Switzerland

Matterhorn Highlights

9

Explore the beautiful Swiss Alps, with this 4-day trek towards the grand and imposing Matterhorn.

Itinerary

Day 1: Hike to Europa Hut

You will be met in Randa, on the train line to Zermatt, at 2:30 pm. From there, you’ll take the rugged forest trail up to the Europa Hut. With panoramic views of the surrounding Swiss Alps, you will spend the evening in this cosy mountain hut, at 2220m of altitude. Breakfast, Dinner, and accommodation are included on this trip.

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Today you'll cross the Charles Kuonen suspension bridge. At 494m long, it's the longest hanging suspension bridge in the alps! You’ll then continue to hike along the Europaweg balcony trail up to the Täschalp mountain hut, surrounded by glaciers and mountain peaks.

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Today you'll continue along the trail towards the Matterhorn, with virtually uninterrupted views of the iconic mountain. The day will finish at the Ze Seewinjinu mountain hut with amazing views of the Matterhorn. Anyone facny a swim in a warm mountain lake?

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On the final day you will complete the tour of the 5 lakes, before descending to Zermatt. You will be back in Zermatt in time for the train back to the airport, either Geneva, Zurich or Milan, arrival by 6pm.

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9 verified reviews

Rated 5.0
Anna
Anna

(Aug 2022)

My 4th trip with Louise and Tom's Alp Adventures! I wanted something a bit gentler ahead of a higher summit in September so this was a perfect pace and beautiful scenery. Absolute delight to see Zermatt in summer when you have skied it in winter too.

Dragos
Dragos

(Jul 2022)

I had a really good time

David
David

(Jun 2022)

Highly recommend the AlpsAdventures Matterhorn Highlights tour. An unforgettable experience from beginning to end. The transfer from Geneva airport to Randa by train was seamless with stunning views of Lake Geneva and an adventure even before the tour began! Tom Brodie, our tour guide provided an impeccably organised itinerary with challenging walking routes (all doable with a reasonable level of fitness) and breathtaking views of the mountains. His knowledge of the wildlife and fauna was extensive and we spotted many indigenous species including the Chamois Deer, Marmotts and the elusive wild Edelweiss. We crossed suspension bridges and swam in one of the many wonderful lakes. The accommodation within the mountain huts was exceptional and the food was plentiful and of a incredibly high standard. We shared the tour with lovely likeminded people and swapped many photos all of which told a tale and will make me smile for years to come. Cannot recommend more highly.

FAQs

Day 1: 4.5km, 815m ascent, 80m descent, 3hrs 15 mins

Day 2: 12km, 1250m ascent, 800m descent, 7hrs

Day 3: 17.2km, 980m ascent, 1060m descent, 8hrs 30 mins

Day 4: 12.7km, 170m ascent, 1190m descent, 4hrs 30mins

This is a long-distance trek for sporty and fit people who want to do their first, or more, multi-day hike. A typical day in the mountains can be trekking for up to 8 hours with a rucksack, so you need a fairly good level of physical fitness and endurance. We recommend training with any sport that you enjoy (e.g. running, swimming, tennis). Training hikes will also help, ideally for a full day with a 5-7kg rucksack. A positive mental attitude is the most important thing though if you think you can do it our skilled and experienced guides will support you along the way. This is our least challenging 4-day trek but it still has significant challenge, and exposure.

You'll need to carry clothing for the four days, waterproofs, sun cream and a few other items. We'll pick up food and water along the way. In total, your full bag should be no more than 8kg (we recommend aiming for 5kg). Watch our packing video for advice. 

Should you require luggage storage our suggestion would be to use a railway station locker that's convenient to you. Unfortunately, Randa station doesn't offer left luggage. We can recommend travelling to Zermatt before the trip, if you've time. They have lockers and you will pass through here at the end of the trip. You can get a first view of the Matterhorn from here! Alternatively, there are storage lockers in Visp, where you will need to change trains between the mainline and the Zermatt line, wherever you travel on to. 

You can find more information and locations here: https://www.sbb.ch/en/station-services/at-the-station/services-at-the-station/lockers/lockers.html.

You stay in mountain huts on each of the nights. Please note that mountain huts are in remote regions (supplies are typically helicoptered in) and inherently quite basic, with dormitory-style rooms and shared bathrooms. Single or double supplements are unfortunately therefore not available on this trip. Electricity, warm showers and snacks are however available. Most of the mountain huts on this trip do not have wifi.

There is a maximum of 14 people and most trips sell out. There are no minimum numbers - once you are booked on the trip is guaranteed to run.

Walking poles are available for rent. The cost is 10CHF. We ask that you request these on the trip form. Documents - Passport - Boarding pass for flights - Money (CHF) - Credit/Debit Card Sleeping - Sleeping bag liner - Ear Plugs Footwear - Trekking boots: 3 or 4-season lightweight - Very lightweight shoes for the evening (or you can borrow hut slippers) Clothing Please make sure that you have non-cotton clothing for trekking. - 1 x pair of synthetic under-top and bottom (long johns or similar) - 3 x t-shirts - 1 x comfortable shirt for the evening - 4 x hiking socks - 3 - 4 pairs of underwear - 1 x fleece - Light down or Primaloft jacket - Waterproof jacket and trousers - Hiking trousers: we recommend a pair that zip off into trousers.  - Comfortable trousers for the evening - Sun hat, warm hat and gloves - Buff or scarf Other - A day bag: 35 - 45 litres - all your kit should fit into this bag. - Travel towel - Dry bag or liner - Water bottle: At least 2L - Sun protection: Sunglasses, suncream and sun hat - Personal medication - Toiletries - Electronics - headtorch, travel adapter, phone and charger - Small hand sanitiser - Face mask for use in the huts (personal choice, it's no longer compulsory) - Hiking poles (Available to rent for 10CHF - these must be requested at least 1 week before your trip). You do not require any specialist equipment for this trip.

In short, Zermatt is equidistant from 3 airports, Geneva, Zurich, and Milan. From all of these, you can reach the start and end point more quickly and easily by rail than by road. So it is not economical for us to do so. This saves you money if you book your train ahead of time. It gives you more flexibility, to extend your trip, and get the cheapest flight. It also supports our environmental initiative and credentials to only use road transport when there is no practical alternative. If you still want to get a pick up you can organise this with other members of the group in the Skyhook chat and book it yourself through the many people who transfer from airports to Zermatt. Believe us though, the train is easy, has a cafe and toilet onboard, and has great views. You're missing the Swiss experience if you don't use the legendary trains.

Start: You need to meet your guide in Randa at 14:30. You must ensure that you leave the airport, no later than 11 am. We recommend completing the journey by train. End: We will finish at Zermatt station by 2 pm, for you to catch your train to the airport, or to continue your stay in Zermatt.

Includes: - Accommodation in mountain huts - Food: Breakfast and Dinner Excludes: - Flights - Transfers - Personal travel/rescue insurance - Lunch, snacks, drinks. Which we can buy along the way.

During the summer in the Alps (June – September) you can experience usually fair and quite warm weather. It is often sunny and the temperatures can reach 30° Celsius. Sun protection is necessary with a sun hat, sunglasses and sun cream.

However, the weather in the mountains can be quite unpredictable and weather situations can change very quickly. Therefore, it is necessary to be always prepared for such a change. On a rainy day, temperatures can drop quite low and it is necessary to have a good rain jacket and sometimes even a hat and a pair of gloves. See the kit list for full details.

Absolutely! We also put you in touch with the other trekkers in the group before you go, with a Facebook group, if you want.

Water

During the summer it can be quite warm in the Alps so it is important to carry enough water. We strongly recommend taking two litres of water. The tap water at the accommodations you will stay is usually drinkable but there are limited resources along the way to fill up your bottle. Your guide can give you advice on this for each day.

Food

Whilst trekking, you will have the chance to taste a great variety of local specialities. The breakfast is continental, often with a variety of juices, tea and coffee.

The three-course dinner in the evening is hearty and the plates are quite big.

During the day, your guide will advise on whether we plan to stop or whether you should order a packed lunch that will be freshly prepared for you. You can also buy snacks at huts. This gives you control over how luxurious you want to be about lunch.

If you have any food restrictions (vegetarian, vegan, gluten intolerance etc) please make us aware of this when completing your registration form, found on your Skyhook dashboard. 

Check out this quick video from your guides

It is not mandatory but often expected. In the Alps there is no fixed amount and it really depends on what you would like to give to show your satisfaction. They work exceedingly hard to ensure your enjoyment.

Due to the distances and ascents covered on this trip, it is geared towards adults. Therefore the minimum age for this trek is 18 years. However, those aged 16-18 years are welcome to attend in the company of a responsible adult.

The valid currency on the trip is CHF (Swiss Francs) only. Credit cards not always accepted. We recommend changing your money before you arrive as it will be difficult to do so once you start trekking.

YES. If you sprain an ankle the only way off the hill is by helicopter which costs a small fortune without an insurance policy. You should be insured up to 3000m.  

The huts are getting better all the time at catering to special dietary requirements. Should you have dietary requirements please ensure you complete this on the trip form and we will inform the accommodation ahead of our arrival. We normally arrive in the afternoon with time to check and discuss our requirements with the hut wardens as necessary. 

The best way to get to Randa is by train. It is one connection off the mainline from Geneva and Aurich airports. Check the website link for train times and tickets. The earlier you book, the cheaper it will be. In most cases, the day travel pass may be the most cost-effective as this allows flexibility on the time of the train. SBB also operate a good app with which you can purchase and store your tickets.

Your head guides are Louise and Tom

All trips on Skyhook are run by small, hand-picked local guiding companies. For this trip your guides run AlpsAdventures, based in Collombey Muraz.

By booking through Skyhook you'll be joining a small-group trip. This can make it nice and sociable (you'll be added to a group chat after booking), and guarantees great value for money!

Louise
Tom