Last Updated: May 2026
Switzerland ranks among Europe’s most breathtaking travel destinations — a country of snow-capped Alps, shimmering lakes, medieval old towns, and extraordinary cuisine. We had the pleasure of exploring it on a Tauck Switzerland tour, a guided journey that swept us from the shores of Lake Geneva all the way to Lucerne, with detours into the Italian lakes along the way. In ten days and ten destinations, we stood at the foot of the Matterhorn, rode to the Top of Europe at Jungfraujoch, walked the Chapel Bridge in Lucerne, and dined at some of the finest hotel restaurants in the world.
This guide covers all ten stops on our Tauck Switzerland itinerary. Each section includes the highlights of what to see and do, along with a link to our full in-depth post for that destination. Whether you’re researching a Tauck tour for yourself, planning a self-guided Swiss adventure, or simply dreaming about Switzerland, we hope this guide helps you plan the trip of a lifetime.
Our Tauck Switzerland Tour: 10 Destinations
The Tauck Switzerland tour follows a sweeping route through Switzerland and the northern Italian lakes, beginning in Lausanne on Lake Geneva and finishing in Lucerne. The tour is fully escorted — a dedicated Tauck tour director and expert local guides handle all logistics, arrange exclusive experiences, and provide rich historical and cultural context at every stop. Five-star hotels, most meals, and all included excursions are taken care of, leaving you free to simply enjoy each destination.
1. Lausanne, Switzerland
Lausanne is dramatically situated on the northern shore of Lake Geneva, rising in tiers from the waterfront up through a medieval old town to the hilltop cathedral. It is the home of the International Olympic Committee and the Olympic Museum, and its steep streets, Gothic cathedral, and lakeside Ouchy district make it a fascinating first stop on any Swiss itinerary. The views across Lake Geneva to the French Alps are simply stunning on a clear day.
From Lausanne you also have easy access to the Lavaux wine terraces — a UNESCO World Heritage landscape of steep vineyard terraces cascading down to Lake Geneva — and the historic town of Montreux with its jazz festival heritage and the legendary Château de Chillon just up the shore.
Read our full Lausanne travel guide →
2. Gruyères & Château de Chillon, Switzerland
Gruyères is one of the best-preserved medieval villages in Switzerland, perched on a hilltop in the canton of Fribourg and famous the world over for its cheese. The village is car-free, walled, and lined with centuries-old stone buildings — a perfectly preserved snapshot of medieval Swiss life. A visit to the local cheese dairy to see Gruyère production firsthand is an unmissable experience, and the local meringues with double cream are a revelation.
The Château de Chillon, an extraordinarily well-preserved 13th-century island castle on the edge of Lake Geneva near Montreux, is paired with Gruyères on the same day. Lord Byron immortalized it in his poem “The Prisoner of Chillon,” and walking its torch-lit dungeons and lakeside ramparts makes clear why it is one of the most visited historic monuments in Switzerland.
Read our full Gruyères & Château de Chillon travel guide →
3. Zermatt, Switzerland
Zermatt is Switzerland’s most iconic Alpine village — a car-free mountain resort nestled at 1,620 meters in the shadow of the Matterhorn, the pyramid-shaped peak that is one of the most photographed mountains on earth. The village itself is charming, with a lively pedestrian zone, excellent restaurants, and the fascinating Matterhorn Museum tracing the first ascent of the peak in 1865 and the tragedy that surrounded it.
The Matterhorn Glacier Paradise cable car climbs to 3,883 meters for breathtaking views across the Alps into Italy and France. Zermatt is one of Switzerland’s premier skiing destinations in winter and a paradise for Alpine hiking in summer. On our Tauck tour, it was among the undisputed highlights of the entire journey.
Read our full Zermatt travel guide →
4. Lake Maggiore, Italy
Lake Maggiore is one of the largest and most beautiful lakes in Europe, stretching across the border between Italy and Switzerland. The Tauck tour spends time on the Italian side, with a boat excursion to the famous Borromean Islands — three small islands in the center of the lake, each featuring a baroque palazzo or lush botanical garden. The Isola Bella palace and its elaborately terraced garden are especially spectacular.
Lake Maggiore has a distinctly Mediterranean character — palm trees, bougainvillea, and a slower pace of life — that provides a wonderful contrast to the high Alpine stops earlier in the tour. The lakeside promenades, fresh lake fish, and Italian hospitality make this one of the most relaxing stops on the itinerary.
Read our full Lake Maggiore travel guide →
5. Lake Como, Italy
Lake Como, shaped like an upside-down Y in the foothills of the Alps in Lombardy, is one of the most glamorous destinations in Europe. Ringed by snow-capped peaks and lined with elegant villas, grand hotels, and colorful villages, it has attracted visitors from Roman emperors to modern celebrities for centuries. The villages of Bellagio, Varenna, and Menaggio are each worth exploring on foot, and the lake ferries that connect them make hopping between waterfront towns effortless.
Villa Carlotta in Tremezzo is a particular highlight, with exquisite gardens and an impressive collection of Neoclassical sculpture. Dining lakeside with the Alps reflected in the still water below — over fresh pasta and a glass of local wine — is an experience that stays with you long after the trip is over.
Read our full Lake Como travel guide →
6. Lugano, Switzerland
Lugano sits in the Italian-speaking canton of Ticino, on the shores of Lake Lugano surrounded by wooded mountains. It has a distinctly Mediterranean atmosphere — lakeside promenades, sunny piazzas, outdoor cafés — while remaining unmistakably Swiss in quality and efficiency. The Old Town’s winding lanes and colorfully frescoed buildings, the lakefront Parco Ciani, and the sweeping views from Monte San Salvatore make Lugano one of Switzerland’s most pleasant and underrated cities.
The food in Lugano reflects the best of both worlds — Italian flavors and warmth with Swiss quality and precision. It is also a gateway to spectacular Alpine scenery, including the dramatic turquoise gorges of the Valle Verzasca and the scenic Centovalli Railway winding through chestnut forests toward the Italian border.
Read our full Lugano travel guide →
7. Interlaken & St. Moritz, Switzerland
Interlaken lies between Lake Thun and Lake Brienz, framed by the Eiger, Mönch, and Jungfrau — three of the most iconic peaks in the Alps. It is the gateway to the Jungfrau region and one of Switzerland’s most popular adventure destinations. On our Tauck tour we rode the historic Harderbahn funicular to Harder Kulm for panoramic views over both lakes and the surrounding mountains, and we stayed at the legendary Victoria-Jungfrau Hotel, one of the grandest grand hotels in Switzerland.
St. Moritz, in the Upper Engadine valley of Graubünden, is Switzerland’s most glamorous resort — a byword for Alpine luxury, designer boutiques, and five-star hotels, with a legendary sunshine record of over 320 days per year. The journey through the Engadine takes you past a series of extraordinary turquoise lakes and into a region with its own Romansh language and culture. The views of the Bernina Alps are simply extraordinary.
Read our full Interlaken & St. Moritz travel guide →
8. Jungfraujoch — Top of Europe
The excursion to Jungfraujoch at 3,454 meters above sea level is one of the most extraordinary experiences Switzerland has to offer. Known as the “Top of Europe,” it is reached by the historic Jungfrau Railway — a UNESCO World Heritage cogwheel railway that tunnels through the Eiger and Mönch mountains to the highest railway station in Europe. The train journey itself, with views of the Grindelwald valley and the Eiger’s famous North Face, is unforgettable even before you arrive at the summit.
At the top, the Sphinx Observation Deck delivers panoramic views over the 23-kilometer Aletsch Glacier — the largest glacier in the Alps and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Ice Palace, carved entirely within the glacier with ice sculptures and long tunnels, is a highlight in its own right. Our Tauck group was treated to a champagne toast at the summit. The modern Eiger Express gondola from Grindelwald Terminal dramatically cuts the journey time for part of the ascent.
Read our full Jungfraujoch travel guide →
9. Bern, Switzerland
Bern is Switzerland’s federal capital and one of the best-preserved medieval cities in Europe, its UNESCO-listed Old Town a maze of sandstone arcades, astronomical clock towers, and cobblestone streets little changed since the 15th century. The Zytglogge clock tower — with its mechanical figures parading on the hour — marks the center of old Bern. The six kilometers of covered arcaded walkways (Lauben) are said to be the longest in Europe. We stayed at the elegant Bellevue Palace Hotel, overlooking the Federal Palace and the Aare River gorge below.
Bern is also where Albert Einstein lived when he developed the theory of special relativity — the Einstein House museum on Kramgasse offers a fascinating glimpse into that period. The Bear Park on the banks of the Aare keeps the city’s heraldic animal in an open naturalistic enclosure, while the Rosengarten above the city provides one of the finest panoramic views of the Old Town, the river, and the distant Alps.
Read our full Bern travel guide →
10. Lucerne, Switzerland
Lucerne was the perfect finale — a stunning lakeside city framed by Mount Pilatus and Rigi, with one of the most picturesque settings of any city in Europe. The Chapel Bridge (Kapellbrücke), Europe’s oldest covered wooden bridge, is Lucerne’s signature landmark. The medieval Musegg Wall with its nine preserved towers, the solemn Lion Monument carved into a sandstone cliff and immortalized by Mark Twain, and the extraordinary Rosengart Collection of Picasso and Klee make Lucerne a city that rewards days of exploration.
Our Tauck group celebrated with a farewell dinner at the lakeside Seehotel Baumgarten, reached by boat across Lake Lucerne, complete with a traditional Swiss alphorn performance. It was the ideal send-off for a tour that had taken us through some of the most beautiful landscapes and cities in all of Europe.
Read our full Lucerne travel guide →
Why Take a Tauck Tour of Switzerland
Switzerland is a remarkably easy country to travel independently — trains run to the minute, signage is excellent, and English is widely spoken. So why take a guided tour? For us, the Tauck experience added layers of access, context, and comfort that would have been very difficult to replicate on our own.
Exclusive experiences: Tauck consistently arranges moments that aren’t easily available to independent travelers — expert local guides with deep knowledge of each destination, priority access at popular sites, and carefully curated group dinners in exceptional settings. The champagne toast at Jungfraujoch and the alphorn farewell dinner at Seehotel Baumgarten are examples of the kind of experiences Tauck builds into a tour that you simply wouldn’t stumble into on your own.
Exceptional hotels: Every hotel on our Tauck Switzerland tour was a five-star property — the Victoria-Jungfrau in Interlaken, the Bellevue Palace in Bern, and the Hotel Schweizerhof in Lucerne among them. These hotels set the standard for Swiss luxury hospitality, and having them pre-arranged removes the research burden from your planning entirely.
Logistics handled: Coordinating ten destinations, multiple border crossings into Italy, luggage transfers, restaurant reservations, and mountain excursion timing across two weeks is a significant undertaking even in easy-to-navigate Switzerland. With Tauck, every detail is managed — you simply arrive and enjoy.
The people: One of the unexpected pleasures of a guided tour is the company. Our group included fellow travelers from across the United States, and some of the friendships formed over shared meals and shared wonder at places like the Matterhorn and Jungfraujoch were among the greatest highlights of the entire trip.
Planning Your Switzerland Trip
Best time to visit: Switzerland is a year-round destination, but the sweet spot for a tour covering the range of destinations above is late spring (May–June) or early fall (September–October). These seasons offer mild temperatures, lush mountain scenery, and manageable crowds at the major attractions. Summer (July–August) is peak season — the best for mountain access and clear views, but also the most crowded. Winter is magical for snow scenery and skiing but limits access to some high-altitude sites.
Getting to Switzerland: The main international airports are Zurich (ZRH), Geneva (GVA), and Basel/Mulhouse (BSL). Zurich is the largest hub with the most direct transatlantic connections. Geneva is the natural entry point if your tour begins in Lausanne. Both airports connect directly to the Swiss national rail network, making onward travel seamless from the moment you land.
Getting around: Switzerland has one of the world’s finest public transportation networks — trains, buses, lake boats, and cable cars all coordinated on a single timetable and covered by the Swiss Travel Pass, which provides unlimited travel on most routes. For independent travelers, the Swiss Travel Pass is almost always the best-value option for multi-city itineraries.
Currency and language: Switzerland uses the Swiss Franc (CHF), not the Euro. Switzerland has four national languages — German (Bern, Lucerne, Interlaken, Zermatt), French (Lausanne and the Lake Geneva region), Italian (Lugano and Ticino), and Romansh (parts of Graubünden). English is widely spoken in hotels, restaurants, and tourist areas throughout the country.
Practical Tips for Switzerland
Book mountain excursions early: Jungfraujoch, the Matterhorn Glacier Paradise, and other high-altitude excursions sell out quickly, particularly in summer. If you’re traveling independently, book well in advance. On a Tauck tour these are pre-arranged — one of the significant advantages of guided travel.
Pack for variable weather: Swiss weather is highly variable, especially at altitude. Even in summer, temperatures at Jungfraujoch hover around freezing and snow is possible year-round above 3,000 meters. Pack warm layers regardless of the season, and be prepared for afternoon showers at lower elevations.
Altitude awareness: Jungfraujoch sits at 3,454 meters — high enough that some visitors experience mild altitude-related symptoms such as headaches, shortness of breath, or fatigue. Take it easy on arrival at the summit, stay well hydrated, and descend if you feel unwell.
Photography: Switzerland is relentlessly photogenic and a serious camera is well worth bringing. The Matterhorn at golden hour, the Chapel Bridge reflected in the Reuss River, and the Aletsch Glacier sweeping away below the Sphinx Observation Deck are among the most extraordinary photography subjects in Europe. Michael Huntley photographed the entire Tauck Switzerland tour — his images accompany each of the individual destination guides linked above.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long is the Tauck Switzerland tour?
The Tauck Switzerland tour we took covered ten destinations over approximately two weeks. Tauck offers several Switzerland itineraries of varying lengths; some focus exclusively on Switzerland while others extend into neighboring countries. Check Tauck’s website for current departures and itinerary details, as offerings change from year to year.
What is the best time of year to visit Switzerland?
Late spring (May–June) and early fall (September–October) offer the best combination of pleasant weather, good mountain visibility, and manageable crowds. Summer is peak season and ideal for mountain excursions and outdoor activities but is also the most crowded and expensive period. Winter is magical for snow landscapes and skiing but limits access to some high-altitude attractions.
Is Switzerland worth visiting on a guided tour?
Absolutely. While Switzerland is easy to navigate independently, a guided tour like Tauck adds real value — expert local guides, pre-arranged access to popular sites, exceptional 5-star hotels, most meals included, and the ease of having every logistical detail handled. For first-time visitors wanting to cover a lot of ground comfortably and efficiently, a guided tour is hard to beat.
What currency does Switzerland use?
Switzerland uses the Swiss Franc (CHF). Despite being surrounded by Eurozone countries, Switzerland is not part of the EU and does not use the Euro. Many tourist businesses accept Euros, but you will generally get a better rate using Swiss Francs. ATMs are widely available at airports, train stations, and throughout cities and towns.
How do you get to Jungfraujoch from Interlaken?
From Interlaken, take a train to Grindelwald Terminal and board the Eiger Express gondola to Eigergletscher station, then connect to the Jungfrau Railway for the final tunnel section up to Jungfraujoch at 3,454 meters. The Eiger Express dramatically reduced journey times when it opened in 2020. The traditional alternative route runs via Lauterbrunnen, Wengen, and Kleine Scheidegg. The Swiss Travel Pass covers part of the journey; a separate Jungfrau surcharge ticket is required for the summit section.
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