Extraordinary Alpine Railways: Conquering Switzerland’s Jungfraujoch 8 DAYS/7 NIGHTS | GROUP TRAVEL SUGGESTED ITINERARY | CAN BE CUSTOMIZED INCLUSIONS The genius of Swiss engineering allowed one of the most dazzling stretches of the Alps to become a natural playground for railway and outdoor enthusiasts alike. On this exciting 8-day Accommodations: itinerary you will explore one of Earth’s most beautiful regions by cog rail and zip line, on foot, Lucerne 1 night, with gondola lifts, using “trotti bikes” and on a remarkable, 102-year-old mountain railway Interlaken 4 nights, that will transport your group to Europe’s highest railway station on the iconic Jungfraujoch. Bern 1 night, Zurich 1 night While half of this tour will have you breathing in the fresh mountain air in and around the resort town of Interlaken, the rest of the time you will explore several of Switzerland’s most Meals: Continental beautiful Old Towns on foot; including Zurich, Lucerne and Bern. It’s the adventure of a breakfast daily, lunch lifetime; in only 7 nights! and dinner as noted in itinerary DAY 1 • ARRIVAL TO walking tour, your group will also have free Air-conditioned, ZURICH – SIGHTSEEING - time for lunch in Zurich before traveling private coaching LUCERNE south into the heart of Switzerland. Your English-speaking destination is Lucerne, a medieval, spire- Welcome to Switzerland! assistants and guides topped town that looks straight out of a Upon arrival a local guide will meet your Admission tickets and fairytale. While many traveling to Lucerne group in the arrivals hall of Zurich Airport sightseeing excursions base themselves there due to its proximity and accompany it by private coach to as outlined in the to Mount Pilatus and Rigi, the town has Zurich’s city center. Located along the itinerary plenty of natural and cultural attractions to shores of glimmering Lake Zurich and the HIGHLIGHTS merit a visit in their own right. banks of the Limmat River, against a See the Aletsch, the spectacular mountainous backdrop, you Upon arrival to the hotel in Lucerne, your largest glacier in the will soon see why Zurich is one of Europe’s group will check in and have time to relax Alps and a UNESCO most beautiful cities. before tonight’s traditional Swiss raclette World Heritage Site meal. Before dinner, consider taking a stroll While Zurich is the largest city in along the shores of gorgeous Lake Lucerne. Zoom down the Switzerland, a major transportation hub exhilarating First Flyer and a global financial center, the city’s DAY 2 • LUCERNE – zip line at 52 mph origins are ancient. Today your group will INTERLAKEN through the Swiss have a walking tour of Zurich along the After breakfast and check- countryside! cobblestone lanes of its impressive Old out, your group will set out Enjoy a traditional Town or “Altstadt” as it is called in German. on guided walking tour of Lucerne’s best Swiss raclette dinner During the tour you will see some of sights including the iconic, wooden Guided walking tours Zurich’s prettiest and most historic squares, Kapellbrücke (Chapel Bridge), the of Zurich, Lucerne, medieval homes, quays and churches with Löwendenkmal (Lion Monument), the 12th- Interlaken and Bern visits included inside the 11th-century century St. Peter's Church, and the Travel on the historic Romanesque Cathedral (Grossmünster) and renaissance Old Town Hall (Altes Rathaus). Jungfrau Railway, a the 13th-century Fraumünster church, After breaking for lunch, your sightseeing feat of Swiss which houses five original Marc Chagall tour of Lucerne will pick back up with a visit engineering, to the stained-glass windows. In addition to the to the Swiss Museum of Transport “Top of Europe” (Verkehrshaus der Schweiz). Dedicated to all numerous water sports that can be things related to transportation, this really is arranged on the lakes in the summertime. the finest museum of its kind in Europe. Should your group want to include Inside you will see exhibitions showcasing sightseeing this afternoon, we recommend anything from steamboats to historic railway visiting the town of Thun, located at the cars to flying machines! northwestern tip of Lake Thun, which is home to Schloss Thun. At approximately At the conclusion of your guided tour, re- 900-years-old, this castle is a true board your private coach and travel masterpiece of European medieval southwest to the Bernese Oberland, one of architecture, and today it houses an the most visited Alpine regions in interesting history museum. Switzerland. Your destination is the resort town of Interlaken, which will serve as your DAY 4 • base for the next four nights. Lovely JUNGFRAUJOCH – TOP Interlaken takes its name from its location OF EUROPE between the transparent, blue waters of After breakfast in the hotel, Lake Thun and Lake Brienz. A mecca for your group will set out on the railway adventure sports enthusiasts, while there adventure of a lifetime! Today you will you are likely to see fellow tourists skiing, journey to over 11,300 feet above sea level mountain hiking, hang gliding, canyoning, to Europe’s highest railway station, located paragliding or sailing. However, most visitors atop the extraordinary Jungfraujoch. A travel to Interlaken to tackle the mighty true feat of Swiss engineering, the Jungfrau Jungfraujoch, which your group will do in two Railway began construction on its route to days’ time. the Jungfraujoch in 1896. It was After checking in to the hotel in Interlaken, inaugurated in 1912, 102 years ago. The enjoy an evening at leisure. building of the railway made it possible to explore and enjoy the immense beauty of DAY 3 • INTERLAKEN this Alpine region. WALKING TOUR – FREE DAY Despite the construction of the railway, this is one of the least disturbed areas in the After breakfast in the hotel, a Alps. It is also home to the Aletsch, which local guide will take your group on a relaxing, is the largest glacier in the Alps; in area, walking tour of Interlaken. (This could be length and depth. The beauty of the Eiger, done with horse carriages if your group is Mönch and Jungfrau mountains and their interested). Interlaken is small and very easy surrounding valleys is indescribable. All of to get around. As part of the tour you will these reasons have led the area to be also visit a local chocolatier to see how named an official UNESCO World Heritage chocolate, one of Switzerland’s best exports, Natural Site. is produced. From the hotel your group will walk to the At the conclusion of your morning tour, the Interlaken Railway Station and then travel rest of the day is free for you to enjoy to the Lauterbrunnen Valley by cog rail. Interlaken. You can shop, relax, check out From there you will change chains and the town’s relaxing 35-acre Höheweg park, ascend to the station at Kleine Scheidegg, or take a boat cruise on Lake Thun or Lake which offers spectacular views of the Eiger Brienz (note: the cruises do not operate in Wall, the Mönch, and the Jungfrau. In the winter months). There are also Kleine Scheidegg your group will board the historic Jungfraubahn railway that will take valley. While there your group will have you to the Jungfraujoch, stopping briefly at lunch in a restaurant and then visit the the Eigerwand and Eismeer stations. Once Alpine Botanical Garden, which boasts over you reach the top, prepare yourself for 600 species of plants. magnificent views of the Alps’ largest Your group will return to the hotel in glacier. Your group will visit the beautiful Interlaken by late afternoon and have time Ice Palace as well as the Sphinx Observation to relax and freshen up before tonight’s Hall before having lunch in a restaurant. traditional Swiss folklore dinner show. The descent will take you from the DAY 6 • INTERLAKEN - Jungfraujoch back to the station at Kleine GRINDELWALD Scheidegg, then on to the popular ski resort ACTIVITIES - BERNE of Grindelwald and finally back to Interlaken. Should your group be After breakfast and check- interested, it could consider taking the out, your group will set out on another historic Eiger Ambassador Express morning of fresh mountain air and magical (complete with coffee, tea and digestif) on scenery beginning with a train ride from the return journey. As parts of the Eiger Interlaken to the resort town of Ambassador Express made the first journey Grindelwald. You will then board a 6-seater up to the Jungfraujoch in 1912, taking this gondola lift and travel over three very historic train is a dream come true for train panoramic miles to the station of First. enthusiasts! Located 7,100 feet above sea level, this area is both a hiking paradise (it has over 60 Once returning to Interlaken in the early miles of summer hiking trails) and a winter evening, you are free as nothing has been wonderland (75 miles of ski slopes). scheduled for tonight. There are many outdoor activities to do in DAY 5 • INTERLAKEN - the First region, but today your group will SCHYNIGE PLATTE take the thrilling First Flyer from First to After breakfast in the hotel, Schreckfeld. This zip line is like nothing else prepare yourself for another you will see in the Alps. Strap into your day of incredible Alpine scenery beginning harness, hold on and travel 2,600 feet at 52 with a short train ride from Interlaken to miles per hour! (Note: your decent on the the resort of Wilderswil. From there, your First Flyer will be stopped by a spring group will take the 120-year-old cogwheel mechanism. Upon to four group members train to the beautiful mountain area of can go at the same time on this colossal zip Schynige Platte.