Self-Guided Walking in Kandersteg
Start: Kandersteg Finish: Kandersteg
Duration: 5 Nights
Physical rating: Moderate
Special diets catered: Please inform Exodus of specific dietary requirements
Tour Operator: Exodus
Group size: 1 - 6
Age range: 8 to 99
Tour operated in: English
Prices From:
Tour Overview
Kandersteg is in the heart of the Bernese Oberland, where the great arc of the Alps culminates in some of its highest and most spectacular peaks. This area epitomises the 'chocolate-box' Alps: lush green meadows bright with wildflowers, against a backdrop of rugged, wild mountains, topped with glistening glaciers.
Highlights
Breathtaking natural beauty: snow-capped peaks, emerald-green slopes, amazing turquoise lakes, meadows thick with flowers- Friendly, family-run hotel with heated indoor pool, sauna and excellent cuisine
- Based on our popular 7 night, Classic">https://www.headwater.com/holidays/walking/switzerland/W07AF.htm">Classic Swiss Alps Walk
- A walker's paradise with thousands of kms of well-marked trails, stunning Alpine flowers, rare birds of prey
Places You'll See
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Self-Guided Walking in Kandersteg
Self-Guided Walking in Kandersteg
Self-Guided Walking in Kandersteg
Self-Guided Walking in Kandersteg
Self-Guided Walking in Kandersteg
Self-Guided Walking in Kandersteg
Self-Guided Walking in Kandersteg
Self-Guided Walking in Kandersteg
Self-Guided Walking in Kandersteg
Itinerary
Day 1
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Arrive in Kandersteg
Location: Kandersteg
Meals: Dinner
Arrive at the 3 star Hotel Alfa Soleil, well known locally for its excellent cuisine and enjoy a welcome drink before dinner which is included all week along picnic or light restaurant lunches. Below is a suggested itinerary for the week but you are free to pick and choose when and where you walk each day.
Day 2
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Allmenalp and the Alpbach
Location: Allmenalp, Alpbach
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
This easy-going walk to start your week begins with a spectacular cable car ride (included) up to the Allmenalp, a colourful meadow brimming with rural mountain charm. There are stunning views across the valley to towering cliffs, snow-capped peaks and glaciers. Continue into the pastures of the Alpbach, sheltered by a colossal mountain bowl where marmots 'cohabit' with farmers and their cattle. An afternoon descent of the Alpbach Gorge takes you down to the valley floor for a relaxed stroll along the River Kander to the hotel.
Day 3
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The Gasterntal and Klus Gorge
Location: Gasterntal
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
This super walk begins with an exhilarating 20-minute minibus ride (fare included) along a narrow road carved out of the rock wall. The UNESCO-recognised Gasterntal is Kandersteg's 'hidden valley', with snow-fed waterfalls splashing down sheer cliff faces. After an optional, loop-extension further up the valley, you meander down the River Kander, through woods and open meadows to the Waldhaus Nature Reserve - look out for lady slippers, fire lilies and more than 25 varieties of orchid. With the mighty rock walls of the Balmhorn, Tatlishore and the Atels towering high, follow the spectacular Klus Gorge where glacial meltwater rushes down over thunderous waterfalls.
Day 4
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Oeschinensee
Location: Oeschinen
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Widely regarded as the jewel in the crown of the Bernese Oberland, Oeschinensee is one of the most beautiful Alpine lakes in Switzerland. After a short ride up on the gondola lift (included), follow a marvellous mountain path up to the Heuberg Viewpoint and picnic spot. The cobalt blue water of the lake, surrounded by the snow-capped, razor-edged peaks of the Doldenhorn (3,638m) and the Bluemlisalphorn (3,663m) towering 2,000m above, will be a lasting memory. Call in at the mountain chalets at Obberbargli and Underbargli for refreshments and soak up this unforgettable scenery as bell-toting cows munch at the grass in the pastures below, while dainty waterfalls trickle down from the Frunden Glacier.
Day 5
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Blausee and the Nordrampe
Location: Blausee
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
A gentle hour's stroll takes you down to the Natural Park of Blausee - the Blue Lake (entry included with short boat ride). Here you can wander through verdant woodland around the little lake, visit the organic trout farm and enjoy a drink on the lake terrace. Cross the valley at Kandergrund and pick up the Nordrampe Bahnwanderweg - a fabulous walking trail that in part follows the impressive railway as it makes huge loops and swirls through tunnels along the side of the mountain. Enjoy panoramic picnic spots and great views up and down the valley as you stroll past the evocative ruins of the Felsenburg tower. Hillside pastures and shady forest then leads you back to your hotel.
Day 6
:
Leave Kandersteg
Location: Kandersteg
Meals: Breakfast
If pre-arranged, return to Zurich via Kandersteg rail.
What's Included
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Route notes and maps provided
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All breakfasts and dinners plus 4 picnic lunches
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Free entry to the Blausee (Blue Lake) Nature Park
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Kandersteg guest card (for discounts at local sites and attractions)
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Regional travel pass for local buses and cable cars
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All accommodation (see accommodation section)
What's Not Included
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Single accommodation (available on request - compulsory supplement)
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Travel insurance
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Visas
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Transfers (if booking a land only package.)
Food
All meals are included throughout the trip, including picnic lunches. For dinner enjoy regional dishes and fine wines in Nico's restaurant. At the beginning of each set of notes we advise on the lunch situation and suggest good picnic spots. You can obtain supplies daily from the hotel's picnic buffet or you can return to the hotel for a light lunch. We suggest you to carry 1-5 litres water per person, there are often benches for resting and admiring the views. There are also mountain restaurants with sun-trap terraces. With such a mixture of language and tradition co-existing in such a small country, it is no wonder that there are so many regional dishes. In the Bernese Oberland, Austrian and German influences predominate; gastronomic local delicacies include geschnetzeltes Kalbsfleisch (veal in a rich cream sauce), Kandersteger Bratwurst au Mad re-Jus (roast sausage with a Madeira sauce), Lammbraten gefullt mit Krautern (herb roasted lamb) and smoked pork with sauerkraut, and a selection of colourful salads. Typical desserts include Caramel-Birne mit Rum-Sabayon (caramelised pear with a rum sabayon) and Aprikosen-Symphonie (apricot gateau).
Your Peace of Mind Options
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Low Deposit
Exodus requires a deposit of 20% to secure a place on this tour, and the final balance is not due till 70 days before departure..
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Secure payments
All payments to TourHub are deposited into an externally regulated Trust account.