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20 Best Autumn Hikes in Switzerland for Fall Colors

Best hikes in Switzerland for beautiful fall foliage, with trail options for all ages and abilities, in a variety of Swiss regions.

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Autumn in Switzerland is a wonderful time to hike, with crisp weather and beautiful fall colors.

The classic green Swiss alps turn golden yellow, giving these dramatic landscapes an entirely different look and feel. The wild blueberry bushes turn a bright red and the larch trees turn bright yellow, the only needle tree that turns colors as part of its normal cycle. It’s a wonderful consolation for saying goodbye to summer.

Here are a few of our favorite autumn hikes, where we have seen the prettiest reds and yellows.

The best colors are usually mid October. But the weather will dictate where you hike during fall and make sure to check for snow covering the trails before heading out.

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Engadin St Moritz fall hikes

1. Val da Camp: Lake Saoseo & Lake Viola

This hike visits two high alpine lakes surrounded by golden larches and tall mountain peaks. Best on a calm sunny day so you can capture the reflection of the golden larches in the super blue water.

If you manage to reserve a spot on the small shuttle bus, the hike is much shorter, hiking to the first lake in only 20 minutes. From there you can visit the second lake on a beautiful 2 hour loop.

But the shuttle only runs a couple times a day and stops around the third weekend of October. So to see these trees at peak yellow, you may have do the long hike up the valley, an all-day affair but very enjoyable.

  • Short hike with shuttle: moderate • 2h • 5.3 km loop • 260 m up/down
  • Long hike: moderate • 5h30 • 15.2 km • 660 m up/down

Since this location is quite remote, you really need to stay overnight in the area to get an early start and maximize the short autumn daylight. We suggest staying in Pontresina or St Moritz so you can easily reach other hikes in this region (we like Hotel Waldhaus am See).

See details for Val da Camp lake hike

2. Val Trupchen

This trail is located in the Swiss National Park in southeast Switzerland, near Zernez. You hike above a winding river, up and back a long valley, packed full of larch trees.

In peak fall, you can enjoy the bright colors the entire hike as you dip in and out of the forest.

At the far end of the valley, you spill into alpine meadows, where there is a fenced designated picnic and wildlife observation area, the only place where you are allowed to sit on the trail (everywhere else is protected nature).

The trail loops back on the other side of the river for a slightly different view. Near the end of the hike, we suggest stopping at the Parkhütte Varusch restaurant for a late lunch or snacks.

If you need a shorter hike, you can trim off about an hour of your hike by riding the Express Parc Naziunel shuttle into the valley.

  • Trail: Moderate • 4 h • 14.2 k • 466m up & down
  • Location: East of St Moritz, 25 mins by car, 40 mins by public transport / Prasüras park entrance on map
  • Cost: free, no fee to enter the park
  • Open: best colors second half of October, trail closed in winter
  • Conditions: webcams

Learn more about the Val Trupchen hike

3. Morteratsch Glacier Path

This easy walk leads up a forested valley carved by the Morteratsch glacier, which is still hanging on at the far end of the trail.

In October, many of the trees in this valley turn bright yellow, making for a spectacular scene and postcard worthy pics.

The wide dirt path is obstacle-free, suitable for strollers, and open to both walkers and cyclists. It parallels a beautiful river flowing from the glacier ice. 

Along the way, there are signposts with information about the glacier and its rapid decline. Children can pick up a free activity booklet to stamp at various posts along the way. 

See details for Morteratsch Glacier Trail

4. Lake Cavloc

Starting at the Majola pass, this circular hike follows a service road up through a shady forest to the lovely Lake Cavloc, surrounded by tall mountain peaks on all sides.

If it’s not too chilly, take your time wandering around the lakeshore, enjoying the water and scenery from different angles. My favorite pics were from the west side of the lake, so the sun was lighting up the golden larches on the mountains beyond the lake.

The restaurant at the lake serves traditional wild game dishes in autumn, a nice place to warm up.

For a short day, you could hike back the way you came. But we suggest continuing the loop to the next tiny lake, Bitaberg, hidden away deep in the forest. This part of the trail is narrow footpath, typical mountain trail with obstacles and stairs, not recommended if there is snow or excessive ice.

See details for Lake Cavloc trail

Zürich Region & Eastern Switzerland fall hikes

5. Atzmännig

If you’re looking for autumn leaves near Zürich, this panorama trail at Atzmännig is one of the prettiest options. A chair lift brings you up to the trail.

Then you circle the mountain, passing through colorful forests and emerging to beautiful views across the Züri Oberland countryside.

This pic taken 20 Oct 2022.

At about the halfway point, you reach a mountain restaurant that serves hearty autumn food and tasty homemade desserts. The final descent is a bit steep but rewarding, with long views out to Lake Zurich.

We did the hike in the late afternoon, finishing with the sunset, definitely recommended!

Atzmännig also has fun amusements for kids including a ropes course, summer toboggan, playground, and other amusements. Use these as a reward for a good hike or start with some fun to get everyone in good spirits.

  • Hike: moderate • 2h30 • 6.9 k • 190 m up, 520 m down
  • Location: Atzmännig chair lift – Atzmännigstrasse, 8638 Goldingen SG-CH
  • Cost: one way on chair lift
  • Open: chair lift open daily through 20 Oct 2024 / weekends in November if good weather / may close due to wind, rain or snow
  • Conditions: www.atzmaennig.ch • webcam

See details for Atzmännig Chrüzegg Panorama Trail

6. Seealpsee Appenzell

Seealpsee is a famous lake in the Appenzell region, surrounded by tall, spiky mountain peaks. The fall colors usually start in early October, with the trees around the lake turning a deep red, reflected in the calm waters.

Seealpsee on 17 Oct.

In autumn, I suggest hiking here via the service road from Wasserauen, the safest option when conditions may be icy.

Experienced hikers may prefer to ride the cable car up to Ebenalp, visit the cliff restaurant, then hike down the steep mountain trail to the lake. But use extreme caution as several people have had deadly accidents on this trail in recent years.

This area can be cold and dark in October, with the peaks above casting long shadows across the water. Best to visit in mid day and stay on the sunny side of the lake.

See details for the Ebenalp Seealpsee Hike

7. Braunwald Panorama Trail

This loop trail around the Braunwald mountain arena starts with a steep climb through a forest, but then you get to enjoy big panorama views the rest of the trail.

Here you get both mountain views and fall colors. Many of the changing trees were in the valley before we rode up to the car-free village of Braunwald. But the mountain trail also had forested sections with lots of yellow.

There are two restaurants along the way, one at the highest point and one at the end of the trail, with a playground. Instead of riding the gondola down at the end, you can rent mountain scooters to ride back to Braunwald.

See details for Braunwald Panorama Trail >>

8. Flumserberg 4 Peak Tour

Flumserberg has many nice fall hikes, but my favorite is the 4 Peak Tour that passes through big patches of red blueberry bushes.

Flumserberg 4 Peak Tour on 8 September

You start by riding a gondola to Maschgenkamm. Then traverse the mountain and a ridge to visiting four peaks, including the last one shown here overlooking the Walensee lake.

Then you descend tothe Seebenalp lake, where you can lunch at a mountain restaurant. We like to finish the hike with a 2km ride down on the Floomzer mountain coaster. Or you can hike down, but where’s the fun in that?

The fall colors can start here as early as mid September, usually lasting through mid October.

  • Hike: moderate • 3h • 7 km • 150m up, 525m down
  • Location: Flumserberg Bergjet gondola at  Tannenboden
  • Cost: one way gondola ticket, optional coaster
  • Open: gondola open through third weekend of October.
  • Conditions: flumserberg.ch • webcams • forecast

See details for the Flumserberg 4 Peak Tour

Jura & Northwest Switzerland

Northwest Switzerland has a lot of lower elevation mountains filled with birch, maple and beech trees that turn orange, yellow and red. Below is our very favorite in this region. But you might also try Creux du Van, Areuse Gorge, or Weissenstein.

9. Wasserfallen Chellechöpfli

This loop trail at Wasserfallen has all the autumn: bright reds and yellows, interesting ridge trail, gorgeous views over the rolling Swiss countryside and famous mountain peaks in the distance.

Photo taken at Wasserfallen on 22 Oct

During this time, the mountain restaurant usually serve traditional “wild” menus with mushrooms, chestnuts, and game meat. A really treat!

  • Trail: Moderate • 3.5 h • 9.5 k • 440m up & down
  • Location: Wasserfallen gondola – Oberbiel 60, 4418 Reigoldswil / south of Basel
  • Cost: round trip gondola ticket
  • Open: gondola open thru second weekend of November, then November weekends if good weather
  • Conditions: www.region-wasserfallen.ch

See details for Wasserfallen Chellechöpfli hike

Zermatt & Valais Region fall hikes

10. Aletsch Arena Forest

Not only does this trail have lots of golden larches, but also a long suspension bridge and spectacular views of the Aletsch glacier, the longest in the alps.

The one way hike starts with a cable car ride to the alpine village Belalp. The mountain trail descends through alpine meadows towards the glacier, eventually crossing a suspension bridge (124m long and 80m high) over the river gorge cut by the glacier.

Then you hike up through a dense larch forest with occasional views of the glacier and surrounding mountains. Eventually you reach the ridge and hike down to the alpine village Riederalp, where you can ride a cable car down to the valley and catch a train back to your starting point.

Tip: For an easier day, you could walk a shorter section of the panorama trail, just along the ridge above the Riederalp village. See shorter trail info.

We suggest staying in the area, as it’s quite far from most Swiss cities and difficult to do as a day trip.

Learn more about Aletsch Glacier Suspension Bridge Trail

11. Zermatt Riffelalp Three Lake Hike

This hike in Zermatt was an autumn wonderland with all the colors! Yellow larch trees, red blueberry bushes, golden fields. Mountain railways close early in Zermatt, so best to go end of September. One of our favorite hikes was from Riffelalp to Sunegga, visiting three alpine lakes. This pic was taken 10 October.

See details for Zermatt Riffelalp – Sunegga hike

12. Lötschental

This popular hike traverses a mountainside in the beautiful Lötschental valley, which is filled with larch trees. Along the way, you’ll visit two pretty alpine lakes that have beautiful reflections of the fall colors.

It’s a one-way trail, starting at the top of the Lauchernalp cable car and ending at Fafleralp, where you can catch a bus back to your starting place. But note that in late October, the bus no longer runs as far as Fafleralp, so you have to hike an hour longer to reach the Blatten bus stop instead.

For a shorter day, you can drive or take the bus directly to Fafleralp and do a short hike to one of the lakes, like Grundsee or Schwarzsee, which have lots of larch trees and are beautiful photo spots.

Learn more about the Lötschental Panorama Trail.

13. Glacier Garden

This trail hikes to Zermatt’s “Glacier Garden,” a high valley formed by the Gorner glacier, which sas receded out of view. This valley is filled with golden larch trees and has a beautiful river rushing down the center.

Photo taken 5 October

The official “Glacier Garden” trail starts at Riffelberg, reached by the Gornergrat mountain train from Zermatt. You begin with a rather easy mountain traverse the Matterhorn in view. Then a bunch of steep switchbacks down to the Glacier Garden, not advised if there is snow or ice on the trail.

The trail continues down river, crossing a suspension bridge over a deep gorge. You can finish the trail at the Furi gondola station and ride down to Zermatt.

But if you have time and energy, best to continue down through alpine meadows towards Blatten and finish the hike through the spectacular Gorner Gorge, with wooden walkways built onto the rock walls.

For a cheaper hike, you can skip the Gornergrat train and hike up to the Glacier Garden from Zermatt or Furi gondola station. Also very nice, but more uphill work.

  • Hike (Riffelberg to Furi): moderate • 3 h • 7 km • 75 m up, 800 m down
  • Location: Gornergrat mountain train – Bahnhofpl. 1, 3920 Zermatt, adjacent to Zermatt train station
  • Cost: one way ticket on Gornergrat train and/or Furi gondola ticket
  • Open: mountain train runs year round / trail open if snow-free, often thru October
  • Conditions: webcamstrail status

See details for Zermatt Glacier Garden Trail

Lucerne Region fall hikes

14. Klewenalp

Klewenalp-Stockhütte is a small mountain resort near Lucerne. The hike started higher up in the mountains, with yellow hillsides and the occasional red tree popping out of the evergreens.

Klewenalp trail pics taken on 30 Sept.

Then we dipped into the forest, with lots of yellow and orange trees in the mix. After the hike, we rode scooters down the whole mountain, where the colors were fast and thick, the whole mountain side seemingly aflame.

This is a good one for kids since there are playgrounds on both ends of the hike, plus the fun mountain scooter ride.

  • Panorama Trail: Easy • 2 h • 5.5 k • 70m up, 360m down
  • Location: Beckenried-Klewenalp cable car: Kirchweg, 6375 Beckenried
  • Cost: one way on cable car and bus fare
  • Open: cable cars open daily thru 3 Nov 2024, then November weekends if good weather
  • Conditions: www.klewenalp.ch • webcams

See details for Klewenalp hike

15. Schächental High Mountain Trail

This mountain near Lake Lucerne is a favorite for fall hiking, with sunny slopes and spectacular views. The Schächental Höhenweg is a long trail connecting the Klausen Pass with the Eggberge mountain. Since there are a few cable cars spread along the trail, you can easily shorten or lengthen the trail as you like.

In fall, we particularly like the section from Biel to Eggberge. Along the way, you’ll visits the small Fleschsee alpine lake, take a break at the Alpstubi Selez mountain cafe, and admire the region from the Hüenderegg peak.

The path is easy walking, often on a service road. You’ll spend the first 2/3 of the hike in the sun, so the final descent in the shady forest can feel surprisingly chilly. Bundle up!

This area is popular with locals, so you’ll hear lots of Swiss German. If you want more in this area, try the Wild Hay trail

  • Trail: moderate • 3h • 9.2 km • 260m up, 430m down
  • Location: start at Brügg-Biel cable car
  • Cost: cable car fees and bus to connect ends of trail
  • Open: cable cars run year round, trail often possible through mid November, restaurants often close end of October
  • Conditions: schächentaler-höhenweg.chlive status • webcam

Learn more about the Schächental High Mountain Trail.

16. Niederbauen Wildlife Observation Trail

Niederbauen is a mountain south of Lucerne with fantastic views of Lake Lucerne. This trail leads through meadows and forests around an arena of tall cliff walls and impressive peaks.

Niederbauen trail on 4 October

In October, many of the trees turn bright yellow, orange and red, a beautiful contrast to the bright blue lake in the distance.

The theme of this trail is “wildlife observation,” with several info boards along the way about the wildlife here. They say if you go early in the morning and have some patience, you may see ibex, grouse and other animals roaming this area.

The trail ends at Stockhütte, where you can either ride the cable car or a “bikeboard” scooter down the mountain, a fun way to end the day.

See details for Niederbauen Wildlife Observation Trail

Jungfrau Region & Bernese Oberland fall hikes

17. Mürren Mountain View Trail

The alpine village Mürren usually welcomes fall colors starting around end of September. While the conifers stay green, many of the leafy trees turn yellow and orange, while blueberry bushes on the hillsides turn bright red.

This pic was taken 27 Sept.

My top pick for this area is Mountain View Trail, which starts at the Grütschalp cable car. After a steep ascent in the forest, it pops into the sun and traverses the mountain.

The trail ends at Allmendhubel, which has a playground and restaurant. From here, you can ride a funicular train down to Mürren or hike down on the Flower Valley Trail or North Face Trail.

Even if the fall colors aren’t at their peak, the spectacular views are worth the effort.

  • Hike: Moderare • 2 h • 5 k • 400m up, 40m down
  • Location: Grütschalp Cable Car in Lauterbrunnen
  • Cost: cable car/mountain train to Mürren
  • Open: Grütschalp cable car open through 20 Oct 2024 / Allmendhubel funicular closed from 17 Oct 2024
  • Conditions: www.jungfrau.ch • webcam • weather

See details for Mürren Mountain View Trail

18. Hasliberg Marble Run

Hasliberg is a great mountain for kids and also happens to have nice fall colors, usually in mid October.

Hasliberg picture taken on 17 October.

For a fun and easy day, ride the gondola up to the Bidmi station and enjoy the big alpine playground. Then head out on the “Kugelweg” trail, with a dozen elaborate marble runs built by local carpenters scattered along the trail.

If you want a longer hike, you can start higher up the mountain with the Muggestutz storybook trail, which ends where the Marble Run trail begins.

See details for Hasliberg Kugelweg

19. Oeschinensee

You don’t see many golden larch trees on the northern part of the alps. So the bright yellow was a bit of a surprise when we visited Oeschienensee in mid October.

The mountain side along the lake is covered with them and it lights up so prettily with the fading autumn sunlight.

In October, you can always walk to the lake on an easy trail from the gondola, about 30 mins each way. If you visit after the gondola closes, you can hike up the mountain and still visit the lake.

If the weather has been dry, you may be able to hike the panorama trail high above the lake. But check the trail status and definitely do not try the panorama trail if it’s closed – too dangerous!

In autumn, it’s nice to visit the restaurant for their fall specialties. Before you leave, make sure to ride the summer toboggan next to the gondola station.

See details for visiting Oeschinensee

20. Niederhorn Ridge Hike

Niederhorn is open later in the season than other mountains, usually through mid November. So it’s a good pick for late season hiking if it hasn’t snowed yet.

At Niederhorn, it’s all about the big views over the cliffs along the ridge. But I also love how the alpine meadows turn a beautiful golden orange color, speckled with red and yellow shrubs.

Niederhorn ridge trail on Oct 16

There are many trail options from the top. We typically hike from the Niederhorn peak along the ridge to the Burgfeldstand viewpoint.

Then loop down to the Vorsass station to pick up mountain scooters and ride down the mountain. It has big views over the cliffs at the start and plenty of red blueberry bushes and pretty trees on the way back.

If you want a longer hike, you can continue past Burgfelstand, hiking along the ridge to the Gemmenalphorn peak. Then loop back to Vorsaas as above.

See details for Niederhorn Ridge Hike

More fall ideas

What to do in Switzerland in October and November, including when to visit, where to see the best fall colors, what's open, and indoor activities.

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Comments

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8 Responses

  1. Your website is great – Thank you!

    I live in Switzerland & looking to discover it’s many gems going forward, but I was wondering if Tanya or anyone else here could assist me in finding a superb 2-3 day hike in Switzerland that involves some of the great SAC huts? I will be wanting to do this in the October half-term school holidays (17th-24th October) and I would be going with my son (7 years old is an extremely enthusiastic & competent hiker with a remarkable amount of stamina). I am aware that October is quite late in the session and the weather can change rather rapidly – naturally would not attempt any hike if the conditions were not safe enough.

    I would like to do the Mürren – Gspaltenhornhütte (staying here ) – Kandersteg  Route, but I am questioning whether this would be too difficult because of my son or the weather.

    Any advice/suggestions would be much appreciated.

    1. Sounds like an exciting adventure. Summer season for most mountain transport in Switzerland ends 18th of October. I checked the Gspaltenhornhütte and it is only accepting reservations through 18 Oct, then it is closed. So I think that week is too late for most huts. Of course, you could do some research to find some other options, but I think it will be a little difficult at that time of year. There is still a lot of great hiking to be done in late October if it doesn’t snow. But you have to be flexible and adjust based on conditions. You will probably also need to do hikes that don’t rely on mountain transport, since most of those will be closed. You might find this post helpful: https://swissfamilyfun.com/swiss-alps-november/

  2. Thank you so much for your wonderful, inspiring website. Its a constant source of reference for us. All the pictures and information make it so easy to find new wonderful places.

    Would you or anyone know a good way to meet other families who like to go hiking? We find that when the kids are with other kids they have double the fun and we go twice the distance usually.

    1. I just approved your request to join the facebook group we have for meetups. The group isn’t very active. Lots of people have expressed interest in meeting up with other parents in the area but very few have been suggesting outings. I recommend that you propose something on that group and see if you get a response. Good luck!

    2. Hi. My school age kids and I hike a few times a year in Europe. I totally agree with you that the hike goes smoothly and twice the fun when they meet up with other kids. We met with another family and hiked together for 10 days in Norway this passed summer. My teenage daughter said it was her best vacation ever. We were in Switzerland just 2 weekend ago and hiked a little in Mt. Rigi. It was already snow covered.

    3. Glad your children are enjoying your hiking adventures. Rigi must have been beautiful a couple weeks ago. I haven’t seen it under snow yet this season. It’s going to be good winter!

  3. One’s destination is never a place, but a new way of seeing things. To my mind, the greatest reward and luxury of fall hiking in Switzerland is to be able to experience everyday things as if for the first time, to be in a position in which almost nothing is so familiar it is taken for granted.

  4. Thanks for sharing this helpful information. You are inspiring me for hiking in Switzerland. I’m sure most people can take notes from this article. I have a couple of young friends that are going hiking in Switzerland soon. Well, this post gives us some good ideas for choosing the best place in fall hiking in Switzerland.

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Hi! I’m Tanya and our family has been living & hiking in Switzerland since 2005, collecting dozens of fun hikes and activities for all ages and abilities. More about us…

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