Switzerland Girls Trip - 8 Days

rachellikestraveling best things to do switzerland itinerary

Lucern – Interlaken – Zermatt – Grindelwald – Lauternbrunnen

Were going to Switzerland!

Dates: June 16th – 23rd, 2024

Land of some of the most iconic mountains, chocolate and cheese and home to the iconic Toblerone Mountain! We’ll start in Zurich and quickly move to Interlaken then Zermatt. Everyday will be a new adventure in a new part of Switzerland. We’re taking the train everywhere!

– The first 8 spots that are booked save $100 – 

  • 8 Days/7 Nights
  • 8-20 Spots
  • Double occupancy in 3 and 4-star hotels
  • 8 breakfasts, 2 dinners included
  • Arrive in Zurich International Airport (ZRH)
  • Depart from Zurich International Airport (ZRH)

Have Questions about this trip – luggage, covid, travel insurance, activity level? Read the FAQ! Still have questions? Message Rachel @RachelLikesTraveling on Instagram!

Only a 25% Downpayment is required to book this trip – full payment is due 60 days before the trip starts. All pricing is in USD.

Overview

Lets go to Switzerland! Get ready for an amazing & fun trip in the land of Fondue! We’re going hiking, down toboggans, across suspension bridges, walk over cliff walks and more! This itinerary is jam packed full of fun. Pack your camera and get ready for some amazing jaw dropping scenery and photos along the way!

 

Highlights

  • 8-20 Spot
  • Double occupancy hotel rooms (2 beds per room)
  • 7 breakfasts & 2 dinners included
  • Fly into Zurich International AIrport (ZRH)
  • Fly out of Zurich International Airport (ZRH)
  • We're visiting 5 different cities in Switzerland on this trip!

Itinerary

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You’ve made it to the land of Fondue & Chocolate – welcome to Switzerland! Upon arrival you’ll hop on the train to and head into the city of Lucerne.  Its a very easy train ride and we can organize it to so everyone arrives in little groups. Switzerland has the BEST train system in the world.

After getting settled into your hotel feel free to explore some more on your own until a big welcome dinner to celebrate the start of an amazing week in Switzerland with the girls!

PS: Don’t stress about the train, its the easiest thing to maneuver and we’ll do this in small groups so no ones left behind. 🙂

Note: For this entire itinerary, we will constantly monitor the weather & visibility to make the best use of our time & money. Some of these train rides are a waste if the sky is very cloudy & visibility is low so we’ll remain as flexible as possible throughout the week to maximize our time in Switzerland! 

Overnight in Lucerne

Arrival: Fly into Zurich International Airport (ZRH), small groups will be arranged for the train ride to the city center

Includes: Welcome Dinner, Train to Lucerne City Center

Dinner

Today we’re doing the golden circle!

The boat from Lucerne to Alpnachstad might be one of the best kept secrets of the golden circle.

We’ll take the boat from Lucerne to Alpnachstad then change to the cogwheel train to the Pilatus!  Once we’re at the top we can go on a short but stunning hike to Oberhaupt Peak. To go down we’ll then take the cable car down to Fräkmüntegg and change to the gondola to Kriens. If theres enough time we can even stop in Fräkmüntegg and go down another toboggans! It’ll be an incredible scenic trip with LOTS of stops for photos along the way. 

Overnight in Lucerne

Includes: Breakfast, Cogwheel trains, boat ride to Alpnachstad, Cable car to Frakmuntegg

Breakfast, Lunch

Pack your bags! We’re off this morning after breakfast to our next city – Interlaken!

Once we drop our bags we can hop on the train and take a short ride past some extremely fairytale-esque landscapes to Lauternbrunnen. We’ll of course see the largest free falling waterfall in Europe – Staubbach Falls, explore the town  and take the Jungfraucjoch to the “Top of Europe”!

We’ll have some free time in the afternoon to visit a museum, explore the town or if you’re feeling extra adventurous & adjust to elevation easily – there are several side hikes you can take from the top of Europe as well. We can discuss this in the group chat! Alternatively we can set up a paragliding trip for those interested while in Lauternbrunnen today too!

Lunch & Dinner at your own leisure today.

Overnight in Interlaken

Includes: Breakfast, Train to/from Interlaken, Day trip to Staubbach Falls & Lauterbrunnen

Breakfast
Day 4 :
June 19th

After breakfast we’re off on another day trip. Today were headed to Grindlewald!

After a short train ride we’ll take a cable car up to the first cliff walk to take in the amazing views over Interlaken. Then we’ll walk along the First Cliff Walk!

While in Interlaken we’ll be on the look out for all the cute Switzerland goats to take a selfie or two then in the afternoon we’re going on a tobbogan run! We’ll take the Grindelwald – Pfingstegg cable car up to the private mountain and go an adrenaline pumping scenic ride down the mountain!

You can go up the First Flyer, First Glider or Mountain Carts today too

Note: We’ll watch the weather and be sure we make the most use out of our time. If its too cloudy we can re-arrange our day trips and try this on Day 4 instead! 

Overnight in Interlaken

Includes: Breakfast, Train to/from Interlaken, First Cliff Walk, Cable Car Fees, Tobbogan run down Pfingstegg, 1 Activity on First-Grindelwald Mountain

Breakfast, Lunch
Day 5 :
June 20th

Today we’re headed to the Gelmberbahn! Pack some good walking shoes, we’ll go a few different short but beautiful hikes today.

We’ll cross the Handeckfallbrucke Suspension Bridge along our way to – so be sure to pack a camera or your fully charged phone for some amazing photos!

We’ll finish the day by hiking the Aare Gorge to the gorgeous Reichenbach Falls! We’ll hike through the Aare Gorge then take the funicular up to Reichenbach Falls – which, fun fact is the supposed death place of Sherlock Holmes!

Overnight in Interlaken

Includes: Breakfast, Train to/from Interlaken, trip to Aare gorge & reichenbach falls, Gelmberbahn funicular

Breakfast
Day 6 :
June 21st

We’re off to the Top of the Europe today! – Grab a jacket and get ready for amazing views as we take a cable car and train to the top of Europe. After we finish our morning at Jungfraujoch we’ll take the train to our 3rd destination today!

Zermatt is a beautiful town to walk around and you’ll have some free time to explore all the shops& have a nice Swiss lunch with a view of the Matterhorn.

Includes: Breakfast, Train to Zermatt, Trip to Jungfrajoch

Breakfast
Day 7 :
June 22nd

Today is our last full day so we’re making the most of it with spectacular views and an amazing hike. We’ll start by riding the funicular to Sunnega and then the gondola to Blauherd then going on a hike to Stellisee. Afterwards we’ll head up to the Rothorn summit.

Then in the afternoon we’ll end our day by taking the cog railway up to the Gornegrat! At 3,100 m elevation, Gornergrat offers a viewpoint that is out of this world. From here not only can we view the Materhorn but also the second largest glacier in the Alps – Gorner Glacier! Then after taking in the view we  can hike down from Gornegrat to Riffelburg to finish out our day before dinner!

Tonight we’ll meet up for one last farewell dinner together as a full group to toast to a great week exploring Switzerland Together!

Included: Breakfast, Dinner, Funicular to Sunnega, Gondola to Blauherd, Hike to Stellisee, Cog Railway to Gornegrat

Breakfast, Dinner
Day 8 :
June 23rd

Today is our last day – its not good bye, its cya next time!

Everyone leaving today will hop on a train back to Zurich International Airport. The train ride is approximately 3 hours so I highly suggest not leaving until after 1pm to avoid waking up extremely early to leave Zermatt.

Breakfast, Dinner

Activities Included

Inclusions

  • Train Ticket for entire week of the trip
  • 1 Spot in Double Occupancy hotels (2 twin beds per room)
  • 7 Breakfasts, 2 Dinners
  • Trip to Top of Europe via Jungfraujoch
  • Day Trip to Lauternbrunnen
  • First Cliff Walk & Cable Car
  • 1 Activity on the First-Grindelwald Mountain
  • Pfingstegg Cable Car & Tobbogan Run
  • Gelmberbahn Funicular Ride
  • Handeckfallbrucke Suspension Bridge Visit
  • Aare Gorge & Reichenbach Falls Hike
  • Roundtrip Golden Circle Trip

Exclusions

  • International Fights
  • Tips for housekeeping or meals not included
  • Food & Alcohol (except as noted)
  • Visas (if required)
  • Travel Insurance
  • Airport Transfers outside of designated train route
  • Any transportation not listed in inclusions
  • Optional Activities and/or Activity suggestions not listed as "included" on itinerary
  • Optional extra days in Lucerne
Does this trip include flights?

International flights to and from the trip destination are not included. Only flights that are included are listed in inclusions. Looking for cheap flights? Check out Kayak.com or Google Flights!

Are Food & Drinks Included?

Each trip is different, at least 2 dinners plus breakfast every day is included. but it varies trip to trip. Dietary & allergy information will also be collected leading up to the trip to ensure you’re taken care of.

What is due to book a spot on a trip?

A minimum of 25% down payment is due at the time of booking. The down payment is refundable until your spot is confirmed at which time it becomes non-refundable. Your spot is confirmed after the first 8 bookings are made. The remaining balance is due 60 days prior to the trip. We set up a payment plan to make the trip easy to pay off over time but full payment isnt due until 60 days prior to the trip. If you book within 59 days from trip start, the full amount will be due at booking.

What is the refund policy?

Once the trip is confirmed with 8 spots booked, the 25% deposit is non-refundable. Additional payments over the 25% are refundable until we are 60 days out from the trip.

At the 60 day mark all payments are due and the trip is 100% non-refundable.

If you need to cancel your spot prior to 61 days or more before the trip starts, there is a $100 cancelation fee and the remainder can be used on a future Adventuring for Life trip.

If you cancel 1-60 days prior to the trip, it is 100% non-refundable.

Travel Insurance is highly recommended, especially for ALL International Trips, to protect you in case you do have to cancel at any point.

All credits from cancellations must be used within 1 year of the cancellation date.

Should I get Travel Insurance?

Yes. Especially in the current climate of the world, Travel Insurance is highly recommended for all International Trips.

Travel Insurance Quotes can be gotten here: https://bit.ly/3wANvi0

Do I need to take a covid test to go home?

As of September 2023, Covid tests are not required to return to the USA or Canada.

What type of luggage can I bring?

As much as YOU can personally carry. Expect to carry your luggage on & off each train by yourself. Rachel highly recommends packing as light as possible. If you’ve ever been backpacking before, this is a great time to dig out that backpack again. If you only have a roller suitcase, opt for the smallest one possible so you aren’t lugging 60 lbs through each train station! Again – you can pack as much as you can personally carry. You’re responsible for your luggage the entire trip.

What is the activity level for this trip?

We are doing LOTS of walking. Expect to clock 15,000 steps per day – if not more. There are numerous hikes and shorter walks. I would label this a moderate level trip, you should come prepared to be very active pretty much everyday. There are also many different areas where we’ll be very high up (suspension bridges, cliff walks, etc) so if you are super afraid of heights, this trip is probably not for you.

Who Is Hosting This Trip?

This trip will be hosted by one of our brilliant hosts: Lili. Although Rachel will not personally be on this trip, she will be involved every step of the way. Lili has hosted many trips with us, and always makes the adventure super unique!

Trip Facts

  • There will be 8-20 Girls on this trip.
  • There is A LOT of walking in Switzerland. Expect to walk 15k-20k steps per day with lots of elevation changes.
  • June 16th, 2023
  • We will be taking the train around Switzerland. You are expected to carry your own luggage so please pack accordingly!
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