Experience Overview
See Switzerland in all its natural splendor during this 2-week guided tour that whisks you from snow-capped mountain peaks to floral valleys. Outside Lucerne, complete with wooden bridges and baroque churches, zip to the top of Mount Stanserhorn, a pinnacle so tall you can see France and Germany. Take in beautiful Bern and its Catherdrals with a Local Expert followed by a stop in Gruyères. Glide along the Glacier Express, a glass-topped train that will carry you through the Oberalp Valley and to Grindelwald, an idyllic alpine village set to the backdrop of winding rivers and towering waterfalls. In St. Moritz, a mountain railways pass will allow you to traverse the alpine village’s cable cars, funiculars and chairlifts. Then taste the freshest cuisine in Switzerland during an intimate farm-to-table dinner experience, including cheese.
Highlights
Dining Summary
- 3 Dinner with Wine (DW)
- 13 Breakfast (B)
- 2 Dinner (D)
Additional Included Highlights
- Personal radio headsets give you the freedom to wander during visits to famous highlights, without missing any of your Local Expert's fascinating commentary.
- Hotel and restaurant tips are included - you'll never have to worry about how much to give, nor search for foreign currency. We also include all taxes and porterage charges at hotels.
- We carry your bags for you and promptly deliver them to your hotel door.
- From time to time, your Travel Director will delight you with an Insight Flourish, which is a local specialty representing the destination.
- Stay connected with friends and family with our complimentary coach and hotel Wi-Fi (where available).
- If your arrival and/or departure flights are as per the itinerary start and end dates, then transfers are available at scheduled times. If your flights are outside these times, or you have booked additional nights accommodation with Insight Vacations, you may purchase transfers or make your own way from/to the airport.
Authentic Dining
- Lucerne: Join your Travel Director and fellow travelers for your dinner served with wine. Zermatt: Choose between fine local restaurants for your Dine-Around evening, with the chance to indulge in traditional fondue.
- Zürich: Raise your glass and enjoy a delicious dinner featuring Swiss classics at a local restaurant.
Insight Experiences
- Lake Geneva: Visit Chillon Castle with the Head of Collections to discover the artefacts, treasures and history of the chateau.
- Bellinzona: Explore the stunning town of Bellinzona with your Local Expert. Julie will passionately share with you her insights into the three marvelous castles, and her personal stories about how she fell in love with this city and decided to move to the area.
Make Travel Matter
- Stanserhorn: Journey to the top of Mount Stanserhorn on a panoramic, open-top cable car powered by solar energy, and enjoy spectacular views from the summit. Walk along beautiful scenic pathways, keeping an eye out for marmots and other native animals, with the chance to hear a conservation talk by a Swiss ranger, to learn about local wildlife and flora. Your visit directly supports United Nations Sustainable Development Goals 7 & 15: Affordable and Clean Energy & Life on Land.
- Lake Geneva: Visit a family-run winery overlooking Lake Geneva. Enjoy a tasting, and learn how the family is preserving the estate for future generations. Savor delicious farm-to-table fare, made from locally sourced produce. Alongside using sustainable agricultural practices, they source majority of their good locally. They have strict procedures about waste reduction and any waste from the production is being re-used as fertilizer or food for their animals. This experience advances UN Sustainable Development Goal 12: Responsible Production and Consumption.
Top Rated Highlights
- Stanserhorn: Journey to the top of Mount Stanserhorn on a panoramic, open-top cable car powered by solar energy, and enjoy spectacular views from the summit.
- Lucerne: See the emotive Lion Monument, Jesuit Church and Chapel Bridge.
- Bern: Your exploration with a local historian through Switzerland's capital includes seeing the floral displays, Cathedral of St. Vincent, Federal Palace, clock tower and Ogre Fountain.
- Gruyères: Travel along valley floors covered with rich meadowland, to the pretty town of Gruyeres. Your Travel Director leads an orientation tour where you will see the main street and 13th century castle.
- Montreux: At the foot of the Alps this town boasts one of the most beautiful walks along Lake Geneva, join your Travel Director for an orientation before there is free time to explore.
- Geneva: With your Travel Director you'll discover the Jet d'Eau and the Floral Clock.
- Lake Geneva: Enjoy first-class seats as you cruise on the serene waters of the King of Lakes, inspiration to the early Romantic movement.
- Martigny: View the Roman Amphitheater during your orientation.
- Sion: Your Travel Director will show you the two fortress-churches, the cathedral and Old Town Hall.
- Zermatt: Ride the shuttle trains of the Matterhorn Gotthard Railway up to the traffic-free Alpine resort. Should weather permit, you may even see the majestic peak of the Matterhorn.
- Zermatt: Your Travel Director will lead you on an orientation of this picturesque village, high in the mountains.
- Lugano: With your Travel Director discover the lakeside city.
- St Moritz: See the spa quarter and glacial lake of this charming alpine resort.
- St Moritz: If you think there's no such thing as a free ride, you'd be mistaken! With your inclusive pass, travel on 13 cable cars, funiculars, chairlifts and select public transport options (when available). The crisp Alpine air is included in the deal.
- St Moritz: Travel along the route of the world-famous Glacier Express, through looping tunnels and dizzying viaducts, in the scenic heart of the Swiss Alps, on a regional train fully powered by hydroelectricity.
- Lauterbrunnen: Enjoy your orientation of the village that takes its name from 'many fountains,' referring to the 72 waterfalls that are within the surrounding valley.
- Staubbach Falls: In the Valley of the Waterfalls, witness these magnificent falls that plunge 300 meters.
- Grindelwald: Explore this famous glacier village with your Travel Director. Embedded in a unique Alpine landscape at the foot of the Eiger north face, Grindelwald is one of Switzerland’s most beautiful Alpine towns.
- Brienz: Learn the history of woodcarving at the Jobin Swiss Woodcarving Center.
- Zürich: During your orientation of the city, your Travel Director will show you the Grossmünster, Fraumünster and elegant Bahnhofstrasse.
Well-being
- Enjoy the comfort of Insight's luxurious, air-conditioned, 40-seat coach with double the standard legroom and onboard washroom. Our customized luxury coaches are sanitized before the start of your tour and are maintained to very high standards. Physical distancing measures have been implemented on our customized luxury coaches.
- Hand sanitizer is freely available on board for you to use throughout the day.
Trip Details
Product Code: 28112
Tour Type: Group Tour
Accommodation: Deluxe
Transport: Private
Guide Language: English
Travel Styles:
Family, 55+, Luxury
Tour Operator:
Insight Vacations (CA)
Supplier Code: 42.109B
Starts: Zurich, Switzerland
Finishes: Zurich, Switzerland
Duration: 14 days
Departures: Guaranteed
Physical Rating:
Easy
Includes
Price
Price per person: (Double Occupancy) $8,575 ($612 /day)
Itinerary
Welcome to Switzerland, a land of snow-capped summits and romantic lakes that has attracted poets, musicians and travelers for centuries. Arrive into Zürich airport and transfer to your hotel in Lucerne. Meet your Travel Director and travel companions for a pleasant dinner at a local restaurant.
Accommodation: Astoria Lucerne
Meals: Dinner with Wine
Explore Mount Stanserhorn on a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience, as an open-top cable car powered by solar panels takes you up the summit. Admire unrivaled views of the surrounding mountains and, on a clear day see as far as Alsace in France and the Black Forest in Germany. Walk along beautiful scenic pathways, keeping an eye out for marmots and other native animals, with the chance to hear a conservation talk by a Swiss ranger, to learn about local wildlife and flora. Return to the beautiful 14th century city of Lucerne to see its storybook wooden bridges, Baroque church and sorrowful Lion Monument. Enjoy the rest of the afternoon at your leisure to walk along the lake or perhaps shop for a special timepiece or chocolate.
Accommodation: Astoria, Lucerne
Meals: Breakfast
In Bern, your Local Expert, a local English teacher, shows you the Cathedral of St. Vincent, Federal Palace and floral displays. Gather at the clock tower to watch the mechanical procession of painted figures before viewing the Ogre Fountain. Your travels continue into the wide, green valleys of the Vaud Alps with snowy summits filling the horizon. Continue through vineyards and alpine meadows to the fortified town of Gruyères, that gives its name to the well-known cheese. Enjoy time on your own to explore the pretty main street and 13th century castle. From Montreux, travel along the shores of Lake Geneva to visit a winery. Admire the stunning panorama overlooking the lake and savor a tasting of tantalising, local wines. Delight in a delicious Farm-to-Table light dinner, made from locally sourced produce, and learn how the family that owns the farm is preserving the estate for future generations on this MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience.
Accommodation: Eden Palace Au Lac, Montreux
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner with Wine
On the western bay of Lake Geneva, visit Chillon Castle for a special tour of the former home to the Dukes of Savoy, immortalized by Lord Byron's 'Prisoner of Chillon.' Keep a look out for where the writer is rumoured to have left his mark. Return to Montreux where the rest of the day is free for you to explore on your own or relax as you wish at your quayside hotel.
Accommodation: Eden Palace Au Lac, Montreux
Meals: Breakfast
Follow the shores of the lake to the international city of Geneva, seeing the Jet d’Eau and Floral Clock. Next, relax in first-class comfort on the waters of Lake Geneva during a highlight cruise. This evening, enjoy time at leisure on the promenade of your lakeside resort.
Accommodation: Eden Palace Au Lac, Montreux
Meals: Breakfast
Journey into the upper Rh��ne Valley to Martigny to view the Roman Amphitheater. Continue to the town of Sion, dominated by two rocky peaks, each crowned with episcopal fortresses, and see the cathedral and Old Town Hall. Complete your journey via cogwheel train to the traffic-free mountain resort of Zermatt. This evening, take your pick from a selection a local restaurants for your Dine-Around evening, with a chance to delight in traditional fondue.
Accommodation: Resort Alex, Zermatt
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner with Wine
Zermatt in the summertime offers many leisure possibilities: try swimming, hiking or relaxing in the fresh alpine surrounds. Perhaps take a trip to the Klein Matterhorn, see the Matterhorn from the church bridge or sample the delicious cakes known as Kuchen?
Accommodation: Resort Alex, Zermatt
Meals: Breakfast
Travel to Täsch for a scenic drive to Brig, where you'll commence your ascent of the Simplon Pass, taking in magnificent views over the Alps from the 2,000-meter summit. Cut through northern Italy, stopping along the shores of Lake Maggiore. The afternoon is at your leisure. Perhaps join an experience to the stunning Isola Bella?
Meals: Breakfast
Journey to the three Fortifications at Bellinzona to meet your Local Expert, for a fascinating insight into this UNESCO World Heritage Site. These castles are enchanting examples of fortified medieval architecture of the Alps. Your travels continue through the Grisons Region, traveling via San Bernardino and the town of Tiefencastel, as you follow the young Rhine River. Head east towards the Julier Pass and the glamorous resort of St. Moritz, set in the Engadine Valley with the majestic Grisons Alps towering above.
Accommodation: Crystal, St. Moritz, Steffani, St. Moritz
Meals: Breakfast
Enjoy a day at leisure to jostle with the jet-setters in this elegant resort or perhaps take an exciting train journey over the Bernina pass. To help you make the most of your day, your Travel Director will provide you with a mountain railways pass, offering free travel on all cable cars, funiculars and chairlifts (when available) in Engadine St. Moritz.
Accommodation: Crystal, St. Moritz, Steffani, St. Moritz
Meals: Breakfast
Step aboard the Glacier Express to experience one of the world’s great railway journeys. Cross the Landwasser Viaduct before heading down through the Oberalp Valley to rejoin the coach at Andermatt. Drive through the dramatic Schöllenen Gorge passing the Devil's Bridge. Marvel at the Wetterhorn Peaks as you travel along the Grindelwald Valley. Follow the sparkling Lütschine River to Lauterbrunnen, at the head of the Valley of Waterfalls, and see the Staubbach Falls plunge 300 meters from the plateau above.
Accommodation: Romantik Schweizerhof, Grindelwald
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Enjoy a full day at your leisure to explore Grindelwald, a charming village nestled in the Bernese Alps. Perhaps take a cogwheel train ride to the summit of the Jungfrau mountain, where you can marvel at the panoramic views of the surrounding alpine splendour. The Jungfraujoch, known as the "Top of Europe," offers stunning vistas and a chance to explore the Ice Palace and the Sphinx Observation Deck. Alternatively, hike one of the many trails that wind through the lush valleys and up into the high mountains, where the diverse flora and fauna are a delight for nature enthusiasts. If you prefer a more relaxed pace, spend your day shopping in the quaint village shops or simply soaking in the serene beauty of the area.
Accommodation: Romantik Schweizerhof, Grindelwald
Meals: Breakfast
Take in the spectacular lake views, as you journey to Brienz, famous for its woodcarving traditions. Visit the Jobin Swiss Woodcarving Center to trace the history of the trade back to the early days of the 19th century. Continue over the Brünig Pass and drive alongside the lakes of Lungern and Sarnen to return to Zürich. See the Bahnhofstrasse, Grossmünster, River Limmat and Frauenmünster on an orientation of the city with your Travel Director. Join your travel companions at a local restaurant. Your dinner is accompanied with wine - raise your glass to toast to your adventures.
Accommodation: Hyatt Regency Zurich Airport
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Your Swiss adventures come to an end this morning as you depart from Zürich airport.
Meals: Breakfast
Tour Operator
Insight Vacations (CA)
In Business Since 1931
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