Join me for an 11 day curated tour of Switzerland. Experience the Alps up close and personal with adventures through historic villages, soaring mountain peaks, and all things cheese and chocolate.
- Dates: Late July 21-31, 2027
- 2 nights in Lucerne, 3 nights in Wengen, 2 nights in Zermatt, 2 nights in Thun
- Group size: Small group of 5-15 women
- Ages: 21 and up.
- Activity Level: medium
- Price: $3500
Itinerary
You will fly round trip to Zurich, traveling by train to Lucerne, Wengen, Zermatt, and Thun, stopping for boat rides, cable car adventures, and mountain hikes along the way. We will spend the last day exploring the Emmental Valley on a day trip, stopping for Anabaptist history and chocolate cookies. The trip includes 2 nights in Lucerne, 3 nights in Wengen, 2 nights in Zermatt, and 2 nights in Thun. Transportation will be via train, bus, cable car, and public transportation. Optional tours are noted in the itinerary and below.
Leave your home and head to the airport. Pack a pillow, it’s going to be a long flight!
Most flights arrive in the morning from the US. After dropping our bags at the hotel we will visit the Lindor Chocolate Factory in a fighting attempt to stay awake and enjoy some Swiss chocolate.
We will start our day with a walking tour of Lucerne, to orient us to the city, followed by an afternoon boat ride on Lake Lucerne.
We will enjoy a scenic train ride to Wengen, a carless mountainside town in the Lauterbrunnen Valley, with the afternoon to explore this scenic gem.
Grindelwald is a bit of a playground, a mountain town with countless activities. We will start the day with the cable car ride up to First, a peak with stunning views of the region. You can choose how to spend the rest of your day- hiking, cliff walk, zip lining, trottibike scooter rides, paragliding, you name it. Gridelwald will be the grassy mountain view stop of our trip.
To mark the half way point of our trip, we will spend a leisurely day exploring the valley of 72 waterfalls. We will navigate across the valley by public transit for cloudy views from Murren, before hiking our way back along a flat, paved path, with an optional waterfall detour for those who want to explore.
A series of trains will take us to the mountain town of Zermatt, with time to explore the village after dropping off our bags at the hotel.
An optional ride to summit of Matterhorn via the Matterhorn Glacier Paradise and returning on the scenic Gornergrat Railway will produce beyond iconic views of Matterhorn and the surrounding region. Or you may choose to spend your day enjoying the village or hiking in the region. Matterhorn will be the snowy mountain view stop of our trip.
Another day of trains will take us to the lake town of Thun. We will have the afternoon to explore the cobblestone streets and shops.
Our last day will be a day trip to Anabaptist history sites in the Emmental Valley, including a visit to Täuferversteck (a barn- turned museum- where an anabaptist once hid) and Trachselwald Castle (a castle with tower dungeons that once imprisoned anabaptists). We will squeeze in a stop to Kambly Erlebnis for chocolate covered cookies.
It’s our last day! Time to pack up the memories and purchases and find our way home.
Expectations
Weather: The weather should be warmly pleasant in the valleys and chilly/cold in the mountains, with possible showers. Expect to pack layers to accommodate the variety.
Crowds: Our destinations are touristy, but shouldn’t be over crowded.
Food: We will be doing our best to enjoy the variety of popular food that each destination has to offer. For this reason, I will not be able to guarantee food allergies or preferences can be accommodated for. Please let me know if this applies to you, but be aware that you may want to bring your own snacks along to ensure you have something you *can* eat at the time when you need to eat.
Flights: You will be responsible to get yourself to and from Zurich. If you want to extend your trip in any way, you are welcome to do so. If you need help with figuring out flights, please let me know.
General Safety: While our destination is typically very safe, you still need to be aware of your surroundings and responsible for your belongings at all times. Furthermore, in order to navigate as a group, we will implement a buddy system and limit wandering off to agreed upon locations and times. For more information, you can read the US State Departments’ view on each country’s Safety, especially noting the tab under ‘safety and security’.
Difficulty Level: Moderate. We will be hiking in the mountains, as well as walking in cities, on cobblestone and up steps. Since we will be relying on public transportation to navigate and learning about our surroundings via walking tours, you can expect to walk at least (probably more) than 7 miles a day, every day.
For this reason, it is essential that:
1. You must have a clean bill of health to travel and be able to keep up with the group.
2. You are physically active before the trip to reduce fatigue as much as possible
3. You pack appropriately. You will never need an uncomfortable pair of shoes. And chafing is a real possibility.
What to expect from me: If you don’t know me well, you can read about me here. If you want to learn more about my travel style, click around on this website or find me on instagram @tripsbycamille. I have reviewed many of my previous adventures here. I’m so excited for the opportunity to share this amazing country and culture with you!
What I expect from you: I expect that you are adults. For this reason (and my own legal liabilities) you must be at least 21 to join the trip. I am agreeing to coordinate but I’m not agreeing to be a chaperone or a maid. The trip is designed for women over 21, with the physical health needed to participate in the agreed upon itinerary. If you aren’t sure, please check with your doctor. I would love to have you join, but it is a goal of mine to not have to learn the in’s and out’s of any other country’s medical system. I ask that everyone is considerate and responsible, that you ask for help if you need it, chip in where you can, keep track of your own travel documents, and you don’t wander off without telling someone.
My 2 cardinal rules are: 1. you may not die. 2. or get incarcerated.
I also ask that we remember that travel is a gift. It’s an incredible privilege and my hope is that we can all keep this in mind as we go. Gratitude and grace go a long way about half way through a trip when the sun is beating down and you don’t know where the nearest bathroom is. So, I am asking that you bring your gratitude and your flexibility because we’ll be growing together.
Cost
Approximately $3500+ airfare, food, optional tours, and souvenirs.
What Is Included
Accommodations: These are double occupancy accommodations, European style. This means, I will request twin beds, but the hotel may choose to put those twin beds next to each other to form a queen, with separate duvets. If you want your own room, it may be available for a fee, just ask.
All accommodations are 3 or 4 star lodgings, with breakfast provided. There will be air conditioning at lower elevations, but not in the mountains.
Transportation: All transportation is included, from buses to boats and trains to cable cards.
Trip Planning Fee: Itinerary formation and distribution, tour management, hotel, tour, and transportation bookings, arrival paperwork assistance, day of problem solving, daily restaurant selections, and navigation.
Tours: For more information, read the itinerary.
Included Tours: Lucerne Walking Tour, Lucerne Boat Ride, Lindor Chocolate Museum Tour, Grindelwald First Ticket, Anabaptist Day Trip Transportation, and Täuferversteck Tour.
What Is Not Included:
Transportation: Your international flights. It is impossible for me to guess how much tickets will cost from each of your homes, so I am not able to include that in the price. However, I am happy to help you with booking, if you have any questions.
Meals and food: Lunch, dinner, coffee shop stops, cheese fondue, etc are not included in the price. This is to allow you maximum control over your food budget and preferences. The internet recommends budgeting an additional $75-$100 a day to cover this cost, although I would keep in mind the rising price of food. *Hotel breakfast is provided.
Sim cards: The easiest thing most people do is pay their phone company for international calls during their trip. Getting an esim is also a feasible option.
Souvenirs.
Extra experiences, specifically any mountain activities you want to try, including activities on Grindelwald First (starting at $65) and as well as the Peak2Peak Pass including Matterhorn Glacier Paradise and Gornergrat Railway ($264). If you opt out of these experiences, you are free to use your time as you wish.
Travel insurance (including health insurance). Given the events of 2020, I do recommend travel insurance. I have found World Nomad’s Travel Insurance to be reasonable in the past, although I haven’t needed to file any claims yet.
Sign Up
You can pre-register now for the opportunity for early registration by completing this form. Early registration will open September 7, 2026 and those who are pre-registered will receive the registration link via email one week in advance of the public registration.
Public registration will open September 14, 2026. At that time, a link will be shared to sign up for the tour.
Payment
If you have read all the way to the bottom of this page, I’m assuming you are pretty interested in this trip. Hooray! If you are ‘in’ and ready to make it official here’s the plan:
- Complete the registration form.
- Check your confirmation email (within one business day) for payment information.
- Pay an immediate registration fee of a $100 non refundable deposit that will go towards the cost of your trip. If, for some reason, I need to cancel the trip, I will refund the money to you, no cost.
- Pay the first half of your trip by December 1, 2026.
- Make your final payment by February 1, 2027.
- Pack your bags because…
- July 2027, we will head out on the adventure of a lifetime!
NOTE: Payments are accepted via paypal, cashapp, venmo, and check. I will share my accounts to receive payment when you sign up. This trip is non refundable and any travel insurances that you wish to purchase will be additional costs to you. Prices are subject to change, with adequate notification to participants.
If you have any questions, email me at: tripsbycamille@gmail.com or contact on my socials.
Trips by Camille 
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