From hut to hut in several days: hut-to-hut hikes are all the rage. The Alps are particularly well suited for multi-day tours. There are countless well-developed hiking trails, many comfortable huts to stay overnight and the transport connections are uncomplicated. We have summarized routes, tips and special features for you.
Hut hikes are a particularly intense way to experience the nature of the Alps while hiking. If you are on the way for several days, you will pass through the most diverse types of landscape in the Alps. From gentle grassy mountains to rugged mountain ranges, everything is there. And best of all, unlike a day hike, you’ll also experience the unique atmosphere of sunrises and sunsets in the mountains, allowing you to enjoy the tranquility in an even more relaxed way.
Overnight stay at the hut
You should definitely reserve the sleeping places for your hut hike – especially in the high season – before the tour, especially if you are traveling in a group. The best way to do this is to ask the hut hosts directly if there are still places available. You can find the contact on their website or at the local tourist offices.
Note: Many huts in the Alps are run by the German Alpine Association (DAV). It even offers its own hut search.
You can’t really rely on spontaneous overnight stays. In the off-season, however, overnight stays are sometimes possible at short notice. This is good for flexible tour planning. If you haven’t booked a hut in advance, you can make a quick call to the hut of your choice during the course of your hiking day to avoid standing in front of a fully occupied hut in the evening with tired feet.
Also interesting: The 10 golden hut rules
Routes for hut hikes
Multiday hikes from hut to hut can be found in numerous hiking guides but also online. The German Alpine Club, for example, has a collection of interesting tours. Our Swiss colleague, mountain guide and outdoor expert, Michael Bösiger tried out a particularly nice one:
Hiking through the Greina plateau: From chalet to chalet through the Greina High Plain.
Equipment and preparation for the hut hike
Most hut hikes do not require climbing or high-altitude equipment. However, you should have some mountain experience and surefootedness. We have summarized a checklist for equipment and important tips for planning hut hikes in our basic knowledge for a successful hut tour. There you can also find out what to expect when spending the night in a hut.
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Arrival to a hut tour
The highlight of a hut hike is often that the start and finish are not in the same place. However, adapting the arrival and departure to this is no problem in the Alps thanks to the good connections to public transport. The train and bus connections in the Alps are very well adapted to the needs of hikers.
Planning daily stages
It is not possible to make a general statement about the best distance to cover per day. The difficulty of the route and the elevation gain have just as much influence as your own fitness and the weather. However, a good hiking guide can give you a realistic indication for many sections of the route.
It is important that you do not underestimate a route. Even if most of the paths in the Alps are very well developed, there is always a certain risk when hiking in alpine terrain. You should only choose routes that suit your ability, so as not to put yourself in unnecessary danger.
As with all hiking and trekking tours, plan enough buffer. After all, you don’t want to rush through the mountains, but enjoy the landscape and nature. Breaks are usually taken at particularly beautiful vantage points.
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The best season for hiking in mountain huts
In addition to the weather conditions in the mountains, it is above all the opening times of the huts that determine the most suitable period for a hut hike. After a winter with little snow or a warm spring, you can sometimes set out on your first multi-day hike as early as mid-May. In high alpine areas the hiking season usually starts in June.
Usually hiking is possible almost everywhere until the end of September. Basically, where the season starts late, it ends early. This is especially true in high alpine areas. In the foothills of the Alps, in some years you can be out with your backpack until November. Autumn is often even the most beautiful time for a hut tour: the heat of summer is gone, the huts are no longer crowded, the probability of thunderstorms decreases and the view is often breathtaking, if it is not foggy.
Once you’ve acquired a taste for hiking in mountain huts, you’re sure to keep coming back to the mountains. In the Alps, there is no shortage of opportunities: The number of huts in Germany, Austria and Switzerland is hard to keep track of and the variations of hut tours are almost unlimited.
