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Traditional Glacier Express in Winter

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20242025
8 days Sold out
4.6 stars(78 reviews)
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Small Group

Embark on an epic winter adventure on Switzerland’s iconic Glacier Express and Bernina Express.

Mobility Rating 2

2024 Tour code: GYW24

About the tour

This enticing rail holiday, based in Chur and Kandersteg, provides ample opportunity to explore the majestic Swiss Alps, cloaked in their winter finery. Enjoy a trip on the famous Glacier Express, the slowest, and certainly one of the most scenic, 'express' trains in the world.

Highlights

What’s included

Itinerary

Day 1 – London and Strasbourg

We meet at our dedicated Departure Office at London St Pancras before boarding the Eurostar to Paris. We change for the high-speed service to Strasbourg where we stay for the night.

Includes
  • Dinner
Day 2 - Chur

After a morning to explore the Alsace city of Strasbourg, we board the train to Switzerland. Travelling via Basel, we join the superb Swiss railway network and make our way to Chur, Switzerland's oldest town with over 5,000 years of settlement history, and check into our hotel for three nights.

Includes
  • Breakfast, Dinner
Day 3 - Exploring Chur

Your day is free to explore historic Chur and the surrounding region. Take time to stroll through the medieval cobbled alleyways and squares of the Old Town to visit the 12th-century cathedral, a blend of Gothic and Romanesque styles. Today is also a superb chance for you to discover the area by mountain railway using your included Swiss Card for 50% fares. The wild, wintry and rugged landscape of the glorious Graubünden region is waiting to be discovered, with superb railway journeys available from Chur that take you across the dramatic valleys that make this one of the most attractive cantons in Switzerland. A journey on the Arosa Line to lakeside Arosa, surrounded by dramatic snowy peaks, is a popular option for today. Alternatively, visit Lucerne, a historic lakeside city of cobbled streets, squares and ornate churches. Here you can see the famous Kapellbrücke covered bridge or visit the Swiss Transport Museum.

Includes
  • Breakfast
Day 4 - The Bernina Express

Dubbed the rail experts' best-kept secret, the UNESCO-listed Bernina Express is a highlight of any holiday to the Swiss Alps. This 100-year-old route twists and spirals its way south through the rugged landscape of the Engadine Valley, across the curved Landwasser Viaduct and looping its way through tunnels as it climbs the Albula Line. Crossing the Bernina Pass, we pause to view the captivating Palü glacier at Alp Grüm and wind our way down to the Italian-speaking town of Poschiavo, where pastel-coloured buildings line the streets before we make the return journey to Chur.

Includes
  • Breakfast, Dinner
Day 5 - The Glacier Express

We leave Chur today, travelling from the rocky landscape of the Graubünden canton to the fantastic Valais on the iconic Glacier Express - the 'slowest express train in the world'. Our journey is accompanied by views for which Switzerland is justly famous; snow-covered pastures and frosted forests rising up the hillsides beside the track towards towering, sugar-frosted peaks. We travel along the beautiful Rhine Valley, climbing steadily and steeply as we make our way up and over the Oberalp Pass, the highest point on the route, the distant summits of the Italian Alps in view to the south. From here we descend past the cosy looking villages that line our route, nestled in the foothills of the surrounding mountains, before travelling through the Furka Base Tunnel and into the Rhône Valley. The final part of our journey takes us through the expansive vineyards that line the surrounding hillsides as we approach the small town of Brig. Here, we take a local train over the imposing Kander Viaduct, through the old Lötschberg tunnel and onwards to Kandersteg, a picturesque Alpine destination and our home for the next three nights.

Includes
  • Breakfast, Dinner
Day 6 - Zermatt

We travel to the charming, car-free resort of Zermatt by rail, boarding a narrow-gauge train and travelling south through dramatic valleys and alongside the River Rhône to Visp. From here, we join the mountain track for the steep ascent to Zermatt. This spectacular approach takes us through eight tunnels and across 42 bridges. Finally, we reach this unique mountain town, nestled below the snowy tilted peak of the instantly recognisable Matterhorn and you're free to explore. You could visit the Matterhorn Museum, a state-of-the-art museum which traces Zermatt's history from ancient farming village to modern-day snow-sports resort and recounts the story of the various attempts - successful and otherwise - to conquer the Matterhorn. Alternatively, take a ride on the Gornergrat Railway, a scenic cog railway that snakes from Zermatt to the summit of nearby Gornergrat. Reaching an elevation of over 9,000 feet, enjoy panoramic views of the Matterhorn and its glaciers, as well as the Monte-Rosa range.

Includes
  • Breakfast
Day 7 - Kandersteg

Today you're free to explore Kandersteg, renowned for its breathtaking views and scenic trails. You could take the cable car up to the stunning Oeschinen Lake, often frozen in winter, for stunning views across the Alps. Or you could explore the wider region using your Swiss Travel Card. We particularly recommend travelling along the Rhône Valley to Montreux where you can enjoy a cruise on Lake Geneva or join the GoldenPass Line to Spiez. Otherwise, perhaps travel to Interlaken, a charming town situated between Lakes Thun and Brienz.

Includes
  • Breakfast, Dinner
Day 8 - Kandersteg and London

We depart from Kandersteg, and travel by train via Brig and along the shores of shimmering Lake Geneva, before joining a direct TGV service to Paris. Here we connect with Eurostar to London St Pancras.

Includes
  • Breakfast

Additional information

Please note

Please note that while every departure of this tour will feature the same excursions, the order may differ from that shown above.

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 Freieck, Chur

Hotel Freieck, Chur

View hotel

Belle Epoque Hotel Victoria, Kandersteg

Belle Epoque Hotel Victoria, Kandersteg

View hotel

Trains

Bernina Express
Eurostar
The Glacier Express
TGV

Enhance your holiday

Upgrades

Upgrade to a Superior Double Room at the Hotel Freieck
Upgrade to Standard Premier Class on Eurostar
London Hotels
UK rail connections

Reviews

4.6 stars4.6 / 5 · 78 reviews

  1. 5 stars
    (57)
  2. 4 stars
    (16)
  3. 3 stars
    (3)
  4. 2 stars
    (1)
  5. 1 star
    (1)

Bev

3 stars

Submitted 24/Mar

Bit of a let down, tour manager didnt know anything about the places we visited. Always nice to have someone telling you a bit about the area etc, but this didn’t happen

Collected by Trustpilot

John Tinston

5 stars

Submitted 23/Mar

A full week with fabulous views!

Collected by Trustpilot

Jacky Farrugia

5 stars

Submitted 23/Mar

Really enjoyed the trip and would recommend it although you cannot predict the weather

Collected by Trustpilot

Jane Beament

5 stars

Submitted 21/Mar

Wonderful tour. Scenery was magnificent. It was well organised from first booking to the end of the holiday. Friendly, family run hotels with delicious breakfasts and evening meals. Tour manager Moray was on the ball and always had details to hand and a ready smile. I would highly recommend this holiday. Wonderful experience!

Collected by Trustpilot

Simon Vidler

4 stars

Submitted 17/Mar

Great experience the only reason I haven't score 5 stars is on a couple of occasions when leaving the train stations we had a long walk with our luggage to the hotel, although you had the option of using the "sherpa " service you still needed to carry anything you needed eg. wash kit and some clothing until your suitcase arrived at the hotel, apart from that I would highly recommend this experience wonderful.

Collected by Trustpilot

Richard Collins

5 stars

Submitted 17/Mar

Excellent holiday with extensive classic rail trips on Bernina Express and Glacier Express, but with days to explore on our own.

Collected by Trustpilot

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