10 Best Places for Golden Larch Trees in Switzerland

For a couple weeks in late fall, golden larch trees turn the mountains of southern Switzerland bright yellow and orange, making for a spectacular show. In Switzerland, you can enjoy these beautiful trees in late October, when “larch madness” takes over the hiking community.

Below are our favorite places to enjoy the golden larches in Switzerland. I’ve included a variety of options, including no-hike viewpoints, easy family-friendly hikes, and longer treks away from the crowds. I hope you love it!

All about larch madness

What are golden larches

Unlike evergreen conifer trees, the needles on larch trees turn yellow and orange in fall, eventually drop off, then grow back in spring. Larch trees grow at higher elevations, mostly around 1900 – 2100m, just below the tree line.

In Switzerland, you’ll find these trees in southern regions that have rocky terrain, particularly in the Valais and Graubünden cantons. Our favorite place to enjoy the golden larches is near St Moritz in the Engadin region. Many of my suggested hikes below are from this area. 

When to visit for golden larches

The golden larch season varies from year to year based on the weather. In general, larch trees need a few days of frost before they start to turn yellow.

In Switzerland, this typically happens around the third week of October through beginning of November. But this can vary widely depending on the weather. In 2023, we had warm weather through mid October and the larch trees only just started to turn yellow around the third weekend of October. In previous years, we have seen larches as early as late September.

At the beginning of this season, the forests will be mostly green and speckled with bright yellow. Over the next couple weeks, progressively more trees will turn yellow, the yellow will turn to orange, and finally the needles will fall off leaving bare trees.

How to know when the larch trees are ready

I monitor the status of the golden larches by looking at recent Instagram posts from the locations I want to hike (each hike below has a link to the relevant tags). I also monitor the hashtag #larchmadness, but these are not limited to Switzerland and aren’t always recent. Since people often post old pics, I look for less professional looking photos, which tend to be more real time posts by people that aren’t trying to hard to curate their feed. 

I also look at webcams, but it can be difficult as many webcams are not pointing directly at the trees. Graubünden Tourism has a “Larch Tracker” linked to 7 webcams around the canton. But I don’t find it particularly helpful. You might find the SwissWebcams.ch website more helpful.

Tips for hiking during golden larch season

The golden larches are typically ready right when many gondolas and mountain resorts are closing for the season. At this time, snow is also common, which can make trails dangerous or impassible.

So you need to choose and plan your hikes carefully, checking the weather forecast, trail status, bus schedules, and other opening times. In my description below, I include alternatives for when buses and cable cars close earlier than larch season.

St Moritz & Engadin

We’ve spent the most fall days in the St Moritz area, so I have a lot of suggestions for this region. I’ve included a few of my very favorites here. See more St Moritz fall hikes.

For this region, you can look at the following instagram tags: #engadin #morteratsch 

1. Morteratsch Glacier

This hike is one of the easiest and best for enjoying the golden larches. Since it doesn’t require a gondola, you can visit it anytime without being restricted by opening hours. The path leads up a valley toward the Morteratsch glacier that shaped this area. The valley is filled with golden larch trees that light up the valley, making for a spectacular scene and postcard worthy pics. 

The trail starts at the parking and train station, no gondola required. It’s a wide dirt path, obstacle free, suitable for strollers. My favorite spots for photos are along the river, which flows parallel to the trail. 

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

• Location: Morteratsch parking (46°27’12.1″N 9°56’28.8″E) • train station Morteratsch
• Hike: easy • 2 hrs • 6 km out and back • 155 m up and down – see trail map
• Cost: free
• Open: year round
• Status: Camping Morteratsch webcam • Pontresina forecast (near Morteratsch)

Learn more about the Morteratsch Glacier Trail

2. Lake Staz

Starting at the St Moritz train station, this easy walk circles two lakes surrounded by mountains covered by larch trees. You can do a long loop around both lakes or just go there and back if you are short on energy and/or time. 

The wide dirt path is obstacle free, suitable for strollers and wheelchairs. Possible year round.

• Location: Parking at Via Dimlej, St Moritz (46°29’51.1″N 9°50’53.5″E) • train station: St Moritz
• Hike stats: easy • 7.5 km loop • 90 m up/down
• Cost: free
• Open: year round
• Status: webcam • weather

See details for Lake Staz walk

3. Val Trupchen

This trail in the Swiss National Park leads up a long valley filled with larches. You experience the trees close up as you wander through the forest, as well as many views of the surrounding mountain peaks and hillsides covered with the colorful trees. 

The hike ends at a wide open alpine meadow at the end of the valley. Then you hike back along the river, optionally stopping at a mountain hut for refreshments. 

This hike is popular for wildlife observation. At one of the designated rest areas, several groups were scanning the mountain with binoculars and excitedly informing others when they spotted animals.

I loved this hike so much, just delighted every minute and taking so many pictures. It was gorgeous in the sunshine but would be nice even on a cloudy day.

• Location: Parking: 46°37’04.7″N 10°00’36.3″E • bus stop S chanf, Parc Naziunal
• Hike: moderate • 4 hrs • 14.2 km loop • 470m up and down – see trail map
• Cost: free
• Open: bus and restaurants open through third weekend of October
• Status: trail status • nearby webcam • weather

4. Lake Saoseo & Lake Viola

This trail visits two gorgeous alpine lakes in Val da Camp south of St Moritz. The entire valley is covered with golden larch trees, but they are particularly beautiful reflected in the clear water of the lakes. 

If you want a short hike, you should try to visit the third weekend of October when the shuttle bus to lake is still running and the larches are turning yellow. In October, the shuttle only runs once in the morning and only fits 20 people. You must call ahead to reserve a spot. With the shuttle, it’s only a 20 min to the first lake and a 5 km loop to visit both. See trail map.

If the bus is full or you visit after the shuttle bus stops running, you’ll need to do the longer hike that starts at the parking and regular bus stop. In this case, the trail is 

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. But the shuttle fits about 20 people and only runs a couple times a day. Plus it only runs through the third weekend of October. So to see these trees at peak yellow, you may have do the long hike.

• Location: Parking at Sfazù – 46°23’25.6″N 10°04’43.1″E • bus stop Sfazù, Fermata
• Trail: Short hike with shuttle 5.3 km loop • Long hike without shuttle – 15.2 km
• Cost: shuttle CHF 16/person round trip • free without shuttle
• Open: shuttle runs through third weekend of October, check schedule
• Status: webcams • weather 

See details for Val da Camp lake hike

5. Lake Cavloc

From the Majola pass, this hike takes you to the large Lake Cavloc shown below, surrounded by tall mountain peaks on all sides. 

You can simply hike there and back or do a loop into the forest, leading to a second small lake with beautiful reflections of the golden larch trees.

• Location: Parking Maloja Val Orden (46°23’38.0″N 9°41’35.3″E) • bus stop Maloja, Cad’Maté
• Hike: moderate • 2 hrs • 7 km loop • 190 m up, 200 m down • see trail map
• Cost: free
• Open: no gondola, so always accessible / also a winter hiking trail
• Status: Maloja webcam • weather

See details for Lake Cavloc trail

6. Lai da Palpuogna

If you are driving to St Moritz, you should definitely stop at this beautiful lake on the way. It’s not well marked and only a few parking spots on the side of the road. So watch the map carefully after you pass Preda, so you know when to slow down and look for an open spot.

From the parking, it takes only a minute to reach the lake. You don’t have to walk far to get stunning views of the yellow trees reflected in the water. I slightly prefer the side of the lake opposite of the road, but it depends on what time of day you are there. In October, I find the light on the trees is better in the morning as the evening shadows are very long.

The walk around the lake only takes 20-30 minutes, so plan more for a leisurely picnic than a demanding hike. There are several grill pits around the lake, some with firewood, some with benches and tables.

• Location: near Preda – 46°35’00.9″N 9°46’53.8″E
• Cost: free
• Open: road usually open through November / the Albulapass road is usually closed mid Dec to mid May, depending on snow conditions
• Status: nearby webcams • weather • Albulapass road closures

Learn more about Lai da Palpuogna

Valais Region

7. Lötschental Valley

This popular hike traverses a mountainside in the beautiful Lötschental valley, which is filled with larch trees. The panorama trail starts at the top of the Lauchernalp cable car and ends ends at Fafleralp, where you can catch a bus back to your starting place. This version of the trail is 11.5km one way, see trail map.

However, if you visit after the third week of October, the bus no longer runs as far as Fafleralp. Instead it only goes as far as the Blatten (Lötschen), Dorf bus stop. In this case, after the hike, you will need to continue hiking down from Fafleralp to Blatten, adding about another hour of hiking but it’s all downhill. Also note that in November, the Lauchernalp cable car has a more limited schedule, so check the times carefully.

If you have a car, you can instead drive to Fafleralp where there is a big parking lot. Then you can do a short hike to one of the lakes, like Grundsee or Schwarzsee, which have lots of larch trees and are beautiful photo spots.

• Location: Lauchernalp cable car or Fafleralp parking
• Cost: one way cable car + bus fare to return to start
• Open: cable car open year round / bus until third week of October
• Status: Lötschental webcams • Lötschental weather
• Instagram: @loetschental #lötschental 

Learn more about the Lötschental Panorama Trail.

8. Aletsch Arena

The Aletsch Arena has a huge larch forest on the mountain facing the glacier. One of the nicest ways to enjoy these trees is on the Aletsch Suspension Bridge trail.  

You start by riding a cable car up to the alpine village Belalp. Then hike down to the gorge cut by the glacier where you can cross the suspension bridge, 124m long and 80m high.

Then hike up the mountain through a dense larch forest with occasional views of the glacier. The trail leads over the ridge and down another alpine village Riederalp, where you can ride a cable car down to the valley and catch a train back to your starting point.

• Trail: moderate • 4.5 h • 11 k • 560m up, 750m down – see trail map
• Location: start at Blatten bei Natters / end at Riederalp cable car
• Open: Blatten-Belalp cable car open thru last weekend of October/ Riederalp cable car open year round
• Status: Belalp webcam • Aletsch Arena webcams • Riederalp weather
• Instagram: @aletscharena #aletsch #riederalp

Learn more about Aletsch Glacier Suspension Bridge Trail

If the Belalp cable car is closed when you go, you can start in Riederalp and hike up to the ridge for views of the larch forest and glacier. You could hike down to the suspension bridge and back up, but it’s probably not worth the effort. Probably better to just enjoy the views from the ridge.

9. Zermatt Glacier Garden

This valley above Zermatt has been carved out by the Gorner glacier over hundreds of years. Today is it filled with larch trees on both sides of a river that flows from the glacier. Below the valley, there’s a nice playground and picnic area in the forest and a slightly scary suspension bridge to cross.

Here are two options for hiking to this valley. The mountain transport that services both trails is open year round. But you can only do these trails if there is no snow. Definitely don’t try option 2 if there is any snow or ice on the trail, which would make the steep sections quite dangerous.

Ride the Matterhorn Glacier Paradise gondola to the Füri station. Then hike up to the glacier valley about 90 mins. On the way back, visit the Gletschergarten where you can see geological formations created by the glacier. Pass through the picnic area, cross the suspension bridge and end back at Füri.

• Location: Zermatt – Füri cable car (see on map)
• Trail: moderate • 3 hours • 6.4 km round trip • 300m up & down • trail map • trail status for bridge
• Open: Zermatt-Furi cable car runs year round, so no restrictions
• Cost: round trip on Zermatt-Furi cable car

Alternative: If there is no snow, you could alternatively hike down to the Glacier Garden from Riffelberg, accessible via the Gornergrat mountain railway. Learn more.

Zermatt info: webcams • weather • Zermatt trail status

Bernese Oberland region

10. Oeschinensee

Only a few places near Interlaken have larch trees and Oeschinensee is probably the best. The mountain side along the lake is covered with them and it lights up so prettily with the fading autumn sunlight. 

When the gondola is open, it’s an easy, short walk from the gondola station to the lakeside, about 40 mins. At the lake, you’ll find restaurants and a picnic area. In dry weather, you could also do the panorama trail above the lake, but be wary of ice.

• Gondola to lake: easy • 2k to lake • 1h30 round trip • 110m up & down – see trail map
• Cost: gondola round trip CHF 30/adult • discount with Swiss travel cards
• Open: Gondola open thru 11 Nov 2024. 
• Status: live status • webcam • weather • www.oeschinensee.ch 
• Instagram: @oeschinensee #oeschinensee

Learn more about Oeschinensee

See more fall hikes in Switzerland