Hiking the Alluring Engadine & Val bregaglia
Hike to the most idyllic villages of the Swiss Engadine.
The Engadine valley of eastern Switzerland feels like a gateway to paradise. Green meadows and densely forested slopes, punctuated with idyllic fairytale villages, gently rise to meet glacier covered summits glittering in the afternoon sun. Running down the center of the Engadine, and cradled between the Bernina, Silvretta and Albula mountain ranges, the Inn River (spelled locally as the En), bubbles past curious stone homes with half-round wooden doors and thick plaster-covered walls artfully decorated using a technique called sgraffito. Inside the historic homes with their knotty pine walls and ceilings supported by hand-carved wooden beams, the smell of delicious Engadine cooking, a blend of Swiss, Austrian and Italian influences, seduces visitors to quit their jobs and extend their stay. Local dishes with names like maluns, capuns, and even the simplest Bündner Gerstensuppe, (a soup prepared with white beans, barley, locally smoked meats, and a secret medley of vegetables and herbs), tease the most sophisticated palate. You’ll experience all of these treasures and more as you hike from village-to-village across the Engadine region of the eastern Swiss Alps, resting in comfortable and cozy inns along the way.
You’ll begin this Engadine hiking tour in the Engiadina Bassa (the Lower Engadine valley) in the historic village of Guarda. From Guarda, you can visit the nearby village of Scuol, famous for its healing mineral springs. You’ll have an opportunity to soak in the Roman-Irish baths at Bogn Engiadina, and you can make a visit to Tarasp Castle. Built in 1040, Tarasp traded hands many times over the centuries, at one point falling under the ownership of the counts of Tyrol and the Habsburgs of Austria. Today you can tour the castle halls and enjoy a thought-provoking art installation by the castle’s current owner, a famous Swiss artist named Not Vital. From Guarda, you’ll visit the postcard perfect villages of Ardez and Ftan. Each village boasts outstanding examples of Engadine architecture and art. You’ll be stunned by outrageously beautiful views as you hike into the Parc Naziunal Svizzer (the Swiss National Park), and you’ll relax in the hamlet of Zuoz, one of the Engadine’s most perfectly preserved villages. Your hike to Zuoz marks your passage into the Engiadina Ota (Upper Engadine valley), where the highest mountains of eastern Switzerland come into view. One of the highlights of the week is the hike over the Fuorcla Surlej. You’ll hike next to glistening glaciers and enjoy huge views of the Piz Bernina, the highest mountain in the Eastern Alps. Your final day includes one of the most beautiful hikes in the alps with a descent into the remote Val Bregaglia and a scenic walk to the romantic village of Soglio. Accommodations on this most classic Swiss hike range from snug 400 year-old inns with lots of wood paneled coziness to stately grand hotels with enticing wine cellars.
May we tempt you with an extra day (or three)? We recommend spending an extra night in any of the villages and small towns along this Engadine hike. Pontresina and Sils Maria offer great options for sightseeing, shopping and day hiking in the region around St. Moritz. Zuoz is a charming base for extended day or overnight hikes in the Swiss National Park. Guarda is one of our favorite villages for simply relaxing and savoring the tranquility of the Engadine.
For a shorter version of this trip please see our five day Upper Engadine inn-to-inn hike. There are myriad possibilities for shortening or lengthening this hike, so please inquire.
Activity
Inn-to-inn hiking and trekking.
Duration
8 nights / 9 days
Countries Visited
Switzerland.
Season
Late June–late September. You pick the dates.
Cost
Self guided: $5800 per person in double occupancy.
Self guided solo traveler: $6750.†
Private guided: $8400 per person in double occupancy. (Based on a group of four.)
†Solo traveler pricing assumes that solo travelers travel independently, unaccompanied by other travelers. Single travelers (single room) accompanied by fellow travelers receive different pricing. Please inquire.
This Hiking Tour Includes
Upgraded accommodation in deluxe rooms and superior rooms in historic inns and three star and four star hotels in Guarda, Zuoz, Pontresina, Sils Maria, and Soglio.
Hearty Swiss breakfasts and multi-course dinners every day.
First class round trip travel on the Swiss Travel System from any gateway in Switzerland to the start of the trip.
Nearly unlimited travel on mountain lifts and railways in the Upper Engadine.
Swiss Half Fare Card for a reduction on mountain lifts and railways not already covered. The Half Fare Card may also be used for pre/post travel.
Private luggage transport between every village during the hike.
A comprehensive travel package including custom travel itineraries, instructions for using the Swiss Transport System, advice for ordering food and drink, notes on cultural norms, insider tips, hotel maps, hiking descriptions with alternate hikes, topographic maps with routes highlighted, and everything else you’ll need to conduct the trip. Most self guided packages contain 100+ pages of expert advice and tips. It’s a custom book made just for you!
Phenomenal hiking in the Swiss Alps.
Note: Private guided trips include guiding and more services than are listed here. This trip may be customized to add/omit days and/or upgrade accommodations to the highest level where available. Just ask!
Hotels and services are subject to availability at the time of booking. Rates are based on double occupancy and are subject to change due to currency fluctuation and other factors affecting the price.
