Overview
In a land of fairytale mountain beauty, we’ve crafted a WT-style journey using the remarkable Swiss system of cable cars and cogwheel trains to bring you high into the Alps for spectacular—yet moderate—hikes. At mountain-ringed Lake Lucerne, we’ll hike panoramic trails on Mt. Rigi, and in the famed Bernese Oberland, crowned by the dramatic summits of the Eiger, Mönch, and Jungfrau, a gondola whisks us to incredible high trails for hikes with views stretching across the top of Europe. Above turquoise Lake Oeschinensee, we hike through fragrant fields of gentian and edelweiss, and for our grand finale, we head to charming Vevey for wine tasting and hikes through the World Heritage-listed vineyards above Lake Geneva.
This was a fabulous trip featuring spectacular scenery and a variety of hikes on mountain trails, along streams, near lakes and waterfalls, and finally in lovely vineyards. Using the efficient Swiss transportation system, our guides moved us around to perfection.
— Dorothy D., Denver, CO
Itinerary at a Glance
Days 1-3
Lucerne / Rigi / Mürren
We hike the high trails of Rigi amid classic Swiss farmsteads, visit an artisan cheesemaker, and make a scenic return to Lucerne by cogwheel train and boat. In the dramatic Bernese Oberland, the sheer faces of the Eiger, Monch, and the Jungfrau are the reward of our hike to Männlichen (7,687'). Another hike brings us into the immense, U-shaped Lauterbrunnen Valley, with its 3,000-foot-high walls. Overnights are in charming Lucerne and car-free Mürren, where we’ll hear the sound of cowbells and waterfalls.
Days 4-5
Kandersteg / Lake Oeschinensee
From the gorgeous Swiss village of Kandersteg, a cable car carries us to a high viewpoint for a delightful picnic before we head out on the balcony trail above Oeschinensee, a turquoise lake nestled in an amphitheater of jagged peaks. Our hike in the deep Gasterntal Valley brings panoramas of the summits and glaciers of the Jungfrau-Aletsch World Heritage Site, home to the Aletsch, the largest glacier in the Alps.
Days 6-8
Vevey / Lake Geneva
A beautiful train ride changes the scene entirely, bringing us to Lake Geneva and beguiling Montreux, with its lakeshore lined by Belle Époque villas and a grand backdrop of the Savoy Alps. Ancient vineyards rise high above Lake Geneva’s Lavaux wine country, and we hike through vineyards from St-Saphorin to a lovely chateau above Villette. Depart on Day 8.
Hiking the Heart of Switzerland
Highlights
Highlights
Details
6 hiking days on moderate trails, 2-6 hours a day, altitudes up to 7,900 feet, van support
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