IT · Jun–Sep
Dolomites Alta Via 1
24 operators · 61 tours · 50 departures with space
8–13 days · 125 km · 3/5 Challenging
From $112/day Next with space 13 Jun 2027
Tour of Monte Rosa hiking tours
10 operators run 16 Tour of Monte Rosa tours on Tripperoni. 16 fixed departures still have space for summer 2027, and 3 self-guided tours start on dates you choose. Dates for 6 tours from 3 operators aren't tracked here: we list them from their public details. Per-person prices run from $737 (self-guided, 6 days) to $9,395 (guided group, 11 days), a median of $256 per day.
- Days
- 9–10
- Distance
- 173 km
- High point
- 3,316 m
- Total ascent
- 10,600 m
- Difficulty
- 4/5 Strenuous
Why 4/5?
On the official numbers the loop is about 173 km in nine stages (19 km a day) with 10,600 m of ascent (about 1,180 m a day), which is level 3 on the averages alone, just under the 1,200 m limit. But five of the nine stages climb more than 1,200 m (Zermatt to the Theodul Pass +1,712 m, Macugnaga to Saas-Fee +2,026 m, Grächen to the Europahütte +1,414 m, Alagna to Macugnaga +1,290 m, Gressoney +1,215 m), the stages are rated up to 8.9 hours by Zermatt Tourism, which grades the whole tour T4 and "Demanding", the route site calls it one of the most demanding multi-day hikes in Europe, and it has exposed, rope-secured stretches on the Europaweg and a glacier section at the Theodul Pass. So the scale's "long days, over 1,200 m ascent" clause makes it level 4, one above the TMB and Alta Via 1. Not 5: the altitude (3,300 m) is under the 3,500 m mark, the glacier stretch is one stage and can be cut to about 30 minutes with the lifts, and the rest is mountain hiking trail. If the owner counts the Theodul stage on foot with a rope team as the defining reading, "glacier" in the level 5 clause would apply to that stage (see notes for both readings). How we grade difficulty
- Season
- Jun–Sep
- Route
- Zermatt → Zermatt
- Stay
- Hotels and mountain huts
- Permit
- Not required
Departures with space
Guided group departures by start month. Self-guided tours start on flexible dates and aren't counted here.
Compare Tour of Monte Rosa tours
| Tour | Format | Days | Difficulty | Group | Stay | Price from | Per day | Next with space |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tour du Mont Rose en liberte Altitude Mont Blanc · Tour of Monte Rosa sections (part of the loop) | Self-guided | 6 | 4/5 Strenuous Operator: “Niveau 4 / 4” | — | Huts & hotels | €655≈ $737 | $123 | Flexible start |
| Tour de Monte Rosa TMR-2R (Highlights in Refuges) Trailwise Travel · Tour of Monte Rosa sections (part of the loop) | Self-guided | 7 | 4/5 Strenuous Operator: “Challenging” | — | Mountain huts | £1,040≈ $1,387 | $198 | Dates aren't tracked here · check Trailwise Travel |
| Hiking: Swiss Tour Monte Rosa 5/4 Eurotrek · Tour of Monte Rosa sections (part of the loop) | Self-guided | 5 | 4/5 Strenuous Operator: “hard” | — | Huts & hotels | CHF 855≈ $1,038 | $208 | Dates aren't tracked here · check Eurotrek |
| Tour du Mont Rose en 7 jours Cairn Trekking · Tour of Monte Rosa sections (part of the loop) French-language site | Guided group | 7 | 4/5 Strenuous Operator: “Bon marcheur / ***” | Up to 14 | Huts & hotels | €1,309≈ $1,473 | $210 | 4 Jul 2027 |
| Tour de Monte Rosa TMR-2H (Highlights in Hotels) Trailwise Travel · Tour of Monte Rosa sections (part of the loop) | Self-guided | 7 | 4/5 Strenuous Operator: “Challenging” | — | Hotels | £1,140≈ $1,520 | $217 | Dates aren't tracked here · check Trailwise Travel |
| Il Tour del Monte Rosa tra Italia e Svizzera Passamontagna Viaggi · Tour of Monte Rosa sections (part of the loop) Italian-language site | Guided group | 7 | 4/5 Strenuous Operator: “Impegnativa (EE)” | Up to 10 | Mountain huts | €1,590≈ $1,789 | $256 | Dates aren't tracked here · check Passamontagna Viaggi |
| Self-Guided Deluxe Tour of Monte Rosa Alpinehikers · Tour of Monte Rosa sections (part of the loop) New | Self-guided | 11 | 4/5 Strenuous Operator: “Challenging” | — | Hotels | $5,890 | $535 | Flexible start |
| Guided Deluxe Tour of Monte Rosa Alpinehikers · Tour of Monte Rosa sections (part of the loop) New | Guided group | 11 | 4/5 Strenuous Operator: “Challenging” | — | Hotels | $7,390 | $672 | 11 Jul 2027 |
| Private Guided Deluxe Tour of Monte Rosa Alpinehikers · Tour of Monte Rosa sections (part of the loop) New | Private | 11 | 4/5 Strenuous Operator: “Challenging” | Private | Hotels | $7,490 | $681 | Dates on request |
| Tour de Monte Rosa Guided Hiking Tour Wilderness Travel · Tour of Monte Rosa sections (part of the loop) | Guided group | 11 | 4/5 Strenuous Operator: “Level 5+, Strenuous” | Up to 10 | Hotels | $9,395 | $854 | 6 Jul 2028 |
Trail status
Season, permits, fees and closures, checked against official sources.
Closures & advisories · Europaweg springelboden
Europaweg, Springelboden to Eggenstadel (between Randa and Täsch, stage 9 Europahütte to Zermatt): SchweizMobil lists a closure with detour for stone chipping, from 3 July 2024 to 28 July 2027, 'until further notice'. The route site and Zermatt Tourism give the detour: from Springelboden follow the marked path via Attermenzen to Täsch, then the marked trail to Täschalp; a taxi can be booked from Attermenzen to Täschalp. Expect it to apply in the 2027 season unless the notices change.
Closures & advisories · Europaweg tasch ravine
Zermatt Tourism's Europaweg page carries a standing notice that, because of rockfall, there is a diversion at the Täsch ravine: from Bärgji in Randa you go down into the valley to Täsch and back up to Täschalp. The same page says the Grächen to Europahütte stage was reopened in July 2021 after the original path was closed for rockfall.
Closures & advisories · Grachen europahutte reroute
Stage 8 (Grächen to the Europahütte): the route site says the original route has been adjusted because of rockfall and scree avalanches. The current line goes via Gasenried, Taflüe, Herbriggen and Geisstritt up to Galenberg (2,580 m), with fixed-rope sections after the Grosse Grabe, then follows the original line to the hut. The SchweizMobil description of the same stage (route 27, stage 2) describes a somewhat different path, so confirm the current line before you go.
Closures & advisories · Macugnaga lifts end of season
Macugnaga lifts, including the Alpe Bill to Monte Moro cable car (1,711 to 2,806 m, next to the Rifugio Oberto-Maroli below the Monte Moro Pass): the operator's status page showed all four lifts 'closed for end of summer season' on 19 October 2026. The page does not say whether the Alpe Bill to Monte Moro section ran in summer 2026 or what dates apply in 2027; news items found in search (not read, not cited) reported an accident on the Monte Moro cable car on 30 December 2025 and the upper section still shut for extraordinary maintenance in July 2026. Confirm with the operator before relying on the lift to shorten the 1,479 m climb to the pass from Staffa.
Closures & advisories · Matterhorn alpine crossing maintenance
The Matterhorn Alpine Crossing cable car (Klein Matterhorn to Testa Grigia / Plateau Rosa, the lift link between Zermatt and Cervinia that walkers use to shorten the Theodul stage) is closed for maintenance from 7 September to 23 October 2026 and again from 7 January to 26 February 2027 (Cervinia site). Check the Zermatt side lifts separately; this notice covers the crossing.
Huts & refuges · Europahutte · Capacity
Europahütte (2,220 m, above Randa; overnight stop on stage 8): 42 beds. Opening dates and booking were not stated on the Grächen tourism page; book with the hut.
Huts & refuges · Teodulo · Access
CAI Torino's description of the summer approach to the Rifugio Teodulo: from Cervinia by cable car to Testa Grigia (Plateau Rosa) and then about 30 minutes on foot on the glacier. This is the lift-assisted way to the hut, and the glacier stretch remains even then.
Huts & refuges · Teodulo · Booking
Rifugio Teodulo takes all reservations by e-mail only (info@rifugioteodulo.com, as listed by CAI Torino); the hut has nine rooms from doubles to eight-bed rooms.
Huts & refuges · Teodulo · Season
Rifugio Teodulo (CAI Torino, 3,317 m, on the Theodul Pass, 60 beds): the CAI Torino page showed the hut as closed on 19 October 2026, with the next opening listed from 1 December 2026 to 20 September 2027. The listing does not give a summer start date; summer access and the actual 2027 dates need confirming with the hut.
Season · Main season
June to September is usually the best time for the tour, depending on the weather, according to the route site; Gressoney tourism lists June to September and ties it to the months the Alpine refuges are open.
Season · Monte moro walk
The Macugnaga tourist board gives July to September as the normal period to walk up to the Monte Moro Pass (2,868 m), when there is no snow, and says residual snow, ice, wind and bad weather can change conditions at altitude. This is the most conservative date for the stage that crosses the pass.
Guided or self-guided?
Most walkers go independently, with the route's own stage pages, GPX tracks and local lifts for support. The one place where an official source tells you to take a professional is the glacier stretch on the Theodul Pass stage: the route site says a rope team or mountain guide is needed there, and Zermatt Tourism says not to go on glaciers without a guide. Many walkers take the lifts to Testa Grigia and walk the short glacier stretch to the hut; others hire a guide for the full crossing from the Swiss side. The rest is mountain hiking trail with exposed and rope-secured sections. Self-guided packages mostly handle huts and luggage; a guide matters for the glacier stage and for early-season snow at the passes.
Medians are per person, per day, land only, twin share, in USD at today's rate.
About the Tour of Monte Rosa
The Tour of Monte Rosa is a loop of about 173 km, in nine stages, around the Monte Rosa massif and the 4,000 m peaks of the Mischabel. It crosses between Switzerland and Italy twice: at the Theodul Pass (about 3,300 m, on a glacier) and at the Monte Moro Pass (2,868 m). On the Italian side you walk through the Ayas, Lys and Sesia valleys, Walser villages such as St-Jacques, Gressoney, Alagna and Macugnaga, and over passes like the Colle delle Cime Bianche, the Passo dei Salati and the Turlo. In Switzerland you follow the Saas valley balcony to Grächen, then the Europaweg with its 494 m suspension bridge. The official figures are about 10,600 m of ascent, and it is called demanding at every official source.
When to go
The route site puts June to September as the best time, depending on weather, and Gressoney tourism gives the same months and ties them to when the Alpine refuges are open. The Theodul stage and the Monte Moro climb are the pinch points: the Macugnaga tourist board recommends July to September for the walk to the Monte Moro Pass, and the high Italian huts such as the Rifugio Teodulo are staffed in a short summer window. July and August are the settled, busy months; in September lifts and some huts begin to close. Check the Europaweg notices and the lift calendars the week you set off.
Permits and booking timeline
We found no permit, fee or quota for the loop on either side: access to forest and pasture is free under Swiss law, and none of the Italian or Swiss tourist boards mention a permit. Nights are the constraint. The route site stresses that you book each night yourself, and the huts and rifugi at pass stops fill first, among them the Rifugio Teodulo (60 beds, reservations by e-mail only) and the Europahütte (42 beds); we did not check the other huts. Lifts that shorten stages have closure periods and, on the Matterhorn side, seasonal maintenance. Book the Theodul and Europahütte nights first, then fit the rest around them.
Sources
Where our facts and descriptions for this trail come from. Official sources win if anything differs.
Show all 20 sources (19 official)
Official
- Tour Monte Rosa – Matterhorn: the route's own site (173 km, 10,600 m, 3,300 m, nine stages; the stage pages under /en/etappen/ and /en/security/ are cited above) tmr-matterhorn.ch
- Route site: stage 1, Zermatt to the Theodul Pass (glacier section, Klein Matterhorn cable car) tmr-matterhorn.ch
- Route site: stage 8, Grächen to the Europahütte (rerouted for rockfall) tmr-matterhorn.ch
- Route site: stage 9, Europahütte to Zermatt (current notice, Springelboden detour) tmr-matterhorn.ch
- Route site: preparation (June to September, equipment, emergency numbers) tmr-matterhorn.ch
- Zermatt Tourism: Tour Monte Rosa – Matterhorn (164 km, 10,654 m, T4, glacier crossings) zermatt.swiss
- Zermatt Tourism: Europaweg (closed section, detours, Täsch ravine diversion) zermatt.swiss
- SchweizMobil route data: regional route 27 Swiss Tour Monte Rosa (Saas-Fee to Zermatt, 56 km, 3 stages) schweizmobil.ch
- SchweizMobil accommodation list for route 27 (hotels, SAC huts, youth hostels) schweizmobil.ch
- SchweizMobil closure notice: Europaweg, Springelboden to Eggenstadel schweizmobil.ch
- Gressoney Monterosa tourism: Tour del Monte Rosa (ten stages, just over 160 km, June to September) gressoneymonterosa.it
- Alagna Valsesia tourist board: Tour Monte Rosa (TMR), nine stages, start in any village alagna.it
- Macugnaga tourist board (Pro Loco): Tour del Monte Rosa (173 km, nine stages, glacier note) macugnaga-monterosa.com
- Macugnaga tourist board: Staffa to the Monte Moro Pass (marked B99, July to September) macugnaga-monterosa.com
- Macugnaga Monterosa Ski (lift operator): lift status, including Alpe Bill to Monte Moro macugnagamonterosaski.com
- Cervinia (Cervino ski area): Matterhorn Alpine Crossing, maintenance closures 2026 and 2027 cervinia.it
- Zermatt Tourism: Matterhorn Alpine Crossing opening 1 July 2023 zermatt.swiss
- Grächen tourism: Europahütte (42 beds) graechen.ch
- Swiss Federal Office for the Environment (BAFU): free access to forest and pasture bafu.admin.ch
Trail associations
Tour of Monte Rosa FAQ
How long is the Tour of Monte Rosa?
The route site and the Macugnaga tourist board give 173 km in nine stages with about 10,600 m of ascent; Zermatt Tourism gives 164 km, 10,654 m of ascent and 58 hours; Gressoney tourism describes it as a ten-stage trek of just over 160 km. The nine stage lengths on the route site add up to 174 km. Expect 160 to 175 km depending on the stage cuts.
Do I have to cross a glacier on the Theodul Pass?
Yes, there is a glacier stretch. The route site says rope protection or a mountain guide is necessary in the glacier section and Zermatt Tourism recommends a local guide. CAI Torino describes the summer approach from Cervinia as a cable car to Testa Grigia and then about 30 minutes on the glacier. The Klein Matterhorn cable car, which the route site lists, shortens the stage but does not remove the glacier.
Is the Monte Moro Pass cable car open?
On 19 October 2026 the operator showed all Macugnaga lifts closed for the end of the summer season. The Alpe Bill to Monte Moro cable car (top 2,806 m) lets you skip most of the 1,479 m climb from Staffa, but we could not confirm its 2027 dates, and news reports in July 2026 said that section was shut for maintenance.
Is the whole loop waymarked as one route?
Not in the sources we could read. The Swiss part from Saas-Fee to Zermatt is the signposted Swiss route 27, waymarked in both directions. The Macugnaga page says the path to the Monte Moro Pass is marked B99 and shared with the Grande Traversata delle Alpi and the Tour Monte Rosa. The route site publishes the nine stages and GPX tracks as one tour.
Can I walk just part of it?
Yes. The route site describes the stages as flexible and combinable, and the Alagna tourist board says the loop can start and end in any village on it. The Swiss Tour Monte Rosa (Saas-Fee to Zermatt, 56 km, three stages) is a published three-day section; tours like that are listed under sections.
What is closed on the Europaweg?
The Springelboden to Eggenstadel section between Randa and Täsch is closed (SchweizMobil lists it from July 2024 to July 2027), with a signposted detour via Attermenzen to Täsch and then up to Täschalp, and a taxi from Attermenzen. Zermatt Tourism also lists a rockfall diversion at the Täsch ravine.
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