Classic Glacier Express in Winter

This morning we meet the rest of our group and our Tour Manager at our dedicated Departure Office in St Pancras. We board the Eurostar to Paris, continuing on by high-speed rail to Strasbourg, where we stay overnight.

• Dinner
• Eurostar Meal

We depart Strasbourg today and take the local railway for a wonderful journey over the imposing Kander Viaduct, through the old Lötschberg tunnel and past soaring mountain peaks to the town of Brig. A historic town in the Valais canton, Brig dates back to the Roman era. On arrival, we check in for 4 nights at Hotel Ambassador. With free time here, 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.

• Breakfast, Dinner

Today we visit the charming, car-free resort of Zermatt. We join a narrow-gauge train, heading south through wintry vineyards and alongside the River Rhône to Visp. From here we join the mountain track for the steep ascent to Zermatt. The spectacular approach takes us through 8 tunnels and across 42 bridges as the Matterhorn comes into view. In Zermatt you are free to spend your time as you choose. One option that you will not want to miss is the ascent to the summit of the Gornergrat by funicular railway (payable locally). Running for just under 6 miles, the route travels from Zermatt to the summit of the Gornergrat. We return to Brig this evening, where you can relax at the hotel and enjoy a free day on Day 4.

• Day 3 - Breakfast, Dinner
• Day 4 - Breakfast

Today we take a train to the town of Lucerne, known for its cobbled streets and ornate churches. Your time in Lucerne is free to explore. Enjoy a stroll through the town to see the famous Kapellbrücke, a 14th-century wooden bridge that separates Lucerne's Old and New Town. Alternatively, travel on the Pilatus or the Rigi mountain railways or enjoy a paddle steamer cruise across beautiful Lake Lucerne using your Swiss Travel card for 50% fare reductions.

• Breakfast, Dinner

We leave Brig today, travelling on the iconic Glacier Express. We make the journey in Standard Class, enjoying unspoilt views through panoramic windows of the snow-covered scenery for which Switzerland is justly famous; intricate vineyards and forests rising towards mountain peaks, covered in a beautiful blanket of snow.

A 2-course lunch is served at our seats during the journey, followed by tea and coffee - the perfect accompaniment to our time on board 'the slowest express train in the world'. We follow the Rhône Valley and climb through the Furka Base Tunnel. We pass countless villages nestled in the foothills of the mountains, before our steep ascent over the Oberalp Pass - at the highest point of the route and where the views south include the distant peaks of the Italian Alps. Our descent from Oberalp takes us along the beautiful Rhine Valley and into Chur - Switzerland's oldest town, for 3 nights at the Romantik Hotel Stern.

You are free on Day 7 to explore Chur.

• Day 6 - Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
• Day 7 - Breakfast

This morning we board our train to Poschiavo, from where we journey through majestic mountain peaks to elegant St Moritz. This resort town is renowned as a prestigious travel destination, and epitomises Swiss lakeside glamour, with an abundance of fascinating history, culture, and natural beauty.

• Breakfast, Dinner

We leave Chur and travel by train via Basel to Paris. From here, we connect with the Eurostar back to London St Pancras, where our holiday concludes.

• Breakfast
• Eurostar Meal