Snowshoeing in the Bernese Oberland
A quiet journey through winter stillness
Most people experience the Bernese Oberland from a ski lift or a restaurant terrace. The Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau as a backdrop to lunch. Beautiful, certainly. But there’s another way in — on foot, through the quiet valleys and snow-covered forests that the ski crowds never reach, at a pace that lets the landscape actually land.
This is a trip designed around two things: exceptional terrain and exceptional hotels. We walk for about four hours each day — enough to feel genuinely immersed in winter, not so much that dinner loses its appeal. And dinner very much has its appeal. One of the hotels has a spa, which after a day in the snow stops feeling like a luxury and starts feeling like the obvious conclusion to a well-designed day.
We start in the Emmental, where the hills are gentle and the landscape looks like it was painted by someone who really liked cows and cheese. From there the terrain opens up, the valleys get wilder, and the views — when they come — are the kind that make you stop walking and just stand there for a moment. The Eiger does that to people.
Highlights
- Snowshoeing through the lesser-known valleys of the Bernese Oberland — away from the ski crowds
- Views of the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau from trails that most people never find
- Two carefully chosen alpine hotels: characterful, warm, and very good at dinner
- One hotel with spa facilities — because you’ll have earned it
- Around 5 hours on snowshoes per day — enough to feel it, not so much that you stop enjoying it
- No previous snowshoe experience needed
Programme
Day 1 — Into the hills
We meet in the Emmental, check gear, and set off through soft meadows and quiet forest. The walking is unhurried, the scenery gentle. By evening we arrive at our first hotel — don’t let the simplicity fool you. The welcome is genuinely warm, the hosts are the kind of people you’ll still be talking about on day three, and the dinner is, frankly, better than anything we’ll eat at the fancy hotel. Some things you just can’t predict.
Day 2 — Higher, wilder, better
Today’s route takes us through high valleys and open snowfields, with views that earn their reputation. In the afternoon we reach the hotel with the spa. You have earned this completely.
Day 3 — The long view
Our last morning in the mountains. Open winter landscape, frozen trees, distant peaks. We take our time. After lunch, a transfer back to the start — and that particular feeling of having been somewhere that most people only see from a distance.
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Practical details
| Price | CHF 1.350 per person |
| Group size | 4 to 6 people |
| Duration | 3 days, 2 nights |
| Walking | approx. 5 hours per day |
| Dates | 2, 3 & 4 February 2027 — other dates on request |
| Start / finish | Emmental region |
| Hotels | Two alpine hotels, one with spa |
| Experience | No snowshoe experience required |
What’s included
- Two nights in carefully chosen alpine hotels
- All meals — breakfast, picnic lunch, dinner
- Three days with a certified mountain leader
- Luggage transfers between hotels
What’s not
- Transport to and from the start
- Drinks
- Snowshoes and poles, avalanche gear. (available for rent)
- Travel insurance with mountain rescue coverage
“Famke shares with us her love of the mountains, her expertise in hiking and her passion for guiding. She leads in a quiet way and makes us feel we are in the right hands. The balance of challenge, comfort and flexibility made it a perfect trip. Thank you, Famke and Woody, for stealing everyone’s heart!”
Annemarie
