Let this most iconic of peaks be your beacon as you hike the ridges, cols and valleys of Europe’s highest Alpine quarter.
"The Five Days of the Matterhorn" costs €1.195 per person, based on two sharing; it is of challenging dificulty.
Book late May, June, July, August, September.
Discover glaciers, vineyards and the Alpeggio culture of Italy’s high Alps.
Along the way meet the farmers whose way of life remains almost unchanged for centuries. Stay in historic towns with breathtaking views, tucked away in remote valleys. Follow the ancient trails originally made by the pilgrims, traders and Alpini mountain guides.
The Five Days of the Matterhorn costs €1.195 per person, based on two sharing, and there is a €300 single occupancy supplement. Solo travellers pay €1795. There is a 15% surcharge for bookings commencing between 1st and 15th August.
Seven nights bed & breakfast in characteristic accommodation • One evening meal of traditional cuisine in a high quality agriturismo • Wine tastings as indicated • MTW-published booklet containing detailed walking instructions and background information • Pre-and post-trip briefings with our Local Manager • The Local Manager is on call 24/7 to help with questions or problems, large or small • Your bags moved ahead of you. You can ride in the vehicle in the morning if you’d like to shorten or skip a day.
Hiking trails are unfrequented but clearly marked and well maintained. In places the trail is narrow and technically difficult underfoot. All walkers should come equipped with good boots and walking poles (MTW can rent poles if required). This walk has steep climbs and descents which are sustained for more than an hour. In places there are very high viewpoints. The highest point of the standard trail is 2410m and the optional detour peaks at 2720m. The longest day is 23km.
Fly or rail to Turin. Contact us for advice or help with transport in both directions.
We recommend an extra night in Aosta. This fine city is replete with Neolithic, Roman and Medieval history. Inside its Roman walls the pedestrianised streets are chock-full of elegant shops, bars and restaurants. The city is very well organised for visitors. In addition, our chosen accommodation is so comfortable you’ll be reluctant to leave!
Why not continue your walk by booking Heart of the Italian Alps, which starts in Aosta, as back-to-back trips.
The Valle d’Aosta is very small in terms of hectares under vine and bottles produced, but it enjoys a formidable reputation for quality and rarity. This walk takes in the central valley around Nus and Chambave, where Petit Rouge, Muscat and Malvoisie (Pinot Grigio) are grown.
Arrive at your 3* hotel in a high valley.
Spend the day in the shops, bars and restaurants of this historic town, enjoying the unobscured view of one of Aosta’s 4000-metre peaks and its glacier.
Pay for dinner locally.
The morning’s walk climbs to a high col, crossing into the neighbouring valley, from where a detour to a famous peak is possible in good weather.
Pass into the next valley to gain your first views of Cervino (the Matterhorn). Descend through pastures and pine forests to arrive at your charming hotel in a pretty mountain village.
The hotel has a great restaurant with a really good wine list. Pay for dinner locally.
Today’s walk visits charming, car-free Alpine towns and villages, and a beautiful lake where you can stop for a picnic. Cervino winks in and out of view, a little closer with each appearance.
Check in to your beautiful 4* hotel in a ski town where the sport of mountain climbing was first seeded in the nineteenth century. The hotel has an excellent restaurant.
Pay for dinner locally.
Take the opportunity to visit Cervino up close, either by public transport or using the instructions for a circular walk included in the MTW walking booklet.
Alternatively, linger in the town of Valtournenche (pictured) to relax and explore.
Pay for dinner locally.
Attain another valley and another ski town with ancient roots. Lunch, if you like, could be in a mountain rifugio in a beauty spot en route.
The views here reach along Aosta’s central valley. The lovely hotel is 4* and houses the best restaurant in the town.
Pay locally for dinner.
Today’s walk includes a wooded ridge with extraordinary views to either side. Say one last farewell to Cervino before walking through pastures and hamlets high above Aosta’s central valley.
Descend to the valley floor to reach your beautiful agriturismo hotel, where a gourmet dinner of typical Aosta wines and cuisine is included in the price of your trip.
Trace the 1000-year-old footsteps of Cigeric and the tens of thousands of pilgrims who came after. The Via Francigena pilgrim trail takes you over the Ponte Romano into medieval and Roman Aosta, through orchards, vineyards and pretty towns.
Availability permitting, we will book a visit and tasting for you at a winery en route.
Your accommodation in Aosta is a beautifully-appointed Chambres d’Hôtes inside the pedestrianised Roman walls.
Choose from the city’s wonderful array of restaurants and pay for dinner locally.
