Is this an escorted tour or independent?

Great Rail Journeys operates this as an escorted tour. A UK Tour Manager travels with the group from London St Pancras to the final arrival, and all guided tours and excursions are arranged.

Which specific trains are featured?

Eurostar (London to Paris), the Glacier Express (Brig to Chur), and the Bernina Express (Chur to Poschiavo via the Albula Line and St Moritz).

What meals are included?

Breakfast each day, Eurostar light meals on departure and return, one lunch on the Glacier Express, and six dinners. A three-course Christmas dinner with wine is included on Day 7.

What is not included?

Cancellation and travel insurance are not included. Optional extras (London hotel, UK rail connections, mountain railways, cable cars, and paddle steamer cruises) are offered separately.

Great Rail Journeys · Escorted tour

Classic Glacier Express at Christmas

Nine-day Swiss Christmas rail tour from London via Glacier Express and Bernina Express

Great Rail Journeys operates this nine-day escorted Christmas holiday departing London in December 2026. You travel through France and Switzerland over eight nights, visiting Basel, Brig, Chur, and Lucerne, with two nights exploring the Matterhorn from Zermatt. The tour centres on two celebrated Alpine trains: the Glacier Express from Brig to Chur on Day 5, where lunch is served at your seat as panoramic windows frame snow-capped peaks and the Swiss Grand Canyon, and the Bernina Express on Day 8, which climbs the UNESCO-listed Albula Line through frosted forests and past the Palü Glacier to Poschiavo. A UK Tour Manager accompanies throughout, arranging guided tours in Basel's Old Town, Christmas markets in Lucerne, and leisure time to explore Chur's 5,000-year history. You stay in four-star hotels with six dinners included, plus a festive three-course Christmas dinner with wine. The tour suits repeat rail travellers seeking established train classics and couples drawn to Alpine scenery during the festive season, with guided comfort and ample meals woven through the days.

Price history

Across 3 checks, this price has risen £200 since 4 Jul, to £4,349.

Each point is a day we checked this operator's own page, not a weekly average, and the line holds flat between checks rather than guessing at movement we did not see. 1 of 3 point is a live read of the operator's page. Hollow points are values shown when the trip was first listed here and never confirmed with the operator.

What to know before you look closer

Only one departure date is listed: December 2026. Confirm availability before finalising your travel dates.
The single supplement (£4,149) equals the double price, with no discounted rate noted for solo travellers.
Hotel accommodation in Brig and Chur is four-star; specific hotel names (Hotel Ambassador, Hotel Stern) may vary depending on group size and booking conditions.

Day by day

Day 1railovernight: Basel
From London to seasonal Basel
Eurostar Plus from London St Pancras to Paris, then rail to Basel for the first overnight.
Meals: Dinner
Day 2railovernight: Brig
Arrival in Brig, nestled in Switzerland's Rhône Valley
Free morning in Basel, then rail deeper into the Swiss Alps to Brig.
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Day 3railovernight: Brig
Admiring Matterhorn views from scenic Zermatt
Rail along the Matter Valley to Zermatt for Matterhorn views, with the option of the Gornergrat Mountain Railway.
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Day 4overnight: Brig
Free time in Brig or further afield
Day at leisure, with options including Montreux, the Aletsch Glacier, or Domodossola using the Swiss Half Fare Card.
Meals: Breakfast
Day 5railovernight: Chur
Experiencing the Glacier Express with lunch
Glacier Express journey with lunch at your seat, via the Furka Tunnel and Oberalp Pass to Chur for a four-night stay.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Day 6railovernight: Chur
Christmas Eve in Lucerne, the 'City of Lights'
Rail to Lucerne to explore the festively lit Old Town and Kapellbrücke, back to Chur for a special Christmas Eve dinner.
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Day 7overnight: Chur
Christmas Day in historic Chur
A leisurely Christmas Day exploring Chur's Old Town, with a three-course Christmas dinner at the hotel.
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Day 8railovernight: Chur
Boxing Day on the beautiful Bernina Express
Bernina Express over the Albula Line to Poschiavo, returning via St Moritz.
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Day 9rail
Homeward bound
Rail to Basel, Paris, then Eurostar Plus back to London St Pancras.
Meals: Breakfast

The moments this trip is built around

Day 3Day 3: Travel through the Matter Valley to car-free Zermatt and view the Matterhorn; ride the 125-year-old Gornergrat Mountain Railway to the summit (optional) before returning to Brig.
Day 5Day 5: Board the Glacier Express after breakfast from Brig. Panoramic windows frame snowy meadows and white mountaintops as the train climbs through the Furka Tunnel and over the Oberalp Pass, passing through the Swiss Grand Canyon to Chur; lunch is served at your seat.
Day 6Day 6: Travel by rail to Lucerne on Christmas Eve and visit Christmas market stalls on the lakefront, viewing the 14th-century Kapellbrücke wooden bridge lit with festive displays.
Day 8Day 8: On Boxing Day, board the panoramic Bernina Express from Chur. The train climbs to 7,392 feet on the UNESCO-listed Albula Line through frosted forests and past Lago Bianco, descending to Poschiavo with its pastel-coloured Italian-speaking architecture.

Included

Expertise of a UK Tour Manager from start to finish
8 nights' 4-Star hotel accommodation
Eurostar Plus, First & Standard Class rail travel
All rail and coach travel throughout your tour
Eurostar Light Meal, breakfast each day, 1 lunch, 6 dinners
Swiss Half Fare Card, permitting 50% discounted fares on free days
Group luggage transfers between hotels from Brig to Chur
All guided tours and excursions

Not included

Cancellation & Travel Insurance

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Questions travellers ask

Is this an escorted tour or independent?: Great Rail Journeys operates this as an escorted tour. A UK Tour Manager travels with the group from London St Pancras to the final arrival, and all guided tours and excursions are arranged.
Which specific trains are featured?: Eurostar (London to Paris), the Glacier Express (Brig to Chur), and the Bernina Express (Chur to Poschiavo via the Albula Line and St Moritz).
What meals are included?: Breakfast each day, Eurostar light meals on departure and return, one lunch on the Glacier Express, and six dinners. A three-course Christmas dinner with wine is included on Day 7.
What is not included?: Cancellation and travel insurance are not included. Optional extras (London hotel, UK rail connections, mountain railways, cable cars, and paddle steamer cruises) are offered separately.