How much does it cost?

From £4,199 per person, the operator's advertised from-price, read on its own page on 12 Sept 2026. About $5,672 at ECB reference rates. Departures, room types and dates can price differently; the operator's page is the final word.

Is this an escorted tour?

Yes. Great Rail Journeys provides a UK Tour Manager from start to finish. The itinerary includes guided tours in Munich, Salzburg, and Innsbruck, with several free days for independent exploration.

How many nights are included and where?

13 nights in four-star hotels: 2 nights in Munich, 3 in Salzburg, 2 in Innsbruck, 3 in St Moritz, and 3 in Interlaken.

What meals are included?

Breakfast each day, one lunch (on the Glacier Express), and eight dinners. This includes a Mozart concert dinner in Salzburg and three-course dinners at several hotels. Some meals are independent.

When does the tour run?

Great Rail Journeys offers seven departures between April and September 2027: April, May, June, July (twice), August, and September.

What is the physical activity level?

Moderate. The tour includes guided walking tours in three cities, optional cable car rides, and days at leisure. The Jungfraujoch ascent involves a cogwheel train, not hiking. Luggage is transported between hotels.

Great Rail Journeys · Escorted tour

First-Class Grand Alpine Explorer

First Class rail through four Alpine countries, London to Zurich, 14 days

Great Rail Journeys operates a 14-day escorted tour across four Alpine countries, departing London and ending in Zurich. The itinerary weaves through the culture and mountain scenery of Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and Italy, traveling primarily in First Class rail carriages. Days unfold as a mix of guided experiences and independent exploration: a beer tour at Munich's Höfbrauhaus, a Mozart concert dinner in Salzburg's candlelit banquet hall, a cruise on Lake Wolfgang, and guided walks through the medieval quarters of Salzburg and Innsbruck. The route includes three of Europe's most celebrated mountain trains: the Glacier Express descending the Rhine Gorge, the Bernina Express spiraling above the Brusio viaduct en route to Italy, and the Jungfrau Express climbing to Europe's highest train station at Jungfraujoch. A UK Tour Manager travels with the group throughout. The package suits repeat rail travellers seeking First Class comfort on named heritage trains, couples looking for cultural depth, and history lovers drawn to Habsburg palaces, fairytale castles, and UNESCO World Heritage towns. Multiple free days allow independent shoppers and outdoor enthusiasts to tailor their own activities.

Price history

Across 5 checks, this price has fallen £600 since 4 Jul, to £4,199.

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. 3 of 5 points are 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

Single supplement is GBP 1,000 (priceSingleFrom GBP 5,799 versus GBP 4,799 per person in double), a significant premium; confirm single room availability when booking.
The itinerary includes some independent meal arrangements (Day 4 in Salzburg, Day 5 lunch in St Gilgen, Day 7 dinner in Innsbruck), requiring self-catering choices.
Cable cars and funiculars in St Moritz are noted as open late June to mid-October; April and May departures may have limited mountain access on the free day.

Day by day

Day 1railovernight: Munich
London to Munich: First Class to Bavaria
We meet fellow travellers and the Tour Manager at London St Pancras to join the Eurostar to Brussels, then travel via Cologne, Frankfurt, Ulm and Augsburg to Munich in First Class, checking in near the main train station.
Meals: Eurostar light meal
Day 2overnight: Munich
A guided tour of Munich
A guided sightseeing tour of Munich, taking in Marienplatz, the Town Hall glockenspiel and the Church of St Peter, followed by a beer and food tasting including a visit to the Oktoberfest Museum and the Höfbrauhaus. The rest of the day is at leisure before dinner at the hotel.
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Day 3railovernight: Salzburg
A musical welcome in Salzburg
We travel by First Class rail across the border to Salzburg, birthplace of Mozart and setting for The Sound of Music, for a guided tour of the Old Town beneath the Hohensalzburg Fortress. In the evening, a candlelit Mozart concert dinner is held at St Peter's banquet hall with a chamber ensemble in Rococo costume. Note: on the 2/4, 3/9, 6/9 and 15/9 departures, the concert dinner takes place on Day 4 instead, with Day 3 afternoon and evening at leisure.
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Day 4overnight: Salzburg
A free day to explore Salzburg
A full day at leisure in Salzburg, using the included Guest Mobility Ticket for free travel on buses and trolleybuses. Options include the Mozart family residences, Mirabell Garden, or a cable car ride up Untersberg Mountain. Dine independently this evening.
Meals: Breakfast
Day 5overnight: Salzburg
Discovering the Austrian Lake District
A visit to the Kaiservilla, former summer residence of Emperor Franz Josef I, followed by a cruise across Lake Wolfgang from St Gilgen to St Wolfgang, then on to Mondsee to see the Basilica of St Michael, famed from The Sound of Music, before returning to Salzburg for dinner.
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Day 6railovernight: Innsbruck
To Innsbruck in the heart of the Austrian Alps
First Class rail travel into the Austrian Alps to Innsbruck, followed by a guided tour of the Old Town, including the cathedral, Hofkirche and the Golden Roof. The afternoon is free, with the option of the Nordkette Cable Car for panoramic views, before dinner at our central hotel.
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Day 7railovernight: Innsbruck
Fairytale Neuschwanstein Castle and Zugspitze Mountain Railway
A coach journey across the Fern Pass to Neuschwanstein Castle, King Ludwig II's 19th-century mountain fortress, followed by a journey on the Zugspitze Mountain Railway to the summit of Germany's highest mountain, with views across four countries. The evening in Innsbruck is at leisure.
Meals: Breakfast
Day 8railovernight: St Moritz
Through the Alps to stylish St Moritz
A free morning in Innsbruck before a First Class train journey along the Inn River and the Arlberg Line past Trisanna Bridge and St Anton, looping through Liechtenstein and onto the UNESCO-listed Albula Line with its Landwasser Viaduct, arriving in St Moritz for dinner at our central hotel.
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Day 9railovernight: St Moritz
Across the Alps to Italy in First Class on the Bernina Express
A First Class journey on the Bernina Express, stepping off at Alp Grüm for views of the Palü Glacier before the corkscrew viaduct at Brusio and the Italian border, with free time in Tirano before the return to St Moritz for dinner.
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Day 10overnight: St Moritz
At leisure in St Moritz
A free day in St Moritz, using the resort card for free cable cars and funiculars, or the Swiss Half Fare Card to explore Davos or Klosters. Options include the church of St Maurice, high tea at Badrutt's Palace Hotel, or the Segantini Museum. Note: St Moritz cable cars and funiculars operate late June to mid October.
Meals: Breakfast
Day 11railovernight: Interlaken
First Class experience on the iconic Glacier Express
The Glacier Express to Brig in First Class, delving into the Rhine Gorge with a two-course lunch at our seats, climbing the Oberalp Pass and through the Furka Base Tunnel. At Brig we change trains for Interlaken via Spiez, checking in to our hotel for dinner.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 12railovernight: Interlaken
To the 'Top of Europe' on the Jungfrau Express
A rail journey to Kleine Scheidegg to board the Jungfrau Express, climbing through a tunnel cut through the Eiger to Jungfraujoch, Europe's highest train station, with views of the Aletsch Glacier from the Sphinx viewing platform, before descending via Grindelwald. Dine independently this evening.
Meals: Breakfast
Day 13overnight: Interlaken
A day to explore Interlaken at leisure
A free day in Interlaken, with options including the funicular to Harder Kulm, a lake cruise on a vintage paddle steamer (discounted with the Swiss Half Fare Card), or a day trip to Lucerne or Meiringen's Reichenbach Falls. A final group dinner at the hotel this evening.
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Day 14rail
Homeward bound
After breakfast, we board the train to Zürich Airport for our flight back to London Heathrow.
Meals: Breakfast

The moments this trip is built around

Day 2Guided tour of Munich's Marienplatz and neo-Gothic Town Hall, followed by a beer and food experience at the Höfbrauhaus.
Day 3Evening Mozart concert dinner in Salzburg's St Peter's banquet hall, with a chamber ensemble and singers in Rococo costumes.
Day 9Bernina Express climbs the Alps in First Class, stopping at Alp Grüm for Palü Glacier views before spiraling around the Brusio corkscrew viaduct and crossing into Italy.
Day 11Glacier Express descends into the Rhine Gorge in First Class, crosses the Oberalp Pass, and passes through the nine-mile Furka Base Tunnel with a two-course lunch at seats.
Day 12Jungfrau Express cogwheel train ascends through the Eiger to Jungfraujoch, Europe's highest train station, with panoramic views of the Aletsch Glacier from the Sphinx viewing platform.

Included

Expertise of a UK Tour Manager from start to finish
13 nights' 4-Star hotel accommodation
Eurostar Plus First Class rail travel where possible
All rail, cruise and coach travel throughout your tour
Flight from Zürich to London Heathrow
Eurostar light meal
Breakfast each day, 1 lunch and 8 dinners
Swiss Half Fare Card, permitting 50% discounted fares on free days for rail, boat and most mountain railway journeys
Salzburg Guest Mobility Ticket for free travel on the city's public transport
St Moritz resort card for free travel on the town's cable cars and funiculars
All guided tours and excursions

Not included

Cancellation & Travel Insurance

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The same itinerary is listed on more than one site. Prices and inclusions can differ; compare before booking.

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Questions travellers ask

How much does it cost?: From £4,199 per person, the operator's advertised from-price, read on its own page on 12 Sept 2026. About $5,672 at ECB reference rates. Departures, room types and dates can price differently; the operator's page is the final word.
Is this an escorted tour?: Yes. Great Rail Journeys provides a UK Tour Manager from start to finish. The itinerary includes guided tours in Munich, Salzburg, and Innsbruck, with several free days for independent exploration.
How many nights are included and where?: 13 nights in four-star hotels: 2 nights in Munich, 3 in Salzburg, 2 in Innsbruck, 3 in St Moritz, and 3 in Interlaken.
What meals are included?: Breakfast each day, one lunch (on the Glacier Express), and eight dinners. This includes a Mozart concert dinner in Salzburg and three-course dinners at several hotels. Some meals are independent.
When does the tour run?: Great Rail Journeys offers seven departures between April and September 2027: April, May, June, July (twice), August, and September.
What is the physical activity level?: Moderate. The tour includes guided walking tours in three cities, optional cable car rides, and days at leisure. The Jungfraujoch ascent involves a cogwheel train, not hiking. Luggage is transported between hotels.