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Jura Crest Trail: East
Arrival day: Arrive in Dielsdorf
Our trip begins in Dieslsdorf on the edge of the high ground that makes up the Jura. We are just outside Zurich here, and the village is easily reached from Zurich airport. Dielsdorf is quiet, and we can relax over a pizza before the uphill tomorrow.
Hotel in Dielsdorf (breakfast)
Our trip begins in Dieslsdorf on the edge of the high ground that makes up the Jura. We are just outside Zurich here, and the village is easily reached from Zurich airport. Dielsdorf is quiet, and we can relax over a pizza before the uphill tomorrow.
Hotel in Dielsdorf (breakfast)
Stage 1: Dielsdorf to Brugg
Blue 4 (grade) 24.3km with 789m ascent, 876m descent
We begin following a well-defined ridge. This arc of mountain jumps off the map, and takes us from Dielsdorf to Baden. Woods up, rocky walking along the top, and woods down, to Baden which appears suddenly to Jura Crest Trail hikers, head-on, glorious, colourful. We cross the ancient covered bridge into Baden. Further upland woodland walking takes us on to Brugg.
Hotel in Brugg (breakfast)
Blue 4 (grade) 24.3km with 789m ascent, 876m descent
We begin following a well-defined ridge. This arc of mountain jumps off the map, and takes us from Dielsdorf to Baden. Woods up, rocky walking along the top, and woods down, to Baden which appears suddenly to Jura Crest Trail hikers, head-on, glorious, colourful. We cross the ancient covered bridge into Baden. Further upland woodland walking takes us on to Brugg.
Hotel in Brugg (breakfast)
Stage 2: Brugg to Staffeleggpass
Blue 2 (grade) 15.2km with 530m ascent, 251m descent
Leaving the old town of Brugg we climb steadily over this rolling stage and, later, find ourselves in farmland, high fields, with fresh air and wider views. Today's stage is a relatively short one, possibly welcome after the first day. Our end point for the day is the café at the Staffeleggpass and from here we take a bus to our hotel in Aarau.
Hotel in Aarau (breakfast)
Blue 2 (grade) 15.2km with 530m ascent, 251m descent
Leaving the old town of Brugg we climb steadily over this rolling stage and, later, find ourselves in farmland, high fields, with fresh air and wider views. Today's stage is a relatively short one, possibly welcome after the first day. Our end point for the day is the café at the Staffeleggpass and from here we take a bus to our hotel in Aarau.
Hotel in Aarau (breakfast)
Stage 3: Staffeleggpass to Hauenstein
Blue 3 (grade) 19.8km with 819m ascent, 765m descent
Today's route links two important North-South passes in this part of Switzerland: the Staffeleggpass and the Salhöhe Pass. We start by meandering across farmland and through woods. Higher up the views are extensive to left and right. We follow a wooded ridge above the Salhöhe Pass. Walking into Hauenstein we catch the bus down the hill to the important railway town of Olten with its central covered bridge.
Hotel in Olten (breakfast)
Blue 3 (grade) 19.8km with 819m ascent, 765m descent
Today's route links two important North-South passes in this part of Switzerland: the Staffeleggpass and the Salhöhe Pass. We start by meandering across farmland and through woods. Higher up the views are extensive to left and right. We follow a wooded ridge above the Salhöhe Pass. Walking into Hauenstein we catch the bus down the hill to the important railway town of Olten with its central covered bridge.
Hotel in Olten (breakfast)
Stage 4: Hauenstein to Balsthal
Blue 4 (grade) 21.2km with 869m ascent, 1055m descent
We walk steadily along a wooded ridge to reach a fine view point and the final summit of our day; Roggenflue. Here there is a long view to the main chain of the Alps and its peaks, and a sign board pointing these out. We drop across fields with cattle into the delightful town of Balsthal. A train links Balsthal with Oensingen on the main line.
Hotel in Balsthal (breakfast)
Blue 4 (grade) 21.2km with 869m ascent, 1055m descent
We walk steadily along a wooded ridge to reach a fine view point and the final summit of our day; Roggenflue. Here there is a long view to the main chain of the Alps and its peaks, and a sign board pointing these out. We drop across fields with cattle into the delightful town of Balsthal. A train links Balsthal with Oensingen on the main line.
Hotel in Balsthal (breakfast)
Stage 5: Balsthal to Weissenstein
Blue 4 (grade) 21.1km with 1190m ascent, 398m descent
Our high point of the day is Hällchöpfli; with its excellent viewpoint and picnic benches it makes a good lunch spot. We descend and make use of a new suspension bridge to arrive in Weissenstein, an unusual area that is a plateau of meadows and woods. Clients who prefer a town setting for their evening are welcome to take the cable car and train to Solothurn. With its historic centre, it is one of the most pleasant towns in this part of Switzerland.
Hotel at Weissenstein (breakfast)
Blue 4 (grade) 21.1km with 1190m ascent, 398m descent
Our high point of the day is Hällchöpfli; with its excellent viewpoint and picnic benches it makes a good lunch spot. We descend and make use of a new suspension bridge to arrive in Weissenstein, an unusual area that is a plateau of meadows and woods. Clients who prefer a town setting for their evening are welcome to take the cable car and train to Solothurn. With its historic centre, it is one of the most pleasant towns in this part of Switzerland.
Hotel at Weissenstein (breakfast)
Stage 6: Weissenstein to Frinvillier
Blue 4 (grade) 24.1km with 675m ascent, 1405m descent
Today's stage sets off across the plateau of Weissenstein to the first summit, the Hasenmatt (1,445m) with its rocky top and long views North and South. The second half of the day is downhill over meadows and through woods to reach Frinvillier, a village joined to the big town of Biel by a gorge, which we can visit as a detour.
Hotel in Frinvillier (breakfast)
Blue 4 (grade) 24.1km with 675m ascent, 1405m descent
Today's stage sets off across the plateau of Weissenstein to the first summit, the Hasenmatt (1,445m) with its rocky top and long views North and South. The second half of the day is downhill over meadows and through woods to reach Frinvillier, a village joined to the big town of Biel by a gorge, which we can visit as a detour.
Hotel in Frinvillier (breakfast)
Stage 7: Frinvillier to Chasseral
Blue 3 (grade) 18.5km with 1347m ascent, 249m descent
A morning of uphill climbing to reach the ridge. Initially the walking is steep. This is a quieter day. The grassy ridge of Chasseral with some rocky bands sits high above the valley to the South and affords long views. This point, Chasseral (1,607m), is the highest point on the Eastern half of the Jura Crest Trail.
Hotel at Chasseral (breakfast)
Blue 3 (grade) 18.5km with 1347m ascent, 249m descent
A morning of uphill climbing to reach the ridge. Initially the walking is steep. This is a quieter day. The grassy ridge of Chasseral with some rocky bands sits high above the valley to the South and affords long views. This point, Chasseral (1,607m), is the highest point on the Eastern half of the Jura Crest Trail.
Hotel at Chasseral (breakfast)
Stage 8: Chasseral to Vue-des-Alpes
Blue 3 (grade) 18.7km with 652m ascent, 917m descent
This last stage of the East involves descent then re-ascent, through the village of Le Pâquier to the road crossing at Vue des Alpes. Vue des Alpes is linked to nearby towns only by bus; the railway line that you might see on maps, runs in a tunnel below. From Vue des Alpes we catch the bus to La Chaux-de-Fonds and the train to Neuchâtel, to stay in Neuchâtel for our last night. Neuchâtel is a fine little town with strolling above Lac de Neuchâtel and the Chateau de Neuchâtel above.
Hotel in Neuchâtel (breakfast)
Blue 3 (grade) 18.7km with 652m ascent, 917m descent
This last stage of the East involves descent then re-ascent, through the village of Le Pâquier to the road crossing at Vue des Alpes. Vue des Alpes is linked to nearby towns only by bus; the railway line that you might see on maps, runs in a tunnel below. From Vue des Alpes we catch the bus to La Chaux-de-Fonds and the train to Neuchâtel, to stay in Neuchâtel for our last night. Neuchâtel is a fine little town with strolling above Lac de Neuchâtel and the Chateau de Neuchâtel above.
Hotel in Neuchâtel (breakfast)
Departure day: Depart from Neuchâtel
Relax over breakfast, and perhaps explore Neuchâtel's old town centre. From Neuchâtel it is easy to reach Geneva, Basel or Zurich airports by train. (Local bus from Basel SBB to Basel airport!) Please ask us to advise about any Swiss travel ideas you might have. Congratulations!
Relax over breakfast, and perhaps explore Neuchâtel's old town centre. From Neuchâtel it is easy to reach Geneva, Basel or Zurich airports by train. (Local bus from Basel SBB to Basel airport!) Please ask us to advise about any Swiss travel ideas you might have. Congratulations!
Options
Our standard 8 stage trip splits the stages fairly evenly, making use of accommodation on or close to the route on most nights. Our trips are customisable and you're welcome to hike the trip in more or fewer stages, or walk only part of the route. Here we give details of some common variations. If you have ideas of your own, we welcome you to get in touch. Make the trip shorter
Options for walking the entire trip in 7 stages are limited. We would discuss with anyone who was keen to explore options, the possibility of combining Stages 2 and 3 into a long day of 25km with 1,349m ascent and 1,016m descent. This would be hard going, especially after Stage 1 which is a hot introduction.
In general we would find it easy to add rest days, in order to reduce the weight of walking: more rest days and fewer consecutive days.
Add rest days
As standard, our Jura Crest Trail: East doesn't include any rest days as standard. The town of Balsthal after Stage 4 is of a decent size and is well-connected by train to the Swiss network and therefore the more attractive of the nearby towns such as Solothurn. We can advise, and of course would be gla to book Swiss nights off-route.
We would also recommend spending more time in Neuchâtel at the end of your trip, or indeed Zurich at the start. Please ask us if you’d like to add any extra nights at either end.
Hike with a guide
Hike with confidence in the company of one of our fully qualified International Mountain Leaders (IMLs). They’ll take charge of the navigation and logistics, leaving you to enjoy leaving you to enjoy the day without worrying about the details.
Please see our In the Pipeline page for more details on trips coming soon.
2027 Prices
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Jura Crest Trail: East 1 June to 16 September 2027 |
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| Classic | |||
| Self-guided | |||
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7 stages (8 nights) |
GBP 1,390 Singles 400 |
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8 stages (9 nights) |
GBP 1,480 Singles 450 Main Trip |
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8 stages 1 rest day (10 nights) |
GBP 1,570 Singles 500 | ||
| Options | |||
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Baggage transfer |
Please ask us | ||
Accommodation
Where we stay
Our Jura Crest Trail: East trip includes hotel accomodation every night, in private ensuite rooms. All of the hotels except three are directly on the route, or in the same town as the route passes through, with a walk through the streets.
We make use of the excellent Swiss bus and train system on three nights, to reach hotels in nearby towns, where the Jura Crest Trail passes up in the hills above a town below, or on your last night to reach Neuchâtel from Vue des Alpes.
We book breakfasts as standard, and typically a Swiss breakfast is a simple and wholesome selection of eggs, juices, yoghurts and cereals, always with bread, butter and jam. Some hotels are more elaborate.
Single Room Supplement
If you would like to book a room for single occupancy, we would ask to add our single supplement fee. This covers the additional cost of booking a single occupancy room, compared to a double occupancy room.
We regret that we do not take bookings for solo walkers on self-guided trips. Of course, people who are part of self-guided groups can ask for single rooms if they prefer to have a room to themself at night.
Route
Setting off from Dielsdorf we cross a well-defined ridge, really the start of the Jura, to the picturesque towns of Baden and later Brugg. We follow ridges to Balsthal, we gain the plateau of Weissenstein, and we climb to Chasseral, before arriving at the road pass at Vue des Alpes for a bus and train to Neuchâtel for our last night.
Jura Crest Trail Walking Guide - more about the trail
Underfoot, the Jura Crest Trail offers a varied mix of terrain. The route follows well-maintained paths, forest tracks, and grassy ridge trails, with some stretches on quiet farm roads or gravel lanes. In wooded sections, the ground is often grassy and muddy, while on the open crests it is in places rocky. The route ventures into the hills, with some sustained climbs and occasional rocky steps. However, the route doesn't include the steeper and rockier terrain more typical of our Alpine hikes.
Is it for me?
The Jura Crest Trail suits hikers who are happy to walk for 6 to 8 hours a day, along mountain and forested terrain. This walking is challenging, and could even be called tough at time: the miles are long through the woods and along ridgelines that offer little shade from the sun. The emphasis is on mileage rather than particularly stiff climbs, and there is no technical terrain. Just hot walking! The Jura Crest Trail suits independent travellers looking for a less-crowded alternative to the Alps.
Difficulty
We grade the Jura Crest Trail as a Blue. The route is a walk and there are no glacier crossings, via ferrata or rock climbing. The route includes steady ascents and descents, rather than the steep Alpine terrain typical of our other treks, such as the Tour du Mont Blanc. The easier terrain is a contrast to the stage lengths, which are generally quite long - averaging around 20km per day. It will at times seem a long way!
How to get there
Your first night is in Dielsdorf which is a neat village a simple train (or bus and train) ride from Zurich or Zurich Airport. There are 2 connections per hour.
Your last night is in Neuchâtel, a picturesque lakeside town which we reach after your last stage to Vue des Alpes. We take the bus to La Chaux-de-Fonds and then the train to Neuchâtel. From Neuchâtel it's about an hour and a half to Geneva Airport by train (with a change at Renens).
Travel to and from the trip is not included in the holiday price, and we leave you to arrange your transfers individually. We do however take care to give the most useful notes possible about all travel options. We supply these both in your Trip Notes on booking, and in your info pack which we send out prior to your trip. We also offer personalised tips based on our extensive travels across Europe and Switzerland.
Please ask us for advice and we'll be happy to help.
Included
- Accommodation and Itinerary, tailored to your preferences
- Breakfast every morning
- Routecards JCT1-8 on waterproof paper (the Exploratory system)
- The topographical maps needed (1:50,000)
- Downloadable GPX Tracks covering the route
- Expert advice and local information
- Our Season Update following our pre-season recce
- Full support during your trip (9am until 9pm Alpine time)
Not included
- Travel to and from your trip
- Transport to off-route accommodation (by bus and train)
- Any other local transport taken whilst on the trip
- Travel insurance
- Lunches, snacks, drinks and evening meals
- Baggage transfer (available as an extra; please see below)
Baggage transfer
Let us move your bags along the route for you. We offer a baggage transfer service along the Jura Crest Trail, as an extra, to all stops.Alternatively, if your trip is part of a longer holiday and if you're OK not to have your luggage each night, we can take your bags directly from Dielsdorf to Neuchâtel (where your last night will be, after you finish the trail at Vue des Alpes).
Please ask us for details.
Questions about the Jura Crest Trail: East?
Feel free to ask any questions about your planning. Ben, Eve, Ione, Katy, Lucy, Rob, Simon, Skylar or Steph will reply with expert advice. We spend a lot of time hiking our routes (and trails around the world) so please ask us anything.
 
Enquiry Form
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If you prefer, please feel welcome to email or call us. Thanks!
| Contact Alpine Exploratory | |
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| Phone | +44 (0)131 214 1144 |
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Since Alpine Exploratory started in 2005 we have loved getting to know our clients from around the world. Our best-represented countries are the USA, the UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.
Hydration in the Swiss town of Brugg on the Jura Crest Trail
Alpine Exploratory
