Cornelius Amann
October 06, 2026
5/5
Switzerland: the Glacier Express, the Bernina Express and the Gotthard
9 days by rail from Zurich: Zermatt, the Glacier Express to St. Moritz, the Bernina Express to Tirano and Lugano, and the Gotthard Panorama Express to Lucerne.
9 days · Round trip from Zurich · up to 12 guests
Locarno and Lago Maggiore from the air, with the Madonna del Sasso above the town (day 7) Photo: Ozonski, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Locarno_porto_-_panoramio.jpg)
The facts
At a glance
- Length
- 9 days, 8 nights
- Start and end
- Round trip from Zurich
- Group size
- 7 to 12 guests
- Activity level
Easy
Mostly time in reserved train seats and short town walks of 1 to 2 hours on paving and some steps. The longest walks are optional: about an hour down from the Riffelsee (about 2,760 m) to Riffelberg (about 2,580 m) on day 3, and a level mountain path from Muottas Muragl on day 5. Every walk can be swapped for the train or a terrace.
- Meals included
- 8 breakfasts, 5 lunches, 2 dinners
- Room of your own
- + CAD 1,495 (estimated price)
- Season
- June to September
Highlights
Why this trip
- An early Gornergrat train to 3,089 m and the Matterhorn reflected in the Riffelsee
- About eight hours on the Glacier Express in a reserved first-class seat, over the Oberalp Pass and the Landwasser Viaduct, with lunch served at your seat
- The Bernina Express over the Bernina Pass to Tirano in Italy, past Lago Bianco and round the Brusio spiral viaduct
- Muottas Muragl by funicular, with the Engadine lakes laid out below
- Locarno and the Madonna del Sasso above Lago Maggiore
- The Gotthard Panorama Express: the old mountain line past Wassen's church, then a boat across Lake Lucerne
- Lucerne's Chapel Bridge and the Lion Monument before the day-trip crowds
What makes this trip different
Free time is part of the plan
Free time and choices are marked on the days they fall.
Solo without the penalty
A room of your own is + CAD 1,495 (estimated price).
Day by day
Itinerary
Tap any stop on the map to open that dayClick any stop on the map to open that day
Arrive in Zurich
Zurich Airport to your hotel near the old town
- Welcome dinner
- Stay in Zurich
- Drive about 20 min
Fly into Zurich Airport (ZRH). A driver meets you in the arrivals hall for the twenty-minute ride to a central hotel near the old town, so the trip starts with a short walk rather than a ticket machine.
Afternoon
Rooms are often ready by mid-afternoon; if yours is not, the hotel keeps your bags and you can head straight out. In the late afternoon your See Sight Tours guide meets the group for an unhurried walk through the Altstadt: up to the Lindenhof, the tree-shaded terrace above the Limmat where the Romans kept a customs post, across the river to the twin towers of the Grossmünster and back along the quays to the green spire of the Fraumünster. On the way the guide hands out the rail plan for the week: which trains are reserved, where we change and how your bags travel.
Evening
The evening ends at a welcome dinner of Swiss dishes in an old-town restaurant.
Included
- Pick-up at Zurich Airport (ZRH)
- Old-town walk with your guide: the Lindenhof, the Grossmünster and the Fraumünster
- Rail briefing for the week
- Welcome dinner
Free time: Free until the late-afternoon walk
Activity: About 1.5 hours on foot on cobbles, with a short climb to the Lindenhof.
By rail to car-free Zermatt
Zurich to Visp by train through the Lötschberg Base Tunnel, then up the Matter valley to Zermatt
- Breakfast and dinner
- Stay in Zermatt
- By train
Morning
After breakfast we walk to Zurich main station and board a reserved train south. Through Bern and the Lötschberg Base Tunnel it is a little over two hours to Visp in the Rhône valley, where we change to the red trains of the Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn for the climb up the narrow Mattertal, about three and a quarter hours in all. Your guide moves the bags at Visp, and in Zermatt, which is closed to ordinary cars, electric taxis take them to the hotel while we walk.
Afternoon
Lunch is not included today: your guide names a good place to buy something at Zurich station before we board, or a café in Zermatt for when we arrive around midday. The afternoon is for settling in: a stroll up the Bahnhofstrasse to the parish church and the Kirchbrücke, the bridge over the Vispa where the Matterhorn rises above the rooftops when the cloud allows, and a look at the old larch-wood barns of the Hinterdorf.
Evening
Dinner tonight is together: raclette or fondue in a village restaurant.
Included
- Reserved first-class train from Zurich to Zermatt, with one change at Visp
- Luggage handled at the change and electric taxis for bags in Zermatt
- Village walk: the Kirchbrücke Matterhorn view and the Hinterdorf
- Raclette or fondue dinner
Free time: Late afternoon free in Zermatt
Activity: Zermatt sits at about 1,600 m; the village walk is about an hour on gentle slopes.
Gornergrat and the Matterhorn
Zermatt to Gornergrat by cogwheel railway, then down via the Riffelsee and Riffelberg
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Zermatt
- By train
We take an early Gornergrat Railway train, when the air is most often clear and the carriages are still quiet. The cogwheel line, open since 1898, climbs for about 33 minutes from the village to 3,089 m, where the terrace faces the Matterhorn, the Monte Rosa massif and the long tongue of the Gorner Glacier below. Your guide names the peaks along the ridge, many of them over 4,000 m.
Afternoon
Coming down, we get off at Rotenboden for the short walk to the Riffelsee, a small lake that holds the Matterhorn's reflection on still mornings, and carry on down the path to Riffelberg for a sit-down lunch with the mountain in view. Then the train back to Zermatt. The afternoon is free: the Matterhorn Museum and its story of the first ascent in 1865, a walk to the hamlet of Zum See, or a quiet hour on a terrace. If the summit is in cloud at breakfast, your guide checks the webcams and moves the ride to the afternoon.
Included
- Gornergrat Railway, return, with your guide
- The Riffelsee and the walk down to Riffelberg
- Sit-down lunch at Riffelberg
Optional experiences
- Matterhorn Glacier Paradise cable car to 3,883 m (price shown at booking)
Easier option: Ride the train straight down from Gornergrat to Riffelberg and meet the walkers there for lunch.
More active option: After lunch, walk down from Riffelberg to Riffelalp and on to Zermatt through larch forest, about 2.5 hours and 900 m of descent.
Free time: Afternoon free in Zermatt
Activity: The Riffelsee to Riffelberg path is about an hour downhill on a rocky trail at about 2,600 to 2,760 m; take a warm layer even in summer.
The Glacier Express to St. Moritz
Zermatt to St. Moritz on the Glacier Express, over the Oberalp Pass and the Albula line
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in St. Moritz
- By train
Today is the headline and the longest day in a seat: about eight hours on the Glacier Express from Zermatt to St. Moritz.
Afternoon
It is longer than our usual four hours on the road because the train is the sightseeing, broken up by a three-course lunch at your seat and room to walk the carriages. We board in the morning in reserved first-class panorama seats, with your guide's bags already stowed. On the way it crosses more than 290 bridges and runs through about 90 tunnels: down the Mattertal to Brig, up the Goms valley, over the Oberalp Pass at 2,033 m, the highest point of the line, and through the white limestone of the Rhine gorge, the Ruinaulta. On the Albula line the train crosses the Landwasser Viaduct, 65 m above the river, and climbs through spiral tunnels to the Engadine. Your guide points out the landmarks on the way. We reach St.
Evening
Moritz in the late afternoon, and the evening is free.
Included
- The Glacier Express from Zermatt to St. Moritz, in reserved first-class panorama seats
- Three-course lunch served at your seat
- Luggage handled by your guide
Free time: Evening free in St. Moritz
Activity: About eight hours on the train, with toilets on board and a dining service. Bring a book and a light layer: the panorama windows warm up in the sun.
Muottas Muragl and the Engadine lakes
St. Moritz to Punt Muragl, then the funicular to Muottas Muragl and back
- Breakfast
- Stay in St. Moritz
- By train
A slower day in the Upper Engadine after yesterday's long ride.
Morning
After breakfast we take the local train or bus a few minutes to Punt Muragl, where a funicular, running since 1907, climbs to Muottas Muragl at about 2,450 m. From the terrace the chain of Engadine lakes runs south-west from St. Moritz towards the Maloja Pass, and the snow peaks of the Bernina range stand to the south. Walkers can follow the near-level path along the slope for half an hour and back; others stay on the terrace with a coffee.
Afternoon
Lunch is your own choice today: the mountain restaurant on Muottas Muragl, or a café back in St. Moritz.
Evening
The afternoon and evening are free: the flat path around Lake St. Moritz, about an hour, the Segantini Museum and its paintings of these valleys, or the villages of Celerina and Samedan with their decorated Engadine houses. Your guide suggests restaurants for dinner and is around for anyone who wants company.
Included
- Muottas Muragl funicular, return, with your guide
- Viewpoint walk on Muottas Muragl
Optional experiences
- Morteratsch Glacier trail in the afternoon, a short train ride from St. Moritz: about an hour each way to the ice, with signs marking where the glacier ended in past years
Easier option: Stay on the Muottas Muragl terrace, then spend the afternoon on the lake path in St. Moritz.
More active option: Walk from Muottas Muragl along the mountain path to Alp Languard above Pontresina, about 2.5 to 3 hours, and ride the chairlift down.
Free time: Afternoon and evening free
The Bernina Express to Tirano, then on to Lugano
St. Moritz to Tirano on the Bernina Express, then by the Bernina Express bus past Lake Como to Lugano
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Lugano
- Drive about 3 h
The Bernina Express leaves St.
Morning
Moritz in the morning for Tirano, about two and a half hours over the Bernina Pass and down into Italy. The line climbs without a cogwheel to Ospizio Bernina at 2,253 m, its highest point, beside the milky water of Lago Bianco, then drops past Alp Grüm, where the Palü Glacier hangs across the valley, through the chestnut woods of the Val Poschiavo and round the stone spiral viaduct at Brusio. The Albula and Bernina lines have been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2008.
Afternoon
In Tirano we sit down to lunch near the station. Then the seasonal Bernina Express bus carries us on, about three hours along the Valtellina and the northern shore of Lake Como, through Menaggio and over to Lake Lugano. It is the only long road leg of the trip and stays under our four-hour limit.
Evening
We reach Lugano in the late afternoon, and your guide walks the group to the lakefront and the Piazza della Riforma before a free evening.
Included
- The Bernina Express from St. Moritz to Tirano, in reserved first-class seats
- Sit-down lunch in Tirano
- The Bernina Express bus from Tirano to Lugano
- Evening orientation walk in Lugano
Free time: Evening free in Lugano
Activity: Tirano is in Italy: carry your passport. Lago Bianco and the Palü Glacier are on the right-hand side of the train leaving St. Moritz. Seats are reserved, so your guide calls out the big views in good time and those on the other side can step into the aisle for a look.
Locarno and Lago Maggiore
Lugano to Locarno by train and back, with the funicular to Madonna del Sasso
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Lugano
- By train
Afternoon
A morning on Lago Maggiore, whose surface, at about 193 m, is the lowest point in Switzerland, and the afternoon free in Lugano. We take a regional train to Locarno, about an hour with one change near Bellinzona. Your guide leads a walk through the arcades of the Piazza Grande, where the film festival screens under the stars every August, then we ride the funicular up the hill and walk down to the Madonna del Sasso, the sanctuary founded in the 15th century on a rock above the town, with the lake and the mouth of the Maggia spread out below. Lunch is a sit-down meal by the water in Locarno. Early in the afternoon we are back in Lugano, and the rest of the day is yours: the lakefront gardens of Parco Ciani, the funicular up Monte Brè, the LAC arts centre, or the lakeside path to the old fishing village of Gandria.
Included
- Train from Lugano to Locarno and back
- Locarno walk with your guide: the Piazza Grande and the old town
- Funicular to the Madonna del Sasso
- Sit-down lunch by the lake in Locarno
Easier option: Stay in Lugano for the whole day: a slow morning by the lake and the afternoon at your own pace.
More active option: In the afternoon, walk the lakeside path from Castagnola to Gandria, about an hour each way, and come back by lake boat.
Free time: Afternoon and evening free in Lugano
Activity: About 1.5 hours on foot in Locarno, mostly downhill from the funicular on stepped lanes.
The Gotthard Panorama Express to Lucerne
Lugano to Flüelen on the Gotthard mountain line, then by boat across Lake Lucerne
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Stay in Lucerne
- By train
The last long ride, and the only one that ends on a boat.
Morning
The Gotthard Panorama Express leaves Lugano in the morning in first-class panorama cars and takes the old mountain line rather than the base tunnel: up the Leventina valley past Biasca and Airolo, through the 15 km Gotthard tunnel opened in 1882, then down the loops above Wassen, where the village church appears three times from different heights as the train winds through spiral tunnels. At Flüelen we walk from the platform to the pier and board a lake boat for the rest of the way, close to three hours across Lake Lucerne.
Afternoon
Lunch is served on board as the steep shores of the Urnersee open into the wider lake, with Rigi and Pilatus ahead.
Evening
We dock in Lucerne in the late afternoon, check in, and have time for a first walk across the Chapel Bridge before a farewell dinner together.
Included
- The Gotthard Panorama Express, Lugano to Flüelen by train and Flüelen to Lucerne by boat, in reserved first-class seats
- Lunch on the boat
- Farewell dinner in Lucerne
Free time: An hour or two free before dinner
Activity: About five and a half hours of travel in all, split between the train and the boat, with an open deck on the boat.
Lucerne in the morning, then home
Lucerne old town, then by train to Zurich Airport
- Breakfast
- By train
Morning
Lucerne is small enough to see well in a morning, and early is best, before the day-trip coaches arrive. After breakfast your guide walks the group across the Chapel Bridge, first built in the 14th century and rebuilt after a fire in 1993, with its painted gable panels and the stone Water Tower beside it, then along the Reuss to the Spreuer Bridge and its Dance of Death paintings, and up to the Lion Monument, carved into the rock face in 1821 for the Swiss Guards killed in Paris in 1792. In season, you can climb one of the towers of the Musegg Wall for a view over the roofs to Mount Pilatus. Late in the morning we take the train to Zurich Airport, about an hour, and your guide sees the group and its bags onto the platform. Book a flight leaving after about 2 pm; with an earlier flight, we put you on a train straight after breakfast.
Included
- Lucerne walk with your guide: the Chapel Bridge, the Spreuer Bridge and the Lion Monument
- Train from Lucerne to Zurich Airport (ZRH)
More active option: Climb a Musegg Wall tower for the view across the city and lake.
Activity: Book a flight from Zurich leaving after about 2 pm.
- Zurich1 night
- Zermatt2 nights
- St. Moritz2 nights
- Lugano2 nights
- Lucerne1 night
- Zurichend
- Overnight stop
- Day trip
- By boat or train
Wildlife and weather: Summer brings long days and open passes, but cloud can hide the Matterhorn for a day at a time, so the Gornergrat ride is flexible within the Zermatt stay. Ticino is warmer and sunnier than the Alps; Lugano and Locarno can be hot in July and August.
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Before you book
Right for you?
Good for you if you want
- Travellers who want Switzerland's scenic trains with someone else handling tickets, changes and bags
- An easy pace with short walks and a choice of longer ones
- Two nights in each mountain or lake base rather than a new hotel every day
- Solo travellers who want company on the trains and free time in each town
Not for you if you want
- Hikers looking for full days on mountain trails
- Travellers who find long days seated on a train tiring: day 4 is about eight hours aboard
- Anyone wanting luxury hotels: we use central 3-star-plus to 4-star hotels
- A winter trip: the route runs from June to September
Book flights after we confirm your seat.
8 nights
Where you'll stay
Your hotels are named in your trip confirmation.
- Zurich1 night
- Zermatt2 nights
- St. Moritz2 nights
- Lugano2 nights
- Lucerne1 night
One price
What's in the price
Included
Accommodation
- 8 nights in central hotels of at least a 3-star-plus standard: 1 in Zurich, 2 in Zermatt, 2 in St. Moritz, 2 in Lugano, 1 in Lucerne
- Rooms shared, or your own for a supplement
- We name each hotel when we confirm your dates
Transport
- Pick-up at Zurich Airport (ZRH) on day 1
- First-class rail with reserved seats: Zurich to Zermatt, the Glacier Express from Zermatt to St. Moritz, the Bernina Express from St. Moritz to Tirano, Lugano to Locarno and back, the Gotthard Panorama Express to Flüelen, and Lucerne to Zurich Airport
- The Bernina Express bus from Tirano to Lugano
- The Lake Lucerne boat from Flüelen to Lucerne
- Gornergrat Railway, the Muottas Muragl and Locarno funiculars, and local trains and buses on touring days
- Luggage handled at every change, with electric taxis for bags in car-free Zermatt
Your guide
- A See Sight Tours guide with the group for the whole trip, who holds the tickets and reservations and manages connections and luggage
- Local guides where a site requires one
Activities
- Old-town walk with the Lindenhof (Zurich)
- Gornergrat Railway with the Riffelsee walk (Zermatt)
- The Glacier Express, Zermatt to St. Moritz
- Muottas Muragl and the Engadine lakes (St. Moritz)
- The Bernina Express over the Bernina Pass to Tirano (Italy)
- Piazza Grande and the Madonna del Sasso (Locarno)
- The Gotthard Panorama Express, train and boat (Lugano to Lucerne)
- Chapel Bridge, Spreuer Bridge and the Lion Monument (Lucerne)
Meals
- 8 breakfasts
- 5 lunches: at Riffelberg, three courses on the Glacier Express, in Tirano, in Locarno and on the Lake Lucerne boat
- 3 dinners: a welcome dinner in Zurich, raclette or fondue in Zermatt and a farewell dinner in Lucerne
Not included
- International flights to and from Zurich
- An ETIAS travel authorisation, if it applies on your travel dates
- Travel insurance
- Lunches and dinners not listed
- Drinks
- Tips
- Optional activities, such as the Matterhorn Glacier Paradise cable car
- Glacier Express Excellence Class upgrades
- Personal expenses
Extras
- Room of your own
- CAD 1,495 (estimated price)
When you can go
Dates and prices
Pick your start date when you request to book. We check that date and confirm it in your quote.
Prefer to travel without a group or guide? Ask us about arranging hotels, transport and city tours for you to travel independently.
Before you book
Booking terms
Nothing is charged now. Full terms and the cancellation schedule come with your quote, before you accept.
Business addresses
See Sight Tours Trips (USA): 3172 N Rainbow Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89108, United StatesSee Sight Tours Trips (Canada): 5305 50 Avenue, #1091, Red Deer, AB T4N 4B6, Canada+1-888-961-6584Guest reviews
What guests say
Reviews from guests on our day tours.
Jane
October 06, 2026
5/5
Susan
October 06, 2026
5/5
Tom L
October 05, 2026
5/5
MandL83
October 05, 2026
5/5
Darren O
October 05, 2026
5/5
Good to know
Questions
What does the Switzerland rail trip price include?
Eight nights in central hotels, 8 breakfasts, 5 lunches and 3 dinners, first-class reserved seats on the Glacier Express, the Bernina Express and the Gotthard Panorama Express, every other train, bus, boat and funicular in the day plan, Gornergrat and Muottas Muragl, the airport pick-up, luggage handling and your See Sight Tours guide throughout.
How big is the group?
The small-group trip runs with 7 to 12 guests. That is small enough to board a train together without a rush, sit in the same panorama carriage and hear the guide on a platform or a viewpoint.
Who leads the trip and handles the luggage?
A See Sight Tours guide travels with the group for all nine days. The guide holds the tickets and seat reservations, manages every change of train, moves the bags at each connection and books electric taxis for them in car-free Zermatt, so you travel with a day bag.
How much luggage can I bring on the Swiss trains?
Bring one medium suitcase and a day bag per person. Your guide moves the cases at every change of train and arranges electric taxis for them in car-free Zermatt, so on the trains you only carry the day bag. Large or extra cases are hard to stow on the panorama trains.
Is eight hours on the Glacier Express too long?
For most people it passes quickly, because the scenery changes every few minutes: the Rhône valley, the Oberalp Pass, the Rhine gorge and the Landwasser Viaduct. A three-course lunch is served at your seat, there are toilets on board, and the next day in St. Moritz is deliberately slow.
How fit do I need to be?
Not very. Most of the trip is reserved train seats and town walks of an hour or two on cobbles and some steps. The longer walks, from the Riffelsee down to Riffelberg and along the path from Muottas Muragl, are optional, and you can ride the train or stay on a terrace instead.
I am travelling solo. What is the single supplement?
A room of your own is from CAD 1,495 more than the twin-share price, and it is the same hotel and the same room standard as everyone else, shown when you book with no surprise later. Single rooms in Zermatt and St. Moritz are expensive in summer, which is what sets the figure.
When is the best time to take the Glacier Express and Bernina Express?
June to September. The passes are open, the days are long, and the Bernina Express bus to Lugano and the Gotthard Panorama Express both run only in the warmer months; we confirm their dates when you book. July and August are busiest; June and September are quieter, with fresh snow on the peaks some years.
What if the Matterhorn is hidden by cloud?
We have two nights in Zermatt, so the Gornergrat ride is flexible. Your guide checks the summit webcams at breakfast and, if it is in cloud, moves the ride to the afternoon. The mountains cannot be guaranteed, but this gives you the best chance of a clear view.
How does booking work, and how much does it cost?
The small group starts from CAD 8,495 per person sharing a room, taxes included, and the private trip from CAD 15,290. Pick your start date and request to book; we confirm your trip within 24 hours. No payment is taken until we confirm.
Can we travel privately or on our own dates?
Yes. Besides the small group, the trip runs as a private trip for your party only, on a date you choose, with your own guide. If you would rather travel independently, ask us from the dates section and we will quote the same trains, seats and hotels without a guide.
Do I need a visa for Switzerland?
Canadian and US citizens do not need a visa for short stays in Switzerland or Italy, which are both in the Schengen area. Carry your passport for the day in Tirano, and check whether an ETIAS travel authorisation is required on your travel dates; we confirm the current rule when you book.
See Sight Tours has been providing travel services across North America since 2006. Operating in 20 cities across Canada and the USA, the company specializes in small group tours that offer personalized, high-quality experiences for travelers.
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