COUNTRY ROADS OF SWITZERLAND (CLASSIC GROUP)
Description
Itinerary
Price
Hotel
Remarks
Description
Overview
See Switzerland in all its natural splendour 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.
Included/Excluded
Itinerary
Day 1: Welcome to Lucerne (Dinner with Wine)
- Welcome to Switzerland, a land of snow-capped summits and romantic lakes that has attracted poets, musicians and travellers for centuries.
- Arrive into Zürich airport and transfer to your hotel in Lucerne.
- Meet your Travel Director and travel companions for a pleasant Welcome Dinner with wine at a local restaurant.
Day 2: Ascend the summit of Mount Stanserhorn (Breakfast)
- 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 unrivalled 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.
Day 3: Bern, Gruyères and Montreux (Breakfast/Dinner with Wine)
- 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 savour 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 is preserving the estate for future generations on this MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience.
Day 4: Lake Geneva and the Swiss Countryside (Breakfast)
- On the western bay of Lake Geneva, visit Chillon Castle for a special tour of the former home to the Dukes of Savoy, immortalised by Lord Byron’s ‘Prisoner of Chillon.’
- Keep a lookout 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.
Day 5: Geneva and Scenic Lake Cruise (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
Day 6: Martigny, Sion and Zermatt (Breakfast/Dinner with Wine)
- Journey into the upper Rhône Valley to Martigny to view the Roman Amphitheatre.
- Continue to the town of Sion, dominated by two rocky peaks, each crowned with episcopal fortresses.
- See the cathedral and Old Town Hall in Sion.
- Complete your journey via cogwheel train to the traffic-free mountain resort of Zermatt.
- This evening, take your pick from a selection of local restaurants for your Dine-Around Evening.
- Perhaps you will delight in the typical Swiss dining experience of fondue?
Day 7: Zermatt at Leisure (Breakfast)
- Zermatt in the summertime offers many leisure possibilities:
- Try swimming
- Enjoy hiking
- Relax in the fresh alpine surrounds
- Perhaps take a trip to the Klein Matterhorn
- See the Matterhorn from the church bridge
- Sample the delicious cakes known as Kuchen
Day 8: The Italian Lake District to Baveno (Breakfast)
- Descend to Täsch for a scenic drive to Brig
- Commence your ascent of the Simplon Pass
- Take in magnificent views over the Alps from the 2,000-metre summit
- Cut through northern Italy
- Stop along the shores of Lake Maggiore
- The afternoon is at your leisure
- Perhaps join an experience to the stunning Isola Bella?
Day 9: The Glamour and Glitz of St. Moritz (Breakfast)
- Journey along the shores of Lake Maggiore
- Head north to the three Fortifications at Bellinzona
- Meet your Local Expert for a fascinating insight into this UNESCO World Heritage Site
- See enchanting examples of fortified medieval architecture of the Alps
- Continue travels through the Grisons Region
- Travel via San Bernardino and the town of Tiefencastel
- Follow the young Rhine River
- Head east towards the Julier Pass
- Arrive at the glamorous resort of St. Moritz
- Set in the Engadine Valley with the majestic Grisons Alps towering above
Day 10: Leisure Time in St. Moritz (Breakfast)
- Enjoy a day at leisure to jostle with the jet-setters in this elegant resort
- Perhaps take an exciting train journey over the Bernina pass
- Your Travel Director will provide you with a mountain railways pass
- Offers free travel on all cable cars, funiculars and chairlifts (when available) in Engadine St. Moritz
Day 11: The Glacier Express (Breakfast/Dinner with Wine)
- Step aboard the Glacier Express for one of the world’s great railway journeys.
- Cross the Landwasser Viaduct and descend through the Oberalp Valley.
- Rejoin the coach at Andermatt.
- Drive through the dramatic Schöllenen Gorge, passing the Devil’s Bridge.
- Marvel at the Wetterhorn Peaks along the Grindelwald Valley.
- Follow the sparkling Lütschine River to Lauterbrunnen.
- See the Staubbach Falls plunge 300 meters from the plateau above.
Day 12: Grindelwald at Leisure (Breakfast)
- Enjoy a day at your leisure to explore Grindelwald further.
- Perhaps take a cogwheel train ride to the summit of the Jungfrau mountain.
Day 13: Rural Switzerland to Zürich (Breakfast/Dinner with Wine)
- Take in the spectacular lake views on the journey to Brienz.
- Brienz is famous for its woodcarving traditions.
- Visit the Jobin Swiss Woodcarving Centre to trace the history of the trade back to the early 19th century.
- Continue over the Brünig Pass.
- 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 Celebration Dinner is accompanied with wine, raise your glass to toast to your adventures.
Day 14: Depart Zürich (Breakfast)
- Your Swiss adventures come to an end this morning.
- Transfer to Zürich airport.
Price
PRICE FROM RM25,666 SUBJECT TO DATE AND AVAILABILITY
Hotel
- Day 1 – Day 2: Hotel Astoria
- Day 3 – Day 5: Grand Hôtel Suisse-Majestic
- Day 6 – Day 7: Resort Hotel Alex
- Day 8: Hotel Simplon
- Day 9 – Day 10: Crystal Hotel/Hotel Steffani (Your hotel will be dependent on your departure date)
- Day 11 – Day 12: Romantik Hotel Schweizerhof Grindelwald
- Day 13: Renaissance Zurich Tower Hotel
Remarks
