Switzerland by Rail with Magnificent Europe Zurich → Budapest (2028)

Itinerary

1. Day 1

   Zurich

   Zurich Show on map

   Accommodation

   Hotel (Zürich Marriott Hotel)

   Included Activities

   • Airport transfer
   • Afternoon orientation discovery of Zurich
   • Welcome reception

   

2. Day 2

   Zurich - Lucerne - Engelberg

   Zurich - Lucerne - Engelberg Show on map

   Accommodation

   Hotel (Kempinski Palace Engelberg)

   Included Activities

   • Walking exploration of Lucerne
   • Transfer to Engelberg
   • Baggage transfer service
3. Day 3

   Engelberg

   Engelberg Show on map

   Accommodation

   Hotel (Kempinski Palace Engelberg)

   Included Activities

   • Cable car to Mount Titlis (3,020 metres)
   • Glacier cave visit
   • Europe's highest suspension bridge crossing

   Optional Activities

   • Explore village of Engelberg

   Landmarks
   Mount Titlis

4. Day 4

   Engelberg - Lugano

   Engelberg - Lugano Show on map

   Accommodation

   Hotel (Lugano)

   Included Activities

   • Gotthard Panorama Express rail journey
   • Tenuta Castello di Morcote wine estate tour and tasting

   Landmarks
   Morcote Castle

5. Day 5

   Lugano

   Lugano Show on map

   Accommodation

   Hotel (Lugano)

   Included Activities

   • Lake Lugano cruise
   • Monte Brè ascent with panoramic views

   Optional Activities

   • Evening exploration of Lugano

   Landmarks
   Lake Lugano
   Monte Brè

6. Day 6

   Lugano - Tirano - St. Moritz

   Lugano - Tirano - St. Moritz Show on map

   Accommodation

   Hotel (Kempinski Grand Hotel des Bains)

   Included Activities

   • Coach transfer to Tirano
   • Bernina Express rail journey to St. Moritz
7. Day 7

   St. Moritz - Zermatt

   St. Moritz - Zermatt Show on map

   Accommodation

   Hotel (Zermatt)

   Included Activities

   • Glacier Express rail journey from St. Moritz to Zermatt

   Landmarks
   Matterhorn

8. Day 8

   Zermatt

   Zermatt Show on map

   Accommodation

   Hotel (Zermatt)

   Included Activities

   • Gornergrat Railway ride with Matterhorn views
   • Meet a local mountaineer (Signature Experience)

   Optional Activities

   • Scenic helicopter flight (additional expense) - 20-minute aerial tour of Weisshorn, Zinalrothorn, Dent Blanch, Matterhorn, Thodulpass, Breithron, and Gornergrat

   Landmarks
   Gornergrat

9. Day 9

   Zermatt - Spiez - Wengen

   Zermatt - Spiez - Wengen Show on map

   Accommodation

   Hotel ( Wengen)

   Included Activities

   • Train to Spiez
   • Lake Thun cruise from Spiez to Interlaken
   • Train from Interlaken to Wengen

   Landmarks
   Lake Thun

10. Day 10

    Wengen

    Wengen Show on map

    Accommodation

    Hotel ( Wengen)

    Included Activities

    • Train journey to Jungfraujoch railway station (3,454 metres)

    Landmarks
    Jungfraujoch

11. Day 11

    Wengen - Montreux

    Wengen - Montreux Show on map

    Accommodation

    Hotel (Grand Suisse Majestic in a guaranteed Lake View Room or similar)

    Included Activities

    • Train to Interlaken
    • GoldenPass Express scenic rail journey to Montreux
12. Day 12

    Montreux - Geneva

    Montreux - Geneva Show on map

    Meals

    Dinner (Farewell dinner)

    Accommodation

    Hotel (Hotel President Wilson)

    Included Activities

    • Orientation tour of Montreux
    • Transfer to Geneva
    • One-hour Lake Geneva cruise with Mont-Blanc views
    • Farewell dinner

    Landmarks
    Lake Geneva
    Mont-Blanc

13. Day 13

    Geneva - Amsterdam

    Geneva - Amsterdam Show on map

    Accommodation

    Hotel (APT Solara or APT Ostara)

    Included Activities

    • Transfer to Geneva airport
    • Flight to Amsterdam (included)
    • Embark on river cruise ship
14. Day 14

    Amsterdam

    Amsterdam Show on map

    Optional Activities

    • Glass-top boat canal cruise through Amsterdam's World Heritage canals and 17th-century architecture
    • Culinary discovery tour of Dutch delicacies and local producers
    • Guided bike ride through countryside to Durgerdam and Street Art Museum
    • Keukenhof Gardens visit (spring departures only) - 70+ acres with over seven million flowering bulbs
15. Day 15

    Andernach

    Andernach Show on map

    Included Activities

    • Cruise through Germany
    • Namedy Castle tour (Signature Experience)
    • Castle gardens tour
    • Cocktail party with pianist at Namedy Castle

    Optional Activities

    • Spa treatments on ship
    • Relax on Daystar Deck

    Landmarks
    Namedy Castle

16. Day 16

    Rüdesheim

    Rüdesheim Show on map

    Optional Activities

    • Gondola ride over vineyards to Niederwald Monument (commemorating 1871 German unification)
    • Siegfried's Mechanical Musical Instrument Museum tour
    • Historic wine cellar Rhine Valley wine tasting

    Landmarks
    Niederwald Monument
    Siegfried's Mechanical Musical Instrument Museum

17. Day 17

    Miltenberg

    Miltenberg Show on map

    Optional Activities

    • Guided walking tour of Miltenberg's preserved buildings and historic squares with Franconian liqueur tasting at old wine cellar
    • Local monastery visit with Franciscan friar meeting and homemade sausage, cheese, and bread tasting plus garden and vineyard exploration
18. Day 18

    Würzburg

    Würzburg Show on map

    Optional Activities

    • Würzburg Residence visit - 18th-century palace with tapestries, gilded stucco, and Tiepolo ceiling frescoes
    • Tastes of Franconia experience - wine region tour with whisky distillery visit, tasting with winemaker and baker, paired with fresh bread
    • Explore Rothenburg - walled medieval town with cobblestone streets and optional Käthe Wohlfahrt's 'Christmas Village' visit (largest German Christmas decoration selection)
    • Hike to Marienberg Fortress - Würzburg's most visible landmark with panoramic city views

    Landmarks
    Würzburg Residence
    Marienberg Fortress
    Rothenburg ob der Tauber

19. Day 19

    Bamberg

    Bamberg Show on map

    Included Activities

    • Guided tour of Bamberg's Old Town with historic churches and buildings
    • Cruise onto Main-Danube Canal

    Landmarks
    Bamberg Old Town

20. Day 20

    Nuremberg

    Nuremberg Show on map

    Included Activities

    • Bavarian beer, sausage, and pretzel tasting on Daystar Deck
    • Cruise along Main-Danube Canal

    Optional Activities

    • World War II sites tour - Reich Party Rally Grounds and historical sites (1927-1938 rally location)
    • Medieval history tour - 900-year-old ramparts, Imperial Castle, main market square, and 14th-century Gothic church

    Landmarks
    Nuremberg Imperial Castle

21. Day 21

    Regensburg

    Regensburg Show on map

    Optional Activities

    • Explore Regensburg's World Heritage-listed city centre - guided tour with tasting at historic sausage kitchen (oldest working restaurant)
    • Guided bike ride to Walhalla Memorial - neoclassical building above Danube River housing hall of fame of notable politicians, artists, sovereigns, and scientists

    Landmarks
    Regensburg Old Town
    Walhalla Memorial

22. Day 22

    Passau - Salzburg - Linz

    Passau - Salzburg - Linz Show on map

    Meals

    Lunch (Gaisberg Mountain lunch with welcome drink at rustic traditional restaurant overlooking Salzburg)

    Included Activities

    • Guided tour of Salzburg
    • Gaisberg Mountain lunch and 'Sound of Music' show (Signature Experience) - includes welcome drink and live performance

    Landmarks
    Salzburg
    Gaisberg Mountain

23. Day 23

    Melk - Dürnstein

    Melk - Dürnstein Show on map

    Included Activities

    • Melk Abbey visit

    Optional Activities

    • Cruise through Wachau Valley to Dürnstein with leisurely roam of cobblestone lanes
    • Guided bike ride along Danube River from Melk to Dürnstein through Wachau Valley
    • Dürnstein Castle ruins visit (14th century, where Richard the Lionheart was imprisoned in 1192)

    Landmarks
    Melk Abbey
    Dürnstein Castle

24. Day 24

    Vienna

    Vienna Show on map

    Included Activities

    • Vienna city tour - Ringstrasse landmarks and St. Stephen's Cathedral
    • Cocktail party and private orchestra performance at Liechtenstein City Palace (Signature Experience) - Mozart, Strauss, and operatic recital

    Optional Activities

    • Afternoon leisure exploration of Vienna

    Landmarks
    St. Stephen's Cathedral

25. Day 25

    Vienna

    Vienna Show on map

    Optional Activities

    • Schönbrunn Palace visit - lavishly furnished rooms and beautiful gardens
    • Bratislava trip - Slovakia; 18th-century rococo and communist-era architecture including UFO bridge, Slovak Radio building, and Hotel Kyjev
    • Vienna culinary tour - traditional cafes, classic Viennese sausages, and famous patisseries

    Landmarks
    Schönbrunn Palace

26. Day 26

    Budapest

    Budapest Show on map

    Meals

    Dinner (Farewell celebration with Hungarian folk music performance, local brandy, artisan meats, and cheeses)

    Included Activities

    • Farewell celebration with Hungarian folk music, local brandy, artisan meats, and cheeses

    Optional Activities

    • City tour - Heroes' Square, St. Stephen's Basilica, and historic monuments
    • Great Market Hall culinary tour - sausages, meats, cheeses, fruits, and vegetables
    • Fisherman's Bastion experience - funicular ride to Castle Hill with river views and historical monument walk

    Landmarks
    Heroes' Square
    St. Stephen's Basilica
    Fisherman's Bastion

    

27. Day 27

    Budapest

    Budapest Show on map

    Meals

    Breakfast

    Included Activities

    • Breakfast
    • Airport transfer