7-Nights Alpine Highs in Switzerland - Tailormade Journeys — CALL

1 Zurich, Switzerland

The country’s largest city flaunts its assets like a fine Swiss watch: its old town is one of the most romantic in the land, a jewelry box of baroque churches and medieval townhouses, streets weaving between quays and cobbled squares. Time a visit with one of the city’s open-air festivals, parades or open-air concerts, lose yourself in the museums, or do as the Zurichers do: take a cooling dip on a lakeside beach, admiring the Alps as they roll away in a distant, pale-blue haze.

After a tour of Zurich's charming Old Town, get hands-on in a cheesemaking workshop at a small dairy. Under master guidance, learn how cow’s milk is turned into delicious Swiss cheese, with tastings along the way.

It is no coincidence Interlaken lies at Switzerland’s core: this is its very essence, a thrilling scene of fairytale beauty, squeezed between the glacial lakes of Thun and Briez, dwarfed by iconic white mountains. Days here revolve around the great, wildflower-scented outdoors: strolling traffic-free mountain villages, hearing the roar of Lauterbrunnen’s waterfalls or taking a gondola into the snowy heights of the Alps, where the mountains, meadows and shocking-blue lakes open out like a giant’s pop-up book.

Venture outside Interlaken to Lauterbrunnen, an impressive Alpine valley famed for its 72 waterfalls. Here, explore the mountain villages of Mu¨rren, Gimmelwald and Wengen before ascending the 7,687-foot peak of Männlichen. Finally, board a gondola for a scenic ride down into Grindelwald Valley.

Set out with one of our experienced guides on a walking tour of the area: be whisked 4,000 feet into the peaks on board a funicular railway, and explore the historic lanes of Unterseen, a pretty town on the turquoise banks of the River Aare.

Lausanne is a quiet symphony of a city: it begins in the lofty old town, a cobbled crescendo of gothic spires and belfries, weaving down steep slopes to the Olympic Museum and Sculpture Garden, before a finale at the beautiful waterfront, where grand, storied hotels dip their preened toes into Lake Geneva’s northern shores. Nearby is Montreux, home to the legendary jazz festival, and the Château de Chillon at Veytaux: a stirring medieval castle right on the water, immortalized by Lord Byron’s The Prisoner of Chillon.

Experience Switzerland’s flourishing wine scene with a journey into the lush terraces of the Lavaux wine region. After a hike through the vines, celebrate with a tasting at a local vineyard, savouring the magnificent views of Lake Geneva before you.