Engadin St. Moritz: 12 Best Hikes

The Engadin St Moritz region in southeast Switzerland is a great choice for summer holidays, with many beautiful hikes suitable for casual hikers and families. Our family has done three summer trips to this area, visiting glaciers, alpine lakes, impressive mountain peaks and fun amusements like climbing parks.

Here are the best hikes in the Engadin St Moritz region and tips for your stay.

Note: All hikes below are free with Engadin Mountains Railways Inclusive offer. No discount with GA, SBB Half-fare or other Swiss travel passes.

Overview of the Engadin region

The Engadin is a region in southeast Switzerland with St. Moritz as the hub. See on Google Maps.

The Engadin has four main mountain areas to explore: Corvatsch, Corviglia-Piz Nair, Muottas Muragl, and Diavolezza. Each have their own websites for detailed info. The region is well connected by roads and public transportation. 

1. Corvatsch Panorama trail

Big panorama views of the Engadin valley and a bunch of lovely little alpine lakes along the way. We’ve done this trail twice, both times combining the panorama trail from Corvatsch with the Furtschellas Wasserweg.

Hike: Moderate • 2 h • 6 k • 130m up, 460m down

From St Moritz: 10 mins by car, 20 mins by bus

Cost: cable cars CHF 46/adults + bus fare to return to your starting point. 

See details for the Corvatsch Panorama Trail

2. Furtschellas Wasserweg trail

Visit six alpine lakes on this mountain trail with panorama views over the Engadin valley. Each lake has a different look and character, some busy with picnics, some with many quiet corners for reflection. We saw a few people taking a short dip in the lakes but the water is much too cold for a proper swim. It requires some fitness to climb the 330m of elevation over a short distance.

Hike: Moderate • 2h30 • 6 k • 330m up/down

From St Moritz: 15 mins by car, 35 mins by bus

Cost: cable car CHF 39/adult, discount with SBB GA and Half-fare cards.

See details for Furtschellas Wasserweg trail.

3. Fourcla Surlej to Val Roseg trail

We chose this trail because we wanted to see Val Roseg, but we ended up seeing so much more than that. From the Covatsch Murtèl, it’s a relatively easy hour hike up to a beautiful viewpoint at the Fourcla Surlej pass (shown above). Then a long descent into the Val Roseg valley, rewarded by a nice meal at Hotel Val Roseg.

Then an easy walk down the valley to Pontresina, where you can catch the train back to your starting point. You can shorten this trail by simply walking to the Fourclas pass viewpoint and back.

• Hike: Moderate • 5.5 h • 13.5 k • 100m up, 1030m down
• From St Moritz: by car 10 mins, by bus 20 mins
• Cost 2022: cable car one way CHF 31 + train back to starting point, , discount with SBB GA and Half-fare cards.

See details for Fourcla Pass to Val Roseg hike

4. Lake Cavloc

Hike to two beautiful alpine lakes in the mountains west St Moritz. The path starts on a service road, a bit steep at times, but easy walking. The first lake, Cavloc, is popular for picnics and sunbathing, perhaps a brief swim in the cold water. Then a narrow footpath to the second lake, Bitabergh, which is more remote, away from the crowds. This place is popular in summer, but we went in mid October, when the golden larch trees are bright yellow. 

• Hike: Moderate • 2h30 • 7 km • 190m up, 200m down
• From St Moritz: 20 mins by car, 35 mins by train/bus
• Cost: free

See details for Lake Cavloc hike

5. Piz Nair to Corviglia trail

I didn’t expect much from this hike, so I was pleasantly surprised to find it quite nice. The Piz Nair mountain resort is more designed for mountain bikers than hikers, so this is one of only two trails for walkers from the top.

The highlight is near the end at the big reservoir that has extremely clear water reflecting the peaks. I recommend the short extra climb to the Alpina Hütte mountain restaurant at Corviglia that has yummy food and a tiered terrace with fantastic views across the valley.

• Hike: Moderate • 5.5 h • 15.2 km • 660m up/down
• From St Moritz: 35 mins by car, 50 mins by train/bus
• Cost: free unless you take the shuttle

See details for Piz Nair or Corviglia hike

6. Lake Staz and Lake Moritz circular walk

This easy walk is great for anyone that needs a break from tough mountain trails. It’s particularly beautiful at sunrise and sunset, any time of year. I suggest walking around Lake Moritz, then up around the smaller Lake Staz. If you need a shorter walk, just skip the second lake, reducing the distance to about 4.3 km. The path is obstacle free and suitable for strollers and wheelchairs.

There are lots of other little lakes hidden in the forests around St. Moritz. On my other early morning and late evening walks, I visited Lej Marsch and Lej Nair, which were lovely and worth the walk.

• Hike: Easy • 2h30h • 7.5 km • 90m up/down
• From St Moritz: 5 mins by foot
• Cost: free

See trail map for Lake Moritz and Lake Staz circular walk

7. Muottas Muragl panorama trail

This panorama trail is a popular choice for families, with playgrounds on both ends and a relatively easy trail. The trail wraps around the mountain, with nice views across the valley. Although we enjoyed it, it was our least favorite trail in this area because it was so busy.

• Hike: Easy • 2h30 • 6.7 km • 160m up, 290m down
• From St Moritz: 5 mins by car or bus
• Cost 2022: mountain railways CHF 39/adult

See hiking map for Muottas Muragl panorama trail

8. Poschiavo Val da Camp

This trail near Poschiavo hikes to two beautiful alpine lakes surrounded by mountains. This hike is particularly beautiful in late October when the golden larch trees turn bright yellow. 

If you are lucky to get a spot on the shuttle, you can do the short version, only a 5.3 km loop. Otherwise, you need to hike up the whole valley to reach the lakes, long at 15.2 km round trip, but beautiful the whole way. 

• Long hike: Moderate • 5.5 h • 15.2 km • 660m up/down
• Short hike: Moderate • 2 h • 5.3 km • 260m up/down
• From St Moritz: 35 mins by car, 50 mins by train/bus
• Cost: free unless you take the shuttle

See details for Val da Camp hike

9. Diavolezza glacier

The Diavolezza cable car take you to this stunning viewpoint over the Morteratsch glacier. There is a restaurant here and the starting point for a few adventurous treks. The shortest hike here is to the “highest fire pit in Europe.” It’s about 700m up a rocky slope to the fire pit. You can buy a picnic kit at the restaurant with wood. 

• Hike: Moderate • 1h • 1.5km round trip • 50m up/down
• From St Moritz: 20 mins by car or bus
• Cost: cable car return CHF 44

See details for Diavolezza

10. Boval Hut hike

This mountain trail parallels the Morteratsch glacier, leading to the Boval Hut, where we slept overnight. It’s about 5 km each way, so you could do it as a day hike, eating lunch at the hut and returning the way you came. The trail is high up on the side of the mountain, so you get a nice bird’s eye view of the glacier.

• Hike: Easy • 2h30 • 5 km • 560m up/down
• From St Moritz: 15 mins by car, 30 mins by train
• Cost: free

See details for Boval hut hike

11. Morteratsch glacier walk

It’s easy walking on a wide gravel path that leads directly to the Morteratsch glacier ice. This glacier has been quickly receding and along the path, you can see signs of where the glacier used to be 5, 10, 20, 50, 100 years ago. You can’t actually touch the ice, since it’s quite dangerous, with rocks and ice spontaneously falling off the edge.

It’s a lovely hike, particularly in fall with the yellow larch trees. But it’s not the best view of the glacier, which is better seen from the Boval Hut hike or Diavolezza.

• Hike: Moderate • 2h • 6 km • 155m up, 155m down
• From St Moritz: 15 mins by car, 30 mins by train
• Cost: free

See details for Morteratsch glacier walk

12. Cascada da Bernina – Morteratsch waterfall path

This short trail is a nice add-on to other hikes in the area. We did it after visiting Diavolezza. It’s only 500m each way, walking up the falls to various lookout points. 

Near the Morteratsch glacier parking and train station, you’ll see these big waterfalls right next to the road. You can follow a small footpath along the river to some lookout platforms over the river. The path is well marked and easy to follow but surprisingly quiet compared to the other nearby attractions. It’s a short outing so you can easily add it onto other activities in the area.

• Hike: Easy • 15 mins  • 1k • 85m up/down
• From St Moritz: 15 mins by car, 30 mins by train
• Cost: free

See more info on pontresina.ch

Map of Engadin hikes

Tips for your visit

All-inclusive hiking pass

Hiking in the Engadin can very expensive, especially since most mountain transport (except Corvatsch) here does discount tickets for SBB GA, Half-fare cards or Junior cards. However, the Engadin offers two types of hiking passes.

The Engadin Mountain Railways Inclusive pass includes free mountain transport in the entire Engadin region during your stay, if you stay overnight in one of the 100 participating hotels or other accommodations. We chose a hotel that included this offer.

Some of the hotels offer the All-Inclusive version of this pass, which includes mountain transport and public transportation in this area. Some hotels offer just the Public Transport included version of this pass. So make sure you know what is included when booking so there are no surprises.

The Engadin also offers a multi-day hiking pass which you can purchase for 2-6 days. For example, a 4 day pass costs CHF 186.80/adult. You’ll have to do the math to figure out the best deal for your family. 

Where to stay in the Engadin

We stayed at the River Inn B&B in St. Moritz because it was the most affordable accommodations that offered the Engadin Mountain Railways Inclusive pass. We would have normally rented an apartment, preferably in a quiet village. But we couldn’t find one available that included the mountain offer. 

I estimate that we could have paid about CHF 300 less by staying at an apartment without the pass for the 4 nights. But we would have spent more than that on the mountain tickets.

The River Inn B&B was not fancy, but it was recently renovated and very clean and the staff was very friendly. I thought the breakfast spread was quite nice, with some local products and homemade preserves. The rooms have kitchenettes, with a sink, stove top, fridge and basic kitchen equipment so you can prepare simple meals. It was comfortable, but tight quarters since all four of us were in one room with the boys sleeping on the sofa bed.

Our room faced the busy road, so we had road noise but also a view of the mountains. I might have preferred to face the river. It’s on the edge of St Mortiz, not really in walking distance of the shopping area. But it has free parking and is a short walk from the bus. For the price, I think its good value, especially for the St Moritz / Engadin area.

Our Engadin To Do list…

We love the Engadin and will definitely come back. Here are some hikes still on our list…

Smuggler’s Trail. This is a short activity trail for kids in the forest near Majola. I thought it would be good to combine this with hiking up to the Cavloc lake.

Charmanna Hut. While doing our Fuorcla – Val Roseg hike, I saw the beautiful bright blue glacier lake Valdret in the distance and longed to change courses. So I mapped out a hike for next time, going from Fuorcla to the Charmanna Hut, sleeping overnight, then hiking down the Val Roseg the next day.