Larch Trees & Light: A Photo Hike in the Engadin

Larch Trees & Light: A Photo Hike in the Engadin

Golden larch trees, tranquil lakes, and the best light of the year—all without a crowd of people with tripods on the lakeshore

Duration

1 day

Next Date

Flexible

Prices

fromCHF 240

Discover the best photo spots in the Engadin—without any traffic jams
Taking photos with your smartphone, without getting bogged down in lengthy debates about the best camera manufacturer
Rediscover popular photo spots from new perspectives
Golden-yellow hues in the Engadin in the fall
The hike will take place even if it snows for the first time
+2

Golden larch trees, tranquil lakes, and the best light of the year: a day-long photo hike in the Engadin where it’s your photo that counts – not your camera.

A day in the Engadin during larch season: hiking, exploring, and taking photos. Accompanied by an internationally acclaimed photographer who’d rather show you photo ideas than explain camera menus.

Your Benefits

  • You’ll experience the golden larch trees where they truly shine, not where everyone else is.
  • Composition over technical lectures: you’ll learn to read the light, use reflections, and turn a puddle into a subject.
  • Smartphone, mirrorless camera, or DSLR – all are welcome. You’ll work with whatever you have with you.
  • A small group of no more than eight people, a leisurely pace, and no competition for the best spot on the shore.
  • Led by Falko Burghausen, a photographer who has won multiple international awards and is a mountain hiking guide in training.

fromCHF 240

Dates

1 day

Date of your choice

A Few Words from Me

« While many photography workshops tend to focus on technical discussions about camera models and tripods, we prefer to go where it’s quiet and the light is good. What your camera can do is secondary. What matters most is what you see, because the camera is just a tool. »

Falko BurghausenFalko Burghausen

Personal advice

Do you have any questions? I will be happy to advise you on this travel offer.

Falko Burghausen

Falko Burghausen

+41 76 586 67 87hello@beanywhere.ch

Requirements

Fitness
Technique
Distance15 km
Duration8h
Ascent800 m
Descent800 m

Highlights of the Photo Hike

  • Reading the light: why larch trees glow differently at 4 p.m. than at noon, and where the sun disappears in the narrow valley
  • Finding subjects that aren’t on every postcard
  • Composing shots with a foreground, reflections, and a mountain backdrop
  • Photographing with a smartphone: what works, what doesn’t, and how to get the most out of it
  • Staying safe on the trail in fall: Cold, short days, first snow

Learning Objectives

  • You’ll recognize good light before it arrives and be in the right spot when it does.
  • You’ll consciously compose your shots instead of just snapping away.
  • You’ll use reflections, foregrounds, and lines to add depth to your images.
  • You’ll know the key camera or smartphone settings for autumn light and backlighting.
  • You’ll go home with a handful of photos you’ll want to share – and with an idea of how to find new spots on your own.

Schedule

We’ll meet at 10 a.m. at the Pontresina train station (you’ll find out the exact location after booking).

Then we’ll set off: a leisurely walk into the valley, with a few stops along the way to sharpen our eyes and observe how the light is playing. We’ll have a picnic lunch at a spot where you’ll want to linger.

In the afternoon, we’ll work on specific photo ideas – each of us on our own. I’ll look over your shoulder, offer tips, and together we’ll search for perspectives that haven’t been photographed a thousand times already.

To wrap things up, we’ll spend the golden hour at a spot with water. If the wind cooperates, there’ll be reflections; if not, there’ll still be light. We’ll head back with headlamps, arriving at the train station around 7 p.m., and on Sunday around 6 p.m.

The exact route will be decided in the morning based on the light, weather, and snow conditions.



Variants

Pure Flex tours don't come with a fixed date, they come with yours. Tell me when you'd like to go, I'll check availability and usually get back to you within a day. If you have wishes for how the days should run, we'll build them in.

In a small group

Price per person. Small group of 3–6 people. Let me know a date from the color-coded calendar, and I’ll check the weather and lighting conditions and confirm within 24 hours.

CHF 240

Private, at your own pace

Flat rate for 1–2 people. Just you and me, with the date, pace, and route tailored to your preferences.

CHF 550

The Upper Engadine around Pontresina and St. Moritz, including the side valleys of the Bernina region. The meeting point is easily accessible via the Rhaetian Railway, and all locations are within walking distance of the meeting point. You won’t need a car.

The valley we’ll visit will depend on the light and weather that morning. You’ll receive the exact meeting point after booking.

Please bring your own picnic and drinks. A thermos with something warm is worth its weight in gold in October, especially when we’re waiting for the last light of the day. If you’d like, you can stay for a drink at the destination after the tour (not included, but highly recommended).

Camera

  • Smartphone, point-and-shoot, mirrorless, or DSLR – it doesn’t matter which, as long as you have a general idea of where the shutter button is.
  • Make sure you have enough battery life and storage space; cold weather drains batteries faster than you’d think.
  • A power bank for your smartphone.
  • Optional: a tripod and a polarizing filter – not required

Clothing and Shoes

  • Warm, windproof, and waterproof clothing layered according to the "onion principle".
  • Hiking boots with good traction.
  • A hat and gloves (touchscreen-compatible – you’ll thank me later... 🙃)
  • Backpack with room for food, camera, and a change of clothes

Food for the hike

  • Picnic lunchSnacks for during the day
  • Enough to drink, ideally a thermos

Miscellaneous

  • Headlamp with fully charged batteries (required – we’ll be returning after dark)
  • Sunglasses and sunscreen – it’s easy to underestimate the low-angle sun
  • Optional: a small seat pad for waiting for daylight
  • Public transportation ticket for your arrival and departure

You’ll receive a detailed packing list well in advance of the course.


  • Travel to and from the destination
  • Meals and beverages
  • Accommodations (if applicable)
  • Personal expenses
  • Cancellation insurance

Schedule: Minimum of four participants per session. You’ll be notified no later than two days before the course whether your session will take place. If it’s canceled, you can switch to another session free of charge or receive a full refund.

Weather: Fall in the Engadin sometimes means snow on golden larch trees. That’s no reason to cancel—it’s the best backdrop of the year. The event will only be canceled if safety requires it, and in that case, the same applies as above: reschedule or get a refund.

Insurance: Participants are responsible for their own insurance (accident, health, and liability insurance). We recommend a Rega membership and trip cancellation insurance.

Non-binding request

Your non-binding request will bring you one step closer to your experience. I will get back to you shortly with further information on dates and the exact procedure and discuss the next steps together.

Questions? Answers!

Still have questions about the offer? I have compiled the most important information for you.

Yes, absolutely. It's all about your eye, not your gear. A modern smartphone can do amazing things in autumn light, and together we'll explore where its limits lie and how you can work around them.

If you can explain aperture and ISO in your sleep, then this isn’t a technical course—that’s true. It’s a day focused on finding subjects, light, and looking beyond the usual spots. That’s where most photos fall short—not because of the technical aspects. If you want to dive deeper into cameras and filters, you’ll be better off in the two-day photography workshop on alpine landscapes.

If you can walk through a city for two to three hours, you can handle this too. Four to five hours of leisurely walking with plenty of stops, with a maximum elevation gain of about 800 meters on good trails. The light sets the pace, not the clock.

The dates fall during the statistically best week. Nature, however, doesn’t always cooperate. Whether the larch trees are in bloom earlier or later, they’ll still be glowing somewhere in the Engadin, and the route will be adjusted accordingly. The Engadin is big enough.

Then you're in luck. Snow on golden larch trees is the scene that keeps others coming back year after year. The tour is canceled only when safety requires it—that is, in the event of a storm or avalanche danger—not simply because of cold weather. In that case, you can reschedule or get a refund.

You don't need a car; the meeting point and the spots are accessible by the Rhaetian Railway and on foot. You can make this a day trip from Zurich or Chur, but it will be a long day because we won't be back until after sunset. It's more relaxing to spend the night there. I'll give you some tips on accommodations after you book.

The cancellation policy in the Terms and Conditions applies. If you can't make it, someone else is welcome to take your place – just let me know. For everything else, I recommend getting cancellation insurance; it doesn't cost much and saves you from any hassle.

No, that's the norm. Most people come alone or in pairs, and by the time they're waiting for the light to change, everyone is talking to everyone else anyway.

Sure. It's also a nice hike, and anyone who isn't taking pictures can hold the thermos. Same price, same booking.

No. If you have one, bring it along—we'll use it during the golden hour. If you don't have one, you'll learn how to manage without it.

Yes, I’ll send you a few digital photos of you and the group after the day is over. You can also send me your three favorite photos, and I’ll give you honest feedback. And if you like a photo so much that you want to hang it on your wall: you can find the fine art prints from the Engadin in the shop.

By arrangement. This works well in small groups and while waiting for the light – as long as the dog does too.