COUNTRY ROADS OF SWITZERLAND (CLASSIC GROUP)

• 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.

Arrival Transfer Depart the airport at 09:30, 13:30

Welcome Meet your Travel Director at 17:30

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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

• 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, 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.

• 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

• 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-metre 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?

• 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, travelling 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.

• • 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.
  • o 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• Your Swiss adventures come to an end this morning.
• Transfer to Zürich airport.