Walking holidays in the Alps

• Best trek for: Europe's most famous mountain trail
• Difficulty: Strenuous
• Trek duration: 10 days
• Max. elevation: 2,584m
• Accommodation: Huts or camping
• Start/end point: Chamonix circular

A world-class trek through the heart of the Alps in three countries, the Tour de Mont Blanc, is a baptism for many hikers. Steeped in history, Mont Blanc has tempted mountaineers from across the globe to scale this dramatic massif and breath in its astounding vistas.

The trail circumnavigates Mont Blanc (4,810m), spanning France, Italy, and Switzerland. Expect enthralling views, delicious food and an authentic Alpine experience. And the hiking is more varied than you may expect: you’ll be tackling impressive peaks, following roaring rivers and strolling through gentle valleys, sometimes all within the same day.

Need to know

Yes, it’s super-popular – you may well hit logjams on narrow paths up passes, and booking well in advance is essential – but, well, those views of Western Europe’s loftiest peak from all angles…

It's not mandatory to hike the entire circuit. You can, for example, choose to trek the southern part of the trail over four days if time or cost is a factor.

Another consideration is the short season. Like any other Alps destination, the hiking season is dictated by the length of the winter. So June could still have snow on the higher passes, and it's also possible for snow storms in September.

• Distance: Approx. 105 km
• Duration: Seven days
• Start/end: Bourg-Saint-Pierre
• Difficulty: Strenuous

The Tour des Combins is a seven-day, 105 km circuit in the mesmerising Swiss and Italian Alps. It's a superb, one-week alternative to the vastly more popular Tour de Mont Blanc, with plenty of epic views, and fewer people on the trail.

Starting and finishing in the Swiss village of Bourg-Saint-Pierre, the trek circumnavigates the majestic Grand Combin massif, presenting breathtaking views of some of the highest peaks in the Alps, passing close to the vast Corbassière Glacier, spending a couple of stages in Italy, and crossing the Great St Bernard Pass (famous for everyone’s favourite shaggy mountain dog).

• Distance: Approx. 225 km
• Duration: 15 days
• Start: Chamonix, France
• End: Zermatt, Switzerland
• Difficulty: Strenuous

The legendary traverse from Chamonix to Zermatt – or put another way, Mont Blanc to the Matterhorn – crams in enough stupendous Alpine scenery to last half a lifetime.

The Walker’s Haute Route is a robust challenge, with steep mountain paths, glacier crossings and alpine terrain. Highlights include panoramic vistas of some of the highest peaks in the Alps amid classic Alpine glacial landscapes.

The Walker’s Haute Route is not for the faint-hearted, but breathtaking views and the rewarding sense of achievement make it top of the list for many walkers.

• Distance: 270km extendable to 320km
• Duration: 16–20 days
• Start/end point: Kranjska Gora (Slovenia)
• Difficulty: Moderate to easy

The Juliana Trail in Slovenia is a circular route through the Julian Alps, a memorable loop of the country’s highest and most famous mountain, Triglav.

The route was designed to encourage visitors to explore a wider area and reduce visitor numbers on Triglav itself. Although it doesn’t climb Triglav, it includes some less well-known areas and iconic spots like Bled.

There’s also an optional loop through Goriška Brda, one of Slovenia’s premier wine regions.

From Kranjska Gora, the Juliana heads east along the Sava Dolinka, with views of the Martuljek group, to Mojstrana and (less conventionally) the lesser-visited industrial town of Jesenice.

Near Begunje it passes the hilltop church of Sv Peter, then swings through the beautiful town of Radovljica.

Turning west the trail continues to Bled, with its much-photographed lake and island monastery, over the rugged Pokljuka plateau to Stara Fužina. On the shores of Lake Bohinj, Stara Fužina is one of the most beautiful spots in the Julian Alps and the usual trailhead for Triglav climbs.

From Lake Bohinj it heads east again to Bohinjska Bistrica, then south over the Vrh Bače Pass to follow the narrow Bača Valley, again well off the radar of most itineraries. There's a fantastic viewpoint at Senica, above the confluence of the Idrijca and Soča rivers, before the trail descends to Most na Soči.

Following the emerald green River Soča north to Tolmin and Kobarid, the stage between Kobarid and Bovec is particularly beautiful.

From Bovec, the trail heads north along the valley of the River Koritnica, less travelled than the route east along the Soča, to Log pod Mangartom, with stunning views of Mangart and Jalovec towering above the head of the valley.

Climbing to the Predel Pass, the trail drops into Italy, with an overnight stop in Tarvisio.

Finally it turns east, following an old narrow gauge railway line, now a cycling and walking trail, back to Kranjska Gora in Slovenia.

Need to know

Almost all stages are accessible by public transport – one of the main principles behind the trail – so it’s easy to pick off sections as day walks.

The hiking season is May to October (expect snow on the mountains until June).

• Distance: Approx. 810 km
• Duration: 45-60 days (or shorter segments)
• Start: Donnas
• End: Ventimiglia
• Difficulty: Strenuous

The GTA (Grande Traversata delle Alpi) is a magnificent route through the Italian Alps, clocking up over 600km. The views of Gran Paradiso are simply phenomenal.

• Distance: 750km
• Duration: 43 days
• Start point: Kaiser-Franz-Josef’s-Höhe (Austria)
• End points: Muggia (Italy)
• Difficulty: Moderate

The Alpe Adria Trail is a rewarding long-distance hiking route. It explores the varied landscapes, rich history and regional cuisine of the Austrian state of Carinthia, Slovenia, and Italy’s Friuli-Venezia Giulia region.

The route stretches from the foot of the Grossglockner (the highest mountain in the Eastern Alps) to the shore of the Adriatic near Trieste.

It takes in the mountain scenery of the Hohe Tauern, the Nockberge and the Julian Alps, passing through towns and villages, not to mention two outstanding wine regions.

If you haven’t got a month and a half free to walk the whole thing, the AAT can easily be split into two or three more manageable sections. There is also a one-week loop at the centre of the trail which dips into all three countries.

From Kaiser-Franz-Josef’s-Höhe, with its view of the Grossglockner and the Pasterze Glacier, the Alpe Adria Trail follows the Mölltal for several days. It travels along the valley floor, climbs across rugged tops on its eastern side and plunges through the Rabischschlucht and Groppensteinschlucht gorges.

After around 11 days, getting you suitably warmed up, the route leads across the Nockberge, a rugged group of mountains, a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve and highlight of the route.

The AAT spends several days among the Nockberge, dropping down to villages and guesthouses for overnight stops. It then meanders through the Carinthian lake region, passing Ossiacher See, Wörthersee and Faaker See.

After three weeks, the trail takes a breathtaking ridge walk crossing into Slovenia to arrive in Kranjska Gora, a bustling ski resort which is one of the gateways to Triglav National Park.

After crossing the dramatic Vršič Pass, the AAT descends into the Soča Valley which it follows for several days. This section along the River Soča, with its stunning gorge and the little town of Bovec, is another highlight.

Beyond Tolmin, the trail leaves the Soča and crosses the border into Italy, arriving at the historical, UNESCO-listed, Cividale del Friuli.

After winding through the Collio wine region (Italy) and the Brda wine region (Slovenia), the AAT leads along the Italian coast. Skittering across the edge of the Karst region, it dips back into Slovenia one last time to visit the Lipica horse stud.

The route finishes at Muggia, on the shore of the Adriatic.

Need to know

Accommodation (and baggage transfers, if required) can be booked through the Alpe Adria Trail Booking Centre.

The trail app includes detailed maps, which are best downloaded before you travel, so you can use them offline.

The hiking season is April to October (expect snow on the mountains until June), although the lower parts on the coast can be explored all year.

• Distance: Approx. 300 km
• Duration: 20 days (or shorter segments)
• Start: Bellelay
• End: Susten Pass
• Difficulty: Mild

This new trail crosses the Canton of Bern, beginning in easy lowlands and ending among the stupendous scenery of the Jungfrau region. It makes an excellent introduction to long-distance hiking in the Alps.

The Tirol’s flagship long-distance trail is the Adlerweg (Eagle’s Way), a challenging 300km trek between St Anton and St Johann; variant routes allow less-experienced trekkers to bypass the more technical sections.