Switzerland Tour Package

Day 01: Arrival in Zurich, Switzerland. Time to rest or to discover Zurich's attractive historic center and lakeside promenade. At 6 pm, meet your Tour Director and traveling companions for a welcome dinner at your hotel. (D)

Day 02: Zurich - Liechtenstein - St. Moritz. Enjoy an orientation walk of Zurich's OLD TOWN, Switzerland's center of banking and commerce. An optional outing to the nearby Rhine Falls is available. Next, stop for a light lunch and a visit of an original CHOCOLATE FACTORY before continuing to the tiny Principality of Liechtenstein. After a break in Vaduz, ascend the Rhine Valley into the mountainous Grisons, a canton where three of the country's four languages are spoken. The 7,504-foot Julier Pass, an important Alpine road since Roman times, leads to the Engadine. This valley is considered by many as the most beautiful mountain area in the world, with deep-blue lakes, airy larch forests that turn golden in the fall, mountain peaks exceeding 12,000 feet, and quaint villages with massive white stone houses in the characteristic Grisons style. Afternoon at leisure in ritzy St. Moritz. (B,D)

Day 03: St. Moritz - Lake Como, Italy - Lugano, Switzerland. A gradual change of scenery as you descend towards the enchanting shores of the Italian Lake Como and continue on to the southern tip of Switzerland. The vegetation south of the Alps is Mediterranean: chestnut groves, vineyards, and olive and fig trees make you forget that earlier today you were within walking distance of glaciers. Afternoon arrival in the popular subtropical resort town of Lugano allows time for shopping under the arcades of Via Nassa, an espresso on flower-festooned Piazza Riforma, or a stroll along the lake. (B)

Day 04: Lugano - Stresa, Italy - Zermatt, Switzerland. From Lake Lugano to the Italian shore of Lake Maggiore for a break in elegant Stresa. An optional boat ride to the enchanting Isola Bella can be arranged. On over lofty Simplon Pass into the Swiss Valais, an area renowned for its excellent wines and great mountain resorts. To reach the most famous of them, leave the coach behind in Täsch and board a MOUNTAIN TRAIN, climbing the last few miles up to Zermatt, a picturesque cluster of rustic chalets beneath the Matterhorn. (B,D)

Day 05: Zermatt - Montreux - Gruyére Area. Morning at leisure. A suggestion: ride Europe's highest rack-railway to 10,272-foot Gornergrat for a breathtaking panoramic view of the Alps. Next, motor through the vineyards and apricot groves of the lower Rhône Valley to the shores of Lake Geneva. Stop in Montreux of festival fame before continuing to the Gruyére area, where you will visit a CHEESE FACTORY and the picturesque town of GRUYÉRES. (B,D)

Day 06: Gruyére Area - Berne - Interlaken - Lucerne. Travel along an excellent highway through some of the country's best farmlands to its stately capital, Berne. Sightseeing with a Local Guide starts at the popular BEAR PIT and then focuses on the monumental Federal Palace and the beautifully preserved medieval Old Town. Witness the hourly parade of painted figures at the Clock Tower and take your pictures of ornate, flower-adorned fountains. Afterwards, continue to Interlaken and take pictures of the Jungfrau massif with its group of three famous peaks: the Jungfrau, the Mönch, and the Eiger. Over Brünig Pass to picture-book Lucerne. You may wish to sign up for a folklore party with yodeling and alphorn blowing for a first-hand impression of Alpine merrymaking. (B)

Day 07: On your walking tour this morning, admire Thorwaldsen’s LION MONUMENT and ornate patrician houses of the walled Old Town, then, cross the famous covered CHAPEL BRIDGE to the Jesuit church. Afterwards, shop for watches and choose from our optional activities: climb a mountain by cable car or take a cruise on the fjord-like lake. Tonight, enjoy a farewell dinner to celebrate the success of your Swiss vacation. (B,D)

Day 08: Morning transfer to Zurich Airport in time for homebound flights leaving no earlier than 10 am. Extra nights are available in Zurich, not Lucerne. (B)