St Moritz to Italy

Itinerary

Day 1 – Arrive Zurich – Transfer to St Moritz

Upon arrival, a train takes you to the St Moritz in the Swiss canton of Graubünden. After settling into our lakeside hotel, we’ll explore this historic resort and birthplace of winter sports. Dinner and a group orientation. Overnight in St Moritz. (D)

Distance: 2.5-4.5 miles | Ascent: 6-400 feet | Descent: 6-400 feet

Day 2 – St Moritz – Bernina Alps Glaciers and Mountaintops

We visit an alpine dairy where cheese is made by hand in the traditional way—over an open fire. Enjoy a delicious brunch before heading up the valley to hike to the Morteratsch Glacier, the largest in the Bernina Alps. For dinner we take a funicular to Muottas Muragl, at an elevation of 8,200 ft, where we get a view of the Engadine lake district and our route through the valleys below. (BSD)

Distance: 5 miles | Ascent: 1000 feet | Descent: 1000 feet

Day 3 – St Moritz to Sils Maria

A cable car takes us to the summit of Piz Corvatsch for commanding views of the Bernina Alps. We descend to the mid-mountain station to begin our traverse along the lower flanks of Corvatsch and down into the beautiful Val Fex. A short walk through alpine meadows takes us to our hotel in Sils Maria. Sils has a rich Romansch culture evident in its architecture, language, and cuisine. (BSD)

Distance: 4-7 miles | Ascent: 550 feet | Descent: 2000-3500 feet 

Day 4 – Sils Maria to Maloja

We follow the Via Engadinia out of Sils Maria and hike up to the scenic Lägh dal Lunghin, nestled below Europe’s most important watershed at the Lunghin Pass. Here, a single raindrop may end up in the North Sea, Black Sea, or Adriatic Sea. We descend to the historical village of Maloja, which has attracted famous artists and writers for over 200 years. We stay atl a mountain lodge perched right on the Maloja Pass with a tradition of hospitality dating back to 1646. (BSD)

Distance: 8-9 miles | Ascent: 800-2250 feet | Descent: 700-2250 feet

Day 5 – Maloja – Lägh da Cavloc

The Maloja Pass was well known to 19th century traders and travelers, as well as to smugglers. A gentle hike along the smuggler’s route leads through a larch forest to the hidden Lägh da Cavloc where we enjoy lunch at a lakeside restaurant. We return to our lodge in Maloja in good time for a massage or sauna before dinner at their stylish restaurant. (BSD)

Distance: 5.5-6 miles | Ascent/Descent: 900-2250 feet

Day 6 – Maloja to Soglio

We first descend from the Maloja Pass by bus to enter into the deep-cut Val Bregaglia. Vicosoprano is the start point for our day’s hike, but first we take time to explore the beautiful village, where the Italian influence is evident. We then ascend to the north of the valley to gain the Via Panoramico (Panoramic Trail). We follow this trail all the way into Soglio, with the valley floor dropping beneath and granite peaks rising above us. Arriving in Soglio, we spend the night in a palazzo built in 1630 and retaining its authentic ambience with suites decorated in period antiques. (BSD) 

Distance: 5.5 miles | Ascent: 1650 feet | Descent: 1550 feet

Day 7 – Soglio to Chiavenna Italy

From Soglio we walk through beautiful chestnut groves into Castasegna. After crossing into Italy, we soon arrive at Acquafraggia Waterfalls, one of the most spectacular cascades in the Italian Alps. From here, we follow the waterfall up to the forgotten village of Savogno, where we have lunch at a rifugio before descending through the forest into Chiavenna. We stay in the old city, which had an important strategic position on the trade route dating to the Middle Ages. No visit to this part of Italy would be complete without dinner at one of the famous crotto restaurants—and you’ll have a table at a top crotto restaurant in the heart of Chiavenna. (BSD)

Distance: 5-7 miles | Ascent: 100-1950 feet | Descent: 1650-3450 feet

Day 8 – Return to Engadine – Lägh da l’Albigna

On our return to St. Moritz, we’ll stop halfway up the Val Bregaglia, near the village of Vicosoprano, and take a cable car up to Lägh da l’Albigna. A walk along the shore takes us up to the Capanna de l’Albigna, where we enjoy lunch surrounded by the peaks and glaciers or the Bernina Alps. Then it’s on to St Moritz for our farewell dinner among the shops and hotels of this lively mountain resort. (BSD)

Distance: 3 miles | Ascent: 800 feet | Descent: 800 feet

Day 9 – Depart St Moritz for onward travel

Whether you’re returning to Zurich for your homebound flight or planning onward travel in the Alps—perhaps on the Glacier Express to Zermatt and the Matterhorn - St Moritz is the ideal spot to conclude the adventure and say our goodbyes. (B)