
16km & 1390m ascent (10 miles & 4560ft)
The crossing of the Fenêtre d'Arpette pass is the main objective today - and provides one of the biggest ascents of the whole trek (a lower alternative is available). The day varies from remote boulder fields to green pastures, ending in the village of Champex, scenically located alongside the Lac de Champex.
Accommodation:
Guest House or Hotel in Champex
▼ Day 5: Champex to Le Châble
14.5km & 200m ascent (9 miles & 670ft)
A much easier, valley-based day with no significant ascents. It’s a leisurely walk amongst farmland and through small, picturesque villages, which feel very much off the beaten track.
Accommodation:
Guest House or Hotel in Le Châble
▼ Day 6: Le Châble to Cabane du Mont Fort
13km & 1660m ascent (8 miles & 5450ft)
A fairly long climb takes you up out of the Val de Bagnes - extensive forest providing shade on the lower slopes as you zig zag up past small farmsteads. A cable car via Verbier can be used to reduce the metres ascended. At the Cabane du Mont Fort, you are rewarded with stunning views back to Mont Blanc and the Grand Combin mountain ranges.
Accommodation:
Cabane du Mont Fort (if available)
▼ Day 7: Cabane du Mont Fort to Cabane de Prafleuri
17km & 1110m ascent (10.5 miles & 3640ft)
Start off on the Sentiers de Chamois (trail of the Chamois); a wonderful balcony path through a wildlife reserve, where you have a good chance of spotting Chamois and Ibex. Then the Haute Route truly heads into the wilderness, heading through barren rocky terrain beneath retreating glaciers, crossing the remote Col de Louvie and Col de Prafleuri, before arriving at the Cabane de de Prafleuri, which feels a million miles from civilisation.
Accommodation:
Cabane de Prafleuri (if available)
▼ Day 8: Cabane de Prafleuri to Arolla
18km & 740m ascent (11 miles & 2430ft)
One of the most spectacular days of the trek. After crossing the Col des Roux, it’s a long, flat stretch along the shores of the colossal Lac des Dix reservoir. The magnificent peak of the Mont Blanc de Cheilon dominates the view as you climb from the reservoir into a grand bowl surrounded by snow, ice and rock. Climb the ladders at the Pas de Chèvres, before beginning your descent to Arolla, where forests and pasture return after a couple of days' absence.
Accommodation:
Guest House or Hotel in Arolla
▼ Day 9: Arolla to La Sage
11.5km & 520m ascent (7 miles & 1705ft)
After a few days of high mountains, this is an easy valley day. From the delightful mountaineering base of Arolla, head along the side of the valley to the picture-perfect Lac Bleu, with its turquoise waters. It’s a straightforward walk down to the larger village of Les Haudères in the Val d'Hérens, before a short ascent up the other side to La Sage.
Accommodation:
Guest House or Hotel in La Sage
▼ Day 10: La Sage to Barrage de Moiry (& bus to Grimentz)
13km & 1250m ascent (8 miles & 4100ft)
Here the Haute Route offers a few different options, but we suggest heading up over the Col de Torrent, and then dropping down to the Barrage de Moiry, the imposing dam at the head of the impressive Lac de Moiry. This is a day of high mountain pastures, well above the treeline. From the dam, it’s a short bus ride to the large village of Grimentz.
Accommodation:
Guest House or Hotel in Grimentz
▼ Day 11: Grimentz to Zinal
9km & 600m ascent (5.5 miles & 1970ft)
Today, if sticking to the Haute Route, you can take the bus back up to the Barrage de Moiry and head over the Col de Sorebois before dropping down into the village of Zinal. Alternatively, to make an easier day, it is possible to take a fairly flat route from Grimentz directly to Zinal, through forest and briefly along the valley floor. Here things feel a bit busier, after a few days in the wilderness.
Accommodation:
Guest House or Hotel in Zinal
▼ Day 12: Zinal to Gruben
17km & 1250m ascent (10.5 miles & 4100ft)
The ascent to the Forcletta pass begins gradually, but steepens at the end as you climb to 2874m. The lively Val d'Anniviers is quickly forgotten as you enter the Turtmanntal valley - one of the quietest and least developed in the region. The tiny village of Gruben sits amongst summer dairy pastures in this idyllic corner of the Alps.
Accommodation:
Guest House or Hotel in Gruben
▼ Day 13: Gruben to St Niklaus
18km & 1150m ascent (11 miles & 3770ft)
Today is all about the views! Beginning with a climb up the historic trading route of the Augstbordpass, some of Switzerland’s biggest mountains such as the Dom and Weismies come into view. This is also where you’ll enter the Mattertal, the final section of your trip. . The valley gradually opens up in front of you as you descend past small farming hamlets towards the village of St Niklaus.
Accommodation:
Guest House or Hotel in St Niklaus
▼ Day 14: Bus to Gasenried, walk to Europahütte
13.8km & 1400m ascent (8.5 miles & 4600ft)
Here we suggest making the ascent from St Niklaus to the small settlement of Gasenried by bus. From here, it really starts to feel like the home straight, as the route winds its way along the eastern side of the Mattertal and you get your first views of the Matterhorn. Unfortunately there is a large descent and re-ascent via Herbriggen, before you reach the spectacularly located Europahütte.
Accommodation:
Europahütte (if available)
▼ Day 15: Europahütte to Zermatt
23km & 850m ascent (14.5 miles & 2790ft)
The Matterhorn dominates the view ahead, as the Haute Route gradually winds its way along the Europaweg towards Zermatt. Cross the 500m Charles Kuonen Suspension Bridge, one of the longest in the world. You’ll reach Sunnegga, and from here descend into bustling Zermatt, an iconic Swiss mountain town, where you’ll find no end of options to celebrate your achievement.
Accommodation:
Guest House or Hotel in Zermatt
▼ Day 16: Depart from Zermatt
Easily Accessible by Train
Walker’s Haute Route Route Map
Walker’s Haute Route Elevation Profile
Accommodation Levels
Generally, accommodation in villages will be booked on a Bed and Breakfast basis, whilst accommodation in huts and refuges will be Half Board (Dinner, Bed and Breakfast). There may be exceptions to this, which will be detailed in your proposal.
A few examples of accommodation we use are detailed in the itinerary above - more will be included in your proposal.
Basic
When staying in villages, accommodation will be in private rooms in a mixture of 2* Guest Houses and Auberges. In huts and refuges, accommodation will be in shared dormitories.
Classic
When staying in villages, accommodation will be in private rooms in good quality, comfortable Guest Houses or 2* to 3* Hotels. In huts and refuges, accommodation will be in a mix of shared dormitories and private rooms (dependent on availability).
Comfort
When staying in villages, accommodation will be in private rooms in a mixture of 3* to 4* Hotels, and good quality Guest Houses. In huts and refuges, accommodation will be in private rooms (dependent on availability).
FAQs
Do you take bookings for solo hikers? (spoiler - of course we do!)
What is a self-guided holiday? When is the best time to travel?
For all answers please head to our FAQs page. Alternatively, please don’t hesitate to send us an email or give us a call with any questions about our holidays.