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Tailor Made Rail · Escorted Rail Tour

Hidden Switzerland Escorted Tour

Seven-day escorted rail tour through lesser-visited Swiss valleys and mountains

Illustration of Hidden Switzerland Escorted Tour

Tailor Made Rail's Hidden Switzerland Escorted Tour is a 7-day small-group journey from Winterthur in the northeast through lesser-visited Swiss valleys to St Moritz, operated with a professional English-speaking group leader and capped at 16 travellers. All rail travel is in First Class, starting with the Eurostar from London on Day 1 and including the UNESCO-listed Albula Line on Day 6. The itinerary balances mountain scenery with cultural stops: Appenzell's painted houses and St Gallen's Abbey Library feature on Day 2, the Rhine Falls and car-free Braunwald on Day 3, and a gondola-accessed mountain lunch near Braunwald on Day 4. Accommodation spans three hand-picked hotels with two nights in each location, allowing time to settle. The package includes most meals, wine tastings in Winterthur and Savognin, and entry to museums, with a guide to handle logistics and luggage moved between hotels. The tour runs in September, suiting travellers who value curated small-group travel, Swiss wine and cuisine, and First Class rail comfort.

What to know before you look closer

  • The tour departs only in September; only two departures are currently listed (2026 and 2027).
  • Hotel names are marked 'or similar'; your final accommodation depends on availability when you book.
  • Dinner on Day 2 in St Gallen is not included; you choose your own restaurant that evening.
  • Lunch on Days 2, 5, and 6 is independent; only the mountaintop lunch on Day 4 is included.

Day by day

  1. Day 1railovernight: Winterthur

    London to Winterthur

    Meet your UK-based guide at St Pancras, Eurostar to Paris, rapid metro to the Gare de Lyon, then a train to Zurich where a Swiss guide accompanies you to Winterthur for a welcome drink and first dinner together.

  2. Day 2railovernight: Winterthur

    Day trip to Appenzell & St Gallen

    A scenic train to the charming village of Appenzell, known for painted houses and Appenzeller cheese, then on to St Gallen to visit the UNESCO World Heritage Abbey district, followed by a wine tasting back at the hotel.

  3. Day 3railovernight: Braunwald

    Winterthur to Braunwald via Rhine Falls

    Luggage transferred ahead; train to Schloss Laufen am Rheinfall, a walk to Schlössli Wörth for a Rhine Falls boat trip, free time in Schaffhausen, then via Linthal and a funicular ride up to the car-free village of Braunwald.

  4. Day 4overnight: Braunwald

    Free time in Braunwald & mountaintop lunch

    A relaxed morning in Braunwald, then a gondola ride to Berggasthaus Gumen for a traditional lunch with panoramic Alpine views; descend by gondola or walk down.

  5. Day 5railovernight: Savognin

    Braunwald to Savognin

    Funicular and train via the Walensee to Chur, then on to Tiefencastel and a PostAuto connection to Savognin; after lunch, a gondola to Tigignas for panoramic views across the Val Surses, with dinner and a Swiss wine tasting at the hotel.

  6. Day 6overnight: Savognin

    Day trip to St Moritz

    A PostAuto to Tiefencastel, then the UNESCO World Heritage Albula Line to St Moritz for free time, returning via Bivio by PostAuto for a farewell dinner at the hotel in Savognin.

  7. Day 7rail

    Savognin to London

    Bus to Tiefencastel, then a scenic rail journey north to Basel via Chur (luggage delivered directly to Basel SBB), meeting your UK guide for the journey back to Paris and London.

The moments this trip is built around

  • Day 2Train to Appenzell to see the village's painted houses and local Appenzeller cheese, then on to St Gallen's UNESCO World Heritage Abbey Library.
  • Day 3Walk to Schlössli Wörth for a boat trip on the Rhine Falls, then funicular up to the car-free village of Braunwald.
  • Day 4Gondola ride to Berggasthaus Gumen for a traditional lunch with panoramic Alpine views, with the option to walk down.
  • Day 6UNESCO World Heritage Albula Line from Tiefencastel to St Moritz, the journey's signature railway experience.

Included

  • All rail journeys, in first class
  • Seat reservations where required
  • 6 nights' hand-picked hotel accommodation with breakfast
  • 6 breakfasts, 5 dinners and 1 lunch (at a mountain restaurant)
  • Wine tasting in Winterthur
  • Entry to the UNESCO Heritage Site Abbey Library, St Gallen
  • Rhine Falls boat trip
  • Gondola ride to Tigignas
  • Wine tasting in Savognin
  • Despatch of tickets by email
  • Professional English-speaking Group leader

Not included

  • Dinner in St Gallen (own choice of restaurant)
  • Lunch in Appenzell, Savognin and St Moritz (independent)

Questions travellers ask

Is all the train travel included in the price?
Yes. The price includes all rail journeys in First Class, plus seat reservations where required.
Is this an escorted tour?
Yes. A professional English-speaking group leader accompanies you throughout the entire 7 days.
What hotels are used?
Park Hotel Winterthur (or similar) for 2 nights, Panorama Hotel Braunwald (or similar) for 2 nights, and AVES Hotel Savognin (or similar) for 2 nights. Final hotels may vary based on availability.
Which trains are featured?
The Eurostar from London to Paris on Day 1 and the UNESCO World Heritage Albula Line from Tiefencastel to St Moritz on Day 6, both in First Class.
What meals are included?
All breakfasts, five dinners, and one lunch (at a mountain restaurant on Day 4). Lunch on Days 2, 5, and 6 is independent, and dinner on Day 2 in St Gallen is not included.
How much walking is involved?
Moderate. You walk to the Rhine Falls, through Appenzell and St Gallen, and have the option to walk down from the mountain restaurant on Day 4. Funicular and gondola rides handle steeper ascents.

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