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Loop Trails in Switzerland

There are 146 hikes in Switzerland in our database that fit. They average 11.2 km and 224 m (735 ft) of ascent, with the longest running to 166 km.

That is 4 percent of the 4,054 routes we map in Switzerland. They run noticeably longer than average for the area, 11.2 km against 6.8 km, so budget more daylight than a typical outing here. The climbing is steeper too: 224 m (735 ft) on average versus 172 m (564 ft) across the wider area.

Circular routes: park once, finish where you started, and never walk the same section twice. The mix is broad: 8 are rated easy and 14 are hard or harder, so there is something here whether you have two hours or a full day. A good share of them are loops, so you can park once and finish where you started.

Trails

Ferrette (Haut-Rhin, France), with the ruins of the castle
Expert

Circuits des Trois Châteaux

Basel-Landschaft · Switzerland

Distance
77.9 km
/ 48.4 mi
Elevation gain
1,743 m
Typical duration
20 hr
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
  • Long-distance path
Hallwiler See in den Kantonen Aargau und Luzern, Schweiz
Hard

Rundgang Hallwilersee

Aargau · Switzerland

Distance
21.2 km
/ 13.2 mi
Elevation gain
93 m
Typical duration
4 hr 44 min
  • Waymarked route
Expert

Panorama Rundweg Thunersee

Bern · Switzerland

Distance
60.1 km
/ 37.4 mi
Elevation gain
2,200 m
Typical duration
17 hr
  • Mountain
  • Panoramic viewpoint
  • Waymarked route
Expert

Tour de la Vallée du Trient

Valais/Wallis · Switzerland

Distance
66.3 km
/ 41.2 mi
Elevation gain
5,455 m
Typical duration
23 hr
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
  • Long-distance path
Expert

Tour des Dents du Midi

Valais/Wallis · Switzerland

Distance
47.1 km
/ 29.3 mi
Elevation gain
1,036 m
Typical duration
12 hr
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
Expert

Tour des Muverans

Valais/Wallis · Switzerland

Distance
54.5 km
/ 33.9 mi
Elevation gain
1,199 m
Typical duration
14 hr
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
Hard

Panoramaweg Aegerital

Zug · Switzerland

Distance
30.5 km
/ 19.0 mi
Elevation gain
671 m
Typical duration
7 hr 50 min
  • Panoramic viewpoint
  • Waymarked route
Easy

Naturlehrpfad

Zurich · Switzerland

Distance
2.9 km
/ 1.8 mi
Elevation gain
63 m
Typical duration
42 min
  • Lake
  • Wildlife watching
  • Waymarked route
Expert

Tour du Val de Bagnes

Valais/Wallis · Switzerland

Distance
96.5 km
/ 60.0 mi
Elevation gain
2,124 m
Typical duration
25 hr
  • Mountain
  • Long-distance path
Easy

Glacier Experience Trail

Grisons · Switzerland

Distance
1.6 km
/ 1.0 mi
Elevation gain
36 m
Typical duration
24 min
  • Glacier
  • Waymarked route
Expert

Alta via della Val Fontana

Grisons · Switzerland

Distance
46.7 km
/ 29.0 mi
Elevation gain
1,028 m
Typical duration
12 hr
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
Expert

Ämtlerwäg

Zurich · Switzerland

Distance
50.3 km
/ 31.2 mi
Elevation gain
832 m
Typical duration
12 hr
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
Easy

Giro/Tour Monte Caslano

Ticino · Switzerland

Distance
4.4 km
/ 2.8 mi
Elevation gain
97 m
Typical duration
1 hr 4 min
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
Moderate

Seeuferweg Baldeggersee

Lucerne · Switzerland

Distance
14.4 km
/ 8.9 mi
Elevation gain
316 m
Typical duration
3 hr 28 min
  • Waymarked route
Easy

Moosalp Panoramaweg

Valais/Wallis · Switzerland

Distance
6.1 km
/ 3.8 mi
Elevation gain
134 m
Typical duration
1 hr 28 min
  • Panoramic viewpoint
  • Waymarked route
Moderate

Panoramaweg Braunwald

Glarus · Switzerland

Distance
9.0 km
/ 5.6 mi
Elevation gain
199 m
Typical duration
2 hr 11 min
  • Panoramic viewpoint
  • Waymarked route
Moderate

Panoramaweg Gebidem

Valais/Wallis · Switzerland

Distance
8.6 km
/ 5.3 mi
Elevation gain
445 m
Typical duration
2 hr 28 min
  • Panoramic viewpoint
  • Waymarked route
Easy

Panoramaweg Schynige Platte

Bern · Switzerland

Distance
5.6 km
/ 3.5 mi
Elevation gain
124 m
Typical duration
1 hr 22 min
  • Panoramic viewpoint
  • Waymarked route
Easy

Giro del Lago

Grisons · Switzerland

Distance
1.7 km
/ 1.1 mi
Elevation gain
38 m
Typical duration
25 min
  • Lake
  • Waymarked route
Easy

Burg - Rotzberg

Nidwalden · Switzerland

Distance
0.5 km
/ 0.3 mi
Elevation gain
11 m
Typical duration
7 min
  • Castle and ruins
  • Waymarked route
Moderate

Giro del Castello di Serravalle

Ticino · Switzerland

Distance
6.4 km
/ 4.0 mi
Elevation gain
455 m
Typical duration
2 hr 1 min
  • Castle and ruins
  • Waymarked route
Easy

Naturlehrpfad "Eichwald"

Aargau · Switzerland

Distance
1.5 km
/ 0.9 mi
Elevation gain
32 m
Typical duration
21 min
  • Wildlife watching
  • Waymarked route
Moderate

Circuit pédestre 2 de Grolley

Fribourg · Switzerland

Distance
7.2 km
/ 4.5 mi
Elevation gain
158 m
Typical duration
1 hr 44 min
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
Moderate

Circuit pédestre 3 de Grolley

Fribourg · Switzerland

Distance
9.6 km
/ 6.0 mi
Elevation gain
211 m
Typical duration
2 hr 19 min
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
Easy

Forest Nature Trail

Zurich · Switzerland

Distance
2.9 km
/ 1.8 mi
Elevation gain
63 m
Typical duration
41 min
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
Easy

Matran - Sentier rouge🔴

Fribourg · Switzerland

Distance
4.7 km
/ 2.9 mi
Elevation gain
110 m
Typical duration
1 hr 8 min
  • Forest
  • Waymarked route
Easy

Riggli Weg

Fribourg · Switzerland

Distance
1.9 km
/ 1.2 mi
Elevation gain
42 m
Typical duration
27 min
Easy

Seerundgang

Fribourg · Switzerland

Distance
4.1 km
/ 2.6 mi
Elevation gain
50 m
Typical duration
56 min
Easy

360° Loop Gornergrat

Valais/Wallis · Switzerland

Distance
0.6 km
/ 0.4 mi
Elevation gain
13 m
Typical duration
9 min
  • Waymarked route
Easy

800 m - Ober Hauenstein

Basel-Landschaft · Switzerland

Distance
3.1 km
/ 1.9 mi
Elevation gain
69 m
Typical duration
45 min
  • Waymarked route
Easy

Aberen - Frohberg

Zurich · Switzerland

Distance
0.5 km
/ 0.3 mi
Elevation gain
11 m
Typical duration
7 min
  • Waymarked route
Easy

Ahorn - Ahorn

Bern · Switzerland

Distance
1.2 km
/ 0.7 mi
Elevation gain
26 m
Typical duration
17 min
  • Waymarked route
Moderate

Ahornen-Rundweg

Glarus · Switzerland

Distance
10.6 km
/ 6.6 mi
Elevation gain
720 m
Typical duration
3 hr 17 min
  • Waymarked route
Easy

Akeleienweg

Aargau · Switzerland

Distance
1.3 km
/ 0.8 mi
Elevation gain
46 m
Typical duration
20 min
  • Waymarked route
Easy

Allmen - Täuferhöhle

Zurich · Switzerland

Distance
0.8 km
/ 0.5 mi
Elevation gain
17 m
Typical duration
11 min
  • Waymarked route
Hard

Appenzeller Alpenweg

Appenzell Ausserrhoden · Switzerland

Distance
28.3 km
/ 17.6 mi
Elevation gain
622 m
Typical duration
7 hr 13 min
  • Waymarked route
Moderate

Appenzeller Rundweg

Appenzell Innerrhoden · Switzerland

Distance
7.4 km
/ 4.6 mi
Elevation gain
90 m
Typical duration
1 hr 40 min
  • Waymarked route
Moderate

Arosa-Ochsenalp Rundtour

Grisons · Switzerland

Distance
14.5 km
/ 9.0 mi
Elevation gain
319 m
Typical duration
3 hr 30 min
  • Waymarked route
Moderate

Bachtel-Kulm

Zurich · Switzerland

Distance
8.4 km
/ 5.2 mi
Elevation gain
184 m
Typical duration
2 hr 1 min
  • Waymarked route
Easy

Bachtel-Spalt

Zurich · Switzerland

Distance
4.9 km
/ 3.0 mi
Elevation gain
107 m
Typical duration
1 hr 11 min
  • Waymarked route

The shortlist, side by side

The ten highest scoring routes on this page, so you can compare effort before opening any of them.

Distance, ascent, walking time and difficulty for the top routes
RouteDistanceAscentTimeDifficultyBest season
Bornes et Forts du Pays de MontbélierdJura117 km1,516 m29 hrExpertApril to October
Circuits des Trois ChâteauxBasel-Landschaft77.9 km1,743 m20 hrExpertApril to October
Geologischer Wanderweg RoggenstockSchwyz11.7 km665 m3 hr 26 minModerateJune to October
Rundgang HallwilerseeAargau21.2 km93 m4 hr 44 minHardApril to October
Panorama Rundweg ThunerseeBern60.1 km2,200 m17 hrExpertApril to October
Tour de la Vallée du TrientValais/Wallis66.3 km5,455 m23 hrExpertApril to October
Tour des Dents du MidiValais/Wallis47.1 km1,036 m12 hrExpertApril to October
Tour des MuveransValais/Wallis54.5 km1,199 m14 hrExpertApril to October
Panoramaweg AegeritalZug30.5 km671 m7 hr 50 minHardApril to October
NaturlehrpfadZurich2.9 km63 m42 minEasyApril to October

If you only have time for one, start with Circuits des Trois Châteaux, Bornes et Forts du Pays de Montbélierd, Geologischer Wanderweg Roggenstock. Those are the routes people come back to. Every route on this page links through to a full guide with the map, elevation profile, seasonal advice and what to bring.

Frequently asked questions

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