Itinerary Tour Best of Swiss Summer (4 days)

B = Breakfast, L = Lunch, D = Dinner


DAY 1 (B / L / - ) - LUZERN & ENGELBERG & TITLIS

morning we will pick you up at your location in Switzerland
visit Luzern City
- Chapel bridge
- Old Town
- Lakeside promenade
- Musegg wall
visit Swiss Museum of Transport (good for kids / optional, not included)
lunch in Luzern
afternoon Engelberg monastery & cheese factory
Mount Titlis
evening dinner in Luzern (on your own, not included)
Accommodation in Luzern

Our first stop Luzern (eng. Lucerne) is a city you must visit while in Switzerland. Historic houses decorated with frescoes line the picturesque town squares of the well-preserved old town. Complete with gable paintings, the covered, medieval Chapel Bridge forms the centrepiece of Lucerne’s townscape and is one of the oldest, covered wooden bridges in Europe. A further landmark of the town is the Museggmauer, a wall which, with the exception only of one of its towers, has been preserved in its original, well-fortified state.  In Luzern you also find Switzerland’s most popular museum, the Swiss Museum of Transport. Switzerland’s most visited museum showcases the past, present and future of mobility with interactive and varied exhibits. In addition to the museum, unique attractions found nowhere else in Switzerland, such as the film theatre, planetarium, Swiss Chocolate Adventure and Media World, are just waiting to be discovered.

Our next stop is Engelberg. This charming town nestled into the high mountains draws tourists for its perfect mix of culture and sports. The Monastery Church with its organ (the largest in Switzerland) and the Monastery Library with its rich collection of historical volumes go back to the 12th century. The artisan cheese production at the monastery is also well worth a visit.
The first revolving aerial cable car in the world takes travelers from Engelberg to Mt. Titlis for many different leisure activities. At 3,062 metres (10046 ft.), the summit offers not only a breathtaking 360° panorama of the wide Engelberg valley but also a view straight down into the abyss, with countless crevasses carved into the glacial ice. Things get really cool at the upper station, where a 150-metre-long artificial glacier cave cuts straight into the heart of the Titlis Glacier. The ceiling is covered in ice crystals, the glacial ice shimmers a mysterious blue, and crevasses open up in the roof.

 DAY 2 (B / L / -) ROAD TRIP MOUNTAIN PASSES OF THE CENTRAL ALPS

morning breakfast at Hotel in Luzern
Lake Lungern
Brünig pass
afternoon Giessbach waterfalls
Handeckfall suspension bridge
Gelmer funicular railway & hiking around Gelmersee Lake (2 h)
Grimsel pass
lunch (picnic) at Grimsel pass
Goms valley
evening dinner in Brig (on your own, not included)
Accommodation in Brig

On this day we will drive over two of the most spectacular mountain passes. Before crossing the Brünig pass, we visit Lake Lungern. Its deep blue waters in front of snow-capped mountains make for a spectacular scenery. The lake water is of drinking quality and can reach up to 23 degrees. Weather permitting, we will take a dip in the lake. Our first stop after crossing the Brünig pass are the Giessbach waterfalls. The Giessbach brook tumbles in 14 stages, over a length of 500 meters and out of the high valleys of the Faulhorn area down to Lake Brienz. Located right next to the waterfall is the historic Grand Hotel Giessbach built in 1873. The hotel is situated approximately 100 meters above Lake Brienz and offers scenic views over the deep blue lake Brienz. No doubt that by now you will agree that Switzerland is one of the most beautiful countries in the world.

More natural highlights await on our journey. We will be taking the Gelmer funicular railway, the steepest funicular in Europe. It is a technological marvel and offers an unforgettable, almost vertical ride. Right next to the funicular you can cross the Handeckfall suspension bridge. The funicular takes you up to 1859 metres to the dam of the Gelmersee lake. Here you can just sit down and enjoy the view or go on a circular hike around the turquoise waters of Gelmersee lake.

The Grimsel Pass (2165 metres) links the Hasli Valley in the Bernese Oberland with Goms valley in Valais. The pass road runs through a wild, sparsely grown mountainous region marked by granite rocks, reservoir lakes, and power plants. Driving over this pass offers plenty of opportunities for taking pictures and you can also dip your feet into the ice-cold glacial meltwater of the streams that run down from the pass. On the Valaisian side we travel on a well-constructed road with many long bends down to Gletsch in Obergoms (1759m). Here one has a fine panoramic view of the Rhone Glacier and the Furka Pass road.

The Goms valley starts at Gletsch (1759m) and is the easternmost and highest part of the Valais, the longest valley in Switzerland. The Goms valley is famous for its authentic villages with sun-blackened wooden houses and barns in the Valaisian style and whitewashed churches. The Goms is an attractive cross-country paradise in winter and a popular and hiking region in summer. Expect no international tourists here. This secluded valley surrounded by 3000 m high peaks is a truly local Swiss gem.

DAY 3 (B / L / -) - ALETSCH ARENA

morning breakfast at Hotel in Brig
Goms suspension bridge over Rhône river
visit UNESCO World Heritage site Aletsch Arena:
cable car Betten-Talstation - Bettmeralp, cable car Bettmeralp - Bettmerhorn
visit Bettmerhorn Mountain
lunch at Bettmerhorn mountain restaurant
afternoon Group 1: hiking Bettmerhorn - Moosfluh - Hohfluh - Riederfurka - Riederalp (time: 2h 20, distance: 7.5 km, 777 m downhill and 51 m uphill) / walking Riederalp - Bettmeralp (45min, 2.3 km)
Group 2: exhibition on Bettmerhorn, Bettmersee Lake, walking around at Bettmeralp, visit of Moosfluh mountain top
Group 3: paragliding with a professional guide (optional, not included / between CHF 130 and CHF 230 depending on the type of tour booked)
evening dinner in Obergoms valley (on your own, not included)
Accommodation in Obergoms valley

We start the day with a walk over the Goms suspension bridge. Crossing this bridge is not for the faint-hearted. At 280 metres, the Goms Bridge is one of the longest suspension footbridges in Valais. Inaugurated in 2015, the walkway brushes the tops of 100-year-old trees and passes a giddy 92 m above the river Rhône.

The UNESCO World Heritage site Aletsch Arena is a true nature paradise and arguably the most beautiful part of this tour. With its fragrant and revitalising alpine air, family-friendly Aletsch Arena is the perfect place for hiking and connecting with nature. The main attraction of Aletsch Arena is without any doubt the Aletsch Glacier. With a length of 20 kilometers, an average width of 1,800 meters, the Aletsch Glacier has an impressive 11 billion tons of ice. The ice mass moves from the northern flanks of the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau down into the valley of Valais. As a landscape of extraordinary beauty, the Swiss Alps Jungfrau-Aletsch region was included in the list of UNESCO World Natural Heritage sites in 2001.

DAY 4 (B / L / D) TICINO: THE MEDITERREANEAN SIDE OF SWITZERLAND

morning breakfast at Hotel in Obergoms valley
Nufenen pass
afternoon Verzasca valley
lunch at a Grotto
nature reserve Bolle di Magadino
Locarno
evening dinner at Locarno or highway service station (depending on time)
return to Northern Switzerland (e.g. Zürich)

On this day we follow the Ticino River from the source at the Nufenen pass down to Lake Maggiore. The landscape will change drastically on our journey from snow-capped peaks to palm trees and Mediterranean climate at Lake Maggiore. With its 2478 a.s.l., the Nufenen pass is Switzerland’s highest travelled mountain pass. Almost every bend of the Nufenen pass is worth stopping for pictures as the views are simply breath-taking.

Our first stop in canton Ticino, the Italian-speaking part of Switzerland, is the Verzasca valley. It is one of the most fascinating valleys for both romantics and adventure fans. The magical jade-green waters of the Verzasca river flow peacefully over smooth polished rocks, passing under the picturesque double arches of the Ponte dei Salti in Lavertezzo. Follow the river down the valley and you will find wonderful worn rock shapes and natural jacuzzis. Do not resist it - jump in! You will be hard pressed to find a more romantically beautiful place to go for a swim.

We will have lunch at a typical local restaurant type called Grotto. The grotti are a unique feature of the canton of Ticino. Originally the grotto was a cave used to store food. For this reason, the grottos are usually located in shady, remote places where the temperature remains pleasantly even in the hottest months. Over time, they have lost their original purpose and have turned into restaurants featuring characteristic terracing equipped with stone benches and tables, where typical Ticino dishes are served in a welcoming family ambience.

The Bolle di Magadino is a wetland nature reserve and includes the delta of the Ticino and Verzasca rivers that flow into the Lake Maggiore. It is an area of outstanding natural beauty, peace and tranquillity. The Bolle are home to a unique fauna and flora found in areas between firm ground and water. Thanks to the provision of nature trails it is possible to visit the Bolle without interfering with or harming its natural inhabitants too extensively.

Locarno is one of the sunniest cities in Switzerland. Southern plants such as palm trees or lemon trees flourish in Locarno and give the city its special charm. The heart of the city is the Piazza Grande, well-known for its annual film festival. The narrow lanes of the Old Town all lead to the Piazza. Castello Visconteo, a castle dating back to the 12th century, lies at the edge of the Old Town. About a fifth of the castle has been preserved in its original state. Splendid upper-town palazzi house fine art collections and the lake promenade offers relaxed strolling. The pilgrimage church of Madonna del Sasso is located above Locarno, in Orselina. The church is said to have been established as a result of an appearance of the Virgin Mary. It is the most notable sight in Locarno, and boasts an extraordinary view of the city, the lake and the mountains.