Compare Switzerland in a Nutshell: Cities and Peaks by Train by Road Scholar vs Switzerland in 8 days - Enchanting Alps & Glacier Scenic Railway - Exoticca Group Sup. by Exoticca

Day 1
In Transit to Program
In Flight

Day 2
Arrive, Check-in, Orientation, Welcome Dinner
Zurich L,D Sorell Hotel Seefeld
Activity note: Check-in available from 2:00 p.m.

Lunch: Light lunch at a restaurant close to the hotel. Unless otherwise noted, lunches on this program are typically a two-course set menu. Please note that water is included in the program cost at all meals.

Afternoon: Time to relax or take a stroll on your own in Zurich. Then attend a Program Orientation to introduce you to the program and each other. Your Group Leader will greet everyone and lead introductions. We will review the program theme, the up-to-date Daily Schedule and any changes, discuss safety guidelines, emergency procedures, roles and responsibilities, and answer any questions you may have. Indicated times are approximate. Program activities, schedules, and personnel may need to change due to local circumstances. In the event of changes, we will alert you as quickly as possible. Thank you for your understanding.

Dinner: Welcome dinner at the hotel. Unless otherwise noted, dinners on this program are typically a three-course set menu.

Evening: At leisure.

Day 3
Introduction to Switzerland, Free Time in Zurich
Zurich B,L Sorell Hotel Seefeld
Breakfast: Hotel dining room. On this program, breakfasts will offer a typical European style breakfast buffet with breads, cheeses, cold-cuts, yogurt, fruit, cereals, juice, milk, coffee, tea and water.

Morning: Attend a lecture: "Switzerland's Cultural Regions, Geography and History." Then take an expert-led walk in the Old Town of Zurich.

Lunch: Hotel dining room or on a boat on Lake Zurich.

Afternoon: Visit the Fraumünster church to see the beautiful Chagall windows. Afterwards, enjoy free time to explore the city or visit a museum. Take this opportunity for personal independent exploration to see and do what interests you most. Please refer to the list of Free Time Opportunities, which can be found in the first Information Packet. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions and give directions.

Dinner: Explore local fare on your own.

Evening: At leisure.

Day 4
Transfer to Chur via Appenzell and St. Gallen
Chur B,L,D Romantik Hotel Stern
Activity note: Your luggage will be transported via bus directly to the hotel.

Breakfast: Hotel dining room.

Morning: Transfer by train to Appenzell. Enjoy the ride through the picturesque rural area. Take a short walk in town with its painted facades, followed by another ride on the little "Appenzeller-train" to St. Gallen.

Lunch: Enjoy a typical Swiss lunch at a restaurant in St. Gallen.

Afternoon: Expert-led visit to the Baroque Abbey District of St. Gallen. The convent is a perfect example of a great Carolingian monastery. The library is one of the richest and oldest in the world and contains precious manuscripts. In the late afternoon, take a train to Chur through the Rhine River valley. Check-in at the hotel.

Dinner: Hotel dining room or a local restaurant near the hotel.

Evening: At leisure.

Day 5
Chur, Transfer by Glacier Express to Brig
Brig B,L,D Schlosshotel Art Furrer
Activity note: Your luggage will be transported with you on the train to Brig.

Breakfast: Hotel dining room.

Morning: Expert-led visit to the Old Town of Chur. Walk by the modern railway station, through the town center, and stroll along the narrow winding streets. Afterwards, enjoy a spectacular ride on the Glacier Express from Chur to Brig. The most famous railway in Switzerland, it runs through untouched mountain landscapes, deep gorges, delightful valleys, 91 tunnels, and across 291 impressive bridges.

Lunch: On the Glacier Express train.

Afternoon: Arrive in Brig and check-in at the hotel.

Dinner: Enjoy a Swiss cheese speciality, "Fondue."

Evening: At leisure.

Day 6
Stockalper Castle
Brig B Schlosshotel Art Furrer
Breakfast: Hotel dining room.

Morning: Attend a lecture on the Alps entitled "Geography, Culture and Challenges." Then take an expert-led visit to Stockalper Castle. Built in the 17th century by Kaspar Stockalper, the castle has an impressive courtyard, palace halls, chapel and gardens.

Lunch: Explore local fare on your own.

Afternoon: Free time this afternoon to explore the picturesque Old Town of Brig. Take this opportunity for personal independent exploration to see and do what interests you most. Please refer to the list of Free Time Opportunities, which can be found in the first Information Packet. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions and give directions.

Dinner: Explore local fare on your own.

Evening: At leisure.

Day 7
Matterhorn, Transfer to Lausanne, Wine Tasting
Lausanne B,L,D Hotel des Voyageurs
Activity note: Your luggage will be transported via bus directly to the hotel. If weather does not permit the group to take the underground funicular, you will visit the Matterhorn Museum in Zermatt instead.

Breakfast: Hotel dining room.

Morning: Take the Glacier Express to Zermatt, a car-free mountain village where you'll find quaint cobbled alleyways, ancient sun browned barns, and traditional chalets. On a beautiful day you will take the cogwheel train from which you can admire the breathtaking panorama of a range of snowcapped high peaks, including the famous Matterhorn. If there is bad weather, we will visit the Matterhorn Museum in Zermatt instead, which presents the history, culture and growth of Zermatt, including the story of the first climbers to ascend the Matterhorn.

Lunch: Enjoy a local specialty at a restaurant in Zermatt.

Afternoon: Have some free time in Zermatt before riding the train down the Rhone Valley, Swiss wine country, and through the vineyards on Lake Geneva to Lausanne. Check-in at the hotel.

Dinner: At a local restaurant with a wine tasting.

Evening: At leisure.

Day 8
Lausanne, Lake Geneva
Lausanne B,D Hotel des Voyageurs
Breakfast: Hotel dining room.

Morning: Take an expert-led visit to the Old Town of Lausanne, and its cathedral, the largest gothic cathedral in Switzerland. Then attend a lecture about French-speaking Switzerland.

Lunch: Explore local fare on your own.

Afternoon: Enjoy a free afternoon on your own. Take this opportunity for personal independent exploration to see and do what interests you most. Please refer to the list of Free Time Opportunities, which can be found in the first Information Packet. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions and give directions. We recommend a museum visit, or a cruise on Lake Geneva!

Dinner: At a local restaurant.

Evening: At leisure.

Day 9
Transfer to Basel, Jura Mountains
Basel B,L Hotel Bildungszentrum 21
Breakfast: Hotel dining room.

Morning: Enjoy a scenic train ride to Basel along Lake Biel, Lake Neuchâtel, and through the Jura Mountains.

Lunch: Packed lunch on the train.

Afternoon: Check-in at the hotel. Then attend a lecture entitled "Basel and the Arts." Learn about Basel, the cultural heart of Switzerland. Afterwards, a short orientation will introduce you to different museums that you may wish to visit during free time.

Dinner: Explore local fare on your own.

Evening: Free evening to attend a concert or other cultural event. A list of available events will be provided by your Group Leader upon arrival in Basel.

Day 10
Basel - The Cultural Heart of Switzerland
Basel B,D Hotel Bildungszentrum 21
Breakfast: Hotel dining room.

Morning: Attend a short lecture and discussion: "Switzerland Today." Then take an expert-led field trip to the beautiful, well-preserved Medieval Old Town of Basel by public transport and on foot. Walk past the famous Tinguely fountain, the cathedral, Münsterplatz, City Hall, and through the winding streets and alleyways. The rest of the day is free to explore Basel on your own. Take this opportunity for personal independent exploration to see and do what interests you most. Please refer to the list of Free Time Opportunities, which can be found in the first Information Packet. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions and give directions.

Lunch: Explore local fare on your own.

Afternoon: Continue exploring Basel on your own.

Dinner: Farewell Dinner in the hotel dining room.

Evening: At leisure.

Day 11
Departures
In Flight B
Breakfast: Hotel dining room.

Morning: Departure to the Zürich-Kloten airport (ZRH) by taxi and train. This concludes our program. Please join our Facebook page and share photos of your program. Visit us at www.facebook.com/rsadventures.

Day 1: US - Night on board

Ready to discover the spectacular cities and landscapes of Switzerland? Arrive at your departure airport, ready to catch a flight to Zurich.* Night on board. * If either your outbound or inbound flights depart in the early hours (before 4:00 a.m.) you must arrive at the airport the night before the indicated departure day.

Day 2: Zurich

Touch down in Zurich, famous as a global center of finance on the north shore of beautiful Lake Zurich. Transfer to the hotel, get settled in and enjoy the remainder of the day at your leisure. Overnight stay in Zurich.

Day 3: Zurich - Bern - Thun - Interlaken

After breakfast at the hotel, a 2-hour walking tour of Zurich with a professional guide. Explore the atmospheric Old Town, see the 12th-century Grossmunster cathedral and stroll down bustling Bahnhofstrasse. Discover Paradeplatz, the 11th-century Fraumunster Church and stroll along the river banks at Limmatquai. Afterwards, set off for the Swiss capital of Bern, a small city known for its medieval old town. Upon arrival, enjoy a 2-hour guided city tour with a professional guide. Pass through the old town where you can admire the Zytglogge medieval clock tower, the beautiful Rose Garden and Parliament Square. See the Gothic-style Bern Cathedral and visit Bear Park, named after the brown bear which is the symbol of the city. Later on, pass through Thun before continuing to Interlaken, a traditional resort town in the mountainous Bernese Oberland region. Get settled at the hotel and enjoy the breathtaking mountain scenery and charming alpine architecture. Overnight stay in Interlaken.

Day 4: Interlaken - Zermatt

Breakfast at the hotel. Take a short panoramic tour with your driver through Interlaken this morning, one of Switzerland's most important resort towns. Later, transfer to Zermatt, in the shadow of the famous Matterhorn mountain! This car-free resort is a natural paradise where you can soak up the tranquillity of the Swiss mountains. Overnight stay in Zermatt.

Day 5: Zermatt

Breakfast at the hotel. Enjoy a day at your leisure in Zermatt. Admire the majestic silhouette of the Matterhorn or soak up the charming atmosphere of this Alpine town as you wander through its pretty streets, flanked by wooden architecture and chocolate-box style lodgings. One of the best ways to enjoy the beauty of the famous Matterhorn is to take the Gornergrat Cogwheel Railway, which reaches a maximum height of 3,100 metres above sea level for spectacular views of the mountain and surrounding scenery!* Overnight stay in Zermatt. * Tickets for the Gornergrat Cogwheel Railway can be purchased at the destination. Timetables for the service are available locally.

Day 6: Zermatt - St. Moritz by Glacier Express

Breakfast at the hotel. Prepare for an exciting day ahead as you set off on the famous Glacier Express*, one of the most scenic train rides in the world! Journey through the inspiring landscapes of the Alps as you travel from Zermatt to St. Moritz, an unforgettable journey of around 7.5 hours. Pass through 91 tunnels, across 291 bridges and climb as high as 2033 meters as the Glacier Express crosses the Oberalp Pass. The journey includes a three-course meal and the panoramic windows ensure ample opportunities to kick back and take in the views! Arrive in St. Moritz and transfer to the hotel. St. Moritz is the most luxurious alpine resort in Switzerland so be sure to get out and explore the upmarket eateries and glamorous streets. Overnight stay in St. Moritz. *The possibility to upgrade your seats to first class is available in the next step of the booking process.

Day 7: St. Moritz - Davos - Klosters - Bad Ragaz

Breakfast at the hotel. Free morning to explore St. Moritz at your leisure, famous for hosting the Winter Olympics twice and one of the most prominent ski resorts in Europe. Afterwards, head off to Davos, the highest town in the Swiss Alps. Enjoy this unique town, famous for holding the annual World Economic Forum before heading to Klosters which has a more laid-back atmosphere and boasts plenty of pretty wooden Alpine architecture. Afterwards, head to Bad Ragaz, one of Switzerland's most famous spa resorts. Spend the remainder of the day at your leisure. We recommend a visit to the Tamina Therme, a spa oasis that harnesses the healing properties of the thermal waters of Bad Ragaz. Overnight stay in Bad Ragaz.

Day 8: Bad Ragaz - Lucerne - Zurich

Breakfast at the hotel. Leave beautiful Bad Ragaz behind you today as you depart to Lucerne, an enchanting Swiss city filled with medieval architecture. Take in the views of Lake Lucerne and see St. Peter's Chapel, the Jesuit Church, the Lion Monument and the Chapel Bridge as you enjoy a 2-hour guided city tour, accompanied by a professional guide. Afterwards, continue your journey back to Zurich. On arrival, get settled at the hotel and enjoy your final evening in Switzerland. Overnight stay in Zurich.

Day 9: Zurich - US

Breakfast at the hotel.* Bid farewell to the charming culture and unforgettable landscapes of Switzerland. At the indicated time, transfer to the airport for your return flight back to the US.* Arrive in the US and end of your trip. * Depending on the return flight schedule and the hotel breakfast service, you may not be able to enjoy the included breakfast on the last day.