SWITZERLAND (ZURICH)

Description

Day 1

Zurich

Arrival. Transfer to the hotel. Welcome to Europe.  Upon arriving at the airport, we will be waiting to transfer you to your hotel. You can enjoy free time until your tour starts. Please, check the informative posters placed at the hotel reception area which have all the information about your upcoming services such as meeting place, time and the guide’s name.

Day 2

Rome

Berne. Boat to cross Leman Lake.  We leave for BERNE, the capital of the country and one of the most beautiful historic cities in Switzerland. We go to the Garden of Roses for review of the city from its viewpoint. Free time for a stroll and lunch. In the afternoon we leave for French-speaking Switzerland, stopping in FREIBURG, a beautiful bilingual city. After this we go on to Lake Leman, where we stop in NYON, a little Roman city on the shores of the lake. From here we take a boat to cross Lake Leman to France. Arrival in YVOIRE, a beautiful mediaeval village on the shores of the lake with its fortified gates, its castle and its streets full of flowers. GENEVA – Arrival at the end of the day. Normally our hotel is located in the French area of the metropolis. Dinner included

Day 3

Gstaad

Geneva, Vineyards Landscapes, entrance to Chillon Castle, Visit to Cailler chocolate factory.

After breakfast, we include a panoramic tour with a local guide in Geneva, a city by Lake Leman that houses the European headquarters of the International Labour Organisation, of the Red Cross and of numerous other international bodies. After this, we will go on to CHILLON CASTLE, built in the waters of the lake. Entrance included to this fantastic medieval castle. We go on to the picturesque walled village of GRUYERE, known worldwide for its cheese. Very nearby there are some of the main chocolate manufacturers in Switzerland (NESTLE amongst them), we will visit the Cailler Chocolate Factory, tasting included! Continuation along little roads amidst bucolic mountain countryside and through very picturesque wooden villages. Arrival in GSTAAD a pretty little village with its wooden houses

Day 4

Chiasso

Mountain scenery, Cable car in Grindelwald and walk along a path in the Alps. Lunch included. Entrance to Aareschlucht Gorge.

Today´s journey has fascinating mountain scenery. We passed Interlaken and we outline its beautiful lake. Arrival to GRINDELWALD where we will have time for a coffee before taking the cable car (ticket included) up to Grindelwald. We will walk along the path (30 minutes) in which we shall be able to take the ¨footbridge over the empty¨ among the fantastic scenery enjoying glaciers around us. Lunch included (vegetarian option available). After that we continue to MERINGEN and the spectacular AARESSCHLUCHT Gorge (entrance included). Then we enter the region of Switzerland where the official language is Italian. Accommodation in CHIASSO, a Swiss city on the Italian border

Day 5

Lucerne

Beautiful landscapes with mountains and lakes. Knowing Lugano and Lucerne. Visit the village that was made famous through William Tell.

We will know LUGANO the cosmopolitan capital of the Italian Switzerland with its beautiful lake. Time to stroll. We continue on the highway; we crossed St. Gotthard Pass. We stop in BURGLEN, the tiny village where William Tell was born, we shall see the chapel of the XVI century with paintings illustrating his life. If you want, you can also visit the museum of William Tell. In the neighbouring city of ALTDORF, we can also find traces of his history. Continue to LUCERNE, free time to explore this beautiful city by the lake that bears its name

Day 6

Feldkirch

Baroque Abbey. Heidi’s Village. Journey through beautiful landscapes

We leave Lucerne driving along the Four Cantons Lake towards EINSIEDELN, its immense baroque abbey is the most important pilgrimage centre in Switzerland. After that we continue towards the East of Switzerland. MAIENFELD is the village which inspired Heidi’s story. A walk in its historic centre after which we will be visiting Heidi’s House (ticket not included. Entry to the facility is free), a picturesque place with beautiful landscapes that we will reach through a pedestrian path. Then we enter into the independent country of Liechtenstein, and its capital city VADUZ with its impressive castle. Time to stroll and have lunch. Subsequently, we go to the neighbour city of FELDKIRCH, in Austria, located next to the borders of Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Germany: charming walled city with a genuine historic city centre and a castle. Free time.

Day 7

Feldkirch

Constanza Lake. Botanic Gardens. Rhein Waterfalls. Fantastic scenery.

TODAY’S HIGHLIGHTS: Constanza Lake. Botanic Gardens. Rhein Waterfalls. Fantastic scenery. We start our day heading to ST. GALLEN, whose center is part of the World Heritage List by UNESCO with a wonderful cathedral and its historic center. Afterwards we will continue by Constance Lake, between Germany and Switzerland. We will have time for a walk at Constance’s center before visiting MAINAU Island (access by pedestrian bridge) with its stunning botanic garden (entry included). Then, again in Switzerland, we will take a stroll in STEIN AM RHEIN, a typical village on the Rhine River with precious houses with painted walls. We will also visit Rhine Waterfalls (entry included), the waterfalls with the most abundant flow in Europe. Arrival in ZURICH at the end of the day. End of our services