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Hiking Trails Over 20 km in Switzerland

There are 232 hikes in Switzerland in our database that fit. They average 51.6 km and 1,372 m (4,501 ft) of ascent, with the longest running to 1146 km.

That is 6 percent of the 4,054 routes we map in Switzerland. They run noticeably longer than average for the area, 51.6 km against 6.8 km, so budget more daylight than a typical outing here. The climbing is steeper too: 1,372 m (4,501 ft) on average versus 172 m (564 ft) across the wider area.

Full-day and multi-day routes for walkers who want the distance to be the point. 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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
Mating nuc (Apidea box) on the isolated mating location for dark bees (Apis mellifera mellifera) in Sernftal, Glarus, Switzerland.
Expert

Via Alpina

Glarus · Switzerland

Distance
24.7 km
/ 15.4 mi
Elevation gain
1,846 m
Typical duration
8 hr 13 min
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
View from Surenen Pass in the Urner Alps, looking eastwards
Expert

Via Alpina

Obwalden · Switzerland

Distance
29.5 km
/ 18.3 mi
Elevation gain
1,304 m
Typical duration
8 hr 32 min
  • Mountain
  • 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
Anflug auf Piste 34L am Flugplatz Schänis (links im Hintergrund der Benkner Büchel )
Hard

Alpine Panorama Trail

Glarus · Switzerland

Distance
25.8 km
/ 16.1 mi
Elevation gain
670 m
Typical duration
6 hr 43 min
  • Alpine meadow
  • Panoramic viewpoint
  • Waymarked route
Dans les gorges de l'Orbe.
Expert

Jura Crest Trail

Vaud · Switzerland

Distance
35.9 km
/ 22.3 mi
Elevation gain
1,520 m
Typical duration
10 hr
  • Mountain
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
Mattmarksee, a reservoir in the canton of Valais, Switzerland located in the Saas Valley - Inventory number 1041L
Hard

Monte Rosa tour stage 6

Valais/Wallis · Switzerland

Distance
24.5 km
/ 15.2 mi
Elevation gain
1,232 m
Typical duration
7 hr 14 min
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
Klausen Pass (el. 1948 m.) is a high mountain pass in the Swiss Alps connecting the cantons of Uri and Glarus.
Hard

Via Alpina

Uri · Switzerland

Distance
27.0 km
/ 16.8 mi
Elevation gain
787 m
Typical duration
7 hr 10 min
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
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
D71_9277_DxO
Hard

Alpine Panorama Trail

Lucerne · Switzerland

Distance
29.0 km
/ 18.0 mi
Elevation gain
572 m
Typical duration
7 hr 19 min
  • Alpine meadow
  • Panoramic viewpoint
  • Waymarked route
Charmey Restorant
Hard

Alpine Panorama Trail

Fribourg · Switzerland

Distance
22.1 km
/ 13.7 mi
Elevation gain
382 m
Typical duration
5 hr 23 min
  • Alpine meadow
  • Panoramic viewpoint
  • Waymarked route
Grosse Scheidegg
Hard

Via Alpina

Bern · Switzerland

Distance
22.7 km
/ 14.1 mi
Elevation gain
1,371 m
Typical duration
7 hr 1 min
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
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
Plattenseeli mit Piz Dolf Mitte und Piz Sardona rechts
Hard

Via Alpina

Glarus · Switzerland

Distance
22.1 km
/ 13.7 mi
Elevation gain
1,309 m
Typical duration
6 hr 47 min
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
Waterfall of the Oldenbach
Hard

Via Alpina Red R104

Bern · Switzerland

Distance
20.2 km
/ 12.5 mi
Elevation gain
1,238 m
Typical duration
6 hr 13 min
  • Mountain
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
360° Winterpanorama, Betelberg, Lenk im Simmental, Schweiz
Hard

Via Alpina

Bern · Switzerland

Distance
22.0 km
/ 13.7 mi
Elevation gain
1,032 m
Typical duration
6 hr 21 min
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
The Brig Varso stagecoach through the Simplonpas before the opening of the Simplon railway tunnel in 1906. In Bérisal staging post the horses were changed for rested horses. Altitude 1530 meters. Brig is 675 meter and the pass is 1992 meter
Expert

Via Alpina Blue D5

Valais/Wallis · Switzerland

Distance
25.3 km
/ 15.7 mi
Elevation gain
1,913 m
Typical duration
8 hr 27 min
  • Mountain
Grenchenberg - Margriet
Hard

Jura Crest Trail

Bern · Switzerland

Distance
24.0 km
/ 14.9 mi
Elevation gain
1,288 m
Typical duration
7 hr 12 min
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
Naturpark Thal - near Matzendorf
Hard

Jura Crest Trail

Bern · Switzerland

Distance
20.4 km
/ 12.7 mi
Elevation gain
1,228 m
Typical duration
6 hr 15 min
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
Went for a hiking trip hoping to get a nice view on the mountains around. Than we got this, nevertheless also a very great view and trip.
Hard

Monte Rosa tour stage 7

Valais/Wallis · Switzerland

Distance
20.8 km
/ 12.9 mi
Elevation gain
1,465 m
Typical duration
6 hr 42 min
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
Marcatura semi-permanente Scenic Trail eseguita con spray bianco a rapido degrado
Hard

Trans Swiss Trail

Ticino · Switzerland

Distance
23.6 km
/ 14.6 mi
Elevation gain
1,203 m
Typical duration
6 hr 58 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 TrailSchwyz22.5 km989 m6 hr 24 minHardApril 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

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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