The Glacier Express Route — Seven Nights across the Swiss Alps
Switzerland taken across rather than out and back, and built around one of the great rail journeys in the world.
Journey overview
The moments that make this journey unforgettable — the signature experiences we have woven through every day, so the best of the destination is never left to chance.
Switzerland taken across rather than out and back, and built around one of the great rail journeys in the world.
Journey snapshot
The shape of this journey at a glance — where it starts, where it ends and everything it passes through.
Duration
- 7 Nights / 8 Days
Starts
- Zurich
Ends
- Montreux
Route
- Zurich → St Moritz → Zermatt → Montreux
Travel style
- Cultural · Adventure
Journey highlights
The moments that make this journey unforgettable — the signature experiences we have woven through every day, so the best of the destination is never left to chance.
- The Glacier Express from St Moritz to Zermatt, included.
- Four Swiss bases in seven nights, all reached by train.
- Two nights at car-free Zermatt with a Matterhorn excursion.
- Glacier 3000 above Les Diablerets with its peak-to-peak bridge.
- Ending on Lake Geneva at Montreux.
Day-by-day itinerary
You land at Zurich and walk across to the railway station directly beneath the airport. The rest of the day is free — Zurich sits at the head of its lake with the old town on both banks of the river, and the centre is walkable from most hotels. · Zurich
A city tour of Zurich, then you make your own way to the station for the train to St Moritz and your own way to the hotel on arrival. Check-in is from around three in the afternoon. St Moritz sits high in the Engadine valley and the air changes noticeably as you climb. · St Moritz
No touring is scheduled and the day is yours. The Engadine valley is high, dry and bright, with lakes along its floor and walking routes above it. Local sightseeing can be arranged if you would rather have the day organised; it is not included. · St Moritz
You make your own way to St Moritz station and board the Glacier Express for the crossing to Zermatt — a slow train through the Rhine gorge, over the Oberalp pass and down the Matter valley, with panoramic windows that curve up into the roof. You make your own way to your hotel on arrival. · Zermatt
A Matterhorn excursion. The mountain stands almost alone above the valley, which is why its outline is the most recognisable in the Alps. Zermatt itself is car-free, running on electric vehicles and horse carts, so the village is unusually quiet. · Zermatt
You make your own way to Zermatt station for the train to Montreux, and your own way from Montreux station to your hotel. The route drops out of the mountains into the Rhône valley and finishes on Lake Geneva, where palms grow along the promenade. · Montreux
A day up to Glacier 3000 above Les Diablerets, reached by cable car, with a suspension bridge strung between two peaks and year-round snow at the top. A Bollywood locations tour can be arranged locally instead; it is not included. · Montreux
Breakfast, then check out and make your way to Montreux station and on to the airport for your journey home. There is no private airport transfer on this departure, so allow for the rail journey on top of your airline's check-in time.
Accommodation, meals & transport
What the journey covers day to day, taken from this package's own inclusions.
🏨 Accommodation
- Comfort standard
- Seven nights' accommodation — Zurich 1, St Moritz 2, Zermatt 2 and Montreux 2.
🍽 Meals
- Daily breakfast at the hotel, from Day 2 to Day 8.
Flights, visa & practical
Arranged separately from the journey itself — listed here so there are no surprises.
✈ Flights
- International airfare is extra and is not included.
- Domestic and internal airfare is extra and is not included.
🛂 Visa
- Visa is extra and is not included — visa fees, associated service charges, airport taxes and any related charges.
🛡 Insurance
- Travel insurance is extra and is not included.
What's included & excluded
Exactly what your journey covers — set out clearly, with no surprises, so you know precisely what to expect.
Included
- Seven nights' accommodation — Zurich 1, St Moritz 2, Zermatt 2 and Montreux 2.
- Daily breakfast at the hotel, from Day 2 to Day 8.
- Rail travel from Zurich airport to the city on arrival.
- Zurich city tour.
- Rail journey Zurich to St Moritz.
- The Glacier Express from St Moritz to Zermatt.
- Matterhorn excursion from Zermatt.
- Rail journey Zermatt to Montreux.
- Glacier 3000 excursion from Montreux.
Excluded
- GST is extra and is charged on the final amount.
- TCS is extra and is charged on the final amount.
- International airfare is extra and is not included.
- Domestic and internal airfare is extra and is not included.
- Visa is extra and is not included — visa fees, associated service charges, airport taxes and any related charges.
- Travel insurance is extra and is not included.
- Airport transfers at either end. There are none. On arrival the source has you walk from the terminal to the airport railway station; on departure it routes you to the airport by train from Montreux.
- The St Moritz local sightseeing named on Day 3 and the Bollywood tour named on Day 7. Both are marked optional by the source and neither is included.
- Station transfers. Travel between railway stations and hotels is your own arrangement throughout.
- All meals other than the daily breakfasts listed above, and any meal expressly listed as part of a named included component. Lunches, dinners and drinks with meals are not included otherwise.
- Every activity the itinerary marks as optional. Optional excursions are named so you know what is available locally; none of them is included in the price.
- City tax, tourist tax or resort fee. Most European cities levy a per-person per-night tax which the hotel collects directly at check-in or check-out. It is not included.
- Any transfer other than those specified under Inclusions.
- Any sightseeing, entrance ticket or excursion not specifically listed under Inclusions.
- Tips and gratuities.
- Personal expenses — laundry, telephone, minibar, and anything of a personal nature.
- Early check-in and late check-out charges, and any hotel upgrade.
- Anything not specifically listed under Inclusions.
Related to this journey
Every destination on this journey has its own guide — attractions, where to stay and what to eat — and the journeys that pair with this one are a click away.
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