Original Tour A travel suggestion from 8 days / 7 nights
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All panoramic trains, all highlights, all four languages – that’s the Original Tour.
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8 sections
All panoramic trains, all highlights, all four languages – that’s the Original Tour. It takes a minimum of 8 days / 7 nights. -
Scenic rides
Luzern–Interlaken Express | GoldenPass Express | Visp–Zermatt | Glacier Express | Bernina Express | Gotthard Panorama Express or Treno Gottardo | Voralpen-Express | Lake Line -
Destinations
Zurich | Interlaken | Montreux | Zermatt | Chur | St. Moritz | Lugano | Lucerne | St. Gallen | Schaffhausen -
Top sights
Jungfrau Region | Lavaux Vineyards | Chillon Castle | Matterhorn | Rhine Gorge | Landwasser Viaduct | Brusio Circular Viaduct | Bellinzona Castles | Chapel Bridge | Abbey District | Rhine Falls -
Mountain excursions
Along the Original Tour, you have a choice of 21 different mountain excursions – for example Rigi, Schilthorn, Gornergrat etc.
GoldenPass
Interlaken – Zweisimmen – Montreux. A panoramic ride between two worlds.
Gotthard Panorama Express
Lugano – Flüelen – Luzern. The panoramic journey by train and boat.
Voralpen-Express
Luzern – St. Gallen. Over gentle hills with a view of the Alps.
Montreux – Visp – Zermatt
Up the valley to the “mountain of mountains”.
Lake Line
St. Gallen – Schaffhausen – Zürich. The “maritime” side of Switzerland.
Bernina Express
St. Moritz – Tirano – Lugano. From glaciers to palm trees.
Glacier Express
Zermatt – St. Moritz. The slowest express train in the world.
Luzern–Interlaken Express
Zürich – Luzern – Interlaken. From lake to lake, from city to city.
Conveniently book the Original Tour as a package including accommodation, tickets and seat reservations.
Book now
Itinerary
The following 8-day itinerary starts and ends in Zurich. However, you can start and finish the tour at any other point along the tour.
Day 1 | Zürich – Luzern – Interlaken
Travel duration: 2¾ h
Highlights:
- Scenic ride: Luzern–Interlaken Express
- Top sight: Jungfrau Region
- Mountain excursions: Brienzer Rothorn, Jungfraujoch, Schilthorn, Harder Kulm, Schynige Platte, Grindelwald First
- Zurich: The cosmopolitan city at the shores of Lake Zurich – creative urban life combined with nature in all its glory.
- Interlaken: Starting point for many activities and adventures – surrounded by a gorgeous mountain scenery.
Timetable: Zürich–Luzern–Interlaken
Day 2 | Interlaken – Montreux
Travel duration: 3 hrs 12 min
Highlights:
- Scenic ride: GoldenPass Express
- Top sights: Jungfrau Region, UNESCO Lavaux Vineyards, Chillon Castle
- Mountain excursions: Brienzer Rothorn, Jungfraujoch, Schilthorn, Harder Kulm, Schynige Platte, Grindelwald First, Glacier 3000, Rochers-de-Naye
- Interlaken: Starting point for many activities and adventures – surrounded by a gorgeous mountain scenery.
- Montreux: Lake Geneva, majestic mountains, lovely vineyards – the picture-perfect scenery of Montreux.
Timetable: Interlaken–Montreux (for GoldenPass Express or Belle Epoque, click „Advanced search“ and select only „IR/PE“ under transport type)
Day 3 | Montreux – Visp – Zermatt
Travel duration: 2½ h
Highlights:
- Scenic ride: Matterhorn Gotthard Railway through the Nicolai valley
- Top sights: Chillon Castle, UNESCO Lavaux Vineyards, Matterhorn
- Mountain excursions: Rochers-de-Naye, Gornergrat, Matterhorn Glacier Paradise, Rothorn
- Montreux: Lake Geneva, majestic mountains, lovely vineyards – the picture-perfect scenery of Montreux.
- Zermatt: Car-free resort at the foot of the majestic Matterhorn: almost unlimited excursion possibilities – year-round.
Timetable: Montreux–Visp–Zermatt
Day 4 | Zermatt – St. Moritz
Travel duration: 7¾ h
Highlights:
- Scenic ride: Glacier Express
- Top sights: Matterhorn, Rhine Gorge, Landwasser Viaduct
- Mountain excursions: Gornergrat, Matterhorn glacier paradise, Rothorn, Diavolezza, Muottas Muragl, Piz Nair, Corvatsch
- Zermatt: Car-free resort at the foot of the majestic Matterhorn: almost unlimited excursion possibilities – year-round.
- Chur: Switzerland’s oldest city of many charms: twisting alleys, historic buildings, a spectacular backdrop.
- St. Moritz: The bustling and chic birthplace of Alpine winter tourism amidst a splendid lake and mountain scenery.
Timetable: Zermatt–St. Moritz (for Glacier Express, click „Advanced search“ and select „Direct connections“)
Day 5 | St. Moritz – Tirano (IT) – Lugano
Travel duration: 6¾ h
Highlights:
- Scenic ride: Bernina Express
- Top sight: Brusio Circular Viaduct
- Mountain excursions: Diavolezza, Muottas Muragl, Piz Nair, Corvatsch, Monte San Salvatore, Monte Brè
- St. Moritz: The bustling and chic birthplace of Alpine winter tourism amidst a splendid lake and mountain scenery.
- Lugano: Small town charms combined with modern city perks – all sprinkled with Mediterranean flair.
Timetable:
- St. Moritz – Tirano (for Bernina Express, click „Advanced search“ and select only „IR/PE“ under transport type)
- Tirano–Lugano (Bernina Express Bus)
Day 6 | Lugano – Flüelen – Luzern
Travel duration: 5½ h
Highlights:
- Scenic ride: Gotthard Panorama Express (by train from Lugano to Flüelen, then by boat to Lucerne; only Apr–Oct) or Treno Gottardo (all year round as of 15 Dec 2020)
- Top sights: Bellinzona Castles, Chapel Bridge
- Mountain excursions: Monte San Salvatore, Monte Brè, Pilatus, Rigi, Stanserhorn, Titlis
- Lugano: Small town charms combined with modern city perks – all sprinkled with Mediterranean flair.
- Lucerne: The gateway to Central Switzerland with its delightful lake and impressive Alpine panorama.
Timetable: Lugano – Flüelen – Luzern (for Gotthard Panorama Express, click „Advanced search“ and select only „IR/PE“ and „Ship“ under transport type)
Day 7 | Luzern – St. Gallen
Travel duration: 2¼ h
Highlights:
- Scenic ride: Voralpen-Express
- Top sights: Chapel Bridge, UNESCO Abbey District
- Mountain excursions: Pilatus, Rigi, Stanserhorn, Titlis, Säntis
- Lucerne: The gateway to Central Switzerland with its delightful lake and impressive Alpine panorama.
- St. Gallen: Between Lake Constance and the Appenzellerland: picturesque St. Gallen with its UNESCO Abbey District.
Timetable: Luzern–St. Gallen
Day 8 | St. Gallen – Schaffhausen – Zürich
Travel duration: 2½ h
Highlights:
- Scenic ride: Thurbo lake line along Lake Constance and the river Rhine, optional river boat ride between Stein am Rhein and Schaffhausen
- Top sights: UNESCO Abbey District, Rhine Falls
- Mountain excursion: Säntis
- St. Gallen: Between Lake Constance and the Appenzellerland: picturesque St. Gallen with its UNESCO Abbey District.
- Schaffhausen: A quaint medieval town surrounded by vineyards – just a stone’s throw from the famous Rhine Falls.
- Zurich: The cosmopolitan city at the shores of Lake Zurich – creative urban life combined with nature in all its glory.
Timetable:
- St. Gallen–Schaffhausen or St. Gallen–Stein am Rhein
- Stein am Rhein–Schaffhausen (for river boat connections click „Advanced search“ and select only „Ship“ under transport type)
- Schaffhausen–Zürich
Have it all organised – book a package including accommodation.
Conveniently book the Original Tour as a package with one of our official distribution partners including accommodation, tickets and seat reservations.
Book now
Are you organising the trip yourself? Here is our ticket suggestion.
Swiss Travel Pass 8 days
For foreign guests, the all-in-one ticket Swiss Travel Pass (Flex) is the key to Switzerland’s public transport network. It covers all sections of the Grand Train Tour – all you need in addition are the below listed seat reservations.
More ticket options
The public transport ticket range (point-to-point tickets, supersaver tickets, 1-day travelpasses, GA travelcard, etc.) is valid for the Grand Train Tour of Switzerland.
Do I need any seat reservations?
In addition to a valid ticket, a seat reservation supplement is required for:- Glacier Express (make reservation)
- Bernina Express (make reservation)
- Gotthard Panorama Express (make reservation)
