Switzerland itinerary suggestions for an active, outdoorsy couple who loves to hike please

Posted by meagavin on 04/18/22 11:43 PM

Hello!

My husband and I are travelling to Switzerland May 7 - May 17. We will be in Lugano May 12 - May 15 for a college reunion, but will spend the rest of our time exploring Switzerland.

We would greatly appreciate any itinerary suggestions please. We are in our early 40s and avid hikers and mountaineers, so would love to visit some off-the beaten trail places for hiking and exploring, although I realize it's still early in the year so there will likely be snow. We prefer to stay in towns for at least 2-3 nights. We will most likely have a rental car at some point, but are considering taking the Glacier Express from Zermatt to San Moritz.

What are some of your favorite destinations?

What about favorite hotels or pensions?

Some ideas are:
Zermatt
Murren
Wengen
Lauterbrunnen
Kleine Scheidegg
Luzern
Bern
Swiss National Park

Posted by Pat

San Diego, California

04/19/22 12:33 AM

4742 posts

If you review the many comments under the Switzerland section here on the Forum, you will find many of your questions are already answered. Have a great trip!

Posted by Lola

Seattle, WA

04/19/22 03:49 PM

16312 posts

Your early May dates (7th to 12th) are really early for hiking in the Alps. You probably will need to focus on lower elevations and south-facing slopes.

You can look at webcams in various places to see what the snowpack looks like right now. How much it will change in 2-3 weeks will depend on the weather they get between now and your visit. The Mürren webcams will show you elevations of 1600 meters ( the village), 1900 m (Allmendhubel) and 2600 m (Birg). Be sure to check when it is daylight there.

https://muerren.swiss/en/summer/planning-and-events/webcams/webcams-muerren/

One low-elevation area you might consider for a few days is the Valle Verzasca, accessed from Locarno. There is a popular trail along the beautiful river as far as Sogogno, and many more trails into the rocky slopes above. You can find more information and suggested hikes here:

https://weather-and-climate.com/bucket-list/article/the-verzasca-valley

https://www.outdooractive.com/en/list/hiking-in-the-verzasca-valley/125786102/

Maybe contact the tourist office for more specific information for the time of your visit.

Posted by Hank

City of Seattle

04/19/22 09:53 PM

1781 posts

+1 to Lola. Way early, will be snow.

Working for you though it looks like snowpack is lower than average this season, drastically so in areas farther south. Chamonix looks like mid May already. Switzerland though not as snow starved. And since you are mountaineers you know what's up. I'd try a climbing, skiing or mountaineering forum for good quality up to date beta. You'll get better advice than from a general travel forum.