Swiss Rail Spectacular III

Day 1 : Basel

For guests travelling from Paris after breakfast you will transfer to the French TGV for a three-hour journey to Basel, Switzerland for an overnight stay at the GAIA hotel. For guests joining directly in Basel, transfers are own arrangements from Basel Airport to the GAIA hotel in the city centre. Tonight we enjoy a dinner in a local restaurant in Basel for all guests.

Day 2 : Basel  > St. Moritz

This morning join the Prestige Continental Express private train in Basel SBB Station. Once on board lunch is served as the train departs for the Swiss city of Landquart, where you will change to the narrow gauge Rhaetian Railway (RhB) and the Glacier & Bernina Pullman Express for the journey up to the exclusive alpine resort of St. Moritz. Journey through the Albula Pass between Filisur and St. Moritz, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Today your three-coach train will be hauled by the historic 108-year-old RhB electric locomotive Nr 353.

Day 3 : St. Moritz > Tirano > St. Moritz

Today travel along Switzerland’s famous Bernina Line to Tirano, Italy. From St. Moritz we travel in the Glacier & Bernina Pullman Express cars hauled by a unique and historic Bernina ‘Crocodil’ electric locomotive Nr 182, built 1928. During the final 17km of the journey cross the incredible spiral stone viaduct at Brusio. Once in Tirano, Italy spend time enjoying the Valtellina Valley and visit the Triacco Winery where you will have lunch, before retracing your steps by bus back to St. Moritz. Tonight enjoy a traditional Swiss dinner near to the Morteratsch Glacier.

Day 4 : St. Moritz > Andermatt

This morning depart St. Moritz for Andermatt on the Glacier & Bernina Pullman Express. Once again, you will enjoy the hospitality of the RhB’s historic Pullman train but today hauled by RhB ‘Crocodil’ Nr 414 or 415, built 1929. Your travels will take you by train through the Rheinschlucht Gorge, very close to the source of the Rhine River and across the Oberalp Pass to Andermatt, our stepping-stone for the Furka Pass. After checking-in to the exclusive five-star Chedi Andermatt hotel guests can either take advantage of the hotel’s extensive Spa & Wellness facilities or take an option to travel by bus along the Gotthard Pass to visit the huge Sasso Da Pigna Fortress that guarded it from 1943 onwards. Closed in 1998 it re-opened as the Gotthard Museum Sasso in 2012. Tonight you will have dinner in the town of Andermatt.

Day 5 : Furka Mountain Pass

Today you will cross one of the most beautiful mountain passes in the world, the Furka Pass. The Dampfbahn Furka-Bergstrecke (Furka Cogwheel Steam Railway) is a largely volunteer operated heritage railway which operates a partially rack and pinion operated line across the Furka Pass which peaks at 2,160 metres (7,086 feet) above sea level. The Furka Dampfbahn has been gradually brought back into service using original equipment and is now restored to its former glory. The 100-year-old steam locomotive will take us 740m (2,405ft) to the summit. Then descend under the Rhône glacier to Gletsch for lunch at the Hotel Castle Blitzingen, Niederwald. Mid-afternoon join the modern Glacier Express (First Class) to Zermatt, home of the Matterhorn.

Day 6 : Zermatt > Gornergrat > The Matterhorn > Zermatt

This morning in Zermatt is at your own leisure to enjoy time for walking through this delightful alpine village. Later take an exciting journey on the Gornergrat Railway on the Glacier Paullman Express attached to a Rack electric train. Travel to a height of 3,135 metres (10,285 feet) for the most incredible view of the Matterhorn. The Gornergrat is located between the Gornergletscher and Findelgletscher and offers a view of more than twenty peaks over 4,000 metres (13,123 feet). A raclette dinner will be taken at the Al Bosco Restaurant, Riffelalp Resort, at 2,222m (7,290 ft) before returning to Zermatt.

Day 7 : Bern > Grindelwald

We start the day descending from Zermatt on the panoramic cars of the regular Glacier Express before re-joining the steam-hauled Prestige Continental Express in Brig. From Brig we take lunch during our journey over the Lötschberg Pass before arriving into Bern. Here we enjoy a three hour tour of the city, including one hour by historic steam tram.

From Bern we continue under steam haulage on board the Prestige Continental Express to Interlaken, followed by short 9-mile bus journey to our hotel in the alpine resort of Grindelwald, where we base ourselves for the next five nights at the Hotel Gergwelt.

Day 8 : Interlaken > Jungfrau Region

Interlaken will act as the base for the next few days as you visit the magical Jungfrau alpine region of Switzerland. Today you will join a private steam train on the Ballenberg Dampfbahn to Meiringen and Innertkirchen.

From there you can choose to do one of the following activities:

Option 1: A 2 km walk through the spectacular Aareschlucht Gorge, followed a trip by Funicular to Reichenbach Falls. This picturesque area was made famous by Arthur Conan Doyle as the spot where he killed off both Sherlock Holmes and Professor Moriarty. After, you will visit the Sherlock Holmes Museum in Meiringen. Re-join your steam train which will return you to Interlaken.

Optional 2: You can decide to have a leisurely day by going straight from Innertkirchen to Reichenbach Falls, then visit the Sherlock Holmes Museum. More free time in Meiringen before returning to your train back to Interlaken.

Day 9 : Grindelwald

Today offers a morning at leisure where you can enjoy facilities of the hotel or wander around the quaint side streets of Grindelwald with time for souvenir shopping. Mid-afternoon you will depart by bus to Wilderswil before transferring to a special steam charter train on the picturesque Schynige Platte Bahn Rack Railway where you will visit the Botanical Alpine Garden.

Day 10 : Jungfraujoch > Grindelwald

Today a fantastic day of touring awaits as we take the spectacularly modern Eiger Express tri-cable gondola which ascends to the Eigergletscher Station in just 15 minutes. From here transfer to the ‘Jungfraubahn’ and its distinctive red and yellow carriages which takes you the final leg of the journey to the summit of Jungfraujoch, known as the Top of Europe sitting at a height of 3,454 metres (11,332 feet) above sea level making this the highest railway station in Europe. There will be time upon reaching the top of the mountain, weather permitting, to visit the Glacier Plateau viewpoint, Sphinx Observation Deck and Ice Palace. We take the Jungfraubahn back down to Kleine Scheidegg for a late lunch before returning down the mountain to Grindelwald.

Day 11 : Brienz & Brienzer-Rothorn Bahn > Interlaken

This morning enjoy a journey on the nostalgic Brienzer Rothorn Steam Rack Railway. The traditional Swiss chalet lakeside town of Brienz has been known for centuries for its wood carving, as well as the starting point for the Brienzer Rothorn Bahn. Built in 1892, it is the fourth highest railway in Switzerland that reaches a height of 2,244 metres (7,360 feet) in just 7.6kms offering panoramic views as our steam train and panoramic cars chug their way up the mountainside through lush alpine meadows and forests with turquoise Lake Brienz glistening below.

Following lunch by the lake we take a cruise from Brienz returning to Interlaken on the 1914 paddle steamer SS Lötschberg.

Day 12 : Interlaken > Lake Maggiore

Today we depart on the Prestige Continental Express from Interlaken over the spectacular Gotthard Pass with its many spiral loops, bridges and tunnels over into Chiasso, located close to the Italian border. From here we make the short transfer to Lake Maggiore in Italy where we will enjoy a boat cruise this afternoon before having enjoying dinner this evening.

Day 13 : Pilatus Kulm > Zurich

This morning depart Chiasso on the Prestige Continental Express for Lucerne, changing to a narrow gauge train for the short journey to Alpnachstad. From here travel on the Pilatus Bahn, which is the steepest rack railway in the world, with a maximum gradient of 48% and takes 30 minutes to the peak at Pilatus Kulm passing alpine meadows and striking rock formations on its route.

We will return down the mountain and enjoy a farewell gala dinner in the opulent Prestige Continental Express dining cars as you make your way back to ZurichFlughafen Station. From the train walk to the hotel, which is connected to the Airport Terminal.

Note: Guests wishing to continue to Basel can do so and accommodation will be in the GAIA Hotel near to Basel SBB station.

Day 14 : Zurich

After breakfast, free time until departing flights from the adjacent terminal or train connections from the station beneath the terminal.