Swiss Cityscapes & Alpine Escapes: A 7-Day Winter Adventure

7 Day Tour of Zurich, Interlaken and Lucerne

Overview
Trip Map
Itinerary
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The cogwheel train approaches the Jungfraujoch in Switzerland

7 Days 6 Nights

Best Time: Jan-Dec

Nature Lovers

Outdoor Activities

Experience 7 captivating days on a winter journey through Switzerland’s charming cities and stunning alpine landscapes. Begin with Zurich's blend of historic charm and modern flair, before heading to Interlaken, the gateway to the Alps, where you’ll marvel at the iconic snow-covered peaks of Eiger, Mönch, and Jungfrau. Experience breathtaking panoramic views atop Harder Kulm and Jungfraujoch. Conclude in Lucerne, where the majestic Mt. Pilatus awaits, and where you can stroll along the serene waters of Lake Lucerne. Enjoy private tours, mountain excursions, and detailed travel guidance via our mobile app for a seamless, enriching experience.

Explore Zurich’s Old Town with a private guided walking tour.
Take in sweeping winter views from the top of Harder Kulm and Jungfraujoch.
Ride a cable car to the summit of snow and ice-covered heights of Mt. Pilatus above Lucerne.
Discover the charm of Swiss lakeside towns, including Lucerne and Interlaken.
Visit beautiful alpine lakes, such as Lake Brienz and Lake Lucerne, surrounded by snowy peaks.

Explore Zurich’s Old Town with a private guided walking tour.
Take in sweeping winter views from the top of Harder Kulm and Jungfraujoch.
Ride a cable car to the summit of snow and ice-covered heights of Mt. Pilatus above Lucerne.
Discover the charm of Swiss lakeside towns, including Lucerne and Interlaken.
Visit beautiful alpine lakes, such as Lake Brienz and Lake Lucerne, surrounded by snowy peaks.

Fraumunster

Churches & Monasteries

Lake Zurich

Natural Beauty

Museum of Tourism

Museums & Galleries

Unterseen

Small Towns

Interlaken Monastery & Castle

Castles & Chateaux

Hohematte Park

Natural Beauty

Chapel Bridge

Natural Beauty

Lake Lucerne

Natural Beauty

Old Town

Historic Landmarks

Must see sights

Fraumunster

Churches & Monasteries

Lake Zurich

Natural Beauty

Museum of Tourism

Museums & Galleries

Unterseen

Small Towns

Interlaken Monastery & Castle

Castles & Chateaux

Hohematte Park

Natural Beauty

Chapel Bridge

Natural Beauty

Lake Lucerne

Natural Beauty

Old Town

Historic Landmarks

Starting from

$1899

per person

4.8 (365 reviews)

Not included

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Trip Map & Itinerary

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Day-By-Day Itinerary

Day 1

Arrive Zurich

Day 1

Arrive Zurich

To Be Determined

Private Transfer from the Zurich Airport

We will schedule a pick up for 20 minutes after your flight's arrival time. You will be met in the terminal by an English speaking driver holding a sign with your name on it. The ride is for your party only - you will not be sharing a vehicle. The cost of the ride will be included in your itinerary package.

Day 1

Arrive Zurich

To Be Determined:

Zurich Airport Pickup

Mid-Day/Afternoon:

West Bank, Self-Guided

Afternoon/Late Afternoon:

East Bank, Self Guided

Early Evening/Evening:

Dining Out

Day 1

Arrive Zurich

Day 1

Arrive Zurich

To Be Determined

Private Transfer from the Zurich Airport

Mid-Day/Afternoon

Self Guided Visit to Zürich's West Bank

A wander around the West Bank of Zürich's Limmat River will help you experience the city's development over the centuries, from its iconic Fraumünster church, the rise of its famous banking industry around Paradeplatz, its associations with the Irish writer James Joyce, and its impact on modern sporting history at the FIFA World Football Museum.

Afternoon/Late Afternoon

Self Guided Tour of Zurich East Bank

Explore the environs of the left bank of the Limmat River in Zurich, including, for example, Grossmünster church where the Protestant Reformation found a receptive audience, as well as the modern artistic masterpieces housed in the Kunsthaus, before settling down to a traditional hearty cheese fondue somewhere along the pedestrianized Niederdorfstrasse.

Early Evening/Evening

Dining Out in Zurich

Zürich naturally offers all the traditional Swiss dishes that you've heard of, like fondue (melted cheese in which you dip pieces of bread), raclette (melted cheese with potatoes, from Wallis), rösti (potatoes), Spätzli, and typical Swiss cervelat (a big sausage served with "Bürli," a piece of bread). Nevertheless, since it also is very multicultural, you can find food from a lot of foreign cultures as well.

Day 2

Zurich

Day 2

Zurich

Day 2

Zurich

Day 2

Zurich

9:00 AM - 11:30 AM

Private Introductory tour of the Zurich Old Town

During this 2.5-hour private walking tour, you will learn how Switzerland became Switzerland, and why Zurich is its most populated and important city. The walk towards the lake will take you to the Lindenhof, where you will enjoy a marvelous view of the Limmat all the way over to the Grossmünster. From there you will head to the Fraumünster, passing by St. Peter's Church, which bears the biggest clock face in Europe. Passing by the side of the city's Grossmünster, you will walk from the Lake to the Niederdorfstrasse, where you will experience the focal point of Zurich's restaurants and bars.

Mid-Day to Late Afternoon

Self-Guided Excursion to Solothurn

Said to be the most beautiful Baroque city in Switzerland, Solothurn has an easily navigable historic center filled with an incongruous architectural mix of Swiss-German rugged practicality and Italianate excess erected during the town's heyday in the 17th and 18th centuries.

Day 3

Zurich to Interlaken

Day 3

Zurich to Interlaken

Day 3

Zurich to Interlaken

Day 3

Zurich to Interlaken

9:55 AM

Taxi Transfer to Zurich Main Rail Station

Zurich taxis are generally reliable and honest, so this is cheaper than a pre-arranged transfer. If you are picked up one hour prior to departure, you should have plenty of time to catch your train.

11:02 - 12:58

Rail to Interlaken

A Swiss Travel Pass for this two-hour and fifteen-minute train journey to Interlaken is included with the purchase of an itinerary. You will receive detailed instructions for the trip and a translation and explanation of your tickets. Bern is the capital of Switzerland and the home of Toblerone chocolate.

12:58 PM

Rail Pickup by Taxi

Upon arrival in Interlaken, you will exit the rail station and proceed to the taxi stand where you will find taxis waiting for arriving passengers. Taxis in Interlaken are generally reliable and honest and are less expensive than using a pre-arranged pick up service for your transfer to the hotel. Detailed arrival information and instructions for taking a taxi are provided in the Full-Length itinerary with purchase of an itinerary.

Afternoon/Late Afternoon

Self-Guided Excursion Up Harder Kulm

Travel by funicular from close to the Old Town in Interlaken to the Harder Kulm viewing platform at 1,322 meters above sea level from where you're able to soak up majestic panoramas of Lake Brienz and Lake Thun, or admire the Eiger, Mönch, and Jungfrau mountains. The castle-like the Harder Kulm Panorama Restaurant sometimes hosts folk music and dancing. The hike down, should you choose to go that way, will take around one hour.

Late Afternoon/Early Evening

Self-Guided Tour of Interlaken's Historic Center

Although the overwhelming number of visitors to Interlaken come to the city to access the mountains throughout the Bernese Oberland in general and the Jungfrau region in particular, there are nevertheless a number of attractions in the town worth seeing, like the castle, the Unterseen (Old Town) district, and the Museum of Tourism.

Day 4

Interlaken

Day 4

Interlaken

Day 4

Interlaken

Day 4

Interlaken

Early Morning to Afternoon

Self-Guided Excursion up Jungfrau

Journey directly through the famous Eiger Mountain to what the Swiss called "The Top of Europe", the icy, windswept gap in the mountain ridges known as Jungfraujoch at 3,454m/11,332ft just below the summit of Jungfrau. The train ride to the top is not cheap, but it's the highest train station in Europe and definitely an unforgettable experience.

Day 5

Interlaken to Lucerne

Day 5

Interlaken to Lucerne

Day 5

Interlaken to Lucerne

Day 5

Interlaken to Lucerne

Early Morning to Mid-Day

Self-Guided Excursion to the Top of Niederhorn

For a slightly different outdoor activity, head up the Niederhorn mountain by cable car from the shore of Lake Thun to the very top and hike down to the mid-station of Beatenburg Vorsass or jump off the cable car there before enjoying a thrilling ride back down to the bottom along a sealed path on a trotti bike (a type of large scooter). Catch a bus back to Interlaken or jump aboard a ferry to get across Lake Thun.

2:20 PM

Taxi Dropoff at Rail Station

Interlaken taxis are reliable and honest, so this is cheaper than a pre-arranged transfer. If you are picked up 45 minutes prior to departure, you should have plenty of time to catch your train.

15:04 - 16:55

Journey to Lucerne by Rain

A Swiss Travel Pass will be purchased for this scenic direct journey to Lucerne that takes just under two hours. Detailed directions and instructions that make the trip easy and stress-free are also included in the Full Itinerary.

4:55 PM

Arrival in Lucerne and Self-Arranged Taxi Transfer to Hotel

Upon arrival in Lucerne, you will exit the rail station and proceed to the taxi stand where you will find taxis waiting for arriving passengers. Taxis in Lucerne are generally reliable and honest and are less expensive than using a pre-arranged pick up service for your transfer to the hotel. Detailed arrival information and instructions for taking a taxi are provided in the Full-Length itinerary with the purchase of an itinerary.

Early Evening

Dining Out in Lucerne

Lucerne affords some really interesting culinary options with a focus on homegrown, handmade and freshly foraged that help dispell the age-old notion that Swiss cuisine is only about chocolate-box cliches and high cholesterol counts resulting from heavy cheese-based dishes like fondue, rosti, and raclette. Make use of the list of our restaurant and cafe recommendations included in the Full Itinerary to treat yourself to an evening out on the town and discover real Swiss cooking at its best.

Day 6

Lucerne

Day 6

Lucerne

Day 6

Lucerne

Day 6

Lucerne

Early Morning to Mid-Day

Self Guided Excursion to Mount Pilatus by Cog-Wheel Train

Ride the steepest rack-railway in the world at a gradient of nearly 48 percent from Alpnachstad up the giant mountain of Mt Pilatus that looms over the city of Lucerne, or glide up the other side on a gondola from Kriens. The highest point, Tomlishorn, with superlative views of Lake Lucerne, is only 30min on foot from the hotels and restaurants near the top.

Afternoon/Late Afternoon

Tour Lucerne's Old Town on the South Bank

Explore Lucerne's Old Town on the south bank of the Reuss River, including its iconic Chapel Bridge and Jesuit Church. Close to the station you'll also find two of Switzerland's many premier league art galleries, or the city's most relaxing lakeside park. An enjoyable short hike further south along the lakefront will lead you to the exquisite villa where the composer Richard Wagner spent his last years.

Late Afternoon/Early Evening

Explore Lucerne's Old Town on the North Bank

Wander the Old Town on the north side of the Reuss River and discover the intricately cobbled squares and exquisitely preserved architecture of the townhouses before walking along part of the fortified Musegg city walls from tower to tower. Further north of the river you'll come across the famously heart-rending sculpture of the Löwendenkmal (Lion Monument), built to commemorate Swiss soldiers who fought and died defending Louis XVI during the French Revolution.

Day 7

Depart Lucerne

Day 7

Depart Lucerne

Day 7

Depart Lucerne

Day 7

Depart Lucerne

To Be Determined

Rail or Taxi Journey from Lucerne to Zurich Airport

The most affordable way to reach the airport is via train from the Lucerne rail station. In most cases, your itinerary will include a Swiss Travel Pass, which covers the cost of this scenic journey to Zurich Airport, which takes just over 1 hour. If you prefer, you can also take a taxi or book a pre-arranged transfer. The journey by car takes only about 45 minutes. Directions and instructions for either option are included in the Full Itinerary, so you can enjoy a stress-free trip to the airport.

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Swiss Cityscapes & Alpine Escapes: A 7-Day Winter Adventure

7 Day Tour of Zurich, Interlaken and Lucerne

$1899

Secure Your Customizable Trip Enter your details to embark on a journey that can be tailored just for you.

Craft Your Own Itinerary Select your interests and destinations for a trip plan inspired by you.

Trip Map & Itinerary

Day-By-Day Itinerary

Private Transfer from the Zurich Airport

Secure Your Customizable Trip
Enter your details to embark on a journey that can be tailored just for you.

Craft Your Own Itinerary
Select your interests and destinations for a trip plan inspired by you.