Switzerland, the Matterhorn and the Glacier Express

Overview

Spectacular mountain scenery, chair lifts and cable cars, awe-inspiring views of glaciers and summits, gentle valley slopes and lush meadows - this is Switzerland at its most wonderful.

Switzerland is world famous for its cleanliness, its clockwork efficiency and its welcoming, friendly people – as well of course as for its astonishingly beautiful Alpine landscapes. But this Swiss tour also takes us into the seductive arms of Italy - to Lake Maggiore and the charming lakeside resort of Stresa, where you can walk in the footsteps of Europe’s 19th century aristocracy who first crossed the border to experience their first taste of Italy in the days of the ‘Grand Tour’. You’ll have so much to look forward to on this spectacular train tour, so much to take in and enjoy. But as always with Riviera tours, we aim to create the perfect balance between organised visits in the experienced hands of our knowledgeable guides and free time for you to choose what you want to do and explore at your leisure.

There’s little to compare anywhere in the world with the mighty Matterhorn – the ultimate Alpine peak and Swiss national symbol. You can admire it from a quiet café in the little town of Zermatt – or get up close if you take the dramatic cog railway to the Gornergrat at over 10,000 feet. A gentler train ride on the Centovalli Railway carries you through a ‘hundred valleys’, with deep ravines, chestnut forests and tiny villages all around you. A private launch will take you on an unforgettable cruise over the shimmering Lake Maggiore. The legendary ‘Glacier Express’ will transport you 120 kilometres past stunning mountain scenery, waterfalls, ravines and rivers. But many visitors will also relish just as much, the chance to stroll along lakeside and wooded footpaths, or relax in world famous Klosters, the ski playground of royalty.

What's Included

7 nights in three to four-star accommodation
Return flights & transfers
Programme of daily tours & visits
Travel on two iconic train lines
Half Board
Expert Tour Manager
Checked luggage

Highlights:

Visit Zermatt and the iconic Matterhorn, probably the world’s most instantly recognisable peak
Travel on the Glacier Express, twisting its way through breathtaking alpine scenery and one of the world’s greatest rail experiences with train ticket included
Enjoy an included trip on the Bernina Express, another world-class railway journey
Visit Montreux on the shores of Lake Geneva, known as the ‘Swiss Riviera’
Visit Italy's fabulous Lake Maggiore and the delightful town of Stresa
Enjoy an included visit and guided tour of Isola Bella on Lake Maggiore

Full Itinerary

Day 1: Arrival in Brig

Fly to Zurich or take the Eurostar from London St Pancras International via Paris and transfer to your hotel. On arrival you will be taken to the charming town of Brig, perfectly located in the Rhône Valley at the head of the Simplon Pass. It’s surrounded by the lofty peaks that are so typical of this beautiful country. Brig grew in prominence during the 17th century after monopolising the trade in silk, salt and mail between adjacent France and Italy. The wealth that resulted led to the creation of the country’s largest private residence - The Stockalper Palace.

Day 2: Zermatt & The Matterhorn

Our first day trip takes us up the Mattertal Valley. Climbing upwards, the scenery becomes ever more spectacular. Lush meadows covered with wild flowers and studded with tiny shepherds’ shelters give way to dense forests, crowned by snow-capped mountains that glisten in the sun.

As the road traverses towering viaducts and jaw-dropping precipices we admire the finesse of Swiss engineering. We pass countless torrential mountain streams and tumbling waterfalls before arriving at legendary Zermatt, nestling at the foot of the mighty and instantly recognisable Matterhorn.

Zermatt is a car-free jumble of typical Swiss chalets, hotels and ancient wooden farm huts strewn along the valley floor. Dramatic cable cars and soaring footpaths weave ever upwards to the majestic amphitheatre of the surrounding lofty summits.

The Matterhorn is the ultimate Alpine peak. Yet it’s remarkably shy until you reach the end of the village, turn a corner, and the Swiss national symbol is revealed in all its unrivalled glory. This is truly one of life’s ‘wow’ moments.

Should you wish to gain an even better view, there is the possibility to take the cog railway up 10,000 feet to Gornergrat, this can be arranged locally with your Tour Manager for an additional cost. An absolutely awe-inspiring mountain wonderland of glaciers and summits awaits you. If you prefer, you can relax in one of the many delightful cafés.

Day 3: Lake Maggiore

This morning we travel over the Simplon Pass, to the warm sunshine of Italy, the peaceful shores of Lake Maggiore and its most attractive town, Stresa, which owes its origin to the days of the ‘Grand Tour’ when Europe’s 19th Century aristocracy crossed the border from Switzerland and experienced their first taste of Italy! Unmistakably Mediterranean in character, its shores, lined with oleanders and palms, backed by classic belle époque hotels create an ambience of classic gentility. Arriving in Stresa you will have some free time to wander around the cobbled streets, you’ll find them lined by a wealth of thriving traditional shops, bakers and butchers displaying a mouth watering variety of cakes, salamis, hams and a host of other delicacies. The Italians do this so well - and they make ideal ‘goodies’ to take back to friends at home. Relax in one of the many cafes in the main square and partake in the Italian pastime of people watching, whilst enjoying a real Italian coffee. Literacy enthusiasts can relax at the bar of the Grand Hotel, featured in Hemingway’s ‘A Farewell to Arms’ also frequented by George Bernard Shaw and Charlie Chaplin amongst others.

Later we cruise across central Lake Maggiore to take in one of the real gems of northern Italy – the Borromean Islands. Pride of place goes to the amazing Baroque palazzo on Isola Bella and you’ll tour the fascinating and elaborate interior in the company of a knowledgeable expert. The resplendent rooms feature refined furniture, sculptures and paintings, with intricate parquet flooring and elegant pastel-covered plasterwork. Even more impressive are the exquisite grounds featuring overlapping terraces imaginatively planted with orange and lemon trees, magnolias and a host of other fragrant and colourful shrubs and plants.

Day 4: Montreux

Today we travel to Montreux on the sunny shores of Lake Geneva where you have a full day at leisure to choose what you’d like to do best. You could take a civilised cruise with lunch on board one of the many beautiful belle époque style paddle-steamers plying the lake. Or you could take the spectacular cog-wheel railway to the peak of Rochers de Naye that dominates the lake. Back down by the lakeshore, the famous 13th century Chateau de Chillon stands guard over the Rhône Valley just outside the town. It’s Switzerland’s most visited historical building, and the very essence of the romantic medieval fortress. Or perhaps you’d prefer to simply stroll along the charming lakeshore promenade, admiring the surrounding vine-clad terraces and the view of France’s snow-capped mountains of the Haute- Savoie on the opposite bank.

For those who prefer to stay closer to Brig and like to walk in the fresh mountain air, there are some easy footpaths close by, just a couple of stops down the railway. From here a spectacular cable-car and gondola ride whisks you up to 8,684 feet to the Bettmerhorn from where you can enjoy an amazing panoramic view over the Aletsch glacier, Europe’s longest and a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Day 5: The Glacier Express

Today we take the legendary ‘Glacier Express’ – one of the most spectacular railway journeys in the world and which for many will be the highlight of the holiday. It’s an absolute joy to travel on this specially designed train with its large panoramic windows, and to experience its several changes of locomotive that are needed to cope with the varied gradients. The four hour journey, travelling just 120 kilometres, winds and twists its way through ever more stunning scenery. We pass mountain ranges cascading waterfalls, forest-covered hillsides and ravines with torrential rivers. The railway seems to float over high viaducts and punch its way through mountain tunnels. The highest point on your journey is the Oberalp Pass at 6,700 feet, where you’re well above the tree-line. Snow can remain here well into June. Another highlight is the Upper Rhine Gorge, sometimes called the ‘Swiss Grand Canyon’, totally inaccessible until the railway was opened in 1903. After a relaxing journey, we arrive in Chur.

From here, winding ever-upwards, our coach takes us up to charming Klosters, renowned as the Royal Family’s favourite ski resort. The village is a wonderfully appealing huddle of typical dark-wood chalets, surrounded by invigorating alpine peaks creating a charming and cosy atmosphere in which to immerse yourself. Our hotel for the next three nights with dinner is the four-star Silvretta Parkhotel, located in the village centre. It has a large indoor pool with whirlpool and fitness area, the Panorama restaurant where we take dinner, a lounge bar and spacious, well-appointed rooms.

Day 6: Klosters

While in Klosters you have free/discounted access via the nearby cable cars and chair lifts to the surrounding peaks. You’ll enjoy a wonderland of stunning Alpine views linked by spectacular walks. The homely chalet-restaurants serve local specialities on their sunlit terraces.

Day 7: The Bernina Express

Today, we enjoy a contrasting day of spectacular scenery and extraordinary Swiss engineering, taking the famous Bernina Express to Tirano just over the Italian border. This remarkable train twists upwards in an amazing sequence of spirals, loops, 55 tunnels and 196 bridges past the chic resort of St Moritz to the summit at Ospizio Bernina and at 7,400 feet, Europe’s highest through station. Here we’re surrounded by stunning vistas over the snow-clad peaks and ice-cold glacial lakes that strikingly mark the watershed between the Mediterranean and Black Sea river systems. The views will take your breath away.

Next we wind our way down through pretty pastures and dense pine forests to Tirano. You have some free time here before we board our coach returning to Klosters via the stunning Upper Engadine Valley over the Fluela Pass (normally open late May to mid October). The Bernina Express railway and its surrounding countryside was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2008. No surprise then that it’s acknowledged as one of the most scenic rail journeys in the world.