4 Days in the Vaud Alps: Complete Summer Itinerary (+Map)

Planning a few days in the Swiss Alps near Lake Geneva and want a route that actually flows? This 4-day Vaud Alps itinerary covers the best of the Alpes Vaudoises in one logical loop: turquoise mountain lakes, proper alpine hikes, authentic villages, a glacier at 3,000 m, and plenty for kids along the way.

I’ve planned it so each day builds on the last with short, scenic drives between regions, and I’ve added where to sleep plus a wet-weather backup for every stop. You can do it in 4 days or stretch it to 6.

Vaud Alps itinerary at a glance

• Best time to go: July to late August, when the high-mountain cable cars and the Gourmet trail are all running.
• Total driving: roughly 110 km across four short, scenic legs — no day is more than 45 minutes behind the wheel.
• Good for: families, hikers, and first-time visitors who want a relaxed but full week in the Vaud Alpes.

Where are the Vaud Alps?

The Vaud Alps (Alpes Vaudoises) sit just above Lake Geneva (Lac Léman) in western Switzerland, stretching east towards Gstaad. They’re often called an extension of the Bernese Alps.

These aren’t the highest peaks in the country, but you still reach 3,000 m at Glacier 3000 in Les Diablerets, and the region’s highest summit, the Diablerets, tops out at 3,209 m.

The main regions are Aigle, Leysin–Les Mosses, Villars–Gryon–Les Diablerets–Bex, and Pays-d’Enhaut. This itinerary covers Pays-d’Enhaut, Leysin, Les Diablerets and Gryon, with options to add the rest.

So, let’s discover what this 4 days in the Vaud Alps  itinerary can offer you.

Map of the Vaud Alps Regions

The regions covered in the 4 day itinerary are underlined on the map. Furthermore you will find some bonus suggestions in some of the other regions that are well worth the detour or by staying one or two days longer in the beautiful Alpes Vaudoises.

Click on the Map to get full access

Day 1 — Pays-d’Enhaut: Hike La Videmanette from Rougemont

Region: Pays-d’Enhaut
Location: Rougemont / Château-d’Œx
Activity: Hiking La Videmanette – 2.5h -3h plus lunch
Overnight: Château d’Œx Hotel de Ville – 3 * Check prices and reviews

Hiking La Videmanette in Rougemont

(Great for non-hikers too — there’s a restaurant with a panoramic terrace at the top.)

This is one of the best easy hikes in the Vaud Alps, and a perfect first day. From Rougemont, take the La Videmanette cable car up to 2,200 m — a 10-minute ride that swaps the village for a full ridge-top panorama over the Vaud Alps, the Bernese Alps and the Valais peaks beyond.

The loop is about 6.5 km and takes 2.5 to 3 hours, depending on how often you stop for photos (often, in our case). From the restaurant terrace, head right along the ridge and follow the goat path through the alpine flower meadows — you’ll walk the circuit anti-clockwise. It’s a gentle, family-friendly trail with the kind of scenery that makes the Alpes Vaudoises worth the trip.

Not hiking? The Restaurant La Videmanette has a sun terrace and serves good local dishes, so the cable car ride alone earns its place on Day 1.

To get full to the Videmanette hiking map by  CLICKING on it.

Via Ferrata and climbing at La Videmanette

If you want more than the hike, the Rubli peak right next to the top station has three Via Ferrata routes at different difficulty levels. You can rent gear at the bottom cable car station if you don’t have your own. The recommended minimum age is 10, and only if you’ve done Via Ferrata before — these aren’t a first-timer’s route.

After lunch on the terrace, ride the cable car back down and drive to Château-d’Œx, where you’ll spend the night.

Good to know before you go:

• Free parking at the cable car station; arriving by train, it’s a 5-minute walk from Rougemont station.
• The cable car has a very short summer season — roughly early July to late August. It’s the one thing that can derail Day 1, so always confirm current dates before you set off.

Other activities in the area: Public swimming pool, bowling and leisure centre, Espace Ballon Museum (hot air balloons)

Things to do in Château d’Œx

After your hike, Château-d’Œx is a lovely place to wind down — there’s a public swimming pool, bowling, a hot-air balloon museum, and the L’Etivaz cheese dairy nearby.

It’s worth more than just an overnight if you have the time, so rather than squeeze it in here I’ve covered it all separately

See my full guide to a family weekend in Château-d’Œx for what to do, where the balloons take off, and the best village viewpoints.

Where to stay in Château-d’Œx

• Hotel de Ville — right in the centre, easy to explore the village on foot, with a lively bar-restaurant below and a solid 3* breakfast. Expect around CHF 160 for a double, CHF 260 for a family room.
• Maison d’Hôtes Ermitage — spacious, family-friendly rooms with a small play area and animals. Lovely for adults; the menu leans grown-up rather than child-friendly.

Brows the map to find more places to stay in the Vaud Alps Region.

Day 2 — Leysin: The Gourmet hiking trail

Region: Leysin
Location: Leysin
Activity: Gourmet trail (full day)
Overnight: Hotel Le Grand Chalet in Leysin.  About Chf 220.- for a double room / Chf 280.- for a family room Check availability and review

After breakfast, take the scenic mountain road to Leysin (about 30 km, 45 minutes).

The Leysin gourmet hike (randonnée gourmande) is a three-course meal spread across a mountain walk — and it’s one of the most memorable things we’ve done in the Vaud Alps. You walk for around 2.5 hours between three mountain refuges, eating one course at each:

• Aperitif at the Solacyre refuge — a cheese-based starter with a glass of wine or beer (syrup or mineral water for the kids), after a short but steady climb up.
• Main course at the Temeley alpage — your choice of alpage fondue, croûte au fromage, or ham on the bone with rösti. In summer, Temeley is also a working artisanal cheese dairy, so you’re eating the real thing where it’s made.
• Dessert at the Prafandaz restaurant — the downhill final stretch back towards Leysin.

The route runs past the Tour d’Aï, with the alpine lakes of Aï and Mayen nearby — marmot and chamois country. (An alpage is a summer farm where cows, sheep or goats are milked and cheese is made on the mountain.)

It’s a brilliant way to do a hike with kids and it supports the small family-run refuges, but be honest about fitness: it opens with a steady uphill to Solacyre, so it suits active families and older children rather than toddlers. The gourmet breaks are built-in rests.

Good to know: You book in advance so each refuge knows when to expect you, and you pay per person. Plan a full day for it. We had a great time but it was quite a long day out.

To get the full hiking itinerary CLICK on the map below.

Things to do in Leysin if it rains

Leysin is a sports town, so there’s an indoor climbing wall (beginner to advanced) in the upper village, plus tennis courts, a pump track, volleyball and a play area lower down.

Where to stay in Leysin

Stay at Hotel le Grand Chalet in Leysin. That where we stayed. A cosy chalet-style rooms, with a jacuzzi and sauna on a panoramic terrace to wind down after the hike. The half-board dining is genuinely good. Around CHF 220 for a double, CHF 280 for a family room. Check availability.

If you like to spend one extra day here, we recommend the hike to Lac Lioson from Les Mosses.

 Day 3 — Les Diablerets: Glacier 3000

Region: Les Diablerets
Location: Les Diablerets
Activity: Visit Glacier 3000 & Adventure Park
Overnight: The Glacier Hotel 4* Superior about Chf 278.- for a double room / Chf 490.- for a family room

Read our full hotel review  and more about the area Les Diablerets

Drive from Leysin to Col du Pillon via Gstaad (about 30 km, 35 minutes), then take the cable car up to Scex Rouge, where you’ll find Glacier 3000.

This is the highlight of the whole itinerary. At 3,000 m you get the Peak Walk by Tissot (the world’s only suspension bridge linking two peaks), the world’s highest alpine coaster, a walk out onto the glacier, and views from Mont Blanc to the Jungfrau.

Ticket price

• The adult return cable car is currently CHF 89
• Reductions: CHF 45 with a Half Fare Card or Swiss Travel Pass;
• Children 6–15 with the Junior Travelcard  are free, like kids  under 6 free.

One thing to plan around: babies under 15 months aren’t permitted and a visit isn’t recommended under 2, because of the fast altitude gain.

There’s more up there than you’d expect, and a few timing tricks that make or break the day — when to ride the coaster so you skip the queue, which restaurant table to book, and what’s open in summer versus winter. I’ve put it all in one place:

Read my complete Glacier 3000 guide before you go, including how to get there and the best tickets to buy.

Things to do in Les Diablerets

If you’ve still got energy, the Parc des Diables adventure tree park is a 10-minute walk from the car park, with routes from age 5 and a zip-line for older kids. It closes at 18:00 and stops handing out equipment at 17:00. There are also tennis courts and a play area in the village.

Where to stay in Les Diablerets

The Glacier Hotel 4* — well located in the village, with mountain views, an indoor pool and large family rooms with balconies. We’ve since been back in winter, so read our full The Glacier Hotel review before you book. From around CHF 278 for a double, CHF 490 for a family room. Check rates and availabilities.

 Day 4 — Villars–Gryon: The lakes at Frience

Region: Villars – Gryon
Location: Frience (Gryon)
Activity: Have a relaxed day by the lakes
Overnight: If you are extending your stay in the Alpes Vaudoises we recommend to stay at the Villars Lodge – about Chf 182.- for a double room / Chf 242.- for a family room. Check availability.

Say goodbye to Les Diablerets and drive over the Col de la Croix — one last reminder of how good the Vaud Alps look. There’s a car park and snack bar at the top of the pass, worth a quick stop. Total drive is about 25 km, 40 minutes.

In Gryon, head up to the Frience recreation area on the Alpe des Chaux plateau.

It’s free and family-friendly: a man-made swimming area with three pools at different depths (0.40 m, 0.90 m and 2.50 m), picnic tables, a BBQ station and rentable umbrellas. The Restaurant le Refuge has a good terrace if you’d rather not picnic.

For a bit more action there’s summer tubing and an airbag jump — a child day pass is around CHF 20 for unlimited runs on the 200 m track. It’s an easy, low-cost way to end the trip and the kids love it.

Good to know: Frience is also a brilliant, free family snow area in winter. I’ve covered that fully in Frience in winter, so read that if you’re coming in the cold season.

Where to stay if you extend

Villars Lodge — around CHF 182 for a double, CHF 242 for a family room. Check availability.

Extending your Vaud Alps Itinerary to 5 or 6 days

There is no doubt that you could spend weeks in this region and even adding the lake are to it.

Below I have listed some more activities which would add on cleanly without backtracking:

• Hike to Lac Lioson from Les Mosses — best added to your Leysin stop. See the Lac Lioson hike.
• Hike to Refuge Solalex in Gryon — easy to slot around your Frience day; staying the night at Solalex will give you a lot of memories to this trip. Read how to get to Solalex.

For more across the region: Villars-Gryon as a winter resort, 10 things to do in Montreux Riviera, hiking the Lavaux wine terraces, and the spring Narcissus hike at Les Pléiades.

How to get around the Vaud Alps

A car makes this itinerary easy thanks to the short cross-region drives. Compare prices on Discover cars if you need to rent a car.

If you’re relying on public transport or visiting several mountain attractions, a Swiss Travel Pass pays for itself fast — it gives 50% off Glacier 3000 and covers most trains, buses and boats across the country. Check Swiss Travel Pass prices.

Vaud Alps itinerary FAQ

How many days do you need in the Vaud Alps?

Four days covers the highlights in this itinerary. Add a fifth or sixth for the Lac Lioson hike and Refuge Solalex if you want a slower pace.

When is the best time to visit the Vaud Alps?

July to late August. That’s when the La Videmanette cable car, the Leysin gourmet hike, and the summer activities at Glacier 3000 and Frience are all running.

Are the Vaud Alps good for families?

Yes — this whole route is family-tested, with easy hikes, alpine lakes, a tree park, summer tubing and family rooms at every stop.

Is Glacier 3000 worth it with kids?

Yes, from age 2 up. See the Glacier 3000 guide for the age rules and how to time your visit.

Do you need a car for this itinerary?

No, but it helps. The drives between regions are short and scenic; without one, lean on the train-and-cable-car network and a Swiss Travel Pass.

Note: this trip was originally in cooperation with Alpes Vaudoises. These collaborations let us describe an area in real detail so you know what to expect. Prices were last checked June 2026 and can change seasonally — always confirm before you book.

Note: This trip was in cooperation with Alps Vaudoises thank you again! These great collaborations are here for us to describe our experience of the area and/or activity. This way we can also detail the best there is, so you know what to expect when visiting the Alpes Vaudoises in Switzerland.

Thank you & Never Forget to Explore

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