Switzerland’s Alps and Heritage

Day 1 – Lucerne

Welcome to Lucerne, upon your arrival, you will be greeted by your trip manager, and be treated with local specialities. Lucerne is known as the ‘city of lights,’ and home to Richard Wagner lazily lies around its eponymous indigo lake surrounded by beautiful Swiss scenery and towering mountains. Explore with your guide the many cobblestone alleyways with elaborately frescoed buildings and beautiful medieval squares. Follow the meandering cherry road as it winds you through magical lands of cherry trees and kirsch before heading towards the Chapel Bridge, considered the oldest covered wooden bridge in Europe. Savor the tradition and modernity harmoniously collide with its innovative designs and architecture and is showcased in Jean Nouvel’s Culture and Convention Centre.

Return to your hotel to rest or explore your immediate surroundings on your own or with your trip manager. Later, enjoy a delicious cocktail or two and a three-course Swiss dinner at your hotel.

Day 2 – Lucerne

Breakfast is packed with Lucerne delights such as open-faced freshly-baked bread slices, birchermüesli, and a fresh fruit salad or buttery and sweet croissants. Lucerne has an opulent heritage that you can continue to explore either under your own steam or with your trip manager. Along the banks of the River Reuss are fastidiously maintained esplanades boasting seemingly endless eateries that serve traditional hearty raclette, gooey fondue, rösti, and Zürcher Geschnetzeltes.

Wander through the narrow streets and admire the old burgher’s houses and little squares. If you prefer to go further afield, then you can choose from a carefully curated collection of explorations that will unravel the magic of Engelberg, Mt. Titlis, and Mt. Pilatus. If you prefer to discover regional cheese and beer offerings, Venez Discover Switzerland has tasty curated explorations that suit every palate.

Day 3 – Lucerne to Zurich

After breakfast, board the luxury Swiss train in first-class accommodation and embark on a fleeting journey through magnificent countryside and mountainous landscapes: past whitewashed houses and pretty villages, cross viaducts over rivers as you head to Zurich.

When you arrive at your Zurich city hotel, you’ll have time to freshen up before exploring one of Europe’s most stylish cities. The Old Town enjoys guild houses, churches, and captivating historic places adorn the Limmat River banks. Your guide will take you through hidden streets and picturesque squares as he unravels the history of this magical lakeside city. He’ll pepper his stories with entertaining anecdotes and ancient secrets of the Bahnhofstrasse.

After an exciting morning filled with adventure, return to your hotel to rest or explore your local neighborhood before dressing up for a three-course dinner and divine cocktails at your hotel.

Day 4 – Zurich

After a hearty breakfast of fresh bread, butter, marmalade, and cheese, there is a comprehensive collection of curated explorations for you. Choose to discover the intricate art of traditional Swiss watchmaking or head to the Home of Chocolate Museum. In this ultimate Lindt chocolate attraction, you will learn how cocoa conquered Europe and made the lives of its inhabitants sweeter. Listen to the thunderous and most powerful waterfall in Europe, the Rhine Falls, which connects Schaffhausen and Zürich. Schaffhausen is a unique medieval town with pastel-colored houses that line the pedestrian-only Old Town on the Rhine banks; its Munot fortress stands proudly atop the vineyard dotted hill. If you want even more history, St. Gallen’s has a beautiful Baroque cathedral in which, The Abbey Library houses some 170,000 documents, some of which are hand-written and over a thousand years old.

Day 5 – Zurich to St. Moritz

Pack your bags, say farewell to Zurich and make your way to St. Moritz in the comfortable first-class seating aboard the magnificent Swiss Train. You’ll meander through meadows and white-peaked mountains, medieval villages and pastel-colored towns and fields of happy Braunvieh, Holstein and Swiss Fleckvieh cattle, Valais Blackneck goat, and the Engadine sheep.

En route to St. Moritz, you’ll make a stop at Chur, a UNESCO World Heritage, and city that was almost entirely destroyed by fire in 1464. Guided by your trip manager, savor the mountains and breathtaking vineyards encircle Switzerland’s oldest Altstadt (Old Town), which is like a vibrant gallery with arty boutiques, cool-vibed bars, and authentic restaurants.

In St. Moritz, with your trip manager, explore the town overlooking dark emerald green forests, an aquamarine lake proud, and imposing mountains. Since 1865, St. Moritz has been luring royals, celebrities, hosted the Winter Olympics in 1928 and 1948, and discovered the mineral springs 3000 years ago at this winter wonderland.

Upon arrival at your hotel, you can choose to rest, or if you prefer, you can continue to explore this prosperous town before indulging in a world-class dinner and plentiful cocktails.

Day 6 – St. Moritz

After breakfast, you can explore more of St. Moritz under your own steam or hop on the Bernina Express through the region’s prestigious UNESCO World Heritage sites. If you prefer adventure, head to the nearby mountains on a selection of curated explorations such as exploring Piz Nair, part of the Albula Alps, which overlooks St. Moritz in the canton of Graubünden.

Day 7 – St. Moritz to Zermatt

After a hearty mountain breakfast, you’ll make your way to Zermatt aboard the mesmerizing Glacier Express in first-class accommodation. Although known as the slowest express train in the world, the Glacier Express from St. Moritz to Zermatt is undoubtedly the most delightful. Almost 300 KM of mountains, valleys, 291 bridges, viaducts, 91 tunnels, medieval villages, churches, foaming rivers, and turquoise mirror-like lakes dot the spectacular scenery. You’ll know when you have arrived in Zermatt; the Matterhorn’ peacocks’ its hypnotic beauty as it towers above the town. The Matterhorn is a mysterious monolith that has captivated skiers and climbers for centuries. It’s seen the likes of Theodore Roosevelt and Winston Churchill scale their peaks.

At your chalet-style hotel, appreciate a rest, and after freshening up, enjoy the finest local cuisine and locally inspired cocktails.

Day 8 – Zermatt

Enjoy a local Matterhorn breakfast; you’ll spend the entire day mesmerized with Zermatt’s ever-changing beauty as the light moves across its rugged peaks. Your trip manager will highlight the indulged culture as you stroll along strewn streets dotted with 16th-century timber granaries propped up on stone disks and stilts to keep out bothersome vermin. Continue to the fountain that commemorates Ulrich Inderbinen, a Zermatt-born mountaineer Nicknamed the King of the Alps who climbed the Matterhorn 370 times, the last time at age 90. Breathe in the clean mountain air and revel in the offerings this extraordinary destination has to offer.

If you are looking for a day of adventure, fly high above the mountains in a helicopter, take the opportunity to heli-ski the Matterhorn, or walk around the five lakes, three of which reflect the Matterhorn with mirror-like precision.