8D7N Switzerland Glacier Express (Summer/Winter)
Day 01 – ZURICH INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT – LUCERNE HOTEL
On arrival at
Zurich International Airport, travel to your hotel in Lucerne. Begin your Swiss holiday with a very scenic ride on a mountain railway train to
Mount Rigi (1,798m), a mountain massif of the Swiss Alps near Lucerne that is surrounded by 3 lakes –
Lake Lucerne,
Lake Zug and
Lake Lauerz. From the summit, enjoy the breathtaking view of the Swiss Alps and the Swiss Plateau that stretches to Germany and France. For a different view and experience, descend Mount Rigi on a different route and enjoy a
cruise across Lake Lucerne. Back at Lucerne, visit the
Chapel Bridge and the
Alstadt (old town).
Day 02 – LUCERNE – INTERLAKEN [B] (IN SUMMER)
In the
summer months, enjoy
Mount Pilatus (2,132m), a mountain massif overlooking Lucerne, and treat yourself to a panoramic view of more than 70 peaks and 5 lakes. To ascend Mt Pilatus, take a ride on the
world’s steepest –
45-degree! –
cogwheel railway. Descend the mountain on
The Dragon Ride – an aerial cableway described as such due to full-height glass windows that make you feel like you are in flight! – and a gondola. End the day in
Interlaken.
Day 02 – LUCERNE – INTERLAKEN [B] (IN WINTER)
In the
winter months, enjoy
Mount Titlis (3,020m). Ascend to the summit of Mt Titlis on the very unique
Titlis Rotair gondola which rotates as it traverses its way up towards the snow-covered summit. It is in fact the first revolving gondola in the world and enroute to the summit, be treated to panoramic views of steep rock faces, deep crevasses and distant snow-capped mountain peaks. At the summit, be sure to visit the nearby glacier cave. The glistening, bluish ice tunnel within the cave leads deep within the glacier and into a different world! End the day in
Interlaken.
Day 03 – INTERLAKEN: LAUTERBRUNNEN/MURREN/SCHILTHORN [B]
Interlaken is a resort town that lies in the narrow valley between Lake Thun and Lake Brienz, and well positioned with easy access to the presiding mountains of
Eiger (3,970m),
Mönch (4,107m) and
Jungfrau (4,158m). This area of impressive valleys is best experienced by visiting
Lauterbrunnen, situated between gigantic rocks and mountain peaks. In Lauterbrunnen (where the name means “many fountains”), see the
Staubbach Falls plunging 300m from the face of an overhanging rock and no wonder therefore that it is the most famous waterfall amongst 72 thundering waterfalls in this valley. With its 10 glacial waterfalls inside the mountain, made accessible by tunnel lift, the
Trümmelbach Waterfalls in Lauterbrunnen are truly unique in Europe and are in fact Europe’s largest subterranean waterfalls. Trümmelbach alone drains the enormous glacial walls of the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau at a rate of up to 20,000 litres of water per second! Visit the car-free alpine village of
Murren, a village perched
1,650m up the side of
Mount Schilthorn (of James Bond fame Рyes, Mr Bond skiing down its slope!) and with a so-close-you-can-touch-it view of the magnificent trio of Eiger, M̦nch and Jungfrau! From Murren, you may wish to ascend to the summit of
Schilthorn (2,970m) and visit the Piz Gloria revolving restaurant and enjoy the magnificent 360-degree summit view of the – yet again! – domineering trio of Eiger, Monch and Jungfrau, and in the distance the highest peak in the European Alps – Mont Blanc.
Day 04 – INTERLAKEN: JUNGFRAU “TOP OF EUROPE” [B]
Take a scenic ride on the
Jungfrau railway to
Europe’s highest railway station (3,454m) – Jungfraujoch (affectionately known as
“Top of Europe”). The Jungfrau cogwheel train runs through a steep tunnel and offers a stunning view of the north face of the Eiger and at the summit are the ice palace and the viewing platforms
“Sphinx” and
“Plateau” sitting on the
Aletsch Glacier – the largest glacier in the European Alps. This entire 2-hour long awesome alpine rail journey runs through the UNESCO World Heritage Site of the Jungfrau-Aletsch Protected Area.
Day 05 – INTERLAKEN – BRIG [B]
Head to
Brig and enjoy the town at your own pace. Nearby Brig is the town of Morel from which you may opt to view up close the
Aletsch Glacier, the largest glacier in the European Alps (about 23km in length) and part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site of the Jungfrau-Aletsch Protected Area.
Day 06 – BRIG: ZERMATT/GORNERGRAT [B]
Head to
Zermatt and enjoy the highly scenic route! Zermatt, situated at
1,600m above sea level, is a beautiful alpine town at the foot of Switzerland’s iconic mountain
Matterhorn (4,478m). The town is a lively scene of boutique shops, restaurants, hotels and a ski centre. Next, ride the
Gornergrat train through forests and meadows up to the summit
(3,089m) and enjoy the magnificent view of Matterhorn enroute. The Gornergrat train is an engineering marvel of the 19th century that made its maiden journey on 20 August 1898 and to-date the Gornergrat train station is
Europe’s highest outdoor train station.
Day 07 – BRIG – ST MORITZ [B]
Ride the
Glacier Express from Brig to
St Moritz, a luxury alpine resort town in Switzerland’s Engadin valley. At an elevation of 1,856m, St Moritz is the birthplace (back in 1864) of alpine winter tourism. It hosted the Winter Olympics twice in 1928 and 1948 and has the Cresta Run (also known as “daredevil one-man sled run”), a world-championship bobsled run made of natural ice, and an outdoor Olympic ice rink. Surrounded by alpine summits towering 3,000m or more, St Moritz is one of the most famous alpine resorts in the world.
Day 08 – ST MORITZ – ZURICH INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT [B]
Head to Zurich International Airport for your flight home.
Whether you prefer the above itinerary “as-is” or have it customised, if you will indicate the start/end dates of your intended travel and provide your contact details, we will get in touch with you to discuss the itinerary on a no-obligations basis on your part.
