Itinerary Include flights Expand all London to London Day 1 Arrive in Kandersteg Arrive at the 3 star Hotel Alfa Soleil, well known locally for its excellent cuisine and enjoy a welcome drink before dinner which is included all week along with picnics or light restaurant lunches. Below is a suggested itinerary for the week but you are free to pick and choose when and where you walk each day. Meals included: Dinner Day 2 Allenalp This easy-going walk to start your week begins with a spectacular cable car ride (included) up to the Allmenalp, a colourful meadow brimming with rural mountain charm. There are stunning views across the valley to towering cliffs, snow-capped peaks and glaciers. Continue into the pastures of the Alpbach, sheltered by a colossal mountain bowl where marmots 'cohabit' with farmers and their cattle. An afternoon descent of the Alpbach Gorge takes you down to the valley floor for a relaxed stroll along the River Kander to the hotel. Meals included: Breakfast Lunch Dinner Day 3 The Gasterntal and the Klus Gorge This super walk begins with an exhilarating 20-minute minibus ride (fare included) along a narrow road carved out of the rock wall. The UNESCO-recognised Gasterntal is Kandersteg's 'hidden valley', with snow-fed waterfalls splashing down sheer cliff faces. After an optional, loop-extension further up the valley, you meander down the River Kander, through woods and open meadows to the Waldhaus Nature Reserve - look out for lady slippers, fire lilies and more than 25 varieties of orchid. With the mighty rock walls of the Balmhorn, Tatlishore and the Atels towering high, follow the spectacular Klus Gorge where glacial meltwater rushes down over thunderous waterfalls. Meals included: Breakfast Lunch Dinner Day 4 Oeschinensee Widely regarded as the jewel in the crown of the Bernese Oberland, Oeschinensee is one of the most beautiful Alpine lakes in Switzerland. After a short ride up on the gondola lift (included), follow a marvellous mountain path up to the Heuberg Viewpoint and picnic spot. The cobalt blue water of the lake, surrounded by the snow-capped, razor-edged peaks of the Doldenhorn (3,638m) and the Bluemlisalphorn (3,663m) towering 2,000m above, will be a lasting memory. Call in at the mountain chalets at Obberbargli and Underbargli for refreshments and soak up this unforgettable scenery as bell-toting cows munch at the grass in the pastures below, while dainty waterfalls trickle down from the Frunden Glacier. Meals included: Breakfast Lunch Dinner Day 5 Blausee and the Nordrampe A gentle hour's stroll takes you down to the Natural Park of Blausee - the Blue Lake (entry included with short boat ride). Here you can wander through verdant woodland around the little lake, visit the organic trout farm and enjoy a drink on the lake terrace. Cross the valley at Kandergrund and pick up the Nordrampe Bahnwanderweg - a fabulous walking trail that in part follows the impressive railway as it makes huge loops and swirls through tunnels along the side of the mountain. Enjoy panoramic picnic spots and great views up and down the valley as you stroll past the evocative ruins of the Felsenburg tower. Hillside pastures and shady forest then leads you back to your hotel. Meals included: Breakfast Lunch Dinner Day 6 Daubensee and Gemmi Pass The Sunnbuel cable car (included) whisks you up to nearly 2,000m to begin today's walk. Enjoy refreshments at the renowned Schwarenbach Hotel, where Lenin and Picasso have signed the visitors' book. It's then on to the Daubensee and the famous high Gemmi Pass (2,322m), a major Transalpine route first used by the Celts. The extraordinary panorama of the Valais Alps to the south includes the Weisshorn (4,506m) and the Matterhorn (4,478m). Meals included: Breakfast Lunch Dinner Day 7 The Sudrampe Today starts with a 25-minute train ride (payable locally) through the Lotschberg mountain rail tunnel (14km long) to Hohtenn. The walk takes you high above a youthful River Rhone, through a landscape of gorges and hidden side valleys - and small hillside villages boasting traditional wooden chalets built on the upper edges of this fertile, vineyard-adorned valley. You follow part of the Lotschberger-Sudrampe railway trail - superb railway engineering, viaducts, tunnels and bridges - but you don't need to be a train buff to enjoy this great little hike. Meals included: Breakfast Lunch Dinner Day 8 Leave Kandersteg If pre-arranged, return to Zurich via Kandersteg rail. Meals included: Breakfast
Hotel Alfa Soleil The Hotel Alfa Soleil is a traditional, cosy and family-run hotel on the edge of the village (only 5 minutes' walk from the centre) with a wonderful view over fields to the mountains behind. The restaurant is managed by owner/chef Nico Seiler, has an excellent reputation, and is rated highly by our customers so you will enjoy fine dining whilst staying here. There are 35 rooms on three floors; all rooms are en-suite and have a television, telephone and hairdryer. For the evenings, the hotel has a cosy lounge bar with a pool table and music desk which is open to both hotel guests and the general public. There is also a large lounge area for residents with an open fire where you can relax for a quiet chat or with a book, or to play one of the hotel's board games.
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Reviewed September 2018 Katie Woodson Trip: Headwater - Classic Swiss Alps Self-Guided Walk Recommend I was a bit hesitant to take a self guided tour, but I am glad I did. The hotel staff was great and the fact that food was included with the package made it a fantastic affordable going abroad trip. The trails are well marked and the areas are beautiful. The train ride from Zurich to Kandersteg is actually 2.5 hours but the scenery on the route is amazing. If you like the outdoors and hiking this is the package for you. What was the most inspirational moment of your trip? Nature! Living in the city the fresh air and green felt good.
Reviewed July 2018 Nandita Nelson Trip: Headwater - Classic Swiss Alps Self-Guided Walk Alpine adventure with gourmet delights A wonderful weeks walking in the Swiss Alps, azure lakes nestled amidst towering ice-capped crags and gourmet dining. Even with mixed weather a wonderful getaway. What was the most inspirational moment of your trip? The first glimpse of the sparking cobalt blue Oeschinensee lake in the sunshine, with the toerung cliffs around with waterfalls cascading down. The trains running unfailingly and strictly on time. What did you think of your group leader? This was self-guided. Do you have any advice for potential travellers? The walks on the Headwater trip notes were not necessarily the most inspiring. They suggest Blausee on Day 1. This is a gravel track that farmers use there and back, not challenging, and a waste of a sunny day. Blausee itself was VERY touristy, coaches arrive. Worth seeing the lake and trout farm, but save this one for a rainy day as we did. The Klus Gorge walk can be done as a half day activity by going to the bottom of the Sunnbuel cable car on the 241 bus from Kandersteg (free with the Wanderpass you are issued), cross the bridge, walk up to Waldhaus and back. Don't bother with the other section..again gravel track. This means you can use the voucher for the trip to Selden to do the Kanderfirn glacier walk which is MUCH nicer. Otherwise it is 13CHF each way on the bus to Selden. Other good walks not mentioned are from Oeschinensee to Freundenhutte (other side of the lake from Heuberg). This has an interesting path, crossing several waterfalls (bridges provided) and slabs of rock. We discovered it on the day we were leaving, and only managed half of it, as we had to leg it to Zurich airport. Also another in the Alpbach region up to First was highly rated by someone in our group, though we did not have time to try it. The Sudarampe walk was deemed only OK by those who did it, we did not. Is there anything else you would like to add? The wine at the hotel was ridiculously expensive. we stuck to the house wine, which was actually quite good. The food was superb---varied, fresh and utterly delicious. Try the pool, the unexpected jacuzzi style jets at one end were great for tired muscles.
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