Take your time
Easy hiking and heritage
The best way to discover a country
Alpenfuhrer. Guides to the Alps
Tourism exclusively in the Alpine regions of Switzerland, France, Germany and Austria
Discover the Alps beyond their clichés and far from mass tourism
Groups of 6 people maximum
Swiss guide: Marc, Historian (PhD), mountaineer, professional guide, entrepreneur
All the proposals below are adaptable on request (hiking level, reduction of stages, additional days, road trips, other regions, hotel categories, children, camper van, etc.)
All programs take place between June and October. Programs in winter and for Christmas are possible on request Objectively, it is not the quantity of sites visited that counts, but the quality of the stay and knowledge of the regions
Switzerland beyond the clichés
Best luxury Alpes Confort program
15 days (14 nights, ends on the 15th day)
Activities: light alpine and urban hikes of one or two hours in 6 cantons, visit to a glacier, tastings, history, geology, flora and fauna, boats and cable cars
The accommodation provided in this program includes some of the best hotels in Switzerland
Free access to spas in certain hotels Other hotel options on request
Steps
At each stop there are city visits and hikes in the Alps. There may be cable cars, boats or trains. Details on request.
1 – Gstaad : 2 nights Bellevue 1100 x 2 = CHF2200
2 – Zermatt : 2 nights Grand Hotel Zermatterhof 1300 x 2 = CHF2600
3 – Bettmeralp / Riederalp : 2 nights Bettmerhof 800 x 2 = CHF1600
4 – Andermatt : 2 nights The Chedi 1050 x 2 = CHF2100
5 – Lugano : 2 nights Villa Castagnola 850 x 2 = CHF1700
6 – St. Moritz : Badrutt's Palace Hotel 1300 x 2 = CHF2600
7 – Lucerne : 2 nights Schweizerhof 800 x 2 = CHF1600
Options
- Lucerne : additional day (total 3 nights) Boat to Alpnach and rack railway to Pilatus
- Freiburg (Charmey) : 2 nights 660 x 2 = CHF1220 Thermal bath, Gruyère, hiking and cable car at Moléson, cheese tasting in an artisanal cheese dairy (60 x 2 = CHF120)
- Lausanne : 2 nights Royal Savoy 950 x 2 = CHF1900 Hiking and wine tasting in Lavaux
- Bern : 2 nights Bellevue Palace or Schweizerhof 700 x 2 = CHF1400 Visit of the city and the Gantrisch nature park
Deep Swiss Alps Program
16 days (15 nights, ends on the 16th day)
Activities: alpine and urban hikes from 1.5 to 4 hours in 6 cantons, visit to a glacier, tastings, history, geology, fauna and flora, cable cars, suspension bridges
Steps
1 – Lucerne : 2 nights, Schweizerhof 800 x 2 = CHF1600
2 – Bettmeralp / Riederalp: 2 nights Waldhaus 500 x 2 = CHF1000
3 – Andermatt : 2 nights The Chedi 1200 x 2 = CHF2400
4 – Locarno (Lugano, Ascona) : 3 nights Villa Sassa 550 x 3 = CHF1650*
5 – St. Moritz : 2 nights Giardino Mountain 450 x 2 = CHF900 CHF
6 – Appenzell (Weissbad) : 2 nights Hof Weissbad 550 x 2 = CHF1100
7 – Bern : 2 nights Schweizerhof 700 x 2 = CHF1400* - Included wine tasting or dinner
Options
- Freiburg (Charmey) : 2 nights Cailler 250 x 2 = CHF500 Thermal bath, Gruyère, hiking and cable car at Moléson, cheese tasting in an artisanal cheese dairy
- Lausanne : 2 nights Royal Savoy 950 x 2 = CHF1900 Hiking and wine tasting in Lavaux
- Locarno : 1 or 2 additional nights. There are ten options
- Lucerne : additional day (total 3 nights) Boat to Alpnach and cogwheel train to Pilatus Lauterbrunnen (Wengen) : Jungfraublick 2 nights 550 x 2 = CHF 1100 Train to the Eiger, waterfalls, hikes
Alpes Nature Program
As there are many options for each region and hikes from 4 to 15 km with different levels of requirement, planning this program requires interviews with clients Activities: hikes in the Alps, the Pre-Alps and the Jura between valleys, UNESCO areas, summits, forests, ruins, glaciers, suspension bridges, lakes and streams. For some options, tastings of typical artisanal products at the place of production. History, geology, fauna and flora, cable cars. Tours in the cities of stay The proposal below covers all geographical areas of Switzerland, with the exception of Jura. They include city tours and several hikes depending on the clients' conditions. Details can be provided upon request
Steps
1 – Saanen : 2 to 4 nights Pitzhorn, daily rate CHF450
2 – Zermatt : 2 to 3 nights Schloss Zermatt, daily rate CHF600
3 – Riederalp : 2 to 3 nights Waldhaus, daily rate CHF500
4 – Andermatt : 2 to 4 nights Bären or Crown, daily rate CHF400
5 – Ascona : 2 to 4 nights Ascovilla or Berno Panorama, daily rate CHF450
6 – Silvaplana : 3 or 4 nights Nira Alpina, daily rate CHF350
7 – Verbier : 2 to 4 nights Hotel de Verbier, daily rate CHF450
8 – Freiburg (Charmey) : 2 to 3 nights Cailler, daily rate CHF250
Options
- Lausanne : 2 nights Mirabeau, daily rate CHF350. City tour and hiking in Lavaux and the Jura, wine tasting
- Lucerne: 2 to 3 nights Waterfall, daily rate CHF450. City tour and several hikes, cable cars, boat
- Lauterbrunnen (Wengen) : 2 to 3 nights Jungfraublick, daily rate CHF550. Train to the Eiger, waterfalls, hikes
- Geneva: 2 nights Eden, daily rate CHF250. City tour and hike to Salève or others - introduction to climbing, via ferrata
Discover the French Alps
The French Alps form an arc between Switzerland and the Mediterranean. They are divided into two distinct zones by geomorphology and climate. The Northern Alps have a high mountain climate and regular relief. The Southern Alps have a more varied relief, often with narrow valleys and steep ridges; the mountains transform into hills and the climate and flora become Mediterranean as you approach Nice.
The two programs below, which must be adapted to the clients' tastes, can include city or village visits, 2-5 hour alpine hikes within national borders, national or regional parks, UNESCO heritage sites, glaciers (Northern Alps), tastings, history, geology, fauna and flora, tourist trains, cable cars.
Deep in the Alps, we will not find 5-star hotels. Always comfortable, some establishments can be simple. Details of each step can be provided upon request. The prices shown below refer to daily rates. We recommend stays of 2 or 3 nights at each stop.
Northern Alps Program
Departure from Geneva or Lyon
Steps
1 – Évian / Yvoire : Hôtel-Restaurant du Port €200 or Villa Cécile €400
2 – Chamonix / Samoëns : Héliopic, from €350
3 – Annecy : Le Pélican €350
4 – Abondance : Gentianettes €350
5 – Beaufort / Hauteluce : La Ferme du Chozal €350
6 – Bonneval-sur-Arc / Aussois : La Roche du Croué €110
7 – Grenoble : Maison Barbillon € 200 or Park Hotel Grenoble €250
8 – Lyon or Geneva, from €350
Options
- Évian / Yvoire : additional day for visit to Lausanne (Switzerland) by boat, city tour, hike in the Lavaux vineyards, wine tasting Geneva: additional days for hiking in the Jura and the Salève
- Horse riding, introduction to mountaineering (via ferrata), kayaking, night in a mountain refuge, bike tours
Southern Alps Program
From snowy peaks to the heat of the Mediterranean
Departure from Grenoble
Etapes
1 – Grenoble : Maison Barbillon €200 or Parkhotel Grenoble €250
2 – Briançon : Auberge de la Paix €150 or Chalet d’en Hô (Névache) from €170
3 – Saint-Véran : L'Alta Peyra Hôtel and Spa from €300
4 – Barcelonnette : Hôtel de la Placette dès €150
5 – Moustiers-Sainte-Marie : Le Colombier €170 or Les Restanques €220
6 – Entrevaux : Hôtel Les Alizés or Le Vauban €120
7 – Nice : Apollinaire €340
Options
- Horse riding, introduction to climbing, via ferrata, kayaking, night in a mountain refuge
- Additional day in Nice, visit to Monaco, Cannes, etc. - 7 to 15 additional days throughout the Côte d’Azur Details on request
It is possible to combine the North and South programs and delete stages. This is the classic road trip of the "Grande Route des Alpes" in 15 days
The Bavarian Alps (Bavaria and North Tirol)
Between Germany and Austria, between castles and natural parks, the northeast of the Alps is characterized by immense massifs, valleys, glaciers, caves and forests. As the region is larger than Switzerland, we offer several choices from Salzburg, depending on customer tastes. Stays in the cities of Salzburg, Berchtesgaden, Oberammergau, Füssen and Innsbruck will not only allow you to discover the architecture, cuisine and culture of the region, but also to walk in the mountains, fields, valleys and around the lakes . At certain stages, excursions by steam trains, cable cars and boats will take us to peaks and villages. Relaxing thermal baths. It is possible to plan stays in other towns or villages and schedule hikes in the high mountains to spend the night in refuges accessible only on foot.
Options
Golf, horse riding, introduction to climbing, via ferrata, bike tours
