Scenic Railways in The Swiss Alps and Italy’s Lake District 8 DAYS/7 NIGHTS | GROUP TRAVEL SUGGESTED ITINERARY | CAN BE CUSTOMIZED INCLUSIONS This 7-night itinerary kicks off with an unforgettable rail journey through the heart of the Swiss Alps on the legendary Bernina Express. After enjoying incredible views of glaciers, dramatic Accommodations: Chur mountain passes, verdant valleys, pristine lakes, and magnificently-constructed bridges, your 1 night, Lugano 2 nights, Como 3 nights, Milan 1 group will arrive to the Italian-speaking part of Switzerland for a healthy dose of night Mediterranean temperatures, interesting sightseeing, and relaxation on Lake Lugano. From Meals: Continental there you will continue into Italy and spend three nights on the shores of Lake Como before breakfast daily, lunch and finishing up in Milan, the fashion capital of Italy. dinner as noted in itinerary DAY 1 • ARRIVE ZURICH exploring Chur on your own. For dining Air-conditioned, private - CHUR suggestions, please feel free to ask your coaching guide. Welcome to Switzerland! English-speaking assistants and guides Upon arrival a local assistant DAY 2 • CHUR - BERNINA (although not presently will meet your group inside the arrivals hall EXPRESS - LUGANO included, your group may and accompany it to the train station inside After breakfast, check-out, decide to use a tour Zurich Airport. Your group will then travel and a short walk to the Chur escort with this itinerary) by train to the city of Chur, the journey Admission tickets and rail station; prepare yourself for what surely should take roughly 90 minutes. As the sightseeing as outlined in will be the highlight of your entire trip to oldest city in Switzerland, it is believed that the itinerary Switzerland. Today your group will take the Chur was already inhabited over 5,000 HIGHLIGHTS legendary Bernina Express scenic train, years ago; long before the Romans traveling south through breathtaking Alpine Guided tour of Chur, the established the city in 15 B.C. Not only is scenery. You are about to enter a stretch of oldest town in Chur’s Old Town like something out of a unbelievably picturesque land graced with Switzerland storybook, but the Alpine scenery that glaciers, lakes, tunnels, viaducts, valleys and Discover Alpine surrounds it is indescribably beautiful. incredible mountain bridges. And as you landscapes on the Upon arrival to the rail station in Chur, a relax during your 4-hour, picture-perfect Bernina Express, a local guide will meet your group on the journey from Chur through St. Moritz and UNESCO World Heritage Site platform and accompany it to the hotel in Poschiavo to Tirano, your views will Chur where your group can either check-in gradually change from mountain-capped Free time to explore (presuming rooms are available as official glaciers to palm tree lined lakes. This Lake Lugano and its beautiful environs check-in times are generally 3:00 pm) or historic railway and the surrounding store baggage with the hotel staff. You will landscapes constitute an official UNESCO Enjoy winetasting and a then set off on an exciting, 90-minute World Heritage Site. cooking class near Lake walking tour of Chur’s Old Town during Como After the panoramic train ride of your life, which your group will see the Bishop's Visit Bellagio after an your group will take a scenic bus ride from Court, the 800-year old Cathedral, St. invigorating day of hiking Tirano along the shores of Lake Como to the Martin's Church, and the Town Hall. After Swiss town of Lugano, which is located on Panoramic sightseeing the tour has finished, the remainder of the beautiful Lake Lugano. Lugano is the largest tour and free time in day is free for you to relax and continue city in Ticino, the Italian-speaking part of Milan Switzerland. Despite its size (just a tad out Via Nassa if interested. No matter what smaller than a combined New Hampshire you decide to do today, you really cannot and Vermont), Switzerland has four official err as the entire area is beautiful, languages: German, French, Italian and invigorating and relaxing! Romansh. During your stay in Lugano, you DAY 4 • LUGANO – will undoubtedly notice not only linguistic MORCOTE – COMO differences from the northern part of Switzerland but also cultural and After breakfast and check- gastronomic differences. out, your group will travel a short distance south along the shores of Upon arrival, check in to the hotel in Lugano Lake Lugano to the village of Morcote, and enjoy the evening at leisure in which is often called the “Pearl of Lugano” “Mediterranean” Switzerland. because of its truly spectacular lakefront DAY 3 • LUGANO – position and baroque architecture. You will MORNING TOUR – FREE have a couple of hours to wander through AFTERNOON & EVENING Morcote. Consider visiting the historic church of Santa Maria del Sasso, which After breakfast in the hotel, dates back to the 13th century, Scherrer your group will set out on a morning Park, and the Chapel of Sant'Antonio Abata. sightseeing tour of Lugano, a city which is After time for lunch, your group will re- home to pleasant Mediterranean board its coach and cross over the border temperatures, superb natural beauty, pretty into Italy. Your destination is the nearby architecture and tasty Italian cuisine. The city of Como, which is located on Lake tour will feature the city’s lovely Parco Civico, Como (part of Italy’s famed Lake District). which lines Lake Lugano; the Church of St. Writers from Hemingway to Goethe have Mary of the Angels, which is known for its immortalized the ethereal beauty of this 16th-century frescoes by Bernardino Luini; area, and even their words cannot seem to and the St. Lawrence Cathedral. do it justice! Your guided tour of Lugano will finish just Before arriving to Como, your group will before lunchtime. At its conclusion, the visit a villa for a tasting of locally-produced remainder of the day is free for you to wine and olive oil. After checking in to the explore Lugano on your own. For group hotel in Como, take some time to relax and members interested in spending the freshen up before tonight’s group dinner. afternoon on Lake Lugano, it is a paradise for water sports fans. Windsurfing, water skiing, DAY 5 • LAKE COMO sailing, scuba diving, and swimming are all Today your group will spend popular water sports in the area. Another the day exploring Lake fantastic option is to rent a bicycle and Como and the pretty villages explore the tiny villages in Lugano’s vicinity. that surround it. While it is certainly true This area is home to more biking paths than that Lake Como (much like Lake Lugano, anywhere else in Switzerland. It is easy to Lake Maggiore and Lake Garda) is a rent a bike at the railway station in Lugano. favorite retreat for the rich and famous, it Possible villages to consider visiting include is also a paradise for nature lovers. This is a Ponte Capriasca, Tesserete, Colla, Sonvico, day to get outside and experience the Dino and Ponte di Valle. And should you beautiful surroundings of Italy's northern prefer to stay and simply relax in Lugano, landscape! there is plenty of shopping to be had; check Following breakfast, strap on your walking finishes, if your group has time this shoes and travel by private coach to an afternoon; we recommend visiting either area of beautiful hiking trails. You are in for the town of Varenna or Menaggio with some truly gorgeous views of mountains your private bus. Alternatively, if you unfolding into low woodlands and sparkling prefer to hang around and relax in Como, lakeshore. you could always ride the funicular to the village of Brunate for some amazing views After soaking up the natural beauty and of Lake Como. fresh air, transfer to the town of Bellagio where you have time on your own to enjoy Your last evening on the lake is yours to a well-deserved lunch at a local cafe. Many enjoy as you see fit. consider this the most beautiful part of the DAY 7 • COMO - MILAN lake. After lunch spend the afternoon exploring Bellagio before returning to After breakfast and check- Como by private coach with your group out, your group will travel members. (Alternatively, should someone south to Milan, the financial want to leave earlier or stay longer, there and fashion capital of Italy. Upon arrival to are ferry boats that run across the lake as the city center, a local guide will meet your well as public buses). group and lead it on a 2-hour panoramic tour of Milan. Afterwards, the afternoon is Enjoy an evening at leisure in Como. yours to soak up Milanese culture. If you DAY 6 • COMO – are an art fan; consider paying a visit to the COOKING CLASS Church of Santa Maria delle Grazie. This UNESCO World Heritage Site houses After breakfast in the hotel, Leonardo di Vinci’s 15th-century mural The today your group will learn Last Supper. Alternatively, you could visit all about Northern Italian cuisine during a the Pinacoteca di Brera, one of the finest private cooking class in a local restaurant. art museums in all of Italy. Inside you can Although you can find delicious Italian see medieval and renaissance masterpieces specialties like pizza and lasagna all over by Raphael, Caravaggio and Piero della the country, you will discover there is a Francesca. History buffs should check out wide array of local dishes worth sampling! the Castello Sforzesco, and opera lovers Follow along as your chef-instructor shares can visit the museum of Milan’s La Scala the subtleties of how to prepare Northern Opera House.