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Hard Hiking Trails in Switzerland

471 routes in Switzerland qualify, ranked below by how much walkers rate them. They average 32.9 km and 1,132 m (3,714 ft) of ascent, with the longest running to 1146 km.

That is 12 percent of the 4,054 routes we map in Switzerland. They run noticeably longer than average for the area, 32.9 km against 6.8 km, so budget more daylight than a typical outing here. The climbing is steeper too: 1,132 m (3,714 ft) on average versus 172 m (564 ft) across the wider area.

Hard routes mean sustained ascent, long descents and a real need to watch the clock and the forecast. 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
Vista de los alrededores de la comuna de Romoos, en el Cantón de Lucerna (Suiza).
Hard

Alpine Panorama Trail

Bern · Switzerland

Distance
16.9 km
/ 10.5 mi
Elevation gain
256 m
Typical duration
3 hr 58 min
  • Mountain
  • Alpine meadow
  • Panoramic viewpoint
St. Meinrad chapel, Etzel ( Switzerland )
Hard

Alpine Panorama Trail

Schwyz · Switzerland

Distance
22.5 km
/ 14.0 mi
Elevation gain
989 m
Typical duration
6 hr 24 min
  • Mountain
  • Alpine meadow
  • Panoramic viewpoint
Aerial View of Farm Buildings near Appenzell
Hard

Alpine Panorama Trail

Appenzell Ausserrhoden · Switzerland

Distance
15.5 km
/ 9.6 mi
Elevation gain
432 m
Typical duration
3 hr 53 min
  • Mountain
  • Alpine meadow
  • Panoramic viewpoint
Les Pléiades , sommet des préalpes suisses au-dessus de Vevey, (1 360 mètres d'altitude), dans le canton de Vaud.
Hard

Alpine Panorama Trail

Fribourg · Switzerland

Distance
19.4 km
/ 12.1 mi
Elevation gain
536 m
Typical duration
4 hr 59 min
  • Mountain
  • Alpine meadow
  • Panoramic viewpoint
Grub SG, Gemeinde Eggersriet. Blick richtung Bodensee und auf die katholische Kirche im Dorf.
Hard

Alpine Panorama Trail

Appenzell Ausserrhoden · Switzerland

Distance
17.4 km
/ 10.8 mi
Elevation gain
468 m
Typical duration
4 hr 24 min
  • Mountain
  • Alpine meadow
  • Panoramic viewpoint
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
Camana Hütten während Heuet
Expert

07-Alpine Passes Trail

Grisons · Switzerland

Distance
28.1 km
/ 17.5 mi
Elevation gain
1,772 m
Typical duration
8 hr 55 min
  • Mountain
  • Alpine meadow
  • Waymarked route
View of Earth taken during ISS Expedition 43.
Expert

21-Alpine Passes Trail

Valais/Wallis · Switzerland

Distance
21.7 km
/ 13.5 mi
Elevation gain
1,894 m
Typical duration
7 hr 33 min
  • Mountain
  • Alpine meadow
  • Waymarked route
Le Lac de Lovenex, le Rocher de la Croix et le Léman (au fond), vus depuis le Pas de Lovenex. Juin 2008.
Hard

43-Alpine Passes Trail

Valais/Wallis · Switzerland

Distance
13.9 km
/ 8.6 mi
Elevation gain
608 m
Typical duration
3 hr 49 min
  • Mountain
  • Alpine meadow
  • Waymarked route
Touring skier, Sur Carungas, Riom-Parsonz, Grison, Switzerland
Hard

04-Alpine Passes Trail

Grisons · Switzerland

Distance
21.6 km
/ 13.4 mi
Elevation gain
1,281 m
Typical duration
6 hr 36 min
  • Mountain
  • Alpine meadow
  • Waymarked route
The station building of Reckingen station, on the Matterhorn-Gotthard-Bahn and in the Reckingen-Gluringen municipality of the Swiss canton of Valais.
Expert

14a-Alpine Passes Trail

Ticino · Switzerland

Distance
41.4 km
/ 25.7 mi
Elevation gain
2,249 m
Typical duration
12 hr
  • Mountain
  • Alpine meadow
  • Waymarked route
Tinizong, Blick nach Norden
Hard

03-Alpine Passes Trail

Grisons · Switzerland

Distance
19.9 km
/ 12.3 mi
Elevation gain
1,577 m
Typical duration
6 hr 39 min
  • Mountain
  • Alpine meadow
  • Waymarked route
6781 Bedretto, Switzerland
Hard

13-Alpine Passes Trail

Ticino · Switzerland

Distance
26.6 km
/ 16.5 mi
Elevation gain
543 m
Typical duration
6 hr 42 min
  • Mountain
  • Alpine meadow
  • Waymarked route
Albrun mountain pass, right: Binn valley in the swiss Valais, left: italian Piemont.
Hard

15-Alpine Passes Trail

Valais/Wallis · Switzerland

Distance
20.2 km
/ 12.5 mi
Elevation gain
1,417 m
Typical duration
6 hr 29 min
  • Mountain
  • Alpine meadow
  • Waymarked route
Dranse de Ferret (Val Ferret), Valais
Hard

34-Alpine Passes Trail

Valais/Wallis · Switzerland

Distance
15.0 km
/ 9.3 mi
Elevation gain
1,514 m
Typical duration
5 hr 24 min
  • Mountain
  • Alpine meadow
  • Waymarked route
A fly (Mesembrina meridiana) sitting on a wooden bridge’s railing in the sun. Picture taken in Switzerland, beginning of September, in the upper part of Val Lumnezia .
Hard

08-Alpine Passes Trail

Grisons · Switzerland

Distance
21.4 km
/ 13.3 mi
Elevation gain
1,301 m
Typical duration
6 hr 35 min
  • Mountain
  • Alpine meadow
  • Waymarked route
Pizzas d'Anarosa (3000)
Hard

06-Alpine Passes Trail

Grisons · Switzerland

Distance
13.6 km
/ 8.5 mi
Elevation gain
862 m
Typical duration
4 hr 8 min
  • Mountain
  • Alpine meadow
  • Waymarked route
Terrihut of the Swiss Alpine Club (SAC), after enlargement 2008.
Hard

09-Alpine Passes Trail

Grisons · Switzerland

Distance
18.0 km
/ 11.2 mi
Elevation gain
1,339 m
Typical duration
5 hr 51 min
  • Mountain
  • Alpine meadow
  • Waymarked route
Lake Luzzone, canton of Ticino.
Hard

10-Alpine Passes Trail

Ticino · Switzerland

Distance
14.4 km
/ 8.9 mi
Elevation gain
722 m
Typical duration
4 hr 5 min
  • Mountain
  • Alpine meadow
  • Waymarked route
Aiguille de la Tsa 3668m from La Gouille
Hard

26-Alpine Passes Trail

Valais/Wallis · Switzerland

Distance
14.7 km
/ 9.2 mi
Elevation gain
762 m
Typical duration
4 hr 13 min
  • Mountain
  • Alpine meadow
  • Waymarked route
Mauvoisin Dam, Valais, Switzerland
Hard

31-Alpine Passes Trail

Valais/Wallis · Switzerland

Distance
13.7 km
/ 8.5 mi
Elevation gain
1,231 m
Typical duration
4 hr 42 min
  • Mountain
  • Alpine meadow
  • Waymarked route
Le Coeur, above Liddes, in the Val d'Entremont, Valais, Switzerland.
Hard

32-Alpine Passes Trail

Valais/Wallis · Switzerland

Distance
19.4 km
/ 12.0 mi
Elevation gain
1,323 m
Typical duration
6 hr 9 min
  • Mountain
  • Alpine meadow
  • Waymarked route
Bt 68 at Châtelard-VS station.
Hard

37-Alpine Passes Trail

Valais/Wallis · Switzerland

Distance
15.1 km
/ 9.4 mi
Elevation gain
972 m
Typical duration
4 hr 36 min
  • Mountain
  • Alpine meadow
  • Waymarked route
Bivouac, Susanfe Pass
Hard

39-Alpine Passes Trail

Valais/Wallis · Switzerland

Distance
14.7 km
/ 9.1 mi
Elevation gain
1,487 m
Typical duration
5 hr 18 min
  • Mountain
  • Alpine meadow
  • Waymarked route
The Towers of the Ruin Dorneck
Expert

Interregio-Wanderweg

Aargau · Switzerland

Distance
50.8 km
/ 31.6 mi
Elevation gain
1,535 m
Typical duration
13 hr
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
Passerella sul Lago di Morasco, Formazza, Italy
Hard

14-Alpine Passes Trail

Ticino · Switzerland

Distance
16.3 km
/ 10.1 mi
Elevation gain
1,248 m
Typical duration
5 hr 19 min
  • Mountain
  • Alpine meadow
  • Waymarked route
500px provided description: Auf Du Und Du Mit Der Fichte [#forest ,#winter ,#nature ,#macro ,#tree ,#closeup ,#snow ,#green ,#makro ,#gr?n ,#natur ,#baum ,#wald ,#schnee ,#fichte ,#rottanne ,#fichtennadeln]
Hard

20-Alpine Passes Trail

Valais/Wallis · Switzerland

Distance
19.6 km
/ 12.1 mi
Elevation gain
1,485 m
Typical duration
6 hr 26 min
  • Mountain
  • Alpine meadow
  • Waymarked route
Sufnersee
Hard

05-Alpine Passes Trail

Grisons · Switzerland

Distance
12.1 km
/ 7.5 mi
Elevation gain
857 m
Typical duration
3 hr 48 min
  • Mountain
  • Alpine meadow
  • Waymarked route
Saas-Balen VS im November 2019.
Hard

19-Alpine Passes Trail

Valais/Wallis · Switzerland

Distance
17.2 km
/ 10.7 mi
Elevation gain
937 m
Typical duration
5 hr 3 min
  • Mountain
  • Alpine meadow
  • Waymarked route
Durnand Canyon (Bovernier, Switzerland)
Hard

36-Alpine Passes Trail

Valais/Wallis · Switzerland

Distance
15.9 km
/ 9.9 mi
Elevation gain
1,021 m
Typical duration
4 hr 53 min
  • Mountain
  • Alpine meadow
  • Waymarked route
Blick auf Buckelpiste Chavanette
Hard

40-Alpine Passes Trail

Valais/Wallis · Switzerland

Distance
21.0 km
/ 13.0 mi
Elevation gain
1,027 m
Typical duration
6 hr 5 min
  • Mountain
  • Alpine meadow
  • Waymarked route
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
Graeppelensee
Hard

Alpine Panorama Trail

Appenzell Ausserrhoden · Switzerland

Distance
12.4 km
/ 7.7 mi
Elevation gain
977 m
Typical duration
4 hr 3 min
  • Alpine meadow
  • Panoramic viewpoint
  • Waymarked route
Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau, view from Schilthorn . Mountains Schwazmönch and Rotbrätthoren in foreground above of valley Lauterbrunnental.
Expert

Via Alpina

Bern · Switzerland

Distance
22.4 km
/ 13.9 mi
Elevation gain
1,901 m
Typical duration
7 hr 45 min
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
Oeschinen Lake above Kandersteg, in the Bernese Oberland, Switzerland.
Hard

Via Alpina

Bern · Switzerland

Distance
17.1 km
/ 10.6 mi
Elevation gain
1,699 m
Typical duration
6 hr 10 min
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
Der Triftgletscher beim Susten vom Balmeregghorn gesehen
Hard

Via Alpina

Bern · Switzerland

Distance
22.1 km
/ 13.8 mi
Elevation gain
531 m
Typical duration
5 hr 38 min
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route

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
Alpine Panorama TrailBern16.9 km256 m3 hr 58 minHardApril to October
Alpine Panorama TrailSchwyz22.5 km989 m6 hr 24 minHardApril to October
Alpine Panorama TrailAppenzell Ausserrhoden15.5 km432 m3 hr 53 minHardJune to October
Alpine Panorama TrailFribourg19.4 km536 m4 hr 59 minHardApril to October

If you only have time for one, start with Via Francigena - 03 part Switzerland, European Long distance path E1 - part Switzerland, Via Francigena - part France - 04 Besançon - frontière. 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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