This is one heck of a trip! Everything was perfectly planned. We’ve wanted to do this all of our lives, and now that we’re here, I can’t believe we waited this long. J.M., Washington
Charming villages, colorful wildflowers, and Swiss National Park
Alps hiking near St. Moritz
In all the world, is there any more perfectly enjoyable way to spend eight days than to walk through Switzerland’s Engadine Valley? We think not. This is an unforgettable sojourn from one charming village to another, punctuated with traditional inns, splendid cuisine, and all wrapped in spectacular mountains. If great cuisine is your favorite part of a European vacation, you'll be in heaven in the Engadine—arguably featuring the finest restaurants and overall culinary treatment of any tour we offer.
If wildflowers are your passion, you'll find an amazing variety in the Engadine, and a guide ready to show you more diversity and exotic varieties than you ever imagined. Late June is an ideal time for wildflower enthusiasts to explore the Engadine.
We wisely start in the more gentle terrain of the Lower Engadine and work our way into the more wild and rugged sections of the Upper Engadine where we find ourselves in the midst of glaciated peaks and spectacular scenery.
Throughout the trek we take time-honored paths from quaint villages to shimmering lakes, past castle ruins, alpine meadows, and panoramic summits. This is inn-to-inn hiking at its best, supported with luggage transfers on all nights, so that you travel light by day, and enjoy all the finer comforts and cuisine by night.
The hotels were great, as well as the meals, and we did some awesome hikes. Loved Alp Languard in Pontresina. We are tired and happy!
– D.R., California
Highlights
Swiss Cuisine
Wildflowers & Wildlife
Charming Lodging
Traditional Romansch Culture
Superb Cuisine
Don’t Miss
– Swiss National Park, the only true wilderness area in Switzerland where you’ll see chamois, red deer, possibly bears,—and me!
Trip details
Reserve your place now on our June 2013 guided tour.
Date
June 30 - July 7, 2013
Price
$3,295 per person, double occupancy from Geneva or Zurich
$399 Single supplement.
Reserve your place on this tour with a $300 per person deposit
Muottas-Muragl
Trupchun
Engadine/St. Moritz Inn-to-Inn
Charming villages, colorful wildflowers, and Swiss National Park
Day 1 – Arrive Switzerland, Scuol
You’ll be met upon arrival in Zurich take a scenic journey down a wide valley, with mountains ascending steeply on both sides to our starting point in the village of Scoul. Our inn is set overlooking this deep-cut river valey. We’ll have time for an acclimating walk to Tarasp Castle, dating to the 11th century, then it’s dinner and a group orientation at our 4-star boutique hotel set in a 400-year old Engadine house overlooking the village of Scuol. D
Day 2 – Val Tasna, Guarda
We take a gondola to a high elevation making for a leisurely walk to Prui. We pass two alp dairies, once of which makes only goat cheese, and provides a wonderful lunch stop. We descend Val Tasna and into the tiny village of Guarda, arguably the most romantic village in the Engadine, where we spend the evening in a beautifully restored 16th century home. BSD
Day 3 – Lai de la Mezza Glünna (Macun Lakes)
We ascend to a collection of tarns in the cirque of the mountains at the head of Val Zeznina and into an island of the Swiss National Park. A steep descent leads into the village of Zernez. Easier walking options on the valley floor are also a possibility. Evening in Zuoz, the best preserved village in the Upper Engadine. BSD
Day 4 – Swiss National Park
Zernez is the gateway to the Swiss National Park, the country’s only true wilderness area, and uniquely protected as such. We have all day to explore the best routes and sight within the park and opportunities for wildlife viewing are excellent. Evening in Zuoz. BSD
Day 5 – Zuos
Mountains now begin to rise higher and the scenery becomes even more enticing as we enter the Upper Engadine. The village of Zuoz is a perfect base for a variety of short hikes in the area or a longer traverse to the village of Pontresina. Tonight we enjoy the quaint intimacy of the Hotel Steinbock in Pontresina. BSD
Day 6 – Pontresina, St. Moritz
Today the options are many, but in fair weather a climb of Piz Languard, over 3000 meters high, is a great way to start the day. We stay a second evening at the Hotel Steinbock. BSD
Day 7 – Sils Maria - Zurich
Today we explore trails through deep larch forests, passing shimmering lakes and arriving in St. Moritz, a glitzy resort with an Olympic legacy before returning to Zurich for the final night. BSD
Day 8 – Depart Zurich
An early morning departure from Zurich. B
Thanks to you and the other guides who made our Switzerland trip a truly memorable vacation. You showed us things I know I would have missed had I gone on my own rather than with Alpenwild. Your knowledge of the area truly made our trip a success. I've already referred others to you based on the fantastic job you did with our group.
– E.P., California
Activity Level
Alpenwild trips are designed for people who are energetic, active, and filled with a spirit of adventure. We rate this trip as moderate. You should be capable of walking 5 to 7 hours per day on good trails with some steep ascents and descents at an elevation up to 9,000 feet above sea level.
Included
The services of an expert trip leader, all accommodations (7 nights hotel and traditional inns), all meals as shown (B=breakfast, S=snack, D=dinner), all luggage transfers, ground transportation including trams and mountain railways, admissions.
Not Included
Beverages (beer, wine) with meals, items of a personal nature (laundry, phone calls, room service),
and essential travel tips
The hotels were great, as well as the meals, and we did some awesome hikes. Loved Alp Languard in Pontresina. We are tired and happy!
