Lake Lucerne & the Beautiful Swiss Alps

LeShuttle to Calais and overnight stay in France on a bed and breakfast basis.

We continue our journey, travelling through the Alsace to enjoy a stop in Colmar, a scenic town dotted with colourful houses and beautiful architecture. Visit the well-preserved Old Town, often referred to as 'Little Venice' due to its serene canals, or the bustling market square to enjoy local delicacies. Later, we check into the Hotel Rössli in Weggis, our base for the next three nights.

After breakfast, we take a 10-minute walk along the lakefront to the ferry pier in Weggis, where we catch the public boat across to Lucerne. This is the perfect way to arrive in this lovely city, with surroundings of snow-capped mountains and calm waters fringed by historic architecture. During free time here, be sure to stroll along Kapellbrücke (Chapel Bridge), a lovingly restored wooden footbridge dating back to the 14th century, and explore the Old Town, with its mural-adorned half-timbered houses and quaint squares. You may also like to enjoy a longer lakeside wander round to the popular Verkehrshaus, an interactive transport museum, IMAX theatre and planetarium, before returning to the hotel by ferry at any time you wish.

Full Day

This morning, we take a short scenic drive along the road that hugs the northern shore of Lake Lucerne and spend some free time in the lakeside resort town of Brunnen, a lovely spot for a waterfront stroll or a bite to eat before we return to Weggis for an afternoon at leisure. In Weggis, you may like to visit the hotel spa, perhaps enjoy an extended boat trip, swim or sunbathe at Lido Weggis or just soak up the beautiful scenery.

Alternatively, join our optional afternoon excursion to breathtaking Stanserhorn. Our journey starts in Stans with a ride on a nostalgic funicular, followed by the world's first open-top cable car to the summit of the Stanserhorn. Once here, admire the stunning views over Lake Lucerne and countless alpine peaks, then perhaps enjoy a Swiss dish at the revolving restaurant before we make our way back down.

Our coach takes us directly to Lucerne railway station, where we board the famous Luzern-Interlaken Express for an exciting ride through impressive landscapes, lush valleys, aquamarine lakes and the quintessential villages of the Bernese Oberland.

On arrival in Interlaken, nestled between Lake Brienz and Lake Thun and set against towering peaks, we have free time to explore the resort and find lunch at leisure. Watch the paragliders here, stroll along the Höheweg promenade, lined with shops, restaurants and cafés, or you may like to enjoy the funicular ride to Harder Kulm to for panoramic views.

Next, we journey to Lauterbrunnen, a small village in a truly breathtaking glacial valley setting. The coach can go no further, so while our luggage transfer to hotel is handled, we have a little time in Lauterbrunnen to see the village centre. For an easy but iconic photo spot, head to the Staubbach Falls viewpoint, which captures the town's charming church, the surrounding dramatic peaks, verdant valley floor and the cascading Staubbach waterfall itself, the highest free-falling waterfall in Switzerland. Our journey from here to the car-free village of Wengen is by cog-wheel railway – it may only be a 15-minute journey but the stunning panoramas of the valley below are mesmerising (if you can, choose a seat on the right side for the best views).

Spend the day as you please in Wengen, browsing the shops or admiring the spectacular scenery at the town's best viewpoint – St Bernard's Church. Or for the more adventurous, make the most of Wengen's gateway to a whole alpine playground. There is so much to choose from: travel to Jungfraujoch – Top of Europe for breathtaking views of glaciers and snow-capped peaks (pre-booking required), catch the stunning train to Kleine Scheidegg and discover beautiful hiking options such as the Panorama Trail, enjoy further exploration of the Lauterbrunnen Valley, including the Trummelbach Falls (a series of cascades entirely hidden inside a mountain!) or at the end of the valley, visit Murren to ascend to the summit of James Bond-famous Schiltorn or Gimmelwald to experience an authentic Swiss village where time seems to have stood still.

Our day begins with a short scenic gondola ride from Wengen to Männlichen, known for its awe-inspiring panoramic views of the Lauterbrunnen valley and the surrounding peaks, including the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau. As well as the scenery, admire the vibrant alpine flowers that adorn the area at this time of year, choose to stroll to 1.2km-hike to the Männlichen Summit, known as the Royal Walk, or enjoy some refreshments at the café. 

From here, we catch another gondola on the other side of the mountain to pretty Grindelwald, surrounded by towering peaks of the Bernese Oberland region. Enjoy some free time in this authentically Swiss village, with its traditional chalets and cosy cafés, visit the impressive Gletscherschlucht (Glacier Gorge) or you may like to catch the cable car to one of the country's most popular attractions, the First Mountain, home to a thrilling cliff walk. Later, the coach takes us back to Lauterbrunnen so we can once again catch the cog-wheel railway to Wengen.

Choose to spend the day as you please, soaking up the fresh air in Wengen, or join our optional  excursion to discover more of this beautiful region. After catching the cog-wheel railway down to the valley floor, our coach takes us to Bern, Switzerland's beautiful UNESCO-listed capital city. Stroll the Old Town and explore the labyrinth of medieval covered arcades filled with unique cellar shops and cafés, but be sure to time your visit to the 13th-century astronomical Zytglogge clock tower to see its mechanical show on the hour, every hour – with suitably Swiss efficiency! There is lots more to see, including Bern Minster, the Swiss Parliament building, the Einstein Museum (housed in his former home) and the enchanting oasis of the Rose Garden. 

Next is Thun, a gorgeous little spot with a historic Old Town, unique boutiques and vibrant town squares. Situated where the turquoise waters River Aare meet the expansive Lake Thun, strolling the waterways across covered wooden bridges here is a real delight. Another highlight is Thun Castle, a 12th-century fortress perched on a hill, offering far-reaching views and housing a museum charting the region's history.

We begin our journey home, enjoying the lovely scenery along the way to our overnight hotel in France, where dinner is included.

After breakfast, we check out of the hotel and head to Calais for our journey home on LeShuttle.