Guide

All Intrepid group trips in Europe are accompanied by one of our local European group leaders. ’Local’ in this context means a leader who is European or lives in Europe. The aim of the group leader is to take the hassle out of your travels and to help you have the best trip possible. Intrepid endeavours to provide the services of an experienced leader however, due to the seasonality of travel, rare situations may arise where your leader is new to a particular region or training other group leaders. Your leader takes care of logistics, will provide information on the places you are travelling through, offer suggestions for things to do and see, recommend great local eating venues and introduce you to our local friends. While not being guides in the traditional sense you can expect them to have a broad general knowledge of the places visited on the trip, including historical, cultural, religious and social aspects. At Intrepid we also aim to support local guides in the individual cities or locations we travel to. If you are interested in delving deeper into the local culture at a specific site or location then your leader can recommend an optional local guide service in most of the main destinations of your trip.

Meals

7 breakfasts

Others

Lucerne - Boat Cruise & Mt Pilatus Golden Circle Tour Bulle - Cheese tasting in a local fromagerie Bulle - Chocolate tasting in local chocolate shop Bulle - La Maison du Gruyère visit Bern - Leader-led orientation walk Bern - Zytglogge (Clock tower) tour

Transport

TRANSPORT IN EUROPE: Half the fun of travel is the travelling itself, that’s why we like to travel the local way – whether that means mingling with commuters on a local train, watching the scenery roll by from the window of a long distance bus, arriving on a high speed train in the city centre of your next destination, or navigating each city’s public transport system. In Europe, you are guaranteed to travel by genuine local public transport wherever possible, which puts you right in the centre of the action. SWISS TRAINS: On this trip you will be predominantly travelling by train. Swiss trains are most likely the best in Europe, clean, comfortable, and, you guessed it, punctual. Some of them will have restaurant carriages, but all of them have toilets. You will also be able to charge your phone or camera on the train as well (as long as you have the right adapter with you). And what is guaranteed, are the best views you can ever imagine. Train , Public bus , Boat , Cable car , Cog railway

Accommodation

The style of accommodation indicated in the day-to-day itinerary is a guideline only and may change. On some occasions, alternative arrangements may need to be made due to the lack of availability of rooms in our preferred accommodation. In these cases, we will use a similar standard of accommodation. Throughout the trip, we request that our properties prepare rooms in time for our arrival, especially if we’re arriving prior to normal check-in time. However, this isn’t always possible which means we won’t be able to check-in immediately on arrival at some hotels. Instead, we can store our luggage and explore our new destination or on some trips, have use of shared day rooms until all rooms are available. OCCASIONAL ALTERNATIVE ACCOMMODATION: The style of accommodation indicated in the day-to-day itinerary is a guideline. On rare occasions, alternative arrangements may need to be made due to the lack of availability of rooms in our usual accommodation. A similar standard of accommodation will be used in these instances. TWIN SHARE BASIS: Accommodation on this trip is on a twin/multishare basis. We pair up solo travellers with another traveller of the same gender as per the gender marker on each of their passports. Please note there may be times where facilities will be shared rather than ensuite and rare occasions when you share a room with passengers travelling on different Intrepid trips than your own. CHECK-IN TIME: Throughout the trip we request that our hotels prepare rooms in time for our arrival, especially if we’re arriving prior to normal check-in time. However this isn’t always possible which means we won’t be able to check-in immediately on arrival at some hotels. Instead, we can store our luggage and explore our new destination. PRE/POST TRIP ACCOMMODATION: If you’ve purchased pre-trip or post-trip accommodation (if available), you may be required to change rooms from your trip accommodation for these extra nights. FACILITIES: Your accommodation may not always have private en suite facilities or air-conditioning. European hotels generally don’t provide kettles or fridges. Hotel (7 nights)

Not included:

Others

Other activities and services are not included.

Optional

Other activities and services are not included.

Insurance

Insurance is not included. Travel insurance is required for this tour. Please make sure you are adequately covered. If you require travel insurance, TourRadar has partnered up with World Nomads to provide a hassle-free experience. More information can be found here (https://www.tourradar.com/travel-insurance).

Flights

Flights not included.

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Day 1 Day 1: Zurich
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 1: Zurich

Welcome to Switzerland! There’s much to see and do in Zurich, so we recommend you book some additional nights prior to the trip’s start. This afternoon, meet your group at 5 pm in the hotel lobby for an important welcome meeting. Afterwards, take an evening orientation walk with your leader around Zurich to take in the river and lakefront by night.
Day 2 Day 2: Lucerne
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 2: Lucerne

This morning, get a taste of the world-renowned Swiss rail system – efficient and punctual – as you head to Lucerne, a small city known for its mountainous backdrop on the pristine Lake Lucerne. The city is a popular destination for those visiting central Switzerland thanks to its proximity to many outdoor activities, its breathtaking natural beauty and historic architecture. On a walking tour with your leader, take a walk past 15th-century frescoed houses and across covered wooden bridges and climb to the top of the medieval towers along the city walls for spectacular views of this picturesque city and its surroundings. In the tiny streets of the old town (Altstadt), there’s often a craft market and dozens of shops full of unique handmade goods.
Day 3 Day 3: Lucerne / Mt Pilatus
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 3: Lucerne / Mt Pilatus

It’s tour time! Hop on the Golden Pilatus tour – a roundtrip journey across Lake Lucerne to the summit of Mt Pilatus and back to town via boat, rail and gondola. From the shores of the Reuss river in Lucerne, hop on a steamboat ride along the lake to Alpnachstad, where you’ll board the steepest cogwheel railway in the world, which takes you to the summit of Mt Pilatus at 2132 metres. Walk up to the various viewpoints or just park yourself on the panoramic viewing platform and enjoy some lunch (and perhaps even a yodelling or alphorn demonstration if you’re lucky). From here, travel down the other side of the mountain via gondola. Opt to walk back to the city centre or hop aboard a public bus for an evening at your leisure.
Day 4 Day 4-5: Jungfrau Region
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 4-5: Jungfrau Region

Today, travel to the Jungfrau Region of the Swiss Alps and enjoy a couple of free days in this picturesque mountain paradise. From your homebase in the village of Grindelwald, you’ve got a tonne of optional activities to choose from. With trains and cable car routes throughout the valley, it’s quite easy to access viewpoints and hikes of all levels from the valley floor to mountain peaks. One of the popular spots is Grindelwald First, accessible by a cable car ride, you can embark on the First Cliff Walk, an adrenaline-pumping walkway that clings to the side of the mountain. You might also opt to ride the rails from Grindelwald through the village of Kleine Scheidegg to board the train to Jungfrauroch, aka the Top of Europe, home to the highest railway station in Europe at nearly 3500 metres. Interlaken and Lauterbrunnen are easy day trips, too. In Lauterbrunnen, you could also visit Trummelbach Falls – Europe’s largest subterranean waterfalls whose powerful glacier waters have carved a slot canyon through the mountainside. Happy exploring!
Day 5 Day 6: Bulle
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 6: Bulle

This morning, catch another train to Bulle, located in La Gruyere district. After lunch, hop on a quick local train to Gruyere, where you will first visit La Maison du Gruyère, a renowned cheese factory where you can learn about the traditional methods of making the famous Gruyère cheese. Then, head to a local fromagerie to savour delicious cheeses during a tasting session. Conclude your culinary excursion with a visit to a local chocolate shop, where you can treat yourself to a delightful tasting of Swiss chocolates.
Day 6 Day 7: Bern
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 7: Bern

Travel to Bern – Switzerland’s capital and arguably one of the most beautiful cities in Europe. After checking into your hotel, grab a quick lunch and follow your leader on an orientation walking tour. Head to the Old Town, explore the area where Einstein lived and developed his Theory of Relativity at the start of the 20th century and stop to check out Parliament House. Visit the famous Zytglogge - Bern Clock. On a guided tour, examine the gears and apparatus of the old clock, which dates back to the 15th century, with many original parts still in operation. Watch the perfectly timed figurines closely and don’t miss out on the panoramic view of Bern from the top. In the evening, why not get some of your crew together to explore the food and drink scene in Bern – from typical Swiss dishes to worldwide cuisine, Bern is a great place for dining.
Day 7 Day 8: Bern
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 8: Bern

With no activities planned for today, you are free to leave any time after breakfast. That doesn’t mean your adventure has to come to an end! If you would like to spend more time in Bern, we’ll be happy to organise additional accommodation (subject to availability).
Day 8 Day 9: Bern
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 9: Bern

Travel to Bern – Switzerland’s capital and arguably one of the most beautiful cities in Europe. After checking into your hotel, grab a quick lunch and follow your leader on an orientation walking tour. Head to the Old Town, explore the area where Einstein lived and developed his Theory of Relativity at the start of the 20th century and stop to check out Parliament House. Visit the famous Zytglogge - Bern Clock. On a guided tour, examine the gears and apparatus of the old clock, which dates back to the 15th century, with many original parts still in operation. Watch the perfectly timed figurines closely and don’t miss out on the panoramic view of Bern from the top. In the evening, why not get some of your crew together to explore the food and drink scene in Bern – from typical Swiss dishes to worldwide cuisine, Bern is a great place for dining.
Accommodation: Hotel
Day 9 Day 10: Bern
12:00 am - 11:59 pm

Day 10: Bern

With no activities planned for today, you are free to leave any time after breakfast. That doesn’t mean your adventure has to come to an end! If you would like to spend more time in Bern, we’ll be happy to organise additional accommodation (subject to availability).

8 days tour

Best Of Switzerland

This tour includes:

Not included:

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Itinerary of your trip Best Of Switzerland

Day 1: Zurich

Day 2: Lucerne

Day 3: Lucerne / Mt Pilatus

Day 4-5: Jungfrau Region

Day 6: Bulle

Day 7: Bern

Day 8: Bern

Day 9: Bern

Day 10: Bern

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