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Aletsch Glacier

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Home » Hiking Trail

Aletsch Glacier Trek for Beginners

• Aletsch Arena

• Last Updated: 23 Jun 2020
• By Tanya, Founder of Swiss Family Fun

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One of my little Swiss dreams came true last weekend, walking on the Aletsch glacier with my whole family! We’ve admired this glacier from afar from the Jungfraujoch and multiple trails in the Aletsch Arena over the last decade. But finally our moment came and we walked all over that beautiful ice, enjoying the frozen waves and deep blue crevasses up close.

We did a beginners glacier trek with a guide, hiking about 90 mins to the glacier, then about 3 hours wandering around on the ice, then hike back. Although it didn’t feel particularly strenuous at the time, we were absolutely exhausted when we got back to the hotel. 

Even if you aren’t walking on the ice, I still highly recommend hiking to the ice edge as many other people were doing that day, including families with children too small to do a glacier trek. It’s a beautiful hike and the close view of the ice is well worth it.

Area overview

How to get there, booking your glacier guide, cable car ticket, what to wear & bring, meeting your guide, arriving at the gletscherstube hut, continuing the hike down to the glacier, getting on the ice, hike back to fiescheralp, arriving at our hotel in fiescheralp.

See other family hikes in the Aletsch Arena

Note: This trip was sponsored by Aletsch Arena . All opinions are our own.

This glacier hike is located in Fiescheralp, a mountain area in southern Switzerland ( see on Google Maps ). You can drive or take a train to Fiesch, then a gondola to Fiescheralp where the hike to the glacier starts. You can meet your guide at the gondola station.

Here is the summer hiking map for Aletsch Arena, which includes three mountain areas, Riederalp, Bettermeralp, and Fiescheralp. We met our guide at Fiescheralp.

Normally, you ride a cable car up to Eggishorn (2860m) and hike “trail A” down to the hut at Vordersee, then down to the ice. But in late June, there was still too much snow on the peak. So instead, we hiked “trail B” from Fiescheralp to Oberes Tälli, then through a tunnel to reach the Vordersee. We returned the same way.

Here’s a trail map showing the loop trail to the ice, about 10.3k, not including walking on the ice. If you skip Eggishorn, you’ll just go there and back on the lower trail, about 12k there and back.

I recommend staying in the area because the glacier trek starts early in the morning. We stayed in Hotel Eggishorn in Fiescheralp on the mountain (more about that at the end of this post). The guide meets some guests at 8:15 at valley gondola station in Fiesch. Then s/he picks up the remaining guests at 8:45 at the top of the gondola at Fiescheralp, which is what we did.

Note: In 2019, the new Fiesch gondola/train station opened at a new location ( 46°24’21.4″N 8°08’03.9″E ) . It doesn’t yet appear on Google maps, which will direct you to the old gondola station a couple blocks away. 

By train: This journey is extremely convenient by train and quicker than driving from eastern Switzerland. Take the train to Fiesch , which changed locations in 2019 and now is directly below the gondola (doesn’t show on Google maps yet). 

By car: Drive to Fiesch and parking in the large lot across from the gondola station ( Fieschertalstrasse 40, 3930 Visp ). It costs CHF 6 for 12 hours, coins only. Display your parking ticket on your dashboard.

If you are coming eastern Switzerland, I recommend taking the Furka car train from Realp to Oberwald instead of driving over the pass. It cuts down on your time and stress. In 2020, it cost CHF 27 one-way. FYI, sometimes there isn’t a person selling you a ticket, so you have to buy a ticket at a machine inside the adjacent train station before getting in the car line or another driver might yell at you in French, while you hold up the car line trying to figure out what’s happening. I’m just saying.

Unless you are an experienced glacier trekker, it’s best to go with a local guide who knows this specific glacier and can guide you safely around the ice. 

We booked our glacier trek with Bergsteigzentrum , which is located in the Fiesch gondola station. There are many kinds of tours you can book. We did the Aletschgletscher Rundtou r , which is offered Tues, Fri, Sat, Sun from mid-June to mid-October. 

Our tour cost CHF 90/adult, CHF 70/child aged 10-16. Our guide said there wasn’t a strict rule on minimum age. He said it’s more important that the child is motivated and will carefully follow safety instructions. So he would take a motivated child of age 7-8 who has lots of experience hiking. The crampons are adjustable and can fit smaller shoes.

This price includes include your crampons and safety harness. Unlike our tour on the Steingletscher , this tour company did not provide boots, gloves or an ice pick. More about what to wear and bring below.

The tour price does not include your gondola/cable car tickets, which must be purchased separately. You need a day hiking ticket, which costs CHF 55/adult. Children and SBB Half-fare get 50% discount. GA and SBB day passes ride free to Fiescheralp, the 50% on the cable car to Eggishorn. If you can’t ride to Eggishorn because of snow, you only need a round-trip ticket to Fiescheralp. Ask your guide before buying your ticket.

You should wear normal hiking clothes (trousers, no shorts!) and bring warm layers because even on a hot day, it gets cold and windy on the ice. I brought a fleece and light down jacket and used both on the ice, then wore just a T-shirt on the hike back. You should definitely bring gloves and maybe a warm winter cap and light scarf. I wore my baseball cap to keep the sun out of my eyes, but wore a light scarf to keep my neck warm. Definitely bring sunglasses as it can get very bright with the sun reflecting off the ice.

You need sturdy waterproof hiking boots with ankle support. Since my kids only have low profile hiking shoes, we rented proper boots from the Volken Sports store at the Fiesch gondola station. They cost CHF 15 for the day. I called ahead to reserve the shoes, so they were ready for us. When we got there, my son quickly tried them on and I paid before catching the gondola. We had to cross a river on the way to the glacier and I was glad my shoes were waterproof or I would have had cold feet the rest of the day.

We brought hiking sticks, which we used a little bit on the trail to the glacier. But not absolutely necessary.

You need to bring your own picnic lunch, which you will eat while on the glacier. We sat directly on the ice, so we were all glad to have our sitting pads to keep our bottoms from getting wet and cold.

Photo story

We met our guide at Fiescheralp. As I said earlier, we couldn’t start at Eggishorn because of snow in late June. So we took the dirt road leading to Märjelensee. It’s easy walking, slightly uphill, about 1 hour to the hut.

Follow signs to Märjela via Tunnel.

Still some snow on the sides of the trail.

One the way, you get a great view of the Fiescher glacier, not the one we’re walking on today.

The road leads to this tunnel that cuts 1 km through the mountain. It’s dark, wet and cold inside there. Best to put on a layer before you get in. It takes about 12 mins to reach the other side. There were lots of puddles we had to carefully avoid as we walked through. 

You see this pretty lake immediately after exiting the tunnel.

Then a short walk up to the hut on your right.

We picked up our harnesses here and some people got their crampons here. We took a break for about 20 mins, while people bought drinks and used the toilet. My kids were happy to get hot chocolate. But warning – there’s no toilet on the ice. So if your drink something now, you might be feeling it later on the ice when you’re roped together with all the other people. 

After our short break, we hiked another 30 mins or so down to the ice. This trail is more rocky and steep, so we used our sticks on this part.

We had to cross the river twice. This part was a little sketchy and some people got wet feet when they took a misstep. Our guide helped each person across. My kids are like mountain goats and didn’t need much help.

Here’s the end of the road unless you are walking on the ice. We put on our crampons here and got roped together. A few instructions, then walked directly onto the ice. It was much easier than my first glacier trek, where our guide used his ice pick to build stairs along an ice wall to get onto the glacier. That made me so stressed. But this trek was super relaxed and easy. A much easier experience for a beginner.

Then we slowly walked around admiring the glacier and occasionally getting bits of info from our guide. You can take quick pictures on the move, but it can be tricky because you need to watch where you step and the line is always pulling you forward. 

It was hard to get pics of us on the ice because we were all roped together and couldn’t get far enough away from each other to get some perspective. We got the guy two people behind us to swing around and snap this pic. This was the best we could do. During your lunch break on the ice, you might ask your guide if you can briefly unhook from the ice so you can take a family pic.

The ice landscape had lots of variety, stunningly beautiful.

I never felt in danger, but you need to watch your step. Lots of little and big cracks around. 

Level up! We successfully completed our first family glacier trek, hopefully more to come. 

A few minutes after leaving the ice, you pass by the Märjelensee. I suggest a quick detour to get this view.

Our group stopped at the hut to drop off our equipment and enjoy refreshments. We got delicious rösti, which was well earned. Probably best to bring cash. Some of the group left earlier, some left together, some stayed. After your return your equipment, you are welcome to go back at your own pace.

Then a sunny, easy walk back on the dirt road to Fiescheralp.

Lots of family memories on this trip.

It was so nice to end our hike at our hotel on the mountain, instead of facing a long drive home. We stayed at Hotel Eggishorn , near the gondola station.

We had a lovely suite with a view across the valley. The kids had a separate sleeping area upstairs.

We had half-pension, which included a hearty four-course meal at their restaurant.

And a lovely view from our balcony, where we enjoyed some beautiful sunsets.

Well, that was a full day! See what we did on day 2 in Aletsch Arena , where we get a bird’s eye view of the glacier from Bettmerhorn, stroll around an alpine lake, and race down the mountain on monster scooters!

• TAGS: beginner hiking , Glacier

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4 Responses

Hi, do you have the name of the tour you booked ? Thanks.

Hi. We did the Aletschgletscher Rundtour, which you can see on this page: https://bergsteigerzentrum.ch/de/sommer/sommerwochenprogramm#taeglich The names have changed since we did the tour. Hope you enjoy it!

At the end of the trip at the hut, is it allowed to hike back to the ice on our own?

Hi. No one is policing the ice, so hypothetically you could. But I would definitely not without a guide and equipment. It’s not safe.

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Hi! I’m Tanya and our family has been living & hiking in Switzerland since 2005, collecting dozens of fun hikes and activities for all ages and abilities. More about us…

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Aletsch Glacier: Everything You Need to Know

Glistening high in south-central Switzerland in the Bernese Alps, the Aletsch Glacier is a spectacular river of ice. As the largest glacier in all of the Alps , it covers an area of 171 square kilometers (66 mi), 24 kilometers (15 mi) long, and 1.6 kilometers (1 mi) wide. Its highest elevation is 4160 meters and its lowest is 1650 meters.

Amazingly, this immense iceflow in the Alps is easy to access for hiking, winter sports, and unforgettable nature excursions.

Table of Contents

Hike on the Aletsch Glacier

The Aletsch Glacier is so spectacular and unusual, it is listed as an Aletsch-Jungfrau UNESCO World Heritage Area.

Hiking the glacier will afford you the chance to become mesmerized by ethereal ice shapes, pools of sparking water that shine like aquamarine gemstones, and pearl-white vistas that seem to go on forever.

To get to the starting point of your hiking adventure, an easy ride on the Aletsch Bahnen cable cars , chairlifts, or gondolas will get you to your starting point. To go on this adventurous alpine hike, you must be in good physical condition, sure-footed, and not afraid of heights. You will be crossing over a few suspension bridges. The trails are kept in pristine condition, and it’s highly recommended that you stay on the marked trails and not veer off into the unknown to try and shorten the path.

You will be given detailed road maps and notes. The hike ends in the mountain village of Bellwald. One-day or two-day excursions are available.

Aletsch Glacier Viewpoints

Four viewing platforms—the Hohfluh, Moosfluh, Bettmerhorn, and Eggishorn allow you to enjoy views of the Aletsch Glacier from different perspectives. The scenery includes spectacular views including 40 peaks that are over 4,000 meters above sea level.

The Hohfluh viewpoint is the best vantage point to admire the impressive curves of the glacier. It sits at a height of 2,227 meters. In summer, it’s easy to reach via the hiking trail, and in winter, the Hohfluh chairlift will take you there quickly and comfortably.

At 2,333 meters, the Moosfluh viewpoint will give you unobstructed views of the glacier year-round. The Moosfluh combi-lift will take you to the lookout point in the winter as well as the summer. A telescope at the viewpoint will allow you to see even more. A restaurant with a bar serves light meals and beverages.

Located about 200 meters from the Bettmerhorn mountain station, the Bettmerhorn viewpoint is barrier-free with views from 2,647 meters above sea level. You’ll have unobstructed views of the glacier’s dramatic big curve and the extraordinary straight section. For more views and a delightful meal, stop by the Bettmerhorn Panorama Restaurant located next to the mountain station.

At 2,869 meters above sea level, Eggishorn is the highest of the four viewpoints. You’ll get the most impressive views in the Aletsch Arena and will be able to see the entire glacier as well as a flat area of snow called Konkordiaplatz and the peaks of the Eiger, Mönch, and Jungfrau. The viewpoint is easy to reach by cable car from Fiescheralp, and you’ll find food and drink at the Horli-Hitta mountain restaurant.

Related Reading

Most popular glaciers in switzerland (visit them soon), things to know before visiting.

The Aletsch Glacier is formed by three different firns. A firn is the glandular snow on top of a glacier that hasn’t frozen into pure ice. The firns are called the Great Aletsch Firn, the Ewig Snowfield, and the Jungfrau Firn. Glaciers scrape along the sides of mountains as they work their way downward to create moraines. Moraines are lines of rocks that land along the glacier’s edge as it moves and recedes.

You’ll notice two medial moraines on the Aletsche Glacier. They appear along the ice flow’s entire length as dark lines that resemble steel-gray racing stripes. The one on the right in the direction of the glacial flow is known as Kranzbergmittelmoräne and the one on the left is called the Trugberg medial moraine.

The Aletsch Glacier is over a half-mile thick and contains 12 billion tons of ice. If you stand in the middle of the glacier, you can look back and see how it bends upwards towards the mountain peaks. Since the ice melts more slowly over the rocky moraines, it is thickest at the “racing stripes.” In fact, researchers have considered trying to slow the receding of the glacier by covering it entirely with rocks.

If you don’t have the stamina for this challenging hike, there are other ways to admire the Aletsch Glacier. You can take the Jungfrau Railway up to the Jungfrauhoch. The Jungfrauhoch , Europe’s highest railway station sits at a height of a whopping 11,332 feet above sea level between the mountains of the Valais and Bern cantons. At 95 CHF (101 USD) it’s a pricey ride but worth it. You’ll get a 25 percent discount with a Swiss Travel Pass.

You can also take the gondola to the Eggishorn station and walk to the overlook. Another way to see the glacier is by joining the Bergsteigerzentrum Aletsch via ferrata tour at a price of 85 CHF (91 USD.)

Jungfraujoch & Altitude Sickness: What You Need To Know

Where to stay & when to go.

You can visit the Aletsch Glacier from mid-June to Mid-October. Before and after that time, the huts and hotels are closed to transition between summer and winter.

For accommodations, there are several hotels in the area. The Hotel Alpina has an excellent rating. It’s located on the slopes of Fiescheralp only 328 feet from a cable car and 2.2 miles from the glacier.

The Alpenlodge Kühboden is another excellent hotel near the Fiescheralp cable car and 2.3 miles from the glacier.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you get to the Aletsch Glacier?

To get to the glacier, you will travel to the mountain area of Fiescheralp in southern Switzerland. Drive or take a train to Fiesch and then a gondola will take you to Fiescheralp. From here, you can hike to the glacier. A guide will meet you at the gondola station.

What makes the Aletsch Glacier special?

The Aletsch Glacier is the largest one in the Alps and the region it’s in is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It’s visited to admire its spectacular beauty.

Can you walk on Aletsch Glacier?

Yes, the hiking trail is 10-12 kilometers long and includes walking on ice.

What kind of glacier is Aletsch?

The Aletsch is a retreating glacier. It’s a combination of three glaciers with two moraines that run through the vertical length.

What is happening to the Aletsch Glacier?

Due to global warming, the Aletsch Glacier is shrinking by as much as 50 meters in length every year. It is retreating substantially at the edges.

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Aletsch Glacier Hike (From Interlaken)

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Tours description.

The Aletsch Glacier is the longest glacier in Europe and is situated in the heart of the UNESCO World Heritage Site. Follow the frozen river, lined with icy crevasses, down from the Jungfraujoch with an overnight in the Konkordia Hut (2850m / 9350 ft). You don’t need any previous glacier experience for this trip, just a head for heights, surefootedness, good hiking gear and fitness for 6hrs hiking. What’s included: Guiding from a licenced UIAGM mountain guide: Accommodation in a mountain lodge with halfboard. Harness and crampons for 2 days. Transport Option Only: Roundtrip Ticket 2nd Class: Interlaken Ost–Jungfraujoch, Fiescheralp–Fiesch, Fiesch-Brig-Spiez–Interlaken Ost What to bring: Functional mountain clothing that is water resistant, comfortable and breathable. Solid hiking or mountaineering boots. 30l – 40l backpack. Pic-Nic lunch for 2 days (can be purchased at the huts) Good to Know: • All tours are conducted by licenced UIAGM mountain guides • Snacks, chocolate, bread and sandwiches can be purchased at the huts • We suggest you take other favourite snacks, dried fruit or cured meat etc. with you • Field tea can be refilled every day at the hut or in the hotel • Return trip departs Fiesch 3.29 pm, arrives in Spiez at 5.24 pm, arrives in Interlaken Ost at 5.57 pm • Those arriving by car, park in Interlaken Ost or in Spiez • Ticket includes a seat in the reserved waggon of the train to Grindelwald • You can already find the guide in the reserved train from Kleine Scheidegg and he will accompany you at the stations “Eigerwand” and “Eismeer” • If you wish to visit the Jungfraujoch before starting out on the tour then take the early morning train and meet your guide at the coffee bar at 10.40 am

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Gletschi Tour

Author’s recommendation

Track types

Safety information.

In the early and late season and in bad weather conditions, some lifts or slopes may remain closed. Information on the facilities and slopes in the Aletsch Arena can be found in the winter sports report .

Tips and hints

Destination, turn-by-turn directions.

The succession can be adapted as desired. The tour can be started from Riederalp, Bettmeralp and Fiescheralp.

Public transport

Public-transport-friendly

• Limited parking spaces (charges apply) at Mörel-Filet station. Further parking options are signposted.
• Large pay multi-storey car parks at the entrance to Mörel-Filet and in the village centre. 

Coordinates

Author’s map recommendations.

• Ski / snowboard
• Daypack (approx. 15 litres) with rain cover
• Ski / snowboard boots
• Warm and durable clothing using a multi-layer system
• Ski jacket and trousers
• Cap / headband, scarf, gloves
• Ski goggles
• Sun and rain protection
• Provisions and drinking water, possibly thermos flask with hot drink

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• Glacier Panorama Tour

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Avalanche conditions, weather at the route's trailhead.

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ALETSCH GLACIER HIKE PANORAMA TRAIL

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Home > Switzerland > ALETSCH GLACIER HIKE – PANORAMA TRAIL

• Last Updated: March 28, 2024

The Aletsch Glacier Hike, also known as Aletsch Panorama Trail is without a doubt one of the best hikes in Switzerland.

In one day you can see the largest and longest glacier of the Swiss Alps, which also happens to be the first Alpine World Heritage Site of Unesco, the famous Jungfrau and Monch mountains, the Konkordiaplatz where four glaciers come together and at the opposite direction, the magnificent Matterhorn.  

If i had to choose a hike that made me love hiking in Switzerland this is the one. It was absolutely surreal and inspiring. 

aletsch glacier hike details

The Aletsch Glacier Hike can be done in multiple ways, the circuit I did was about 16kms and I stayed overnight at the Gletscherstübe Mountain Hut.

• Hike Distance: 16 km.
• Hike Duration: Around 6 hours of walking time. Counting with a lunch break or time to take some photos, 7-8 hours.
• Hike Difficulty: Moderate-Hard. The hardest thing about this hike is its length and the terrain. The path is mostly a mountain hiking route with a lot of dirt and gravel so shoes or boots with a good grip and hiking sticks are highly recommended.
• Hike Incline:  730m of ascent and 470m of descent.
• Hike Altitude:  1927m (lowest point) at Bettmeralp and 2480m (highest point) at the crossroads where you go either to Bettmerhorn or to Roti Chumme viewpoint. 

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How to get to aletsch glacier.

Again there are multiple ways to reach the Aletsch Glacier. The one I did is taking a train to Betten Tallstation, where the light blue line starts, and then taking the cable car up to the Bettmeralp village. On the way back I ended up in Fiescheralp and took the cable car down to Fiesch where I got my train home and where the yellow line ends. 

The cable car from Betten Tallstation to Bettermalp costs CHF 9.80 (CHF 4.90 with a Half-fare card) and from Fiescheralp to Fiesch costs CHF 20.00 (CHF 10.00 with a Half-fare card). If you buy a return ticket instead the prices are cheaper than buying one-way tickets from different stations.

Please take in mind the closing times of the cable cars stations or you might get stuck up and have to hike down. You can check the prices on their page here  and the schedules of the cable cars here .

What clothing and equipment should i bring to do the Aletsch Glacier Hike?

To ensure a safer and more comfortable journey in this mid-altitude mountain hike with some gravel sections, certain specific equipment is indispensable, especially if you’re staying overnight or doing it on a cold day:

Essentials:

• Breathable T-shirt  (Tech or Merino)
• Waterproof Jacket  (Gore-tex or H2O Technology)
• Puffer Jacket
• Shorts  or  Pants  
• Hiking Shoes or Trekking Boots
• Backpack: 25-35 liters
• Gloves: One Layer (preferably merino wool for breathability and comfort)
• Sunglasses:  Category 4 UV protection.
• Cap: Or a beanie and buff if it’s cold .
• Hiking Merino Socks : One Layer (preferably merino wool for breathability and comfort)
• Sunscreen:  Ensure you have a minimum of SPF 50.
• Trekking Poles: For the entire hike.
• Low Gaiters:  For peace of mind if there’s gravel. 
• Swimming Clothes: (if you’re staying overnight or going for a swim)

Dry-fast Towel: (if you’re staying overnight or going for a swim)

Camping and Extras:

• Cooking ,  Camping Tent ,  Sleeping Mat ,  Sleeping Bag
• Victorinox Swiss Multi-Tool  or  Victorinox Hiker Knife
• Change of Clothes

Other Things:

• First-Aid Kit
• Drinks, and Snacks: Bring enough of it especially if you’re doing it in two days.

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My experience hiking the aletsch glacier hike, panorama trail.

Since my objective on this hike was to catch the sunset on the glacier and the last cable car was at the time of the sunset my only option was to sleep there. Luckily there is a great mountain hut in the near called Gletscherstube Berghütte Märjelen, which is only open from the beginning of July until the middle of October. 

Since this hut is not part of the Swiss Alpine Club (SAC) you have to fill out a reservation form on their website, here and unfortunately, you can’t get a discount if you’re a member of the SAC .

As in many other alpine huts, you don’t get a shower but you have the option to book a half pension overnight, which I did, and oh boy if it was worth it after such a long hike.

I advise you however to pay attention to the dinner time (around 18:30) if you plan to watch the sunset at the glacier. Especially on the longer Summer days, it’s way past that hour and you may end up without dinner. I would at least as a precaution give them a call if you plan to arrive later .

from Bettmeralp to the Moosfluh cable car station

Upon arriving at Bettmeralp, you have to follow the yellow hiking signs to the Bettmersee lake and thengo left around the lake and start hiking up to the small Blausee lake, where you get a nice view of the Matterhorn.

After that, you hike 300m more and you reach the Härdernagrat ridge where you get the first glimpse at the Aletsch Glacier.

In total from Bettmeralp to the ridge you have to hike around 2.60kms and climb 300m. 

It’s not so hard to do it, it’s just a bit tiring and without shade all the way up. I would advise you to do it early in the morning to avoid the blazing sun.

Once you reach the ridge you’ve to walk 600m to the right and you will reach the Moosfluh cable car station (you can get here from Riederalp).

From the moosfluh cable car station to Roti Chumme

Once you leave Moosfluh you’ve to hike around 1km and go left on a bifurcation.

It’s easy to miss the path, as I did, and go right.

The problem with the right path is that it will make you climb unnecessarily 180m, however, if you want to see the views from the Bettmerhorn summit, this is the way.

You can also reach it by cable car which consequently makes it a lot more accessible and packed with tourists.

If you go left you’ve then to hike around 4kms in a mostly flat path in order to reach Roti Chumme viewpoint.

From Roti Chumme to the Aletsch Glacier (sunset) - overnight at Gletscherstube

Once at Roti Chumme you’ve just to walk one more kilometer and you’ll reach the turning point to go either to the Märjelensee lake and the Gletscherstübe mountain hut or to go to the entrance of the glacier.

In my case, this was the spot where I watched the sunset go off and I launched my drone up in the air. This was without a doubt one of the most epic sunsets of my life.

If you arrive here early in the afternoon you can still go down to the entrance of the glacier and make your way after to the Märjelensee and Vordersee lakes.

In this case, you want to make it to the entrance of the glacier, from the turning point where I launched the drone up you’ve to go down an inclination of around 80m.

From my sunset spot to the Gletscherstübe mountain hut, you still have to walk around 2kms, and if you go in October as I did you will already find some ice on the floor, and without light, it might be a bit dangerous to walk, so be careful.

Sunrise at vordersee and hike to the entrance of the Aletsch glacier

If you plan to do the hike as I did, then I would advise you to wake up early in the morning before sunrise and hike your way down to the entrance of the Aletsch Glacier. 

Before that, I would tell you to go take a look at the mirrored Vordersee lake, right in front of the hut, and watch the mountains in the distance start getting red from the sunrise, what a peaceful moment.

After that, I went to the glacier and saw a crazy guy coming out of it and he told me he had camped overnight on top of the glacier and he could hear the glacier cracking and breaking in the distance. Wow.

He was the person that advised me exactly where I should walk and not once I’d reach it. 

So resuming, you can get way down to the entrance of the glacier and go left to a bigger opening that has some sort of a small waterfall (I wouldn’t advise you to go any further down cause you might not be able to come back up), and you can go to the right and go inside a small blue-iced cave, which seems reasonably safe but not so magnificent. 

You can also in between both entrances climb to the top of the glacier and walk around 50-100m. Where the ice stops being greyish you should stop. After that, the crevasses start getting bigger and it’s more dangerous and should hire a guide. 

For the more adventurous there is an awesome hike that takes you to the Konkordiaplatz and you sleep at the Konkordia hut. 

Pay attention that the entrance of the glacier tends to change every year so these caves might be different when you go.

from the gletscherstube hut back to Fiescheralp (via tälligrattunnel)

Once you are finished with the glacier you have to go back to the Gletscherstube hut.

Then, to reach Fiescheralp, you can either go through the Tälligrattunnel, as I did, and shorten the hike for 2kms or go around the mountain and have, I suppose, a nicer view than the one you have inside the tunnel.

When I did this hike, as soon as I got out of the tunnel I could see some hikers making the early hike in the opposite direction of mine, and the views were completely covered in clouds, which made it look very moody and mysterious.

Once I reached Fiescheralp I got the cable car down to Fiesch and the hike was over.

What an unbelievable hike, seriously. If you have the time I 200% advise you to do it as I did. 

What about you, have you already done the Aletsch Glacier hike?  Leave me a comment down here if you did and after you did it with your impression.

Thanks for reading through and have fun hiking!

I’ll drop a couple of my other favorite photos from this hike down below, enjoy!

From Roti Chumme to the Aletsch Glacier (sunset) overnight at Gletscherstube

2 thoughts on “ALETSCH GLACIER HIKE – PANORAMA TRAIL”

Is the distance of the hike 16km each way for a total of 32km? Thanks!

Hey John, the hike i did it’s almost a complete loop of 16kms total.

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Aletsch Arena

Crystalline air, snow crunching underfoot and sunshine from early till late. A box seat view of Aletsch Glacier and clear views of the Valais' prettiest four-thousand-meter peaks.

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With its fragrant and revitalising alpine air, family-friendly Aletsch Arena is just the place for your next holiday. Traditional Valais homes, chalets and hotels lend original charm to the villages in the valley and the three traffic-free Alps. With a length of 20 kilometers, an average width of 1,800 meters, and a surface area of approximately 78.5 square kilometers, the Aletsch Glacier has an impressive 11 billion tons of ice. The ice mass moves from the northern flanks of the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau down into the valley of Valais, and its meltwater flows through the wild Massa Gorge into the Rhone. As a landscape of extraordinary beauty, the Swiss Alps Jungfrau-Aletsch Region was included in the list of UNESCO World Natural Heritage sites in 2001. The sun-drenched terraces of Fiescheralp, Bettmeralp and Riederalp are half way between the valley and the sky. Six cable cars convey guests from the Rhone Valley to the resort villages and into the hiking paradise of the Aletsch Region, at an elevation of about 2,000 meters. From here they can travel to the most beautiful vantage points such as the 2,927-meter Eggishorn, which offers a panoramic view of the Aletsch and Fiescher glaciers.

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Pro natura zentrum aletsch, eggishorn via ferrata, eggishorn circular trail, baschweri rope park, experiences & activities, mamicheck in blatten-belalp, river rafting on the young rhone, bus alpin im landschaftspark binntal, aletsch snowpark, holzji treasure hunt, strahler museum werner schmidt, blackcock weekend, the urban canyons of fiesch, snowli's bunny land, blatten-belalp, valais reka-feriendorf blatten-belalp 4 stars.

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Blatten-belalp, valais hotel belalp, münster (goms), valais hotel landhaus 4 stars, bettmeralp, valais boutique hotel la cabane 4 stars, bettmeralp, valais hotel waldhaus 3 stars, fiesch hotel park, bellwald, valais hotel bellwald 3 stars, fieschertal, valais alpenlodge kühboden.

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Current offers, aletsch arena (riederalp, bettmeralp, fiesch-eggishorn), aletsch arena spring in the mountains.

Without overnight stay valid: 26.04.2024 - 07.06.2024

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Price per person in double room valid: 26.04.2024 - 31.12.2024

Badehotel Salina Maris - Wellness & Vintage, Breiten-Mörel-Filet-Bister 3 for 2

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• 8 Jun Alpauffahrt Eringer mit Stechfest Blatten-Belalp, 08.06.2024
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Aletsch Arena (Riederalp, Bettmeralp, Fiesch-Eggishorn) Furkastrasse 39 3983  Mörel-Filet +41 (0)27 928 58 58 [email protected] Website

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My name's Arthur Lookyanov, I'm a private tour guide, personal driver and photographer in Moscow, Russia. I work in my business and run my website Moscow-Driver.com from 2002. Read more about me and my services , check out testimonials of my former business and travel clients from all over the World, hit me up on Twitter or other social websites. I hope that you will like my photos as well.

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