How many days do you need for the Walker's Haute Route?

I walked 9 days, plus a day in Chamonix before the start. Our days were short, 6.5 to 11.2 miles and 4 to 8 hours with stops, and we used buses and lifts to link some of them.

When is the best time to hike the Haute Route?

Summer. Most huts open from mid or late June to mid or late September. I went August 2 to 10, 2025, and still crossed small patches of snow on Day 4.

Where do you sleep on the Haute Route?

In mountain huts with dorms and half board, village inns and hotels. There's no camping in this guide, so you don't need a tent or sleeping bag, but most huts require a sleeping-bag liner. Cabane de Louvie is closed in 2027; use Cabane du Mont Fort.

How much does a hut night cost on the Haute Route?

On your own, a hut night with dinner and breakfast is about CHF 80 to 110 (2026). From 2027, SAC huts like Moiry also charge a CHF 10 reservation fee per person per night.

How do you get to the start and back from the Haute Route?

Fly into Geneva, take a shuttle to Chamonix, then bus line 2 or the Mont-Blanc Express to Montroc. At the end, the Jungen cable car and a train take you to Zermatt, and Geneva Airport is about 4 hours by train from there.

The Haute Route film: Chamonix to Zermatt

Chamonix to Zermatt · 9 days · 79 miles

Haute Route Hiking Guide

9 days on the Walker's Haute Route, Chamonix to Zermatt.

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Real pages from the guide. Tap one to see it big.

A day page
A day map and elevation profile
At a glance
One-page trip sheet

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The route

My GPS recording of 9 days on a relief map. The numbers are where each day starts; the red dot is the finish. The full GPX files and the day maps come with the guide.

Relief map of the Haute Route route: 9 days drawn in red with numbered day starts, labelled Montroc, Jungen, Cabane de Moiry, Relais d'Arpette and Arolla. — Map data: Terrain: Mapzen Terrain Tiles (EU-DEM, SRTM) on AWS · Glaciers, rivers & lakes © OpenStreetMap contributors

At a glance

Days: 9 days
Distance: 79 miles
Climbing: About 27,650 ft (8,430 m) up
Season: Summer
Route: Montroc to Jungen above St. Niklaus

What's inside

All nine days. Stats, time to allow, my notes, the trail, where to get off, a map with an elevation profile, and links to that day in both my films.
My GPX files. My own recordings for each day, with waypoints for the huts, passes, lifts and food stops, ready for AllTrails, Gaia GPS, Garmin or Organic Maps.
How the trip was run. What the operator booked and did for our group, what changed from the plan and why, and what you book yourself.
Huts and hotels. Every place we slept and ate, with 2026 prices, seasons and booking rules, a backup for each night, and a copy-and-paste booking email in English and French.
Buses, lifts and trains. The bus, train and gondola from Champex to Verbier, the Arolla and Grimentz buses, the St-Luc funicular, the Jungen cable car and the train to Zermatt, with 2026 facts.
Other ways to do it. Cabane du Mont Fort for 2027 while Louvie is closed, the classic line through Zinal, walking the transfers, and shorter trips.
What it cost. The operator's price, my own costs, and a do-it-yourself budget at 2026 prices.
Before you go and a trip sheet. One page of year-to-year checks and a printable one-page summary of the whole route.

About this trip

I hosted a group of subscribers on the Walker's Haute Route in August 2025: nine days on foot from Chamonix to Zermatt, hut to hut over high passes, finishing beneath the Matterhorn. This guide has my GPS files, maps and notes for every day, what our operator arranged and what you'd book yourself, plus the huts, the buses and lifts that link the days, and a fix for 2027, when one of our huts is closed.

Watch the film on YouTube (154K views).

Gear for this route

Paid links: I earn a commission if you buy through these links, at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

With huts, my pack was a lot lighter than on a camping trip. Here's what I carried in August 2025, what I'd take now, and what I filmed with.

What I carried in 2025

I didn't need the tent, the Jetboil or most of my sleeping things. I had the extra weight of drone batteries and camera gear, some clothes, and of course Crocs.

PackHyperlite Mountain Gear Waypoint 35 Hyperlite
Duffelmy huge 100 L roller duffelIt went ahead to Zermatt with the operator.
Sun hoodiePATH Projects Pyrenees T19 Hoodie PATH ProjectsOn the hottest day I was glad I had it.
FleeceSenchi Designs A90 Half Zip HoodieGreat to have on the trail, and so cozy.Similar: PATH Projects Lomond Hoodie PATH Projects
PuffyArc’teryx Cerium Hoody Arc’teryxWe put on warm puffs for the sunsets at the huts.
Rain shellArc’teryx Beta AR Jacket Arc’teryxThe rain came down on Day 1 as we reached the Col de Balme.
PantsPATH Projects Killam PX Pant PATH Projects
ShortsTerritory Run Co. Long Haul ShortSimilar: PATH Projects Sykes PX Short PATH Projects
SocksPATH Projects Joyner Crew Sock PATH Projects
ShoesNike React Terra Kiger 9 Amazon
Hut shoesCrocs Classic Clog AmazonA must if you're doing hut to hut in the Alps.
HeadlampNitecore NU20 Classic Amazon
Power bankNitecore NB20000 Amazon
WaterKatadyn BeFree AC · 1L Amazon
WipesSea to Summit Wilderness Wipes Amazon

What I'd take now

What I'd add for this route, from my current kit.

Sleeping-bag linerNaturehike ZY20 Sleeping Bag Liner AmazonMost huts on the route require one.
PolesBlack Diamond Alpine Carbon Z Poles AmazonFor the long descents and the boulder fields of the Fenêtre d'Arpette.
GlovesUnigear Touchscreen Liner Gloves AmazonDay 5 started cold even in August.
SunglassesGoodr OG Sunglasses AmazonThe high days are exposed.
NavigationAllTrails+ AllTrails · 30% offImport my GPX files and download them offline. Offline maps need the paid plan.
Phone dataAiralo eSIM Airalo · $3 offData in France and Switzerland without a SIM swap.

Filming kit

What I filmed this trip with in 2025. My setup is smaller now (below). Read the drone note in Weather and safety before you fly.

CameraSony ZV-E1 AmazonA new camera for this trip, a slimmed-down version of my old A7S III. I used its onboard mic.
LensSony FE PZ 16-35mm f/4 G Amazon
DroneDJI Air 3S AmazonI flew it at sunset at the huts.
TripodSmallRig Carbon Fiber Tripod Amazon
Tripod headJoby BallHead 3K (now the 3K PRO) Amazon
Wrist strapPeak Design Cuff Wrist Strap Amazon

What I film with now

Since September 2026 I film with a smaller setup: the Pocket 4 and the Mic 3 on the trail, and the Mini 5 Pro in the air.

CameraDJI Osmo Pocket 4 Amazon
MicDJI Mic 3 · 1 TX + 1 RX AmazonIt pairs with the Pocket 4.
DroneDJI Mini 5 Pro Amazon

Everything I carry now: my gear page.

The Day 2, Trient to Relais d'Arpette page from the Haute Route Hiking Guide

Free sample + packing list

Try Day 2 free, plus my packing list

Trient to Relais d'Arpette

The whole day page from the guide as a PDF, plus my hut-to-hut packing list: the 35 things I carry, with a note on each, and this route's own list on top. The PDF opens right away and both come by email. You'll also get my emails about new guides and trips, a few a year.

The details

Format: A 68-page PDF sized for a phone (A5, prints fine too) and a folder of GPX files, in one zip download.
Edition: 2027 season edition, updated September 2026.
Delivery: Instant. After you pay you get a private download link. Bookmark it to download again on any device.
Payment: Secure checkout through Stripe, in your own currency. Tax is included in the price, except in the US and Canada, where any sales tax is added at checkout.
Refunds: Not useful? Email me within 30 days for a refund: kraig@kraigadams.com.
Questions: Email kraig@kraigadams.com.

Questions

How many days do you need for the Walker's Haute Route?: I walked 9 days, plus a day in Chamonix before the start. Our days were short, 6.5 to 11.2 miles and 4 to 8 hours with stops, and we used buses and lifts to link some of them.
When is the best time to hike the Haute Route?: Summer. Most huts open from mid or late June to mid or late September. I went August 2 to 10, 2025, and still crossed small patches of snow on Day 4.
Where do you sleep on the Haute Route?: In mountain huts with dorms and half board, village inns and hotels. There's no camping in this guide, so you don't need a tent or sleeping bag, but most huts require a sleeping-bag liner. Cabane de Louvie is closed in 2027; use Cabane du Mont Fort.
How much does a hut night cost on the Haute Route?: On your own, a hut night with dinner and breakfast is about CHF 80 to 110 (2026). From 2027, SAC huts like Moiry also charge a CHF 10 reservation fee per person per night.
How do you get to the start and back from the Haute Route?: Fly into Geneva, take a shuttle to Chamonix, then bus line 2 or the Mont-Blanc Express to Montroc. At the end, the Jungen cable car and a train take you to Zermatt, and Geneva Airport is about 4 hours by train from there.