Swiss Bernese Oberland

Wednesday 6th September to Wednesday 13th September 2023

Discover the outstanding natural beauty of Switzerland on this tour to the Bernese Oberland, famed for its shimmering lakes and soaring Alpine peaks, including the towering Jungfrau and the magnificent Eiger.

• Based in the mountain village of Wengen, you’ll explore the Bernese Oberland on Switzerland´s outstanding railway system.

• Enjoy extensive scheduled travel on famous mountain rack railways, including the Brienz Rothorn Railway and Jungfrau Railway to the ‘Top of Europe’.

• Discover the Swiss capital Bern on a two-hour steam tram tour, and enjoy peaceful boat cruises on Lake Brienz and Lake Thun.

• There’s also a thrilling excursion to the Schynige Platte mountain area to enjoy, famous for its outstanding views and wildflower gardens.

• Experience unrestricted travel on Swiss trains, trams and buses in tour free time thanks to your complimentary Bernese Oberland Regional Pass.

Wednesday 6th September

Fly London to Basel –Basel to Wengen by Rail

You have a morning flight from London Heathrow to Basel in Switzerland. You transfer by local bus to Basel Main Station to join a high-speed rail service to Interlaken Ost, before continuing on the narrow-gauge lines of the Bernese Oberland Railway (BOB) to Lauterbrunnen and the Wengernalp Railway (WAB) to the mountain village of Wengen. Here you check into the 4-star Sunstar Alpine Hotel, your base for the tour. A light dinner will be served at your hotel this evening. You’ll also receive your 6-day Bernese Oberland Regional Pass for easy exploration of the surrounding areas. (D)

Thursday 7th September

Free day for exploration in and around Wengen

After breakfast, you can either relax at the hotel and make use of its wonderful facilities or take a stroll through the village where the British allegedly ‘invented’ downhill ski racing. A more energetic option is to hike to one or more of the incredible local viewpoints. Another alternative is to use your Regional Pass to visit the Trümmelbach Falls, a series of ten illuminated glacier-waterfalls inside a mountain, accessible only by a tunnel-lift. Yet another option is to visit the car-free village of Mürren by cable and mountain railway from Lauterbrunnen, with views of the Eiger, Mönch, and Jungfrau. Dinner is served at your hotel this evening. (B D)

Friday 8th September

Lake Brienz Cruise; Steam on the Brienz Rothorn Railway

This morning you travel by train to Interlaken to enjoy a leisurely steamship cruise on Lake Brienz to Brienz at its eastern end. You join a steam train on the 800mm gauge Brienz Rothorn Railway (BRB), Switzerland’s oldest rack railway and climb 1,678 metres (5,505 ft) from Brienz to Rothorn Kulm Station, just below the summit of Brienz Rothorn Mountain. After free time at the summit to enjoy lunch, you return to Brienz for an exclusive visit to the BRB depot to view the locomotives and workshop facilities there. In the afternoon you return to Wengen by train where you can relax before dinner is again served in your hotel restaurant. (B D)

Saturday 9th September

Excursion to Jungfraujoch and the ‘Top of Europe’

A real tour highlight awaits today on a trip to the famous Jungfraujoch and the ‘Top of Europe’. You’ll travel on a WAB train to Kleine Scheidegg before joining a JB train en route to the highest railway station in Europe. The train stops twice at points where there are large windows in the rock face for passengers to admire the views. The ‘Top of Europe’ itself is a high-altitude building connected to the underground Jungfraujoch Railway Station by a tunnel. There’s a choice of restaurants in which to take lunch, and a permanent exhibition about the Jungfrau Railway and the Alps. For the return back to Wengen you can either travel the same route by train from Kleine Scheidegg to Wengen or travel from Kleine Scheidegg on to Grindlewald at your own leisure, then make your way back to Wengen via Lauterbrunnen. On your return dinner will be served at the hotel. (B D)

Sunday 10th September

Bern Steam Tram; Cruise on Lake Thun

Today you travel by train to the Swiss capital, Bern, for a two-hour tour of the city by legendary steam tram. The metre gauge 0-6-0 tramway locomotive pulls a classic wooden carriage with open-ended balconies. You’ll pass many of Bern’s historic landmarks, including the famous Zytglogge clock tower. In the afternoon there’s time to visit the shops along the arcaded walkways, or the famous Bear Park and nearby River Aare. Later, you’ll take a service train to Thun to board a boat for the onward journey. Cruising along Lake Thun you have uninterrupted views of famous mountain peaks like the Niederhorn, Niesen, and Jungfrau. You then disembark at Interlaken West Railway Station and return by train to Wengen via Lauterbrunnen.

(B D)

Monday 11th September

Free day to use your Regional Pass; Optional visit to the Schilthorn

Today is free to use your Regional Pass. Your first option is a trip to the summit of the Schilthorn, overlooking the valley of Lauterbrunnen and reached by a cable car from the village of Mürren. At the summit there’s a panoramic revolving restaurant, Piz Gloria, once the location of a James Bond film, and free entrance to the Bond World interactive exhibition. A mountain excursion surcharge is payable for this trip but if booked in advance you can take advantage of our special discounted price. The second option is a visit to Lucerne. The city is located on Lake

Lucerne, in sight of Mount Pilatus and Mount Rigi in the Swiss Alps. You’ll get to Interlaken using WAB and BOB trains from where metre gauge Zentralbahn express trains go direct to Lucerne, a great experience in itself. The route follows the scenic Brünig Line beside Lake Brienz and the River Aare to Meiringen, where the train reverses and climbs over the Brunig Pass using a rack system. The terminus station at Lucerne is opposite the landing stage from which passenger boats, including paddle steamers, serve lakeside communities. The Chapel Bridge is a landmark of Lucerne and the oldest wooden covered bridge in Europe. Other places of interest include the Old Town of Lucerne, the Lion Monument, and the Swiss Museum of Transport. (B D)

Tuesday 12th September

Excursion to Schynige Platte

Today you enjoy an excursion to the Schynige Platte mountain area, famous for its wildflower gardens and views of the majestic mountain scenery. You travel by WAB train to Lauterbrunnen and BOB train to Wilderswil, the junction for the 800mm gauge Schynige Platte Railway from 1893, one of Switzerland’s pioneering lines. The cog train climbs at a sedate 12 kph up to Schynige Platte, passing many panoramic viewpoints overlooking Lake Thun and Lake Brienz, eventually revealing the glistening giants of the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau mountains to the south. (B D)

Wednesday 13th September

Return to UK

After breakfast in the hotel, it is time to say your farewells and take local trains to Lauterbrunnen and Interlaken. You then travel by express train from Interlaken to Basel before taking the local bus to Basel Airport. There you have an evening flight back to London Heathrow (B)

Tour Summary

Tour price £1795

Single supplement £115

Optional extra £45

Mountain excursion surcharge to visit ‘The Schilthorn’

Price includes:

• 7 nights half board at Sunstar Hotel including complimentary beverages from the minibar (beer, mineral water, soft drinks, refilled daily) and free use of hotel facilities including WiFi, swimming pool, sauna and steam bath

• Fly from London Heathrow –Basel and Return

• A standard class Regional Pass valid for days 2 to 7 for travel around the Bernese Oberland

• Travel by train from Basel main station to Wengen and return

• All rail, tram and boat trips as detailed in the itinerary

• All escorted visits as detailed in the itinerary

• All seat reservations and transfers (except on free days)

• The services of a tour manager

All prices shown are per person based on two persons sharing.

Meals included each day are shown as:

B = Breakfast - L = Lunch - D = Dinner September