WanderlynkPlan
Snowy railway tracks and Matterhorn panorama at Gornergrat

The Swiss grand rail

Zürich · Zermatt · St. Moritz, linked by the Glacier Express.

  • 10N / 11D
  • Zürich · 2N
  • Zermatt · 4N
  • St. Moritz · 4N
  • Best Jun–Sep · Dec–Mar

Duration

10N / 11D

Places

3 bases

Hotels

4★

Meals

Breakfast

Pace

Balanced

Best for

Scenic-rail travellers wanting time in both Alpine regions

Trip overview

Travel from Zürich to car-free Zermatt, then cross the Alps on the full Glacier Express route to St. Moritz. Four nights in each mountain base leave room for Gornergrat, Engadin villages and an optional Bernina Express day rather than a sequence of one-night stops.

  • Full Zermatt–St. Moritz Glacier Express
  • Reserved panoramic second-class seat
  • Gornergrat mountain railway
  • Matterhorn village walks
  • Engadin lakes and villages
  • Optional Bernina Express to Tirano

Route

  1. 1

    Zürich

    2 nights

  2. 2

    Zermatt

    4 nights

  3. 3

    St. Moritz

    4 nights

Day by day

11 days · every day can be changed

  1. Take the short airport train into central Zürich and settle into your hotel. Keep the first afternoon light with the Limmat waterfront and old-town cafés.

    • Airport train
    • Old-town orientation
    • Limmat waterfront
    Meals at leisureOvernight Zürich
  2. Explore Lindenhof and the lanes on both banks of the river. Take a scheduled Lake Zürich cruise covered by your pass, leaving the late afternoon free for a museum or shopping.

    • Lindenhof
    • Lake Zürich cruise
    • Independent city time
    BreakfastOvernight Zürich
  3. Travel via Visp to Zermatt, normally around 3 hours 15 minutes to four hours depending on connections. The final section climbs the valley on the narrow-gauge railway; reach your hotel on foot or by a locally paid electric taxi.

    • Mainline train to Visp
    • Mountain railway
    • Village orientation
    BreakfastOvernight Zermatt
  4. Ride the Gornergrat railway for views towards the Matterhorn and surrounding glaciers. In suitable summer conditions, a short walk near Rotenboden can be considered, but lake access depends on snow and trail opening.

    • Gornergrat railway
    • Summit terraces
    • Seasonal short walk
    BreakfastOvernight Zermatt
  5. Walk through Hinterdorf's old timber buildings and follow the village paths along the river. Keep the afternoon free for a café stop or an optional museum visit, with no high-altitude excursion scheduled.

    • Hinterdorf
    • Riverside paths
    • Independent afternoon
    BreakfastOvernight Zermatt
  6. Use this flexible day for a weather-led walk on an open marked trail or simply remain in the village. Sunnegga is an optional paid excursion, and this day can absorb a weather-related change to Gornergrat.

    • Weather-led planning
    • Village or marked-trail walk
    • Optional Sunnegga
    BreakfastOvernight Zermatt
  7. Board the Glacier Express from Zermatt to St. Moritz for approximately eight hours through the Rhône valley, Oberalp Pass and Rhine Gorge. Your panoramic second-class reservation is included; lunch on board is optional and paid separately.

    • Glacier Express
    • Oberalp Pass
    • Rhine Gorge and Albula route
    BreakfastOvernight St. Moritz
  8. Start gently after the long rail day with the lake promenade and St. Moritz Dorf. Choose an open lakeside path appropriate to the season, then spend the afternoon independently.

    • Lake promenade
    • St. Moritz Dorf
    • Independent afternoon
    BreakfastOvernight St. Moritz
  9. Optionally take a reserved Bernina Express departure to Tirano and return by regional trains, allowing roughly six to eight hours overall. The pass covers the applicable rail fare, but the panoramic reservation costs extra.

    • Optional Bernina Express
    • Bernina Pass scenery
    • Optional Tirano stop
    BreakfastOvernight St. Moritz
  10. Use scheduled buses to visit Sils Maria and Silvaplana, with travel time generally under an hour each way. Walk by the lakes on suitable open paths and return to St. Moritz without another hotel change.

    • Sils Maria
    • Silvaplana
    • Seasonal lakeside walks
    BreakfastOvernight St. Moritz
  11. Return through Chur to Zürich Airport, allowing approximately four hours plus connection and airport buffers. Book an evening flight or add a Zürich night if your preferred departure is earlier.

    • Albula railway
    • Airport rail connection
    BreakfastDeparture day

Where you'll stay

Hotel names are confirmed in your proposal against your dates and budget.

Zürich · 2 nights

4★ city hotel near Zürich main station

Standard double or twin room

Zermatt · 4 nights

4★ Alpine hotel in the village

Standard double or twin room

St. Moritz · 4 nights

4★ hotel with access to station buses

Standard double or twin room

What's included

Included

  • Ten nights in 4★ rooms, twin share
  • Ten hotel breakfasts
  • Fifteen-day consecutive Swiss Travel Pass, second class
  • Glacier Express Zermatt–St. Moritz second-class panoramic reservation
  • Gornergrat return ticket with applicable pass reduction
  • Scheduled local transport covered by the pass
  • Hotel taxes

Not included

  • International flights
  • Schengen visa fees and application charges
  • Travel and medical insurance
  • Lunches, dinners and Glacier Express dining
  • Optional Bernina Express reservation and unlisted mountain tickets
  • Electric taxis, luggage forwarding and rail class upgrades

Indicative price basis: per person on twin share, land only, before applicable GST and TCS. Final price depends on dates and availability.

Add to your enquiry

Switzerland essentials

Flight time
Around 8–9 hours nonstop from Delhi or Mumbai to Zürich; typically 11–15 hours with a connection
Visa
Indian passport holders need a short-stay Schengen visa for Swiss holidays of up to 90 days in any 180-day period. Rules can change; we confirm before you pay.
Currency
Swiss franc (CHF)
Time difference
3 hours 30 minutes behind IST in summer; 4 hours 30 minutes in winter

Questions

Photo credits (4)