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On arrival at Zürich airport, a train takes you directly to Luzern where our hotel is just a short walk from the train station. You’ll meet the other tour members at 12:30 pm, we will take a local train to Stans to ascend to the top of the nearby Stanserhorn. The ascent begins with a funicular railway dating to 1893 then transfers to an ultra-modern double-decker, open-air CabriO cableway—the only one of its kind in the world. At the top you will enjoy panoramic views of the Central Swiss Alps, Lake Lucerne below you, and the massive Titlis Glacier to the south. A short walk gives you 360° views, and a chance to meet the marmots that make their home here. We then descend for the return train ride to Lucerne. Freshen up at the hotel before a 15-minute walk on level ground to a historic restaurant for a meal of Lucerne specialties. Overnight in Lucerne. (D)
We head north to the medieval town of Schaffhausen, our gateway to Rhine Falls. Rhine Falls is the largest waterfall in Europe and one of the must-see natural wonders in the Alps. From the shore we take a short boat ride out to Rheinfallfelsen, a large rock set in the middle of the falls, where you’ll experience the full power and excitement of the rushing water. We will return to wander around the old town of Schaffhausen, the most northerly city in Switzerland, which is considered one of its most beautiful. Then we make our way through the Zürich Hinterland to the medieval town of Rapperswil on the southern end of Lake Zürich overlooked by an imposing castle. Here we board the Voralpen Express to bring us back to Lucerne through dreamy pre-alp countryside. Overnight in Luzern (B) Guests will have the opportunity to enjoy dinner on their own in Lucerne tonight.
In Luzern, we board the Luzern-Interlaken Express on a scenic lakeside journey through the Central Swiss Alps. Soon, the cogwheel kicks in to ascend the Brünig Pass, taking us into the Bernese Oberland. On the descent, we stop in Brienz to board one of the classic steamers that ply this beautiful glacial lake. Our cruise takes us to Giessbach, famous for its historic hotel, and waterfall. You'll ascend on a funicular which dates to 1879 and is Europe's oldest mountain cable railway. After our excursion to Giessbach we continue on our cruise to Interlaken and take a short train ride up into the Lauterbrunnen Valley, the inspiration for Tolkien’s Rivendell. Overnight in Lauterbrunnen (B,D)
The deep-cut Lauterbrunnen Valley is one of the most beautiful places on earth. The shear walls rise 2000 feet above the valley and 72 waterfalls cascade over the rim and into the valley below. We’ll ascend the Lauterbrunnen Valley to Trümmelbach Falls, a 10-tiered underground waterfall—all accessible by funicular, stairways, and viewing galleries—that drains the glaciers on the Eiger, Mönch, and Jungfrau. Over 20,000 tons of glacial rubble per year pass through the falls carving deep bowls and channels. A nearby tram takes us to the car-free village of Mürren and on to the Schilthorn, the filming site of the James Bond movie “On Her Majesty’s Secret Service.” The Schilthorn is newly remodeled for 2025 with more spacious observation decks. From the top, you’ll visit Spy World (the Bond museum) and have commanding views of the Eiger, Mönch, and Jungfrau, as well as many of the other high peaks in the Bernese Alps. Overnight in Lauterbrunnen (B,D)
On its seamless journey from Interlaken to Montreux, the GoldenPass Express is one of Switzerland's most picturesque train routes. From Interlaken, the train stops in scenic towns such as Gstaad, Château-d’Oex, and Montbovon, before making its dramatic descent through historic vineyards into the lakeside resort of Montreux. But the scenic splendor doesn’t stop there. We continue down to Martigny at the mouth of the Rhone Valley to board the Mont Blanc Express meter-gauge cogwheel built from 1899 to 1906. Crossing the border from Switzerland into France, these two railways have steep gradients: up to 90% in France, and up to 200% in Switzerland. We arrive in Chamonix at the base of Mont Blanc, Western Europe’s highest peak. Chamonix was the site of the first Winter Olympic Games in 1924, and continues to be a hub for winter and summer outdoor events. Overnight in Chamonix France (B,D)
Chamonix is a vibrant and chic mountain resort. You won’t want to miss walking its cobblestone streets and plaza, enjoying the wonderful restaurants, shopping the international brands that fill its many shops, or just enjoying a relaxing coffee or gelato at one of the many outdoor cafés. The most popular and in-demand mountain excursion in Chamonix is the Aiguille du Midi which has been an unmissable destination for over 60 years. In just 20 minutes the cable car takes you from the center of Chamonix to an elevation of over 12,600 feet above sea level and delivers some of the most thrilling Alpine views imaginable. Overnight in Chamonix France (B) Guests will have the opportunity to enjoy dinner on their own in Chamonix tonight.
From Chamonix, we return to Switzerland’s Rhone Valley, the largest and deepest valley in Europe, with the Bernese Alps on the north and the Matterhorn and the other highest peaks of the Swiss Alps to the south. We take the fabled Simplon Tunnel to Domodossola Italy to board the Centovalli Express, a slow journey between villages and nature, with direct service to Locarno Switzerland. Along the way, you’ll relive one hundred years of railway history, cross over 83 bridges, and through 31 galleries—all in less than two hours. Overnight in Locarno (B,D)
Locarno is both Alpine and Mediterranean, with a lakefront setting lined with palm trees. You might be content with relaxing at our lakefront hotel or shopping in the quiet alley of the old city center, but an exciting day of excursions also awaits you. Locarno is at the northern end of Lago Maggiore, one of the famous Italian lakes. We’ll take a lake cruise into Italy and pass the islands in the lake as well as many of the lakefront villas. On return to Locarno, we take the funicular and cable car to Cardada, then a chairlift to the summit of Cimetta for the most commanding views. Overnight in Locarno (B,D)
Your return to Zürich is sped by traveling through the new Gotthard Base Tunnel, the longest train tunnel in the world. After exiting the tunnel on the north side of the Alps, you’ll enjoy the onward journey to Zürich, most of which is along the shore of Lake Lucerne (Vierwaldstättersee), Lake Zug (Zugersee), and Lake Zürich (Zürichsee). Arriving at Zürich’s busy main train station we make a quick connection to the famous Lindt Home of Chocolate, a museum and interactive adventure for chocolate lovers. Overnight in Zürich (B,D)
Enjoy breakfast at the hotel before taking off for onward destinations. (B)
We rate this trip as easy to slightly moderate because this is an ACTIVE tour. You should be capable of walking 1-2 miles per day and at least 1/2 mile in one stretch (about 1500 steps and maybe uphill). There are additional hiking and walking options available for those wanting more activity. You should also be able to handle your own luggage to get to the trains when needed. On one day you will take a cable car to an elevation of 12,600 feet and you should be able to handle staying at this elevation for a couple of hours.
Walking: in addition to walking on flat surfaces, you also need to walk on uphills, uneven terrain, and cobblestones. You'll likely not walk this amount all at once, but you need to be able to get to/from train stations, hotels, and excursions. We can accommodate slower walkers, but you must still be able to walk the distance. You should be able to walk a half mile at a time and you may need to walk this amount a few times a day.
Stairs: at train stations when we must change platforms; most of the station platforms only have stairs or ramps -- not elevators. There are often many steps on the walk to the hotels, there are steep steps to get into some trains, and there may even be steps inside the trains before you get to your seat.
Getting on and off trains: be aware that many trains have a few steep steps to negotiate to get on or off. You need to be confident that you can get on and off the trains. Also note that there may be multiple train transfers on any of the travel routes. It is rare to ride just one train to our next destination on the tour. Some train connections are tight, and the group may need to walk quickly to catch the next train.
Standing time: you need to be able to stand on your feet for at least 10-15 minutes as benches at train stations are not in good supply.
Luggage: before the tour starts, you will travel by train to Lucerne and meet the group at the first hotel. This means you'll need to get your own luggage on/off the trains and to/from hotel rooms once at the hotels (there are elevators in all hotels). During the tour, we hire a company to pick up the bags.
