Trekking the Swiss Via Alpina

East to West across Switzerland - the Alpine Pass Route
Guidebook to the Swiss Via Alpina, a 400km trek east-west across Switzerland, with options of detouring along the Alpine Pass Route. This demanding 3-week trek crosses 16 passes, including the 2778m Hohtürli, in a total of 19 stages from Sargans to Montreux, as well as a prologue stage from Liechtenstein. Requires good fitness and experience.

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.

Contributor: Jonathan Williams (Contributions by)

UK Delivery:

• Free delivery on all orders of £10 or more.
• £1.49 delivery fee on orders below £10.
• UK orders are shipped via Royal Mail 2nd Class.

International Delivery:

• Flat rate delivery charges vary by country.

Dispatch and Delivery Times:

• All orders are shipped from our warehouse in Northampton, UK within 48 hours of receipt during working hours.
• UK mainland orders typically arrive within 3-5 working days via Royal Mail 2nd Class.
• International estimated delivery times:
• Europe & Channel Islands: 7 to 10 working days
• USA: 7 to 15 working days
• Rest of the World: 9 to 21 working days

View our full delivery infomation here.