The Hiking World

Collection · 5 trails in this catalog

Hut-to-hut treks in Europe

European treks you can walk staying in mountain huts and refuges — the booking systems differ; see the hut-to-hut booking guide.

Mountain hut in the morning

Members are only trails we hold. Lengths are live from each record: OSM 2-D where we have a relation, schematic pin-to-pin where we do not — those schematic figures are not walking distances. Permit status is public-level only (required / none / unverified). Cost and booking stay behind the login gate on each trail page.

Members are European records whose accommodation model is a hut, refuge, or rifugio network — not guesthouse- or gîte-primary walks. Booking detail lives on the hut-to-hut booking guide, not on these cards.

Countries: France, Iceland, Italy, Switzerland.

  • Italy · point-to-point

    Alta Via 1

    OSM 118 km · Verified

    osm:relation:177743 · 2026-08-24 · osm

    Cicerone/CAI: Grade 2 / E (optional Marmol VF = EEA) · SAC T2–T3 (mapped — no official SAC grade) · YDS 1

    Season: Mid-Jun–late Sep (huts open, snow clear)

    Booking: No central booking authority — rifugi (CAI and private) are booked individually.

    Hut reality: Personal sleeping-bag liner (sacco lenzuolo) is obligatory in CAI rifugi; ask the warden if you do not have one.

    Permit unverified

  • France · point-to-point

    GR20

    OSM 183.6 km · Verified

    osm:relation:12484370 · 2026-08-24 · osm

    PNRC: one of Europe's most difficult; N très technique · SAC T2–T4 (mapped — no official SAC grade) · YDS 1

    Season: Refuge season 16 May–4 Oct 2026; practical late Jun–Sep

    Booking: PNRC refuge beds and tent pitches are booked on the park reservation system — logistics, not a walking permit.

    Hut reality: Bring a full sleeping bag — PNRC says you must carry your duvet; tents include a thin mattress only. On-site payments are cash or cheque.

    No permit listed

  • Iceland · point-to-point

    Laugavegur

    OSM 52.8 km*

    osm:relation:1225037 · 2026-08-24 · osm · provisional

    FÍ: moderate–challenging (no official SAC) · SAC T2 (mapped — no official SAC grade) · YDS 1

    Season: Huts open ~25 Jun–15 Sep (snow/road dependent)

    Booking: FÍ describes hut and campsite bookings — overnight logistics, not a walking permit.

    Permit unverified

  • France · loop

    Tour du Mont Blanc

    OSM 166 km · Verified

    osm:relation:9678362 · 2026-08-24 · osm

    Standard TMB non-technical; high variants harder · SAC T2–T3 (mapped — no official SAC grade) · YDS 1

    Season: Mid-Jun–mid-Sep (refuges progressive)

    Booking: Hut, room, and hotel nights are bookable on the Autour du Mont Blanc site — logistics, not a walking permit.

    Hut reality: Sheet sleeping bag (liner) obligatory for hygiene — association hut listing.

    No permit listed

  • Switzerland · point-to-point

    Walker's Haute Route

    122.6 km · schematic — not walking distance*

    curated:schematic · 2026-08-25 · editorial · provisional

    SAC T3 (mapped — no official SAC grade) · YDS 2

    Season: unverified

    Booking: SAC and private hut booking is overnight logistics, not a walking permit.

    Hut reality: Bring a silk or cotton hut sleeping bag (Hüttenschlafsack) — bedding is not washed after every night. Many SAC huts now take cashless payment — still carry enough cash. Unstaffed huts are cash or bank transfer.

    No permit listed

Also in this desk: How hut-to-hut booking works · Collections · How long is the trail? · Permit & season calendar · France · Iceland · Italy · Switzerland.

Questions

Do I book huts in advance?

Alta Via 1: No central booking authority — rifugi (CAI and private) are booked individually. GR20: PNRC refuge beds and tent pitches are booked on the park reservation system — logistics, not a walking permit. Laugavegur: FÍ describes hut and campsite bookings — overnight logistics, not a walking permit. Tour du Mont Blanc: Hut, room, and hotel nights are bookable on the Autour du Mont Blanc site — logistics, not a walking permit. Walker's Haute Route: SAC and private hut booking is overnight logistics, not a walking permit. Overnight space on these records is lodging logistics, not a walking permit. High-demand sectors fill; that is a logistics note, not a measured sell-out rate. See the hut-to-hut booking guide. This page does not quote fees.

Is there one booking site?

No. Each trek’s booking model is on the card above. Alta Via 1 has no central booking authority — rifugi are contacted one by one. The hut-to-hut booking guide explains the systems without ranking them. This page does not quote fees.