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Classic Glacier Express in Winter

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20242025
9 days From £2,595 per person
4.7 stars(100 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

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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 · 100 reviews

  1. 5 stars
    (70)
  2. 4 stars
    (26)
  3. 3 stars
    (4)
  4. 2 stars
    (0)
  5. 1 star
    (0)

Dr Mike Smith

5 stars

Submitted 17/Mar

We were blessed with fine weather, blue sky and sunshine most of the time. Given that, much of the experience was “out of this world“. A breathtaking experience in fact. Excellent and interesting hotels throughout. The tour manager, James Crowe, was friendly, supportive and well organised, providing us with information on each day. Trains were modern, clean, and comfortable throughout, and well designed for maximum viewing. Truly memorable.

Collected by Trustpilot

Eddie

5 stars

Submitted 15/Mar

A brilliant trip overall. The Swiss railways were a pleasure to travel on. Eurostar could be better if a) you could see through the windows and b) they didn't reallocate your seats such that you were separated from whoever you were traveling with.

Collected by Trustpilot

Liz

5 stars

Submitted 10/Mar

Absolutely excellent! We had the most wonderful time and will remember this trip for ever.

Collected by Trustpilot

Adam Stoddart

5 stars

Submitted 10/Mar

An enjoyable week of beautiful and spectacular scenery.

Collected by Trustpilot

S Craven

5 stars

Submitted 8/Mar

Great holiday with spectacular scenery . Good amount of free time to explore on our own but also good company in the group . Glad I asked the tour manager before we went whether to take snow boots so I was saved carrying them round for the trip! Great tour manager all very organised and efficient. Over seeing the journeys in the snow.

Collected by Trustpilot

Margaret Holmes

4 stars

Submitted 5/Mar

Well organised . Excellent tour leader gave us lots of information and ideas for free days . Unfortunately very high snow line ( not Great Rail's fault ! ) . Only one day took us above the snow line and that was an excellent change to the itinerary - to Grindlewald- then up on a gondola to First . Had to pay very expensive trains and cable cars in order to reach the snow and get the true feel of the mountains , amongst the skiers ,

Collected by Trustpilot

Show 6 more reviews
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