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The Creux du Van cirque seen from the east, with a sea of fog and the Alps in the distance.

From a single base in Neuchâtel · Gorges, cirque and vineyards

From the Creux du Van to Lake Neuchâtel

Five days in the same lakeside hotel: every morning, a regional train drops you at the start of the walk. The Areuse gorges, the cirque of the Creux du Van, then the vineyards sloping down to the lake.

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You never change hotels: the train takes you to the start of the trail.

Neuchâtel is a small town of yellow stone, set between the lake and the first slopes of the Jura, with its castle, its collegiate church and its lakeside promenades. It is the ideal base camp for a first trip to Switzerland: you unpack for four nights, and every morning a regional train, punctual to the minute, drops you at the start of the day's walk.

In three days, you will see three faces of the Neuchâtel region: the Areuse gorges and their footbridges, the cliff-ringed cirque of the Creux du Van, the most spectacular landscape in the Jura, and then the vineyards running down to the lake, with the Alps opposite. A pace that leaves time for the town, a boat trip on the lake and a tasting in a wine cellar.

The programme

Three walks, one hotel

Programme for guidance only: the local partner may adapt the stages to the weather, the season and your pace, or shorten a day by train or bus.

Day 1 · EuroAirport · Neuchâtel

Arrival by the lake

Arrival at EuroAirport Basel-Mulhouse. Private transfer to Neuchâtel (about 1 hour 30 minutes). Check in at your hotel for four nights, then a stroll through the old town up to the castle and the collegiate church.

  • Private transfer ≈ 1 h 30 min
  • Hotel in Neuchâtel

Day 2 · Noiraigue · Champ-du-Moulin · Boudry

The Areuse gorges

Train to Noiraigue, then down through the Areuse gorges: the river tumbles between limestone walls, and the path crosses it on footbridges and follows it through cool forest. You finish at Boudry, where the little Littoral tram takes you back to Neuchâtel.

  • 10.7 km · +80 m · −340 m
  • ≈ 2 h 30 min walking
  • Train and tram included

Day 3 · Noiraigue · Creux du Van · Noiraigue

Round the Creux du Van

The big day. From Noiraigue, the Quatorze Contours path zigzags up to the rim of the Creux du Van, an amphitheatre of cliffs more than a kilometre wide. You follow the edge of the drop to Le Soliat (1,463 m), on the lookout for ibex, then head back down via the Ferme Robert, where you can stop for a meal.

  • 14.6 km · +860 m · −860 m
  • ≈ 4 h 45 min walking
  • Train included

Day 4 · Auvernier · Cortaillod · Bevaix

The vineyard trail

An easy walk between the vines and the lake, from the winegrowing village of Auvernier to Bevaix, via Colombier and Cortaillod. Ahead of you, Lake Neuchâtel and, on a clear day, the whole chain of the Alps. A stop at a wine cellar to taste Chasselas and Œil-de-Perdrix, Neuchâtel's rosé.

  • 9.7 km · +120 m · −80 m
  • ≈ 2 h 30 min walking
  • Train included
  • Tasting in a wine cellar

Day 5 · Neuchâtel · EuroAirport

One last morning in town

A free morning: the market, the lakeside, or a short cruise on the lake, depending on the day's timetable. Transfer to EuroAirport for your journey home (about 1 hour 30 minutes), or to Geneva if you are travelling on.

  • Private transfer ≈ 1 h 30 min
A red sunset over Lake Neuchâtel, with the silhouette of the Jura ridges.

Evenings by the lake

In the evening, the sun sets over the Jura.

From the lakeside in Neuchâtel, the crests you have walked stand out against the sunset. Perch fillets from the lake, and a glass of local wine.

The route

Around Neuchâtel, by train and on foot

Map of the route around Neuchâtel: train to Noiraigue, down the Areuse gorges via Champ-du-Moulin to Boudry, a loop round the Creux du Van from Noiraigue, then the vineyard trail from Auvernier to Bevaix, on the shore of Lake Neuchâtel. EuroAirport lies off the map, to the north-east.Lac de Neuchâtelvers l'EuroAirportNoiraigueChamp-du-MoulinBoudryCreux du VanAuvernierBevaix1NeuchâtelN
On footBy train or tram, and transfers to EuroAirportRoute for guidance only
  1. 01Arrival by the lakePrivate transfer ≈ 1 h 30 min
  2. 02The Areuse gorges10.7 km · +80 m · −340 m
  3. 03Round the Creux du Van14.6 km · +860 m · −860 m
  4. 04The vineyard trail9.7 km · +120 m · −80 m
  5. 05One last morning in townPrivate transfer ≈ 1 h 30 min
Download the GPX track
Elevation profile of the three walks200 – 1600 m

What's planned

Included and not included

Included

  • 4 nights in the same hotel in Neuchâtel, double room
  • Breakfasts
  • Regional trains and trams to the start of each walk
  • Private transfers EuroAirport → Neuchâtel → EuroAirport
  • Route notes in English, maps and GPX track
  • Telephone assistance in English during your stay

Not included

  • Travel to Switzerland (flights or train)
  • Lunches and dinners
  • Drinks and tasting
  • Travel insurance (cancellation, medical care, repatriation)

Practical details

Departures
We recommend arriving on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays; other days are possible on request.
Transfers
Private transfer from EuroAirport Basel-Mulhouse (≈ 1 h 30 min), included on arrival and departure. You can also arrive via Geneva Airport or Zurich Airport: we will give you the train connections.
Accommodation
A town-centre hotel in Neuchâtel, in a double room, within walking distance of the station and the lake. You never have to repack your case.
A rocky ridge rises above a hollow of pastures and a red-roofed mountain farm restaurant, near the Chasseral.

Our partners on the ground

Professionals who know the terrain

Travel agencies based in Switzerland

Rando en Suisse works with travel agencies based in Switzerland, chosen for their reliability and their knowledge of the Jura. On the ground, they take care of everything: booking the hotels and inns, transporting your luggage, transfers from the airport and assistance during your walk. The agency sells you the trip and signs the contract with you; you are told which agency it is with your quote. Rando en Suisse advises you, answers your questions and remains your point of contact, from your first enquiry until departure.

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Let's talk about your trip

We reply in English or French, by email or by phone, with no obligation.

Message us on WhatsAppCall +41 78 600 37 36

This trip is organised and sold by a travel agency based in Switzerland, a partner of Rando en Suisse. Rando en Suisse provides information and puts you in touch with the agency; Rando en Suisse does not sell any trips.