Everyone who goes on a Headwater holiday will be emailed a link to our post-holiday questionnaire where they can give us an honest assessment of all aspects of their holiday - everything from how quickly we answer the phone to how clean the hotels were - plus an overall rating and comments about their holiday.
Any feedback collected is posted to our website, so that people can make an informed decision based on past experiences before heading off on holiday. We don’t edit the reviews, the only thing we do is proofread them and alter any typos, where necessary, to ensure they are easy to read for everyone. All reviews will be published (except in certain extreme circumstances), and a member of the Headwater team will respond to any constructive criticisms/comments under the reviews, at their discretion. So, for the real tales, twists and turns of our holidays, look no further than the reviews from our previous travellers.
The booking process was pretty smooth, the host hotel was really great and the hosts helpful with our needs.
Great information and easy to use app.
Good.
A superb 5 days in Kandersteg. The availability and variety of walking available is excellent. The option to go through to Sudrampe when the weather in Kandersteg is unsuitable, meant we were able to walk every day.
Efficient, friendly with very good support and advice.
Very professional and excellent communication from start to finish. Travel Itinerary and walking options were very well considered. A thoroughly enjoyable experience from booking to return home.
Headwater provided an excellent holiday package. Very well organised from booking onwards. Kandesteg is a wonderful location with an excellent hotel. The walking was superb and made easy with the well designed app.
Any dealings I had with staff at Headwater were all handled very professionally. All staff were very friendly and knowledgeable. The hotel and itinerary were all of a very high standard and Switzerland was a beautiful place to visit. I have already recommended your company to several friends and would be happy to book with you again.
Very easy to book all of our questions answered. Loved the app and the routes. Great hotel. Will book again with Headwater without question
Luke was very helpful and available. He explained everything we asked and offered all necessary information
This was the best holiday I've ever been on. It gave me the freedom to explore without the worry of getting lost. I went 'off app' later in the week, to extend the walks; easy to do in Switzerland where all the paths are well sign-posted. Each day took me somewhere different, each time more breath-takingly beautiful. The Gasterntal valley was a highlight. The hotel was excellent, very clean, and the staff friendly and helpful. This holiday is a great introduction to self-guided walking.
Fantastic hotel. Very clean, with soft pillows, and top notch food. I like that I could select my own packing lunch from the extensive breakfast buffet. And the view from the balcony. I haven't got enough superlatives to describe this holiday. Everything about it was perfect. Like a dream!
The booking process was clear and response times to my queries swift. The accommodation was really good, great food and well located with helpful local information. Navigation via the app was really simple and the detailed location notes really made light work of finding my way on a solo hike in unknown areas
A wonderful holiday. Great hikes, just right for activity level, outstanding scenery.
Booking staff are very good and listen to what we want. Suggestions for hotels for extra nights have always been good. Communication is excellent. The app is very useful and gives hands-free accurate directions while walking. It encourages us to try another trekking holiday.
It's an expensive option, but we definitely got good value in relying on Headwaters expertise, when traveling to a new area.
The walks were superb. We had difficulty with the App and would have liked to be provided with a map to plan and guide.
The holiday was booked as a treat to myself, the holiday went beyond my wildest dreams of expectation. (I am usually fussy). There was nothing to pick fault with this holiday to Kandersteg. Everything was made easy for me as a customer. All aspects were thought of and the extra touch with the option to make a packed lunch at the hotel to take out hiking made it perfect. For full board at a spa hotel the value for money was incredible. We spoke with an 80 something year old couple who had been visiting the same hotel for 30 years (sometimes 4 times a year). We can now see why!
We were impressed by the seamlessness of our holiday, the extra details supplied by the apps and also the freedom we had.
Everything went very smoothly. Helen Hodson's communication was excellent throughout the booking booking process.
I like the hiking and the set up to move our baggage. This is a great option for people who like to hike.
Meiringen is a perfect base to explore the Alps. Our hotel, 'Meiringen', was ideally located near the train station, but with no trains running at night and excellent sound insulation, we were never disturbed by noise. The hotel is exceptionally clean, with beautiful rooms featuring the owner's artwork. The half board option was fantastic, offering a great selection. I'm pescetarian and had plenty of choices, while my husband enjoyed the best steak and delicious pizza. The walks were carefully selected to showcase the best spots, and we particularly appreciated having a variety of walks to choose from each day, each with different difficulty levels. Public transport runs like clockwork in Switzerland, and what seemed complicated when it comes to travelling within the country was actually very easy. We are already planning to repeat this holiday and stay in the same hotel next year, as there is still so much to explore. We highly recommend this trip
Excellent, always helpful! Thank you.
Pretty good. I appreciate Seilers is a “family” hotel but it could really get its act together a bit better, especially in the food department.
helpful, friendly and efficient staff and overall excellent service and holiday experience
Such a great holiday in such an amazing location. It was so easy to book and the app was an amazing help on the walks.
very satisfied
a fabulous holiday, thanks to Megan for all the help and information.
One of the best walking holidays we’ve had.
The information and organising done by Headwater was excellent and we found the whole experience a lot easier than we thought it might be.
Well organised walking options at nice resort and hotel
Excellent holiday . Fantastic location . Warm welcoming hotel with delicious meals . Great walking and the scenery was awe inspiring . Would definitely recommend and will be booking again with Headwater .
Despite difficulties with the rail connections, and a couple of poor meals at the hotel, we thoroughly enjoyed our first Headwater holiday. The overall experience was very good.
The pre trip information allowed us to focus on the walking and appreciating the beauty of the local area.
Overall good. We requested a front facing room with twin beds and balcony but given a rear and side facing room with a double bed. We did get a large balcony. My wife was disturbed by train noise at the rear because we had our window open due to it being warm.
Highly recommended! Well-curated selections in lovely places. Commitment to sustainability and local communities much appreciated too.
Excellent all round
My first headwater experience was excellent from beginning to end. I love the choice to holidays and will definitely book one again you are a brilliant travel agent.
We loved the holiday so much, Headwater were excellent in terms of organisation! The only issues we had was with the friendliness of the staff at the hotel and the price of a suite when it was very dated and basic.
Good as it’s been every time
An excellent holiday. Good routes with options Useful information about cable cars, public transport and places on route for refreshments. The map app didn't show enough information for us but the paper maps sent were a necessary addition.
I know you have taken these over from New Experiance, but I believe you current staff should do or participate in this walk to get first hand knowledge.
Unfortunately Eurotrak App walked along slightly different routes to the walking book, for example from Schwartzwalt Alp we wanted to walk the Romantic Track to First not covered by Eurotrak, Otherwise this is a wonderfull walk.
Excellent company to book with. Were helpful and receptive to tailoring travel plans to extend holiday.
Found service good even when I had trouble doing API as fault with Swiss air!
Overall, we had a fantastic time. Thank you very much!
Hotel Europe &Spa in Zermatt was excellent - top tip; they have an electric car and will pick up and drop off from railway station on arrival and departure. Cicerone travel book on Zermatt & Saas Fee is very good with well described and various walks & other useful info. The App Swisstopo has excellent maps. The Glacier express is good but the local trains (despite the need for changes to do the same route) is very good and usually less busy. We were not sure the extra expense of the GE worth it
Really good trip, the walks were varied and there were good options to extend them if you felt up to it. The food in the hotel was amazing as well.
In Switzerland, we were given a travel guest card so that all public transport in the area was free including cable cars and boats and trains! The travel card gave us extra flexibility as we could adapt our plans on the day depending on the weather and not worry about additional expenses.
The staff at Alfa Soleil Kandersteg are simply the best. They made us feel at home from the moment we arrived, treated us to some amazing Bernese cuisine, and looked after us with great care.
Good choice of location, hotel and routes. We were disappointed with the quality of the route directions and the discrepancy between the app routes and the written route directions but there is good local signage and most paths are well maintained. The suggestions for optional extensions and optional additional routes were very useful. NB the app routes provide additional extensions, which we made use of. A proper scaled walking map with contour lines was not provided - if appropriate, consider buying one locally to help plan your routes.
It is good to have a company that will allow a traveller to be flexible in terms of travel arrangements; we flew to Zurich but went everywhere else, including returning to the UK, by train. Likewise the flexibility to walk as often as you feel like, although we walked every day when the weather allowed.
The local knowledge at the host hotel was invaluable and the cuisine was excellent.
Overall really enjoyed the holiday - will email regaling the walk that was unsuitable
We enjoyed an excellent trip which went incredibly smoothly. On Day 1 which was transfer to start the holiday all arrangements went to plan and the 1st class Train ticket was appreciated. We were lucky that there was a food festival in Brig on our arrival with a great atmosphere. On Day 2 (first walking day) we skipped the 2nd cable car so started walking earlier and effectively added 2 hours to the walking time. Day 3 we followed the itinerary and had a great day. Day 4 was an optional day, we decided to do a walk not part of the itinerary to the largest Suspension Bridge in Switzerland from Randa. We did find the cost of local transport was significant, we probably spend ~£150 each in first 3 days on trains, busses and cable cars. Day 5 was a rest day for us in terms of walking, we took the Metro Alpin option from the itinerary. Day 6 we done the walk that was Day 5 on the intinerary. Day 7 we went Off-Itinerary and done a fabulous walk from Mattmark back to Saas Fee via the Glacier Trail. Day 8 was our return trip home, it was a bit bumpy as the travel time coincided with a large music festival so the train was overcrowded and uncomfortable, the return ticket was second class, we would have valued a 1st class ticket due to the situation. The Headwater App was a great reference, during the walks the signposting in Switzerland are excellent so we did not need to continuoulsy refer to it. I would go B&B only to have flexible dinner options rather than hotel only.
Really good trip. Travel arrangements were really robust. Communication was good. Trip notes were really helpful. I'd recommend the Switzerland trip we did, and also travelling with Headwater - I've travelled with them before and would travel with them again
Communication was good, and we felt we were kept up to date with our booking. Any queries were promptly answered.
This was our first holiday and experience with Headwater and we hope it will not be our last. From my initial query, Jo Chaplin provided us with an excellent service in helping us book our holiday. She was very attentive to our needs and returned my calls/emails promptly and when promised, displaying an excellent customer focussed service. Getting connecting flights from Belfast via London Heathrow to Zurich proved difficult but Jo simply booked us on direct flights from Dublin to Zurich using Swiss Air, resulting in a good financial saving. We booked in May 2023 and travelled in July 2023 and Jo kept us informed every step of the way, sending us train tickets and information guides (including detailed route walks and maps) well in advance, so we could read and ask any further questions before travelling. The Hotel Alfa Soleil exceeded our expectations and is in an ideal location on the edge of Kandersteg. Everything about the hotel was perfect and we would not look to stay in another hotel if we returned to Kandersteg. Being met on the train platform by Adriano from the hotel was a great start to our holiday! Our only 'complaint' is that 5 days is not enough time to fully explore the Kandersteg area, so we look forward to booking a return visit!
You are helpful without being in any way intrusive. Excellent customer service. I travel with confidence
We thoroughly enjoyed out holiday with Headwater. The location and hotel were perfect for an alpine walking holiday. The hotel was friendly and the food good. We loved the walks and thought the programme of walks suggested was just right. We adjusted the order slightly to allow for two days of low cloud and a sore foot. The transport arrangements worked well. We both came back relaxed, refreshed and much fitter than we went out.
Based at a comfortable family-run hotel with particularly good food in a quiet location within a pretty (but not overwhelmingly busy) village, we enjoyed some spectacular walks, plentiful alpine flowers and attendant butterflies, and even the opportunity for a lake swim with an amazing view at Oeschinensee.
We had an excellent self guided walking holiday to Switzerland. We had a good Hotel which was convenient for the Railway and Bus travel. The information we received was great but anything we didn't know we found out at the tourist information which was located in the train station. The food was really good with plenty of options. The Hotel staff were also very kind and extremely helpful. Overall it was a really enjoyable holiday and we are looking to travel again in the not too distant future.
Our experience with Headwater was fantastic, everything was very well organised and we couldn’t fault the hotel or location. We had a fantastic time and that’s all we could ask for.
An amazing walking holiday in stunning Kandersteg. The walking was jaw-dropping, the hotel warm, friendly, efficient and Nico’s restaurant served a wonderful 3 course dinner. Everything was of a high standard yet also personal. Saunas great too. Thank you so much.
It was a good walking holiday, with 5 out of the 6 walking days having good or excellent weather. The hotel was quiet and in a quiet, peaceful village. Kandersteg is much quieter and smaller than Grindelwald or Zermatt for example. Most of the walks are accessed by gondola, cable-car or bus for which you are given a ticket. There are two walks that you can do straight from the hotel. There are a mixture of moderate and harder walks and there are more walking routes than there are days available to do them, so you have a choice. The higher altitude walks gave the best mountain scenery, but it’s only worth doing them in good weather. One could see snow-covered mountains from outside the hotel, but not every day owing to cloud. The hotel food was very good. Headwater provide the route notes and it is better to print them out before leaving home.
It was a fantastic holiday for me & my wife. Everything was just perfect. We really enjoyed ourseve very much. I really recomended this hotel (Alfa Soleil) for foodies.
A great holiday in a wonderful location. Excellent variety of walks, accurately described in the route notes. Having all meals including picnic lunches, provided by the hotel was ideal for us. The food was excellent.
The wide variety of walks allowed us to choose according to conditions. The free access to bus train and chairlift made it all very simple. The Belvedere was exceptional with very interesting meals. There was direct access to a very large swimming area with a variety of temperatures, water jets and saunas.
The holiday and venue were super. Walking super and hotel facilities excellent. Although we had forgotten how expensive it is in Switzerland!!!
Beautiful destination, family ran hotel made us feel very welcome and they were very helpful.
We had a perfect week, completed beautiful walks and enjoyed the whole experience.
Kandersteg is a picture postcard Swiss village, with an alpine panorama from the moment you leave the train. Our hotel was easily accessible, comfortable and provided a warm welcome; the suggested itineraries took us to some fabulous mountain valleys, upland meadows and rivers.
Very helpful office staff. Communication sometimes a little slow. Walk maps for Kandersteg need updating. Walks were utterly superb, flowers and scenery amazing. Great too to see how little Kandersteg had changed since 1980s. Lovely too to see how the Swiss gov's support for farmers means systems here are extensive and the result wonderful flowers and Wildlife alongside dairy and meat production. As we farm we were jealous!
Hotel is excellent. Friendly service and good food. Picnic lunch much appreciated.
The holiday struck the right balance for us, between support and organisation and independence. You always felt there was somebody who could advise you, and this took away any stress or worry. We felt in good hands. The choice of resort and accommodation exceeded our expectations.
Overall, the holiday was very good. In mid-September we were blessed with blue skies and sunshine, and the walks themselves were enjoyable, varied and largely on well signposted wide gravel paths. We made full use of the cable cars, buses, Headwater’s GPS files and a free app called Swiss Topo. This enabled us to veer off the suggested routes, for example to the summit of First from the Allmenalp lift, although paths were well-marked. The views from the Oeschinensee walk were exceptional, but the stroll to Blausee (currently green) did not really merit a place on the itinerary. The location was ideal for a 7-day walking holiday. We got off to a poor start as the train from Bern was cancelled and when we rang the Alfa Soleil they weren’t expecting us until the following day. The superior room with balcony, for which we paid an extra £40 a night, was sunless, cold, cramped, dated, had no Wi-Fi and the fire escape ran through the middle of it. Make sure you get a room on the front.
Headwater response:
We would like to thank you for providing such comprehensive feedback.
We are pleased that you did enjoy your holiday and would like to assure you that your comments regarding the accommodation will be reviewed by the Product Manager for this holiday.
Headwater Customer Services
Incredible holiday, communication back and forth with Headwater prior to the trip was simple and straight forward, very friendly, knowledgable & was always able to help, easy to get hold of via email & over the phone. Flights, train & bus transfers from start to finish was seamless and very straight forward to follow. Hotel was in a prime location for accessing the mountains which meant everyday we were straight to the gondolas without any faff inbetween. Hotel was clean, friendly & happy to help with good local knowledge of the area, food & service was on point. 100% would be happy to use Headwater again to book a holiday, prior to the trip I had booked a trip with a different company which sadly fell through, their communication was poor and lacking leaving me unsure about these types of holidays. Headwater is the full opposite, a professional company who has completely got my confidence in using them again in the future. My holiday to Switzerland was one to remember so thank you!!
Our week in Kandersteg was highly anticipated and still managed to exceed our expectations. The Alpha Soleil was a lovely location with a fantastic breakfast and supper dinner meal. Portions are generous, but not excessive. The provision for lunch packing made each hiking day so easy, The hike plans were so clear and maps so excellent we never wondered if we had strayed from the intended path. The staff was cheerful and generally kind. Many made you feel like a new friend, without being overbearing.
The hike itineraries were stunning, for those who love the mountains. The trails are clean and adequately maintained and not too heavily populated. We would do every hike again, they are so wonderful. They are challenging, but not difficult. We commonly spent 6 hours/day on the trail, basking in the beauty of this spectacular setting.
Further, Kandersteg is so convenient to other marvelous Swiss mountain towns, you can easily extend to see even more.
The company have been fantastic, we’ve had the holiday postponed for 2 years. The best communication & customer service I’ve had the pleasure of dealing with. I can not recommend the company highly enough. The all inclusive deal at Kandersteg Switzerland was absolutely fantastic. The hotel was fantastic and the food was 5*. Well organised and stunning views
If you are lucky enough to be there at the right time of the year, the Swiss Alps is a wonderful place to be. This tour, with its centrally located hotel, offers access to some excellent walking in outstanding mountain countryside. It was also great value for money compared to what we would have had to pay had we booked the hotel and cable cars and found food and drinks ourselves.
Kandersteg is a great location for a hassle free centre based walking holiday in Switzerland. The surrounding mountains are spectacular (helped by a week of near perfect weather) and the recommended walks are all good, providing variety to fill the week. The inclusion of all meals at the very hospitable Hotel Alfa Soleil as well as the provision of two separate guest cards on arrival to allow for free use of the local cable cars and public transport makes the holiday good value for money given that prices in Switzerland can be quite high. Headwater emailed me GPX files for downloading onto my phone a few weeks before arrival for navigation purposes. Route finding in the Swiss Alps is already straightforward with excellent waymarking on the ground, but the GPX files were very accurate and made finding my way even easier.
We had an excellent holiday. The train travel arrangements were all excellent from London and then onto Kandersteg and after this onwards to Florence. Thank you to Megan our travel contact with you for all her work on this. Our only criticism would be that we booked a superior room with Balcony. The Balcony was a real asset but the room was small for a superior room for which we paid extra and the bathroom was needing updating.
The area surrounding Kandersteg is absolutely beautiful and some of the walks were outstanding particularly the walks around “Oeschinensee” (which we saved for our last day)and “Gasterntal and the Klus Gorge”. Getting around the area is easy with the ski lifts and public transport and we had no problem getting to any of the walks. The Alfa Soliel was an excellent base with excellent views from the balconies to the mountains. We found this single centre self guided holiday excellent where we met like minded couples who we could chat with in the evening over a drink and compare notes on the days activities but have the freedom to decide our own agenda and pace throughout the week.
Altogether this was a great holiday which we really enjoyed.
With Covid it took 3 attempts to go in the holiday but it was well worth the wait.
Delightful walking holiday in an accessible, beautiful and interesting area. Walks were accurately graded and we had no problem following the routes.
We have found Headwater to be a very good company to travel with on self guided holidays. They provide the route guides and maps required so that you have no concerns about getting lost. The Alpha Soleil Hotel is well situated and the staff were extremely efficient and friendly. The food was beautifully presented, but for us we felt some of it, though looking very pretty on the plate, was rather uninteresting in flavour. The wines were very pricey (even the house white wine which had a very peculiar taste and there was no indication of the grape variety on the bottle). The house red wine was fine.
With a few tweaks this was an excellent holiday with great support fro Headwater before, during and after our holiday. Looking forward to next year. Thank you
I cant see how you can improve it.
headwater are well organised and helpful. The hotel staff were very helpful too, after initially putting us in a back room, they kindly moved us on day 2 to a room with a view.
A well selected one centre location, with a well thought out set of walking routes which be easily adjusted depending on our wishes each day.
We highly recommend that you use the .gpx files provided by Headwater. These were really valuable eg in providing some extensions to the recommended routes.
Alfa Soleil is a really super hotel. While we were there the restaurant was officially closed but Nico opened it for us. He is an exceptional chef who provided us with a personal service in his menus and also advice as to where we should go. The staff are friendly and welcoming and all had a great sense of humor. Switzerland is very expensive but somehow our experience in Alfa Soleil made it not matter.
First time with Headwater. We found the holiday to be as busy or as relaxed as you wanted. The walks provided were interesting with various levels of difficulty, meaning that you chose which route to follow. The hotel accommodation, staff and food were excellent. The food being some of the best food that we have ever been offered in a hotel. We will be looking at Headwater breaks in the future.
The family run hotel was excellent in every aspect. The staff were friendly and welcoming, the food was first class and the service was prompt and efficient. We had a super room at the front of the hotel with a balcony looking out at the snow capped mountains. It was ideally situated for all the walks for which excellent information was provided. The walks were amongst beautiful scenery with typical Swiss mountain chalets, cows with ringing bells etc. We made good use of the included cable cars. We were lucky to have had excellent weather apart from one day of low mist & cloud. If we had had poor weather for the entire week it would have considerably lessened the enjoyment of the holiday as the point of being there was to experience the wonderful mountain scenery. Of course, you can't do much about the weather!
Perfect location ideal for walking. Stunning scenery. Kandersteg is picturesque and the hotel ideal with great staff.
The booking with our requested addition was handled quickly and perfectly. Travel was great with all connections working well. The hotel and staff were great with nothing too much trouble - we had a dietary request that was fully met without having to repeat it having notified Headwater. The routes were easy to follow and the Swiss know how to signpost. Weather was variable but normal for area and time of year but even so we did what we set out to do.
Brilliant holiday. We had a fantastic time. Thank you.
Kandersteg offers a great deal of scope for a walking holiday and the Hotel Alfa Soleil is well situated for accessing walks in the surrounding area.
Generally good, but confusion at the point of booking as hotel was confirmed, we booked our travel and later we were advised Alfa Soleil was unavailable, so an alternative found. The Hotel Ermitage was very good. However, we were promised pick up on arrival and drop off on departure between the railway station and hotel, but neither were available, so we had a 15 minutes walk with heavy luggage. We attended the briefing meeting at the original hotel (Alfa Soleil) and received everything we needed for the week, with good advice, but there was no further contact with the local rep and our hotel (Ermitage) were not really aware that we were Headwater clients and never asked about our plans. They did ask who was paying the overall bill for our stay on departure, which was embarrassing (we were settling the drinks bill). Overall the holiday was very good, walking excellent, local staff friendly, hotel very nice and Headwater staff at HQ helpful and prompt, but some aspects (as described) did not live up to expectations. We prefer self-guiding, independent holidays, so not a big issue for us, but others may not be so happy. It would not put us off travelling with Headwater again, as it was very enjoyable, but there are areas that should be looked at to prevent repetition.
This was a fantastic holiday in beautiful surroundings. The mountain paths were more challenging than those we had experienced in a Dolomites itinerary with Headwater but totally passable with care and a reasonable head for heights; you did need a good level of fitness for the steeper routes but it was never an issue. Although not included in the suggested walks, we climbed to the Doldenhorn Hut which gave spectacular views. The Gasterntal Valley is another essential.
A charmingly rustic hotel, placed perfectly for all walks. Passes for buses and cable cars extremely useful - but beware train fares are on the high side!
Kandersteg is a truly lovely location. The hotel was very welcoming and our room very comfortable. We were upgraded to a Junior Suite and had a view of the mountains from our balcony. The food was excellent. Being able to prepare a packed lunch was a real bonus, as food and drink in Switzerland are both very expensive. Luckily,apart from the first day, the weather was ideal for walking. Most routes were clearly marked, although there were a couple of walks which would benefit from clearer instructions. The scenery is spectacular, particularly as the alpine flowers were still in full bloom. The grading is accurate. Some walks are relatively steep and if, like me, you are not keen on walking downhill on loose stones, can be a little daunting, but they are well worth the effort. We haven't stayed in one location on a walking holiday before, but had no regrets, as the walks were varied and never less than stunning. We would thoroughly recommend Kandersteg and the Alfa Soleil to anyone contemplating walking in Switzerland.
The walking is good and varied with stupendous views if the weather is kind, as it was for us. Plenty of flowers, butterflies, lizards in mid-July for added interest. The hotel staff were very friendly and the food was definitely a cut above usual hotel fare, both in content and presentation. Switzerland is an expensive country but Headwater's price includes most of the basics so that we paid for little else except wine, a couple of cups of coffee and the rail fare to the Sudrampe walk. We heartily recommend the latter as it is such a contrast to the other mountain walks, rather like going from Switzerland to Provence!
Hotel Alfa Soleil is very traditional, comfortable and welcoming and it’s worth making sure you get a balcony room as the mountain views are outstanding. The small pool was never busy. The food all week was excellent and in particular the hotel catered for a special diet with great care.
Many of the walks use lifts, trains or buses and it was really helpful to have the lift pass and bus pass included, especially as the lift pass puts you ahead of the queue. We thought the Blue Lake was a bit over-
the walks were all fabulous and the walking notes accurate and interesting. All walks were open in July and the waterfalls in particular were spectacular because of melting snow from the very high peaks. The Sudrampe walk is different from the other walks, but the further we went, the more memorable and fantastic it was.
You need to change platforms at Bern railway station. There’s just enough time for the change of platform with luggage but it is a bit tight, particularly as one of our trains was running a few minutes late, so it’s worth knowing which platforms you need before you set off.
A brilliant holiday, everything worked like clockwork, the staff in the office were efficient, helpful and charming, the location and hotel were superb. Very happy customers.
Tremendous week in the Swiss Alps, walking and eating. The wildflower meadows were wonderful at this time of year.
A fantastic week in Kandersteg with a good range of walks from easy to challenging. Could have stayed another 3 or 4 days easily. Hotel Alfa Soleil was really nice.
Really enjoyable holiday. The hotel at first feels a bit old fashioned but we were very comfortable there and grew to love it. The staff were very friendly and helpful. The food was excellent especially the two themed nights. The view from the balconies was spectacular and ever-changing. The walks were well chosen....mostly up on a lift and walking down through wonderful flower meadows and rushing ice blue rivers. The walk at Ochinen See was the most challenging, especially as there was still snow and melt. Walking poles are essential. Switzerland was beautiful but very expensive....the picnics for lunch were very welcome. Overall we had a great holiday.
The mountain scenery viewed from the walks was superb, we were lucky to enjoy fine weather, and the hotel and the food were excellent.
This is an amazing location with varied and fabulous walks. We went in May so there was alot of snow on the higher routes which meant we could not do all the walks planned. However the hotel advised us on alternatives and we had 6 stunning walks against a backdrop of beautiful snow-capped mountains and mostly had the trails to ourselves. A truly memorable holiday and I would love to return to do the additional routes. Thankyou to Headwater and the team at the Alfa Soleil.
An enjoyable week in an area of outstanding beauty. The hotel and food were excellent, and the fact that the cable car and bus pass travel were also included made this very good value for money.
This was not just a fantastic location for a walking holiday - buses/trains cable cars within easy reach, but an amazing hotel as well - both in therms of location and view.. Although only allocated 3* the food and service were simply exemplary - 4 course, exquisite meals each night using local produce and very imaginative menus. The ability to make your own lunch pack up each day was great and not something we have seen before. This is a hotel that goes the extra mile (well kilometre) and so deserves to be successful. A real gem!
A beautiful location for lovers of alpine walking.
A superb introduction to walking in the Swiss Alps. Great use of cable cars/gondolas to allow access to higher level walking experience. Fabulous food and friendly service at Alfa Soleil
Excellent holiday in the Swiss Alps. Scenery stunning and enough accessible walking for those of average fitness for at least 5 days - easily more. Notes were helpful and clear. Accommodation excellent - get a balcony room at the front of the Alfa Soleil Hotel for stunning views every morning - worth the extra. Food is very good/excellent and far beyond what you would expect from a 3 star hotel. The picnic system works well as you will be spending 4 - 7 hours a day walking. Easy to add more distance to the walks and well signposted hiking trails mean you are not restricted to the walks provided. Kandersteg is slightly less touristy than Murren and similar resorts, but the mountains in this valley are, perhaps, slightly less dramatic.
Given that Switzerland is notoriously expensive - this holiday represents very good value for money.
Super location - was concerned that being in a single location might be limiting but there is a wide range of different walks on offer.
Stunning weather helped make this a memorable walking holiday in the beautiful Swiss Alps. The food and staff at the Hotel Alfa Soleil were excellent.
Epic walking holiday in Switzerland, a week of gentle hiking at our own pace with the most superb mountain and lakeside views
coupled with excellent accommodation, service and a la carte food at the Alfa Soleil Hotel in Kandersteg. It was was wonderful.
Wonderful holiday - one of our best. Great walks - varied and accurate. Organisation by Headwater was good. Would certainly consider going with them again.
This is an excellent holiday in that you are located in a quiet valley with mountains all around and easy access to them via public transport and cable cars. There is a good range of walks of different grade ( not all of which are advertised by Headwater). the tourist information locally is excellent, the people are friendly and the Alfa Soleil hotel is a good base (with excellent food!). However, Switzerland is expensive! But the all-inclusive nature of the Headwater package overcomes this - it's good value!
Very enjoyable walking holiday. The only issue we had was the walk to Blausée which was not a good walk and a very long uphill Walk on the way back. We caught the bus but did no have the right bus pass with us. It would be worth putting in the notes that the
Card used for the lift pass is also valid for the buses.
We would very much recommend Classic Swiss Alps Walks to anyone who enjoys walking in superb mountain scenery. The hotel accommodation and food were excellent to complete a terrific holiday.
Expert arrangements that leave enough flexibility for individual nuance.
We have done two walking holidays with Headwater and both have been excellent. The walking instructions and directions are clear and they often add useful additional information about the walk you are on.
A well organised break with great walks and excellent accommodation. 5* food at a lovely 3* hotel.
This was a great introduction to walking in Switzerland.
This holiday on the surface appeared quite expensive when we booked it but proved to be exceptional value for money. Taking into account everything that was included in the price: flights, trains, accommodation, meals, local bus/cable car passes, and knowing the cost of things in Switzerland, the price for the week is excellent value for money. Food at the hotel is on another level, every night was at least 4 courses of some of the best tasting food I've ever had. Very friendly and helpful staff. The town is very picturesque and surprisingly quiet at nights. This was our first time hiking outside of the UK, and I think I'm going to struggle to find anywhere nicer for our next adventure outside of the UK, but would definitely recommend this holiday to anyone looking to venture into Europe for a hiking trip.
Excellent week in the Alps walking was outstanding and a great range of walks provided as we were quite ambitious and was able to adapt the walks to suit our needs to be more challenging equally loved our couple of days low level descriptions were accurate but the paths were marked so well that we never used our compass skills!
We had a very enjoyable holiday, the hotel was good with an excellent restaurant, the quality of the food was first class. The walking was varied, the scenery was beautiful and we really appreciated that the holiday included a local bus and gondola pass.
Excellent holiday. This is our second year as there are so many exceptional walking options from the hotel using the extensive free lift and bus pass.
well placed in a busy valley with three cables card within a mile from hotel. So life and peace.
Beautiful region, lovely hotel with great food and superb walking - aided by exceptional weather. Switzerland is quite expensive but we felt this holiday was great value for money.
We had a fantastic time on the Classic Swiss Alps walking holiday. Everything was organised for us - from the flight to the journey to the hotel and details on the walks. The hotel staff were all very friendly and extremely helpful. The food was the surprise of the trip, it was delicious!
The walks and the scenery was spectacular, and the suggested routes were all brilliant. There was also enough flexibility in the suggested guide to vary the hiking to your level of ability.
Overall, we had a brilliant time!
Outstandingly beautiful area with plenty of fantastic walks. The location could not be better and the scenery is absolutely breathtaking. The hotel was great with very friendly and helpful staff. The food was excellent - varied, tasty and creatively presented. We had glorious weather for the entire week so we were lucky and could get out and about every day. The information provided by Peter and the other staff was very useful and helped us to get the most from our time. We liked the packed lunch buffet which really helped given the prices of things generally. Similarly the transport pass which gave us free travel on cable cars and buses. Getting there and back was easy and travel very smooth.
The only slight downside was that our room was rather small, particularly the bathroom which was very cramped, and generally not as luxurious as other Headwater hotels we've stayed in. I realise that Switzerland is a very expensive country and this holiday is very good value so it's probably a compromise to keep the holiday affordable. It certainly didn't spoil our stay. We had a wonderful time - thank you Headwater and Alfa Soleil.
Good summer walking in a lovely valley. Not as spectacular as the Jungfrau region, but impressive. Great to have passes for most (but not all ) of the walks. Good cooking at Alfa Soleil, though watch out - heavy handed in cooking with cream.
Even in bad weather there are walks one can do.
Our trip we booked through Headwaters for a stay in Kandersteg, Switzerland at the Alfa Soleil was the highlight of a few weeks spent in Europe. The hotel was wonderful, and the hiking suggestions from Headwaters were great and provided us with all the information we needed to do some great hiking on our own. They scheduled our train trips and everything worked just as planned. It was great to have a home-base from which to do a lot of different hikes in the area. We were very pleased with our whole experience!
Kandersteg is the most perfect setting - the beauty of the mountains, lakes and meadows is breathtaking! The walking options are fabulous - but remember to take your poles for those steep downhill sections! The staff at the hotel were welcoming and so helpful - a real plus. A wonderful holiday!
Wonderful holiday - excellent hotel in an amazing varied area for walking with stunning views round every corner. The buses and lifts - free with the complementary pass - make the high level walks (and/ or restaurants) so accessible. One of our best holidays ever and we will be back!
We had a wonderful time - excellent hotel, interesting food and superb walking. If you like wild flowers, it was a stunning to see the variety and colour on display. It is a reminder of what we have lost with our 'improved' grassland and factory farming. What was nice was that we could tailor each day's walk with the help of the hotel staff according to how strenuous a walk we felt like and what the weather was like in various parts of the area.
The Classic Swiss Alps walking holiday was a wonderful blend of a comfortable and welcoming hotel and varied walking. As a single centre holiday it was good to be able to access amazing scenery very easily and close to the hotel. The walks could all be tailored to suit ability, weather and level of energy by extending or shortening the suggested itineraries. The map was a great help in addition to the written descriptions. We were there at the end of June just before the hay cut in the village fields so saw the myriad meadow flowers before they were harvested, a process that was also very interesting to watch. The higher alpine meadows were the best we have ever seen anywhere and the waterfalls were impressive, fed by the melting snow. Kandersteg, where the holiday is based, is well served by trains and this was our method of transport all the way from England.
A very good experience with lovely location, accommodation and scenery.
This was our third trip with you and all have been most enjoyable - the right length of walks and the grading worked out fine.
Good value and well thought out
Excellent hotel, food and location.
Our first walking holiday and first with Headwater. We had a great experience and will come back. A few errors in notes we will send details to you.
Hotel is in great location, all walks are very close and varied. Hotel was comfortable, our room was old in terms of decor, but others have been recently refurbished. The evening meals were pretty good (mainly meat, very little fish), breakfast was rather bland (limited selection mainly bread). Packed lunch was welcome, but was a sandwich only, which was quite lacking compared to other Headwater packed lunches.
Exceeded expectations, scenery gorgeous, hotel friendly and helpful staff
Contrasting walks in a beautiful area of Switzerland. The two walks to the Oeschinensee and the Doldenhornhutte are particularly challenging with many steep or tricky paths often very narrow and across waterfalls or shale slopes. Essential to have a head for heights and walking poles. These however were the best walks with terrific views. Do the extension to the Daubensee walk as the views at the final destination are well with it. The Alfa Soleil Hotel is a good 3 star hotel and our junior suite was excellent and worth the upgrade. Our one complaint of the room would be the shower and the sudden change of temperature when running going from very cold to scorching and dangerously hot; we had to be be swift to move out of the range of the spray when this happened. Breakfast is not as varied as other Swiss hotels we have stayed at and there was a huge additional charge if you fancied eggs and bacon. The food overall was inconsistent and not up to expectation following all the reviews and varied from poor ( tough poached chicken and lamb curry one night) to very good on the barbecue evening. However, great value holiday overall for Switzerland which is very expensive. PS the house wine is very good and at 22 Swiss francs per 50cl, a bit of a bargain.
Great walking on good paths. Excellent scenery and wonderful alpine flowers.
Consider Berne as a day off destination.
Great location and excellent Hotel with some fantastic walks for all abilities.
It was a beautiful location and we had some lovely walks and saw amazing flowers. The hotel owner who was supposed to give us some guidance was not as helpful as he could have been. He raced through some information on the first evening and gave us various passes not all of which he explained.After that, he told us about one bus route being unavailable and arranged for us to travel on it when it became available. However when we asked questions subsequently, in particular if a route was Ok, he said it was up to us if we went on it. In fact it was challenging with some landslides on steep mountainside and frozen snow partially covering a fast-flowing stream through which we had to paddle.
The breakfast and packed lunches were great. Dinner was positively gourmet. (Whisper it low, but we would have preferred something simpler with fewer courses so that there was time for a walk afterwards). Mark-ups on the wine in the restaurant were enormous. We were also rather startled to be charged for tap water every night.
This was our second visit to the Alfa Soleil in Kandersteg. We were incredibly fortunate to receive a double upgrade to their new Loft apartment!! We had booked a new junior suite and we believe we were given this because there were a large party of elderly people staying and possibly some of them had booked the Loft, only to find there was no lift. This really made our week's stay as it was spacious and beautifully furnished giving us room to spread out and to also enjoy the enormous terrace with views all round of the mountains.The weather held up every single day and what with this, and the excellent food provided by Nico, we could not have had a more enjoyable stay.
Wonderful walks, great advice from Peter at hotel. We walked every day, and enjoyed exploring the area. Food and the friendly staff at the hotel made this one of our best holidays.
Everything worked just as it should. We were very happy indeed with our holiday. My wife's dietary restrictions were coped with very efficiently and without fuss by the hotel. Thank you very much!
A good short break in spectacular surroundings, with enough guidance to enable us to enjoy the area to the best as and when we wished without forcing us into any particular programme.
Kandersteg is a good base for the series of walks suggested by HW but also for constructing your own routes if you are a confident walker. The hotel is comfortable and friendly and the food was mostly excellent. A small buffet was provided every day from which to make sandwiches for a picnic lunch, although more choice of fruit would have been welcome. Kandersteg village is very quiet (at least in summer) and we were a little disappointed at the lack of anywhere to go in the evening apart from having a drink in another hotel. Prices for cable cars, soft drinks, coffees and cakes were higher than envisaged but quality was very good. The scenery in the valley is stunning but the typical mountain weather meant that the peaks were not always visible. On cloudy days, it was good to have the choice of taking a quick train ride into the Rhone Valley area where the weather was usually better. Several of the walks in the HW itinerary can be shortened or lengthened to suit individual abilities and taken as a whole they give a very good overview of the area.
The Alfa Soleil is a wonderful hotel with a really excellent restaurant.
We're vegetarians and the chef provided an amazing series of creations over the week for us.
The hotel proprietor is a lovely host who really takes care of all his guests and the hotel team are superb.
The walks are amazing and very varied with plenty of other options - one day we took a day trip to Bern which is a fascinating city, and also spent a day on the lake taking a steamer from Spiez.
We travelled by Eurostar and TGV - dinner in Paris on the way out and lunch in Basel on the way back - really comfortable - do book ahead and get cheap first class tickets for the TGV though.
Overall an enjoyable holiday, the walks are definitely in the 2 boot category but using the cable cars means much of the walking is flat or downhill. The scenery is majestic providing you can see it for the clouds! Go prepared for mixed weather, we were in Kandersteg in early July and had everything from glorious sunshine to sleet (above Oeschinensee) by way of rain and thunderstorms. We were lucky enough to see an ibex, marmots and an eagle (at the top of Gemmi Pass). The paths were all well maintained and the signage is very good making the navigation easy.
The hotel is welcoming and the rooms comfortable if somewhat dated in decor and furniture. The food is good but be aware that it's a 4 course set menu with just a choice of 2 main courses (or an unspecified vegetarian option). The 'lunch buffet' where you can make up your own packed lunch at breakfast time is a good idea.
The travel arrangements all worked well and the Swiss trains were on time as expected. Being a Saturday the train from Zurich Airport to Bern (and return) can be busy and does not cater particularly well for luggage, we had to leave our bags in the area by the doors along with a number of others. The reserved seats that Headwater provided were necessary but these were upstairs away from our bags. Also note that the train from Bern to Kandersteg splits at Speiz with only the front portion going to Kandersteg and Brig, we didn't find this entirely obvious when boarding the train. It's not a big problem as the ticket inspector checks that you're in the right part of the train but it's easier if you don't have to move yourself and your bags at one of the stops.
A great holiday based in an excellent friendly hotel with good local food. The walks,starting from the hotel or via a short train, bus or cable car ride,were interesting and varied. The walks are deserving of the 2 boot status, taking most of the day to complete with the suggested extensions, allowing time for photographs, eating the excellent hotel picnics and admiring the views and the magnificent alpine flowers in June.
We thought that this was an excellent walking holiday. The variety of the walks meant that we could always choose one which suited us plus could travel to the next valley for better weather. The hotel was extremely comfortable and Peter and Agnes were great hosts with lots of good advice.The big surprise was the quality of the food which was definitely 5 star with good flavours and presentation
Reassured by a member of Headwater staff who had just been there that the Alpen Soleil in Kandersteg was 'a quiet hotel', we were very disappointed to discover that the hotel is right on a main road at the front and that at the back is a railway line carrying cargo freight through the night. In the hot weather, with windows open, it was hard to sleep for the noise of traffic and trains, all the more intrusive because occasional.
Wellorganised, comfortable hotel, easily followed walking notes, beautiful area, challenging treks
We enjoyed our holiday. However, we were a little disappointed by the lack of entertainment in the evening at both the hotel and location.in general.
In terms of value for money we felt the holiday content was expensive when compared to other holidays we have been on. And I do appreciate that we were in Switzerland!
Kandersteg was an exellent place for a walking holiday with a good variety of walks but age was against us (we are 80plus) in some instances, we made full use of the cable cars however.
Switzerland is breathtakingly beautiful and we loved it, but everything was very expensive, so we were glad of half board and the picnics provided which helped to keep the cost down.
Awesome scenery, excellent hotel, wonderful wild flowers and butterflies.Mixed weather.
An excellently organised walking holiday with a selection of very interesting walks. First rate hotel with superb food - makes a huge difference to be 'family owned' and upon arrival we were given an upgraded room as the hotel was not full. A very nice way to start! Kandersteg is quite beautiful and the people courteous and friendly. It helped that we had superb weather for 5 out of 7 days and the mountains and meadows were looking their best. All in all a most successful holiday. Thank you Headwater.
