Best Things to Do in the Alps: 8 Essential Experiences
Eight countries. 750 miles of peaks. Countless trails and valleys. These eight Alps experiences cut through the options—the essential climbs, hikes, and moments that define Europe’s greatest range.
The Alps stretch 750 miles across eight countries, forming Europe’s most dramatic mountain range. Peaks rise above 15,000 feet. Glaciers carve through valleys. Alpine lakes reflect snow-capped summits. And centuries-old mountain culture—from Italian rifugios to Swiss cheese farms—remains remarkably intact.
But with so much ground to cover, where do you start? With EF’s operations based in the heart of the Alps, we’ve spent years building relationships with local guides, testing trails, and refining routes across Switzerland, France, Italy, Slovenia, Germany, and Austria. This list contains the best things to do in the Alps—essential experiences that capture what makes this mountain range extraordinary, from trails that have tested hikers for hundreds of years to world-class cycling climbs to adventures that go beyond the typical mountain itinerary.
1. Hike the Eiger Trail beneath the north face
The Eiger’s north face is one of mountaineering’s most feared challenges—a near-vertical 5,900-foot wall of rock and ice that has captivated and claimed climbers since the 1930s. The Eiger Trail doesn’t take you up the face (thankfully), but it does bring you directly beneath it.
The route runs from Eigergletscher to Alpiglen in Switzerland’s Bernese Oberland, offering constant views of the imposing north face. You’ll pass Fallbodensee, a small alpine lake with a memorial hall dedicated to climbers who attempted the treacherous ascent. The trail provides perspective on the scale of what climbers face—and deep appreciation for experiencing it from solid ground.
Experience it on: Switzerland Hiking: The Bernese Oberland & Engelberg
2. E-bike through Chamonix’s glacial valleys
Chamonix earned its reputation as the birthplace of mountaineering, but the adventure culture here goes well beyond climbing and hiking. E-mountain biking opens up the glacial valleys, letting you cover serious ground with Mont Blanc towering overhead.
The trails wind past rushing glacial streams, through alpine meadows, and up to viewpoints that would require significant climbing effort on a traditional bike. The electric assist means you can focus on the scenery, making this doable even if you’re not a hardcore cyclist.
Experience it on: Alps Multi-Adventure: France & Italy
3. Conquer Stelvio’s 48 switchbacks
Speaking of hardcore cyclists...Passo dello Stelvio is cycling legend. At 9,045 feet, it’s the highest paved pass in the Eastern Alps, and its 48 numbered switchbacks spiraling up the mountainside have tested cyclists since Fausto Coppi’s famous attack during the 1953 Giro d’Italia.
The climb gains over 6,000 feet from the valley floor, each switchback revealing increasingly dramatic views across the Ortler Alps. This isn’t a ride for casual cyclists—it’s a bucket-list challenge for those who truly want to climb. Reaching the summit, where panoramic views stretch across Italy’s highest peaks, makes every switchback worth it.
Experience it on: Italy Biking: The Dolomites & Italian Alps
4. Hike Zermatt’s 5-Lakes Trail with views of the Matterhorn
The Matterhorn’s iconic pyramid peak dominates Switzerland’s Valais Alps, and the 5-Lakes Trail (5-Seenweg) offers some of the most spectacular views of it. This high-altitude route winds past five remarkable alpine lakes—Stellisee, Grindjisee, Grünsee, Moosjisee, and Leisee— each offering its own perspective on the Matterhorn and surrounding peaks.
The trail follows rocky terrain through alpine meadows at elevations above 8,000 feet, accessible via the Sunnegga funicular and gondola from the car-free village of Zermatt. Watch for marmots along the route as you move between the lakes.
Experience it on: Alps Hiking: France & Switzerland
5. Experience rifugio culture in the Dolomites
Italian mountain huts—rifugios—are different from their Swiss and Austrian counterparts. These are more than functional shelters; they’re destinations in themselves, serving multi-course meals with local wine at elevations above 7,000 feet.
In the Dolomites, rifugios dot the landscape beneath dramatic limestone spires. Stop for lunch mid-hike and you might find yourself eating house-made pasta, polenta with mushrooms, or speck (cured ham) with fresh bread—all while gazing at the surrounding peaks. This is mountain culture at its finest: challenging terrain rewarded with genuine hospitality and exceptional food.
Experience it on: Italy Hiking: The Dolomites
6. Hike sections of the Tour du Mont Blanc
The Tour du Mont Blanc—a 110-mile circuit around Western Europe’s highest peak—has been drawing hikers since the late 1700s. While completing the entire route takes 10+ days, hiking even a portion of this legendary trail puts you in the footsteps of generations of alpine adventurers.
The Italian side, particularly the section through Val Ferret in the Aosta Valley, offers dramatic views of Mont Blanc’s southern slopes and glaciers. You’ll ascend past mountain rifugios serving hearty local fare like polenta and fontina cheese, with constant views of the 15,777-foot massif that has captivated mountaineers for centuries.
Experience it on: Alps Hiking: Switzerland, Italy & France
7. Raft the Emerald Soča River in the Julian Alps
The Soča River in Slovenia might just be the most beautiful river you’ve ever seen—an impossibly vivid emerald green that looks AI-generated until you’re actually floating on it. Fed by alpine snowmelt, the river cuts through the Julian Alps with Class III-IV rapids that serve up genuine adrenaline without requiring expert rafting skills.
The landscape here feels different from the western Alps—wilder, less developed, more raw. Between rapids, you’ll float past forested gorges and limestone cliffs, the turquoise water so clear you can see the riverbed below. This is the Alps at their most adventurous.
Experience it on: Slovenia & Croatia Multi-Adventure: Istria & Julian Alps
8. Hike to Neuschwanstein Castle viewpoints
King Ludwig II’s 19th-century castle—perched on a rugged hill in Bavaria—inspired Disney’s iconic Sleeping Beauty castle design. But the best views aren’t from the tourist-packed courtyard; they’re from the less crowded hiking trails above it.
The route to Marienbrücke (Mary’s Bridge) offers the classic postcard shot: the castle’s white turrets rising above forested slopes with the Bavarian Alps stretching behind it. Continue higher and you’ll find trails that reveal the castle in its full alpine context, surrounded by peaks that transition from Germany into Austria’s Tyrolean Alps.
Experience it on: Germany & Austria Multi-Adventure: Bavaria, Tyrol & Salzburg
These eight experiences span five distinct Alpine regions, from the iconic peaks of Chamonix and Zermatt to the lesser-known Julian Alps of Slovenia. Some are bucket-list challenges. Others are quieter moments—a perfect Matterhorn reflection, lunch at a rifugio, the shock of emerald water beneath your raft.
We’ve gathered all of them into our Alps Collection—tours designed by people who actually live and work in these mountains. Our Tour Directors know which rifugios serve the best polenta, which trails deliver at sunrise, and how to read weather patterns that only come with years on the ground. When you’re hiking the Eiger Trail or rafting the Soča, you’re following routes refined by guides who know these mountains and rivers intimately.
Discover the Alps Collection
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