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Classic Glacier Express in Winter

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20242025
9 days From £2,595 per person
4.7 stars(110 reviews)
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Enjoy a wonderful winter rail adventure through the Swiss Alps on the iconic Glacier Express and Bernina Express

Mobility Rating 2

2025 Tour code: GEW25

About the tour

Snow-bound views and stunningly seasonal scenery have made the Glacier Express famous at this time of year, while glistening winter peaks and sugar-frosted forests provide a picture-postcard backdrop as we explore Zermatt in the shadow of the mighty Matterhorn.

Highlights

What’s included

Itinerary

Day 1 - London and Strasbourg

After meeting at London St Pancras, we board the Eurostar to Paris, continuing by highspeed rail to Strasbourg for an overnight stay.

Includes
  • Dinner
  • Eurostar Meal
Day 2 – Chur

After a morning to explore the Alsace city of Strasbourg, we continue our rail journey to Switzerland, arriving in the quaint town of Chur - our home for the next three nights. We stay at a charming 360-year-old hotel and are greeted with a welcome drink. Chur is the country's oldest town and is home to a number of historic attractions, including a 12th-century church, the 15th-century town hall and Martinsplatz, found in the heart of the Old Town.

Includes
  • Breakfast, Dinner
Day 3 – Crossing the Alps on the Bernina Express

We take the Bernina Express to Poschiavo, enjoying a seasonal journey over the Alps, admiring views of ancient castles and the magnificent, mountain-ringed Lake Bianco as we wind above deep ravines and past idyllic waterfalls, emerging from the Albula Tunnel and crossing the mighty Bernina Pass. Our destination is Poschiavo, an Italian-speaking town where pastel-coloured buildings line the narrow cobblestone streets. Piazza Comunale is the quaint main square, providing views of the snow-covered mountains and the campanile tower of the Church of Saint Victor. You may wish to enjoy a lunch of local specialities, such as pizzoccheri - a hearty pasta dish with cabbage, cheese and potatoes - before we return to Chur via St Moritz.

Includes
  • Breakfast, Dinner
Day 4 - Free time in Chur

Enjoy a free day to look around Chur, a destination with a history dating back over 5,000 years. Its quaint Old Town boasts some fantastically preserved medieval buildings and is entirely traffic-free, making it the ideal place to explore on foot. It's here you'll find the city's 800-year-old Cathedral of Assumption, as well as the terracotta-fronted Bishop's Palace. And once you've marvelled at the historical landmarks and wintry mountain setting, there's nothing better than spending a couple of hours warming up in a cosy café, sampling some of the local specialities such as crisp potato röstis and buttery pork schnitzel.

Includes
  • Breakfast
Day 5 – The magical Glacier Express to Brig

We leave Chur, travelling on the iconic Glacier Express to Brig, our base for four nights. Switzerland's striking natural beauty is revealed on our journey which, with it being winter, is transformed into a picture-postcard landscape of snowy meadows, frozen streams and white mountaintops. The Glacier Express passes icy forests and frozen rivers, all playing their part to create a jaw-dropping winter wonderland setting, as we marvel at the alpine scenery from our panoramic windows while we enjoy a lunch served at our seats. Unmissable views come as we travel over the Oberalp Pass, the highest point on the route, and make our way through the wintry Rhine Gorge to Disentis.

Includes
  • Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 6 – Zermatt

We visit the charming, car-free resort of Zermatt. We board a narrow-gauge train alongside the River Rhône to Visp. From here, we join the mountain track heading south through wintry vineyards for our steep journey to Zermatt. The spectacular approach takes us through eight tunnels and across forty-two bridges as the Matterhorn comes into view. On arrival, you're free to spend your time as you choose. One option is to make the ascent to the summit of the Gornergrat by funicular railway. Running for just under six miles, the route travels to the mountain's peak where you can enjoy stunning views across to the Matterhorn. The town itself is a quintessential mountain resort with many beautiful sights, such as the picturesque historic chalets of Hinterdorfstrasse, or the many inviting cafés and restaurants where you can enjoy a warming drink or a hearty lunch.

Includes
  • Breakfast, Dinner
Day 7 - Free time in Brig

A historic town in the Valais canton, Brig dates back to the Roman era and your day is free to explore further. The cobblestones of the Stadtplatz are well worth visiting, capped by the remarkable Stockalper Palace - built in the 17th century by a prosperous silk merchant. Alternatively, you could make the most of your Swiss Travel Card, taking the train along the Rhône Valley to Montreux, on the shores of Lake Geneva. Here, you can join either the GoldenPass Line panoramic train to Gstaad or explore the striking Château de Chillon and the sights of Montreux - including its beautiful lakefront promenade and statue of former Queen frontman Freddie Mercury.

Includes
  • Breakfast
Day 8 – Grindelwald and a lake cruise

Travelling by train to the picturesque mountain village of Grindelwald, you have free time to look around. You could continue to the summit of Grindelwald First mountain by cable car to marvel at a skyline of famous peaks, including the Jungfrau, Mönch and Eiger. Alternatively, stroll through idyllic Grindelwald to admire the attractive wooden chalets and town squares which combine the old comforts of classic alpine architecture with more contemporary winter sports facilities. Travelling to Interlaken, we then cruise the full length of the glimmering Lake Thun, the emerald waters surrounded by enchanting snow-capped peaks. On the cruise, look out for the fairytale Spiez Castle, which juts out into the lake. From Thun, we return to Brig by train.

Includes
  • Breakfast, Dinner
Day 9 – Homeward bound

Gathering for our final breakfast as a group, we leave Brig by train on our way to Geneva. Travelling along the Rhône Valley, and skirting the shores of Lake Geneva, the soaring snow-covered mountains bid us farewell as our fantastic winter adventure draws to a close. From Geneva, we travel to Paris and, ultimately, the Eurostar back to London St Pancras. Along the way, we reflect on the wondrous winter holiday in incredible Switzerland that has treated us to many unforgettable experiences.

Includes
  • Breakfast
  • Eurostar Meal

Additional information

Departure times

Provisional departure and return times, where available, can be found together with our dates and prices by clicking on the 'Prices & Availability' button. We write to all booked customers approximately 10 weeks prior to the start of their tour to advise the exact departure and return time for their particular group.

Mobility information

Due to the nature of our tours they are generally unsuitable for those with restricted mobility. If you’d like to discuss any particular holiday with us in this respect, then please don’t hesitate to call us.

Hotels

Hotel Ambassador, Brig

Hotel Ambassador, Brig

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Hotel Stern, Chur

Hotel Stern, Chur

View hotel

Trains

Eurostar
The Glacier Express

Enhance your holiday

Upgrades

Upgrade to a Deluxe Double room in Brig
London Hotels
UK rail connections

Reviews

4.7 stars4.7 / 5 · 110 reviews

  1. 5 stars
    (76)
  2. 4 stars
    (30)
  3. 3 stars
    (4)
  4. 2 stars
    (0)
  5. 1 star
    (0)

Kay Margiotta

5 stars

Submitted 26/Mar

The glacier express was an amazing journey through the alps. The scenery is stunning can't put it in to words. While on the train it started snowing heavily it looked like a winter wonderland. The train is very comfortable and we had dinner on the train which was lovely and the service was good. A great experience I won't forget

Collected by Trustpilot

John McClenahen

5 stars

Submitted 26/Mar

What promised to be an excellent trip exceeded expectations because of a remarkable itinerary and, especially, the guiding personality of Tour Director Caroline Bryan.

Collected by Trustpilot

Dotty

5 stars

Submitted 26/Mar

The trip was excellent, well organised and enabled us to see the beautiful snow- covered scenery. The group leader was brilliant, very well organised, friendly with all the group and she did everything with good humour.

Collected by Trustpilot

Mrs Jones

5 stars

Submitted 25/Mar

Excellent trip, very well organised. Good hotels. Very good tour guide who made sure we had all the necessary information and looked after us very well.

Collected by Trustpilot

John Thompson

5 stars

Submitted 22/Mar

This was a once in a lifetime experience. The tour was extremely well organised and led by tour manager James. The journeys on the Glacier Express and Bernina Express were exceptional and we were lucky with sunshine on each day and plenty of snow - don’t forget sunglasses! Can recommend the train journey to Arosa from Chur and then the cable car to the mountain top which we did on our free day. From Zermatt the Gornegrat railway is a must with unrivalled views of the Matterhorn. The hotels were good although the bedroom at Hotel Stern in Chur was very small with a tiny shower. We paid extra for a deluxe bedroom at the Ambassador Hotel in Brig which was well worth it. Meals were good but wine very expensive, beer not so bad. The holiday is quite tiring so don’t expect a relaxing beach type holiday! Swiss trains are immaculate and put ours to shame. Overall a memorable nine days.

Collected by Trustpilot

Graking

5 stars

Submitted 22/Mar

An excellent and well organised trip led by James. The weather was kind to us and we had a very enjoyable break. No major issues with everything running to a prompt timetable. A good mix of free time and organised trips which was excellent. Both trains were amazing and the scenery was fantastic. Group size was ideal and much better than our previous trip with 40 in the party. The hotels were excellent, especially the one in Chur. The Brig hotel was OK and food good but nowhere to sit in the evenings. Our room was disappointing and rather lacking in size, a very small shower and just very dull looking. Overall, a great trip and we will be booking something for next year.

Collected by Trustpilot

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