The mountains in summer with children: our favourite valleys in Valais

The Valais mountains in summer are the family plan par excellence: cool air when the lowlands are stifling, alpine farms, downhill scooters and trails with stories to tell. Here are our favourite valleys, each with a ready-made programme.

From the val d’Illiez to the val d’Anniviers, every valley has its own character. All of them are reached by postal bus or mountain train, which is already part of the adventure.

Champéry and the val d’Illiez: the Dents du Midi as a backdrop

• L’Organic Adventure Park: climbing from tree to tree facing the Dents du Midi.
• Trott en Stock: the all-terrain scooter descent, fun, supervised and accessible. A holiday memory guaranteed.
• La Ferme de la Rochette: animals, cheeses and fresh air, to understand where real flavour comes from.
• The Frassenaye waterfall, in Val-d’Illiez: the cool walk for hot days.

The val d’Anniviers: stars and alpine pastures

• Le Chemin des Planètes in St-Luc: up by funicular then a walk from planet to planet above 2,000 m. The panorama does the rest.
• Escape Room Le Refuge, in Grimentz: 60 minutes of puzzles in the heart of one of the finest villages in the Alps.
• Anniviers Indoor Park: the plan B for the changeable weather that is common in the mountains.

Ovronnaz: the alpine pasture at 2,000 metres

• Le Mini Zoo de Jorasse: at the top of the chairlift, goats, alpacas and free pony rides in an alpine pasture setting.
• Le Relax – Parc des Mélèzes: minigolf, games and ice creams under the larches for the afternoon break.

The Trient valley: trains and gorges

• VerticAlp Emosson: three mountain trains up to the Emosson dam, facing Mont Blanc. The big show.
• The mysterious Tête-Noire gorges: walkways above the torrent and cool air guaranteed.
• The zoo and the natural pool in Les Marécottes: the perfect summer day combination, between alpine animals and a swim in a pool carved out of the rock.

Our mountain tips with children

• The weather first: in the mountains it changes fast. Storms are frequent in mid-afternoon in summer: set off early and plan an indoor fallback.
• Layers, always: a 10-degree difference between the valley floor and the alpine pastures is the norm.
• The postal bus is part of the game: bends, the three-tone horn and plunging views — children love it. Check the timetables, as frequencies are mountain-style.
• Look out for “family” lift passes: summer chairlifts and funiculars often have very gentle children’s rates; check the resorts’ websites.
• The summer toboggan run, the essential of the season: almost every Valais resort has its rail descent; we have gathered the best in our guide to summer toboggan runs in French-speaking Switzerland.

Want to compare with the Vaud mountains? Discover our guides to Saint-Cergue and the Jura vaudois and Le Pays-d’Enhaut, and all the activities in Valais.

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