The Engadine Valley is known for its frozen lakes and surrounding forests. This valley, full of groomed cross-country ski trails, is one of the most spectacular in the world. Thanks to its excellent network of Nordic skiing trails, there is over 280 km of groomed tracks for classic and skating styles.
On this trip, you will go from Maloja to Zernez at the foot of these mythical mountains. Each day, you will live an unforgettable experience on new tracks with new majestic panoramas as soon as you leave your hotel!
You can be assured of great Nordic skiing from the beginning of December to the end of March because of the regular snowfalls in the Engadine Valley and its dry, cold temperatures. After all, it’s at over 1,800 meters.
The trails that we have chosen allow for a great variety of different skier levels. Whether you like classic or skating, you will fall in love with the tracks. Now, there are two valleys that do not allow for skating (Val Fex and Val Roseg). On those two days, we give you some other choices.
Also, there is always a possibility that you can shorten a route depending on your conditioning or your degree of fatigue. In fact, you can always take a local bus to meet us at the hotel. We have an open hotline during the entire week for such situations
Included and Not Included Services
6 nights in 3*** hotel, double room with private services
6 buffets breakfast
6 evening meals
All hotel taxes included
Transfer your luggage from hotel to hotel (2 suitcases per person maximum)
Your all-inclusive Nordic ski tickets for the entire week
Full detailed information for your trip, including all of the ski trails you will be taking, a description of the terrain, places to discover new things, and important telephone numbers. The pieces of information are in German and French, we can provide them in other languages on request.
A hotline telephone service during the entire week
Free parking for the entire week near the first night’s hotel
Train transfer from Zernez to Zuoz (the last day)
Sauna (Hotels in Pontresina and in Maloja)
A souvenir present
Additional Possibilities (not included in the tour price, but available on demand)
Rental of all materials, including skis, poles, shoes, either classic or skate) 130 Swiss Francs or 130 Euros for the week, including your deposit at the last hotel in Zuoz
Transfer at the end of your week back to Maloja: CHF 15,- / Euro 15;
Travel Insurance
Personal expenses and extra
All services that are not expressly mentioned under "Included services“
Day 1: Arrival at Maloja in the Engadine Valley
You decide how to get to Maloja. If you come by car, you can leave it at the hotel free of charge for the entire week. If you arrive early enough, you can even take a short ski around Maloja, going to Islen and Cavloc Lake, which constitutes a round trip of between 5 and 6 km. This is one way to take a first look at the Bergell Valley, which is situated in Italy. The border is only 30 minutes away
Day 2: Maloja - Val Fex - Maloja (approximately 22 km)
The Val Fex is a non-motorized valley. It is reserved for classic cross-country skiers and horse carriages! Actually, some motorized traffic is allowed, but it is extremely regulated. There are only three hotels in this valley. Obviously, the residents have legal access to their houses via their cars and the hotels can use motorized transportation for their clients. In any event, you are guaranteed one of the most tranquil days imaginable while you admire the shockingly beautiful panorama at the foot of the Piz Chapütschin. Your route will take you through Isola, which is a small village where only six families live during the year. You will be on your way to Sils before the route takes you to the right. After that, you can no longer skate ski so if that is what you are doing, you have to take a detour through the town of Silvaplana and come back by a different route, which adds between 12 and 15 km to your skate skiing day, depending on which return you take. At Val Fex, you will find a number of restaurants with outside terraces where you can have an enjoyable pause. You return in the afternoon to Maloja where, if you like painting, you can visit the workshop of the famous painter Giovanni Segantini. Then you will dine at your hotel.
Day 3: Maloja - Pontresina (approximately 21 km)
The world-famous Engadine Cross Country Ski Marathon takes place on the second Sunday in March and has been doing so since 1969. In 1991 it was cancelled because there was too much snow! So now you know how much the Engadine Valley is a little corner of snow always available for the kinds of activities we are offering in the winter. You will start your day only 500 meters from the hotel where the route will follow the first 21 km of the Engadine Nordic Ski Marathon. It is a sumptuous route that will make you seem small in comparison to the immensity of the surrounding mountains. You will continue your skiing through Sils, Silvaplana, and the world-famous St-Moritz, before reaching the Pontresina. All along this route, you will be able to take a break or shorten your total distance depending on your level of tiredness or even take the local bus back to the hotel. Both classic and skate skiers will take the same trails. When you reach Pontresina, you can shed your equipment and visit the village of Pontresina, which is only 5 minutes away by foot from your hotel. If you want, you can take a sauna (free) and later you will dine at your hotel.
Day 4: Pontresina - Val Roseg (approximately 16 km)
You will leave from Pontresina’s Nordic centre, which is in front of your hotel. Today, you will discover the Val Roseg. If you are lucky, you will be able to observe some camels! You will face 8 km of not-too-difficult climbing until you reach a restaurant situated at the foot of the glacier. In that restaurant, you will have access to a beautiful buffet of desserts, reputed to be the best in the entire Engadine Valley. You can, if you so desire, ski to the beginning of the glacier from the restaurant. It is only a 5-km round trip and well worth it. Both classic and skate skiers start off the same, but eventually the skate skiers branch off to a route called Rennloipe. It is a fairly tough course, but only 7 to 8 km long. It doesn’t take you to the end of the valley, however. That is why you have to go toward Val Morteratsch. To access this valley is a 12 km round trip and is a way for those of you who wish to extend your day, even if you are classic skiing. You will return in the late afternoon and can visit Pontresina again. Then it is time for a sauna and dinner.
Day 5: Pontresina - Zuoz (approximately 19 km)
On this day you will do the second half of the Engadine Nordic Ski Marathon or about 19 km. The route follows the Enn River, which then joins the River Danube at Passau and eventually goes to Vienna, Budapest, and the Black Sea, but you won’t be going that far today. The last 3 km of today’s route is hilly as it takes you to our third hotel in Zuoz. You will find in that city typical Engadine houses of which some date back to 1600 and are found at the foot of the Grisons National Park. We plan a short walk through the village so that you can admire the architecture. Then dinner at your hotel or at the Zuoz cross-country centre, depending on the availability.
Day 6: Zuoz - Zernez (Approximately 25 km)
Perhaps this last day is the most beautiful of all. You will be going through what is commonly known as the Wild Valley or the White Valley. The 25 km separating Zuoz from Zernez, includes many bordering forests that are well-known in the area. You will be close to the railroad tracks of a famous train line that has been labelled by Unesco as part of the world’s heritage. You will end the day with three spectacular descents that will take you to the other entrance to Zernez National Park. You will go back to your hotel via train. There are two trains an hour at Zernez, so you can ski as slowly or quickly as you want. Count on having a great dessert before you take the train to celebrate completing your last day intact. At Zernez, there is an interesting museum you can visit that will take about 25 minutes and you can easily do this before you take the train. Today, all participants, whether doing classic or skating techniques, will take the same routes. Dinner at your hotel, or at the Zuoz cross-country centre, depending on the availability.
Day 7: Departure day
Breakfast at the hotel with everybody leaving, but, if you want to stay longer, you can. We can organize some great additional activities for you
| Standard | ||
|---|---|---|
| Package | view calendar | |
It is recommended to purchase an optional travel cancellation policy. Prices valid subject to changes in the offer, omissions, printing errors or arithmetic.
| own equipment CC | 0 € | |
| Ski equipment Engadine | 130 € | |
It is recommended to purchase an optional travel cancellation policy. Prices valid subject to changes in the offer, omissions, printing errors or arithmetic.
Car: you will have to take the Zürich-Chur expressway as far as Thusis and then you will climb the Julier high-mountain pass until you get to Silvaplana, then you drive directly to Maloja.
You can plan your trip on: www.viamichelin.it or https://www.google.com/maps/
Airport: Zurich and Milan
Train: From St-Moritz Train station you will have to get the bus to Maloja
3***Hotels, sauna avaiable in both Maloja and Pontresina.
NOTE: You can do this tour in the opposite direction. This is an option if the hotels in Maloja or in Zuoz no longer have rooms available
You have free park near the initial hotel in Maloja.
You can leave your car at the first Hotel for free for the whole holiday
If you come by car, you will take the Zürich-Chur expressway as far as Thusis and then you will climb the Julier high-mountain pass until you get to Silvaplana, then you drive directly to Maloja. If you are coming by train, take it to St-Moritz and then take the postal bus to Maloja. If you are coming by plane, the closest airport is Zürich or Milan; each is about two and a half hours away by motorized transportation.
Tour information
- Duration 7 days
- Difficulty Level Media
- Distance 90 - 120 km