SWISS CHARMING TOUR

We leave Zurich at 8.30 a.m. A short drive takes us to the city of Lucerne where we visit the Lion Monument and walk over the 14th century wooden bridge, time at leisure for shopping and sightseeing. At noon, we proceed to the mountain resort of Engelberg. A cable car ride to the summit of Mount Titlis brings you up into the high alpine region with its glaciers and eternal ice. Enjoy a magnificent ride in the new revolving “ROTAIR” gondola. (Take a warm sweater along.) In the afternoon, we cross Brünig Pass to the Bernese Oberland and reach the village Brienz, which is famous for its long tradition of woodcarving. We continue to the holiday resort of Interlaken at the foot of Jungfrau mountain. Dinner on your own. Overnight at first class hotel.

DAY 2 : INTERLAKEN–BERNE–GRUYÈRES–GENEVA : TUESDAY

We leave Interlaken in the morning and drive along beautiful Lake of Thun to the Swiss capital, Berne. The city is attractively set on a steep sided curve of the River Aare and backed by the majestic Alps. A city tour to the Old Town includes the Clock Tower, Kramgasse, and the 15th century Cathedral of St. Vincent. A drive south takes us to the scenic dairy farmlands, to Gruyères. A beautiful hilltop town, preserved against time, which could be the magical setting for fairytales with its impressive, medieval castle. An informative visit to a factory of delicious milk product is a further highlight of our day. We continue our drive to the Vaud Riviera and reach Geneva, the most cosmopolitan city of Switzerland. Dinner on your own. Overnight at superior tourist class hotel.

DAY 3 : GENEVA–MONTREUX–ZERMATT : WEDNESDAY

We start with a city tour of Geneva this morning. We will show you the beautiful parks along the lake, the unique town-hall and the European seat of the United Nations. In the late morning, we leave Geneva and drive to Lausanne and Montreux. We pass by Chillon Castle, the 13th century fortress made famous by Lord Byron’s poem. Time for lunch in Montreux. In the afternoon, we proceed through the Valais, the valley of the river Rhone with its orchards and vineyards. At Täsch we will board a cogwheel train that takes us to the mountain resort of Zermatt at the foot of the mighty Matterhorn. Dinner and overnight at first class hotel.

DAY 4 : ZERMATT–NUFENEN PASS–ZURICH : THURSDAY

Morning at leisure in Zermatt - admire the quaint old farm houses and barns in their unique style, do some shopping, relax or take an optional cogwheel train up to Gornergrat for a spectacular view of the surrounding snow-covered peaks. After noon board the train to Täsch where our bus is waiting to take us over the breathtaking Nufenen pass to reach Airolo. From Airolo return to Zurich by bus or by train. Arrival in Zurich at approx. 6.30 p.m.