SWITZERLAND 9 Days

This trip covers Old Town Zurich, the charming city of Lucerne, scenic Interlaken, a visit up to Jungfraujoch, the mountain village of Zermatt, and the picturesque capital city of Bern.

Switzerland is a country with mountains, blue lakes, and villages, along with the tall Alps. Its cities have old, medieval areas, like Lucerne’s wooden chapel bridge. The country is famous for ski resorts and hiking paths. Banking and finance are important, and Swiss watches and chocolate are well-known worldwide. Switzerland is about the same size as Estonia.

<Scroll down to the bottom of the page to view the Photo Gallery>

DAY 1

• Arrive at Zurich airport or the train station. Transfer to your hotel.

• Visit the Old Town district of Niederdorf - with its winding car-free alleys, its symbolic Grossmünster church and its many small boutiques, restaurants, bookshops and craft studios.

• Overnight: Zurich, we recommend staying in the Niederdorf district.

  • <Where to stay>

DAYS 3 and 4

• Explore the Interlaken region. The "town between the lakes" (Thun and Brienz) is a vacation resort. 

  • The region is surrounded by mountains, forests, alpine meadows and glaciers, plus numerous hiking and skiing trails.

• Best Bike ride: Lake Thun Loop. The ride follows the scenic loop around Lake Thun, showing views of the deep blue water and mountains. You pass charming villages, green meadows, historic sites, and castles. 
  Bike rentals are available everywhere including the train stations.

• Take a walk at Höhematte Park and the Höheweg.

  • Highlights are:

    • Various shops and restaurants.

    • Numerous events on or along the road.

    • Impressive view of the Jungfrau massif - a perfect photo spot.

    • Marvel at the flowers and paragliders.  

• If the weather is clear, a “MUST-DO” excursion is visiting Jungfraujoch, one of the tallest peaks in the Alps at 3,466 m (11,368 ft). To reach this breathtaking destination, you can embark on the Jungfraubahn, which is Europe's highest-altitude railway. The Jungfraubahn cogwheel train takes you up the mountain, navigating a slope with a gradient as steep as 25 degrees, offering incredible views along the way.

🏔️ Getting to Jungfraujoch (Top of Europe)

• Several routes reach the summit. For the best view, make a loop:
  ascend one way and descend the other to see both the Grindelwald and Lauterbrunnen valleys.

  ✨ Top Choice: The Modern Way (Fastest) 🚠

  • Route: From Interlaken Ost rail station —-> Grindelwald Terminal —> Eiger Express Gondola —> Eigergletscher —> Jungfrau Railway.

  • Time: This is the most efficient route. The Eiger Express cuts the traditional travel time by 47 minutes.

  • Highlight: Breathtaking, "bird's-eye" views of the Eiger North Face from the high-speed cable car.

  • The 2nd option: The Classic Way (scenic).

    • Route: From Interlaken Ost rail station - Take the train to Lauterbrunnen and change trains to go up to the mountain village of Wengen. From Wengen, continue to Kleine Scheidegg and switch trains there for the final ride
      to Jungfraujoch. Duration: 2 hrs. 20 min. to the top.

  🚗 Access by Car:

  • Parking: If you aren't staying in Interlaken, both Lauterbrunnen and Grindelwald Terminal have large parking garages.

  • Easy Access: Drive to these towns and catch the train or gondola there to skip the first leg from Interlaken.

  Tip: Before planning your mountain activities:

• <Check the timetable> Schedules can change.

  —Check the weather conditions on the top of the mountains - Webcams - Unless the forecast calls for good weather, it would be a waste of time to venture on trails on cloudy/rainy days.

  —What to wear at the top: In the summer a down jacket is probably not needed. A long sleeve shirt, fiber pile vest and a rain jacket should be sufficient. Outside on the plateau the perceived temperature will depend on the wind conditions.

• Visit Grindewald, the town consists of pretty chalets in a stunning location of hilly meadows and surrounding mountains. Venture on some of the trails for beautiful mountain views. Grindewald can be reached by train or car.

• Scenic Mountain Short hikes:

  • Lauterbrunnen to Wengen to Wengernalp via Mendeissonweg: Distance: 7.5 km. one-way, moderate trek.

  • Wengen to Mannlichen: 6 km one-way, moderate trek.

  • Mannlichen to Klein Scheidegg: 5 km one-way, moderate trek.

• A great app to download on any hike: All Trails.

• Overnight: Interlaken or Lauterbrunnen (2 nights)

• Distance: Lucerne ---> Interlaken. 1.5 hrs.

DAYS 5 and 6

• Begin your day early with a journey from Interlaken to explore Zermatt. <Map>

• Zermatt is car free. Drivers park their cars in a convenient parking garage in Täsch and continue for another 12 minutes by train. <Parking information>

  • The Tasch train to Zermatt spans 5-km and is fast and convenient.

• What to do in Zermatt in summer? Hiking is very popular.

  • The best all-around hike: Zmutt Loop. The trail is 10-km roundtrip. Difficulty: Easy - Moderate

    • The Zmutt Loop is a favorite lunch destination for visitors looking for an easy and scenic walk.

    • Most people walk along the low route that heads south on Zermatt’s main street, Bahnhoffstrasse, and along the left (west) side of the Zmutt River.

• Best Summit Panoramic viewpoints:

  • Matterhorn Glacier Paradise - Observation platform with photo point, restaurant and shop. <Tickets and Information>

    • Getting there: Visitors are transported by a 3S cable car, which is a fast, modern gondola. <cable car route>

  • Gornergrat - the magnificent view of the Matterhorn is unforgettable. <Tickets and Information>

    • Getting there: The Gornergrat cogwheel railway takes you up from the village to 3,100 meters. <train route>

• Overnight: Zermatt. (2 nights) We recommend to reserve accommodations at least 3 months in advance.

• Distance: Interlaken ---> Zermatt, 2.5 hrs.

DAY 7

• Depart Zermatt to Bern.

• Visit Montreux and the impressive Château de Chillon. Highlights of the castle are its dungeons, grand halls, and courtyards. <Getting there>

• Afterward stop for lunch in Lausanne at the lively city center, then continue to Bern.

• Bern - has been described by many visitors as Switzerland’s most beautiful city.

• Overnight: Bern

• Distance:

  Zermatt ---> Montreux, 2 hrs.

  Montreux ---> Lausanne, 30 min.

  Lausanne ---> Bern, 1.25 hr.

DAY 8

• Explore the picturesque medieval city of Bern. Then leave late afternoon to Zurich. (2-hr. drive)

• Enjoy Bern’s historical city center. Visitors can discover cultural venues, restaurants and bars and specialty shops. Bern is a compact city, and its layout makes it easy for visitors to explore on foot. The well-preserved old town is pedestrian-friendly.

• Bern has a special relationship with bears, and the Bear Park (Bärenpark) is a popular attraction. Visitors can watch bears by the River Aare in their natural habitat. Seeing them up close is an unforgettable experience.

• Overnight: Zurich.

• Distance: Bern ---> Zurich, 2 hrs. 125 km.

DAY 9

• Depart Zurich for your return home or choose your next European destination.

• Historical Weather Data.

• In Summer, you can expect temperatures of up to 32 °C (90 F) in the lower valleys. But it could easily be 15 °C (59 F) on a rainy day and freezing on the high mountain top. Afternoon thunderstorms are common.

• You can have a week of rain as well as a week of cloudless skies almost any time of the year.

• April, September and October are your best chance of drier, and less cloudy days

• Sunrise/Sunset time.