SWISS GRAND ALPINE TOUR with JUNGFRAUJOCH – TOP OF EUROPE

IA07Z        ZURICH - ZURICH, 7 DAYS

DEPARTURES:

PRICE:

ITINERARY:

We leave Zurich at 8.00 a.m. for an unforgettable Alpine tour to the majestic world of the Jungfraujoch - Top of Europe at 3'454 m /11'333 ft. A guided coach tour takes us to the magnificent mountain world of the Bernese Oberland. In Lauterbrunnen we board the cogwheel train for the most interesting mountain train trip via Kleine Scheidegg at the foot of the famous Eiger North Face to Jungfraujoch - Europe's highest railway station. Today’s highlights include the beautiful Ice Palace, the Sphinx Observation Hall overlooking the Aletsch Glacier (Switzerland’s largest glacier) and the snow-capped peaks of the neighboring countries, in the late afternoon check-in at your hotel in Interlaken. Overnight at first class hotel - dinner is on your own.

Today’s day is at your leisure. Interlaken is located between the lakes of Thun and Brienz, at the foot of the towering trio of the Eiger, Moench and Jungfrau. A perfect place to relax, or to do some sightseeing and shopping along the Höhenstrasse, the boulevard street in Interlaken with nice restaurants, elegant Fashion, Watch and Jewelers shops. Interlaken is ideally located for many excursions. Enjoy a leisurely cruise on a modern motorship or one of the renovated stately steamers on Lake of Thun, or visit to Ballenberg Open-Air Museum (near Brienz) a unique museum offering a fascinating insight into Swiss rural dwellings and lifestyles dating back several centuries with some 90 buildings to be visited. Overnight at first class hotel - dinner is on your own.

Meet your guide in the morning before departing Interlaken. We drive along beautiful Lake of Thun to the Swiss capital, Berne. The city  is attractively set on a steepsided curve of the River Aare and backed by the majestic Alps. A city tour to the Old Town includes the Clock Tower, Kramgasse, and the 15th century Cathedral of St. Vincent. A drive south takes us to the scenic dairy farmlands, to Gruyeres. A beautiful hilltop town, preserved against time, which could be the magical setting for fairytales with its impressive, medieval  Castle. An informative visit to a factory of delicious milk product is a further highlight of our day. We continue our drive to the Vaud Riviera and reach Geneva, the most cosmopolitan city of Switzerland. Overnight at superior tourist class hotel - dinner on your own.

We start with a city-tour of Geneva this morning. We will show you the beautiful  parks along the lake, the unique town-hall and the European seat of the United Nations. In the late morning we leave Geneva and drive to Lausanne and Montreux. We pass by Chillon Castle, the 13th century fortress made famous by Lord Byron's poem. In the afternoon we proceed through the Valais, the valley of the river Rhone with its orchards and vineyards. At Täsch we will board a cogwheel train that takes us to the mountain resort of Zermatt at the foot of the mighty Matterhorn. Dinner and overnight at first class hotel

Morning at leisure in Zermatt - admire the quaint old farm houses and barns in their unique style, do some shopping, relax or take an optional cogwheel train up to Gornergrat for a spectacular view of the surrounding snow-covered peaks. After noon board the train to Täsch where our bus is waiting to take us over the breathtaking Nufenen Pass into the Italian speaking part of Switzerland, to the garden city of Lugano. Overnight at first class hotel - dinner on your own.

Day 6     LUGANO - LAKE COMO - MALOJA PASS - ST. MORITZ            FRIDAY

We leave Lugano and drive along the scenic road to Gandria where we cross the border into Italy. Along the romantic shores of Lake Como we pass by Menaggio and reach Chiavenna in the lovely Breggaglia Valley. In Castasegna we re-enter to Switzerland and drive thirteen hairpin bends over the Maloja Pass. Passing by crystal blue Lake Sils and Silvaplana we reach the world-renowned mountain resort of St. Moritz in the late afternoon. Dinner and overnight at first class hotel.

  We leave St. Moritz in the morning and cross the Julier Pass to reach Chur, the oldest town in Switzerland which has a settlement history of over 5000 years. We continue to the capital of Principality of Liechtenstein and visit Valuz its capital. This tiny country with the mighty castle, which is the home of the present Prince and his family, attracts visitors from all over the world. In the afternoon we will return to Zurich through the Toggenburg region with its picturesque farmhouses
Arrival in Zurich at approx. 5 p.m.

            ACCOMMODATION AT FIRST CLASS HOTELS

INTERLAKEN            1 night            buffet breakfast        Hotel Interlaken or similar

GENEVA                    1 night            buffet breakfast        Hotel Ramada Encore, Carouge or similar

ZERMATT                  1 night            halfboard                  Hotel Alex or similar

LUGANO                    1 night            halfboard                  Hotel De La Paix or similar

ST. MORITZ               1 night            halfboard                  Hotel Steffani or similar

Although no changes are anticipated, we reserve the right to make changes in hotels where deemed necessary or advisable. Substitutes will be equal in quality.