We are back from our two weeks of Switzerland vacation, and I’m so excited to share all the details with you. It’s been about two weeks since we returned and I still think about Switzerland every single day. I’ve been to a lot of places, but Switzerland lives at the top of my list since it was simply breathtaking. This blog post is going to recap our full Switzerland trip, including where we stayed, what cities we visited, our full itinerary and so much more. So, let’s dive in!
Switzerland is a beautiful country with impressive mountains and gorgeous views everywhere you look. We spent 12 days exploring different areas in this amazing country and I truly believe that you will at least need a week if you want to explore some of the most beautiful regions of the country.
HOW TO GET THERE + HOW TO GET AROUND
You can either fly to the Geneva International Airport or Zurich Airport. We flew to Zurich airport and I would highly suggest starting your trip from Zurich because most of the true beauty of the country, what you see in photos and videos is closer to Zurich than in Geneva, therefore if you start your trip from Zurich, you will get the most beautiful routes and views in the first part of your trip, which is what I always prefer anyways.
We traveled the entire country by train. Of course, you can also rent a car but we wanted to see the beauty of Switzerland through the much talked about scenic trains. We purchased the Swiss pass for 14 days. Swiss pass can be expensive for sure, but it is worth it in my opinion. Having a Swiss pass will give you access to local city buses, the golden pass lines, trams, boats, discounts on entrance tickets to mountain adventures, as well as the museums. One thing to note though, is if you want to make a reservation for the seats, you will need to pay for that in addition to your Swiss pass. More on that later, since we did have a reservation on the Golden Pass Panoramic trains which runs between certain cities. Other than that, we did not have any seat reservations.
BUDGET
Switzerland is known for being one of the most expensive cities. We found prices of everything to be higher including grocery items, restaurant menu items, entrance ticket prices, hotels, etc. So while it’s not impossible if you’re traveling on a budget, you might want to pay attention to your expenses considering that this may be one of the most expensive trips you may take compared to other places.
This itinerary is of course not the only way to spend two weeks in Switzerland but it’s a really good way to see a lot of different places and truly take in the beauty of the country. If you have more or fewer days you can adapt it as necessary.
12-day Switzerland Itinerary:
⦁ Day 1- Zurich to Lucerne
⦁ Day 2- Lucerne
⦁ Day 3- Train from Lucerne to Grindelwald
⦁ Day 4- Grindelwald
⦁ Day 5- Train from Grindelwald to Interlaken
⦁ Day 6- Interlaken/Lauterbrunnen
⦁ Day 7- Interlaken/Lauterbrunnen
⦁ Day 8- Interlaken/Lauterbrunnen
⦁ Day 9- Train from Interalaken to Gstaad
⦁ Day 10- Gstaad
⦁ Day 11- Train from Gstaad to Montreaux
⦁ Day 12- Train from Montreux to Geneva
⦁ Day 13- Geneva
Before I dive into the detailed itinerary, I wanted to mention that if you want to avoid changing hotels multiple times, you can make Interlaken your base and travel to surrounding towns from there. Interlaken is one of the main hubs for connecting trains to other small villages. You can make Interlaken your base and, from there travel to Lauterbrunnen, Grindelwald, and Lucerne. We preferred to stay in smaller villages and mountainous towns rather than just staying in Interlaken for all the days to get a complete Swiss experience.
Gstaad, Montreux, and Geneva are one and a half hours to 3 hours from Interlaken so it is better to keep them separate rather than day trips from Interlaken.
Day 1-2 Lucerne:
We took the train from Zurich airport to Lucerne.
We wanted to make the best use of our time and since Zurich does not have much to do, we decided to skip it for next time and take a train directly to Lucerne. The train from Zurich to Lucerne is only about 1 hour. Trains in Switzerland are pretty easy to navigate and are always on time. You can follow the train timetables through the app or also through Google Maps. We found Google Maps train times to be pretty accurate.
We stayed at Chateau Gutsch in Lucerne and it was truly beautiful. The view from our room was gorgeous since the hotel is at the top of the hill and you can get amazing Lucerne city views from your room. Would highly recommend staying here.
On our first day in Lucerne, we checked in and after resting for a bit, we decided to explore the city and Lucerne Lake. You can rent out the paddle boats on the Lucerne lake or if you have the Swiss pass the public boats are free. We rented out the paddle boat since it was a beautiful day even though it started raining a bit for a few hours later that day.
We then explored the Chapel Bridge, and the Lion Monument and had some chocolate and cheese fondue at Du Point Fondue house, Museggmauer (City Wall), and wandered around the Old Town of Lucerne, before heading back to the hotel.
The Museggmauer is the city wall in Lucerne that dates back to the 14th century. It’s about a 10-minute walk from the town area of Lucerne so it’s easy to get to by walking. It is the most iconic place in Lucerne since it is featured in so many of the photos that you may see of Lucerne. We could see this wall from our pretty spectacular room.
The next day, we spent the whole day exploring Mount Pilatus and going for the longest Tobbagon ride in Switzerland. I would highly recommend doing the Tobaggon ride on a sunny day since it was so much fun and the views were spectacular.
Lucerne Activities to do:
⦁ Tandem Paragliding over Lucern
⦁ Mount Rigi Paragliding
Lucerne Restaurant Suggestions:
I have to say overall we loved the Indian food in Switzerland. The Indian food was so delicious. More like India and way better than what you get in the States.
⦁ Ammos Mediterranean
⦁ Golden India
⦁ Pfister
⦁ La Terraza
⦁ La Bestia
⦁ Fondue House Du Pont
Day 3-5- Grindelwald
The next morning we took the train to Grindelwald for our adventure in the mountains. If you want to see the true beauty of Switzerland I would highly suggest going to Grindelwald. It is a small village in the mountains and it is at the top of the list for one of the most beautiful places we have ever been.
There are so many things to do in Grindelwald and I would recommend spending two nights here. One day you can explore the mountain activities and adventures in Grindelwald and the next day you can plan to go to the Jungfraujoch, the top of Europe since the cable car or the train that connects to Jungfraujoch is from the Grindelwald terminal.
If you are finding this helpful, you will find my detailed Google doc even more helpful!! It’s a complete doc that I planned before our trip which will give you further insights on the trains, tips to get to different attractions, ticket info, and more- get it below!!
If you want to avoid changing hotels multiple times, you can skip staying in Grindelwald and just stay in Interlaken and connect from Interlaken for day trips to surrounding towns. But, I loved staying in the small mountain villages of Switzerland like Grindelwald and Wengen to experience the true beauty of Switzerland. Interlaken is more of a commercial city and great for connectivity since all trains for major cities depart from Interlaken OST (East) or Interlaken West. Alternatively, the smaller villages that surround Interlaken have the true Swiss charm.
On our first day in Grindelwald, after checking in at our hotel- Belvedere Grindelwald, we went to Grindelwald first, hiked to the Bachalpsee Lake, Pfingstegg, and explored the valley of Grindelwald.
The next day, we started our morning early and went to Jungfraujoch and Kleine Scheidegg. We took the cable car and trains everywhere but you can also hike to Kleine Scheidegg if you have time. The only hike we did was to the Bachalpsee lake. Kleine Scheidegg is my favorite. If you are short on time, just go to Kleine Scheidegg and you won’t be disappointed. It’s breathtaking.
Kleine Scheidegg is a mountain pass between Eiger and Lauberhorn peaks and a ski resort, which people hike into after Mannlichen. Because of Kleine Scheidegg’s location and rail connection, I can say it’s the place most effortless to visit for an unparalleled view of Eiger’s north face.
You will find the Swiss cows with their bells grazing with the stunning backdrop of the Eiger mountains.
Grindelwald Activites to do:
⦁ Jungfraujoch heli scenic from Interlaken
⦁ Guided E-Bike Tour from Grindelwald
Grindelwald Restaurant Suggestions:
⦁ Golden India
⦁ Onkel Tom’s Hutte for wood fried pizza
Day 5-8- Interlaken/ Lauterbrunnen
After spending some time in the mountains, our base for the next 3 nights was Interlaken. Interlaken is between Lauterbrunnen and Grindelwald. Interlaken is also between the two lakes Lake Brienz and Lake Thun, hence the name Interlaken.
We took the train from Grindelwald to Interlaken and we checked in our hotel. Hotels Royal St Georges was conveniently located near the train station and on the main strip. We loved our stay there.
In the next few days, we explored what I find is the most stunning part of Switzerland and my personal favorite- The Lauterbrunnen Valley. Lauterbrunnen Valley as a commune has 6 villages/towns. Four of them, Isenfluh, Murren, Gimmelwald, and Wengen are perched above the Lauterbrunnen Valley, overlooking the two central villages Lauterbrunnen and Stechelberg. Cable cars and trains link the villages in the Lauterbrunnen Valley and to their primary attractions like Manchillen and Trummelbach Falls.
This is how we explored this area in 3 days:
⦁ We explored Wengen, Manchillen, Central Village of Lauterbrunnen – Trummelbach Falls, and Staubbach Falls in one day by taking the train from Interlaken to Lauterbrunnen and then connecting to Wengen and Manchillen.
⦁ The next day, we explored the towns of Murren, Gimmelwald, and Schilthorn Summit (if you are a James Bond fan, you need to go here, since a lot of his movies are shot here). Ended the day with a boat ride on Lake Brienz and checked out the town of Spiez which is easy to access from the boat.
⦁ On our last day in the region, we decided to go to Harder Klum in Interlaken and Aare George in Meiringen. We loved the Lauterbrunnen Valley so much so, that we decided to go there again on our last day in this region for drinks.
I am just going to go forward and say this- if you go to Switzerland and don’t see the Lauterbrunnen Valley, you haven’t seen the true jaw-dropping beauty of the country. Most of the postcards you see are from this region.
Interlaken/Lauterbrunnen Activities to do:
⦁ Tandem Paragliding- this is such a fun activity to do and I highly recommend it.
⦁ Jungfraujoch Scenic flight
⦁ Kayaking over Lake Brienz– if you have time, I highly recommend this. Lake Brienz is such a beautiful scenic area and it will be a great experience to include in your itinerary.
Interlaken/Lauterbrunnen Restaurant Suggestions:
⦁ Spice India
⦁ Little Thai
⦁ Taj Mahal
⦁ Sapori
⦁ Pizzeria Horn
⦁ Goldener Anker
⦁ Ristorante Di Sina Wengen
Day 9-11- Gstaad/Saanen region
Our next few days were spent in Gstaad. A ski town like Zermatt. After being in the mountains, we wanted to have a few days to relax. Gstaad is a ski town but is great to visit even in summer. If you are a Bollywood fan like me, you may have seen this town in movies more than a thousand times haha. I wanted to visit the Gstaad/Saanen region due to the famous Bollywood movie DDLJ shot there.
We took the Golden Pass Express from Interlaken to Gstaad. This is where I mentioned at the beginning of this post, that we made reservations for this route. I would suggest making a seat reservation on the Golden Pass route because in high season you might not be able to get the best window seats. This was such a spectacular train ride. We loved every bit of this journey since we got the best window seats with the best views. This train is the new express route that was started last year and it’s incredible.
Gstaad has few things to do over the summer but great town to visit and spend a day or two relaxing. So we checked into this beautiful hotel, Le Grand Bellevue in the mountains. The views from our room were so stunning. If you followed my Instagram stories, you know I was in love with this place.
The Gstaad promenade along with Saanen is where major parts of so many Bollywood movies are shot.
The day we reached Gstaad, we spent time at the Gstaad promenade and went to Saanen.
The next day was all about spending time relaxing. We decided to do the Spa experience at our hotel, spent time at the pool, had delicious food, and relaxed for the day.
If you want to and have some time you can also go to Glacier 3000. We decided to skip it for next time. After a lot of traveling, we truly needed some R&R. Also, because of summer, there was not much snow on the Glacier 3000, so we would love to come in winter for sure to see this beauty next time.
Gstaad Restaurant Suggestions:
⦁ Mango
⦁ Le Grand Bellevue Hotel Restaurant
Day 11-12- Montreux
After Gstaad, we wanted to explore the Swiss Rivera. We spent one night in Montreux.
Took the Golden Pass Rail again from Gstaad to Montreux. Highly recommend making a reservation for this as well. If you have the Swiss pass, the golden pass ticket is covered, all you have to pay is an additional 10-20 dollars for a seat reservation.
Montreux is such a nice lakeside town. Our hotel, Grand Majestic by Marriott was conveniently located on the lakeside and closer to the train station, which was great. The lakeside promenade is full of shops, restaurants, and bars. There is also the Chillon Castle and Charlie Chaplin Museum along with some wineries like Lavaux and Domaine wineries in the town which we checked out.
Day 12-13- Geneva
For our last two days, we were in Geneva.
Took the train from Montreux to Geneva which is about one hour. Our stay at the Intercontinental Geneva was nice as well. Checked out the main town of Geneva for one and a half days, which was enough I believe since there are not a lot of things to do in Geneva itself.
We loved the UNICEF headquarters and the International Museum of Red Cross and Red Crescent which was truly heart-touching. The work they do is just incredible and inspiring. Also loved the Patek Phillip Museum. If you are a fan of finer watches you will love this museum and its vintage collections.
That was our 2 weeks of fun in Switzerland. One of the best vacations we have had so far. There was a lot to do from changing multiple hotels to cities but it was all worth it. We would love to go back someday in Winter for Skiing for sure. Next time, we would love to visit Zermatt and some other ski towns for more of a winter adventure.
Before heading home, we decided to make a stop in Brussels. Took an evening flight from Geneva to Brussels, and spent two days there before heading back to the States.
Geneva Activities to do:
⦁ Kayak rental on Lake Geneva
Geneva Restaurant Suggestions:
⦁ Pasta People
I hope you found this helpful. Switzerland is one of the hardest trips I have planned for, due to the different cities and train routes, but I am hoping I made your life and your trip planning a little simpler. Let me know in the comments if you have been to Switzerland and what was your favorite place and city. If you are planning to go to Switzerland, I would say go for it.. you will love it!
If you want even more insight into my trip and how I planned it, I give you complete access to my Google doc above. Make sure to grab it from above!
If you looking for any activities to do in Switzerland, I highly recommend booking it through Manawa. Manawa has thousands of activities for you to experience, whether you are planning a trip to Switzerland in summer or winter.