Travelzoo: Best of Switzerland 2026

You have a free day today to explore Lugano and the lovely communities along the shores of the lake. It’s well worth doing this by boat, with regular services around the lake to places like Gandria (pictured) and Morcote. You’ll also receive a Ticino Ticket from the hotel which gives you free use of all public transport in the area, so you can travel to pretty Locarno and take the funicular (payable locally) up to the stunning sanctuary of Madonna del Sasso or head back up the line to Bellinzona to take a look at the town’s three castles.

Today, it’s time for another stunning rail journey as you head back to the station and board a train which takes you across the border into Italy. Change at Monza and head for Tirano, right next to the Swiss border. Here, you’ll board the famous Bernina Express to take you back through eastern Switzerland via the magnificent Brusio and Landwasser viaducts to Chur.

When you arrive here, check in for a 2-night stay at the Hotel Stern (or similar).

Chur is the oldest town in Switzerland, located in the canton (region) of Graubunden. You’ll have another free guest card from your hotel which allow you to travel free via the cableways to Chur’s local mountain, Brambrüesch or to visit one of four museums in the town centre. For a relaxing afternoon, why not head to the spacious outdoor swimming pool at the Obere Au or (depending on the weather) the historic outdoor pool Sand – both are also free to enter with your guest card.

Today, you’ll travel the same journey as the world-famous Glacier Express but using regional trains. The scenery is the same! And you’ll have the opportunity to enjoy some mountain air and take great photos as you can often pull down the windows on these services – something you are not able to do in panoramic carriages. The journey takes you up to the Oberalp Pass at 2,033 metres (6,670 feet) above sea level before winding through the mountains, along glacier-fed rivers to Brig.

Check in here for a 2-night stay at the Ambassador Hotel (or similar).

Today, you can continue your Glacier Express journey to its end point in Zermatt. Enjoy wandering through the streets of this famous ski town surrounded on three sides by mountains. You might also like to get up into the mountains, either with a hike (there are plenty of clearly marked routes for all levels of walking fitness) or by taking the Gornergrat Railway up to the top of the Gornergrat, which commands spectacular views over the instantly recognisable peak of the Matterhorn nearby. Please ask us about adding this to your package.

It’s time to leave Switzerland today and make your way back to the UK. Head for the station in Brig this morning and take a train through mountainous scenery and then down to the shores of Lake Geneva. The route follows the shoreline for some distance, including a spectacular view of the Chateau de Chillon (pictured). Change trains in Geneva and speed across the border back into France towards Lyon, where you have an overnight stay close to the station at the Mercure Lyon Centre Part Dieu (or similar).

Make your way back into the station today and board another TGV service bound for Lille. Change here onto the Eurostar service which will take you through the Channel Tunnel and back to St Pancras. Depending on where you need to reach in the UK, we can also look at different options for today’s journey, via Paris.