Haute Route summer hike, Chamonix–Zermatt
Haute Route, Chamonix-Zermatt
The Haute Route hike from Chamonix to Zermatt is one of the best-known hikes in the Alps. People have travelled between these two famous alpine villages on foot, and especially on skis, for over 100 years.
The hike starts in France, at the foot of Mont Blanc, the highest mountain in Europe. Already during the first day of hiking we cross from France into Switzerland, where we spend the rest of the trip.
After about one and a half weeks of hiking we arrive in Zermatt, a magnificent mountain village at the foot of one of the world's most famous mountains, the Matterhorn. Zermatt is nowadays busy and popular with tourists, in places perhaps even too busy, but still definitely worth seeing.
To finish the hike, we spend two nights and a whole rest day in Zermatt. Now it is time to let your legs recover from the strain of the hike, enjoy the atmosphere of the village and, above all, admire the breathtaking mountain scenery around you.
The Haute Route hike is relatively demanding but varied, and it rewards the hiker with stunning scenery. At times we move high in the mountains near mighty glaciers, at times we descend into valleys, walking through forests and alpine villages.
We stay both in simple mountain huts and in cosy small hotels and guesthouses in the villages. In the larger villages, such as Chamonix, Verbier and Zermatt, we stay in comfortable 3-star hotels.
The hike is organised in early September, which we consider the best time for this route: there are fewer tourists, the temperature is pleasant and the weather is often sunny. According to statistics, September is also the driest month of the year in the Alps. In spring there is often still too much snow on the route, and in midsummer it is too hot.
On the hike we carry only a light daypack, and the support vehicle takes care of the luggage and brings it to the next accommodation. Only for mountain huts that cannot be reached by car do we carry a little more equipment.
On some days it is also possible to travel part of the route, or even the whole day's stage, in the support vehicle.
Your guides
The guide is a Finnish authorised hiking guide.
The guide is a Finnish authorised hiking guide.
Haute Route summer hike, Chamonix–Zermatt
Program of the week
DAY 1: CHAMONIX Transfer from Geneva Airport to Chamonix.
Accommodation in Chamonix in a 3-star hotel, in double rooms. Breakfast.
DAY 2: CHAMONIX–CHAMPEX-LAC
Accommodation near the village of Champex-Lac, at the Relais d'Arpette guesthouse in shared accommodation. Half board.
DAY 3: CHAMPEX-LAC–VERBIER
Accommodation in the well-known ski resort of Verbier, in the cosy 3-star Mirabeau hotel, in double rooms. Breakfast.
DAY 4: VERBIER–LAC DE LOUVIE
Accommodation in the mountain hut at Lac de Louvie, in dormitories. Half board.
DAY 5: LAC DE LOUVIE–PRAFLEURI
Accommodation in the Prafleuri mountain hut, in multi-bed rooms. Half board.
DAY 6: PRAFLEURI–AROLLA
Accommodation in the village of Arolla, at the Grand Kurhaus hotel. This cosy, traditional alpine hotel has been in operation for 150 years. Double rooms. Breakfast.
DAY 7: AROLLA–GRIMENTZ
Accommodation in the village of Grimentz, at Hotel Cristal Skier's Lodge, in 2- or 4-bed rooms. Breakfast.
DAY 8: GRIMENTZ–ST-LUC
Accommodation in the small village of St-Luc, at the Gite du Prilet guesthouse, in 2–4-bed rooms. Breakfast.
DAY 9: ST-LUC–GRUBEN
Accommodation in the tiny village of Gruben, at the Schwartzhorn hotel, in shared accommodation. Half board.
DAY 10: GRUBEN–ZERMATT
Accommodation in the village of Zermatt, in the 3-star Hotel Adonis, in double rooms. Breakfast.
DAY 11: ZERMATT
Accommodation in the village of Zermatt, in the 3-star Hotel Adonis, in double rooms. Breakfast.
DAY 12: ZERMATT–GENEVA AIRPORT
Transfer to Geneva Airport, from where you fly home.
Note: We reserve the right to change accommodation to a similar standard. Due to high demand, not all accommodation is necessarily available.
Flights and ground transport
Airport transfers Geneva–Chamonix and Zermatt–Geneva are included in the price of the trip.
Passport and visa
Finnish citizens do not need a visa for Switzerland or France.
Difficulty level
Intermediate to demanding
Equipment (if ski trip)
A packing list will be sent to participants with the trip information about a month before departure.
Price
Minimum number of participants 10.
Price includes
- Airport transfers Geneva–Chamonix and Zermatt–Geneva
- Guiding by a Finnish-speaking authorised hiking guide for 9 days. Maximum group size 10 participants.
- A support vehicle available throughout the hike
- The driver's salary and the vehicle's costs
- Accommodation with breakfast or half board
- Carbon footprint compensation fee
Price excludes
- Flights
- Lunches
- Dinners (except those mentioned in the trip description)
- Drinks
- Possible lift and bus fees
Accommodation
Accommodation is in good-quality hotels and mountain huts. In the mountain huts, accommodation may be in dormitories or multi-bed rooms.