Interlaken & the Jungfrau Express at New Year

Your festive holiday begins at London St Pancras where you meet the Tour Manager before boarding the Eurostar service to Brussels. Here we change trains and continue to the bustling cathedral city of Cologne where we spend the night.

After checking in, dinner is served at our hotel this evening.

• Dinner

After breakfast we journey into Switzerland, passing through Mannheim beside the Rhine and Freiburg in the Black Forest on our way to Basel. From the Swiss city of Basel, we set off on a magical winter journey past glittering lakes and snowy peaks to Interlaken, in the heart of the Bernese Oberland - one of the best-loved regions in the Swiss Alps.

This pristine resort town is nestled between Lakes Thun and Brienz, watched over by the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau mountains. On arrival, we check in to our modern hotel with views of the Bernese Oberland. After settling into our home for the next five nights we have dinner.

• Breakfast, Dinner

A spellbinding train journey awaits today aboard the Luzern-Interlaken Express - one of Switzerland's five panoramic train routes - to Lucerne. Entering stunning alpine scenery, we travel along the banks of Lake Brienz to Meiringen, in the shadow of the famous Reichenbach Falls. From here, we climb the Brünig Pass through magical winter scenery to an elevation of 3,287 feet. On the descent, we pass shimmering lakes before reaching Lucerne.

There's time to wander Lucerne's old town where an illuminated spruce fir tree stands 15 metres high, casting a golden glow across the main square. Lucerne's cobbled streets embody tradition, culture and well-preserved medieval architecture. There are plenty of interesting attractions, from ornate churches to frescoed historic houses and the 14th-century covered Kapellbrücke. This sparkling lakeside city is a wonderful place to explore and find somewhere to eat at one of the many cosy cafés and restaurants. This evening, we retrace our journey back to our hotel in Interlaken, where you are free to dine independently. Interlaken's restaurants offer a variety of cuisine, from hearty traditional dishes to a range of international fare including Italian, Middle Eastern and Asian.

• Breakfast

On the final day of the year, we make our way by rail to the character-filled alpine village of Grindelwald, blanketed in snow and nestled at the foot of the magnificent Eiger. Enjoy some free time to soak up the scenery of attractive wooden chalets and quaint town squares with its backdrop of dramatic mountains. You could also find lunch locally, enjoying Switzerland's flavours or a familiar favourite.

Afterward, we take a cable car journey to the summit of the Grindelwald First Mountain. Appreciate grand panoramas of the valley below as you climb and look across at the mighty Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau Mountains. As we descend, we return to Interlaken, where we sit down to celebrate the approaching New Year with a gala dinner at our hotel this evening.

• Breakfast, Dinner

On New Year's Day we enjoy the highlight of our holiday - an excursion to the summit of the spectacular Jungfrau on the celebrated Jungfrau Railway. First we join the Bernese Oberland Railway to Lauterbrunnen, where the Wengernalp Railway takes us to Kleine Scheidegg. Due to the steep route, the views are outstanding, with sights including the White Lütschine River Valley and Staubbach Falls, often frozen in winter.

The Jungfrau Railway itself begins at Kleine Scheidegg and runs the remaining six miles to just below the summit of the Jungfrau Mountain. After a viewing stop along the way, making the most of fantastic panoramas, we emerge from the tunnel at Jungfraujoch, the highest railway station in Europe. With plenty of free time here, you can admire the endless expanse of the Aletsch Glacier from the Sphinx Observatory or maybe head to the Lindt store for an insight into the history and making of Swiss chocolate. After this glorious experience we head back to our hotel for a New Year's Day dinner.

• Breakfast, Dinner

Today is a free day, giving you a chance to explore Interlaken or possibly to venture further. Locally, you could take a boat ride across one of the lakes before warming up at a cosy café. Or wrap up warm and head out on one of the many nature trails that start in the town. Interlaken's history can be traced back to a monastery built here in the 12th century, while the surrounding landscapes provide a gateway to the Bernese Oberland, a region which is home to over 45 scenic mountain railways and aerial gondolas that you can discover using your Swiss Travel Card for 50% off fares.

This evening we sit down to a farewell dinner at our hotel.

• Breakfast, Dinner

This sensational winter holiday has taken us into quintessential alpine scenery on renowned Swiss railways. We have explored the unique village of Grindelwald and charming lakeside Lucerne, the 'City of Lights', from our base in Interlaken.

Our tour of the spectacular Jungfrau draws to a close this morning as we depart Interlaken and make our way to Basel, before transferring to the onward rail service to Paris. In the French capital we join the Eurostar to London St Pancras where you are free to continue your journey homewards.

• Breakfast