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Travelzoo - Experience the diversity of Switzerland

Zermatt - Celerina/St.Moritz - Lugano - Lucerne



From Glaciers to Palm trees, from Mountains to Lake beaches, from alpine chalet style to mediterranean dolce vita. Travel from the glaciers to the palm trees and experience scenic rail journeys in between on board of the top panoramic trains of Switzerland: Glacier Express, Bernina Express, Palm Express and Gotthard Panoramic Express. Along the route, immerse yourself in the alpine mountain culture of Zermatt and St. Moritz, and enjoy the dolce vita lifestyle on the Italian border at Lake Lugano, as well as in central Switzerland at Lake Lucerne.

Please note:

This is a Travelzoo special offer which can only be booked if you have previously purchased your voucher via Travelzoo (1 voucher per person - for a double room please purchase 2 vouchers) 

This experience is a self-guided tour. You are therefore flexible in your choice of travel time. Our Private Selection Hotels tour consultants will provide you with all the information and timetables you need to have a carefree and wonderful experience - and are of course always happy to provide you with information and assistance by telephone. Rest assured that the Swiss train system and all public transportation in Switzerland operate on an excellent timetable and are absolutely safe and clean. 

Day 1: Welcome to Zermatt, stopover in Berne


  • Begin your Swiss adventure with train journey to Zermatt – on the way, we recommend a visit of the Swiss capital city of Bern
  • Pick up at the train station and check-in at the BEAUSiTE Zermatt
  • Lean back in the infinity pool of the hotel with a wonderful view on the Matterhorn
  • Overnight stay and multi course dinner at the restaurant The Grill at BEAUSiTE Zermatt

Day 2: Experience the Matterhorn Paradise


  • After breakfast, take a trip to the Gornergrat – the excursion destination in Zermatt. The cog railway takes you from the village at 1600 metres up to 3100 metres above sea level. Even the journey is a great experience with a constant view of the Matterhorn. You can’t get enough of the panorama at the top – mountains and glaciers as far as the eye can see. It’s worth taking the train right to the top of the Gornergrat first.  At 3,100 m altitude you get a splendid view of twenty-nine, 4,000 metre-high peaks from the viewing platform.
  • For active nature lovers, we recommend a hike to Riffelsee, where the peak of the Matterhorn is reflected in the water and
  • For animal lovers we recommend to meet the black-nosed sheep: Once the sheep have moved up to the Gornergrat area visitors have the chance to visit them in their natural habitat. Using GPS localisation, you can find the woolly sheep no matter where they are on the mountain.
  • Overnight stay and Swiss Chees Fondue dinner at the restaurant “Witch’eese Fondue Hut” of BEAUSiTE Zermatt

Day 3: Scenic train ride with the Glacier Express panoramic train


  • After breakfast you get on board of the Glacier Express train: Sit back and enjoy the view of babbling brooks, deep clear lakes, lush green mountain meadows, rock and ice - in the background the mountain peaks, some still powdered white. In the panorama car of the Glacier Express, you meander comfortably over ingenious engineering structures and through numerous tunnels, always in the midst of beautiful natural and cultural landscapes.
  • Enjoy a 3-course lunch served by the train crew
  • Arrival at St. Moritz, pick up and transfer to the hotel Cresta Palace Celerina****S
  • In the evening, you can soak up the impressions in the cosy atmosphere of the hotel and enjoy a multi course dine around dinner – or choose your favourite restaurant: fine dining, asian or Italian cuisine. 

Day 4: Excursion to Val Poschiavo with the Bernina Express


  • After breakfast, you will enjoy the breathtaking serpentines of Bernina Express:
  • The Bernina Express railroad line is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and runs from the Engadin via Val Poschiavo to Tirano in Italy. Your journey takes you until Poschiavo – Le Prese.  The Val Poschiavo used to be a rich smugglers' valley (there are some amazing historic villas here) - today it offers a magnificent natural spectacle and offers nearly 100% sustainably produced organic products throughout the valley: only products that come from the valley and have also been processed there can call themselves "100% Valposchiavo". And only these products are used in the kitchens of the restaurants.
    We suggest you to travel until Le prese – why not have lunch at the terrasse of Hotel Restaurant Le Prese overlooking the lake? After lunch, we suggest to take an easy walk along the river Pochiavino for about 5 km (1h20Min) back to Poschiavo. Don’t miss to visit the valley museum Palazzo de Bassus Menotti & Casa Tomè.
  • Return journey to the Engadine by Postauto (yellow post bus)
  • Enjoy your multi-course dinner at Hotel Cresta Palace again

Day 5: From the glaciers to the palm trees at lake Lugano


  • After breakfast, the Palm Express takes you on an approximately four-hour journey from the glaciers in the Engadin to the palm trees on Lake Lugano. From St. Moritz, the route takes you over the Maloja Pass and through the Bergell valley to Chiavenna in Italy. Pass the deep blue lakes of Lago di Mezzola and Lago di Como and their cozy vacation villages and take the yellow bus directly to your accommodation, the Parco San Marco Lifestyle Beach Resort (bus stop in front of the hotel!). Enjoy the Mediterranean feeling and relaxation under palm trees and on the beach of Lago di Lugano: rooms with lake view and private beach (only for hotel guests) included!
  • 4-course gourmet dinner with Italian flair at Ristorante Parco San Marco.

Day 6: Dolce Vita at Lake Lugano


Parco San Marco Lifestyle Beach Resort****

  • Enjoy the unique resort on Lake Lugano - relax on the sunbathing lawn above the resort in a hammock or directly on the lake. Take a boat or bike trip to Porlezza or Lugano or go to Menaggio on Lake Como - it's easy to reach by regional bus. Stroll along the fashionable lakeside promenade and discover the historic old town. And that's not all: thanks to the public boat service, it is possible to reach other popular places on Lake Como (such as Bellagio and Varenna) in 15-30 minutes.

For this evening, you are free to have dinner wherever you like: Be it on the lake of Como if you decide to make an excursion – or maybe at the resort in one of 4 different delicious restaurants. 

Day 7: From Lugano to Lucerne with the Gotthard Panorama Express


After breakfast at Hotel Parco San Marco, we have ordered you a taxi to bring you to Lugano where you will board the Gotthard Panorama Express.

Say goodbye to the palm trees and the varied Mediterranean landscape of. The train continues along the world-famous and historic Gotthard route. Crossing the Gotthard Tunnel which opened in 1882, you will hear exciting stories about the unique Gotthard region. You will see the church at Wassen three times, which has achieved world fame thanks to the bold railroad layout with its many helical tunnels. And on goes your journey through the mighty Reuss Valley in Uri to Flüelen, where you will change to the historic, more than 100 years old steam boat on Lake Lucerne. You will cruise the lake and will see the monumental central Swiss mountains Pilatus and Rigi, the Rütli (the "birthplace" of Switzerland, where the Swiss Confederation was sealed in 1291 with the Rütli Oath), the Tells Platte, where, according to legend and the story by Friedrich Schiller, the Swiss national hero jumped to freedom from the ship of the tyrant, the Habsburg bailiff Gessler.

Welcome to Lucerne!

  • check-in at the illustrious Hotel Schweizerhof Lucerne*****
  • Explore Lucerne's enchanting old town, the poignant Lion Monument, the historic Musegg Wall, and the iconic Chapel Bridge.
  • Culminate your day with a luxurious overnight stay and a sumptuous 4-course dinner at Hotel Schweizerhof Lucerne.

Day 8: Good bye and hope to see you soon again!


After breakfast, the train will bring you in a bit more that one hour to Zurich airport. 

In the package included:


  • 7 nights:
    2 nights at BEAUSiTE Zermatt****S
    2 nights at Cresta Palace Celerina****S
    2 nights at Parco San Marco Lifestyle Beach Resort****S
    1 night at Hotel Schweizerhof Lucerne*****
  • Daily breakfast buffet 
  • 6x multi course gourmet dinners
  • SWISSPASS Train ticket for all train transfers 1st class or 2nd class 
  • Gorner Grat Excursion with cogwheel train
  • Glacier Express seat reservation and Lunch (3 courses – let us know if you prefer meat or vegetarian dishes please)
  • Bernina Express with seat reservation
  • Palm Express with seat reservation
  • Taxi Parco San Marco - Lugano on departure
  • Gotthard Panorama Express with seat reservation
  • Lucerne guest card including city ticket for public transport
  • All-in one experience and organisation by Private Selection Hotels & Tours, including
  • Meet & greet at the airport with individual introduction to the trip and explanation of the required apps
  • Travel planning with individual timetables and precise travel instructions / documents.

Reserve

Would you like to book this offer? Then contact us via phone +41 41 368 10 05, send us an e-mail at info@privateselection.ch or fill in the enquiry form.

Request offer

The Private Selection Hotel Service AG is part of the guarantee fund of the Swiss tourism sector and ensures the repayment of your deposit paid in connection with the booking of a package as well as your return journey. For further details kindly ask Private Selection Hotels or on www.garantiefonds.ch.