Glorious Switzerland

Prepare yourself for the majesty of Switzerland's snow-capped mountains, glaciers, sparkling lakes, flower-filled meadows and rich, green valleys. Meet your Travel Director and travel companions for a short stroll to your dinner. The evening is full of Swiss delight, as you enjoy the cosy decor while being served typical Swiss specialities including cheese fondue.

Start your day with highlights of Geneva, the City of Gardens. See the Jet dEau and Floral Clock. Then relax and enjoy the enchanting scenery as you continue to the charming town of Montreux. Situated at the foot of the Alps and boasting beautiful lakeside walks, enjoy free time to explore this pretty town. On the western bay of Lake Geneva, join your host at Chillon Castle for a special tour of the former home to the Dukes of Savoy, immortalized by Lord Byron's 'Prisoner of Chillon'. Keep a lookout for where the writer is rumored to have left his mark. Continue through the Rhone Valley, where high summer temperatures support vines and other fruits. The final stage of your journey is by cogwheel train to the traffic-free Alpine resort of Zermatt. During your orientation with your Travel Director, feast your eyes on the distinctive triangular silhouette of the Matterhorn before dinner in a local restaurant.

Zermatt in the summertime offers many leisure possibilities: try swimming, hiking, or spend a whole day relaxing in the fresh Alpine surroundings. Perhaps take an optional ride on Europes highest cable car to the snow-capped Klein Matterhorn for a magnificent panorama of the highest peaks in Switzerland, Italy and France?

Descend to Tsch and rejoin your coach before climbing the Simplon Pass, an Alpine route Napoleon expanded into a 63-kilometre road completed in 1805. Built with bridges and galleries cut into the rock, it became a key crossing between Switzerland and Italy. From the 2,000 m (6,562 ft) summit, descend towards Lake Maggiore for a lunch stop in Italy. Perhaps choose an Optional Experience by boat to Isola Bella, where terraced gardens surround a Baroque palace on the Borromean Islands. Continue to Lugano, in Ticino, Switzerlands only canton where Italian is the sole official language.

Head north into the high mountain country of the Grison Alps today. Ascend the San Bernardino and Julier Passes to arrive in the sparkling Engadine Valley, known for its invigorating climate characterised by clear skies and its high-altitude location in the Alps. Upon arrival in the cosmopolitan resort of St. Moritz, your Travel Director will provide a brief orientation, showcasing the spa quarter and the brilliantly sparkling glacial lake. Afterwards, you'll have time to explore further on your own or perhaps embark on a train journey over the Bernina Pass.

Start the day with a scenic train ride along part of the route of the Glacier Express, through unforgettable scenes of ice-capped mountains, stone-built villages and lush meadows. At Chur, reboard your coach and travel along the valley of the Upper Rhine to spend some time in Vaduz, the tiny capital of the Principality of Liechtenstein, where you explore the area around the castle. Continue to Lucerne alongside the dramatic Walensee and Lake Zrich. On arrival, see the sorrowful sculpture of the wounded lion, commemorating the brave Swiss Guards who died defending King Louis XVI during the French Revolution. Your Travel Director will also show you the Jesuit Church and the Chapel Bridge.

Commence the day with a morning stroll along lakeside promenades or shopping for fine watches while enjoying the scenery. Explore Mount Stanserhorn on a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER Experience, as an open-top cable car powered by solar panels takes you up to the summit. Walk along beautiful scenic pathways, keeping an eye out for marmots and other native animals, with the chance to hear a conservation talk by a Swiss ranger, to learn about local wildlife and flora. Celebrate new friends and enjoy dinner in a restaurant at the foot of Mount Stanserhorn.

Bid farewell to Lucerne and the alpine landscapes that have shaped your journey before travelling to Zrich, where you say goodbye to your Travel Director and travellers as your Swiss adventure comes to a close.