5/5
Switzerland at a Slower Pace: Lake Lucerne and the Jungfrau Region
10 days from Zurich with only one hotel change: four nights in Lucerne for Rigi, Pilatus and the lake boats, then five in Interlaken for the Jungfraujoch, Mürren, Lake Thun and Grindelwald First.
10 days · Round trip from Zurich · up to 12 guests
On deck of a lake boat near Interlaken Photo: 최광모, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cruise_Ship,_Interlaken,_Switzerland,_October_7,_2014_DSC03085.JPG)
The facts
At a glance
- Length
- 10 days, 9 nights
- Start and end
- Round trip from Zurich
- Group size
- 7 to 12 guests
- Activity level
Easy
Most days have one to three hours on foot in total, on level lakefront paths, old-town cobbles and mountain viewing terraces, with seats on every boat and train. The highest point is the Jungfraujoch at 3,454 m, reached by gondola and train, not on foot. Each mountain day has an easy option (a terrace and a slow lunch) and a short active option (a walk of one to two hours), and two full days are free. Suitcases travel in our vehicle, so you never lift one onto a train.
- Meals included
- 9 breakfasts, 5 lunches, 2 dinners
- Room of your own
- + CAD 1,790 (estimated price)
- Season
- May to October
Highlights
Why this trip
- Four nights in Lucerne and five in Interlaken, with one hotel change in ten days and no start before 8:30
- The lake boat to Vitznau and the 1871 cogwheel railway up Rigi, with lunch on the mountain
- The Pilatus round trip: boat to Alpnachstad, the steepest cogwheel railway in the world, and the cable cars down
- Bern's arcades and the Zytglogge on the way to the Oberland, then a boat along Lake Thun past Oberhofen castle
- The Jungfraujoch at 3,454 m by the Eiger Express and the Jungfrau railway, and back down through Wengen
- Car-free Mürren on its cliff above the Lauterbrunnen valley, by cable car and the little cliff-edge railway
- Grindelwald First and its Cliff Walk, with an optional walk to the Bachalpsee
- Two free days, one in each base, that your guide can swap with a mountain day if the forecast changes
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 1,790 (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, settle in Lucerne
Zurich Airport to Lucerne by our vehicle
- Dinner
- Stay in Lucerne
- Drive about 1 h
Fly into Zurich Airport (ZRH). If you land inside the meeting window sent with your final itinerary, your See Sight Tours guide meets you in the arrivals hall, and once the group is together our vehicle drives you to Lucerne, about an hour and 65 km. If you land later, we send clear directions for the hourly train to Lucerne, at your own cost, and your guide meets you at the hotel.
Afternoon
Rooms are usually ready from mid-afternoon, so we leave bags at the hotel and you have time for a quiet lunch by the water. Late in the afternoon, once everyone has rested, your guide takes a slow first walk of about an hour: across the Chapel Bridge, the covered wooden bridge first built in the 14th century and rebuilt after a fire in 1993, past the octagonal Water Tower and along the Reuss to the old town squares with their painted house fronts.
Evening
In the evening we sit down together to a welcome dinner and a short briefing on the week ahead.
Included
- Meeting at Zurich Airport (ZRH) in the arrival window and our vehicle to Lucerne
- Short guided walk: the Chapel Bridge, the Water Tower and the old town squares
- Welcome dinner and briefing
Free time: Free until the late-afternoon walk
Activity: About an hour on foot, on level paths and some cobbles.
Lake Lucerne and Mount Rigi
Lucerne by boat to Vitznau, the cogwheel railway to Rigi Kulm, then down to Weggis and back by boat
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Lucerne
- By boat
Morning
After a slow breakfast we walk to the pier opposite Lucerne station and board a lake boat at about 9:30 for the hour to Vitznau, past lakeside villas and the wooded cliffs of the Bürgenstock, with the peaks of central Switzerland ahead on a clear day. In Vitznau we change to the red cogwheel train of the Vitznau-Rigi railway, opened in 1871 as the first mountain railway in Europe, and climb for about half an hour to Rigi Kulm at 1,798 metres. From the top the view runs over Lake Lucerne and Lake Zug to a long line of Alps on one side and the green lowlands on the other.
Afternoon
Lunch is a sit-down meal on the mountain. Afterwards you can ride the train down to Rigi Kaltbad or walk there with your guide on a wide path, about an hour and a quarter downhill. From Kaltbad a cable car drops to Weggis, and the boat brings us back to Lucerne by mid-afternoon.
Included
- Lake Lucerne boat to Vitznau and back from Weggis
- Vitznau-Rigi cogwheel railway to Rigi Kulm
- Sit-down lunch on Rigi
- Rigi Kaltbad to Weggis cable car
Easier option: Ride the train from Rigi Kulm down to Rigi Kaltbad and wait on the terrace for the walkers.
More active option: Walk with your guide from Rigi Kulm down to Rigi Kaltbad, about an hour and a quarter on a wide gravel path.
Free time: Late afternoon and evening free in Lucerne
Activity: The walk down from Rigi Kulm to Rigi Kaltbad loses about 360 m; the train covers the same stretch.
A free day in Lucerne
Lucerne, at your own pace
- Breakfast
- Stay in Lucerne
Evening
Today is yours, and it is also the trip's weather day in Lucerne: if the forecast showed fog on Pilatus tomorrow and a clear sky today, your guide will have told you at dinner that the two days swap. Otherwise there is no plan and no alarm. Sleep in, then walk the lakefront promenade to the Lion Monument, the dying lion carved into the rock in 1820 and 1821 in memory of the Swiss Guards killed in Paris in 1792. In season you can climb one of the towers of the Musegg Wall, the old town ramparts, for the view over the roofs. The Swiss Museum of Transport, a short bus or boat ride along the shore, has locomotives, lake steamers and cable cars, and the Bourbaki Panorama shows a vast circular painting of a French army crossing into Switzerland in 1871. Your guide is around in the morning to suggest a lunch spot, book a table or point you to the right boat, and the evening is free for dinner wherever you like.
Included
- Your guide on hand in the morning for tickets, tables and boat times
Optional experiences
- Swiss Museum of Transport, Bourbaki Panorama or a round-trip lake cruise, at your own cost
- Musegg Wall towers, free in season
Free time: Full day and evening free
The Pilatus round trip
Lucerne to Alpnachstad (boat in season), the cogwheel railway to Pilatus Kulm, cable cars down to Kriens, back to Lucerne
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Lucerne
- By boat

We leave the hotel at about 9:30 for Pilatus, the mountain that rises straight out of Lake Lucerne. From about mid-May to mid-October we go the classic way: the boat to Alpnachstad, about an hour and a half into the lake's quieter southern arm, then the Pilatus cogwheel railway, opened in 1889 and the steepest cogwheel railway in the world, with gradients of up to 48 percent. The half-hour climb runs through meadows and rock tunnels to Pilatus Kulm at about 2,070 metres, where the terraces look down on Lucerne and across the Alps to the Bernese Oberland.
Afternoon
Lunch is a sit-down meal at the top, then there is time for the short path to the Esel viewpoint or a coffee in the sun. We come down the other side by the aerial cable car and the panoramic gondola to Kriens, where the bus or our driver brings us back. The boat, the railway and the cable cars each keep their own season, so the exact routing is set by the Pilatus timetable on your dates and confirmed when you book. Late afternoon is free.
Included
- Lake Lucerne boat to Alpnachstad, or the train when the boat is not running
- Pilatus cogwheel railway to Pilatus Kulm
- Sit-down lunch on Pilatus
- Aerial cable car and gondola down to Kriens, and the bus to Lucerne, when they are running
Easier option: Stay on the summit terraces after lunch; the Esel path is optional.
More active option: Climb the Esel path with your guide, about 20 minutes up steps to 2,118 m, then walk the Dragon Path gallery through the rock.
Free time: Late afternoon and evening free in Lucerne
Activity: The day 4 routing (boat, train or bus to Alpnachstad, the cogwheel railway and the cable cars) is set by the Pilatus timetable on your dates and confirmed at booking. The full loop runs from about mid-May to mid-October.
Bern and the Lake Thun boat
Lucerne to Bern by our vehicle, then on to Thun and by boat along Lake Thun to Interlaken
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Interlaken
- Drive about 2 h

Today is the one hotel change, and your suitcase stays in our vehicle from door to door. We leave Lucerne at about 9:30 and drive to Bern, about an hour and a quarter. The Swiss capital's old town sits in a tight loop of the green Aare river and is listed by UNESCO for its medieval street plan, its sandstone arcades and its painted fountains. Your guide walks you down the Kramgasse to the Zytglogge, the old city gate whose astronomical clock and moving figures perform a few minutes before each hour, past the flat where Albert Einstein lived in 1905, and on to the terrace behind the Federal Palace above the river.
Afternoon
After a sit-down lunch we drive half an hour to Thun, where you board a lake boat for the afternoon run of about two hours along Lake Thun, past Oberhofen castle on the shore and the steep pyramid of the Niesen, to Interlaken West. Meanwhile the driver takes your suitcase to the hotel.
Included
- Guided walk in Bern's old town: the Kramgasse, the Zytglogge, Einstein's street and the Federal Palace terrace
- Sit-down lunch in Bern
- Lake Thun boat from Thun to Interlaken West
- Your suitcase driven to the Interlaken hotel
Optional experiences
- Einstein House museum in Bern, at your own cost, if there is time before lunch
Easier option: Skip the boat and ride with the driver straight from Thun to the hotel, about 35 minutes, to rest before dinner.
Free time: Evening free in Interlaken
Activity: About 1.5 hours on foot in Bern, with seats on the boat afterwards.
The Jungfraujoch
Interlaken to Grindelwald Terminal, the Eiger Express and the Jungfrau railway to the Jungfraujoch, back via Kleine Scheidegg, Wengen and Lauterbrunnen
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Interlaken
- By train
We leave at about 8:30, the earliest start of the trip, after your guide has checked the summit webcams; if the top is in cloud, this becomes a free day and the Jungfraujoch moves to day 8. The train runs up the valley to Grindelwald Terminal in about half an hour, and the Eiger Express gondola, opened in 2020, lifts us to Eigergletscher in about 15 minutes. From there the Jungfrau railway, completed in 1912, runs through a tunnel inside the Eiger and the Mönch to the Jungfraujoch at 3,454 metres, the highest railway station in Europe, with reserved seats for the group. From the Sphinx terrace you look down the Aletsch Glacier, the longest in the Alps, at the heart of the Swiss Alps Jungfrau-Aletsch UNESCO site.
Afternoon
Take the Ice Palace and the snow plateau slowly, then sit down to lunch. We come down by train to Kleine Scheidegg under the Eiger's north face, then through car-free Wengen to Lauterbrunnen and back to Interlaken by late afternoon.
Included
- Train to Grindelwald Terminal and the Eiger Express gondola
- Jungfrau railway to the Jungfraujoch, with seat reservations: the Sphinx terrace, the Ice Palace and the snow plateau
- Sit-down lunch on the mountain
- Train down via Kleine Scheidegg, Wengen and Lauterbrunnen
Easier option: If altitude worries you, stay at Kleine Scheidegg (2,061 m) for a slow lunch beneath the Eiger while the group goes up, and rejoin them on the way down.
More active option: Walk from Kleine Scheidegg down to Wengernalp, about an hour on a wide path below the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau, and catch the train there.
Free time: Evening free in Interlaken
Activity: The Jungfraujoch is at 3,454 m: walk slowly, drink water, and expect it to be cold even in summer. If you have a heart or lung condition, ask your doctor before you book.
Mürren and the Lauterbrunnen valley
Interlaken to Lauterbrunnen, the cable car to Grütschalp and the cliff railway to Mürren, back via the Staubbach Falls
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Interlaken
- By train
A gentler mountain day. We leave at about 9:30 on the short train ride to Lauterbrunnen, a village on the floor of a deep, straight valley walled by cliffs and waterfalls. A cable car lifts us to Grütschalp, and from there a small railway runs along the edge of the cliff to Mürren, with the Eiger, the Mönch and the Jungfrau across the valley the whole way. Mürren is a car-free village at about 1,640 metres, perched on a ledge some 800 metres above the valley floor.
Afternoon
Your guide walks you slowly through the village lanes and its wooden chalets, and we sit down to lunch on a terrace with the same three peaks in view. In the afternoon we ride back down the way we came and walk ten minutes from Lauterbrunnen station to the foot of the Staubbach Falls, which drop nearly 300 metres from the cliff, before the train to Interlaken. The late afternoon is free.
Included
- Train to Lauterbrunnen, the cable car to Grütschalp and the railway to Mürren
- Guided walk through Mürren
- Sit-down lunch in Mürren
- The Staubbach Falls in Lauterbrunnen
Optional experiences
- Cable cars from Mürren to the Schilthorn (2,970 m), at your own cost, instead of the afternoon in the valley
Easier option: Stay on the lunch terrace in Mürren and skip the village walk.
More active option: Walk with your guide from Grütschalp to Mürren along the railway path, about 1.5 hours and mostly level, instead of riding the train.
Free time: Late afternoon and evening free in Interlaken
A free day in Interlaken
Interlaken, at your own pace
- Breakfast
- Stay in Interlaken
A day with nothing planned, and the weather day for the Oberland: if the Jungfraujoch was clouded in on day 6, this is when your guide takes the group up instead.
Morning
Otherwise breakfast is as late as you like. Interlaken sits on flat ground between Lake Thun and Lake Brienz, so it is easy walking: the Höhematte, a wide meadow in the middle of town with the Jungfrau framed at its far end, the old cloister and castle church, and the river walk along the Aare between the two lakes. If you want water, the boat across Lake Brienz to Brienz, known for its woodcarving workshops, takes about an hour and a quarter each way; if you want height, the funicular to Harder Kulm climbs above the town in about ten minutes.
Evening
Your guide is around in the morning to point you to the right boat or train and to book a table for lunch, and the evening is free.
Included
- Your guide on hand in the morning for tickets, tables and boat times
Optional experiences
- Lake Brienz boat to Brienz and back, at your own cost
- Harder Kulm funicular, at your own cost
Free time: Full day and evening free
Grindelwald First and a farewell dinner
Interlaken to Grindelwald by train, the gondola to First and back
- Breakfast and dinner
- Stay in Interlaken
- By train

We leave at about 9:30 for the train to Grindelwald, about 35 minutes up a green valley to the village beneath the north face of the Eiger. From the village the First gondola climbs in about 25 minutes to First at about 2,170 metres, over meadows where cows graze through the summer. At the top the First Cliff Walk, a steel walkway bolted to the rock face, leads out to a platform over the drop, with the Wetterhorn, the Schreckhorn and the Eiger across the valley. It is level and fenced, and takes about 20 minutes there and back. If the path is clear of snow, your guide leads those who want it on the walk to the Bachalpsee, a small lake that holds the reflection of the peaks on a still day.
Afternoon
Lunch is your choice, on the First terrace or back in the village, and you return to Interlaken by mid-afternoon with time to pack.
Evening
In the evening we meet for a farewell dinner together.
Included
- Train to Grindelwald and the First gondola
- The First Cliff Walk
- Farewell dinner
Easier option: Walk the Cliff Walk, then sit on the First terrace in the sun while the walkers go to the lake.
More active option: Walk to the Bachalpsee and back with your guide, about 3 km each way and an hour or so each direction, climbing about 100 m.
Free time: Lunch your choice; afternoon free before the farewell dinner
Activity: The Bachalpsee path is usually clear of snow from about late June; earlier in the season we stay near the gondola station.
A last look at Bern, then Zurich Airport
Interlaken to Bern by our vehicle, then on to Zurich Airport
- Breakfast
- Drive about 2 h

Morning
After breakfast we load the suitcases into our vehicle and leave Interlaken at about 8:30. The drive to Zurich Airport is about two hours, so we break it halfway in Bern, about 50 minutes from Interlaken, for a farewell coffee. This time we go to the Münsterplattform, the shaded terrace beside Bern Minster, the largest late-Gothic church in Switzerland, where the old town wall drops straight to the Aare and you look down on the river, its weir and the Kirchenfeld bridge. If you want a last climb, the Minster tower has 312 steps to its viewing gallery.
Afternoon
We leave Bern at about 10:30 and drive on to Zurich Airport, about an hour and a quarter, arriving around midday. Book a flight from Zurich after about 2:30 pm. If your flight leaves earlier, take an early train that morning from Interlaken Ost to Zurich Airport, at your own cost: about two and a quarter hours, with one change at Bern.
Included
- Our vehicle from Interlaken to Zurich Airport, with a stop in Bern
- Farewell coffee on the Münsterplattform above the Aare
Optional experiences
- Bern Minster tower, at your own cost
Easier option: For an early flight, take an early morning train from Interlaken Ost to Zurich Airport at your own cost; your guide sets out the connection.
Activity: Book a flight from Zurich Airport (ZRH) after about 2:30 pm.
- Zurichstart
- Lucerne4 nights
- Interlaken5 nights
- Zurichend
- Overnight stop
- Day trip
- By boat or train
Wildlife and weather: Mountain views need a clear sky, and fog can sit on Pilatus or the Jungfraujoch for a day while the valleys are sunny, which is why each base has a free day your guide can swap. June to September brings the full boat timetables and snow-free paths at First and Mürren; May and October are quieter and cooler, with fewer boat sailings and a chance of snow on the higher paths.
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Before you book
Right for you?
Good for you if you want
- Travellers who want Switzerland's lakes and mountains without packing every other day
- Anyone who dislikes early starts and long transfer days
- Older travellers and mixed-ability groups who like an easy and an active option each day
- Grandparents travelling with grandchildren, on the private trip
- Solo travellers who want a group but a room of their own
Not for you if you want
- Travellers who want to see Zermatt, St. Moritz or the Glacier Express on the same trip
- Hikers who want full-day trail walks
- Step-free access: boats, trains, cable cars and old towns have steps and cobbles
- Anyone advised to avoid altitudes above 3,000 m, unless happy to wait at Kleine Scheidegg on the Jungfrau day
Book flights after we confirm your seat.
9 nights
Where you'll stay
Your hotels are named in your trip confirmation.
- Lucerne4 nights
- Interlaken5 nights
One price
What's in the price
Included
Accommodation
- 9 nights in central hotels: 4 in Lucerne, 5 in Interlaken
- Twin share rooms, or a room of your own for a supplement
Transport
- Meeting at Zurich Airport (ZRH) in the arrival window
- Our own vehicle and driver from Zurich Airport to Lucerne, from Lucerne to Bern and Thun with your suitcase driven on to Interlaken, and from Interlaken via Bern to Zurich Airport
- Lake Lucerne boats to Vitznau and back from Weggis, and to Alpnachstad when the boat is running (train or bus otherwise)
- The Lake Thun boat from Thun to Interlaken West
- The Vitznau-Rigi and Pilatus cogwheel railways, the Rigi and Pilatus cable cars, and the bus from Kriens
- Trains, the Eiger Express and the Jungfrau railway to the Jungfraujoch, with seat reservations
- Trains, cable car and railway to Mürren
- Train to Grindelwald and the First gondola
Your guide
- A See Sight Tours guide with the group from Zurich Airport to the last morning, who carries every ticket, handles each connection and watches the forecast
Activities
- Lucerne: the Chapel Bridge, the Water Tower and the old town squares
- Rigi Kulm by boat and the 1871 cogwheel railway
- The Pilatus round trip by boat, cogwheel railway and cable cars
- Guided walk in Bern's old town and the Zytglogge
- The Jungfraujoch: the Sphinx terrace, the Ice Palace and the snow plateau
- Kleine Scheidegg, Wengen and Lauterbrunnen by train
- Mürren and the Staubbach Falls
- Grindelwald First and the First Cliff Walk
- The Münsterplattform in Bern on the last morning
Meals
- 9 breakfasts
- 5 sit-down lunches: on Rigi, on Pilatus, in Bern, on the Jungfrau day and in Mürren
- 2 dinners: a welcome dinner in Lucerne and a farewell dinner in Interlaken
Not included
- International flights to and from Zurich
- Travel insurance
- ETIAS travel authorisation, if it applies on your dates
- Lunches and dinners not listed
- Drinks
- Optional excursions on free days, such as the Schilthorn, Harder Kulm, the Lake Brienz boat and Lucerne museums
- Bern Minster tower and Einstein House entry
- Tips
- Personal expenses
Extras
- Room of your own
- CAD 1,790 (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.
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Good to know
Questions
What does the price include?
Nine nights in central hotels in Lucerne and Interlaken, 9 breakfasts, 5 sit-down lunches and 2 dinners, every boat, train, cogwheel railway and cable car on the route, including Rigi, Pilatus, the Jungfraujoch, Mürren and First, our own vehicle for the airport and hotel-change days, and your See Sight Tours guide throughout. Flights, insurance, drinks and the meals not listed are extra.
How slow is the pace really?
There is one hotel change in ten days, two full free days, and no departure before 8:30; most days start around 9:30. Mountain days have one to three hours on foot in total, mostly on terraces and level paths, with seats on every boat and train, and you are back in town by mid or late afternoon.
How big is the group?
The small-group trip runs with 7 to 12 guests. That is small enough to board a boat or train together without a rush, sit around one table at lunch and hear your guide on a busy viewing terrace.
Who leads the trip?
A See Sight Tours guide meets you at Zurich Airport and stays with the group until the last morning. They carry the tickets and seat reservations, handle every connection, choose the clearest day for each mountain and know where to eat in Lucerne and Interlaken.
How fit do I need to be?
You should be able to walk steadily for about an hour with breaks, manage steps onto boats and trains, and spend a few hours on your feet in old towns. Every mountain day has an easy option, and the walks of one to two hours are optional. Suitcases travel in our vehicle, so you never carry one onto a train.
I am travelling solo. What is the single supplement?
A room of your own is from CAD 1,790 more for the nine nights, and it is the same standard and location as the shared rooms. You join the same group, the same table and the same boats and trains as everyone else.
When is the best time to go?
June to September, when the lake boats run full timetables and the paths at First and Mürren are clear of snow. The full Pilatus loop by boat, cogwheel railway and cable car runs from about mid-May to mid-October; outside it we set the routing by the timetable and confirm it at booking. May and October are quieter and cooler. We do not run the trip in winter.
What happens if the mountains are in cloud?
Each base has a free day between two mountain days, so your guide can swap them on the morning forecast and take you up when the view is there. If the Jungfraujoch stays in cloud all week, we go to a lower viewpoint, and we confirm when you book how the unused ticket is rebooked or refunded.
Can I bring my grandchildren?
Yes, on the private trip, which runs for your family only on a date you choose, with the same two bases and a pace you set with your guide. The small-group departures are planned for adults. Tell us the children's ages and we will suggest swaps, such as the Swiss Museum of Transport in Lucerne.
How does booking work?
Choose a start date and send a request to book. We check availability and provide the final quote, itinerary and booking terms before you accept. No payment is taken when you send the request. The small group starts from CAD 9,780 per person sharing, taxes included.
Can we travel privately or on our own dates?
Yes. The trip also runs as a private trip for your party only, on a date you choose, with your own guide and vehicle. If you would rather travel independently on your own dates, ask us from the dates section and we will quote the same hotels and mountain tickets.
Do I need a visa for Switzerland?
Most Canadian, US, UK and Australian visitors do not need a visa for a stay of up to 90 days in Switzerland, which is in the Schengen area. ETIAS is not yet in force; the EU has said it will announce the start date months ahead, and we will tell you if it applies to your dates.