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Hard Hiking Trails near Geneva

9 routes near Geneva qualify, ranked below by how much walkers rate them. They average 24.3 km and 386 m (1,266 ft) of ascent.

That is 60 percent of the 15 routes we map near Geneva. They run noticeably longer than average for the area, 24.3 km against 18.0 km, so budget more daylight than a typical outing here. The climbing is steeper too: 386 m (1,266 ft) on average versus 258 m (846 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

Le village de Vinzel , vu de la route du Vignoble.
Hard

Alpine Panorama Trail

Vaud · Switzerland

Distance
29.8 km
/ 18.5 mi
Elevation gain
382 m
Typical duration
7 hr 13 min
  • Alpine meadow
  • Panoramic viewpoint
  • Waymarked route
Canton de Genève vu de La Barillette .
Hard

Jura Crest Trail

Vaud · Switzerland

Distance
24.8 km
/ 15.4 mi
Elevation gain
637 m
Typical duration
6 hr 25 min
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
L'église réformée Notre-Dame de Saint-Prex.
Hard

Alpine Panorama Trail

Vaud · Switzerland

Distance
18.2 km
/ 11.3 mi
Elevation gain
259 m
Typical duration
4 hr 16 min
  • Alpine meadow
  • Panoramic viewpoint
  • Waymarked route
Trametes sp.
Hard

Alpine Panorama Trail

Geneva · Switzerland

Distance
27.6 km
/ 17.1 mi
Elevation gain
249 m
Typical duration
6 hr 30 min
  • Alpine meadow
  • Panoramic viewpoint
  • Waymarked route
Vue sur le Jura Vaudois
Hard

Jura Crest Trail

Vaud · Switzerland

Distance
21.3 km
/ 13.3 mi
Elevation gain
848 m
Typical duration
5 hr 54 min
  • Waymarked route
Chalet d'alpage "Le Crot" sur la commune de Bassins, en Suisse
Hard

Jura Crest Trail

Vaud · Switzerland

Distance
16.7 km
/ 10.4 mi
Elevation gain
329 m
Typical duration
4 hr 2 min
  • Waymarked route
Mural by Cosey decorating a hangar near Morges railway station, in Switzerland.
Hard

ViaJacobi

Vaud · Switzerland

Distance
30.7 km
/ 19.1 mi
Elevation gain
90 m
Typical duration
7 hr
  • Waymarked route
HBG was a low frequency time signal transmitter for the Swiss time reference system. Due to aging infrastructure, the Swiss Federal Government decided to shut down HBG on 31 December 2011.
Hard

ViaJacobi

Geneva · Switzerland

Distance
27.6 km
/ 17.1 mi
Elevation gain
192 m
Typical duration
6 hr 24 min
  • Waymarked route
Hard

The Toblerones Trail

Vaud · Switzerland

Distance
22.1 km
/ 13.7 mi
Elevation gain
487 m
Typical duration
5 hr 33 min

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
Alpine Panorama TrailVaud29.8 km382 m7 hr 13 minHardApril to October
Jura Crest TrailVaud24.8 km637 m6 hr 25 minHardJune to October
Alpine Panorama TrailVaud18.2 km259 m4 hr 16 minHardApril to October
Alpine Panorama TrailGeneva27.6 km249 m6 hr 30 minHardApril to October
Jura Crest TrailVaud21.3 km848 m5 hr 54 minHardJune to October
Jura Crest TrailVaud16.7 km329 m4 hr 2 minHardApril to October
ViaJacobiVaud30.7 km90 m7 hrHardApril to October
ViaJacobiGeneva27.6 km192 m6 hr 24 minHardApril to October
The Toblerones TrailVaud22.1 km487 m5 hr 33 minHardApril to October

If you only have time for one, start with Jura Crest Trail, Alpine Panorama Trail, Alpine Panorama Trail. 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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