Fill your lungs with fresh mountain air and see incredible views as you ascend peaks by cable car, hike mountain-top paths and wander valley trails. Explore the Swiss mountain village of Mürren and surrounding area for three days. See the nearby Lauterbrunnen Valley, with its subterranean, glacial Trümmelbach Falls. Then set up a basecamp in Grindelwald village in Switzerland’s Bernese Alps, from which you can enjoy Eiger Mountain and a glacial gorge featuring trails with interpretive signs, waterfalls and striated limestone walls. Also take a walking tour in Zurich and have a free day of shopping or sightseeing in the historic and picturesque town of Lucerne.
Activity Level:
2024 Switzerland: An Alpine Adventure
Itinerary
September 6 Zürich (suggested arrival)
We suggest arriving a day early to help your body adjust to the time change.
September 7 Zürich
Welcome to Zürich, which is much more than an international hub. We’ll take half a day to explore its medieval centre, and then relax on a boat tour down the Limmat River to the Zurich Sea.
September 8 Mürren
Travel by train to the Berner Oberland, passing through beautiful countryside to reach the Swiss Alps, the heart of this trip. The Berner Oberland region is classic Switzerland with two deep valleys, majestic mountains, glaciers, alpine meadows, fresh streams, and beautifully situated villages. We’ll spend six nights in this incredible region, beginning in Mürren.
September 9 & 10 Mürren
Mürren is a car-free village perched on a 1,500 foot sheer cliff. The Lauterbrunnen (loud springs) is named for the 70 waterfalls that cascade down the cliffs. Spend 2 full days in and around Mürren, where your tour leaders Len and Mary will highlight a variety of activities. These might include mountain hikes, gondola rides, strolling through the charming village of Mürren, or sitting in cliffside cafés while the hang-gliders soar past you at eye level. On one day, we will travel by cable car to the Schilthorn—a 10,000 foot mountain peak that feels like the roof of the world, and is surrounded with panoramic views that reach as far as France on a clear day. The site is so famous that even a James Bond movie was filmed there.
September 11 Grindelwald
Then we’ll move to the adjoining valley where Grindelwald will be our base. Enjoy the scenery on a train ride from Mürren to Grindelwald. This town has a front seat to Switzerland’s most famous three mountains—the Eiger, the Mönch, and the Jungfrau.
September 12 -14 Grindelwald
We will have 3 full days to explore this alpine wonderland by footpaths and cable car. You can even ride into the mountains to a hut café, with a spectacular view, before descending to the base. Len and Mary will present many options from leisurely to demanding hikes.
September 15 Lucerne
Leave the Alps by train and arrive in Lucerne: the beautiful lakeside city. This afternoon, explore the medieval old town with its covered bridge, fortification walls and towers, and historic houses decorated with frescoes.
September 16 Departure
Say goodbye to your fellow travellers and to the beautiful Swiss mountains as you depart for home.
FAQs
There are so many hiking options for this tour that one could enjoy the Swiss alps without much activity at all. On the other hand, there are other hikes that will challenge the most seasoned hiker. Your tour leaders have been there often and can help you decide what’s best for you. That said, everyone on the tour is responsible for their own bag(s) as we are travelling by train, not tour bus. On occasion we will need to move promptly to make our next train connection.
A few of the past destinations have included Bachalpsee, the Berghaus Bäregg, and Rotstockhütte. If you “Google” these, you will get an idea of what to expect.
Expect weather similar to much of North America in September. It could rain, but normally not for the whole day. You’ll want to bring layers for evenings especially, but we’ve also had days where we’ve worn shorts and t-shirts.
Much of this is personal preference. Some have come with hiking poles and others not. Some have hiking boots while others have come with walking shoes. The easier trails are generally well groomed. Your tour leaders always use hiking poles and this last time wore more casual footwear.
Tour leaders can always be contacted via TourMagination with specific questions. Closer to the trip we intend to set up a WhatsApp group which has proved useful for travellers to e-meet each other in advance and to answer more general questions.
Check the pricing page for what is included and excluded in the tour fare.
For further information, please contact us. We would be happy to be of assistance.
