Experience the wild beauty of the Swiss Alps as you trek from Sargans to Montreux on the legendary Swiss Via Alpina, also known as the Alpine Pass Route. This epic journey traverses Switzerland east to west, crossing dramatic mountain passes, verdant valleys, and idyllic alpine villages, offering ever-changing vistas of towering peaks and historic landscapes.

Perfect for experienced alpine trekkers, this comprehensive Cicerone guidebook presents the complete Swiss Via Alpina, described in 19 day-long stages (plus an optional prologue from Liechtenstein), covering nearly 400km (250 miles) and 16 high passes on the way to Lake Geneva. Route variants via Lenk and Gsteig let you tailor the trek to your plans and ambitions.

• Stages of the Swiss Via Alpina are clearly described with distance, ascent/descent, and estimated walking time, making it easy to plan each day, whether you seek a steady pace or a more demanding adventure.
• Explore Switzerland’s iconic Alpine landscapes, including the Titlis region, the Bernese Oberland, Kandersteg, and Les Diablerets. Each day brings a new panorama, with the high point of the trek at the Hohtürli Pass (2778m) and a cumulative ascent of nearly 23,000m.
• The Swiss Via Alpina is best enjoyed from early July to mid-September, when snow has cleared from the highest passes and mountain accommodation is open.
• Features 1:100,000 mapping and free downloadable GPX tracks for every stage, ensuring straightforward navigation and confident route-finding across varied alpine terrain.
• Each route description includes practical information on start and finish points, high points, accommodation, refreshment options, and public transport connections, perfect for planning your Alpine Pass Route adventure.
• Covers essential Swiss Via Alpina planning, fitness, equipment, travel, safety, languages, and accommodation in mountain huts, village inns, and farms, with a German–French–English glossary and a stage facilities planner.
• Practical advice is included for condensing the full Swiss Via Alpina trek into two weeks using cable cars and public transport, or for walking celebrated sections such as the central Oberland Bärentrek, allowing you to adapt the route to suit your timeframe and experience.

Plan your adventure along the Swiss Via Alpina with the definitive Cicerone guidebook and discover a classic alpine trek, where every pass reveals a new horizon, and the spirit of mountain exploration leads you from Sargans to Montreux on the shores of Lake Geneva.

Swiss Via Alpina – East to West across Switzerland – the Alpine Pass Route: Quick Facts

Location: Swiss Alps, Switzerland (optional prologue in Liechtenstein)
Number of stages: 19 stages (plus optional prologue); route variants via Lenk and Gsteig
Distance: 400km (250 miles)
Duration: 19–21 days (full route, allowing for rest days and weather; can be condensed to 12–14 days using public transport or cable cars); daily stages 12–29km (8–18 miles)
Areas covered: Sargans, Liechtenstein, Titlis, Bernese Oberland, Kandersteg, Les Diablerets, Montreux
Route type: High alpine passes (16 crossings), mountain and valley trails, classic hut-to-hut trek
Difficulty: Demanding long-distance trek, suitable for experienced alpine trekkers
Terrain: Grassy ridges, rocky passes, dramatic valleys, remote mountain huts, picturesque villages
Navigation: 1:100,000 mapping, detailed route descriptions, free downloadable GPX tracks
Best season: Early July to mid-September (some passes may have lingering snow; caution advised early/late season)
Highlights: Hohtürli Pass (2778m, route high point), Titlis, Eiger, Mönch, Jungfrau, Blümlisalp, Les Diablerets, sweeping mountain vistas, traditional Swiss hospitality
Equipment: Sturdy alpine footwear, weatherproof clothing, trekking poles, and a full mountain trekking kit
Accommodation: Mountain huts, inns, village hotels, and farmstays along the route
 

Author Highlight

"There’s immense satisfaction to be gained in undertaking a long journey on foot; especially when that journey takes you among mountains. There’s the daily challenge, of course, and rewards when, on reaching the summit of a pass that has occupied most of a morning’s effort, you are greeted by a panorama of exquisite beauty, with peaks and ridges far off to lure you on in the days to come. And when at last you gain those distant ridges, you exchange them for yet more new horizons, with new challenges to be met and overcome along the way.” 

- Kev Reynolds and Jonathan Williams, authors of Trekking the Swiss Via Alpina

CONTENTS

Overview map

Mountain safety

Key to profiles

Map key

Route summary table

12 days on the trail – a two-week trek

Preface

Introduction

The Swiss Via Alpina

Suggested itineraries

Options for the last few stages

When to go

Getting there – and back again

Accommodation

Languages

Notes for walkers

Paths and waymarks

Recommended maps

Apps

Safety in the mountains

Using this guide

Information at a glance

The Swiss Via Alpina

The Liechtenstein start

Prologue Gaflei to Sargans

The main route

Stage 1 Sargans to Weisstannen

Stage 2 Weisstannen to Elm by the Foopass

Stage 3 Elm to Linthal by the Richetlipass

Stage 4 Linthal to Urnerboden by Braunwald

Stage 5 Urnerboden to Altdorf by the Klausenpass

Stage 6 Altdorf to Engelberg by the Surenenpass

Stage 7 Engelberg to Engstlenalp by the Jochpass

Stage 8 Engstlenalp to Meiringen by Planplatten

Stage 9 Meiringen to Grindelwald by Grosse Scheidegg

Stage 10 Grindelwald to Lauterbrunnen by Kleine Scheidegg

Stage 11 Lauterbrunnen to Griesalp by the Sefinafurgga

Stage 12 Griesalp to Kandersteg by the Hohtürli

Stage 13 Kandersteg to Adelboden by the Bunderchrinde

Stage 14 Adelboden to Lenk by the Hahnenmoospass

Stage 15 Lenk to Gstaad by the Trütlisbergpass

Stage 16 Gstaad to L’Etivaz by the Col de Jable

Stage 17 L’Etivaz to Rossinière

Stage 18 Rossinière to Rochers de Naye by the Col de Sonlomont

Stage 19 Rochers de Naye to Montreux

Alternative route after Lenk

Stage 15A Lenk to Gsteig by the Trütlisbergpass

Stage 16A Gsteig to Col des Mosses by the Col des Andérets

Appendix A Useful addresses

Appendix B Bibliography

Appendix C German–French–English glossary

Appendix D Stage facilities planner

Seasons

From the start of July through to September. August can be wet, and an early season trek may find snow on the higher passes, so suitable additional equipment would be essential.

Centres

Sargans, Elm, Linthal, Altdorf, Engelberg, Meiringen, Grindlewald, Lauterbrunnen, Kandersteg, Adelboden, Lenk, Gstaad, Rossiniere, Gsteig, Col des Mosses, Montreux

Difficulty

It's pretty tough: the route amasses nearly 23,000m of ascent over 20 stages and nearly every day involves a pass crossing. Some higher passes and ridges present occasional exposure and technical difficulty.

Must See

The Todi and Titlis; Eiger, Monch and Jungfrau near Grindlewald; valley-pass landscapes every day; the Lauterbrunnen valley; the Oeschinensee above Kandersteg; Blumlisalp and Les Diablerets.

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