Swiss Alps Sojourn: A Tailor-Made Journey

Fly into Lugano, where you’ll be met by a private driver for your transfer to the hotel. Settle into your room, and enjoy the rest of the day to relax or stroll the promenade along Lake Lugano.

The largest city in the southern canton of Ticino, Lugano has a distinctly Italian feel, from its airy piazzas to its culinary traditions. Join a private guide today for a tour that combines the city’s historic sites with its foodie scene. Take note of the Italian-influenced architecture as you stroll past the churches and palaces of the old town, and sample local cheeses, charcuterie, and confections along the way. Enjoy a tasting of regional wines: Ticino is well-known for its complex merlots, including a white merlot that’s a popular local aperitif. (B)

Spend today exploring this beautiful region as you wish. You may want to venture into Italy for a visit to Lake Como, or rent a bike and follow the lakeshore to the fishing villages of Gandria and Morcote. There are also a variety of hiking options in the hills surrounding Lugano. We’ll have recommendations for you. (B)

This morning, board the Gotthard Panorama Express and embark on a spectacular journey into the Alps, climbing to mountain passes, zipping through tunnels, and seeing historic villages on the way to Lake Lucerne. The journey continues with a sightseeing cruise across Lake Lucerne in a paddle steamer. A final train trip brings you from Lucerne to the lovely city of Zürich, where you’ll check in to your hotel. (B)

A financial hub with an artsy edge, Zürich is an inviting mix of the old and the new. Discover the history of this Swiss-German-speaking city on a private walking tour of  Zürich's Old Town. Stroll narrow lanes past brightly painted houses and historic monuments, and stop in at the Fraumünster, a 13th-century church with stained glass windows crafted by Marc Chagall. In the afternoon, you’ll have free time to explore the city on your own. If you wish, visit the Kunstmuseum, considered Switzerland’s top art museum, to see an impressive collection of 19th- and 20th-century European art, as well as several lesser-known Swiss Impressionists. (B)

Today you'll join a small group to experience some of Switzerland's cultural institutions. Visit local producers for cheese and chocolate tastings, and spend time at an Alpine farm, learning about Switzerland’s rural traditions. Soar into the Alps on a scenic cable car ride, and enjoy free time to explore as you wish. (B)

Leave Zürich and travel southwest by train, watching an everchanging tableau of mountain scenery. Your three-hour journey brings you to the Alpine ski town of Zermatt, nestled below the twisted peak of the iconic Matterhorn. (B)

Set out on a private guided tour of Zermatt, one of Switzerland’s premier mountain resorts since the mid-1800s. With no cars allowed in the village center, transport is by gondola, cog railway, or foot. Your tour continues with a spectacular cable car ride up to the Matterhorn Glacier Paradise, the highest cable car station in Europe. Weather permitting, take in an exhilarating panoramic view of glaciers and peaks from the viewing platform. (B)

Spend a leisurely day discovering more of Zermatt. Consider stopping in at the excellent Matterhorn Museum to learn about the mountaineers who attempted to summit the Matterhorn. Or take a short cog rail ride to Gornergrat for sweeping mountain views and a variety of hiking options. (B)

Take a final look at the Matterhorn as you depart Zermatt by train, traveling west to Montreux, a town on the shores of Lake Geneva, just across the water from France. This afternoon, take time to get to know this charming 19th-century resort, once the haunt of Nabokov, Tolstoy, Byron—and even Deep Purple. Take a walk on the lakeside promenade, and, with luck, catch one of the many seasonal festivals that takes place here. (B)

Travel by train and bus through dramatic mountain scenery to Gstaad, and continue to Glacier 3000. Enjoy the full day to explore this alpine park at your own pace. Depending on the season, go hiking or skiing, cross high-altitude suspension bridges strung between peaks, and gaze out at an extraordinary vista of Switzerland’s most iconic summits, including the Matterhorn, the Jungfrau, the Eiger, and Mont Blanc. (B)

Spend your last day exploring the shores of Lake Geneva, also known as Lac Léman. If you wish, visit Château de Chillon, a photogenic island castle that dates back to the 12th century. Then take a private tour in a vintage wooden Riva boat, hearing local history and lore from the captain as you glide between medieval villages and estates. (B)

This morning, transer by train to the airport in Geneva for your onward flight. (B)