How much does it cost?

From £1,799 per person, the operator's advertised from-price, read on its own page on 12 Sept 2026. About $2,430 at ECB reference rates. Departures, room types and dates can price differently; the operator's page is the final word.

Is the tour escorted or independent?

It is escorted. A UK Tour Manager accompanies the group from London through the entire journey, though Day 5 offers free time to explore at your own pace.

What meals are included?

Breakfast and dinner each day, plus six picnic lunches provided by the hotel. The evening drinks package is included with dinner.

What is the Swiss Half Fare Card and how is it used?

It permits 50 percent discounts on rail, boat, and most mountain railway fares. You use it on free days (such as Day 5) to explore areas including the Lauterbrunnen Valley, Grindelwald, Wengen, and Mürren at reduced cost.

Great Rail Journeys · Escorted tour

Discover Top of Europe

Eight-day escorted Alpine rail tour from London through Switzerland's Bernese Oberland.

Great Rail Journeys operates this eight-day all-inclusive escorted tour of the Swiss Alps, starting in London and centered on the village of Wilderswil in the Bernese Oberland. The journey opens with Eurostar and TGV rail from London through Paris to Strasbourg, then continues south into Switzerland by scenic train. From the base hotel in Wilderswil, you spend six nights with all meals and evening drinks included, taking daily excursions on legendary Alpine railways: the Jungfrau Express cogwheel train to Jungfraujoch at 3,454 meters, a cruise across glacier-fed Lake Brienz, and optional routes via Lucerne or the Schynige Platte Railway to the Botanical Alpine Garden. A Swiss Half Fare Card grants half-price rail and mountain-railway travel on your free day, allowing independent exploration of the Lauterbrunnen Valley, Grindelwald, and other mountain villages. This tour suits first-time rail travellers who want a guided introduction to European trains, couples seeking all-inclusive relaxation with Alpine scenery, and repeat rail enthusiasts seeking famous Alpine routes. Throughout, a UK Tour Manager handles logistics while you enjoy the mountains.

Price history

Across 5 checks, this price has risen £200 since 4 Jul, to £1,799.

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

The tour operates April through October, but the itinerary on Days 4 changes: April-to-mid-June departures visit Lucerne; mid-June onwards visits Schynige Platte and its Alpine Garden.
Groups can reach 40 participants, which may reduce the intimacy of some excursions.
Day 5 is largely unguided; you plan your own exploration using the included Swiss Half Fare Card for rail and mountain railway discounts.

Day by day

Day 1railovernight: Basel
London to Basel for an overnight stay
Meet the Tour Manager at London St Pancras and board the Eurostar to Paris, then walk to Gare de l'Est for a train to Basel via Strasbourg, checking into a central hotel before the first dinner together at the sister hotel next door. On certain departures the group stays in Strasbourg instead.
Day 2railovernight: Wilderswil
Arrival in Wilderswil, the epitome of a Swiss alpine village
Free time in Basel after breakfast, then travel by train further into Switzerland to Wilderswil for a six-night stay, checking into the family-run Hotel Alpenblick with dinner and drinks included.
Day 3railovernight: Wilderswil
A day to explore Interlaken
Travel by rail to Interlaken with a picnic lunch provided, exploring the resort town's cafés, medieval monastery and castle at leisure, before returning to Wilderswil for dinner and drinks.
Day 4railovernight: Wilderswil
Excursion to alpine Schynige Platte or lakeside Lucerne
On departures from April to mid-June, travel on the Interlaken to Lucerne Express to the lakeside town of Lucerne; on departures from mid-June, take the Schynige Platte Railway to the Alpine Botanical Garden. A picnic lunch is provided either way, before returning to the hotel for dinner and drinks.
Day 5overnight: Wilderswil
A free day in Wilderswil and the Swiss Alps
A free day using the Swiss Half Fare Card, with options including the Lauterbrunnen Valley, Grindelwald, Wengen, or a cable car from Mürren to the Schilthorn summit, before dinner at the hotel.
Day 6railovernight: Wilderswil
To the 'Top of Europe' aboard the Jungfrau Express
Set out on the Bernese Oberland Railway to Kleine Scheidegg and join the cogwheel Jungfrau Express to Jungfraujoch, Europe's highest railway station, with a picnic lunch and free time to explore the Sphinx observatory and Aletsch Glacier, before returning to the hotel for dinner.
Day 7railovernight: Wilderswil
A cruise on Lake Brienz and a free afternoon
Take the train to Interlaken for a scenic cruise on Lake Brienz to the village of Brienz, known for its wood carvings, then return by train to Interlaken for free time before a final dinner at Hotel Alpenblick.
Day 8rail
Homeward bound
After breakfast, collect a picnic lunch and take the local train to Interlaken Ost, continuing by rail via Bern to Lausanne and on to Paris, then join the Eurostar back to London St Pancras.

The moments this trip is built around

Day 1Depart London St Pancras aboard Eurostar, crossing the Channel by rail to Paris, then travel south by TGV to Strasbourg.
Day 2Travel by train into Switzerland, passing the turquoise waters of Lake Thun before arriving in the Alpine village of Wilderswil.
Day 3Explore Interlaken by rail with a picnic lunch provided; optionally ride the Harder Kulm funicular for panoramic mountain views.
Day 4On April-to-mid-June departures, travel the Interlaken to Lucerne Express through the Brünig Pass; on mid-June departures, ride the restored Schynige Platte Railway to the Botanical Alpine Garden.
Day 6Board the legendary Jungfrau Express from Kleine Scheidegg, ascending the cogwheel railway through the Eiger tunnel to Jungfraujoch, Europe's highest railway station.
Day 7Cruise across glacier-fed Lake Brienz surrounded by mountains and green forests, passing tiny villages before arriving in Brienz for exploration.

Included

Expertise of a UK Tour Manager from start to finish
7 nights' 3-Star hotel accommodation
Eurostar Standard Class rail travel
All rail, cruise and coach travel throughout your tour
Breakfast and dinner each day, 6 picnic lunches
Drinks package each evening from 7pm to 9pm with dinner in Wilderswil, including beer, wine and soft drinks
Swiss Half Fare Card, permitting 50% discounted fares on free days for rail, boat and most mountain railway journeys
All guided tours and excursions

Not included

Cancellation & Travel Insurance is not included in the price of the tour

Questions travellers ask

How much does it cost?: From £1,799 per person, the operator's advertised from-price, read on its own page on 12 Sept 2026. About $2,430 at ECB reference rates. Departures, room types and dates can price differently; the operator's page is the final word.
Is the tour escorted or independent?: It is escorted. A UK Tour Manager accompanies the group from London through the entire journey, though Day 5 offers free time to explore at your own pace.
What meals are included?: Breakfast and dinner each day, plus six picnic lunches provided by the hotel. The evening drinks package is included with dinner.
What is the Swiss Half Fare Card and how is it used?: It permits 50 percent discounts on rail, boat, and most mountain railway fares. You use it on free days (such as Day 5) to explore areas including the Lauterbrunnen Valley, Grindelwald, Wengen, and Mürren at reduced cost.