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Best Long-Distance Hikes in Switzerland

We track 52 routes that match this search in Switzerland. They average 136 km and 3,126 m (10,256 ft) of ascent, with the longest running to 1146 km.

That is 1 percent of the 4,054 routes we map in Switzerland. They run noticeably longer than average for the area, 136 km against 6.8 km, so budget more daylight than a typical outing here. The climbing is steeper too: 3,126 m (10,256 ft) on average versus 172 m (564 ft) across the wider area.

Multi-day paths, normally walked in stages, with the accommodation and waymarking to support them. These lean toward the demanding end, so plan for a full day and check the forecast before you commit.

Trails

Wanderwegweiser Dorfgastein
Expert

Zentralalpenweg 02

Grisons · Switzerland

Distance
1146 km
/ 712 mi
Elevation gain
19,112 m
Typical duration
301 hr
  • Lake
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
Façade de la mairie de la commune d'Outriaz (Ain, France)
Expert

Via Lugdunum, Geneva to Lyon

Geneva · Switzerland

Distance
173 km
/ 108 mi
Elevation gain
2,861 m
Typical duration
45 hr
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
  • Long-distance path
Harpolingen Rathaus
Expert

Hochrhein Jakobsweg (2)

Aargau · Switzerland

Distance
101 km
/ 62.6 mi
Elevation gain
601 m
Typical duration
24 hr
  • Mountain
  • Pilgrimage route
  • Waymarked route
Atzenbacher Wasserfall, Zustand ist leider sehr vernachlässigt, nur schwer zugänglich, da Bauschutt abgeladen wurde
Expert

Westweg (Östliche Variante)

Basel-City · Switzerland

Distance
92.7 km
/ 57.6 mi
Elevation gain
2,285 m
Typical duration
25 hr
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
  • Long-distance path
Switzerland , Thurgau , Etzwilen
Expert

Hochrhein Jakobsweg (1)

Schaffhausen · Switzerland

Distance
74.5 km
/ 46.3 mi
Elevation gain
610 m
Typical duration
18 hr
  • Mountain
  • Pilgrimage route
  • Waymarked route
Gnomes and Homes
Expert

Grenzpfad Napfbergland

Bern · Switzerland

Distance
115 km
/ 71.5 mi
Elevation gain
3,219 m
Typical duration
31 hr
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
  • Long-distance path
Primeval forest
Expert

Freiburger Voralpenweg

Fribourg · Switzerland

Distance
71.9 km
/ 44.7 mi
Elevation gain
2,730 m
Typical duration
20 hr
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
  • Long-distance path
Tunnel portall of the Zentralbahn in the lower Aa gorge. On the right handside the old, snow-covered trail.
Expert

Nidwaldner Höhenweg

Bern · Switzerland

Distance
93.3 km
/ 57.9 mi
Elevation gain
4,646 m
Typical duration
28 hr
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
  • Long-distance path
Giswil railway station , view to southwest.
Expert

Obwaldner Höhenweg

Bern · Switzerland

Distance
98.3 km
/ 61.1 mi
Elevation gain
4,088 m
Typical duration
29 hr
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
  • Long-distance path
Abbey Altenryf in Hauterive; Fribourg, Switzerland.
Expert

Fribourg en diagonale

Fribourg · Switzerland

Distance
68.0 km
/ 42.3 mi
Elevation gain
1,574 m
Typical duration
18 hr
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
  • Long-distance path
Steinbruch in Holderbank
Expert

Aargauer Weg

Aargau · Switzerland

Distance
103 km
/ 63.9 mi
Elevation gain
1,627 m
Typical duration
26 hr
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
  • Long-distance path
Landscape near Schachen Waldshut (50536293337)
Expert

Hochrhein-Höhenweg

Basel-City · Switzerland

Distance
128 km
/ 79.3 mi
Elevation gain
1,742 m
Typical duration
32 hr
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
  • Long-distance path
Ferrette (Haut-Rhin, France), with the ruins of the castle
Expert

Circuits des Trois Châteaux

Basel-Landschaft · Switzerland

Distance
77.9 km
/ 48.4 mi
Elevation gain
1,743 m
Typical duration
20 hr
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
  • Long-distance path
Bünzer Moos: Blick vom Forenmoos Richtung Murimoos mit Lindenberg (Schweiz) im Hintergrund
Expert

Freiämterweg Talroute

Aargau · Switzerland

Distance
62.6 km
/ 38.9 mi
Elevation gain
803 m
Typical duration
15 hr
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
  • Long-distance path
Château de Grandcour
Expert

Chemin des Trois-Lacs

Fribourg · Switzerland

Distance
62.4 km
/ 38.8 mi
Elevation gain
564 m
Typical duration
15 hr
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
  • Long-distance path
Westwegportal "Wiedener Eck Tor"
Expert

Himmelreich-Jakobusweg

Basel-City · Switzerland

Distance
185 km
/ 115 mi
Elevation gain
2,528 m
Typical duration
47 hr
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
  • Long-distance path
Kommunikationszentrum der Firma Sto AG
Expert

Wutach-Pilgerweg

Schaffhausen · Switzerland

Distance
61.3 km
/ 38.1 mi
Elevation gain
1,171 m
Typical duration
15 hr
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
  • Long-distance path
Expert

Westweg (Westliche Variante)

Basel-City · Switzerland

Distance
90.2 km
/ 56.0 mi
Elevation gain
1,903 m
Typical duration
23 hr
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
  • Long-distance path
Expert

Ostweg

Schaffhausen · Switzerland

Distance
240 km
/ 149 mi
Elevation gain
3,302 m
Typical duration
61 hr
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
  • Long-distance path
Expert

Panorama Rundweg Thunersee

Bern · Switzerland

Distance
60.1 km
/ 37.4 mi
Elevation gain
2,200 m
Typical duration
17 hr
  • Mountain
  • Panoramic viewpoint
  • Waymarked route
Expert

Jubiläumsweg

Basel-City · Switzerland

Distance
70.6 km
/ 43.9 mi
Elevation gain
1,554 m
Typical duration
18 hr
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
  • Long-distance path
Expert

Kulturspur Appenzellerland

Appenzell Ausserrhoden · Switzerland

Distance
70.3 km
/ 43.7 mi
Elevation gain
3,300 m
Typical duration
21 hr
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
  • Long-distance path
Expert

Markgräfler Wiiwegli

Basel-City · Switzerland

Distance
89.8 km
/ 55.8 mi
Elevation gain
1,976 m
Typical duration
23 hr
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
  • Long-distance path
Expert

Rheintaler Höhenweg

Appenzell Ausserrhoden · Switzerland

Distance
106 km
/ 65.8 mi
Elevation gain
5,000 m
Typical duration
32 hr
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
  • Long-distance path
Expert

Senda Sursilvana

Grisons · Switzerland

Distance
104 km
/ 64.6 mi
Elevation gain
3,300 m
Typical duration
29 hr
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
  • Long-distance path
Expert

Toggenburger Höhenweg

St. Gallen · Switzerland

Distance
87.5 km
/ 54.4 mi
Elevation gain
4,300 m
Typical duration
26 hr
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
  • Long-distance path
Expert

Tour de la Vallée du Trient

Valais/Wallis · Switzerland

Distance
66.3 km
/ 41.2 mi
Elevation gain
5,455 m
Typical duration
23 hr
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
  • Long-distance path
Expert

Tour du Cervin

Valais/Wallis · Switzerland

Distance
134 km
/ 83.2 mi
Elevation gain
2,944 m
Typical duration
35 hr
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
  • Long-distance path
Expert

Tour du Pays de Montbéliard

Jura · Switzerland

Distance
140 km
/ 86.8 mi
Elevation gain
3,074 m
Typical duration
37 hr
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
  • Long-distance path
Expert

Tour du Saint-Bernard

Valais/Wallis · Switzerland

Distance
86.3 km
/ 53.6 mi
Elevation gain
1,898 m
Typical duration
22 hr
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
  • Long-distance path
Expert

Via Albula/Bernina

Grisons · Switzerland

Distance
132 km
/ 81.8 mi
Elevation gain
5,100 m
Typical duration
38 hr
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
  • Long-distance path
Expert

Via Engiadina

Grisons · Switzerland

Distance
150 km
/ 93.5 mi
Elevation gain
7,900 m
Typical duration
47 hr
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
  • Long-distance path
Expert

Via Sbrinz

Bern · Switzerland

Distance
111 km
/ 69.2 mi
Elevation gain
6,300 m
Typical duration
35 hr
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
  • Long-distance path
Expert

Via Spluga

Grisons · Switzerland

Distance
69.1 km
/ 42.9 mi
Elevation gain
2,900 m
Typical duration
20 hr
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
  • Long-distance path
Expert

Via Valtellina

Grisons · Switzerland

Distance
135 km
/ 83.7 mi
Elevation gain
7,000 m
Typical duration
42 hr
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
  • Long-distance path
Expert

Vier-Quellen-Weg

Grisons · Switzerland

Distance
81.8 km
/ 50.8 mi
Elevation gain
4,700 m
Typical duration
26 hr
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
  • Long-distance path

The shortlist, side by side

The ten highest scoring routes on this page, so you can compare effort before opening any of them.

Distance, ascent, walking time and difficulty for the top routes
RouteDistanceAscentTimeDifficultyBest season
Via Francigena - 03 part SwitzerlandValais/Wallis207 km3,717 m54 hrExpertJuly to September
European Long distance path E1 - part SwitzerlandSchwyz312 km5,582 m82 hrExpertJune to October
Via Francigena - part France - 04 Besançon - frontièreVaud91.5 km1,817 m24 hrExpertApril to October
[E4/E5] Europäischer Fernwanderweg Rhein bis Grenze DSt. Gallen60.7 km1,656 m16 hrExpertApril to October
Zentralalpenweg 02Grisons1146 km19,112 m301 hrExpertJuly to September
European long distance path E4 - part SwitzerlandAargau424 km6,393 m110 hrExpertApril to October
E5, Ballon d'Alsace - Réchésy via BelfortJura73.8 km576 m18 hrExpertApril to October
Via Francigena - Historical variantVaud33.8 km503 m8 hr 21 minHardApril to October
Via Lugdunum, Geneva to LyonGeneva173 km2,861 m45 hrExpertApril to October
Europäischer Fernwanderweg E5, SchweizAargau233 km1,083 m56 hrExpertApril to October

If you only have time for one, start with Via Francigena - 03 part Switzerland, [E4/E5] Europäischer Fernwanderweg Rhein bis Grenze D, European Long distance path E1 - part Switzerland. Those are the routes people come back to. Every route on this page links through to a full guide with the map, elevation profile, seasonal advice and what to bring.

Frequently asked questions

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