From one giant to another...
The Haute Route from Chamonix to Zermatt is probably one of the most famous routes in the Alps, connecting two mountain capitals, steeped in history, through high altitude trails.
But seven days are not enough!
This route focuses on the Swiss landscapes. The trail leads us to the "Land of the 4000m", ending in Zermatt at the foot of the legendary Matterhorn (4478m), a pyramid of a rare elegance, the most iconic summit of the Alps.
The Haute Route from Chamonix to Zermatt is probably one of the most famous routes in the Alps, connecting two mountain capitals, steeped in history, through high altitude trails. But seven days are n...
The Haute Route from Chamonix to Zermatt is probably one of the most famous routes in the Alps, connecting two mountain capitals, steeped in history, through high altitude trails.
But seven days are not enough!
This route focuses on the Swiss landscapes. The trail leads us to the "Land of the 4000m", ending in Zermatt at the foot of the legendary Matterhorn (4478m), a pyramid of a rare elegance, the most iconic summit of the Alps.
You will love
- The most remarkable part of the Swiss Haute Route itinerary
- The proximity to vast glaciers throughout the trek
- 'The land of the 4000m', an incredible area of high peaks including the Matterhorn and the Pointe Dufour the highest summit in Switzerland at 4634m
- Discovering traditional villages and mountain life in Switzerland
FROM CHAMONIX TO ZERMATT
Level 3 / 4
Next departure on 21/06/2026
Secure payment
Day-by-day itinerary
Meet at the train station in Le Châble at 1.45pm on Sunday (please have lunch before meeting)
LE CHABLE - LA LOUVIE
Short transfer to Fionnay village. Climb through forest and pastures to Lake Louvie. Stunning views over the Combins mountain range, the Corbassière Glacier and in the distance the Mont Blanc massif. Night in refuge without luggage.
3 hour walk / Elevation: +750m
THE GRAND DESERT - PRAFLEURI
Beautiful day at altitude. Climb to Louvie pass (2921m​​) at the foot of "La Rosa Blanche" summit. Cross the rocky flats of the Grand Désert, passing by mountain lakes to reach the Prafleuri pass (2987m). Descend to the Prafleuri refuge. Night in refuge without luggage.
6 hour walk / Elevation: +950m ; -600m
GRANDE DIXENCE - RIEDMATTEN PASS - AROLLA
Climb to the Col des Roux (2804 m). The path then skirts the Grande Dixence dam, the highest gravity dam in the world. Climb alongside the Cheillon glacier to the Riedmatten pass (2855 m) and descent to the village of Arolla. Night in a gîte or mountain hotel.
6 hour walk / Elevation: +630m -1200m
COL TORRENT - VAL D’ANNIVIERS
Transfer to the village of Les Haudères. Climb through the pastures passing mountain chalets up to Torrent pass (2915m). A day to encounter "nomadic" shepherds, making local cheese. Descend to Moiry dam. Night in a refuge in Val d'Anniviers.
7 hour walk / Elevation: +1200m -700m
MEIDPASS - GRUBEN
Another day in a high mountain environment. Transfer to St Luc then climb to the Meidpass (2790m) via the Roua pastures and the Lake Armina. Descend to the pretty alpine hamlet of Gruben in the Turmanntal valley. Night in dormitory in a gîte or mountain hotel.
6.5 hour walk / Elevation: +1090m -1000m
AUGSTBORDPASS - TASCHALP
Climb to the Augstbordpass (2900m) and descent to the village of St Niklaus. With a little luck, it's possible to spot a large number of chamois, which are not very shy in these areas. Descent via the cable car and transfer to Zermatt. Night in Zermatt.
7 hour walk / Elevation: +1100m -950m
ZERMATT - AT THE FOOT OF THE "4000"
Balcony trail at the foot of the Matterhorn to get closer to that giant of the Alps. Surrounded by summits over 4000m, passing by small shepherd villages overlooking Zermatt, an authentic and enchanting scenery.
3.5 hour walk / Elevation: +800m -800m
End point Saturday at 2pm in Zermatt.
The itinerary is established according to the latest information available, the possibility of unknown factors affecting this itinerary is possible including situations beyond our control which may change the route, timings etc.
Dates and prices
From Sun 21/06/2026
To Sat 27/06/2026
From Sun 28/06/2026
To Sat 04/07/2026
From Sun 05/07/2026
To Sat 11/07/2026
From Sun 12/07/2026
To Sat 18/07/2026
From Sun 19/07/2026
To Sat 25/07/2026
From Sun 26/07/2026
To Sat 01/08/2026
From Sun 02/08/2026
To Sat 08/08/2026
From Sun 09/08/2026 To Sat 15/08/2026
Open departureFrom Sun 16/08/2026 To Sat 22/08/2026
Départ garantiFrom Sun 23/08/2026 To Sat 29/08/2026
Open departureFrom Sun 30/08/2026 To Sat 05/09/2026
Open departureFrom Sun 06/09/2026 To Sat 12/09/2026
Départ garanti
Secure payment
THE PRICE
The price includes:
- Organisation and booking fees, guiding by a qualified and insured mountain leader;
- All meals including picnic lunch and snacks during the day;
- Accommodation in gites, refuges and small hotels;
- Baggage transport between accommodation (except nights 1 and 2);
- Bus transfers and skilifts as indicated in the itinerary.
The price does not include:
- Personal expenses (drinks, etc.), touristic visits;
- Cancellation insurance;
- Your return journey from home to the point of departure/end point.
The price is all inclusive from departure to end point.
Also available a la carte
Contact us!Technical sheet
LEVEL ***
Elevation: +/- 600 to 1250m average per day.
Walking time: 6-7 hours average per day.
Type of trek: mountain route on marked, often stony paths. There are a few well maintained aerial passages secured by cables.
Fitness level: general good fitness level is required. Please practice a cardio sport as hiking, running, cycling, from 3 to 4 hours a week. Your physical preparation will enable you to enjoy your trek to the maximum.
Please find the description of the levels by clicking here: levels of difficulty
WHY NOT STARTING IN CHAMONIX?
This is a legitimate question for a route called "Chamonix Zermatt".
We favored a departure from Le Châble, near the Swiss resort of Verbier, for several reasons:
- The complete route linking these two alpine capitals is too long to be done in just 7 days (except for very trained hikers).
- The first stages starting from Chamonix (Col de Balme, Fenêtre d'Arpette/Bovine) are beautiful hikes but also particularly crowded and every hiker who has previously been on the Tour of Mont Blanc, is already familiar with them.
- Starting directly from Le Châble allows you to avoid a long transfer, usually necessary to cross the Val d'Entremont, but also to be able to do the superb high-altitude hike above the Louvie and Prafleuri passes.
GUIDING
Group between 6 and 14 people supervised by a qualified mountain leader. The guide may adapt the program to suit the level of the group and /or the weather conditions. The final decision is taken by the guide.
To thank your guide, it is usual to tip him at the end of the trek, according to your satisfaction. It is not mandatory but, it is very appreciated.
ACCOMMODATION
5 nights in gites or mountain refuges and hotels in dormitories of 8 to 10 persons.
1 night in Zermatt in bedroom of 2 to 6 people.
RESPONSIBLE TOURISM
Nights 1 and 2 are without luggage, you will have to take with you a toilettries set and a change of clothes for the night (maximum 1 or 2 kg). We made that choice to favour an enchanting route but also to lower the cost and limit the environmental impact. Please let us know your thoughts!
MEALS
Breakfast and dinner are provided in each accommodation.
Picnics are included and are carefully prepared daily by your guide, comprising a variety of healthy salads and local products.
Please inform us about any food allergies and special diets at the time of booking.
We do our best to accommodate special diets (gluten-free, vegetarian, etc.). However, we encourage you to bring some additional products for your own picnics.
MAPS
Federal Office of Topography: Grand St Bernard 5027 T, Monté Rosa 5028 T.
ACCESS TO DEPARTURE POINT
Meeting at 1.45pm in front of the train station in Le Châble (Valais, Switzerland).
BY TRAIN
Inbound: departure from Paris - Gare de Lyon to Lausanne or Geneva. Then take the train to Le Châble SBB station.
Return: departure from Zermatt for Lausanne or Geneva, then Paris Gare de Lyon.
Departure from Paris to Lausanne at 7:55 a.m.- Arrival in Le Châble at 1:17 p.m. Times should be verified in a train station or on www.oui.sncf and www.cff.ch
BY CAR
Direction Geneva, Chamonix, Martigny, Le Châble towards Verbier.
Large free outdoor car park at the cable car opposite Le Châble CCF station.
End point around 2pm in Zermatt.
RETURN TO DEPARTURE POINT
The return journey from Zermatt to Le Châble is organised by your guide at the lowest cost with a taxi (allow €60 to €70 per person and a 2-hour journey, minimum 6 people).
Return by train from Zermatt to Le Châble, approx. €80 per person (3-hour journey).
ACCOMMODATION BEFORE AND AFTER
Le Châble - Hôtel Le Gietroz: +41 (0)2 77 76 11 84
Tourist Office Verbier: +41 (0)2 77 75 38 88
Tourist Office Zermatt: +41 (0)2 79 66 81 00
INSURANCE
In accordance with regulations, we are covered by Professional Liability Insurance. Under no circumstances, we can replace your personal civil liability.
The repatriation insurance EUROP ASSISTANCE that we offer is dedicated to French speaking people living in Europe. If it is not your case, we advise you to subscribe to another travel insurance which will cover you in case of injury and repatriation during your trek.
If you chose to take out repatriation insurance with EUROP ASSISTANCE whom we propose, Altitude Mont Blanc will only serve as an intermediary between the client and the insurer. We cannot influence either party. We adhere to strict conditions of sale. You are responsible for compliance with the reporting procedures of any incident.
Before making any decision, contact EUROP ASSISTANCE.
CONTACT US
If you are late please contact the agency as soon as possible on: +33 (0)4 50 79 09 16 or +33 (0)6 42 49 76 07
EQUIPMENT LIST
Clothing
- Walking trousers
- Shorts (Bikini/swimsuit, just in case!)
- Breathable or merino wool t-shirts
- Breathable or merino wool leggings
- Fleece or jumper
- Wind stopper or Goretex jacket
- Waterproof poncho + gaiters or Goretex trousers + waterproof rucksack cover
- Pair of gloves and a warm hat
- Sun hat or baseball cap
- Walking socks (1 pair per day)
- Sturdy walking boots with a good sole, already broken in
- 1 change of clothes for the evening
- A pair of comfortable shoes for the evening
Other Equipment
- Toilet bag
- Quick drying towel
- Sunglasses and sun cream
- Water bottle or Camelback (1.5 litre minimum)
- Knife, fork and spoon
- Plastic lunch box/plate for your picnic lunches
- Plastic cup for coffee
- Small First Aid kit (antihistamine, ibuprofen, Compeed type blister pads...)
- Survival blanket
- Head torch or hand torch
- Sleeping bag liner sheet and pillowcase (blankets provided at accommodation)
- Two adjustable walking poles (highly recommended)
- Identity card or passport
BACKPACK
Bring a comfortable backpack of 30 to 40 litres for your personal belongings for the day (warm clothes, waterproofs, water, plate and cutlery for your picnic, sunscreen and your identity documents) and please keep a little room to carry a picnic and snacks.
BAGGAGE TRANSPORT
You are allowed 1 soft, sports type bag, with all your possessions inside, of 10kg maximum per person. Your baggage will be transported daily, except day 1 and 2, between accommodation by our logistics vehicle where access is not always easy.
Baggage which is too big and too heavy won't be accepted by the drivers, please think of their backs!
BACKPACK FOR THE NIGHTS WITHOUT LUGGAGE
For the nights 1 and 2, when you don't have your luggage at your accommodation, here are a few tips on what to add to your backpack (around 2 kg is enough!):
- a small toiletries bag
- your sleeping bag liner
- a change of clothes (just the bare essentials!) and comfortable shoes/clothes for the evening
Customer Reviews
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09/03/2026
Pedro
Odile, notre guide, was excellent! We would love to have her again for our 2026 trekking with Altitude Montblanc! The trekking was very well organised and we h...
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04/09/2025
Philippe
Super randonnée qui nécessite toutefois une bonne forme physique car plus engagée que le TMB ou la 1ere étape du GR5. Notre guide était vraiment top tant sur l...
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03/09/2025
Justine
Dylan was very informative and organised. The daily picnics were exceptional and way above my expectations which was a very pleasant surprise. Thank you
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02/09/2025
Jonathan
Dylan, our guide, is brilliant He is very professional, very skilled, very knowledgeable, very aware of our safety, and very approachable and friendly. H...
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01/09/2025
Christine
Un guide super, compétent techniquement, humainement extra! Les hébergements etaient differents mais tous tres bien. Mention spécial pour celui au-dessus du bar...
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17/07/2025
Christine
Randonnées exigeants une bonne forme. Merci à Bruno notre guide, parfait en toutes circonstances.
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13/10/2024
Annne Marie
Première expérience pour ce qui me concerne !… après un premier "choc " face aux exigences d’un trek , les difficultés ont été dépassées grâce à l’accompagnemen...
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06/10/2024
Nadine
1er trek et vraiment ravie de votre accueil, du guide et des souvenirs pleins la tête .Bravo à tous
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05/10/2024
Marie Hélène
J’ai été très satisfaite de ce séjour qui a été conforme mes attentes . Très belles randonnées.Bons hébergements .Très bon guide, attentifs à tous et connaissan...
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05/10/2024
Bernard
super semaine! tout était parfait. enchanté de ce trek
