Switzerland
Itinerary
Depart the USA
Once aboard our flight, we can relax, read, watch the in-flight movie and enjoy complimentary meals and beverage service. (In-flight meals)
Arrive in Switzerland
Once we arrive in Zurich, we'll meet our Tour Manager and then transfer to Lucerne. Later check-in to our first-class hotel, where we'll have a chance to settle in and unpack before enjoying a special Welcome Cocktail.
Lucerne
Explore the spectacular sights and cultural delights of Lucerne on a 2-hour morning walking tour with a knowledgeable guide. Stroll the intimate tangle of alleyways in search of impressive monuments like Chapel Bridge (Kapellbrücke) and the ancient Jesuit Church. Gaze at the metropolitan Culture and Congress Center and delve into the rich historical heritage of the city by listening to entertaining commentary from your guide. (B, D)
Lake Lucerne - Mt. Pilatus
After an hour-long cruise around the lake, you’ll ride up the steepest — and most scenic — cogwheel railway lines in Europe. Stop at the peak of Mt. Pilatus where alpine vistas await. Your tour finishes outside Lucerne, but it’s a short and easy journey back to the city via public bus. (B)
Lucerne (Lugano)
Today is at leisure, but you may wish to take an optional tour to the city of Lugano. The city has been deeply influenced by Italian culture. On your tour to Lugano you can experience the gaiety and romance of Italy along with Swiss precision. The city of Lugano displays an Italian culture; language and food, yet its accommodations are spotlessly Swiss. Lugano city is situated on beautiful Lake Lugano between Mount San Salvatore and Mount Bre. On our tour to Lugano you can enjoy a breathtaking view of the Mount Bre while traveling by train. Visit the Villa Favorita, which is said to contain the second most valuable private art collection in the world, although some 800 of the paintings in this collection have been moved to the Thyssen- Bornemisza Museum in Madrid. Later take a one hour cruise on the lake. On board an experienced guide answers all your questions during the unforgettable trip, which takes you to Gandria, a picturesque village right on the Italian- Swiss border. Admire the famous Villa Favorita, the Museum of Culture and the unique Customs museum. (B, D)
Grindelwald & Interlaken
Today, travel on through countryside dotted with old Swiss Chalets and towns to Grindelwald, a charming winter resort town in the Jungfrau Mountains. Here we can relax, enjoy the scenery, or have lunch. This afternoon, travel through Interlaken, which is located between Lake Brienz and Lake Thun, and lies at the foot of the world famous Eiger, Monch and Jungfrau Peaks. (B)
Lucerne (Jungfraujoch)
Enjoy a day at leisure, or you have the option to travel to Jungfraujoch — Europe's highest railway station at a dizzying height of 11,333 feet (3,454 meters) — on this 9.5-hour day trip from Lucerne. A scenic coach drive via the Bernese Oberland delivers you to Lauterbrunnen for a cogwheel train ride. You’ll wind through the Kleine Scheidegg mountain pass below the foot of the Eiger North Face. At the Top of Europe, explore the glaciated Ice Palace and enjoy World Heritage–listed views of the soaring Swiss Alps and Aletsch Glacier from the Sphinx Observatory. (B, D)