Grand Train Tour of Switzerland 8 Days
Matterhorn and Gornergrat, the GoldenPass Line, Jungfrau Railway and Lake Como
Tour Overview
From $5,240 | Small Group Guided Rail Tour | Fixed Departure Dates
Our Grand Train Tour of Switzerland 8 Days offers you the Matterhorn, the Eiger & Jungfrau, Europe’s largest glacier plus Switzerland’s Italian region & Lake Como all connected with Switzerland’s world-class public transportation by railways, cable cars, local buses and boats.
Enjoy the friendly atmosphere of a small travel group (max 16 participants). Travel lights with our dedicated luggage transfer service. Sleep in authentic 3 and 4-star mountain hotels and savor locally sourced Swiss food. Our Grand Train Tour of Switzerland 8 Days itinerary includes two nights in each location, allowing for a relaxed, slow-paced mode of travel. Relax and soak up the alpine atmosphere during this showstopping ride.
Highlights
- Small group size (max 16 participants)
- Two-night stays at authentic hotels/lodges
- Luggage transfer from hotel to hotel
- First Class Swiss Pass
- Peaks: Matterhorn, Eiger, Mönch, Jungfrau and more
- Travel with world-class public transport
- Assistance of local English-speaking guides
- Optional easy walks, hikes and other activities
- Cruise on Lake Como
Featured Swiss Railways
- Jungfrau Railway
- GoldenPass Line
- Gornergrat Cogwheel Train
- Zentral Bahn
- Gotthard Panoramic Express
- Eiger Express
- Bernese Oberland Railway
Book the Swiss Alps rail tour today!
Grand Train Tour of Switzerland 8 Days Itinerary
On this Grand Train Tour of Switzerland 8 Days you will ride on legendary railways, boats, ferries, and buses to experience the grandeur of the Swiss Alps. From the iconic Matterhorn to the impending beauty of Jungfrau, experience the best what Switzerland has to offer.
Experience breathtaking views of the Matterhorn and the Alps in an excursion that combines a cogwheel train ride with an easy to moderate day hike. You’ll ride on Europe’s second-highest railway and the highest open-air railway on the continent. Gornergrat cogwheel train climbs up to 10,134 feet (3089 meters) and offers incredible views of the Matterhorn along the way.
Our group will walk up to the 360-degree platform that provides a panoramic view of 29 alpine peaks higher than 13,123 feet (4000 meters), including the world-famous Matterhorn.
Depending on your fitness level and interests, you can join our guide for a 1 to 2 hour guided hike along sign-posted trails of an alpine nature reserve, featuring awe-inspiring views of the Matterhorn mirrored in pristine alpine lakes.
Along the way, you’ll learn about the origins of Zermatt and the people of the canton of Valais (French) or Wallis (German).
Meals included: Breakfast and dinner.
Accommodation: Resort La Ginabelle (or comparable lodging).
Today we will travel through the lush green cantons of Fribourg and Bern with one of the world’s most picturesque Swiss railways, the GoldenPass Line.
After leaving Zermatt we will travel through the canton of Valais famed as one of the most important vine-growing regions in Switzerland. After arriving in Montreux, the capital of the Swiss Riviera, we will change trains to the Goldenpass Line connecting Montreux with Interlaken.
We continue on the GoldenPass Line through the Préalps of the canton of Fribourg and through the beautiful Simmental Valley known for the sturdy brown and white cows and the world famous resort town of Gstaad, home to many Hollywood stars.
In Interlaken we will stop for an immersive chocolate workshop with a professional chocolatier. Here you will learn all about the art of chocolate making and how to attest the quality of chocolate. At the end you will create your own unique chocolate bar which you can bring home.
From there we will continue our journey with one last connection to Grindelwald in the Jungfrau region, where we will arrive in the early evening.
Meals included: Breakfast and dinner.
Accommodation: Hotel Alpina (or comparable accommodation).
Today our journey begins with an ascent from Grindelwald Terminal to Eiger Glacier with an ultra-modern panoramic Eiger Express gondola. Here we will be able to admire Eiger Glacier covering the hills of the famous “Ork” mountain.
Next we will board the famous Jungfraubahn, an electric cogwheel railway opened in 1912 connecting Kleine Scheidegg and Jungfraujoch, the highest railway station in Europe.
Jungfraujoch, a mountain pass nestled between the Mönch and Jungfrau mountains, offers unparalleled views of Europe’s largest glacier: the Aletsch Glacier. The Jungfraujoch station offers endless list of activities: from visiting ice palace, to climbing up the Sphinx tower, and learning about the origin of the Jungfrau Railway.
In the afternoon, we descend from Jungfrau to Kleine Scheidegg where we will board a train to Lauterbrunnen. Here we will transfer to a postal bus en route to the mesmerizing Trümmelbach Falls. This natural wonder consists of ten glacier-fed waterfalls concealed within the mountain, accessible via a tunnel-funicular complex built in 1913. These falls cascade with the force of up to 20,000 liters (over 5000 gallons) of glacier meltwater per second, crashing over rock boulders, creating a continuous spectacle that resonates with the sheer magnificence of nature.
Meals included: Breakfast and dinner.
Accommodation: Hotel Alpina (or comparable accommodation).
Today we are going to leave Grindelwald and head to Lugano. In the morning we will board the Postal Bus in Grindelwald for a scenic ride over the Grosse Scheidegg. We will ride past alpine meadows and chalets to reach the Schwarzwaldalp. Here we will change buses with time to visit the old Schwarzwaldalp sawmill.
Continuing our journey, we will pass by the renowned Reichenbach Falls, famously featured in Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s “The Final Problem” as the dramatic setting for the showdown between Sherlock Holmes and Professor Moriarty.
Once in Meiringen, we transfer to the Zentral Railway and travel over the Brünig Pass to Lucerne where we connect to the next train, and proceed to ride through the world’s longest tunnel, the Gotthard Base Tunnel. We will reach the Italian speaking region of Ticino in the afternoon.
After checking in the hotel in Lugano we will have a couple hours of free time to relax or take a stroll around the town’s center.
In the evening we will travel across the Lake Lugano to a local authentic restaurant “Grotto”, where we’ll enjoy an authentic Ticinese dinner.
Meals included: Breakfast and dinner.
Accommodation: Hotel International Au Lac (or comparable accommodation).
Today we will discover one of the most fascinating Italian lakes, Lake Como. We will travel with a local Italian bus from Lugano to Menaggio, then board the Lake Como boat to Bellagio.
We will visit the most beautiful town on the lake: Bellagio. We’ll stroll on the cobbled sun-soaked streets that lead us down to the glistening blue lake surrounded by Alps. We will see some of the most famous and beautiful villas that line the sunny upper shores of Lake Como with its microclimates and the amazing gardens that touch the lake.
Today we will enjoy lunch in a typical Italian restaurant in Bellagio, before continuing by boat to Como. We will be cruising surrounded by mountains, sparkling water and opulent villas, while relaxing in peaceful atmospheres of one of the most beautiful lakes in Europe. After arriving in Como, we take a walk-through the town exploring sights, local shops and admiring the beautiful Duomo di Como (Como’s Cathedral).
We’ll get back in Lugano with a short train ride.
Meals included: Breakfast and lunch. Dinner on your own.
Accommodation: Hotel International Au Lac (or comparable accommodation).
Today we depart the Italian part of Switzerland heading North through the original Gotthard tunnel built in 1882. It connected the North Sea and the Mediterranean Sea facilitating the movement of goods and people between Northern & Southern Europe.
We will have 3 different views of the Wassen church, which has become world-famous thanks to the ingenious railway system and its many helical tunnels.
In Fluelen, we board a steamboat and glide over Lake Lucerne, past mystical bays and picturesque landscapes, all while savoring culinary delicacies. We will pass countless locations steeped in Swiss history – most notably the Rütli meadow, where Switzerland was founded in 1291, as well as the Schiller Stone and Tell’s Chapel.
In Lucerne we’ll take a train to Zurich.
Meals included: Breakfast and lunch. Dinner on your own.
Accommodation: Zürich Hyatt Place (or comparable accommodation).
Today is departure day.
We wish you a safe onward journey to your next destination.
Meals included: Breakfast.
If you wish to extend your stay in beautiful Switzeland we are happy to offer you a post-tour option in Lucerne.
Explore the medieval city of Lucerne and visit two of the most famous mountains in Central Switzerland: Rigi and Pilatus.
You will find details and pricing on the dedicated Lucerne post-tour page.
Book the Swiss Alps rail tour today!
Details and pricing
Adult Standard: US $5,240 per person, based on 2 people in a double/twin room
Single Supplement: 100$/night
10% Deposit secures the booking – balance due 90 days before the departure date.
- Services of a local Swiss Resident English-speaking guide
- 1st Class Rail Pass throughout
- 2 nights Zermatt
- 2 nights Grindelwald
- 2 nights Lugano
- 1 night airport hotel
- 3-course dinners each evening and full Swiss breakfasts each morning
- All ground transportation including mountain railways and cable cars, and admission costs
- Lunches
- Alcoholic Beverages
- Items for personal use
Tipping in Switzerland is not mandatory but appreciated.
Restaurants: Leave a tip if you’re happy with the service. Usually, it’s around 10% of the bill.
Guides: Typically a tip varies from 10$ to 20$ per person, per day.
Visa, Maestro, and Mastercard are commonly accepted in Switzerland. American Express is less popular and many businesses don’t accept it. The country is becoming more and more cashless with contactless and mobile payments (Google and Apple Pay). Still, it’s useful to have some cash on you while travelling. All banks provide currency exchange services at a favorable rate.
Reasonable Fitness Required
This is a tour based solely on public transportation. Bear in mind, that apart from planned walks and hikes, you will have to commute on foot from the train station to the hotel, between the hotel and restaurants, and from one activity to the next. Such commute routes take anywhere from 5 to 15 minutes.
The amount and intensity of walking everyday varies throughout the trip. It’s safe to say that you will walk anywhere between 5,000 to 12,000 steps a day (40 minutes to 2,5 hours).
We make several train connections, or move from train to bus or boat, each day. This means you will be walking up and down train platform stairs or ramps to make the connection platform changes. These connection times can range from 7 to 15 minutes and are usually close to another, so a regular walk pace is all that’s needed.
Sometimes our reserved seats are on the end of a long train and sometimes we only know where our reserved seats are when the train arrives so then we need to walk briskly to enter the respective car.
Although this is a rail tour, a reasonable walking fitness is required to fully enjoy the splendor of Switzerland.
- Click on any of the “Book now” buttons on the page.
- You will be redirected to our dedicated booking platform.
- Choose a desired date for your trip and add number of participants. Click continue.
- Fill out the form with all travellers’ details and click “Confirm booking”.
- Once we receive your booking request you will be sent an email with payment instructions from our partner Flywire.
- Follow the instructions in the email.
- Once the payment is processed, your booking is confirmed.
See our Cancellation Policy for more details.
Book the Swiss Alps rail tour today!
Plan Your Grand Train Tour of Switzerland
2024 Dates
- June 9 to June 16 (sold out)
- June 16 to June 23 (sold out)
- June 30 to July 7 (sold out)
- July 14 to July 21
- July 21 to July 28 (sold out)
- July 28 to August 4
- August 11 to August 18
- August 25 to Sept. 1
- Sept. 8 to Sept. 15
- Sept. 15 to Sept. 22
- Sept. 22 to Sept. 29
2025 Dates
- June 15 to June 22
- June 22 to June 29
- June 29 to July 6
- July 13 to July 20
- July 22 to July 27
- July 27 to August 3
- August 10 to 17
- August 24 to 31
- Sept. 7 to 14
- Sept. 14 to 21
- Sept. 21 to 28
NOTE: All Rail Tours are limited to 16 people. Book your rail tour now to guarantee your spot.
