On a hut-hiking trip, the primitive campsite is replaced by a trailside lodge with cushy beds--sometimes four-course dinners and fine wine, too.
Day 2 (5-7 hours): Look for ibex (wild goats) on the way to Col de Balme, the first of 11 high passes on the Haute Route. End the day at Refuge du Peuty, where you'll be lulled to sleep--or not--by cowbells.
Day 3 (5-7 hours): After a rocky climb to Fênetre d'Arpette, with views of crevasses and seracs in the glacier below, descend through meadows to the bus at Champex--or keep walking all the way to the Matterhorn. Cost: $15--$70 per night; meals served. More info: ohm-chamonix.com, sac-cas.ch.
Itinerary Two: New Zealand
The South Island's 20-mile Routeburn Track mixes Lord of the Rings rain forest and alpine views.
Day 1 (3-4 hours): Catch a shuttle from Queenstown to the trailhead ($22, infotrack.co.nz). An easy walk through a beech-and-fern forest parallels the crystalline Routeburn River, then rises to treeline at Routeburn Falls Hut, which has a deck overlooking the majestic valley you just climbed. Cool off in the hut's namesake falls.
Day 2 (4-7 hours): Ascend open meadows with flybys of curious parrots called kea birds; at Harris Saddle, take a short detour up Conical Hill for a vista that stretches all the way to the Tasman Sea.
Day 3 (4-5 hours): An easy hike through trees leads to a bus stop on Highway 94. Alternatively, make it a loop by adding two days and returning on the secluded 15-mile Caples Track. Cost: $29 per night for lodging only. More info: doc.govt.nz.
Itinerary Three: Glacier National Park
Granite Park Chalet is a stone-and-wood wonder built in 1914 on a spectacular overlook deep in one of America's premier national parks.
Day 1 (4-6 hours): Start at Logan Pass trailhead and hike the Highline Trail, with wildflowers, marmots, goats, and glacier views along the way.
Day 2 (4-6 hours): Hike up to Swiftcurrent Pass and down the east side of the Continental Divide, past turquoise lakes where you can swim and maybe spot a moose. Shuttles pick up at the end of the trail. Cost: $66 per night for lodging only. More info: graniteparkchalet.com, 888/345-2649.
Note: This story was accurate when it was published. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.
