Val d'Anniviers rewards people who slow down. This five-day route moves from Grimentz to Zinal to St-Luc, pairing big-mountain views with cellar visits, cheese lunches and the valley's very reliable yellow buses.
Quick Route Overview
This itinerary suits travellers who would rather see three villages properly than six badly. Expect two to four hours of walking a day on marked paths, long lunches, and evenings that end with a glass of Fendant rather than a nightclub. It works for couples, solo travellers and fit families with kids over ten.
The route runs up the valley in one direction, then back down: Grimentz (nights 1–2), Zinal (nights 3–4), then a slow exit through St-Luc and Chandolin on day five. No car needed. Mid-May to early June is quiet, green and cheap, but snow sits above roughly 2,000m and most cable cars are still shut — that trade-off shapes the whole plan.
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- Duration: 5 days, 4 nights
- Best season: Late May–mid June for silence and wildflowers; July–September for open lifts and full restaurant hours
- Base to stay: Grimentz (nights 1–2) and Zinal (nights 3–4)
- Transit method: Train to Sierre, then CarPostal buses up the valley — no rental car required
Day 1: Sierre to Grimentz, the Village of Black Larch
Morning
Sierre/Siders is the gateway, and the CarPostal bus stop sits right outside the station's north exit — no tram, no taxi, no drama. Grab a coffee at the station café (CHF 4.50 / ~$5 USD) and catch the bus toward Vissoie and Grimentz. The ride takes about 45 minutes and costs around CHF 14 (~$16 USD), or CHF 7 with a Swiss Half Fare Card.
Drop your bags at the hotel and walk the old village core while it's still quiet. Grimentz's granaries stand on stone discs, built to keep mice out and to let air move under the grain — the little wooden village has barely changed since the 1600s.
Afternoon
Have lunch on the terrace of the Hôtel de Moiry: the plat du jour runs CHF 22–28 (~$24–31 USD) and usually involves local cheese in some form. Then pick up the free heritage walk leaflet at the tourist office and follow the numbered houses.
Pause at the village fountain around 15:00, when the light drops into the valley and the chalet walls turn almost orange.
Evening
Sunset is best from the road just above the village, a five-minute walk uphill. Dinner means raclette at CHF 32–38 per person (~$35–42 USD), served with boiled potatoes, cornichons and a glass of Fendant for CHF 6 a decilitre.
Route efficiency tip: Everything in Grimentz is inside a 10-minute walk. Don't plan transport on day one — just arrive, eat and let the altitude settle.
Day 2: Valley Floor, Chapels and Old Water Channels
Morning
Walk down to Saint-Jean, roughly 30–40 minutes on a marked path through meadows, then continue another 25 minutes to Vissoie. The descent is gentle and the trail passes through larch woods that are bright green in late spring.
Stop for coffee in Vissoie at the village bakery — a croissant and an espresso cost about CHF 6 (~$7 USD). The tourist office here has the current map of open walking trails, which matters in spring.
Afternoon
Lunch at the café by the Vissoie crossroads: soup, a plate of séchée (dried beef) and bread for CHF 18–24 (~$20–27 USD). Ask whether the local bisses — the old irrigation channels that carry meltwater along the slopes — are walkable; spring maintenance sometimes closes short sections.
Spend the scenic pause on any bench facing the valley. You are looking at the road you'll take tomorrow, which makes the geography click.
Evening
Take the bus back up to Grimentz (CHF 5 / ~$6 USD) and catch the last light from the terrace of your hotel. Dinner at one of the village restaurants — a croûte au fromage with a green salad lands at around CHF 24 (~$27 USD).
Route efficiency tip: Walk down, ride up. The descent is easy on the knees and you save the uphill bus fare for the days you actually need it.
Day 3: Grimentz to Zinal, Under the Imperial Crown
Morning
Pack light and take the bus from Grimentz to Vissoie, then change for Zinal — about 35 minutes total, roughly CHF 6 (~$7 USD). Confident walkers can instead follow the valley-floor trail via Mottec in around 2 hours 15 minutes, though it gets muddy after rain.
Check in, then walk the short loop through Zinal village. The road ends here, and the valley closes in on all sides.
Afternoon
Lunch at the Hôtel Le Besso terrace: CHF 20–26 (~$22–29 USD) for a plate of pasta or a tartiflette. Then sit somewhere facing south — Zinal famously looks straight at the Weisshorn (4,506m), the Zinalrothorn and the Dent Blanche.
Brew up a coffee at 16:00 and simply stare. That's the afternoon plan.
Evening
Alpenglow on the Weisshorn happens around 20:30 in June. The best free viewpoint is the open ground at the far end of the village near the trailhead, with nothing between you and the peak.
Dinner at Le Besso or the Hôtel les Bouquetins: fondue for two at CHF 28 per person (~$31 USD), plus a glass of Abricotine eau-de-vie for CHF 8 if you want the local finish.
Route efficiency tip: This is a base-swap day, so don't schedule a long hike on top of the move. One transfer and one easy walk is plenty.
Day 4: Snowlines, Slow Walking and a Rainy-Day Swap
Morning
Coffee and bread at the village bakery (CHF 7 / ~$8 USD), then head up the valley toward the Petit Mountet hut. In spring you will meet the snowline somewhere between 1,900m and 2,200m — turn around there and enjoy the view instead of postholing through slush.
Even a 90-minute walk up valley gives you waterfalls, larch forest and the sound of the Navizence river the whole way.
Afternoon
Back in the village, lunch on soup, rye bread and cheese for CHF 16–20 (~$18–22 USD). If it rains, take the bus down to Sierre and spend the afternoon at the Château de Villa wine bar — three Valais wines for around CHF 25 (~$28 USD) with a cellar visit included.
The Rilke museum in Sierre is a quieter alternative if wine isn't your thing.
Evening
Eat in Zinal — a plate of local lamb or a cheese gratin runs CHF 26–34 (~$29–38 USD). Then walk five minutes past the last streetlight: Zinal is dark enough for genuine stargazing, no observatory ticket required.
Route efficiency tip: Keep day four flexible. Spring weather flips fast, and the Zinal–Sierre bus is the easiest escape route in the valley.
Day 5: St-Luc, Chandolin and a Last Glass in Sierre
Morning
Bus from Zinal to Vissoie, change for St-Luc — about 40 minutes and CHF 8 (~$9 USD). Drop into the Hôtel Weisshorn, built in 1882 and one of the oldest hotels in Valais, for a coffee in the wood-panelled lounge.
Note the honest catch: the cable car to Tignousa and the François-Xavier Bagnoud Observatory usually doesn't run before mid-June. If it's closed, walk the lower paths and enjoy the village instead of chasing the altitude.
Afternoon
Take the ten-minute bus to Chandolin, one of the highest year-round villages in Europe. Follow the small trail linked to Ella Maillart, the Swiss travel writer who lived here from 1947 — the views over the Rhône valley open up dramatically.
Lunch at a chalet restaurant: CHF 22–28 (~$24–31 USD) for a plate of the day. Then one last coffee on a south-facing terrace.
Evening
Bus down to Sierre, roughly 50 minutes. If your train is later, stop at the Château de Villa for a glass of Petite Arvine (CHF 6 / ~$7 USD) — a fitting end to a week built on the sunny side of the valley.
Route efficiency tip: Everything on day five sits on one bus line down to Sierre. Keep your luggage with you; there are lockers at Sierre station if you want to wander hands-free.
Getting Around Val d'Anniviers
There is no train inside the valley. CarPostal buses run from Sierre station up through Vissoie, then branch to Grimentz, Zinal, St-Luc and Chandolin, roughly hourly from about 06:00 to 20:00. One-way fares run CHF 5–20 (~$6–22 USD) depending on distance.
Many hotels and apartments hand out a guest card that covers local bus travel — ask at check-in, because it's easy to miss and worth real money. A rental car is only useful for the Lac de Moiry road, which opens from roughly mid-June to late October and is closed by snow before that.
Walking is safe on marked trails, but spring paths above 1,800m hold wet snow and the odd postholed section. Sturdy shoes with grip beat sneakers. Taxis exist but cost CHF 40+ between villages.
Estimated Daily Budget Breakdown
| Travel Style | Accommodation | Food & Drink | Transit & Sights | Total / Day |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Budget Backpacker | CHF 45–70 (~$50–78) | CHF 35–50 (~$39–56) | CHF 15–25 (~$17–28) | CHF 95–145 (~$105–160) |
| Comfortable Mid-Range | CHF 120–180 (~$133–200) | CHF 60–85 (~$67–94) | CHF 25–40 (~$28–44) | CHF 205–305 (~$228–339) |
| Boutique Splurge | CHF 250–400 (~$278–444) | CHF 110–160 (~$122–178) | CHF 50–80 (~$56–89) | CHF 410–640 (~$455–710) |
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to book buses or cable cars in advance?
No. Buses are hop-on, and tickets are bought from the driver or through the Libero app. Cable cars don't take reservations either — you simply turn up, which is another reason not to build a spring trip around them.
Where can I store luggage on the way in or out?
Sierre station has lockers starting around CHF 6 (~$7 USD) for 24 hours, and most valley hotels will hold bags before check-in or after checkout without charging.
When is the best time to do this route?
Mid-June to late September gives you open lifts, full restaurants and the famous Grimentz flowers. Late May is quieter and cheaper, but expect closed cable cars, some eateries on seasonal break, and snow above roughly 2,000m.
Is a car necessary?
Not at all. Bus connections between all five villages are frequent enough for a slow itinerary, and parking in Grimentz and Zinal can be tight in high season. Only rent a car if you're set on driving to Lac de Moiry after mid-June.
