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Hut to Hut Hiking with Kids: Family-Friendly Hut Hikes

Kati and I (Sabrina) are passionate about hut to hut hiking. And, we’ve been sharing that passion here on Moon & Honey Travel for many years. 

We often get emails and DMs from parents asking for kid-friendly hut-to-hut hiking trail recommendations. 

We do not have kids, and we do not have any experience hiking with kids. Despite that critical point, the inquiries still flood in. 

My motivation for writing this guide is to simply provide some direction and hiking trail ideas for our community of parent hikers. 

We have numerous trekking itineraries on our blog, but 95% of those routes are not suitable for children, due to the technical nature of the trails and the stamina needed to complete the stages. 

Most of the kid-friendly hut-to-hut and village-to-village trails below are vetted by local tourism associations. Many have been purposefully designed for families with kids (not infants or very young children). 

If you have hiked hut-to-hut with your kids, please share your experience in the comments.

Formarinsee, Vorarlberg, Austria

Good to Know

  • Most mountain huts are rustic accommodations for adults with mostly dormitory-style arrangements and communal bathrooms. Some huts have showers.
  • Hut-to-hut hiking is not suitable for infants
  • Generally, it’s not allowed to dispose of your trash in most mountain huts. Whatever you bring with you, you must also pack out. If your child still needs diapers, clarify in advance whether the diapers can also be disposed of at the hut.
  • What we Pack: Hut-to-Hut Hiking Packing List

3-Day Bödele Hut-to-Hut Hike in Vorarlberg, Austria

The first stage of the Bödele Alpine Region hut hike leads from Schwarzenberg to the family-friendly Bregenzerhütte (mountain hut). The following day, the trail continues across the European Fohramoos nature reserve to the Alpengasthof Brüggele alpine inn. On the final day, the path returns to Schwarzenberg.

Stage 1 | Schwarzenberg – Bregenzer mountain hut (6.9 km, 3 hours, 645 meters up, 48 meters down)

Stage 2 | Bregenzer mountain hut – Brüggelekopf (13.8 km, 5 hours, 418 meters up, 583 meters down)

Stage 3 | Brüggelekopf – Schwarzenberg (6.2 km, 2:30 hours, 117 meters up, 577 meters down). 

Season | May to Late October 

Inquiries | Contact Bregenzerwald Tourismus

Related | Hiking in Vorarlberg


4-Day Obertal Hut-to-Hut Hike in Styria, Austria

Ignaz-Mattis-Hütte, Schladminger Tauern High Trail

Designed for families with kids, the 4-day Obertal hut-to-hut hike leads to several fabulous huts and mountain lakes in the Schladminger Tauern mountain range. 

The 24-km trail starts in Obertal Valley, accessible by bus from the alpine town of Schladming. Stages last between 2:30 and 4 hours without breaks. 

Stage 1 | Hopfriesen bus stop – Giglach Lakes. Stay in Giglachseehütte or Ignaz-Mattis-Hütte

Stage 2 | Giglach Lakes to Duisitzkarsee Lake. Stay in Duisitzkarseehütte.

Stage 3 | Duisitzkarseehütte to Keinprechthütte

Stage 4 | Keinprechthütte to Eschachalm bus stop.

Season | July – September

More Info | Contact Schladming-Dachstein Tourism 

Related | Schladming Hiking Guide


6-Day Hut to Hut Hike in Tyrol, Austria

Hut to Hut Light in the Austrian Alps is a 6-stage hut-to-hut hiking trail in the Stubai Alps of Tyrol. This trail is suitable for families with kids who regularly hike. 

Most of the stages along the 46.4 km point-to-point trail are short: between 4.4 km and 10.9 km. 

Hikers overnight in mountain huts, some of which have family rooms, along the way.  Breakfast and dinner are provided by the hut. 

This hut tour is located near Innsbruck, but it isn’t widely known. If you’re looking for an authentic Austrian hut-to-hut hiking experience, this is it. 

Season | End of June/July to Early September 

More Info | Contact Alpenventures Unguided


4-Day KAT Walk Family in Tyrol, Austria

The KAT Walk Family trail is a 4-stage village-to-village hike in the Kitzbüheler Alpen in Austria. This family-friendly hiking itinerary can be booked online and includes luggage transport, overnight stays with half board, and more. 

They officially state that this hike is appropriate for kids ages 6 and up.

Season | Early June – End of September


Lechweg in Austria and Germany

Lake Formarinsee, Austria

The Lechweg is a long distance hiking trail that follows the River Lech, starting at Lake Formarinsee near Lech am Arlberg in Vorarlberg, Austria, and ending in Füssen in Bavaria, Germany

The 125-km trail is divided into 15 stages. However, hikers can shorten stages by taking the bus, or dividing stages. 

The Lechweg connects hotels and guesthouses in small villages in Lech Valley. 

Season | End of June – End of September (depending on snow conditions). There’s also a spring itinerary variation that starts in Warth, doable starting in mid-May. 

More Info | The Lechweg Association is made up of five tourism associations along the Lech Trail: Lech Zürs Tourism , Warth-Schröcken Tourism, Lechtal Tourism, Reutte Nature Park Region, and Füssen Tourism.


The Dolorama Trail in South Tyrol, Italy

The Dolorama Trail in South Tyrol, Italy

The Dolorama trail is a 61-km hike in the Italian Dolomites. The hike leads across the Lüsner Alm mountain pastures to Rifugio Monte Muro, facing the solitary, two-headed Sass de Putia. Next, the trail descends to Passo delle Erbe mountain pass and then wraps around the eastern flank of Sass de Putia to reach Schlüterhütte (Rifugio Genova). After tracing the Adolf Munkel Trail at the foot of the Odle Group, the hut-to-hut hiking trail ascends to the Resciesa plateau. The Dolorama trail ends with a descent into Lajen/Laion at the entrance of Val Gardena

Though we haven’t hiked the Dolorama trail in its entirety, we’re familiar with most of the path from various day hikes. There’s no exposure, or technical difficulty along the trail. 

The trail is officially divided into four stages, each quite long. Without modification, the stages are too long for kids. You could potentially break up stage 1 by staying in Starkenfeldhütte, or Kreuzwiesenalm. You could also break up stage 2 by staying in Ütia de Börz, or Ütia de Göma. It’s also possible to end the hike early, by riding the funicular from Resciesa down to the village of Ortisei in Val Gardena.

Stage 1 | Zumis parking area on the Rodenecker-Lüsner Alm to Maurerberghütte (20.4 km, 6:30 hours, 941 meters up, 556 meters down)

Stage 2 | Maurerberghütte to Schlüterhütte (14.7 km, 4:45 hours, 718 meters up, 534 meters down)

Stage 3 | Schlüterhütte to Raschötz refuge (15.3 km, 5 hours, 538 meters up, 672 meters down)

Stage 4 | Raschötz to Lajen (9.7 km, 3 hours, 33 meters up, 1106 meters down)

Season | June – September (October)

More Info | Contact Eisacktaler Dolomiten


Slovenian Alps Hut-to-Hut Hike

Bled Hut, Blejska koča na Lipanci, Julian Alps, Slovenia

Our friends at Slotrips can create customized hut-to-hut hikes for families with kids. Reach out to them here


More Family-Friendly Hut Hiking Ideas

Rifugio Sasso Piatto, South Tyrol, Dolomites

We asked our followers on Instagram about which multi-day hikes they’ve completed with their kids. And, here’s what they said:

More parents replied that they did a 2-day hut hike with a single overnight in a mountain hut to try it out. 

Here are a few hikes that could potentially be great 2-day hut hikes with kids:

Switzerland: Saxer Lücke Hike with an overnight stay in Berggasthaus Bollenwees. 

Germany: Partnach Gorge with an overnight stay in Berggasthof Eckbauer.

Italy: Sassolungo Circuit Trail with an overnight stay in Plattkofelhütte / Rifugio Sasso Piatto. 

Austria: 5 Huts Trail in the Dachstein with an overnight in Dachstein-Südwand-Hütte. Rotmoosalm Hike with an overnight in Wettersteinhütte.


More Hiking Guides

Hut to Hut Hiking:

Multi-Day Hiking Trails:

Hiking in the Alps:



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Sabrina Brett

Hello! I’m a spirited traveler on a quest to hike in the most picturesque alpine and coastal destinations across Europe. In 2016, I left my home and job in San Francisco, California, to move to Germany, and later Austria. The following year, I created this blog to help like-minded travelers experience new and exciting ways to travel authentically. I travel to hike, and I hope to inspire your next adventure.

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