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10
Days / 9 Nights Swiss Graubünden Special
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Graubünden, the
so-called Holiday Corner of Switzerland, is located in the
south-eastern part of Switzerland. It is the largest of the 26 cantons
(states) in Switzerland. There are 462 mountains in Graubünden
exceeding 3000 m above sea level, making it the highest region in the
Alps (in terms of average altitude) and earning it the name "the roof
of Europe".
A region with 150 valleys, 937 mountains and 615 lakes, Graubünden
is very popular among the Swiss, Italians, Germans, Austrians,
Liechtensteiners and Dutch who love to holiday here amidst
breath-taking panoramic landscapes.
Graubünden is the home of the very impressive ice-packed Bernina
massive, the highest group of mountains in the eastern Alps.
Due to the fact that the only triple watershed in Europe is in
Graubünden, she is also known as the Water Supplier of Europe,
giving life to millions of people and animals. Graubünden is so
blessed with spring water that the 2 sources of the River Rhine which
flows into the North Sea, the source of the River Maira which flows
into the Mediterranean Sea and the source of the River Inn which flows
into (the River Danube then into) the Black Sea, all originate from
Graubünden.
St Moritz, where the wealthy go to enjoy their riches and Davos, the
highest city in Europe where 2000 of the world's most elite people
(politicians, business leaders, celebraties, intellectuals, journalists
etc) go to attend the World Economic Forum every winter, are located in
Graubünden. Chur, the capital of Graubünden, is the only city
in Switzerland which has a cable car going up to a ski area.
Many quaint little Swiss villages can only be found in Graubünden.
Graubünden is the birthplace of winter tourism. It is where winter
dreams come true.
Highlights
- Discover:
Chur, Lenzerheide, St. Moritz, Engadin villages, Münster Valley,
Davos, Maienfeld, Heinzenberg, Sufers, Arosa, Flims.
- Attractions:
- horse carriage ride through villages in the picturesque countryside
(optional)
- rodel toboganning on the world's longest toboggan run on rails
(optional)
- lunch picnic at and/or swimming in an alpine lake
- alpine hiking
- Heidi village
- Top of Switzerland to see the highest ice-packed mountains of the
Eastern Alps & glacier (optional)
- mountain visit for an impressive 360° panoramic view of Swiss Alp
/ view of 1000 summits (optional)
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| Day
1 |
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Arrival
and pick up at Zürich airport / Zürich main train station /
hotel in Zürich. Take a one-and-three-quarter hour 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'.
Discover the town in the geographic heart of the Alps that you will be
staying in for the most part of your tour. Towards 12:00, we visit the
city of Chur, the oldest city in Switzerland.
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Day 2 |
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Visit a
winter and summer sports resort. Here, you have various optional tours
to choose from: (1) Horse carriage ride through the villages in this
picturesque countryside, passing by lakes where families go to enjoy
the summer with their children (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
3 |
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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'. Stay a night in a
Romansch-speaking quaint village in the easternmost valley of
Switzerland - a MUST-DO!
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| Day
4 |
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Go to a
village in the easternmost valley of Switzerland. Then go to the
German-speaking part of Italy on the Reschenpass 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, we go to a
town in the Lower Engadin Valley with quaint villages where people go
to see typical Engadiner sgraffito-painted houses with huge doors and
sunken in funnel-like windows decorated with flowers. Take a stroll in
the village or take dips in various outdoor & indoor mountain
mineral spring thermal pools (optional). Stay a night in a quaint
village - A MUST-DO!.
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| Day
5 |
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Visit
Davos, the highest city in Europe. 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.
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| Day
6 |
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Visit an
alpine cheese dairy and see how cheese is made the traditional way.
Cheese-tasting - goat, sheep and cow cheese. Next, go to see the
impressive Via Mala gorge with 300-m high rockwalls. Then we take you
to walk under a river! - the River Rhine, one of the longest and most
important river in Europe.
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
7 |
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Spring/Summer/Autumn:
The story of the little girl, Heidi, originates from a village in the
Swiss countryside. Visit Heidi village to see the Heidi house with
Heidi's room, attic, living room, cellar, kitchen etc like it was over
100 years ago. Go to a Torkel, a place where they pressed wine in the
olden days with a gigantic wooden wine presser (a must-do for wine
lovers). Possible wine-tasting upon request (optional).
Winter:
Arosa - visit this ski paradise. Opportunity for winter hiking,
sledging and skiing. Great for family with young children.
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| Day
8 |
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Spring/Summer/Autumn:
Picnic and/or swim at an alpine lake. Lie, read or simply relax by the
lake while the more energetic and adventurous take a short hike
(approximately 45 min) to a nearby hill which overlooks the beautiful
Safien valley. Opportunity to see enchanting alpine flowers of various
shapes, sizes and colours, including the much-loved dandelions. Next,
visit a remoted hamlet to see how a Swiss alpine organic farmer makes a
living in the high-up countryside.
Winter:
Visit yet another winter paradise which is about a 20-min ride from
your hotel. Ice-skate on the highest ice-skating rink in Europe with
great vistas. Snowshoeing (optional), winter hiking possible.
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| Day
9 |
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Visit a
town, a Swiss secret which fortunately not many from other countries
know about. Let us impress you with another of our picturesque
backyard.
Spring/Summer/Autumn:
If the weather permits, we take you to a very lovely place on a hill
for a memorable barbecue, Swiss style. Opportunity to walk in the woods
beside the BBQ ground.
Winter:
Visit Crap San Gion, a ski destination.
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| Day
10 |
| 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
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.
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 modification. Do write to us.
What's included:
- Transfer to and fro Zürich
airport / Zürich main train station / hotel in Zürich.
(Transfer to airport not included for budget tours)
- 9 nights hotel accommodation in
countryside town and quaint villages.
- 9 Swiss buffet breakfasts. (Not
included for budget tours)
- 8 Swiss dinners. (Not included for
budget tours)
- 1 driver-guide.
- 1 tour guide.
- 1 touring vehicle.
6 Days Magical
Switzerland | 8 Days Swiss Gems | 10 Days Best
of Switzerland
14 Days West Switzerland | Tour
Schedule & Booking
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