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We enjoyed feasts of alpine flowers, beautiful bird life, fabulous scenery, relaxed company, great hotel. [Our holiday was] hassle-free with everything deftly sorted by tour leaders.
J.P., Flintshire, June '25
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Valais - Highlights of the Swiss Alps
Tour Code: CHE04An 8-day holiday to the traffic-free village of Bettmeralp, high in the Swiss Alps, in search of the region's varied wildlife and spectacular mountain scenery.
8 days
from
£2,795
£2,795
Land only price
from
£2,495
£2,495
Highlights
Travel to this tour by train
Travelling by train reduces the carbon cost of travel by up to 90%
Tour Itinerary and Reports
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Summary
Situated in the canton of Valais, the charming car-free village of Bettmeralp is our base for this single-centre holiday. From our family-run hotel we will explore the beautiful forests, valleys and high peaks of the surrounding mountains in search of the region’s varied wildlife. We will make daily excursions on foot, and by cable cars and chairlifts, looking for alpine flowers in the meadows above our hotel as well as butterflies such as Alpine Grayling, Mazarine Blue and Titania’s Fritillary. We will also take time to enjoy some of the area’s special birds, including Black Redstart, Serin and Fieldfare around the village, and high-altitude species such as Ring Ouzel, Citril Finch and Alpine Chough on the mountain slopes above.
- Enjoy 7 nights in a family-run hotel in the car-free village of Bettmeralp
- Spectacular scenery in Jungfrau-Aletsch Protected Area, a UNESCO World Heritage Site
- Alpenrose, Mountain Avens & Globeflower, plus Alpine Marmot near our hotel
- Varied butterflies including Alpine Grayling, Mazarine Blue & Titania’s Fritillary
- Look for Alpine Accentor, Snowfinch, Nutcracker & Red-backed Shrike
- Follow the famous ‘Glacier Express’ train line to visit Zermatt & the Matterhorn
- Wonderful displays of primulas, orchids & gentians
- Led by expert naturalist guides
The Swiss canton of Valais, in the heart of the Alps, is home to some of the most spectacular mountain scenery in Europe and an abundance of natural history. The charming, car-free village of Bettmeralp will be our base for the week, and from our family-run hotel we will explore the beautiful forests, valleys and high peaks in search of the region’s varied wildlife. Above the village lies the stunning Aletsch Glacier, and we will enjoy spectacular views of this during our week’s stay. The glacier’s 27 billion tons of ice slowly flows down into Valais from the dramatic slopes of the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau peaks and lies within the 825- square-kilometre UNESCO ‘JungfrauAletsch Protected Area’, the first World Heritage Site to be designated in the Alps.
After a short flight to Geneva we travel by efficient Swiss rail, following the mighty Rhône along the length of the valley, before completing our journey by cable car, for this is the only way to reach Bettmeralp. Each of our daily excursions will be on foot, covering up to 6 miles each day, though we will make full use of the efficient network of mountain cable cars and chair lifts to thoroughly explore the area and avoid trekking uphill where possible! At this time of year the meadows above our hotel are not only home to colonies of comical Alpine Marmots, but will also be filled with a stunning array of alpine flowers, and so this is where we will begin our explorations on our first morning in Valais. Species such as Alpenrose (Rhododendron ferrugineum), Mountain Avens (Dryas octopetala), Alpine Clematis (Clematis alpina), Globeflower (Trollius europaeus) and Mountain Houseleek (Sempervivum montanum) are common, and there should be an abundance of Primulas and Campanulas, as well as numerous orchids and gentians. We will also look for some of the rarer alpine specialities, such as Dark Vanilla Orchid and Alpine Rock-jasmine. The sun should bring out a wide variety of butterflies in the meadows, including Common Swallowtail, Alpine Grayling, Alpine Heath and numerous blues and fritillaries. Bird walks around the village may produce Ring Ouzel, Fieldfare, Citril Finch and Cuckoo, whilst a visit to the adjacent Aletsch Forest provides us with the opportunity to look for such highlights as Black Redstart, Firecrest, Crossbill, Crested Tit, Nutcracker and Red-backed Shrike.
On at least two days we will use the cable cars to ascend to over 2,600 metres, where the views across the Aletsch Glacier are simply stunning. Whilst taking a moment to appreciate the mountain vista, we can look for Alpine Accentor, Snowfinch and, with a little luck, we might see a Golden Eagle soaring overhead. Walking from the cable-car station we will soon see some of the high-altitude specialist flora which may include Glacier Crowfoot, Ranunculus glacialis, Glacier Mouse-ear, Snowdon Lily and St. Bruno’s Lily. On another day we will enjoy a change of scene and make our way down through stands of Larch and Norway Spruce into the picturesque Rhône Valley. Here the hillsides are cloaked in stunning hay meadows, and at this time of year many of the higher fields have not yet been cut, enabling us to find species such as Alpine Thistle, Viper’s-bugloss, Bladder Campion, Carthusian Pink, Queen-of-the-Alps and Wood Scabious. In the warm and sunny valley we should also find a different array of butterflies from the higher altitudes, including Dryad and Marbled White.
Having enjoyed views of the mighty Matterhorn from our hotel during the week, on one day we will descend into the valley and join the final section of the famous ‘Glacier Express’ railway line, taking us up to the opulent mountain resort of Zermatt and the Matterhorn itself. Continuing on the cog-wheel mountain railway up to the Gornergrat at 3,089 metres, we will pause here to appreciate the stunning view across the Gorner Glacier towards the Matterhorn, and the panoramic view of the other twenty-eight 4,000-metre peaks that are visible from this part of the Alps. Once we have had our fill of enjoying the scenery, we will turn our attention back to the flora and fauna. Here the stony turf should be rich in early spring alpines including the brightly coloured Alpine Toadflax, Short-leaved and Alpine Gentians (Gentiana brachyphylla and G. alpina) and Bird’s-eye Primrose, whilst the high alpine birds include Snowfinch, Alpine Accentor, Water Pipit and, of course, the characterful Alpine Choughs that are certain to be eager to share our picnic lunch!
Outline Itinerary
Day 1
Fly Geneva; transfer by train & cable car to Bettmeralp
Day 2/7
Natural history excursions from Bettmeralp
Day 8
Return Geneva; fly London
What's Included?
- Flights
- Accommodation:
We stay in a very comfortable, family-run hotel in the delightful Swiss village of Bettmeralp. All rooms are en-suite. Superior rooms with south-facing balconies and fantastic views towards the Matterhorn are available for an additional £140 per person. Two single rooms are available without supplement, plus one superior single for an additional £140.
- Food:
All meals are included in the price.
Reviews
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A small group of like-minded people led by two immensely knowledgeable guides immersed themselves in the fabulous natural history of the Swiss Alps and enjoyed a memorable week of friendship and warm hospitality in a high alpine village. From our superb hotel base we explored the stunning mountain environment around us and rejoiced in seeing a huge variety of birds, flowers and animals many of which we had never seen before. We had used Naturetrek before so we were very confident that we would again enjoy supreme efficiency, thoroughness and all round excellent service. Travel arrangements were clear and straightforward throughout, the choice of accommodation was outstanding and the expertise and organisation of the two gentlemen in charge of our itinerary was second to none. They were always willing to go the extra mile especially when obtaining and preparing our picnic lunches - a culinary highlight.
B.J. Cumbria, Jun 23 -
Visiting Bettmeralp meant visiting an entirely new part of Switzerland and getting an insight into the high alpine flora as well as its birds and other wildlife. Being with an expert on alpine flora made an important difference as I found out when on my own on the other side of the same alpine range. I have been travelling with them for over 10 years so I guess that shows that they have delivered an excellent holiday experience.
K.A. Northumberland, June 22 -
The Valais region of Switzerland has the most stunning scenery, including from our lovely family run hotel in Bettmeralp. The service provided by the efficient Swiss rail network and cable car/ski lifts was first class. The aim of the tour was to visit the area near and far from Bettmeralp to observe the spring flowering alpine meadows and take note of any passing bird and butterfly life around. There were opportunities to see several mammals that are present in this area and have expert leaders on hand to guide us to all places of interest and impart their knowledge on aspects of bird, flower,etc., identification. Early morning bird walks were undertaken from the hotel to see and hear the abundant birdlife nearby in the forest.
A.D. Nottinghamshire, June 19 -
All the travel arrangements worked well and the hotel was excellent. The scenery was spectacular and whole group got on well together.
J.R. Hertfordshire
Dates & Prices
2026
Departures
Availability
Cost
Thu 18th Jun – Thu 25th Jun
SPACES
£2,795
Flights:
Most Naturetrek tours include flight costs ex-UK. If flights are not included, we indicate that here.
Flights are included in the tour cost
Regional Departures:
On certain tours it is possible to depart from a regional airport (rather than London). If a regional departure is possible, we indicate that here.
Regional Departures are available. Call 01962733051
Land only cost:
The "Land Only" cost is the tour price you will pay if you choose to arrange your own flights/transport.
£2,495
Prefer to Travel in a Private Group?
For any interested natural history club or society, we can arrange for a private departure of this tour.
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Why Naturetrek?
At Naturetrek we craft expertly-guided group and tailor-made wildlife holidays and cruises to all seven continents. On one of our holidays, you can be assured that our passionate team will enable you to experience and enjoy the best of the world's wildlife and natural spectacles in as comfortable and rewarding a manner as possible, caring as best we can for the environment in the process. We are proud to provide:
- The widest choice of wildlife holidays worldwide
- Tours managed and led by naturalists, for naturalists
- Outstanding value and exceptional customer service
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