Planning hut-to-hut tours: the complete guide to your first multi-day hike

A hut-to-hut tour is a multi-day hike in the mountains where you do not camp, but stay overnight in mountain huts. These huts offer dormitory accommodation or rooms, a hot evening meal and breakfast in the morning: everything you need to set off again the next day.

The big difference compared with camping is that your rucksack stays light, as you do not need a tent, sleeping bag or stove. That makes hut-to-hut tours ideal for anyone who wants to spend several days in the mountains without needing expedition-level experience.

Most huts belong to the German Alpine Club (DAV) or the Austrian Alpine Club (ÖAV). Membership is worthwhile: you get reduced overnight rates and booking benefits.

Hut-to-hut tours come in many difficulty levels, from relaxed alpine pasture paths to demanding via ferratas. As a beginner, focus on well-marked trails (difficulty level T1–T2) without exposed sections. The stages are manageable and the infrastructure is well developed.

This format is less suitable if you prefer to travel flexibly and spontaneously: hut beds are in demand and need to be booked in advance. If you plan at short notice, you risk being left without accommodation for the night.

Choosing your route is the most important step in the planning process. For beginners, the rule is: better too short than too long. A stage that looks manageable on paper can feel very different with a heavy rucksack on rocky terrain.

Use walking time as your guide, not distance alone. As a rule of thumb, 300 metres of ascent adds around 1 extra hour to your plan. For beginners, stages of 4–6 hours of walking including breaks are recommended.

Good starting areas for your first hut-to-hut tour include the Allgäu Alps (gentle grassy mountains and a dense hut network) and the Salzburg Alm Trail (3 days, little elevation change and plenty of alpine pasture huts). Both areas have well-marked paths and are easy to navigate even without local knowledge.

For route planning, topographic maps or apps such as komoot and outdooractive are your best options. Printed AV maps at a scale of 1:25,000 are the most reliable basis for alpine regions. Always plan a buffer day too, as bad weather or a longer ascent can shift your schedule.

Hut beds are limited, especially on popular routes during peak season. Book at least 4–8 weeks in advance, and even earlier for July and August. Hoping for last-minute availability leaves you with poor odds on some routes.

The German and Austrian Alpine Clubs run a shared online booking system covering more than 500 huts. It lets you see at a glance whether your preferred nights are available. Huts outside the Alpine Club network can often be booked directly by phone, ideally in the evening when the hut staff have time.

The weight you carry determines how much you still enjoy yourself at the end of the day. A good rule of thumb is: your backpack should weigh no more than a quarter of your body weight. At 70 kg, that means a maximum of around 17 kg, though considerably less is better. For a hut-to-hut hike, 8–10 kg is usually more than enough.

The big advantage over camping trips: you can leave your sleeping bag, tent and stove at home. What you do need to pack should be carefully considered.

Weather in the mountains is less predictable than in the valley, and many beginners underestimate this. Cold fronts can develop within hours, turning a sunny morning into a stormy afternoon.

The most important rule: set off early. If you start at 6 am, you will usually reach the summit before midday, when the risk of thunderstorms caused by daytime heating is still low. From May to August, the risk of thunderstorms rises sharply between 1 and 5 pm.

Check the weather using several sources: the DAV provides specialised mountain weather forecasts for many regions. yr.no and national weather services are also helpful, including ZAMG for Austria and DWD for Germany. And always ask the hut wardens: they know the local weather better than any app.

Mountain huts vary widely in comfort and facilities. At basic self-catering huts, you bring your own food. Staffed DAV huts serve dinner, breakfast and usually drinks too.

You will usually sleep in a shared dormitory: a large room with wooden bunks where several people sleep side by side. Some huts have smaller rooms for 2–4 people. Do not expect hotel comfort, but after a long day of hiking, the mattress will still feel like gold.

Your hut sleeping bag liner is essential. Huts provide blankets, but for hygiene reasons you must always sleep in your own liner. It is light, affordable and belongs in every backpack.

Good hut etiquette means leaving your hiking boots outside, keeping quiet after 10 pm and letting the hut warden know if you will arrive later than planned. Shower and washing facilities are often limited at basic huts, so pack a microfibre towel and soap.

As for costs: at DAV huts, an overnight stay with dinner and breakfast costs members between €25 and €45 per person, and non-members between €35 and €60. Drinks are charged separately. Cash is essential: many huts do not have a card terminal.