Best of Switzerland
Experience Overview
All the Best of Switzerland with a side visit to Italy. What could be better? Your travels will take you to Lake Geneva for local wine, cheese and delicious desserts in Lavaux, Lord Byron’s enchanting Chillon Castle and the pretty town of Brienz for a masterclass in Swiss wood carving.
Highlights
Dining Summary
- 3 Dinner (D)
- 8 Breakfast (B)
- 1 Lunch (L)
Be My Guest
- Bourg-en-Lavaux: Enjoy Swiss hospitality with a vineyard owner and savor the flavors of local wines, cheeses, and breads, all set against the enchanting views of the Lake Geneva.
Dive into Culture
- Brienz: Learn about Switzerland's wood-carving heritage at the Jobin wood sculpture museum in Brienz.
Iconic Experience
- Zürich: During an orientation, your Travel Director will show you some of the highlights of this beautiful lakeside city.
- Bern: Explore Switzerland's capital and see the Cathedral of St. Vincent, clock tower and Ogre Fountain.
- Chillon Castle: The beautiful fortress of Chillon Castle, set on a rocky islet on Lake Geneva, is widely regarded as one of the best-preserved medieval castles in Europe. Following his walk through the dungeons in 1816, Lord Byron wrote the poem 'The Prisoner of Chillon'. Look out for his name, which he carved into a pillar.
- Bernina Express: UNESCO World Heritage Listed Rhaetian RailwayTravel by train over the Bernina Pass through stunning landscapes en route to St. Moritz.
- Lucerne: During an orientation with your Travel Director, see the Lion Monument, Old Town Hall and Chapel Bridge, the oldest wooden covered bridge in Europe.
MAKE TRAVEL MATTER®
- Zürich: Join Diana and her team of socially engaged local guides, for a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® experience. Uncover the old town of Zürich during a fun and educational walking tour with the wonderful organization who are raising awareness on social issues such as food insecurity and supporting local change makers and the community.This experience supports United Nations Sustainable Development Goals 10 & 12: Reduced Inequalities & Responsible Consumption and Production.
Must-see Highlights
- Discover Zürich, Bern, Zermatt, Interlaken and Lucerne
- Visit Chillon Castle and Brienz Woodcarving Museum
- View the Jungfrau and Matterhorn mountains (weather permitting), Lake Maggiore and Lake Como, the Chapel Bridge and Lion Monument in Lucerne
- Scenic Train Ride from Tirano to Pontresina by UNESCO World Heritage-listed Rhaetian Railway
Trip Details
Product Code: 19275
Tour Type: Group Tour
Accommodation: Deluxe
Transport: Private
Guide Language: English
Travel Styles:
Family, 55+
Tour Operator:
Trafalgar (CA)
Supplier Code: 41.148A
Starts: Zurich, Switzerland
Finishes: Zurich, Switzerland
Duration: 9 days
Departures: Guaranteed
Physical Rating:
Easy
Includes
Whats Included
- An expert Travel Director and professional Driver
- Cherry-picked hotels, all tried and trusted
- All porterage and restaurant gratuities
- All hotel tips, charges and local taxes
- Breakfast daily and up to half of your evening meals
- Must-see sightseeing and surprise extras
- Audio headsets for flexible sightseeing
- Luxury air-conditioned coach with Wi-Fi in most countries or alternative transportation (such as rail journeys)
- Train from Tirano to Pontresina
- Optional Experiences and free time
- On occasion, hotels of similar standard and location may be utilized
Price
Price per person: (Double Occupancy) CAD $5,152 ($572 /day)
Itinerary
Zürich is your springboard to a spectacular journey through Switzerland. Join a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience for a social-impact guided walking tour. This evening, attend a dinner to launch your Swiss experience.
Accommodation: Hyatt Place Airport The Circle
Meals: Dinner
We leave the bright lights of Zürich behind and stop in Bern with its Old Town, admiring its medieval streets, ornate fountains and arcaded walkways. Journeying to Lake Geneva, we arrive in the resort town of Montreux, set against the pristine backdrop of snow-covered peaks and vineyards. After lunch, consider joining an Optional Experience to cruise Lake Geneva, including a visit to the Charlie Chaplin museum in his former estate, Manoir de Ban.
Accommodation: Mona Montreux
Meals: Breakfast
This morning, we visit Chillon Castle, immortalized by Lord Byron's 'Prisoner of Chillon'. For nearly four centuries, this water fortress was the residence of the Counts of Savoy and an important stop for traders. Our next stop is the Lavaux region, a charming wine village above Lake Geneva, where we’ll Connect With Locals over lunch at our Be My Guest experience. Continue your journey to the resort town of Zermatt, set against the backdrop of the snow-capped Matterhorn.
Accommodation: Mirabeau
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Spend a full free day soaking up Zermatt's crisp mountain air and panoramic vistas. Relax in beautiful surroundings or consider an Optional Experience to the Klein Matterhorn for the most spectacular mountain views.
Accommodation: Mirabeau
Meals: Breakfast
Departing Switzerland, we travel to the lakeside town of Baveno on Italy's Lake Maggiore. Spend the rest of the day indulging in the laid-back lakeside atmosphere or consider joining an Optional Experience to Isola Bella, one of the lake's Borromean islands, with its palazzo and exquisite gardens.
Accommodation: Simplon
Meals: Breakfast
We travel through the scenic Italian countryside to the fortified town of Tirano. Here, we board the UNESCO World Heritage Listed Rhaetian Railway to cross the Bernina Pass and wind our way through scenic landscapes en route to the stylish resort town of St. Moritz. This evening, enjoy dinner with your fellow travelers.
Accommodation: Reine Victoria
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Journeying through lush green landscapes, past Lake Zürich, we arrive in lakeside Lucerne. Pay tribute to the brave Swiss Guards, who lost their lives defending King Louis XVI at the Lion Monument, and admire the iconic wooden Chapel Bridge before strolling past the city's colorful façades. Consider joining a cruise on the tranquil lake waters and then ride the world's first double deck 'CabriO' cable car to the top of Mount Stanserhorn.
Accommodation: Grand Europe
Meals: Breakfast
We travel to Interlaken at the heart of Switzerland, which lies in the shadow of the Jungfrau Mountain. Stopping in the village of Brienz en route, we’ll Dive Into Culture and gain insights into the centuries-old tradition of wood carving for which this village is so famous. Spend some time on your own and enjoy superb views of the peaks of the Bernese Oberland. This evening, we enjoy dinner with our fellow travelers and Travel Director toasting the highlights of Switzerland we've enjoyed along the way.
Accommodation: Grand Europe
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
As our journey through the Best of Switzerland comes to an end, we bid our newfound friends a fond farewell.
Meals: Breakfast
Similar Tours
Tour Operator
Trafalgar (CA)
Family owned and run since 1920, The Travel Corporation (TTC) is the world leader in immersive travel experiences across an extensive range of travel categories. Each year TTC's 40 award winning hospitality and travel brands connect over 1 million happy travellers to the world. We give you access to the 12 DMC’s behind these brands, so you can build your business by capitalizing on the extensive experience, local expertise, and financial assurance of TTC. LOCAL EXPERTISE The world leaders in travel for over 100 years, we offer unparalleled local expertise with a global footprint. Our 12 DMCs, led by experienced in-destination teams, deliver experience rich travel solutions in more than 80 countries. Additionally, our market based teams are on hand to support across our 40 offices worldwide
In Business Since 1931
Reviews
Trusted Customer - Traveled, April 2025
Unforgettable Experience! Tour Director kept us well informed, always knew what was coming next, very well organised, professional Directors makes all the difference, with 40 different ages, languages on Board the Tour was in control of our Tour Director, *Personal information removed by Feefo*. What an Amazing Experience, with *Personal information removed by Feefo* as our Tour Director who took us on an Adventure we will never forget to “The Best of Switzerland” we always knew what was coming next, always kept us informed, as a Couple of Seniors in this Group, we have had Wonderful Tours with both Trafalgar & Insight, this Itinerary was Excellent in every way, Sights, Hotels, Restaurants and Fun Nights to remember. From Day One, *Personal information removed by Feefo* had us all saying Hello to each other as we set out on our Adventure, very well done, very friendly Group. Thanks to *Personal information removed by Feefo*, would recommend this Tour to all. *Personal information removed by Feefo* & *Personal information removed by Feefo*
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 04/21/2025
Brigid Gaza - Traveled, June 2024
Great Trip! *Personal information removed by Feefo* was great! She kept our group of 48 well organized and on time. Our two bus drivers *Personal information removed by Feefo* and *Personal information removed by Feefo* were also great. Always on time and got us to each place with no problems. Amazing trip! For the most part we loved the itinerary. We felt that there was a good balance between free time and excursions. Most of the hotels were fantastic with views and a great breakfast. Zermatt was the highlight. They changed our hotel last minute to hotel Hemizeus and it turned out to be the best one! I would suggest a different restaurant for the optional dinner in Zermatt. We were disappointed in this dinner. A small amount of bland meat for almost $100. Last hotel in Lucerne was a bust. Terrible breakfast and tiny outdated rooms with no view. Interlaken was a disappointment. I felt like we wasted our last day. Brienz was a beautiful little town, though. I would suggest more time here to spend at the lake. We saw the wood carving but had zero time to explore.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 06/28/2024
Trusted Customer - Traveled, March 2025
Best of Switzerland(March 29-April 6). Actually good & travellers protected all the time. TD & designated driver were ok. Wished that Mt Stanserhorn & Lake Cruise wasn’t cancelled. Mt Pilatus was the substitute which was our second time been seen ( 2015) with Trafalgar. * *Personal information removed by Feefo*as our TD was very polite, approachable & guided us up to the last minute at Zürich Airport. He was a very good TD. As Trafalgar tradition, our “group photo” should have been a better site, *Personal information removed by Feefo* should have been in the photo & should been taken by a professional photographer as we have before. This was our 3rd time with Trafalgar so we collected all significant chosen place for Group Photo.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 04/15/2025
Trusted Customer - Traveled, April 2025
Scenic overload! Looked after every detail you can think of. I travelled with a gluten and dairy sensitive person and our guide always made sure he was looked after. Even going out of his way to accommodate him. Amazing trip! If you want to see all the beautiful scenery Switzerland has, this is the trip for you! The small multicultural group size made it easy to get to know one another other and learn about each others countries and previous travel experiences. Our Tour guide was extremely informative and expressed great passion for the country and his job.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 04/14/2025
Trusted Customer - Traveled, August 2024
The trip and optional tours were great. *Personal information removed by Feefo*, our tour guide was excellent. She was very personable and knowledgeable and took the time to get to know the 48 passengers. She was faced with finding alternate routes due to recent flood damage and managed seamlessly. We never felt like there was any issues.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 08/26/2024
Kate Mountain - Traveled, June 2024
The itinerary was great with no long days in bus. Great variety of activities and accommodation central and high quality. Our Tour Guide, *Personal details removed by Feefo* was outstanding.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 07/25/2024
Jose Delumen - Traveled, July 2024
Best of Switzerland! Pampered. Every detail has been thought about. Our fourth and best Trafalgar adventure! What a surprise this trip was! Perfect number of days full of pleasant surprises. The Swiss Glacier Cave & the Ice Palace | Zermatt Matterhorn, is hard to describe, you've got to experience this! All in all this Trafalgar trip rates a ten, (*Personal information removed by Feefo* our tour director had a lot to do with it) We're even starting a "Let's do it again" trip list, because of this one!
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 08/21/2024
Trusted Customer - Traveled, June 2024
My Swiss Holiday Experience. A Bucket List Highlight. Trafalgar give you the choice of optional tours, most of these are essential to make the most of your holiday, although this can make the tour quite expensive overall. The tour guide is very knowledgeable of the area and its history, the coach driver was excellent, you felt very confident with his safe driving of such a large coach. The choice of hotels, variety between mediocre and opulent with buffet breakfast included. I would happily recommend Trafalgar Tours to family and friends. I found the tour had excellent coverage of most sites of interest for the time available. We were very fortunate with the weather, with only one day of rain. Our tour guide *Personal information removed by Feefo* was most helpful and informative. The Matterhorn was the highlight for me. Also the train ride on the Bernina Express;
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 07/18/2024
Trusted Customer - Traveled, July 2024
*Personal details removed by Feefo* was fantastic! He helped all of us who had special dietary needs so there were no problems. The tours were great! Everything went really smoothly, glad to have someone else dealing with luggage and driving too! I do think that people should be made aware of lots of stairs or walking as one was quite exhausting. I really loved that *Personal details removed by Feefo* had special songs for us each day on the bus, it really started the day nicely!
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 08/13/2024
Romeo Jr Valmadrid - Traveled, July 2024
Amazing country. The Best Tour we ever experienced with the Best Travel Director *Personal details removed by Feefo*.
Source: Tour operator Submitted: 08/19/2024
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