The Best of Austria & Switzerland - 2008 - 2009
Tags:
Sightseeing; Europe; Switzerland; Glacier Express; Zermatt Mountain; Mirabell Gardens; Lion Monument;
For those with a bit more time this 13-day journey covers all the highlights of two of Europe’s most scenic countries: Austria and Switzerland. Enjoy two-night stays in Salzburg, Zermatt, and Lucerne, and a three-night stay in romantic Vienna. This pace allows for many special included visits and enough free ...
Read Full Description- Destination:
- Berne, Switzerland; Lucerne, Switzerland; Salzburg, Austria; St. Moritz, Switzerland; Switzerland; Vienna, Austria; Zurich, Switzerland
- Trip Length:
- 13 days
- Price Range:
- From $2000 to $3000 per person See what this includes and what this excludes
- Best Time to Go:
- April, May, June, July, August, September, October
- Recommended for:
-
15 - 17, 18 - 20, 25 - 30, 31 - 35, 36 - 40, 41 - 50, 51 - 55
Married, Seniors
Family Trip, Group Retreat, Trip Around the World
Detailed Trip Description
For those with a bit more time this 13-day journey covers all the highlights of two of Europe’s most scenic countries: Austria and Switzerland. Enjoy two-night stays in Salzburg, Zermatt, and Lucerne, and a three-night stay in romantic Vienna. This pace allows for many special included visits and enough free time to relax and enjoy the beautiful scenery in this part of Europe, including leisure time in posh St. Moritz. The Danube cruise, the Sound of Music’s lake country, Mirabell Gardens in Salzburg, quaint Innsbruck, Zermatt’s mountain train, and an unforgettable ride on the famous Glacier Express from Chur to Zermatt makes this one of Globus’ most scenic vacations.
Trip Itinerary
Day 1 - On the Plane
Commercial Flight
Board your overnight transatlantic flight.
Day 2 - Vienna
Arrival in Vienna, Austria.
Hotel
Time to rest or start exploring the Viennese capital. Stay at De France (SF).
Food and Dining
At 6 p.m. meet your Tour Director and traveling companions for a special welcome dinner at your hotel. (D)
Day 3 - Vienna
Sightseeing
Meet your Local Guide and start your sightseeing with vistas of Prater Park with its giant Ferris wheel, and the United Nations City on the banks of the Danube River.
Sightseeing
Then drive along Ring Boulevard, pass the State Opera House, the Jewish quarter, and stop at the Hofburg Palace, winter residence of the Austrian Imperial family. Marvel at the impressive courtyards and famous Heldenplatz and visit awesome St. Stephen’s Cathedral. Afternoon at leisure.
Wine
Optional excursions to Schönbrunn Palace and the wine village of Grinzing are available. (BB)
Day 4 - Vienna
At Leisure in Vienna.
Sightseeing
A full day to explore Vienna independently. Why not visit the imposing Hofburg Palace to see the precious Habsburg dynasty treasures? If you are interested in great paintings, do not miss the Museum of Fine Arts, with works by Jan Van Eyck, Rubens, Rembrandt, Raphael, and more.
Sightseeing
Later, you may want to join an optional excursion. (BB)
Day 5 - Salzburg
Vienna–Melk–Salzburg.
Sightseeing
This morning enjoy a leisurely Danube Cruise. Afterwards, follow the Danube Valley to historic Melk for pictures of the Melk Abbey. No landscape is more typically Austrian than the Salzkammergut lakeland. A picture stop at the Parish Church in Mondsee, which was used for the wedding scenes in The Sound of Music, then continue to Salzburg. (BB,D)
Hotel
Stay at Best Western Stieglbräu (F).
Day 6 - Salzburg
Sightseeing
A pleasant stroll with a Local Guide takes you through the historic center. Admire exquisite Mirabell Gardens, the Great Festival Hall, St. Peter’s Churchyard, the monumental Domplatz and take pictures of Mozart’s birthplace in the charming Getreidegasse. Afternoon at leisure with optional possibilities. (BB)
Day 7 - St. Moritz
Salzburg–Innsbruck–St. Moritz, Switzerland.
Sightseeing
Morning visit to Innsbruck in the Tyrolean Mountains. Enjoy a pleasant walk through its quaint medieval lanes to Emperor Maximilian’s Golden Roof. Next, enter the Swiss Engadine, considered by many as the most beautiful mountain area in the world, with its deep-blue lakes, airy larch forests that turn golden in the fall, mountain peaks exceeding 12,000 feet, and quaint villages with massive white stone houses in the characteristic Grisons style. The rest of the day is at leisure in ritzy St. Moritz. (BB,D)
Hotel
Stay at Monopol (F) or Laudinella (F).
Day 8 - St. Moritz
St. Moritz–Chur–Zermatt.
Train
Drive through exhilarating Alpine scenery. At Chur board the first-class panoramic coach of the world-renowned Glacier Express Train.
Sightseeing
Admire thundering waterfalls, impressive peaks, glacial ice fields, and tiny villages as you pass through the Valais, a region known for its great mountain resorts and excellent wines. This afternoon you are in Zermatt, a picturesque cluster of rustic chalets beneath the majestic Matterhorn. (BB,L,D).
Hotel
Stay at Pollux (F).
Day 9 - Switzerland
At Leisure in Zermatt.
Sightseeing
An entire day at leisure to breathe the fresh mountain air and to catch up on your postcards. A suggestion: ride Europe’s highest rack-railway to 10,272-foot Gornergrat for a breathtaking panoramic view of the Alps. (BB).
Day 10 - Berne
Zermatt–Berne.
Train
Board the Mountain Train to Täsch.
Sightseeing
motor through the vineyards and apricot groves of the lower Rhône Valley to the shores of Lake Geneva. Here enjoy a highlight visit to Chillon Castle, the 12th-century water fortress immortalized by the poet Lord Byron. Evening arrival in Berne. (BB,D).
Hotel
Stay at Allegro (SF).
Day 11 - Lucerne
Berne–Interlaken–Lucerne.
Sightseeing
Sightseeing with a Local Guide starts at the popular Bear Pit and then focuses on the monumental Federal Palace and the beautifully preserved medieval Old Town. Witness the hourly parade of painted figures at the Clock Tower and take your pictures of ornate, floweradorned fountains. Leisurely lunch break in Interlaken, beautifully situated beneath the towering Jungfrau. Over Brünig Pass to picture-book Lucerne. You may wish to sign up for a folklore party with yodeling and alphorn blowing for a first-hand impression of Alpine merrymaking. (BB).
Hotel
Stay at Grand Hotel Europe (F).
Day 12 - Lucerne
Sightseeing
On your walking tour this morning, admire Thorwaldsen’s Lion Monument and ornate patrician houses of the walled Old Town, then cross the famous covered Chapel Bridge to the Jesuit church.
Shopping
Afterwards, shop for watches.
River, Barge or Yacht Cruise
Choose from our optional activities: climb a mountain by cable car or take a cruise on the fjord-like lake.
Food and Dining
Tonight a farewell dinner to celebrate the success of your Swiss vacation. (BB,D).
Day 13 - Zurich
Lucerne–Zurich Airport.
Airport Transfer
Homebound flight. Morning transfer to Zurich Airport in time for homebound flights leaving no earlier than 10 a.m. Extra nights are available in Zurich, not Lucerne. (BB)
Not the trip you were looking for?
You may also start a free trip request below and get matched with up to three travel specialists who can help you plan your travel:
Submit Inquiry to Travel Specialist
Already a member? Log in now.
Tripology is TRUSTe Certified so your information is safe.
We will only share your contact information with the travel professional who posted this trip.
Trips you may also be interested in
- Switzerland Rail Spectacular
- Enjoy a first Class escorted train journey through the splendor of Switzerland highlighting some of the country's most popular trains.
- Switzerland Christmas Market Experience
- Experience the wonder of Switzerland this winter while you explore the unique and magical world of the Swiss Christmas markets.
- Treasures of Austria, Italy and Switzerland
- Enjoy 10 Days Treasures of Austria, Italy and Switzerland Escorted tour featuring sightseeing and many activities in Innsbruck, Lucerne, Salzburg, Verona and Zurich.
- Traditional Europe
- Enjoy 20 Days Traditional Europe Escorted tour featuring sightseeing and many activities in Amsterdam, Assisi, Avignon, Beaune, Cologne, Florence, Frankfurt, Heidelberg, Innsbruck, Isle of Capri, London, Lucerne, Lyon, Nice, Paris, Pompeii, Rome, Sorrento, Strasbourg and Venice.
Search for travel inspiration
Prices are per person, based on double occupancy. Meals: 11 buffet breakfasts (BB); 1 lunch (L) on the Glacier Express train; 6 three-course dinners (D), including a welcome dinner in Vienna and a farewell dinner in Lucerne. Accommodation for 12 nights in hotels mentioned in the itinerary. Transfers & sightseeing as per itinerary.
Budget Excludes:Federal Inspection Fees for the U.S. Customs and immigration; International Air Transportation Tax; any other taxes; security fee; airport taxes and fees; passports; visas and vaccinations; tips; tour host; driver; local city guides; gratuities on ferries, trains and cruise ships; laundry; telephone; mini bar; alcohol; beverages and food not on the regular table d'hôte menu; optional excursions; porterage at airports; travel protection; excess baggage fees; all other items of a personal nature.
Fill out the form below and let your friends know about The Best of Austria & Switzerland - 2008 - 2009.
