Switzerland – friendly and with hikes, from palms to glaciers

Round tour, 6 days, not including transportation to Switzerland. Code: 0301

Baar – Lake Lucer­ne – Locar­no – Lake Mag­gio­re – Con­tra Dam (Verza­sca Dam) – Ber­ne­se Obe­rland – Saas-Fee – Mon­treux – Lake Gene­va – Susten Pass and Grim­sel Pass

small, frien­dly gro­ups (up to 7 people) – hikes on moun­ta­in routes – ride along alpi­ne ser­pen­ti­nes – caves of cen­tral Swit­zer­land – birds of prey show – the ste­epest rail­way in Euro­pe – enco­un­ter with marmots

Day 1 – Baar, Lake Lucerne

Arri­val in Zurich. Aro­und noon a tour leader picks up the gro­up. A trans­fer to the area of Baar for a meal. A visit in Höl­l­grot­ten caves (tem­pe­ra­tu­re of 10^oC / 50^oF). A fasci­na­ting, under­gro­und world full of bizar­re forms of sta­lac­ti­tes and sta­lag­mi­tes, pre­sen­ted with modern, colo­ur­ful ligh­ting. A trans­fer to the Ita­lian-spe­aking region of Swit­zer­land for a night stay in the area of Locar­no. On our way we will go thro­ugh the Got­thard Tun­nel, the third lon­gest road tun­nel in the world (16.9‑kilometre long), we will see Lake Lucer­ne, a legen­da­ry pla­ce of the very ori­gins of the Swiss sta­te­ho­od – Rütli­wie­se, and Wil­helm Tell chapel.

Day 2 – Locarno, Contra Dam (Verzasca Dam)

We will start the day by visi­ting Madon­na del Sas­so, the most known pil­gri­ma­ge church in the Ita­lian-spe­aking region of Swit­zer­land, pic­tu­re­squ­ely loca­ted on the rocks over­lo­oking Locar­no. A ride by cable car to the top of Mount Car­da­da (1,340 m/4,396 ft high) and a walk thro­ugh the vie­wing brid­ge. A hike to the sum­mit of Cimet­ta (2 h; 1,671 m / 5,482 ft high) to the point with a pano­ra­mic view of Lake Mag­gio­re and four-tho­usan­ders of Vala­is. A meal, descent to Car­da­da (1 h) and ride down by cable car. A trans­fer by mini­bus to birds of prey show. In a spe­cial­ly desi­gned Fal­co­ne­ria park more than a dozen of bird spe­cies will be pre­sen­ted (eagles, hawks, owls) fly­ing just abo­ve the heads of the audien­ce seated in the stands.  We will go to the fourth highest dam in Swit­zer­land – Con­tra Dam (Verza­sca Dam, 220 m / 721 ft high), whe­re a famo­us jump sce­ne for the Gol­de­neye (James Bond) movie was shot. An option for a bun­gee jump (CHF 255). Then we leave the Ita­lian-spe­aking can­ton of Tici­no and we go along the Susten Pass (2,224 m / 7,296 ft high) for a night stay in the Ber­ne­se Oberland.

Day 3 – Bernese Oberland – Gadmen, Meiringen

Ear­ly in the mor­ning we will go for a walk to the Ste­in Gla­cier (1.5 h). A trans­fer to the area of Gad­men. A ride by cable car and a hike (2 h) to the Trift Brid­ge (1,720 m / 5,643 ft high), one of the highest and the lon­gest (170 m / 557 ft) pede­strian-only suspen­sion brid­ge in the Alps. Return on foot to the cable car sta­tion (2 h). A descent by cable car and a ride for a meal.  A walk along 200-metre deep gor­ge of the Aare, which was visi­ted and descri­bed by J. W. Goethe. A trans­fer for a night stay in the area of Meiringen.

Day 4 – Bernese Oberland – Lake Gelmer

After a bre­ak­fast we will visit a moun­ta­in che­ese fac­to­ry in the area of Lake Gel­mer, whe­re we will see how an ori­gi­nal alpi­ne che­ese is made. A hike to and aro­und Lake Gel­mer (4 h). A descent by the ste­epest funi­cu­lar rail­way in Euro­pe. You can also cho­ose a short hike (2 h) and taking a ride by funi­cu­lar twi­ce. After lunch we will ride along a pic­tu­re­sque Grim­sel Pass (2,165 m / 7,103 ft high) to the can­ton of Vala­is for a night stay in the area of Saas-Fee.

Day 5 – Saas Fee, Montreux

A ride to Saas-Fee, a town over­lo­oking the highest moun­ta­in in Swit­zer­land – Dom (4,545 m / 14,911 ft high). An ascent by cable car to Spiel­bo­den (2,450 m / 8,038 ft high). An uni­que oppor­tu­ni­ty to enco­un­ter nume­ro­us mar­mots in the­ir natu­ral habi­tat. The­se timid by natu­re ani­mals are tamed eno­ugh in this area that they can be hand-fed by touri­sts. A hike from Spiel­bo­den to the sum­mit of Läng­fluh (2,870 m / 9,416 ft high; ca 1 h), from whe­re you can admi­re a fan­ta­stic pano­ra­ma of gla­ciers and four-tho­usan­ders. After a short stay on the sum­mit of Läng­fluh, we will go back on foot to Saas-Fee for a meal (2 h). A trans­fer to Mon­treux, a city of so-cal­led Swiss Rivie­ra and check-in for a night stay. An eve­ning walk along a famo­us, coastal pro­me­na­de with a monu­ment of Queen band voca­list, Fred­die Mer­cu­ry, who lived in Mon­treux for many years.

Day 6

A bre­ak­fast. A trans­fer from Mon­treux to Zurich (ca. 3 h). Say­ing good­bye to tour participants.