Geneva, Zermatt,

St. Moritz & Appenzell:

9 Day Itinerary

Morning: Your journey begins with a guided Geneva city tour. Walking through the Old Town, your Switzerland tour guide brings context to its layered history – from quiet residential squares to viewpoints overlooking the lake and the Rhône. The morning continues with a hands-on chocolate-making experience, a fun and engaging way to connect with one of Switzerland’s most famous traditions.

Afternoon: After lunch at leisure, the afternoon remains flexible. Some travellers choose to spend time along the lakefront, while others prefer browsing Geneva’s boutiques. For those interested in Swiss craftsmanship, an optional private watchmaking experience at Audemars Piguet can be arranged.

Evening: As evening arrives, you’ll retreat to the InterContinental Genève, where the day ends quietly, allowing time to adjust and unwind before the journey continues.

Morning: This morning gives you a choice in how you experience Geneva’s cultural side. After breakfast, you select one museum experience that best matches your interests.  Options include a guided UN Geneva tour, time at the CERN museum, or a journey to Lausanne to explore the Olympic Museum.

Afternoon: In the afternoon, the pace slows down. You’ll glide across the lake on one of our private boat tours in Geneva, with regional wines served on board. From the water, the city reveals a different personality – calmer, more spacious, and framed by distant alpine silhouettes.

Evening: You return to Intercontinental Genève, with the rest of the evening at leisure. Dinner recommendations can be tailored, or you may prefer a quiet night in, letting the day settle naturally.

Morning: Leaving Geneva behind, the journey follows the lake eastward to Vevey. A gentle Riviera walk introduces the softer side of Lake Geneva, with vineyards and historic buildings setting the tone. From here, you continue to Château d’Aigle, where a guided visit explores Switzerland’s wine history and the role this region has played for centuries.

Afternoon: After lunch en route, you board the train to Täsch, where the landscape begins to rise. The transfer into Zermatt marks a transition from urban Switzerland to the high Alps. On arrival, a guided village walk introduces the car-free streets, wooden chalets, and the ever-present outline of the Matterhorn.

Evening: As night arrives, an outdoor fondue experience under the stars creates a memorable first night in the mountains. You then ascend to the Riffelalp Resort, Europe’s highest five-star hotel at 2222 metres, where altitude and quiet define the night.

Morning: You wake up to mountain air and expansive views before boarding the cable car toward the Klein Matterhorn. Rising steadily above the valley, the landscape opens into high alpine terrain. At the summit, time is allowed to explore viewpoints and take in the scale of the Alps without rushing.

From here, the day continues with a walk to the Furi suspension bridge, which is suspended above the valley floor. The route onward toward Zmutt introduces a gentler side of Zermatt, where traditional wooden chalets and delicious cuisine define the village. We recommend trying one of their famous apricot pies in a local restaurant!

Afternoon: After a leisurely lunch, you visit the Glacier Gorge of Zermatt. Walkways thread through sculpted rock corridors where meltwater has carved deep channels over thousands of years. For those seeking an added thrill, a tandem paragliding experience can be arranged, offering a bird’s-eye view of the Matterhorn and surrounding peaks.

Evening: The evening returns you to Riffelalp. Dinner is unhurried, and you’ll be able to relax after being fully immersed in one of Switzerland’s most iconic mountain regions.

Morning: Today focuses on one of the most rewarding Zermatt hiking tours: the Five Lakes Walk. Starting from Sunnegga, the trail links a series of mountain lakes, each offering different reflections of the Matterhorn depending on light and weather. The hike is paced for enjoyment, with frequent pauses to take in views, spot marmots, and notice alpine flowers such as wild edelweiss. 

Afternoon: After the walk, the afternoon slows deliberately. Back at Riffelalp, time is set aside for the spa, where pools and quiet spaces look out toward snow-dusted peaks. It’s a chance to recover and reflect after the active morning.

Later, you head to Chez Vrony, one of the Alps’ most celebrated mountain restaurants. Dining here is as much about place as cuisine, with seasonal dishes served against a backdrop of open sky and distant summits.

Evening: As the light fades, you return to Riffelalp for your final night in Zermatt, rounding out a trio of days that define why Matterhorn tours from Zermatt are so enduringly popular.

Morning: After breakfast, you board the Glacier Express in Excellence Class, travelling in style for one of the world’s most scenic rail journeys. As the train winds through tunnels, over viaducts, and across high passes, the landscape shifts continuously. Your guide provides insight along the way, but much of the experience is simply watching valleys open and close as the Alps unfold outside the windows.

Afternoon: A gourmet lunch is served on board as the train crosses into eastern Switzerland. Arriving in St. Moritz, the atmosphere changes again. This is alpine elegance rather than rugged isolation, and a guided village walk (after checking into the hotel) introduces the town’s lakeside setting, historic hotels, and understated glamour.

Evening: You arrive back at the Kulm Hotel St. Moritz, a landmark property overlooking the lake. The evening is left open for you to enjoy the town at your own rhythm – whether that’s a quiet drink, a lakeside stroll, or dinner within the hotel.

Morning: The morning takes you higher into the Engadin, where the air feels sharper. You begin with the cable car up to Corvatsch, climbing quickly into a world of glacier views and wide-open horizons. At the top, there’s time to enjoy the panorama properly – not a rushed photo stop. 

A WhySki tasting adds a playful, local touch to the experience, with your guide explaining the story behind it and how the Engadin has shaped its own distinct mountain culture.

Afternoon: After descending, the pace softens at Lake Sils (Silsersee). Depending on the season, you might take an easy lakeside walk or, if you’re feeling brave, dip into the famously cold water. 

Later, you stop at the Maloja viewpoint, where the valley opens dramatically. Your guide points out the geography that gives this area its character – and why artists and writers have been drawn here for generations.

Evening: Back in St. Moritz, the evening is yours. Some guests enjoy boutique shopping and a gentle stroll near the lake, while others prefer a relaxed dinner and an early night. You return to the Kulm Hotel St. Moritz knowing that you’ve seen the Engadin from its most beautiful angles.

Morning: Today shifts from alpine drama to a more cultivated Switzerland. You begin with a wine tasting at an award-winning family-owned vineyard, where the emphasis is on flavour, place, and the quiet pleasure of slowing down. From here, you cross into Liechtenstein for a stop in Vaduz. It’s a small capital, easy to explore, and a fun contrast to Switzerland’s larger cities. 

Afternoon: In the afternoon, you visit the Läderach chocolate factory, where Swiss chocolate becomes less of a souvenir and more of a craft. It’s one of those stops that tends to disappear faster than expected – for obvious reasons.

Continuing to Zurich, the day finishes with a guided city experience by e-tuk tuk – a relaxed way to take in key sights without feeling like you’re “doing a tour”. It’s especially enjoyable as the city transitions from daytime bustle to evening calm.

Evening: You check into The Dolder Grand, Zurich’s iconic hillside retreat. The evening is left open, whether you’d like a quiet dinner, a drink with views across the city, or simply time to enjoy the hotel itself. After days in the mountains, the return to refined city comfort feels spot on.

Morning: Your final day brings you into one of Switzerland’s most traditional regions. Dubbed the most beautiful place in the world by National Geographic, Appenzell’s painted façades and small local shops create an atmosphere that feels proudly rooted in place. 

From here, you take the cable car to Ebenalp and begin an easy hike toward Äscher. The route includes a stop at Wildmannkirchli, a small cave chapel site set into the rock, before reaching the famous mountain inn. 

Afternoon: Lunch at Äscher is unhurried, with views that make you forget your phone exists. Afterward, time allows for a gentle continuation toward Seealpsee, depending on conditions and energy levels. Later, you visit the Appenzell Cheese Factory to round out the trip with a taste of regional tradition. It’s a fitting close – simple, local, and genuinely Swiss.

Evening: You return to Zurich for your final night at The Dolder Grand, or, if preferred, transfer to the airport for an evening flight. Either way, the journey ends with a sense of completion: cities, lakes, mountains, traditions – all woven into one seamless Switzerland itinerary.