Pre-Tour - September 15th, 2023 - Arrive into Geneva International Airport and spend the day getting rested up and adjusted to the time change before we meet up the following morning to start the tour.

Day 1 - September 16th - This morning we will meet up at our Geneva International Airport accommodation and then make our way along the north shore of Lake Geneva to Lausanne. Lausanne is extremely picturesque with the town being built on three hills, surrounded by vineyard-covered slopes, with Lake Geneva at its feet. The attractive old town is largely pedestrianized with small alleyways with cafés and boutiques shaping the streetscape in the medieval city centre. After some time to explore, we will meet up for Afternoon Tea at Hotel d'Angleterre. After tea we will have a Walking Tour of Lausanne where we learn about the secrets and fascinating stories behind some of the most impressive buildings in the city including Château Saint-Marie or even the Palais Rumine. After a delightful day in Lausanne we continue along the shores of Lake Geneva to Montreax to get checked into our accommodation before dinner. Welcoming Dinner and Overnight Montreax. (B,L,D)

Day 2 - This morning we visit Chillon Castle on its rocky platform overlooking Lake Geneva. The history of the site dates back to the Bronze Age, but the present castle's history is marked by three great periods: those of the Savoy family, the Bernese Bailiffs and the Canton of Vaud ranging from the 12th century to present day. We will have a guided tour of the castle including the 13th-Century Gothic Cathedral which is one of Chillon’s most unique features. We will also explore the Dungeon where Bonivard, who was immortalised by Lord Byron as the hero of his 19th- century poem, The Prisoner of Chillon was imprisoned. Following our tour we will have a Gourmet Lunch and Wine Tasting in Café Byron. We then return to Montreax where you will have the rest of the afternoon and free to take in one of the many eateries to be found around the city. The city is a grand, Aristocratic 19th-Century Resort Town with a balmy microclimate and extraordinary lake and mountain scenery, but it also has its raffish side. You may want to take the Cog Railway to the 4, 200 feet Rochers-de-Naye Peak as it winds ever higher above the lake, with increasingly glorious views over the surrounding Alps. Overnight Montreax. (B,L)

Day 3 - This morning as we make our way to Zermatt we stop at the Abbaye de Saint-Maurice d'Agaune. The abbey tells an extraordinary story of a miraculously preserved, living religious community that bears sole witness to a spiritual and cultural activity that is not found anywhere else in the western Christian world. Our visit starts from the current Basilica which dates back to the 17th Century and was restored and enlarged in the mid-20th Century. After the Archaeological Site, we visit the Catacombs and then the Abbey Treasure. We then continue along the upper Rhône Valley to Martigny to view the Roman Amphitheatre, but more importantly to see the St Bernard Museum 'Musée et Chiens du Saint Bernard' and visit the world-famous St. Bernard Hospice Dogs! We will have Lunch at Le Collier d'Or before visiting the dogs. We will make a last stop in Sion, dominated by two rocky peaks, each crowned with episcopal fortresses. We then continue on to Täsch just a few miles outside of Zermatt where we take the shuttle train to this resort town at the foot of the Matterhorn. Traditional Fondue Dinner and Overnight Zermatt. (B,L,D)

Day 4 - Zermatt lies at the foot of the highest mountains in the entire Alpine mountain range with the Matterhorn, Weisshorn and Monte Rosa. We will start the day by taking Europe’s Highest Open-Air Cog Railway that will take us direct from Zermatt Station to the Summit of the Gornergrat. The ride takes 33 minutes and requires a vertical climb of almost a mile over dramatic bridges, through galleries and tunnels, across forests of larch and Swiss stone pine, and past rocky ravines and mountain lakes! The panorama is among the finest in the world and takes in the Monte Rosa massif with Switzerland’s Highest Peak at a little over 15,000 feet! It also takes in the Second-Largest Glacier in the Alps, the Gorner Glacier, and a total of 29 mountains above 12,000 feet, including, of course, the Matterhorn in all its glory! We will Lunch at Europe's Highest Hotel, the 3100 Kulmhotel Gornergrat before making our way back to Zermatt where you will have the afternoon and evening free. In the old village, beside the Grand Hotel Zermatterhof, about 30 ancient buildings show the traditional building style of the Original Walser Residents. The barns and grain stores, up to 500 years old, are a piece of living history and reveal how the mountain farmers of Zermatt once lived. You will be spoilt for choice at all the eateries to be found in the resort. Overnight Zermatt. (B,L)

Day 5 - This morning we make our way to Bellinzona from Täsch for a scenic drive through Brig, where we will commence our ascent of the Simplon Pass, taking in magnificent views over the Alps from the 6,000 foot summit. We will pass into the Italian Alps making our day mostly about spectacular scenery with many stops along the way. We will stop along the Vigezzo known as the Valley of the Painters on our way to Santa Maria Maggiore, the capitol of the valley. You can find some lunch in Santa Maria before we visit the unusual and fascinating Chimney Sweep Museum in the grounds of the magnificent Villa Antonia displaying artefacts, pictures and published material testifying to the trade which for centuries provided a livelihood for local emigrants to other countries. We will also visit the Art School Museum, founded in 1868 by Gian Maria Rossetti Valentini, which houses an extensive gallery exhibiting the works of the major painters of the Vigezzo Valley. We then continue on through more spectacular scenery before finally reaching Bellinzona where we check into our accommodation before dinner. Dinner and Overnight Bellinzona. (B,D)

Day 6 - This morning we visit the Three Castles at Bellinzona, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in the Italian Speaking Region of Switzerland. Castelgrande, also known as Castello di San Michele or Burg Uri, is the oldest of these 13th century castles with two towers, Torre Nera and Torre Bianca which dominate Bellinzona's Old Town. Castello Montebello, also known as Schwyz or San Martino, and the castle with the highest elevation, Corbaro Sasso – once known as Unterwalden or Santa Barbara, are among the best preserved medieval castles in Switzerland. After a tour of the site, we make our way through the Grisons Region with a stop in San Bernardino. Bogs, pine trees and a special flora lend San Bernardino a unique atmosphere. The wet meadows around the village produce a wetland flora that boasts the largest number of species in the southern part of the Alps. We then follow the young Rhine River with a stop in Tiefecastel for Lunch before heading further east towards the Julier Pass and the glamorous resort of St. Moritz, set in the Engadine Valley with the majestic Grisons Alps towering above! Dinner and Overnight St Moritz. (B,L,D)

Day 7 - Today you will have the entire morning free to soak in the atmosphere of this lovely Alpine Resort. St. Moritz. Some places are simply unlike any other the mere mention of their name summons up vivid images and emotions. St. Moritz is one such place. Its unique appeal began long before the days when Roger Moore raced down the slopes as James Bond, Alfred Hitchcock was inspired by Engadin’s Black Crows and Gunter Sachs and Brigitte Bardot whispered sweet nothings to each other in the snow. It first became famous thanks to its mineral springs, which were discovered 3,000 years ago and established the town as a summer spa resort early on. After some exploration on your own we take an excursion through the Stazerwald Forest in a Horse Drawn Carriage and stop to have Lunch in the Meierei Restaurant, near St. Moritz Lake. You will then have the rest of the day and evening for more exploration. You can shop until you drop, visit the museums, have some Swiss Hot Chocolate, take one of several nature walks and hikes or just catch up on your travel diary, read a book or just get rested up for the second half of the tour! Overnight St Moritz. (B,L)

Day 8 - This morning we start our journey to Lucerne with a stop in Old Town Chur, one of the best preserved towns in Switzerland. Chur is the Oldest Town in Switzerland with a settlement going back over 5,000 years. We will Take a Walking Tour of the Town as we stroll through the lively centre into the twisting streets of the old town and up to its 800-Year-Old Cathedral. After thoroughly exploring Chur we will stop for lunch and then make our way a few miles further up the road to Seilbahn Palfries to take the Palfries Cable Car with an ascent over the waterfalls of the Ragnatscherbach with its steep cliffs, treetops and meadows. Once at the top of the Palfries Plateau, a wonderful panorama and a large network of walking and hiking trails await. After some spectacular views and some exploration, the cable car brings us back to the valley station with unforgettable impressions! Our drive then takes along Lake Walenstadt, one of the larger lakes in Switzerland. Then Lake Obersee and Lake Zürich before reaching Lucerne where we find our accommodation and dinner waiting. Dinner and Overnight Lucerne. (B,L,D)

Day 9 - Today we will spend the afternoon and evening in Zürich with a few morning pursuits. Our first stop will be Lindt Home of Chocolate in Kilchberg. The brand new Lindt Visitors’ Centre is home to the world’s Tallest Freestanding Chocolate Fountain at just over 30 feet tall with roughly 1.4 tonnes of chocolate pumping through it! We will have a tour of the centre before making our way to the Tasting Room and the Shop! We then head to north of Zürich to see Rhine Falls, the most Powerful Waterfall in Europe! In order to get the very best of the falls, we take a boat ride to Rhine Falls Rock bringing us as close to the falls as you can get! You can disembark the boat and walk up to the top of the rock for an opportunity not to be missed as surrounded by churning water, you are treated to a unique 360° Panoramic View! From here we make our way into the centre of Zürich on the north shore of Lake Zürich, It has a unique mix of well-preserved Old Town and hectic modern life having a magnificent view of the Snowy Swiss Alps. We will take a Walking Tour of Zürich taking in the shopping center of Bahnhofstrasse, traffic core of Paradeplatz Square, the Fraumunster Church and stroll through Niederdorf, the Old Town. We will admire the panoramic scene over Zurich Lake before Dinner on the Lake. We then return to Lucerne. Overnight Lucerne. (B,D)

Day 10 - This morning we discover the delights of Lucerne and Lake Lucerne with Kapellbrücke or Chapel Bridge, a covered wooden footbridge spanning the River Reuss diagonally in the city of Lucerne. The bridge was built in 1333 and is one of the oldest wooden bridges in Europe. Part of the bridge is the 'Water Tower', not because it holds water but because it stands on water. The tower is older that the bridge by some 30 years and was used as a prison and also as archive. On the right bank of the Reuss is Lucerne’s historic core with its sequence of squares hemmed by tall painted houses and linked by cobblestone shopping streets. We explore for a while before Stopping for Afternoon Tea at The Queen Camellia Tea Room. This afternoon we take the Vitznau – Rigi Kulm Cogwheel Railway, Europe's first mountain railway opened in 1871. We will take a boat to Vitznau and then from the shore of Lake Lucerne we will take the cogwheel to Rigi Kulm. As we approach Rigi Staffelhöhe, the scenery changes as Central Switzerland comes into view, and you can see as far as the Jura Mountains, the Black Forest and the Vosges, with Lake Zug down below. We then return to Lucerne where you have the evening free for dinner. Lucerne is a wonderful place for both chocolate and timepieces! Overnight Lucerne. (B,L)

Day 11 - This morning we make our way to my very favourite place anywhere in Switzerland, Lauterbrunnen. We will take a detour to take in Mount Stanserhorn when we step aboard a Funicular Railway and Open Top Cable Car for a spectacular journey to the stunning summit! Here you can admire unrivalled views of the surrounding mountains and, on a clear day see as far as Alsace in France and the Black Forest in Germany. Then we male our way to Sachseln Village and then to Älggi Alpto to visit the Geographical Center of Switzerland. We will then stop in Interlaken, one of the oldest, best known, and most popular resorts in Switzerland for a Late Lunch. With Lakes Thun and Brienz at either side of the town, it is a sparkling jewel in the mountainous Bernese Oberland region of central Switzerland. From here we male our way south to Lauterbrunnen where we get checked into our accommodation before dinner. Lauterbrunnen is situated in one of the most impressive trough valleys in the Alps, between gigantic rock faces and mountain peaks. With its 72 thundering waterfalls, secluded valleys, colourful alpine meadows and lonely mountain inns, the Lauterbrunnen Valley is one of the biggest nature conservation areas in Switzerland! Dinner and Overnight Lauterbrunnen. (B,L,D)

Day 12 - Lauterbrunnen's most famous waterfall is Staubbach Falls, plunging almost 1000 feet from an overhanging rock face, making them one of the Highest Free-Falling Waterfalls in Europe! After checking out the falls we will explore Lauterbrunnen for a while before taking in Trümmelbach Falls, Europe's Largest Subterranean Waterfalls and the world's only glacier waterfalls that are accessible underground by lift, galleries, tunnels, paths and platforms. This afternoon we head to Grindelwald for Lunch and some sightseeing. This Glacier Village lies in a valley situated in the Bernese Oberland on the northern side of the Alps and is surrounded by the spectacular mountain trio 'Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau'. There is probably not another town in Switzerland that is as post card perfect as it is, blessed with stunning surroundings making it the perfect place to enjoy Switzerland’s natural beauty and charm. We will take plenty of time to experience all of Grindelwald's charms before making our way back to Lauterbrunnen where you will have the evening free to explore the main eateries here. Overnight Lauterbrunnen. (B,L)

Day 13 - Today we make a full day of enjoying the Jungfrau Experience. The experience includes traveling to Europe’s Highest Railway Station at an altitude 6,762 feet called Kleine Scheidegg. From here we take the Cogwheel Train to the Summit of the Jungfrau at 11,332 feet where we will have spectacular views of the surrounding mountains and on a clear day can see into Germany and France. Looking west you will see the Largest Glacier of Europe, the Aletsch Glacier. As one of the Bernese Oberland’s ultimate excursions, the Jungfraujoch is truly an unforgettable experience. After taking in the spectacular views we will find some lunch before visiting the Ice Palace with its many ice sculptures to admire. There is also a Lindt Swiss Chocolate Heaven and the Alpine Sensation, a moving walkway with images, light and music and a lift that takes you 350 feet further up to the Sphinx Observatory where you can enjoy a 360° view from both the terrace and from the comfort of a building with panoramic windows! After a full days outing we return to Lauterbrunnen. In case you did not get enough spectacular views today we will take a Cableway Car from Stechelberg to the Schilthorn Revolving Restaurant at the summit for Dinner. Dinner and Overnight Lauterbrunnen. (B,L,D)

Day 14 - We will have a leisurely start this morning as we make our way to Bern. We will travel along Thunnersee or Lake Thun for part of the way before reaching Oberhoven Castle. The impressive keep of the former fortress of Oberhofen was likely built in the early 13th Century, but in the 14th Century, it belonged to the Habsburgs and then later on the Scharnachthal Dynasty. In 1844 the castle was bought and converted to a summer residence by the aristocratic Pourtalès Family from Neuchatel and Prussia and that is what we will see today. The Castle Park is one of the most magnificent Gardens in the Alpine region with its striking tree formations, exotic wood plants, covered walkway and colourful flower parterres. We will Lunch in the Castle Restaurant before continuing on to Bern, the Capitol of Switzerland. The medieval air of this city with its many fountains, sandstone facades, narrow streets and historic towers is unique with its old town round which the River Aare flows. The boutiques, bars and cabaret stages of the old town, some of which are located in vaulted cellars, and the small street cafés attract locals as well as a lot of tourists. After experience this lovely city we get checked into our accommodation before we are out for mountain romance in the middle of the city! In the garden of the Marzilibrücke Restaurant where four Pretty Cable Cars are waiting to serve us a fondue. It’s a feast for both the eyes and the tastebuds as the gondolas are charmingly decorated with red and white chequered curtains and authentic accessories. Dinner and Overnight Bern. (B,L,D)

Day 15 - Our travels continue into the wide, green valleys of the Vaud Alps with snowy summits filling the horizon as we make our way through vineyards and alpine meadows to the fortified town of Gruyères, that gives its name to the well- known cheese. This medieval town offers a cultural and gastronomical journey as the pedestrian town welcomes you to a gentle stroll, with its cobblestones and its fountains. The Cheese Dairy La Maison du Gruyère in Pringy presents the famous Gruyère Cheese Making Process Experience with an interactive tour that reveals the secrets of this tasty creation, which can be enjoyed at the end of the visit. La Chocolaterie de Gruyères is also a must stop before Lunch at Auberge de la Halle for their signature dish 'Soupe de Chalet'. After lunch we make our way to the Terraced Vineyards of Lavaux. Within the heart of the terraces we find the winery of Cave de Moratel, a family business for 3 generations and entirely located within the Appellation Area of Epesses. They cultivate White Chasselas and Viognier, and Red Pinot Noir and Diolinoir, all varieties which are especially well suited to the sunny terraces of Lavaux. After a tour and a taste we make our way into Geneva where we have dinner after settling into our hotel. Overnight Geneva.(B,L,D)

Day 16 - Like the swans that frolic on its eponymous Alpine Lake which is Europe's largest, Genève is a rare bird. The World Trade Organization, World Health Organization, International Committee of the Red Cross, the second-largest branches of the United Nations and World Bank are here as well as an overload of luxury hotels, boutiques, jewellers, restaurants and chocolatiers. Geneva's counterculture dwells in Les Grottes, the Quartier des Pâquis and along the post-industrial Rhône where neighbourhood bars hum with attitude and energy. To take full advantage of this we will have a Guided Tour of Geneva this morning to familiarize ourselves with the city. We will discover the Old Town of Geneva, the largest historical site in Switzerland, dominated by St. Peter's Cathedral. We will explore the cities narrow streets leading to charming terraces where very street corner holds secret stories and historical treasures that will be revealed to you by our guide. After Lunch on the Water we visit Carouge, Geneva's 'Greenwich Village'. We will meet the artisans, artists and others who make Carouge such a charming place. Its shaded squares are amazingly reminiscent of Italy, despite being just a few minutes from the city centre. After a day of exploring together we will take a few hours to explore on our own before gathering for our Farewell Dinner on our last night together. Farewell Dinner and Overnight Geneva. (B,L,D)

Day 17 - October 2nd - This morning we return you to the Geneva International Airport for your journey home.