Episode 78: Top short breaks and day tours from Zurich
Switzerland’s largest city is often the arrival and departure point for visitors to the country and it’s a great base from which to enjoy a huge and varied selection of half- and full-day trips.
In today’s episode I’m chatting with Amanda Wee from Best of Switzerland Tours to find out more about the most popular day tours, and some 2 and 3 day tours that are perfect for folks who are looking for a short break away from the city.
If you’re a regular listener of the podcast, you may remember Amanda from episode 47 when we chatted about Best of Switzerland Tours and why taking a day tour is the perfect hassle-free way to see Switzerland.
If you missed that episode, it’s definitely worth a listen.
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I’d like to say a huge thank you to the podcast sponsors, Switzerland Tourism. Make sure you check out their website, myswitzerland.com for loads of tips and inspiration to assist with your Switzerland trip planning.
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Show Notes
In this episode you’ll learn about:
- Best of Switzerland Tours’ most popular day trips from Zurich and Lucerne
- Multi-day packages that are available
- Other tours offered by Best of Switzerland Tours
- Info about the tour guides and group sizes
- Why you should book a day trip with Best of Switzerland Tours
Our Guest
Amanda Wee joined Best of Switzerland Tours in 2019 as Tour Co-Ordinator. She is now the Lead of the Operations Team which manages over 800 guests per day during high season.
Tours mentioned in this episode
>> Titlis – Eternal Snow and Glacier: This full day guided tour from Zurich (and Lucerne) includes cable car rides to the summit of Mt. Titlis and the Ice Flyer chairlift to the Glacier Park where guests can try snow tubing (included). This tour operates all year round. > Click here for full details.
>> Jungfraujoch – Top of Europe: Fully guided from Zurich (and Lucerne), this full day tour includes travel from Grindelwald to Jungfraujoch by the Eiger Express and return travel to via Lauterbrunnen by train. Seat reservations and priority boarding are included. This tour operates all year round. > Click here for full details.
>> Pilatus – The Golden Round Trip: Guests love this fully guided tour for its many modes of transport – bus, cable car, cogwheel train and boat. The full day tour from Zurich includes a short orientation tour of Lucerne’s main sights. The tour can also be commenced in Lucerne. The tour operates from May to October/November only. > Click here for full details.
>> Grindelwald First – Top of Adventure: Enjoy a scenic coach ride to Interlaken for a short stop before continuing on to Grindelwald. Guest then travel by cable car to Mt. First where they have free time to partake in the many activities available (activities not included). This partly-guided tour operates year round. > Click here for full details.
>> Rhine Falls and Stein am Rhein: This half-day fully guided tour visits the spectacular Rhine Falls and the charming medieval town of Stein am Rhein. Guests can enjoy leisure time at the Falls before continuing to Stein am Rhein for a guided tour through the Old Town and free time before returning to Zurich. The tour operates year round (reduced departures from November to March). > Click here for full details.
>> Mountains Cheese and Chocolate: This fully-guided premium small group tour gives guests the opportunity to discover the secrets behind Swiss cheese and chocolate. Exploring the beautiful Appenzell region and the Hohe Kasten mountain, the tour is limited to 16 guests who will enjoy a guided walk through the village of Appenzell, local tastings and a souvenir goodie bag of delicious products. The tour operates twice per week from May to October. > Click here for full details.
>> Bern – Swiss Capital and Countryside: Another premium small group tour (maximum 16 guests), this tour showcases the beautiful Entlebuch and Emmental valleys as well as the city of Bern. The fully guide tour includes a guided Old Town walk in Bern, visits to a show dairy (with cheese tastings) and a visit to the Kambly biscuit factory. Guests also receive a souvenir goodie bag of local products.This tour operates twice per week from May to October. > Click here for full details.
Other tours offered by Best of Switzerland Tours include: Rigi – Queen of the Mountains, Lucerne and Burgenstock, Lucerne with Yacht Cruise, Stanserhorn – Cabrio Cable Car and Engelberg – Typical Swiss Alpine Village.
Short breaks / multi-day tours mentioned in this episode
>> Jewels of the Alps – 2 days / 1 night: This partly-guided tour includes transport from Zurich (or Lucerne), 1 night 3* accommodation with breakfast in either Interlaken or Grindelwald, return transport to Jungfraujoch – Top of Europe, and transport back to Zurich (or Lucerne). This package is available year round. > Click here for full details.
>> Highlights of Central Switzerland – 2 days / 1 night: Combining visits to both Mt. Pilatus and Mt. Titlis with an overnight stay in Lucerne allows guests to cover the highlights of central Switzerland in two days. This partly-guided tour includes all transport including cable cars and cogwheel train, and 1 night’s accommodation and breakfast in a 3* hotel in Lucerne. The package is available from May until late October/early November. > Click here for full details.
>> Top of Switzerland – 3 days / 2 nights: Visit three of Switzerland’s most popular mountain summits on this three-day package. Combining Mt. Pilatus and Mt. Titlis in Central Switzerland with Jungfraujoch in the Bernese Oberland, plus two nights’ accommodation in Lucerne (3* hotel including breakfast), this partly-guided tour shows you the best of Switzerland in a short amount of time. The package is available from May until late October/early November. > Click here for full details.
>> Mountain Wellness – 2 days / 1 night: This partly-guided tour is perfect for guests looking for a relaxing break. In addition to all transport, including the cable car and cogwheel train to/from Mt. Rigi and a boat cruise on Lake Lucerne, the package also includes 1 night at the 3*S Rigi Kaltbad Hotel, dinner, breakfast and admission to the Rigi Kaltbad mineral bath and spa. The package is available year round. > Click here for full details.
>> Alpine Dreams – 2 days / 1 night: Make the most of your visit to Mt. Titlis by staying overnight at Lake Trübsee. This tour, which is partly-guided, includes transport from Zurich, cable car tickets to Mt. Titlis for two days, overnight accommodation at Trübsee Alpine Lodge with a 4-course dinner and breakfast. The package is available from (approximately) May until mid-October. > Click here for full details.
Helpful resources
Listen to our previous podcast episode with Best of Switzerland Tours > here. You can find out more information about many of the tours mentioned in this episode, plus some additional tours, in our article Top day trips from Zurich.
We also have a great guide about short breaks and weekend trips from Zurich.
Read the full transcript of this episode > here.
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This episode is sponsored by Switzerland Tourism
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