We enjoyed two fantastic days of touring with Julian. He picked us up from our Viking River cruise promptly, and kept us entertained with many stops, picture opportunities, a delicious lunch of raclette, and lots of information about the area. After he dropped us off at our hotel in Lucerne, he still provided suggestions for our meals and activities for the days we were on our own. He then picked us up for our second day of touring, and again provided a wonderful day of exploring and a fun picnic lunch where he also brought us homemade baked goods that he prepared himself. Delicious!
Julian was professional, engaging and very accommodating to our needs. I would highly recommend using this company and Julian for any touring needs in Switzerland.
5-Day Gstaad Winter Journey:
Glacier 3000, Skiing and
Saanenland Villages
A Private Alpine Escape in the Saanenland
5 Days · 4 Nights | Private & Guided | Gstaad, Bernese Oberland
Understated glamour, glacier peaks and old-world charm
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- 5 Days
- Gstaad
- Winter
Overview
Highlights
Gstaad has a way of keeping its glamour quiet. Behind weathered chalet facades and a promenade with no high-rises by design lie some of the world’s grandest hotels, finest tables and most spectacular mountains, all worn lightly, with an ease that money alone cannot buy.
This five-day private winter journey is written for travellers who want that rare blend: alpine beauty and gentle days on the snow, wrapped in five-star comfort and old-world charm, and entirely without the crowds.
With a private guide and driver at your side, you cross the Peak Walk between two glacier summits, drift over the snow-covered Alps in a private hot-air balloon, ski or snowshoe the sunlit Saanenland, and slip into hidden villages of frozen lakes and timber farmhouses.
Between it all: world-class spas, Michelin dining and a fondue by candlelight in a centuries-old chalet. This is Gstaad as those in the know have always loved it.
Schedule
Afternoon
A private chauffeur collects you from Geneva or Zurich airport and drives through the deepening Saanenland. On request, you arrive in Belle Epoque style aboard the GoldenPass panoramic train instead.
Settle into The Alpina Gstaad, a discreet hilltop retreat of hand-carved wood and quiet luxury above the village.
Evening
As lights flicker on, a gentle guided stroll of the legendary Gstaad Promenade, where weathered chalet facades hide Hermes, Louis Vuitton and Cartier, and old tea rooms glow against the snow.
A welcome dinner follows at MEGU, The Alpina’s celebrated Japanese table, or the intimate Sommet.
Overnight
The Alpina Gstaad
Morning
Your guide collects you from the hotel for the short drive to Col du Pillon, and the cable car up to Glacier 3000. At the summit you cross the Peak Walk by Tissot, the world’s first suspension bridge to link two peaks.
Twenty-four four-thousand-metre giants stand on the horizon, among them the Matterhorn, Mont Blanc, and the Eiger. On request, an easy guided glacier hike can be arranged at the summit.
Afternoon
For skiers, your private guide leads the long Combe d’Audon, a glorious red run sweeping off the glacier.
For others, there is a husky dog-sled ride across the snowfields. Lunch at the Mario Botta-designed Refuge l’Espace, the mountains spread beneath you.
Evening
The Six Senses Spa, with its thermal rooms, pools and a signature massage, then dinner at leisure.
Overnight
The Alpina Gstaad
Morning
With your private guide, discover Gstaad’s sunlit ski arena. Take the long, cruising descents from Eggli across to La Videmanette and down to Rougemont, or the celebrated Tiger Run on the Wasserngrat, the steepest slope in the Saanenland.
Those who would rather not ski take a guided winter hike or snowshoe along a silent trail.
Afternoon
A relaxed mountain lunch on a sun terrace, then a visit to a traditional alpine dairy to watch Saanenland cheese being made in the old way, with a tasting straight from the copper cauldron.
Evening
The heart of a Gstaad winter: a private fondue by candlelight in a centuries-old chalet, all low beams and crackling fire.
Overnight
The Alpina Gstaad
Morning
The signature experience of the week: a private hot-air balloon flight from Chateau-d’Oex, the ballooning capital of the Alps.
You lift off in the still morning air and drift silently over snow-covered peaks and frozen valleys, the whole white world unfolding below, before a Champagne toast on landing.
Afternoon
A guided journey into the hidden Saanenland: Lauenen, with its frozen lake and the Geltenschuss waterfall hung in ice; timeless Gsteig beneath the Sanetsch; and Rougemont across the language border, with its Romanesque church and painted chalets.
At one of the villages, a horse-drawn carriage ride takes you out into the snow.
Evening
A farewell dinner at a Michelin-starred table, Leonard’s at Le Grand Bellevue, or the Gstaad Palace’s La Fromagerie, set in a former gold vault.
Overnight
The Alpina Gstaad
Morning
A last unhurried Swiss breakfast, a final run on the slopes or a coffee on the promenade, before your private transfer back to Geneva or Zurich.
Or take a scenic departure aboard the GoldenPass, the Saanenland drifting by one last time.
Overnight
Journey concludes
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Quick Facts About This Swiss Tour
Gstaad’s ski arena spans some 200 kilometres, around 124 miles, of pistes across the Saanenland and its neighbouring valleys.
Glacier 3000 is the only glacier ski area in the Bernese Oberland, skiable from autumn to spring.
The Peak Walk by Tissot is the world’s first suspension bridge to connect two mountain peaks.
Chateau-d’Oex, minutes from Gstaad, is one of the world’s great hot-air ballooning capitals.
By local statute Gstaad has kept its low chalet character, with no high-rise hotels, ever.
5 Days in Gstaad Photos
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Best Time to Visit Gstaad in Winter and Who This Itinerary Is For
Best season
December to March, when the Saanenland lies deep in snow and the glacier is at its finest. Late January brings the famous Chateau-d'Oex ballooning season to the skies, a magical time to visit.
Ideal for
Travellers who want alpine glamour without the crowds. This five-day private journey blends gentle skiing or none at all, spectacular scenery, wellness and gastronomy, wrapped in understated luxury.
It is as comfortable for keen skiers as for those who would rather balloon, stroll and be pampered.
Why Book With Us?
1. 100% local expertise, tested first-hand
Every mountain, table, village and chalet on this escape is one we know and love ourselves.
2. Exclusive, top-rated local guides
Your private guide is a Saanenland insider and storyteller, opening the valley's quiet, beautiful corners.
3. Hidden gems beyond the tourist routes
A candlelit chalet fondue, a frozen lake, a dairy straight from the cauldron, the Gstaad the guidebooks miss.
4. Special access through trusted networks
Grande-dame suites, private balloon flights and the finest tables, secured through relationships built over years.
Our Reviews
We have over 500 five star reviews across Viator, Tripadvisor and Google.
Frequently Asked Questions
No. Skiing is optional throughout, and every day on the snow has an alternative built in.
On the glacier day you can take a husky dog-sled ride instead of the descent. In the Saanenland you can swap the pistes for a guided winter hike or a snowshoe along a silent trail, or spend the day at the Six Senses Spa instead.
It is the world’s first suspension bridge to connect two mountain summits, at Glacier 3000.
You reach it by a short drive to Col du Pillon and the cable car to the summit, where twenty-four four-thousand-metre giants stand on the horizon, among them the Matterhorn, Mont Blanc and the Eiger.
Yes, the balloon flight is private. It lifts off from Chateau-d’Oex, the ballooning capital of the Alps, in the still morning air, and finishes with a Champagne toast on landing.
Four nights at The Alpina Gstaad, a five-star grande dame and discreet hilltop retreat of hand-carved wood above the village, with its Six Senses Spa. An equivalent property can be arranged.
A private chauffeur collects you from Geneva or Zurich airport and drives through the Saanenland, and a private transfer returns you at the end of the escape.
On request, the arrival or the departure can be made in Belle Epoque style aboard the GoldenPass panoramic train.
Not every moment, by design. A private guide is with you for the guided experiences: the Gstaad tour, the Glacier 3000 day and the Peak Walk, the Saanenland villages and the carriage ride. A private ski guide or instructor joins you on the mountain.
Between those, the days are your own. Evenings are at leisure, and there is time to ski at your own pace, spend an afternoon at the spa, or do nothing at all on the promenade.
Yes. Ski passes and equipment rental are both included, and we arrange them for you before you arrive. Your skis and boots are fitted and waiting, and your pass is ready, so there is nothing to organise and nothing to queue for.
December to March, when the Saanenland lies deep in snow and the glacier is at its finest. Late January brings the famous Chateau-d’Oex ballooning season to the skies.
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