Private guided Bernese Oberland Traverse

11 days
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5/5 Excellent
9 reviews  
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Cancellation Policy
Private Guided
Are you interested in a private guide?  A private guided tour is booked specifically for you and your friends and family.  You choose the dates that work best for you and choose the itinerary that feels right.  We can help you make any custom changes you like to our guided Bernese Oberland Traverse itinerary and we will take care of all the details.  Hotels a...
From$4,390
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Overview

Trip type
Private Guided
Lodging level
Standard - 3 star
Physical level
Moderate
Trip pace
Flexible schedule

Highlights

    • Discover Grindelwald sits which is the most impressive vertical mountain walls in the world.
    • Explore Wengen
    • Hike the Obersteinberg and enjoy the beautiful views of the Jungfrau
    • Visit Mürren with its unparalleled cliffside views
    • Experience the hike in Kandersteg , Gasterntal and enjoy the fascinating views

What's this trip about?

    Are you interested in a private guide?  A private guided tour is booked specifically for you and your friends and family.  You choose the dates that work best for you and choose the itinerary that feels right.  We can help you make any custom changes you like to our guided Bernese Oberland Traverse itinerary and we will take care of all the details.  Hotels are booked, rail passes ordered, and your own private guide will be waiting, so all you need to do is show up and enjoy your trip.  As a private tour, you’ll have the freedom to make changes to the itinerary in the planning stages, so if you’d like upgraded hotels or rail passes, additional nights or a second guide, please ask! This route, which is also known as the via alpina, was recently named the “World’s best hike” by Backpacker magazine, and we agree! Our tour differs from other tours of the Bernese Oberland by adding a couple of memorable detours to areas that should not be missed. This tour is a beautiful collection of supreme alpine scenery, remote inns, and quiet trails. On our inn-to-inn tours we’ll move to a new location nearly every day, crossing many passes, and we’ll stay in a combination of 3-star village hotels and traditional country inns, where you’ll have a private room with bathroom down the hall. We’ll have two nights without our luggage when we will need to carry just a few extra things, and on other days we’ll send the luggage ahead, so you can hike with the freedom of a small daypack.

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Details

Itinerary focusClassic Highlights
Group sizePrivate - your group only
Age rangeNo age restrictions
Flights and transportN/A
Start CitySwitzerland
End CityKandersteg

Travel Themes

  • Family Friendly
  • Hiking & Walking
  • National Parks
  • Nature & Wildlife

Destinations

  • Europe
  • Switzerland

Attractions

  • Grindelwald
  • Star Wars

Activities

  • Culture
  • Hiking
  • Mountaineering
  • Nature
  • Relaxing Retreat

Trip includes

    • 5 nights 3-star hotels
    • 5 nights mountain inns
    • All breakfasts and lunches, 9 dinners
    • Guided hikes daily
    • All transfers to/from trailheads
    • Luggage transfers between villages
    • 1st class transfer ticket rail pass
    • Half-fare card

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Itinerary

Travel Map

Day 1: Schwarzwaldalp

Arrive in Switzerland, and transfer by train to the quiet town of Meiringen to start the Bernese Oberland tour.

We’ll meet in the afternoon and take a bus ride up to our remote inn to start the tour. Waterfalls and imposing mountains watch over us in this relaxing corner of the Alps. (Schwarzwaldalp Inn)

Day 2: Grindelwald

After a hearty breakfast, we’ll hike over the Grosse Scheidegg pass and enjoy our first views of the Eiger and of the Grindelwald valley.

With 10,000 vertical feet separating valley from peak, Grindelwald sits at the base of one of the most impressive vertical ...

Day 3: Wengen

Today we’ll explore the Grindelwald valley and hike to the famous Kleine Scheidegg pass under the Eiger North Face.

The entire day is dominated by great close-up views of the Eiger North Face – perhaps the most notorious mountain wall in the Swiss Alps. We’ll d...

Day 4:

Obersteinberg

Enjoy spectacular views of the Jungfrau and surrounding mountains on the way to Obersteinberg, a remote mountain inn and working farm.

Our trail winds through flowery meadows and past countless waterfalls along the lush Lauterbrunnen valley floor.  After a brea...

Day 5: Mürren

We have a couple of trail options today – the first, a panoramic climb over a high ridge with breathtaking views in every direction, the second, a beautiful wooded hike filled with waterfalls.

Both lead through sleepy Gimmelwald to the car-free village of Mürre...

Day 6:

Mürren

There are numerous dayhike possibilities around Mürren. One beautiful trail leads up to the local peak, Birg, for superb all-around views, and past a small glacial tarn.

Or feel free to just unwind in one of the most scenic and relaxing villages in the Alps. Di...

Day 7: Griesalp

Our trail meanders back into the deep recesses of the Sefinen valley before crossing the first of two major passes, Sefinenfurke, into the tiny hamlet of Griesalp.

A moderate but long climb past Rotstock hut and over the pass, followed by a very steep descent, ...

Day 8: Kandersteg

We’ll need an early start for our most challenging day of the tour.  Crossing the second major pass, Hohtürli, you’ll hike past glaciers and high mountain peaks to the jewel-like Oeschinen lake – an emerald-green lake surrounded by cliffs which has to be seen to be be...

Day 9: Gasterntal

We’ll quickly escape town on a quiet path leading south towards the Klus gorge. The power of the Kander river is impressive as you climb through this narrow gorge into the hidden Gasterntal valley.

This is a picture-perfect hideaway – a small, U-shaped valley, ...

Day 10: Gasterntal

For our grand finale we’ll choose from a couple great hikes. One of our favorites is a strenuous climb to the nearby Lötschen pass.

Old Roman trails lead us through meadows and woods, with a short stretch across a glacier, to the small hut at the pass where the...

Day 11: Depart

Today we say good-bye to the Bernese Oberland and depart for Kandersteg and our post-tour destinations.

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Dates & Availability

Price From $4,390
Price per day$399
Last Updated: 8/2/2018

Check Current Availability, prices, specials with Alpine Hikers.

The total tour cost includes the tour price (regular or promotional) and the compulsory local payment. The promotional price is subject to change. Check directly with the operator for the latest price offer. The tour operator requires you to pay only the tour price to purchase your travel. The compulsory local payment will be paid when you join the trip. All prices are based on double, twin or triple share occupancy. Solo passengers will be accommodated in a double, twin or triple room according to availability with a passenger(s) of the same gender. Single supplement only needs to be paid if the passenger does not want to share and requests their own room. Discounts can only be applied at the time of booking and cannot be added at a later date, regardless of any changes made to the original booking.

Prices may vary due to local taxes and trip seasonality. Click "Request Info" to inquire directly with the tour operator for the final trip price.

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Alpine Hikers Reviews & Ratings

5/5  Excellent
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K

Kearny

Jan 2017

Written on

Wonderful tour!

Fabulous tour company. No detail overlooked in the planning. Jus...

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Kerry

Jun 2016

Written on

Alpine Hikers tour

Fabulous tour company. No detail overlooked in the planning. Jus...

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Other Alpine Hikers Reviews

D

Dave

Aug 2018

Provided byAlpine Hikers

overall great experience

We just returned from an ideal vacation trekking the Bernese Oberland trail! Alpinehikers, with great advice from Matt, did a great job helping us set up a dream vac...

S

Sherry

Jul 2018

Provided byAlpine Hikers

The trip was very well planned and we had a wonderful time

My daughter and I did the Eiger to Matterhorn self-guided trip with Alphinehikers and it was amazing! Matt and others were so helpful from the very beginning when we...

W

William

Jun 2018

Provided byAlpine Hikers

All aspects of the trip were planned fantastically by Abby and it was amazing.

My son and I did a self-guided tour of Bernese-Oberland and Zermatt (May 30 to Jun 9 2018). All aspects of the trip were planned fantastically by Abby and it was ama...

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Tour Operator

Alpine Hikers

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At Alpine hikers, we emphasize quality over size. Our goal is to offer the finest hiking tours available in the areas we know and love best. We keep our groups small and intimate, never cancelling a tour (our minimum size is 1 person), and you’ll benefit from our own genuine excitement for the Alps and the knowledge that comes from years of personal experience.

We’re committed to offering affordable, first-class vacations filled with exciting discoveries and the world’s best hiking. On our tours, you will get a chance to meet new friends, dive into a different culture, and immerse yourself in one of the most beautiful places in the world. We’ve uncovered the best trails and most breathtaking vistas, found the most authentic restaurants and charming inns, tested the chocolate (it’s all good!), and run through the fields to determine their Heidi factor. We’re picky, and we’ve assembled, I believe, the very best that the Alps have to offer.

We’ll strive to make our trip as ecologically sound as possible, using marked trails, staying in small local inns, using Switzerland’s extensive public transport system, and maintaining respect for the land through which we walk. Traveling as a small group allows us to minimize our impact and visit places that bigger groups just can’t. At Alpinehikers, we love the Alps, and we’re excited to share them with you!

“To us Alpinehikers is kind of like having a friend who’s really knowledgeable about the alps and you can rely on to find some great routes, itineraries and places to stay.”

Self-Guided Tours

Self-guided tours provide a great balance between a guided group tour and planning a trip on your own. They are meticulously organized itineraries that combine the freedom to travel on your own with the support of having your own personal travel planner. We'll organize all of the reservations and logistics, buy appropriate rail passes, recommend favorite hikes and sights, and arrange a trip that meets your specifications. There's no guide and no group, so you'll make your own decisions, choose your own pace, and enjoy Switzerland at your leisure. As Swiss travel specialists, you can count on knowledgeable advice and superb vacation planning.

Custom Tours

While we have many great pre-designed tour itineraries to choose from, sometimes the itineraries you see just don't fit what you want to do. That's where a custom tour comes in. Switzerland and the Alps are our specialty. I've lived in Switzerland year-round, and have been arranging tours and traveling annually in Switzerland since 1997. Many of our office staff are also guides, and everyone has been to Switzerland (and can't wait to go back).

Private Guided Tours

Are you looking for a private guide? If you have a small group and would like a private guided tour, Alpinehikers has knowledgeable guides available for private guided tours on a time-available basis. A group of just 6-8 people will receive pricing very similar to our scheduled group tours, and guides for smaller groups can be arranged for a small premium. One advantage of booking a private guide is the flexibility to enjoy either one of our standard routes, or to create your own personalized

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Logistics

Cancellation policy

Cancellations must be received in writing (mail, email, or fax), and are subject to the following fees per person.

More than 90 days before departure – $200 + rail pass fees

61-90 days before departure – $500 + rail pass fees

31-60 days before departure – 50% of tour cost

0-30 days before departure – 100% of tour cost

If you’ve received a rail pass from us, we will ask you to return this unused either to us or to Rail Europe, and this will be refunded to you as well.

Cancelling a trip is no fun, and it’s also very expensive. Many of our clients have to cancel each year for various and unpredictable reasons. To protect yourself in the event that you have to cancel, trip cancellation and travel insurance is highly recommended. While we always try to be fair to our clients who can’t come, we make substantial commitments (to hotels and guides, and by turning people away from sold-out tours) that can’t always be reversed at the last minute. And of course you’ll have flights and pre and post-trip plans to account for also. So don’t forget this important part of your tour.

For US and Canadian residents, I suggest you compare Travel Guard plans and choose among Basic, Silver, Gold or Platinum coverage. Travel Guard has worked well for our tour members for years, and is not that expensive – generally between 3-9% of your tour cost, depending on your age, the cost of your trip, and what kind of plan you get. It’s best to buy insurance within 15 days of your initial deposit, which gives you more comprehensive coverage, and the option to buy “cancel for any reason” coverage.

If you are forced to cancel a trip, you can talk to us about rescheduling, or carrying over a portion of your tour cost to a future tour and we’ll do what we can to help. But every year we have clients who regret that they didn’t get insurance, while nobody ever regrets that they did.

Travel Insurance
We strongly recommend purchasing travel insurance alongside your travel package to safeguard against unforeseen circumstances such as medical expenses, trip cancellations, and other contingencies. It offers you peace of mind and ensures you are prepared for unexpected events that may occur before or during your journey
Visa requirements
Visa requirements vary depending on your country of origin and your country of destination. It is your responsibility to familiarize yourself with the relevant requirements. For a handy tool that can help you quickly find the requirements, please visit this link .
Meals Included

 

All Breakfasts, Lunches and 9 Dinners

Age Requirements
No age restrictions
Additional Information
Trip ID
alpine3-PriGuiAlp

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