Valais is Switzerland's third-largest and most dramatically alpine canton, home to 40 of the Alps' 52 four-thousand-metre peaks including the iconic Matterhorn. With the driest climate in Switzerland, over 300 sunny days a year, and the country's largest wine-growing region, it offers an extraordinary blend of high-altitude adventure, luxury resorts, and centuries-old culture.
Top food tours
Guided experiences that show you Valais through its food.
Sion Wine and Old Town Food Walk
Explore Sion's medieval old town with a local sommelier guide, stopping at wine cellars, the Saturday market (seasonal), a traditional charcuterie, and a local bakery for tastings of the canton's finest products.
Includes: Valais wine cellar visit · AOC cheese tasting · Viande Séchée du Valais tasting · Old Town medieval architecture · Valère castle views
Route des Vins du Valais (Wine Route)
Follow the Valais Wine Route through terraced vineyards from Sierre to Martigny, stopping at family-run wineries producing Fendant, Petite Arvine, Cornalin, and Humagne Rouge — wines found virtually nowhere outside Switzerland.
Includes: Fendant tasting at a family cave · Petite Arvine (Valais' most prestigious white) · vineyard panorama walks · traditional Valaisan lunch at a winery · bottled wine to take home
Alpine Cheese and Raclette Experience
Visit a working alpine dairy above 1,800m to see traditional Raclette du Valais AOP cheese being made, then participate in a traditional raclette dinner where cheese is melted tableside — the most authentic Valaisan food experience available.
Includes: Live cheese making at a mountain alpage · traditional raclette preparation · Valaisan potato varieties · local wine pairing · take-home raw milk cheese
Zermatt Mountain Gastronomy Tour
A guided food walk (or ski tour in winter) visiting Zermatt's best mountain restaurants — from Zum See to Chez Vrony at Findeln — with curated tastings of alpine cuisine against a backdrop of the Matterhorn.
Includes: Matterhorn panorama dining · Chez Vrony farm cuisine · fondue at a mountain hut · local alpine herb schnapps tasting
Sion Saturday Market and Cooking Experience
Start at the vibrant Sion Saturday Market with a local guide to select seasonal produce, then head to a cooking studio to prepare a traditional Valaisan meal from scratch — including viande séchée tartine, raclette, and a Valaisan wine tart.
Includes: Saturday market shopping experience · hands-on raclette cooking · Valaisan wine education · seasonal produce focus
Tour formats
Different ways to experience Valais's food scene.
Street food tours
Sion Saturday Market offers the best street food experience in Valais — saucisse grillée, fresh pain de seigle, and seasonal produce from local farmers. Best September–October during grape harvest.
Market tours
Guided market tours of the Sion Saturday Market run by the Sion Tourist Office (CHF 15–25) on selected Saturdays from May to October
Restaurant tours
Mountain restaurant hopping tours in Zermatt (Findeln area) available through the Zermatt Tourist Office — a multi-course experience across three altitude-separated restaurants
Specialty tours
Valais wine tours along the Route des Vins; Raclette du Valais AOP dairy tours in alpine villages; Abricotine apricot brandy distillery tours near Martigny (seasonal, July)
Cooking classes
Take a piece of Valais home with you.
Valaisan Kitchen Classics
Learn to prepare three traditional Valaisan dishes — raclette, fondue moitié-moitié, and Alplermagronen — with a professional chef in a home-style kitchen in Sion. Includes wine pairing and full meal.
Valaisan Rye Bread and Pain de Mais Baking
Learn to bake traditional Valaisan rye bread and corn bread alongside a local baker, using heritage grain varieties. Take home your own freshly baked loaves.
Valais Wine and Food Pairing Masterclass
A sit-down masterclass led by a Valaisan sommelier covering the appellation's key grape varieties, terroir, and traditional food pairings — the most educational wine experience in the canton.
DIY self-guided food tour
Create your own Valaisan food tour following this half-day route in and around Sion
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1
Stop 1: Boulangerie du Rhône (Sion, 7:00 AM) — fresh pain de seigle and croissant for breakfast
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2
Stop 2: Sion Saturday Market (8:00 AM, Saturdays only) — buy viande séchée, local cheese, and seasonal produce
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3
Stop 3: Le Fendant Wine Bar (from 5:00 PM) — the best Valais wine-by-glass selection in the city
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Stop 4: La Bergerie bistro (12:30 PM) — traditional Assiette Valaisanne lunch
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Stop 5: Cave du Rhodan or local wine cellar (afternoon by appointment) — private Valais wine tasting
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Stop 6: Confiserie Bovier (mid-afternoon) — local chocolate and sweet shop for dessert
Foodie tips
Get more out of every meal.
Book wine cellar visits in advance — most small family producers require a reservation and do not have walk-in tastings
The grape harvest (vendange) in September–October is the most exciting time to visit Valais for food lovers — access to fresh-pressed must and new wine
Raclette du Valais AOP and Viande Séchée du Valais AOP both have protected origin status — look for the AOP/AOC seal to ensure authenticity
Many alpine restaurants (Zum See, Chez Vrony, Findeln) require advance reservations during ski season — book at least a week ahead
The Valais wine country is best explored by bicycle along the Route des Vins — e-bikes available for hire at Sion and Sierre stations
Apricotine (apricot brandy) distilleries near Martigny offer tours during the July apricot harvest season — a unique Valaisan tradition