Search

No longer offered

Vacations By Rail has withdrawn this trip from sale. We keep the page for reference and comparison. Live alternatives are under Similar journeys below.

Vacations By Rail · Escorted tour

Premium Switzerland by Rail: A Grand Tour

Eleven-day escorted Swiss grand tour on three luxury trains and five-star hotels.

Illustration of Premium Switzerland by Rail: A Grand Tour

Vacations By Rail's Premium Switzerland by Rail: A Grand Tour is an 11-day escorted journey through Switzerland and Italy for travelers seeking luxury rail travel and five-star accommodations. The tour departs from Zürich and concludes in Lausanne, visiting Lucerne, St. Moritz, Zermatt, Interlaken, and Grindelwald. A Tour Manager accompanies a maximum of 18 travelers throughout. The days blend scenic train journeys on three named premium trains with guided excursions and leisure time in mountain towns and lakeside cities. Day 2 features a five-course dinner cruise on the historic Lake Lucerne steamboat Gallia; Day 5 rides the UNESCO-listed Bernina Express to Tirano, Italy; Day 6 travels in a privately chartered Excellence Class car on the Glacier Express with lunch and wine pairings; and Days 3, 7, and 9 visit Alpine summits via Europe's steepest cogwheel railway on Mt. Pilatus, the heritage Gornergrat Railway for Matterhorn views, and the Jungfrau Railway to Jungfraujoch at the Aletsch Glacier. Suits repeat rail travellers, couples seeking romance, and luxury-conscious guests comfortable with high-altitude mountain activities.

What to know before you look closer

  • Flights and airport transfers are not included; travelers arrange their own air travel to and from Switzerland.
  • Travellers with limited mobility should review Mobility Rating 3 carefully; the itinerary includes multiple mountain summit excursions and cable car/cogwheel railway journeys at high altitude.
  • Cancellation and travel insurance are not included in the from-price but may be arranged separately.

Day by day

  1. Day 1overnight: Zürich

    Arrival in Zürich

    Land at Zürich Airport and make your own way to a five-star hotel in the city center using the First Class Swiss Pass. Afternoon at leisure. Welcome dinner with the Tour Manager and group.

    Meals: Dinner

  2. Day 2railovernight: Lucerne

    Embarking on the Legends of Lake Lucerne cruise

    Guided walking tour of Zürich's Old Town and Bahnhofstrasse, then train to Lucerne. Board the historic steamboat Gallia for a five-hour dinner cruise on Lake Lucerne with a five-course meal and onboard storyteller.

    Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

  3. Day 3railovernight: Lucerne

    Riding Europe's steepest cogwheel railway to Mt. Pilatus

    Train to Alpnachstad, then Europe's steepest cogwheel railway (48% gradient) to the summit of Mt. Pilatus, descending by cable car. Afternoon at leisure in Lucerne's Old Town.

    Meals: Breakfast

  4. Day 4railovernight: St. Moritz

    Exploring Switzerland's oldest town

    Coach to Chur, Switzerland's oldest town, with free time to explore. First Class train onward to St. Moritz in the Engadin Valley.

    Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

  5. Day 5railovernight: St. Moritz

    Riding the Bernina Express to northern Italy

    First Class Bernina Express over the UNESCO-listed Rhaetian Railway, past Lago Bianco to Alp Grüm for Palü Glacier views, spiraling down the Brusio viaduct to Tirano, Italy, then return to St. Moritz.

    Meals: Breakfast

  6. Day 6railovernight: Zermatt

    Private Excellence Class car on the Glacier Express

    Full-day journey in a privately chartered Excellence Class car on the Glacier Express from St. Moritz to Zermatt via Andermatt and the Rhône Valley, with a five-course lunch and wine pairings.

    Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

  7. Day 7railovernight: Zermatt

    Matterhorn views from the Gornergrat Mountain Railway

    Guided walking tour of Zermatt village, then the Gornergrat Mountain Railway (opened 1898) to the summit at over 10,000 feet for Matterhorn views.

    Meals: Breakfast

  8. Day 8railovernight: Grindelwald

    To Grindelwald via idyllic Interlaken

    Train via Visp and Spiez to Interlaken with time to explore, then coach through the Lauterbrunnen Valley to Grindelwald, checking into a family-run hotel.

    Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

  9. Day 9railovernight: Grindelwald

    To the Top of Europe on the Jungfrau Railway

    Eiger Express cable car to Eiger Glacier station, then the cogwheel Jungfrau Railway to Jungfraujoch ("Top of Europe"), visiting the Ice Palace and exclusive Ice Bar, with lunch at the summit.

    Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

  10. Day 10railovernight: Lausanne

    Prestige Class on the GoldenPass Express

    Private chartered Prestige Class car on the GoldenPass Express through the Bernese Oberland and Pays-d'Enhaut to Montreux, with a local meat-and-cheese platter, then coach to Lausanne via a guided tour and wine tasting at Lavaux Vinorama.

    Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

  11. Day 11rail

    Traveling home

    Travel home independently after breakfast; Geneva Airport and Zürich Airport are reachable by direct rail on the included Swiss Pass.

    Meals: Breakfast

The moments this trip is built around

  • Day 2Five-hour dinner cruise on the historic steamboat Gallia across Lake Lucerne with a five-course meal and onboard storyteller.
  • Day 3Europe's steepest cogwheel railway (48% gradient) ascends Mt. Pilatus from Alpnachstad; descent by cable car.
  • Day 5First Class Bernina Express crosses the UNESCO-listed Rhaetian Railway to Tirano, Italy, spiraling down the Brusio viaduct and passing Palü Glacier views.
  • Day 6Private Excellence Class car on the Glacier Express from St. Moritz to Zermatt includes a five-course lunch with wine pairings through the Rhône Valley.
  • Day 9Jungfrau Railway reaches Jungfraujoch (Top of Europe); visit the Ice Palace and Ice Bar carved inside the Aletsch Glacier with lunch at the summit.

Included

  • Expertise of a Tour Manager from start to finish
  • 9 nights' 5-Star hotel accommodation
  • First Class rail travel
  • All rail, cruise and coach travel throughout your tour
  • Breakfast each day, 2 lunches, 5 dinners
  • Group luggage transfers between all hotels
  • Max group size of 18
  • First Class Swiss Travel Pass, offering unlimited travel by train, boat, bus and tram with no additional cost
  • All guided tours and excursions

Not included

  • Cancellation & Travel Insurance is not included in the price of the tour but can be arranged
  • Flights and Airport transfers not included

Questions travellers ask

Is train travel included?
Yes. The tour includes First Class rail travel on the Bernina Express, Excellence Class on the Glacier Express, Prestige Class on the GoldenPass Express, and rides on the Gornergrat, Jungfrau, and Pilatus mountain railways. A First Class Swiss Travel Pass allows unlimited train, boat, bus, and tram travel.
Is this an escorted tour?
Yes. A Tour Manager from Vacations By Rail leads the group from start to finish. Maximum group size is 18 travelers.
What is included in the price?
Nine nights in five-star hotels, breakfast daily, two lunches, five dinners, all rail and coach transfers, guided tours and excursions, group luggage transfers, and the First Class Swiss Travel Pass. Flights and airport transfers are not included.
Which Swiss destinations are visited?
Zürich, Lucerne, Chur, St. Moritz, Zermatt, Interlaken, Grindelwald, Montreux, and Lausanne. The tour also includes a day trip to Tirano, Italy, on the Bernina Express.
How much walking is involved?
The tour is rated Mobility Rating 3, which includes guided walking tours in towns, ascents on cogwheel railways and cable cars to high-altitude summits (Pilatus, Gornergrat, Jungfraujoch), and exploration of Old Towns. Substantial physical activity is required.
What is the from-price and what does it cover?
From USD 11,999 per person covers accommodation, meals as listed, rail travel, guided excursions, and the Swiss Travel Pass. Flights, airport transfers, cancellation insurance, and travel insurance are not included.

Similar journeys