Night hiking in Switzerland: suggestions for a hike in the dark

Wherever your night hike or walk takes you, the special atmosphere in the night makes every walk in the dark an unforgettable experience. When planning, make sure to avoid steep paths and those that are technically demanding or are not thoroughly groomed. During the day these trails may be appropriate for your skill level, but they’re much more difficult in the dark. If you’re an experienced night hiker or know the hiking rails from the day, it’s also possible to do technically demanding tours.

Many cities have their own local mountain or vantage point; in Zurich, for example, it’s the Üetliberg, in Bern the Gurten, in Winterthur the Goldenberg and in St. Gallen the Freudenberg. A trip to one of these hills for a simple night walk is worth getting up early or lingering for a long while. On a clear day, you can enjoy a spectacular view of the city lights.

It’s darker further away from civilisation, and the view is all the more impressive on a clear full moon night or at dusk.

Plan your night hike properly

For night walks, circular tours with the same start and end are the easiest to organise. A car makes it simpler to get there and back in the middle of the night when public transport stops running. If you’re travelling without a car, book an overnight stay in a hut. From there, you can start hiking at night and reach the summit in time for sunrise. Inform the property of your plan so they know when you’re gone in the morning. Otherwise, a hut warden could start a search operation. They may also provide you with a small breakfast.

If a cable car or funicular is part of your night hiking plan, be sure to check the timetable beforehand. Many have different timetables depending on the time of year. This is particularly important when arriving and departing late in the evening or early in the morning.

For your safety, make sure that you are properly equipped.

Night hike in Graubünden: circular hike from Maloja

In Graubünden, you’ll find numerous hikes that are also suitable for night hiking, especially because almost every small village offers accommodation, making it easy to arrive the day before. A suitable circular hike begins in Maloja and leads you up high to the lakes Lägh da Birabergh and Lägh da Cavloc – once round and back to Maloja.

Difficulty level: medium
Elevation: 300 m
Distance: 10 km
Duration: 3 h

Night hike on the Rigi

The Rigi region is very well connected and offers many possibilities. For example, you can book accommodation on the mountain, get up early and take the panoramic tour. The best atmosphere is in the early twilight, when the sun slowly brightens up the mountain panorama. The hike passes various cable car stations and rack railways, making it well accessible.

Difficulty level: medium
Elevation: 390 m
Distance: 9 km
Duration: 3 h

Night hike in Bern: exploring one of Switzerland’s darkest regions

The Gantrisch Nature Park is officially one of the darkest regions in Switzerland, which has earned it the international Dark Sky Park label. So if you’re looking for a particularly dark night hike, head to the Bernese Oberland. You also have a good chance of seeing the Milky Way from June to August. To ensure that the nature park remains quiet and dark, it is best to travel during the day. From the Gantrischhütte or the Selibüehl mountain lodge (Berghaus Selibüehl), you can walk to Selibühlhoger at night, for example. It takes about half an hour and two kilometres to reach the starting point of the hike.

Difficulty: easy
Elevation: 133 m
Distance: 3,6 km
Duration: 1:10 h

Night hike in western Switzerland: Pic Chaussy

This hike begins at the parking lot Lioson d’En Bas. From there, a path leads over 200 metres in altitude and takes about 45 minutes to reach the accommodation and restaurant Lac Lioson. Enjoy the lake, have dinner and go to bed early – set your alarm for around three o’clock for the sunrise on Pic Chaussy. Once you reach the summit, you can enjoy a sweeping panorama view. Head back down the same way, which will look quite different in daylight.

Difficulty: medium
Elevation: 500 m
Distance: 2.4 km
Duration: 1:30 h