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7
Days Swiss Leisure | 7
Days Swiss Fun | 10
Days Swiss Winter | 7
Days Swiss Ski + Shopping |
7 Days Swiss Winter Hiking | Tour
Schedule & Booking | Is this tour
for me? |
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14
Days / 13 Nights Swiss Wonderland
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Highlights
- Discover:
Zürich or Schaffhausen, Heinzenberg, Lenzerheide, Bellinzona,
Chur, Appenzell, Juf, St.Moritz or Engadin villages, Müstair,
Lucerne, St.Gallen, Feldkirch (Austria), Vaduz (Liechtenstein),
Constance (Germany), Como (Italy).
- Attractions:
- lunch at a restaurant that was once an arsenal
- Christmas market (for tours in December)
- prettiest small town in Switzerland
- skiing, snowboarding, snow-shoeing, tobogganing (optional)
- ice-skating in the open air on the largest ice-skating rink in the
world, on a natural ice field or in the woods by a river (optional)
- horse carriage ride through the picturesque countryside passing by
frozen lakes (optional)
- oldest city in Switzerland
- lunch in knights' or hunters' room at a 600-year-old castle
- 6th smallest country in the world
- Top of Switzerland to see the highest ice-packed mountains of the
eastern Alps & glacier (optional)
- various outdoor & indoor mountain spring mineral thermal
pools (optional)
- panorama train ride on the Bernina Express (optional).
- 'balcony of Italy' for a view of the highest and lowest points in
Switzerland plus splendid view of the southern Swiss Alps and its lake
districts below
- factory outlet shopping with 160 factory stores including designer
labels
- queen of the north-eastern Swiss Alps for a spectacular view of 5
countries (optional)
- unique UNESCO World Heritage library (optional)
- highest village in Europe
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| Day
1 |
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Arrival
and pick up at
Zürich airport / Zürich main train station / hotel in
Zürich. Proceed to a charming medieval town in the northern
part of Switzerland, also known as 'the prettiest small town in
Switzerland' situated at the River Rhine. Next, go to Zürich.
After lunch, walk along elegant Bahnhofstrasse - a shopping stretch -
and visit a very pretty chocolate-cum-confectionery shop and a very
well-known chocolate boutique-cum-café. After that, walk
through narrow lanes in the Old Town area where the largest clockface
in Europe awaits you just around the corner. Then take a walk up one of
the twin towers of the Grossmünster and have a bird's-eye view
of the city of Zürich (optional).
A scenic drive along the Lake of Zürich, Lake Walen and the
majestic Churfirsten mountain range to the Holiday Corner of
Switzerland. Welcome to the land of 150 valleys, 615 alpine lakes and
937 mountain peaks. Pass the Heidi World, THE Pinot Noir region of
Switzerland and the oldest city in Switzerland. Continue to drive
through Graubünden, the most diversified and largest but the
least densely populated canton of Switzerland, known for her widely
untouched landscapes and home to three of the four cultures of
Switzerland.
Drive into the valley of castles & ruins before checking into
your hotel embedded at the foot of an inner alpine valley, also known
as the ‘Orchard of Graubünden'. Here, in the
geographic heart of the Alps, is the crossroads of the high and ancient
alpine passes. Complimentary welcome drink during dinner.
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(Note:
If you have been to Zürich, it might be replaceable with Rhine
Falls (largest waterfall in Europe) and Schaffhausen where you discover
the rare beauty and cultural diversity of this charming town with its
delightful countryside, situated along the River Rhine next to Germany.
The houses of the Old Town are richly decorated with 171 oriels and
valuable murals. Narrow streets invite the visitor to stroll and shop,
and if the weather is warm enough, the streets of the car-free town
centers are transformed into pocket-size Parisian boulevards. These
historical treasures date back to the Middle Ages.)
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| Day
2 |
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Visit
'the village at the horizon'.
Enjoy the village with wooden houses and a wooden church or wear snow
shoes and take an approx. 45-min walk in the snow before reaching a
scenic viewpoint - 360° panoramic view of the south-eastern
Swiss Alps, valleys, rivers and villages (optional).
OR
If weather permits, we do an optional tour: a panorama
train ride on the Bernina Express
which got inscribed on the
UNESCO World Heritage List
on 7 July 2008 for being a masterpiece
of engineering amidst
panoramic landscapes and cultural diversity. Enjoy riding the most
famous train in the Alps on board the Rhaetian Railway panorama coach
whose north alpine route is a 145-km stretch that cuts through
Graubünden, boasting the most beautiful railway routes in the
world. During the trip over the Bernina pass, the train reaches an
altitude of 2.253 m (7.390 ft) and masters gradients of 70%. The
Bernina Express runs without cogwheels, on the highest long-distance
railway transversal in the Alps over up to more then 200-metre long and
90-metre high bridges, through winding tunnels, past raging mountain
torrents, glaciers and a rich array of alpine flowers to southerly
Valposchiavo, over the spiralling viaduct at Brusio and on to Tirano in
Italy.
Note: If the weather is not suitable for train ride today, you still
have the opportunity to do it another day.
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| Day
3 |
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Visit a
ski destination in
Graubünden where families go skiing. Try skiing and/or
snowboarding (optional). Tobogganing on a super path with panoramic
views (optional). Graubünden, the largest and most diversified
canton of Switzerland, is also called "holiday corner of Switzerland"
where many Swiss from other regions like to go for their holidays due
to a wide range of activities available in panoramic and unspoilt
landscapes.
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4 |
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Today we
visit the eastern part of
Switzerland, St. Moritz, in the Upper Engadin Valley where the wealthy
go to enjoy their riches and where the Alpine Ski World Championship
2003 as well as the Winter Olympics 1928 & 1948 were hosted.
The town is yours to explore. Optional: a visit to one of the mountains
in the eastern Swiss Alps for a very impressive 360° view of
the Alps including a close view of the Bernina range, the highest
mountain range in the Eastern Alps. On a clear day, depending on the
sun's rays, 7 or 8 layers of mountain ranges can be seen from here!
Graubünden has the most number of mountain peaks in the Alps
exceeding 3000 m, making it the highest region in the Alps and earning
it the name "the roof of Europe".
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| Day
5 |
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Go to
the easternmost village of
Switzerland to see a 1200-year-old UNESCO World Heritage church from
the Carolingian era. Then go to the German-speaking part of Italy on
the Reschen Pass to see the church tower which sticks out of a lake.
Next, enter into Switzerland again and go to the only duty free oasis
in Switzerland. Next, take dips in various outdoor & indoor
mountain mineral spring thermal pools (optional) or take a walk in a
quaint Engadiner village in the Lower Engadin Valley where people go to
see typical Engadiner sgraffito-painted houses with huge doors and
sunken in funnel-like windows decorated with flowers.
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| Day
6 |
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Visit
Davos, the highest city in
Europe if the pass is open. This is where 2000 of the world's most
elite people (politicians, business leaders, celebraties etc) go to
attend the World Economic Forum (WEF) every winter. Then drive back to
your hotel embedded in the holiday corner of Switzerland and the rest
of the day is yours.
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| Day
7 |
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Visit a
winter & summer
sports resort where ex-British Prime Minister, Mrs Margaret Thatcher,
took her twins to learn skiing. Here, you have various optional tours
to choose from: (1) Horse carriage ride through the villages in this
picturesque countryside, passing by lakes that freeze in winter (2)
cable-car/chairlift ride up to one of the mountains of the largest and
highest canton of Switzerland, Graubünden, for a stunning 360°
panoramic
view of the south-eastern Swiss Alps or a view of 1000 summits (3)
rodel tobogganing on the world's longest toboggan run on rails at 3.1
km long. Decide your own speed!
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| Day
8 |
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Either
visit a lookout point known as
'the balcony of Italy' for a splendid view of the southern Swiss Alps
including the massive Monte Rosa range where the highest mountain in
Switzerland, Dufourspitze, is, villages in the mountains and cities or
towns by the lakes below or 2) go to a very large centre with 160
factory outlet stores which includes international designer labels and
250 important brands. And/or try your luck at a casino with 150 slot
machines in the next building.
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| Day
9 |
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Visit
Lucerne in the heart of
Switzerland. See the Chapel Bridge or walk along the Musegg Wall to
have a bird's eye view of this picturesque city. Swiss cultural show
(optional). Collect your free souvenirs. Visit Mt Titlis when the
weather permits (optional).
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(Note:
If you have been to Lucerne, it might be replaceable with a visit to
Arosa, a winter and ski paradise.)
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| Day
10 |
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Bellinzona
- capital of the
Italian-speaking canton Ticino in the southern part of Switzerland,
designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its city walls and 3 famous
castles enclosing a picturesque vineyard. Explore the city or visit the
medieval castle(s). Experience the Saturday morning market and feel a
different ambiance. Next, visit a beautiful lakeside town situated at
the foot of the southern Swiss Alps.
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11 |
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Appenzell: visit this lovely
canton known not only for her beautiful countryside landscapes but also
for her specialties like cheese, milk, sausages, beer etc. The
town is yours to admire - typical Appenzeller houses that are
beautifully painted. (Optional: A gondola ride to the queen of the
north-eastern Swiss Alps, for a spectacular view of the Alps
in 5 countries or a breath-taking vista of a sea of clouds over the
valleys. Or visit another nice nearby mountain. All depending on
weather conditions.)
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| Day
12 |
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Visit a
chocolate factory. Then go to
St. Gallen city - the metropolis of Eastern Switzerland is justly proud
of its prestigious past which you'll encounter with every step as you
stroll through the attractive old town. Discover the world-famous oriel
windows, narrow lanes and lively squares with inviting street
cafés. The prestigious past has given way to a blossoming
present. St. Gallen is a modern and cosmopolitan city, watched over by
the imposing baroque Cathedral in the heart of the stunning 'Stift'
district. This beautiful district has been awarded World Cultural
Heritage Status and is under the protection of UNESCO.
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| Day
13 |
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Chur
– situated at
the crossroads of the River Rhine which is one of the longest rivers in
Europe, this capital of canton Graubünden and oldest
city of Switzerland was where traders and merchants
flocked. Interesting shops: crystal shop, household products
shop with a wide range of interesting knives, and gourmet shops
offering specialties from the region like pear bread, air dried meat,
honey, cheese, beverages etc are available here. If you are
interested in alpine nature (e.g. alpine animals, alpine forests,
alpine rocks, etc), the Nature Museum is worth a visit. Next, go across
the nearby border to Austria to the city of Feldkirch. Then hop across
another close-by border to Liechtenstein and visit the capital city of
Vaduz. A good range of cuckoo clocks is available here.
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| Day
14 |
| Hotel
check-out. Scenic ride to Zürich airport / Zürich
main train station / hotel in Zürich. Please do NOT schedule
your flight to depart Zürich airport before 10:45 am. |
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Note
1) As we would very much want our travellers to get the most out of our
tours, the sequence and/or parts of the content of the above itinerary
are subject to changes depending on weather conditions, forthcoming
special events and unforeseen circumstances.
2) Some tours are included as optional tours because travellers MUST
have the choice not to choose them in case of bad weather. In
Switzerland, views from the summit of mountains are not always
visible. Sometimes there is ZERO visibility due to low or
heavy clouds. If the optionals are included in the
tour price, then the mountain visit is a must-do even when the weather
is not suitable for a mountain visit. This would be unfair to
the unaware traveller and it would be a wasted
trip. We always check the weather one day before and
advise our travellers if the scheduled mountain
visit would be good or not. Otherwise, we either
shuffle the itinerary and do the mountain visit another day when the
weather is good (as per forecast) or advise them not to do it at all
when the next days are not suitable for mountain visits. For other
optional tours like skiing,snowboarding, snowshoeing, horse-carriage
rides, thermal pools, etc, some travellers might not want to do them
for some reason or some may have done them before.
3) It might be possible to change the above itinerary to an
all-Switzerland holiday. Please write to us at switzerlandtours @ hotmail.com.
4) If you have been to a few of the above-mentioned places but would
like to visit other not-to-be-missed places or experience some
interesting activities, we might be able to do some alteration. Do
write to to us.
What's included:
- Transfer to and fro Zürich
airport / Zürich main
train station / hotel in Zürich.
(Transfer to Zürich on last day not included for budget tours.
Top-up applies.)
- 13 nights hotel accommodation in
countryside town and quaint villages.
- 13 Swiss buffet breakfasts. (Not
included for budget tours)
- 13 Swiss dinners. (Not included for
budget tours)
- 1
driver-guide.
- 1
tour guide.
- 1 touring vehicle.
Tour
Schedule & Booking |
7 Days Swiss Leisure | 7
Days Swiss Fun | 7
Days Swiss Ski + Shopping |
7 Days Swiss Winter Hiking | 10
Days Swiss Winter
Is
this tour for me?
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