One of the biggest questions first-timers have about hiking in the Alps is how much it will cost. There are so many unknowns - accommodation, transportation, food etc - that makes it difficult to determine whether a bucket-list trip to the Alps is possible. We want to take the guess work out of the equation and give you the information you need to determine whether the Tour of Monte Rosa will be your next multi-day hiking adventure.
I’ll start with the total amount and then i’ll break it down so you can determine if you are able to cut any further costs out of the calculation or if you want to add in more luxurious factors that will increase the cost.
So let’s get started!
How much does it cost to hike the tour of monte rosa?
Using my experience and actual costs as of January 2024, I’ve calculated that once you arrive in Geneva Airport, you can hike the Tour of Monte Rosa from:
Camping: 850 EUR per person
Solo in Dormitory: 1,000 EUR per person
Double in Private Rooms (where possible): 1,100 EUR per person
This is based on a standard 9 day route and what you can expect by planning your trip using our self-guided products. It includes private mountain guide for Theodul glacier crossing, transfers to/from the trail, accommodation in huts/hotels and eating delicious 3-course meals of local delights, as you self-guide your way across one of the legendary trails of the world. If you would like to include add-ons such as Breithorn summit or a night at Hornli Hut, scroll down for cost estimates.
Tour of Monte Rosa 9 Day Itinerary, as shown in our trip planning app
For those looking to join a tour group rather than self-guide, the cost is upwards of 2,500 EUR per person.
Let’s break down each of hiking profiles (camping, dormitory, double in private rooms and tour group).
WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENT HIKer PROFILES?
There are typically 4 hiker profiles that complete a multi-day trail in the Alps. Their preferences for accommodation, food and transport differ greatly and therefore impact the overall cost. Are you able to quickly identify which one is you?
Happy Camper
The Happy Camper loves carrying everything they need on their back so they have the most flexibility and ownership of their trip. They feel like they are getting the authentic experience, not just during the day on the trail but under the stars at night. They love talking about their gear, the gourmet freeze dried meals they have for the trip and all their past adventures.
LONE WOLF
The Lone Wolf loves a good adventure and is looking for others on the trail that carry the same passion. They are keen to stay in mountain huts or hostels not just to satisfy their budget conscious requirements, but to meet fellow adventurers. They typically stock up on food at supermarkets to save money on lunches, snacks and other meals which are not provided by the accommodation. But they will also happily spend their pennies on a few drinks each evening.
COZY COUPLE
The Cozy Couple are the ultimate adventure duo. Hiking is core to their relationship and they spend hours dreaming, planning and doing epic adventures. They have a bigger budget to indulge in a private room when available and love to stop along the trail at a rifugio or buvette for lunch. If neither are available, they are happy to shack up in a dorm and eat their baguette with cheese for lunch.
TOUR GROUPEE
The Tour Groupee is happy to sit back and let someone else do the hard work in planning and navigating on the trail. They are willing to spend money to ensure every day is easy and smooth. It might be their first time hiking in the Alps and therefore don’t have the confidence to self-guide, or they simply enjoy the ease that comes with joining a tour group.
So…could you identify which profile you are?
What is the cost breakdown by hiker profile?
The Tour of Monte Rosa is located in Switzerland and Italy. For simplicity, all costs incurred in Switzerland (Francs) have been converted into EUR.
The above table lists the price for different accommodation, food and service options which are used to determine the total cost for each hikers trip. I have omitted 3 costs which each individual hiker will need to estimate based on their location and requirements. These are;
Flights to Geneva/Europe: Depends on where your coming from and what class you fly
New hiking gear: I provide a gear list in the booking portal to help you do an inventory check
Travel Insurance: Based on location, age and coverage/excess preferences
All the costs in the table have come from advertised rates as at 27th August 2023 and may fluctuate or change based on availability (mainly accommodation).
How much does accommodation cost on Tour of Monte Rosa?
The Tour of Monte Rosa weaves across mountain passes and through alpine villages and towns.
There are rifugios (Italian) / refuges (German) scattered across the Alps which provide basic shelter and delicious meals. “Halfboard” refers to accommodation plus dinner and breakfast. This is standard at mountain huts and reflects the family style dining that occurs. Some mountain huts are larger and have private rooms in addition to dormitories.
Whereas in alpine villages such as Zermatt and Saas Fee there is a variety of accommodation types that cater for all budgets, from 5* resorts to campgrounds, and everything in between.
100+ accommodation properties, including mountain huts, campgrounds, permitted bivouac locations and hotels, are displayed in our trip planning app.
Based on a 9 day itinerary, the average accommodation cost is:
Campground with facilities such as hot shower, kiosk/cafe and wifi: 20 EUR per night
Dormitory with halfboard: 55 EUR per night
Private room in 2/3* hotel: 115 EUR per night, per couple
Please note: The average cost of nightly accommodation spend for the happy camper in the table above is higher than the average campground cost here because some nights must be spent in rifugios (no campgrounds/wild camping permitted at that location).
How much does food cost on the Tour of Monte Rosa?
There is a reason some people refer to mountaineering tours of Monte Rosa as the “Spaghetti Tour”. Whether you are staying in mountain huts or dining in local restaurants, your taste buds are guaranteed to be happy!
The cost of food on the Tour of Monte Rosa depends on whether you are buying from the supermarket, eating at a rifugio/refuge or dining at a restaurant in one of the alpine villages.
As mentioned above, if staying in a rifugio/refuge then dinner and breakfast is often included in the accommodation cost.
Here are some guidelines:
Snacks: 8 EUR per day. This assumes you’ll buy them from supermarkets/bakeries (Biberli, fruit, nuts, chocolate, bread, cheese) and occasionally have a slice of fruit pie that has just come out of the oven!
Breakfast: When not included with accommodation, 4 EUR for supermarket/bakery (fruit & yogurt or pastry & coffee) or 10 EUR for continental breakfast at a hotel.
Lunch: 6 EUR if buying from supermarket/bakery (drink, bread, meat, cheese & fruit or quiche/sandwich & coffee), 10 EUR for packed lunch option from the hut or 15+ EUR for sit down lunch at a rifugio/refuge (pasta/sandwich and drink)
Dinner: When not included with accommodation, 15+ EUR for a main and drink or 25+ EUR for main, dessert and drink.
I haven’t factored alcohol into any of the meal estimates. The alpine huts and restaurants sell beer and wine for about 3-5 EUR per bottle/glass.
HOW much does it cost to get to the start/end of the Tour of Monte Rosa?
For those starting at Saas Fee (or any of the other possible Swiss locations such as Zermatt or Grächen), the best mode of transport to get to/from the trail is using the amazing Swiss public transport system (SBB). Although expensive, they offer regular and on-time services.
There is a “Saving Day Card” which gives you unlimited access to their network for a day. Provided you buy it ahead of time, it is offered as cheap as 52 CHF (~48 EUR) which is a very good price considering how expensive (but also efficient!) the Swiss public transport system is.
How much does it cost to hire a guide to cross the Theodul glacier?
The glacier crossing on the Swiss side of Theodul pass is a unique feature not typically found on other multi-day hiking trails in the Alps. The tourism body of Zermatt Matterhorn area recommends that anyone planning to cross the Theodul glacier on the Tour of Monte Rosa bring the appropriate equipment which includes crampons, climbing harness, 1 rope per group of 4 and suitable clothing. For hikers that don’t have the experience and specialized gear (that they want to carry for the whole tour) to safely cross a glacier, a guide can easily be hired from either the Italian or Swiss side to support safe passage across this section.
We recommend hiring a mountain guide for the specific day you will cross the Theodul glacier. It is much cheaper than joining a tour group for the entire Tour of Monte Rosa.
The cost of hiring is ~80 EUR per person (min. 2 persons, max. 8 persons). We can recommend a guide company and even try to join you with others who are crossing the same day as you to reduce the cost.
SHOULD I GET INSURANCE for the tour of monte rosa?
Absolutely.
To cover yourself while traveling to/from the trail such as lost baggage or cancelled flights, ensure you purchase regular travel insurance.
In terms of coverage while on the trail, most insurance policies can be quite vague, especially regarding evacuation method in remote/alpine areas in case of an emergency. To remove any ambiguity, I suggest purchasing a membership to a Swiss Alpine Helicopter Service that has you covered throughout the entire country. It costs 30 CHF (28 EUR) per individual or 70 CHF (65 CHF) per family. Unfortunately an equivalent doesn’t exist (to my knowledge) for Italy.
I’ve got more details in our planning portal on what to look for in insurance policies to ensure you have adequate coverage for hiking the Tour of Monte Rosa.
HOW MUCH TO ADD ON A BREITHORN SUMMIT to the tour of monte rosa?
The Breithorn is great for those wanting to summit their first 4000m+ peak or those that want to incorporate it into their Tour of Monte Rosa itinerary. It is known as one of the “easier” 4000m+ summits due to technical difficulty and accessibility. What a great way to boost your TMR experience!
As a self-guided hiker, we can recommend a mountain guide company that can meet you at one of the Theodulpass refuges (location on the Tour of Monte Rosa) in the morning and take you up to summit the peak. It will take about 5 hours return and will cost ~380 EUR for 1 hiker and 25 EUR more per additional hiker.
HOW MUCH TO ADD ON ADDITIONAL NIGHTS TO HORNLI HUT, BRITANNIA HUT OR OTHER HUTS?
There are so many amazing huts (rifugios/refuges) scattered across the Swiss and Italian Alps that aren’t included in the “main” Tour of Monte Rosa. There are huts that are notable due to their spectacular views and others for their proximity to legendary peaks, glaciers or lakes. The cost of these huts vary from 60 - 150 EUR per night including halfboard.
Some of the best huts in the region that can be included in your Tour of Monte Rosa itinerary include:
TO WRAP Up
I hope this breakdown was helpful in determining whether your piggy bank is full enough to self-guide the Tour of Monte Rosa next year. We offer you the opportunity to embark on a trip that isn’t just the main Tour of Monte Rosa route. You can choose which alternative trails to take, which huts/villages to stay at and whether to add on an experience such as Briethorn summit. We’re here to give you the up-to-date information to easily plan and confidently navigate your self-guided Tour of Monte Rosa.
Good luck planning your next hiking adventure!
Brendan
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