How many over 20 km hikes are listed near Zürich?

46 routes currently meet both this guide’s filter and the directory quality gate. Each submitted route has a traceable source, mapped geometry and sampled elevation data.

What is the average distance and ascent?

The average mapped distance is 43.6 km with 754 m (2,474 ft) of recorded ascent. The longest route in this set is 233 km.

How are the routes ordered?

Alpine Panorama Trail currently ranks first. Ordering uses the directory score and route-data completeness; it is not a claim that editors have field-tested every route.

Does an easy rating mean beginner-safe?

No route in this set is currently rated easy. In every category, verify surface, exposure, access and current conditions independently.

Hiking Trails Over 20 km near Zürich

The directory currently contains 46 quality-checked routes matching this guide near Zürich. Their average mapped distance is 43.6 km and average recorded ascent is 754 m (2,474 ft); the longest route in the set is 233 km.

This subset represents 28% of the 167 quality-checked routes near Zürich. Its average distance is 43.6 km, compared with 18.5 km across the full local set. Average recorded ascent is 754 m (2,474 ft), versus 439 m (1,440 ft) for all quality-checked routes in the same area.

Every route in this set is at least 20 km long. Whether it is normally completed in one day or in stages is not inferred from distance alone. Within this set, 0 routes (0%) are rated easy, 46 (100%) are rated hard or expert, and 3 (7%) are recorded as loops. Ratings are computed from available distance and elevation data and do not establish current terrain or access.

Data refreshed September 2026

Choose by the details

How do these routes differ?

A closer look at the first 6 routes in this page’s default ordering. These comparisons describe this sample, not the entire destination or a field-tested recommendation.

Shortest mapped distance in this sample

22.5 km

Alpine Panorama Trail

Compare the climbing too; shortest does not necessarily mean easiest.

Lowest recorded ascent in this sample

572 m

Alpine Panorama Trail

6 of 6 have ascent data. Missing measurements are excluded.

Return logistics

0 recorded loops

Check start and finish for every option. An unknown shape does not mean a loop, and a loop does not establish access to its start.

Plan the return journey →

Distances follow stored route lines; ascent and time are estimates. Current access, surface and technical difficulty need separate checks. How to turn a comparison into a shortlist.

Hard

Alpine Panorama Trail

Schwyz · Switzerland

Distance: 22.5 km
Elevation gain: 989 m
Typical duration: 6 hr 24 min

Mountain
Alpine meadow
Panoramic viewpoint

Expert

Europäischer Fernwanderweg E5, Schweiz

Aargau · Switzerland

Distance: 233 km
Elevation gain: 1,083 m
Typical duration: 56 hr

Mountain
Waymarked route
Long-distance path

Expert

Hochrhein Jakobsweg (2)

Aargau · Switzerland

Distance: 101 km
Elevation gain: 601 m
Typical duration: 24 hr

Mountain
Pilgrimage route
Waymarked route

Hard

Alpine Panorama Trail

Glarus · Switzerland

Distance: 25.8 km
Elevation gain: 670 m
Typical duration: 6 hr 43 min

Alpine meadow
Panoramic viewpoint
Waymarked route

Expert

Hochrhein Jakobsweg (1)

Schaffhausen · Switzerland

Distance: 74.5 km
Elevation gain: 610 m
Typical duration: 18 hr

Mountain
Pilgrimage route
Waymarked route

Hard

Alpine Panorama Trail

Lucerne · Switzerland

Distance: 29.0 km
Elevation gain: 572 m
Typical duration: 7 hr 19 min

Alpine meadow
Panoramic viewpoint
Waymarked route

Expert

Toggenburger Höhenweg

St. Gallen · Switzerland

Distance: 87.5 km
Elevation gain: 2,859 m
Typical duration: 24 hr

Mountain
Waymarked route
Long-distance path

Expert

Züri Oberland-Höhenweg

St. Gallen · Switzerland

Distance: 74.2 km
Elevation gain: 1,497 m
Typical duration: 19 hr

Mountain
Waymarked route
Long-distance path

Hard

ViaJacobi

St. Gallen · Switzerland

Distance: 30.0 km
Elevation gain: 924 m
Typical duration: 8 hr 6 min

Waymarked route

Hard

Jura Crest Trail

Aargau · Switzerland

Distance: 24.8 km
Elevation gain: 771 m
Typical duration: 6 hr 37 min

Waymarked route

Hard

ViaJacobi

St. Gallen · Switzerland

Distance: 27.8 km
Elevation gain: 589 m
Typical duration: 7 hr 3 min

Waymarked route

Expert

Aargauer Weg

Aargau · Switzerland

Distance: 103 km
Elevation gain: 1,627 m
Typical duration: 26 hr

Mountain
Waymarked route
Long-distance path

Expert

Hochrhein-Höhenweg

Basel-City · Switzerland

Distance: 128 km
Elevation gain: 1,742 m
Typical duration: 32 hr

Mountain
Waymarked route
Long-distance path

Expert

Pragelpass-Weg

Glarus · Switzerland

Distance: 48.1 km
Elevation gain: 1,377 m
Typical duration: 13 hr

Mountain
Waymarked route

Hard

ViaJacobi

Appenzell Ausserrhoden · Switzerland

Distance: 24.0 km
Elevation gain: 811 m
Typical duration: 6 hr 30 min

Waymarked route

Hard

Trans Swiss Trail

Nidwalden · Switzerland

Distance: 20.5 km
Elevation gain: 419 m
Typical duration: 5 hr 3 min

Waymarked route

Hard

ViaJacobi

Nidwalden · Switzerland

Distance: 30.4 km
Elevation gain: 732 m
Typical duration: 7 hr 54 min

Waymarked route

Hard

ViaJacobi

Thurgau · Switzerland

Distance: 27.3 km
Elevation gain: 229 m
Typical duration: 6 hr 24 min

Waymarked route

Expert

Freiämterweg Talroute

Aargau · Switzerland

Distance: 62.6 km
Elevation gain: 803 m
Typical duration: 15 hr

Mountain
Waymarked route
Long-distance path

Expert

Neckerweg

Appenzell Ausserrhoden · Switzerland

Distance: 37.6 km
Elevation gain: 1,330 m
Typical duration: 10 hr

Mountain
Waymarked route

Hard

Schwyzer Höhenweg - Etappe 5

Schwyz · Switzerland

Distance: 22.3 km
Elevation gain: 833 m
Typical duration: 6 hr 7 min

Mountain
Waymarked route

Hard

Huguenot and Waldensian Trail

Schaffhausen · Switzerland

Distance: 25.1 km
Elevation gain: 483 m
Typical duration: 6 hr 15 min

Waymarked route

Hard

Huguenot and Waldensian Trail

Schaffhausen · Switzerland

Distance: 21.1 km
Elevation gain: 103 m
Typical duration: 4 hr 44 min

Waymarked route

Expert

Freiämterweg Bergroute

Aargau · Switzerland

Distance: 52.9 km
Elevation gain: 1,000 m
Typical duration: 13 hr

Mountain
Waymarked route

Expert

Fricktaler Höhenweg

Aargau · Switzerland

Distance: 57.8 km
Elevation gain: 1,286 m
Typical duration: 15 hr

Mountain
Waymarked route

Expert

Panoramaweg Aegerital

Zug · Switzerland

Distance: 30.5 km
Elevation gain: 985 m
Typical duration: 8 hr 18 min

Panoramic viewpoint
Waymarked route

Hard

Zürich-Zugerland-Panoramaweg - Etappe 2

Zug · Switzerland

Distance: 20.8 km
Elevation gain: 232 m
Typical duration: 4 hr 52 min

Panoramic viewpoint
Waymarked route

Expert

Freiämterweg Ostroute

Aargau · Switzerland

Distance: 58.0 km
Elevation gain: 886 m
Typical duration: 14 hr

Mountain
Waymarked route

Expert

Wutach-Pilgerweg

Schaffhausen · Switzerland

Distance: 61.3 km
Elevation gain: 1,171 m
Typical duration: 15 hr

Mountain
Waymarked route
Long-distance path

Hard

Schaffhauser-Zürcher-Weg

Zurich · Switzerland

Distance: 23.3 km
Elevation gain: 461 m
Typical duration: 5 hr 47 min

Lake
Waymarked route

Hard

Weg um Kriens

Lucerne · Switzerland

Distance: 23.7 km
Elevation gain: 1,266 m
Typical duration: 7 hr 6 min

Mountain
Waymarked route

Hard

Klettgau-Rhein-Weg - Etappe 2

Schaffhausen · Switzerland

Distance: 26.9 km
Elevation gain: 462 m
Typical duration: 6 hr 40 min

Waymarked route

Hard

Waldstätterweg - Etappe 4

Lucerne · Switzerland

Distance: 21.1 km
Elevation gain: 938 m
Typical duration: 5 hr 59 min

Waymarked route

Hard

Flösserweg

Aargau · Switzerland

Distance: 20.6 km
Elevation gain: 467 m
Typical duration: 5 hr 9 min

Waymarked route

Hard

Schaffhauser-Zürcher-Weg

Zurich · Switzerland

Distance: 27.7 km
Elevation gain: 455 m
Typical duration: 6 hr 50 min

Waymarked route

Expert

Ämtlerwäg

Zurich · Switzerland

Distance: 50.3 km
Elevation gain: 728 m
Typical duration: 12 hr

Mountain
Waymarked route

Hard

Lebendiger Weinweg

Zurich · Switzerland

Distance: 33.2 km
Elevation gain: 626 m
Typical duration: 8 hr 24 min

Mountain
Waymarked route

Hard

Schaffhauser-Zürcher-Weg

St. Gallen · Switzerland

Distance: 25.0 km
Elevation gain: 152 m
Typical duration: 5 hr 44 min

Waymarked route

Hard

Zürichsee Rundweg - Etappe 5

Schwyz · Switzerland

Distance: 22.6 km
Elevation gain: 279 m
Typical duration: 5 hr 22 min

Waymarked route

Hard

Thurweg

Thurgau · Switzerland

Distance: 23.6 km
Elevation gain: 62 m
Typical duration: 5 hr 16 min

Waymarked route

Hard

Thurweg

St. Gallen · Switzerland

Distance: 25.8 km
Elevation gain: 381 m
Typical duration: 6 hr 16 min

Waymarked route

Hard

ViaRhenana

Aargau · Switzerland

Distance: 20.6 km
Elevation gain: 154 m
Typical duration: 4 hr 41 min

Waymarked route

Hard

ViaRhenana

Aargau · Switzerland

Distance: 30.6 km
Elevation gain: 288 m
Typical duration: 7 hr 17 min

Waymarked route

Hard

Rundgang Hallwilersee

Aargau · Switzerland

Distance: 21.2 km
Elevation gain: 93 m
Typical duration: 4 hr 44 min

Waymarked route

Hard

ViaRhenana

Schaffhausen · Switzerland

Distance: 21.9 km
Elevation gain: 103 m
Typical duration: 4 hr 55 min

Waymarked route

Hard

ViaGottardo

Aargau · Switzerland

Distance: 25.7 km
Elevation gain: 568 m
Typical duration: 6 hr 32 min

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
Route	Distance	Ascent	Time	Difficulty	Best season
Alpine Panorama TrailSchwyz	22.5 km	989 m	6 hr 24 min	Hard	April to October
Europäischer Fernwanderweg E5, SchweizAargau	233 km	1,083 m	56 hr	Expert	April to October
Hochrhein Jakobsweg (2)Aargau	101 km	601 m	24 hr	Expert	April to October
Alpine Panorama TrailGlarus	25.8 km	670 m	6 hr 43 min	Hard	April to October
Hochrhein Jakobsweg (1)Schaffhausen	74.5 km	610 m	18 hr	Expert	April to October
Alpine Panorama TrailLucerne	29.0 km	572 m	7 hr 19 min	Hard	April to October
Toggenburger HöhenwegSt. Gallen	87.5 km	2,859 m	24 hr	Expert	June to October
Züri Oberland-HöhenwegSt. Gallen	74.2 km	1,497 m	19 hr	Expert	April to October
ViaJacobiSt. Gallen	30.0 km	924 m	8 hr 6 min	Hard	April to October
Jura Crest TrailAargau	24.8 km	771 m	6 hr 37 min	Hard	April to October

Alpine Panorama Trail, Europäischer Fernwanderweg E5, Schweiz, Hochrhein Jakobsweg (2) currently rank highest in this filtered set according to the directory score. Open an individual route to inspect its mapped line, elevation profile, data source and planning caveats. Check live access, conditions and local rules with an official source before travelling.

Frequently asked questions

Plan with more confidence

All planning articles →

Choosing a route

How to choose a hike beyond the difficulty label

Compare distance, climbing, route shape and missing information to build a shortlist that fits your day.

Read article →

Understanding the map

Read an elevation profile without misreading the climb

Understand total ascent, net height change, profile scale and the section breakdown on each mapped route.

Read article →

Planning your day

Build a hiking time plan with room for your own pace

Separate moving time, climbing allowance and stops, then explore how changing your assumptions changes the plan.

Read article →

Related guides

Other shortlists covering the same area or the same kind of terrain.

How do these routes differ?

Shortest mapped distance in this sample

Lowest recorded ascent in this sample

Return logistics

Trails

The shortlist, side by side

Frequently asked questions

How many over 20 km hikes are listed near Zürich?

What is the average distance and ascent?

How are the routes ordered?

Does an easy rating mean beginner-safe?

Plan with more confidence

How to choose a hike beyond the difficulty label

Read an elevation profile without misreading the climb

Build a hiking time plan with room for your own pace

Related guides

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