Cross the Alps on our E-MTB tour of Switzerland
On this new E-MTB tour in Switzerland you’ll e-mountain bike through the beautiful Graubünden region from north to south. We’ll put the seamless Swiss transport system to good use to get farther into the mountains and valleys, experiencing true Swiss backcountry riding, as well as tremendous man-made flow trails. And with your E-MTB you’ll conquer climbs you never thought possible!
- Skill level: Intermediate+
- Fitness level: 6/7
- 7 nights / 8 days
- £3,165 / $4,273 / €3,798
With summer in full swing, our photographer Ross Bell travelled to Switzerland to meet up with our guide, Dave, and friend Tina, to capture the vast landscapes, glorious trails, and delicious food on our latest e-mountain bike tour in Switzerland. You can also read Ross’ photo diary…
Trip Highlights
- Spend the day riding the IMBA Epic Trail
- Experience the Italian side of Switzerland in Poschiavo
- Ride the famous UNESCO Bernina Express train
- Enjoy mid-ride rösti in traditional mountain huts
- Relax each evening with a glass in hand in cosy, family-run hotels
- Round off your adventure on the perfectly-built flow trails of St. Moritz
Tour Dates 2023
- 1 – 8 July (5 PLACES)
Private groups
Travelling as a group of friend or family? Contact us to create your own private trip.
Is this e-mountain bike tour Switzerland for you?
We want you to have the best experience in Switzerland, so it’s important to be sure that this is the perfect E-MTB tour, with the right level of challenge, for you.
You’re an experienced e-mountain biker, riding at least once a week through the season and comfortable on: singletrack climbs, sometimes steep; long, singletrack descents with switchbacks; rocky and rooty singletrack through forests. Read more on our intermediate+ skill level.
Of course, as you would expect in the home of e-mountain biking, we have E-MTBs available to rent for your adventure in Switzerland
Meet your E-MTB guide in Switzerland
E-MTB Tour in Switzerland Itinerary
This E-MTB tour in Switzerland will take you on a journey across the Swiss Alps, over high Alpine mountain passes and into lush valleys, sampling traditional Swiss and Italian mountain produce as you go. You’ll be riding at over 2,000m / 6,500ft and cross the high alpine border into Italy, and there is an element of exposure on some trails.
The time in hours indicated on each day of the itinerary includes photo stops, lunch/ charging stops, transfers and snack breaks. It is not time spent pedalling.
- +Arrival in Klosters - refresh + prepare for your adventure
If you’re travelling a long way or across several time zones to Switzerland, then we advise arriving in Klosters a day or two early to adjust to local time and to make sure any flight or luggage delays don’t spoil your trip.We will be starting the tour on the morning of day 1, so being in Klosters the day before is advisable.
We recommend staying at Hotel Wynegg in Klosters pre-trip, which is where we’ll stay on the first night of your E-MTB tour in Switzerland.
- +Day 1 - Welcome to Switzerland! Ride Klosters local trails
Your guide will meet you at the H+I preferred hotel in Klosters in the morning, and enjoy a coffee with everyone whilst chatting through the all-important pre-trip briefing. He will set the tone of the week ahead, explain the trails to come and answer any questions that you may have.After your guide meeting you’ll set up rental e-bikes, before hitting the trails in and around the town of Klosters.
These local trails will give you a chance to get used to your rental bike and introduce you to riding an e-mountain bike on Swiss trails. After a few hours of fun and familiarisation, we’ll return to our Klosters hotel for our first evening meal as a team.
Distance cycled: 15km (app. 4 hours)
Accommodation: Small hotel Klosters
Meals included: L, D
- +Day 2 - Klosters to Davos - the views begin
Today you’ll leave Klosters behind and start your route with a gondola trip high above the valley to Panorama Trail and the first of many breathtaking views that you’ll experience during this E-MTB tour in Switzerland.Once you have taken in the view you’ll start to traverse high above the valley floor. As you continue along the trail it becomes steeper and narrower, before delivering you onto a ridge to the high point of Chörbschorn. Here we’ll take a break to have a beautiful lunch on the patio of a mountain hut.
After lunch you’ll saddle up again and embark on a fairly technical descent to the Davos Valley, where we’ll then follow some more chilled singletrack trails along the valley floor, giving us time to work on our e-mountain biking technique.
Tonight we stay in a wonderful mountain hotel and, after a nice hot shower, we’ll get settled down in the chic dining room, and relax and unwind with a glass of wine!
Distance cycled: 30km (app. 7 hours)
Accommodation: Mountain hotel Davos
Meals included: B, L, D
- +Day 3 - Davos to Wiesen - The IMBA epic trail
From our accommodation we’ll head straight into a gondola that will take us out of the stillness of the morning light, and deliver us 400m above the valley floor, to Jakobshorn. Once at this high point we’ll start to traverse the world-famous IMBA Epic trail. This title isn’t handed out to just any trail, and soon after setting off you’ll realise why this trail has been designated an “Epic”.We spend all morning traversing on the IMBA Epic Trail to Monstein for another great mountain lunch, and the chance to charge up our E-MTBs.
Suitably fed and watered, we’ll saddle up again and continue along the IMBA Epic Trail on a moderately technical singletrack descent to our cosy mountain accommodation for the night in Wiesen. The owner of the hotel is a close friend of H+I Adventures and we’ll be very well looked after here!
Distance cycled: 40km (app. 7 hours)
Accommodation: Small hotel Wiesen
Meals included: B, L, D
- +Day 4 - Wiesen to Filisur - hidden gems
Today we will finish our point-to-point e-mountain bike ride from Davos to the Engadine valley. We will ride new and hidden trails around Wiesen – these trails are almost unknown and give us a real sense of being off-the-beaten-track as we make our way to Filisur through spectacular canyons.As we reach Filisur we can grab a coffee before taking a short shuttle up to the famous Albula line. We’ll unload our e-bikes from the train and start riding across the pass, working our way along unmarked trails until we meet up with the finisher for the day, a natural flowtrail that will have you grinning from ear-to-ear and deliver us to the door of our accomomdation for the night in Bever.
Distance cycled: 43km (app. 8 hours)
Accommodation: Mountain lodge Bever
Meals included: B, L, D
- +Day 5 - Climbing + descending the Bernina Pass
After another good breakfast we’ll start climbing on a long but steady ascent towards the Bernina Pass. This is what e-mountain bikes were made for! We will pass high alpine forests, enjoying views of glaciers and pristine lakes along the way.It will take all morning to reach the high point of this climb – the highest train station in Switzerland. As we push on a little further and start descending slightly, we’ll stop off for lunch, which will give us our first signs of Italian-speaking Switzerland.
After a short rest to let lunch settle, we’ll start another downhill section from the Bernina Pass to Poschiavo, in the Italian part of Switzerland. This is one of the oldest mountain bike trails in Switzerland, but it has been well looked-after over the years.
To finish the day we have a short spin to the beautiful Poschiavo Lake and to our small hotel in Le Prese, where they specialise in local and organic produce in their restaurant. There we will enjoy dinner with a variety of local flavours, and all products from the valley itself.
Distance cycled: 30km (app. 8 hours)
Accommodation: Small hotel Poschiavo
Meals included: B, L, D
- +Day 6 - Poschiavo to Pontresina: the scenic route
We have a lazy start today and, after breakfast, we’ll explore the hotel gardens on the banks of the lake, then head into the village and sit in a local café for an Italian coffee. Well, we are in the Italian part of Switzerland, so do as the Italians do!We will board the Bernina Express train that will take us back up to the highest point of the Bernina Pass, coming from the Italian side this time.
Once there you’ll be riding along a purpose-built trail that will make all the hard work well worth it! As you start to get your flow, the gradient will start to point down and your descent has officially started. This trail will take us firmly back into Switzerland on one of the most flowing local trails that you will ride all week!
The trail will deliver you to your last accommodation of the adventure in Pontresina, in the Engadin canton. Pontresina is an elegant town with a great vibe, views and outdoor culture.
Distance cycled: 29km (app. 6 hours)
Accommodation: Sport hotel Pontresina
Meals included: B, L, D
- +Day 7 - Grand finale - flow trails in St. Moritz Valley
You’ve worked hard this week and for our last day the emphasis is very much on ‘fun’! We’ll aim to hit as many trails as possible from the hotel in Pontresina using gondolas, trains and cable cars to link up a number of trails that cross the valley around St.Moritz.We will set out to complete a series of trails in the morning before stopping at the meeting point half way up the mountain side, where you can settle down to the best burger and coffee in the country…fact!
After taking in the astonishing views down the valley, you will hop on your last train transfer to a high point of 3053m and your final fling of this e-mountain biking tour Switzerland.
Starting from 3053m you’ll set off on rocky singletrack trails that will have you pumping and jumping your e-mtb down trails that seem to be made by the gods!
Your guide lives at the bottom of this trail and he will be sure to show you some of his local gems. This descent will crown off what has been a singletrack extravaganza and, hopefully, one of the most memorable trails yet!
When you arrive back at your hotel in Pontresina you can take advantage of spa (and laundry) facilities before our final celebratory dinner together.
Distance cycled: 46km (app.6 hours)
Accommodation: Sport hotel Pontresina
Meals included: B, L, D
- +Day 8 - Departure
Sadly today we leave Switzerland behind, say our farewells and transfer to Zurich airport. You will depart for the airport early morning on the train.Meals included: Breakfast
Please note: Your E-MTB tour in Switzerland is a living thing, being influenced by multiple factors such as changing weather conditions, group riding abilities, trail damage, to name a few. Your local guides are experts in guiding E-MTB’s in Switzerland and will be continually assessing these factors and making tweaks to the itinerary where necessary to ensure that every member of the group has the best possible experience on our E-MTB tour in Switzerland.
- +Tour price
E-MTB Tour in Switzerland Price
£3,165 GBP / $4,273 USD / €3,798 EUR per person (ex. flights, based on two sharing a room)
Price includes:
- Services of fully-qualified, English speaking expert e-mountain bike guide(s) for the duration of the trip
- All meals beginning with lunch on day one and finishing with breakfast on day 8
- All lift, gondola and train passes mentioned in itinerary
- 7 nights’ accommodation
- All ground costs
- Luggage/ e-bike transfer (as required) for duration of your E-MTB tour in Switzerland
- All group safety equipment
- Global Rescue medical and evacuation services
Price excludes:
- International/ domestic flights
- Transfer to/from airport to/from first and last hotel
- E-mountain bike rental – we can arrange E-MTB rental for you at a cost of £550 / $743 / €660 for the duration of the trip
- Travel and activity insurance
- Tips in restaurants and hotels
- Single supplement:* £300 / $405 / €360
- Alcoholic/ non-alcoholic beverages
- Personal safety and cycling equipment
- Any other items not mentioned as included
*Single supplement is only applicable if you are travelling solo and do not wish to share a room with another rider of the same sex. If you’re happy to do that, you need not add the supplement.
Please note: A single room may not be available at the time of booking.
H+I Adventures is bonded by the Association of Bonded Travel Organisers Trust Limited (ABTOT), so you can be sure that when you book with us your money will be safe.
- +Skill + fitness levels required
Does this sound like you? Your vacation time is precious and we want to be sure that you’re making the most of it with the perfect e-mountain bike tour.On our E-MTB tours the e-bike is not a skill or fitness compensator. It is an aid to exploring the world, riding further, or giving you that one final run down a trail that we might otherwise have missed.
During our e-mountain bike tour in Switzerland you will deliver around 90% of the effort required on an average day and your E-MTB will help you with the other 10%. You will regularly encounter terrain or a situation where you will need to run the bike in Boost mode for short periods. Most of your climbs will be spent in Trail mode, dropping to Eco mode whenever possible to manage your battery life through the day.
Please note: The skill level required reflects an overall rating for the trails on the trip but you should expect to find sections and obstacles that push your ability levels.
Skill level: Intermediate+
- You are generally comfortable riding most types of terrain in different conditions: singletrack, double track, muddy, dry, loose, bedrock…
- You can brake, use gears and corner instinctively
- You’ll have a go on moderate technical features, such as small rock gardens, small drops and steeper sections, but may get off and walk certain technical features
- You ride more than once a week throughout your biking season
- And the ‘+’ part of ‘Intermediate+’ means that you will be aiming to tackle more of those moderate technical features
Fitness level: 6/7
- You have a good level of bike fitness, exercising at least three times every week throughout the year, for an hour at a time
- You can ride an e- mountain bike for up to six hours a day at a moderate pace, with snack and photo stops, for three or more consecutive days
- You can tackle two or three fairly significant climbs a day, up to 600 metres each
Typical trails you’ll be riding
- Much of the riding you’ll do on our e-mountain bike tour Switzerland is over 7,000ft/ 2,000m and to just over 10,000ft/ 3,000m with exposure present on some trails
- Double track: undulating forest roads made up of hard-packed dirt and small rocks
- Singletrack: rustic singletrack, mainly high alpine trails and through forests with roots crossing the trails, and at times you will encounter golf ball-sized rock gardens, and occasionally purpose built flow trails
- The trails in the Swiss mountains are hundreds of years old, so are not always buff purpose built trails, they are natural high alpine walking trails that link villages across the region and surfaces may be soft and muddy at times
- +Arrival + departure details
Your E-MTB tour in Switzerland will start in Klosters and end in Pontresina.You should arrive the day prior to your tour start date and spend one night in Klosters, allowing for any delays to flights or luggage and ensuring you’re ready for pick-up the following morning. Your guide will meet you in the foyer of your hotel and he/she will be holding an H+I Adventures sign and wearing an H+I ride top.
On the last day of the tour, your guide will ensure you are dropped off at Pontresina train station on time to catch your train back to Zurich in time to catch your flight home. Therefore, we would advise booking your flights home no earlier than 4pm on your day of departure.
If your departure flights differ from this, we would be happy to help book you into an airport hotel overnight, if needed.
- +Travelling to Switzerland
Zurich, Switzerland is well-served by many major airlines from all over the world.For up-to-date timetables and booking visit: www.ba.com; www.aa.com; www.united.com; and www.swiss.com.
Visas
US, Canadian and European Citizens do not require visas to visit Switzerland. You must have your passport as proof of citizenship. A tourist/landing card may be given to you aboard the airplane during your flight to Switzerland.
- +Preparing yourself + your bike for your adventure
Please read the full kit list before you start packing for your E-MTB tour in Switzerland, so that you have everything you need.Our E-MTB tour in Switzerland is for intermediate+ riders with level 6 fitness. The ideal e-bike for the Swiss trails is a good quality full-suspension e-mountain bike with around 140mm of front travel. If you are able to bring your own E-MTB (i.e. you are not flying to Switzerland), you must ensure that it has been professionally serviced in preparation for your trip, or we can arrange rental of a high quality full suspension e-mountain bike for the duration of your E-MTB tour in Switzerland.
To get the most out of your E-MTB tour in Switzerland you should plan some training in advance of your tour.
You will experience altitudes of between 7,000ft/ 2,000m and 10,000ft/ 3,000m when e-mountain biking in Switzerland, so we have some advice on mountain biking at high altitudes.
- +Your mountain bike guides in Switzerland
Our e-mountain bike guides in Switzerland are of the highest level.They are qualified in first-aid and they have the knowledge and experience to lead a group safely in these remote, wild and beautiful parts of Switzerland.
Our guides have years of experience in the saddle on the trails of the Switzerland area and will be able to enhance your holiday with facts and fables on local history, flora and fauna. They’re also genuinely nice people and will do their best to make sure that everyone in the group has a great time.
- +Accommodation + food
We aim to use the best, locally-run accommodation in each country, and that which is traditional to that specific area, whether it be city or mountain.On our E-MTB tour in Switzerland you’ll be staying in a selection of traditional Swiss accommodation from rustic mountain huts, to small family run hotels, to hidden mountain lodges, where a roaring fire and delicious home-cooked food await.
Most of the food you will enjoy on our E-MTB tour in Switzerland is traditional food influenced by surrounding countries, all prepared with the greatest of care and skill. Typical dishes include: rest with eggs; local meats and cheeses, salads and, of course, local ales.
- +Health + safety
No vaccinations are required for visiting Switzerland.We recommend you check before drinking tap water, but 99% of this is safe for consumption. Bottled or filtered water will be readily available throughout the trip.
Also, please let us know if you have any special food requirements, allergies or pre-existing conditions your guides should know about.
You should always consult your own doctor or physician before travelling to new countries to seek their advice on matters concerning your health abroad.
Your health and safety on our E-MTB tour in Switzerland is our top priority so when you travel with us you also have the peace of mind knowing that you will be covered by Global Rescue emergency medical and evacuation services.
- +Currency + foreign exchange
The official currency of Switzerland is the Swiss Franc. ATM machines are readily available throughout Switzerland.Tipping
It is not compulsory to tip your guides or drivers in Switzerland, but if you feel that you have had a good service or experience on your E-MTB tour in Switzerland, you can tip at your discretion.
It is not compulsory to tip in restaurants, however should you wish to tip your servers, 10% – 15% of your meal cost would be acceptable.
- +Travel insurance
You are required as a condition of booking to be insured against medical and personal accident risks. In this policy you must include cover for e-mountain biking and we advise that you take out a policy which covers trip cancellation and baggage loss/damage.We work closely with WorldNomads who specialise in adventure travel, and you can arrange your insurance cover directly with them.
Please note: our E-MTB tour in Switzerland is a living thing, being influenced by multiple factors such as changing weather conditions, group riding abilities, trail damage, to name a few. Your local guides are experts in guiding mountain bikers in Switzerland and will be continually assessing these factors and making tweaks to the itinerary where necessary to ensure that every member of the group has the best possible experience.
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Frequently asked questions (FAQs) E-MTB tour in Switzerland
- Q. How many people will be in the group?
We only run small group e-mountain bike tours to ensure that everyone has the best experience possible, and there will generally be between six and eight people in each group. The minimum number of people we require to run this E-MTB tour in Switzerland is four.
- Q. Is this E-MTB tour for novice bikers?
In short, no. This E-MTB tour in Switzerland is designed for riders who can e-mountain bike on singletrack, have a history of mountain biking but prefer to use E-MTB’s to extend their riding, or have been using an E-MTB for a few years, gaining experience on a variety of trails on their electric mountain bike.
- Q. What’s the age range of people who come on this holiday?
Our E-MTB tour in Switzerland caters for a wide age range; typically between 30- and 65-years-old.
- Q. What style of mountain bike tour is it?
This E-MTB tour in Switzerland is a guided e-mountain bike vacation, ideal for intermediate+ e-mountain bikers. The terrain you’ll be riding on consists of double track and singletrack through thick forests, villages and across mountain passes. You’ll encounter some steep climbs and rooty sections, as well as fabulous, swooping descents. Altitude is a factor in this trip and we have some tips for riding at high altitudes and managing the effects of altitude.
- Q. How far will we be mountain biking each day?
The distances we cover each day range from 20km to 40km, in accordance with the altitude and height gain/ loss on each stage. We will gain a lot of our height via gondola and train, but don’t be fooled, you will still need to ride and climb. Each evening your guides will chat with you about the following day’s e-mountain biking and give you an idea of the sorts of trails you can look forward to. If there’s anything you feel anxious about, your guides will be happy to discuss it with you.
- Q. Do we have to carry all our gear with us?
No, you only need to carry a day pack with you whilst riding. We have your large kit bags transferred to your next accommodation each day, and have them ready and waiting for your arrival.
- Q. What if I come across a section of trail I can’t ride?
Your guide will be very happy to give you some e-bike skills tips during your trip to help improve your confidence and your enjoyment of your E-MTB tour in Switzerland. If there is a section that you would prefer not to ride, then you can simply hop off your bike and walk. You won’t be the only one to walk certain sections and it’s not a competition in biking ability; it’s an e-mountain bike holiday!
- Q. Who will be guiding us?
Your e-mountain bike guides are local to Switzerland and experienced professionals who have a real passion for e-mountain biking and for the culture and landscape of Switzerland. Your safety is their number one priority, closely followed by your enjoyment of your E-MTB tour in Switzerland. They will always be on-hand to answer any questions or requests you may have throughout your trip.
- Q. What sort of accommodation will we be staying in?
On this e-mountain bike tour in the beautiful Graubünden region of Switzerland you will be staying in a selection of traditional mountain huts, small family run hotels and a unique mountain top lodge.
- Q. Which meals are included in the tour price?
All meals starting with lunch on day one, and ending with breakfast on day eight. Graubünden has a diverse and high quality offering when it comes to food, pulling on Switzerland’s surrounding countries to influence its dishes.
- Q. What type of e-mountain bike is best for the trip?
A good quality full suspension e-mountain bike with 140mm front travel would be ideal for this e-mountain bike tour Switzerland.
- Q. What clothes and kit should I bring?
The daytime and nighttime temperatures vary greatly in this part of Europe, so you must make sure that you have plenty of layers of breathable clothing to ensure that you are always warm enough and can remove a layer if you get too hot, and you should bring a down jacket for the evenings. It is possible that you will experience some rain in the afternoons in the Alps, so you must remember to bring a waterproof jacket too. You should bring cycling shorts/trousers, gloves, padded undershorts, specific shoes for cycling, sun cream, insect spray, and Advil or Ibuprofen. Read the full kit list to find out what you need to pack for your E-MTB tour in Switzerland .
- Q. Will there be a chance to get laundry done?
Yes, you will be able to have laundry done most evenings.
- Q. Can I bring a drone with me?
Unfortunately not. We are working hard to provide each and every customer who rides with us an unparalleled e-mountain bike experience in every destination we ride. This takes years of experience, riding and planning to get right, and a drone adds a very real danger to the group’s riding experience and health & safety.
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