Compare The Switzerland - Heartland Untour by Untours vs Walking and E-biking in the Swiss Alps by Exodus Travels
Compare details and see what other travelers are saying.
| Trip |
5 | Excellent
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5 | Excellent
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| Duration | 7 days | 8 days |
| Price From | $ 1,319 | $ 2,435 |
| Price Per Day | $ 188 | $ 304 |
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| Trip Style | Self-guided tour | Self-guided tour |
| Lodging Level | Standard | Standard |
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| Flights & Transport | Ground transport included | No |
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| Meals Included | N/A | All meals are included throughout the trip, including picnic lunches. For dinner enjoy regional dishes and fine wines in Nico's restaurant. At the beginning of each set of notes we advise on the lunch situation and suggest good picnic spots. You can obtain supplies daily from the hotel's picnic buffet or you can return to the hotel for a light lunch. We suggest you to carry 1-5 litres water per person, there are often benches for resting and admiring the views. There are also mountain restaurants with sun-trap terraces. With such a mixture of language and tradition co-existing in such a small country, it is no wonder that there are so many regional dishes. In the Bernese Oberland, Austrian and German influences predominate; gastronomic local delicacies include geschnetzeltes Kalbsfleisch (veal in a rich cream sauce), Kandersteger Bratwurst au Mad re-Jus (roast sausage with a Madeira sauce), Lammbraten gefüllt mit Kraütern (herb roasted lamb) and smoked pork with sauerkraut, and a selection of colourful salads. Typical desserts include Caramel-Birne mit Rum-Sabayon (caramelised pear with a rum sabayon) and Aprikosen-Symphonie (apricot gateau). |
| Description |
Reserve your Switzerland Untours vacation package now and look forward to hiking, mountain views, and breathtaking scenery. From the Alpine farming villages where you will make your home to mountain peaks and cosmopolitan cities, it's all yours in the Swiss Heartland. Stay in a chalet apartment with warm hospitality and good access to buses and trains. Day trip options: the towns of Bern, Thun, Brienz, Interlaken, Basel, Luzern, Zürich, Geneva, and Lausanne; the peaks of the Schilthorn, Jungfraujoch, Pilatus, Titlis, and many more! |
Awe-inspiring and dramatic, the area epitomises the 'chocolate-box' Alps: lush green pastures and lowland slopes carpeted bright with wildflowers against a backdrop of rugged mountains - all topped off with sun-glistening glaciers. On this 7 night holiday you can explore the best the region has to offer on foot and by e-bike. This single centre holiday is totally flexible, we have suggested an itinerary for you but on this holiday you are free to pick and choose where you walk and cycle each day. A stay here uncovers the very best of the region: on foot the stunning Oeschinensee mountain lake enclosed by towering cliffs, the Sudrampe; high above the youthful river Rhone passing tradtional Swiss chalets along a fertile valley and superb railway engineering with impressive viaducts tunnels and bridges and an easy stroll to the beautiful Blausee Blue Lake. You can use the extra power that the e-bike has to offer to discover the hidden Gasterntal Valley with its glacial meltwaters thundering down a narrow gorge, the glorious Gemmi Pass crossing the swiss counties of Bern and Wallis before reaching the crystal clear waters of Lake Arven and Daubensee Lake and the spectacular views of the Bluemlisalp mountain range. Did we mention the spectacular views? One moment you will be spellbound by the glacial legacy, whilst in another it will be the cobalt blue of the Oeschinensee that will take your breath away. Woodlands, pine forest and open meadows are decorated with lady slippers, fire lilies and more than 25 varieties of scented orchid, where you walk to the the tuneful ringing of cowbells. With the company of the occasional swooping eagle, it is easy to feel on top of the world.In the heart of the Bernese Oberland lies the pretty village of Kandersteg, where the great arc of the Alps culminates in some of its highest and most spectacular peaks. |
What To Do On Your Swiss Heartland Vacation
Day trips and sightseeing: Between charming towns, museums with world-class collections, gorgeous lakes, snow-capped mountains, hiking and good wine and food, you will wish you had booked a several-months' trip. There is so much to do in Switzerland that we list just a few of the many possibilities: There are the cultured cities of Bern, Thun, Brienz, Interlaken, Basel, Luzern, Zürich, Geneva, Lausanne, Montreux, St. Gallen, Locarno and Lugano. Switzerland has many lakes and rivers to visit: Lake Brienz, Lake Thun, Lake Luzern, Lake Geneva, Lake Zürich, Lake Zug, Lake Lugano, Lake Maggiore, Lake Biel, Lake Constance, the Aare River and the Rhine River. Alpine highs not to be missed: Schilthorn, Jungfraujoch, Schynige Platte, Pilatus, Titlis, Stanserhorn, Schönbüel, Brienzer Rothorn, Balmeregghorn, Planplatten.
Switzerland has some of the finest museums on the Continent including the Kunstmuseum in Bern, the Sammlung Rosengart, the Picasso Museum and the Verkehrshaus (Transportation Museum) in Luzern, the Kunstmuseum in Zürich, the Fondation Beyeler in Basel, the Ballenberg Open-Air Museum near Brienz, the Hergiswil Glass Factory, and the Olympic Museum in Lausanne. Castles in Spiez, Thun, Oberhofen, Gruyères, and Chateau de Chillon are great trips and you can often combine them with a famous rail journeys: Golden Pass Panoramic Express, Glacier Express, Bernina Express.
Off-the-beaten-track attractions that can’t be beat: Seeing and tasting Swiss cheese made on a family-operated farm in the Alps, listening to local musicians and yodlers at our farewell get-together, buying fresh bread at your local bakery, hearing a (free) symphony of cowbells as you stroll to your home-away-from-home after a dinner at a lakeside restaurant. buying fresh fruits, vegetables, flowers and cheese at the local open air market..
Day 1 Arrive Kandersteg
Arrive at the 3-star Hotel Alfa Soleil, well known locally for its excellent cuisine and enjoy a welcome drink before dinner. Dinner is included all week along with picnics or light restaurant lunches. Below is a suggested itinerary for the week but you are free to pick and choose where you walk and cycle each day, just be sure to check the e-bike availability with the hotel as they have been reserved for your on the days specified in the itinerary.
Day 2 Sudrampe Walk
Today starts with a 25-minute train ride (payable locally) through the Lotschberg mountain rail tunnel (14km long) to Hohtenn. The walk takes you high above a youthful River Rhone, through a landscape of gorges and hidden side valleys - and small hillside villages boasting traditional wooden chalets built on the upper edges of this fertile, vineyard-adorned valley. You follow part of the Lotschberger-Sudrampe railway trail - superb railway engineering with impressive viaducts, tunnels and bridges - but you don't need to be a train buff to enjoy this great little hike. A shorter walk is also available.
Day 3 Gasterntal Valley by e-bike
Today it's a glorious bike ride into the unspoiled landscape of Gasterntal. With your e-bike follow the route along the river Kander taking the steep, unpaved road up to the Gasterntal, offering the most breath taking views. The road continues through the valley to Selden or you can carry on to Heimritz. The descent passes through dark tunnels as you head back to Kandersteg.
Day 4 Oeschinensee Walk
Widely regarded as the jewel in the crown of the Bernese Oberland, Oeschinensee is one of the most beautiful Alpine lakes in Switzerland. After a short ride up on the gondola lift (included), follow a marvellous mountain path up to the Heuberg Viewpoint and picnic spot. The cobalt blue water of the lake, surrounded by the snow-capped, razor-edged peaks of the Doldenhorn (3,638m) and the Bluemlisalphorn (3,663m) towering 2,000m above, will be a lasting memory. Call in at the mountain chalets at Obberbargli and Underbargli for refreshments and soak up this unforgettable scenery as bell-toting cows munch at the grass in the pastures below, while dainty waterfalls trickle down from the Frunden Glacier.
Day 5 Blausee Blue Lake Walk
A gentle hour's stroll takes you down to the Natural Park of Blausee - the Blue Lake (discounted entry with short boat ride). Here you can wander through verdant woodland around the little lake, visit the organic trout farm and enjoy a drink on the lake terrace before returning to the hotel.
Day 6 Gemmi Pass by e-bike
A glorious bike ride through the impressive Gemmi pass today. You'll soon discover the benefit of an e-bike as you cross the two Swiss counties of Bern and Wallis passing the crystal-clear Lake Arven, as well as the famous Schwarenbach hotel and the stunning Daubensee lake. Reaching the summit of the Gemmi pass take in the spectacular views of the eleven peaks above 4000m that make up the imposing Mischabel massif, an ample reward for your efforts.
Day 7 Ueschinental/Allmenalp by e-bike
Glorious views of the Bluemlisalp mountain range today. Climb uphill from Kandersteg with steep curves on the paved path to Usser Ueschinen where you head right in the direction of Ryharts - Allmenalp. Continue your ascent where you are rewarded for your efforts with more impressive views. Descend from the Allmenalp or if you fancy a rest, you and your bike can use the cable car and then enjoy the easy bike ride back to Kandersteg via Ryharts - Usser Ueschinen.
Day 8 Depart Kandersteg
The tour ends in Kandersteg.
