Category: Guided Tours

Biking the Best of Switzerland in Peak Flower Season

Now Taking Reservations For 2027

• July 19: meet guides in Zürich by 10 a.m. and travel by private bus to Sils Maria
• July 20-22: bike the Upper Engadine Valley and Bernina Alps
• July 23: travel by the famous Glacier Express Train to Zermatt
• July 24: bike above Matter Valley with incredible views of Matterhorn
• July 25:  experience the heart of the Alps by helicopter 
• July 26:  visit the famous Gornergrat with amazing views then afternoon bike ride
• July 27: travel by private bus to Lauterbrunnen then cable-car to Muerren
• July 28 -30: enjoy by bike the unbelievable beauty of the Jungfrau Region
• July 31: travel by private bus to the Zürich Airport arriving by 10:30 a.m.

Tour Highlights & Details:

Hotels:
– Zermatt, Switzerland: Hotel Silvana
– Muerren, Switzerland: Hotel Eiger
– Sils Maria, Switzerland: Hotel Waldhaus

Highlights – Zermatt: The Matterhorn and the Matter valley, surrounded by 30 peaks topping 4,000 m (13,000 ft.); the Monte Rosa massif and Dufourspitze, the highest point in Switzerland; Gornergrat, a cog railway that travels 3,089 m (10,134 ft.) to an impressive overlook, and the Klein Matterhorn, the end point of Switzerland’s highest cable car at 3,820 m (12,533 ft.) terrific.  Having such impressive gondolas and cable cars and cog trains to our trail heads helps us keep above tree line affording incredible views of an area that holds 3/4 of all 4000-meter peaks in the Alps.

Highlights – Muerren: The Jungfrau massif (Eiger, Mönch, Jungfrau); Lauterbrunnen Valley, including remote Obersteinberg hamlet; Staubbach, Trümmelbach, and Höldribach falls; mountain pass of Klein Scheidegg; Jungfraujoch (aka the Top of Europe railway station) are a few of the amazing sights around the village of Muerren.  The view from the Hotel Eiger in Muerren has to be seen to be believed.

Highlights – Sils Maria: Sils Maria a small village as charming as one can be is just 20 minutes from glitzy St. Moritz.  St. Moritz is well know for good reason it is in the center of some of the best hiking and outdoor activities in Switzerland as is Sils Maria but without the glitz just unmatched charm.  The Upper Engadine is certainly one of the most impressive landscapes in Switzerland. Sils Maria the gate to the romantic Fex Valley is idyllically embedded between Lake Sils and Lake Silvaplana. With only 750 inhabitants, Sils presents itself in an introspective, familiar and inviting manner. Besides the tremendous natural experience, the cultural offerings are also exquisite.

Lead Guides: Dr. Valerie Jones and Mr. Shannon Harris

Our Accessible Swiss Hiking Tours:

Accessible Swiss Adventure Tours are the brain-child of physical medicine and rehabilitation (PM&R) physician Val Jones, MD. She believes the Alps provide a unique opportunity for outdoor enthusiasts with disabilities to enjoy an immersive, life-changing travel experience. For more information about their accessible tours visit: Accessible Alpine Adventure Tours 501(c)3

“These tours are an exciting motivator for newly disabled individuals. The possibility of participating in something so challenging and beautiful gives hope and a reason to strive hard at the earliest stages of recovery – when it matters most” says Dr. Jones. 

“Switzerland is ideally positioned to support people with disabilities because the mobility infrastructure is already in place. They have trains, gondolas, lifts, eBikes, recreational vehicles, and helicopters everywhere.”

“We chose to partner with Alpine Adventure Trails and Tours because they’re a family-owned U.S. company that has been running trips to the alps since 1977. They have deep knowledge of the local trails, mobility options, as well as access to multi-lingual local guides and relationships with hoteliers and restaurant owners who have embraced accessibility” adds Dr. Jones.

Val Jones, MD

Dr. Jones received her medical degree at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons and completed her residency in physical medicine and rehabilitation in 2006. She has been a medical director and traveling physician for the past 17 years, with licenses in 20 states, an academic appointment at Northwestern Feinberg School of Medicine, and extensive experience with stroke, brain injury, and spinal cord injury recovery. She most recently was the founding medical director at HCA Florida JFK Hospital.

She is an amateur athlete, whose childhood love of downhill skiing led her to attend Swiss Challenge (organized by the American School in Switzerland) where she had her first exposure to the alps in 1985. She much later planned to join the Canadian Ski Patrol, but suffered a severe knee injury during a race in Austria and switched her focus to hiking and strength training. As a “Master’s athlete” she now enjoys low-risk outdoor activities, culinary delicacies, and helping others achieve their physical and health goals. Dr. Jones believes that this recce will be the first step in unifying her rehab career with her passion for alpine activities. 

Partners

Support

Interested in becoming a partner or sponsoring a tour, therapist, or hiker? 

Contact: Shannon Harris at Alpine Adventure Trails and Tours: 478-714-0829 or alpine@swisshiking.com.