How much does it cost?

From £1,999 per person, the operator's advertised from-price, read on its own page on 12 Sept 2026. About $2,700 at ECB reference rates. Departures, room types and dates can price differently; the operator's page is the final word.

Which famous trains are featured?

The tour includes the Bernina Express from Chur to Poschiavo and return, crossing the UNESCO-listed Albula Line, and the Glacier Express from Chur to Brig through the Swiss Alps.

Is the tour escorted?

Yes. Great Rail Journeys provides a UK Tour Manager from the start in London through the final return to London on Day 8.

What hotels are included?

The tour stays at Hotel Boma in Strasbourg (1 night), Ambiente Hotel Freieck in Chur (3 nights), and Porta Cervino in Täsch (3 nights), all 3 or 4-star properties.

What meals are provided?

Breakfast is included daily. Five dinners are included: on Days 1, 2, 4, 5, and 7. Other meals are at your own expense.

Great Rail Journeys · Escorted tour

Highlights of the Glacier Express in Winter

Eight-day winter rail journey from London through the Swiss Alps on two famous trains

Great Rail Journeys operates this 8-day winter escorted tour from London to the Swiss Alps, departing January and March 2027. You travel via Eurostar and high-speed TGV through France to Strasbourg, then by train into Switzerland to the alpine town of Chur, where you spend three nights. The core experience centres on two world-renowned scenic trains: the Bernina Express, which crosses the UNESCO-listed Albula Line past the Palü Glacier and frozen lakes, and the Glacier Express, described as the world's slowest express train, which descends from Chur through the Rhine Valley and Furka Base Tunnel to Brig, surrounded by snow-covered peaks and wintry forests. From your second base in Täsch, you visit Zermatt near the Matterhorn and taste local specialities at a historic bakery. A UK Tour Manager guides the group throughout, and you receive a Swiss Half Fare Card for 50 percent discounts on free-day rail journeys. The itinerary balances train time with unhurried days to explore medieval town centres and mountain resorts on foot.

Price history

Across 5 checks, this price has fallen £300 since 4 Jul, to £1,999.

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 400 (from GBP 2,699 versus GBP 2,299 for double), a notable premium.
Only two winter departures listed: January and March 2027; confirm availability before booking.
The final leg home includes travel from Täsch to Paris and Eurostar to London, arriving the same evening.

Day by day

Day 1railovernight: Strasbourg
London to the Alsace city of Strasbourg
Meeting the Tour Manager at London St Pancras, we board the Eurostar under the Channel into France, switching to the high-speed service to Strasbourg. We walk to our conveniently located hotel for check-in before heading out for our first dinner together at a local restaurant.
Meals: Dinner
Day 2railovernight: Chur
A wintry welcome in alpine Chur
A leisurely morning to explore Strasbourg's La Petite France district, before we board the train to Basel and continue along the Swiss railway network to Chur, climbing into snow-capped mountains and past frosted lakes. We check in to our family-run hotel in Chur's Old Town for a three-night stay and enjoy a three-course dinner.
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Day 3railovernight: Chur
Exploring Switzerland's oldest town at leisure
A free day to explore historic Chur, including its 12th-century cathedral and medieval Old Town, or use the included Swiss Half Fare Card to visit Arosa, Davos, Klosters or St Moritz by mountain railway.
Meals: Breakfast
Day 4railovernight: Chur
Riding the Bernina Express through a mountainous wonderland
We board the Bernina Express at Chur for a 100-year-old UNESCO-listed route through the Engadine Valley, crossing the Landwasser Viaduct and climbing the Albula Line, reaching the summit at Ospizio Bernina before pausing at the Palü Glacier and winding down to Poschiavo, with free time to explore before the return journey and dinner in Chur.
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Day 5railovernight: Täsch
An incredible experience aboard the Glacier Express
We leave Chur for an unforgettable journey on the Glacier Express, travelling the Rhine Valley and climbing over the Oberalp Pass before descending through the Furka Base Tunnel into the Rhône Valley to Brig, then continuing by rail through the Matter Valley to Täsch, the gateway to Zermatt and the Matterhorn. We check in to our hotel and enjoy dinner together.
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Day 6railovernight: Täsch
The sights and flavours of Zermatt
Travelling by rail through the Matter Valley to Zermatt, nestled below the Matterhorn, we visit Bäckerei Fuchs bakery for a tasting of local specialities. Free time follows to explore the car-free resort, the Matterhorn Museum or the Gornergrat Mountain Railway, with an expert-led tour of Zermatt in the afternoon revealing its connections to English mountaineer Edward Whymper.
Meals: Breakfast
Day 7overnight: Täsch
Free day in Täsch and further afield
A free day from our base in Täsch, using the Swiss Half Fare Card to explore Brig's Old Town and Stockalper Palace, Spiez Castle on Lake Thun, or the Swiss Riviera towns of Montreux and Vevey on Lake Geneva. We gather for a final dinner together this evening.
Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Day 8rail
Homeward bound
After breakfast, we begin the journey home from Täsch via Brig and Lausanne to Paris, boarding the Eurostar back to London, where the tour concludes on arrival this evening.
Meals: Breakfast

The moments this trip is built around

Day 4Day 4: boarding the Bernina Express at Chur, crossing the UNESCO-listed Albula Line with its Landwasser Viaduct and spiral loops, reaching Ospizio Bernina and viewing the snow-blanketed Palü Glacier at Alp Grüm.
Day 5Day 5: riding the Glacier Express from Chur to Brig, traveling through the Rhine Valley, over the Oberalp Pass, and through the Furka Base Tunnel past snow-covered pastures and frosted peaks.
Day 6Day 6: visiting Zermatt below the Matterhorn and tasting breads and chocolates at Bäckerei Fuchs, followed by an expert-led tour of the resort's historic connections.

Included

Expertise of a UK Tour Manager from start to finish
7 nights' 3 & 4-Star hotel accommodation
Eurostar Standard Standard Class rail travel
All rail and coach travel throughout your tour
Breakfast each day, 5 dinners
Group luggage transfers between hotels from Chur to Täsch
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

Questions travellers ask

How much does it cost?: From £1,999 per person, the operator's advertised from-price, read on its own page on 12 Sept 2026. About $2,700 at ECB reference rates. Departures, room types and dates can price differently; the operator's page is the final word.
Which famous trains are featured?: The tour includes the Bernina Express from Chur to Poschiavo and return, crossing the UNESCO-listed Albula Line, and the Glacier Express from Chur to Brig through the Swiss Alps.
Is the tour escorted?: Yes. Great Rail Journeys provides a UK Tour Manager from the start in London through the final return to London on Day 8.
What hotels are included?: The tour stays at Hotel Boma in Strasbourg (1 night), Ambiente Hotel Freieck in Chur (3 nights), and Porta Cervino in Täsch (3 nights), all 3 or 4-star properties.
What meals are provided?: Breakfast is included daily. Five dinners are included: on Days 1, 2, 4, 5, and 7. Other meals are at your own expense.