Grand Tour of Switzerland Explorer: History and Heritage

Furka Steam Railway

Peace of Mind

Exclusive Packages

Furka Steam Railway

Chur

Countryside, Appenzell village

Jesuit Church on Lucerne Lake

Paddle Steamer on Lake Lucerne

Lucerne

Zurich's Old town

Highlights

Experience luxury in one-of-a-kind Luxury Mercedes Benz Sprinter. Relish ultimate comfort and style in a spacious setting, accommodating a maximum group size of up to 12 passengers!

Experience the Appenzell Show Dairy with an audio guide

Immerse yourself in a private guided city tour of Chur

Experience vintage rail travel through stunning Swiss Alps like Furka Steam Railway, combining nostalgic charm with breathtaking landscapes and historic railway engineering

8 days

From

AUD 7,139

per person, twin share

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Travelling with kids? Read more

All services are subject to availability.

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Overview

Embark on a 8-day Grand Tour of Switzerland Explorer - History and Heritage. From Zurich, you’ll explore the picturesque Appenzeller region before heading to Chur, Switzerland’s oldest city. You’ll then experience the Graubünden region on the historic Rhaetian Railway. Next, the tour continues to the Furka Steam Railway, showcasing stunning Alpine vistas, before arriving in Brig.

Afterward, you’ll travel to Lucerne, with a visit to the Brienzer Rothorn Railway. The final leg includes a nostalgic ride on the Brünig Steam Railway from Interlaken before concluding in Zurich.

ENTIRE Cooling-Off Period
ENTIRE AUD Prices
ENTIRE Change of Mind
ENTIRE Industry Accredited
ENTIRE On Ground Support
ENTIRE Australian Owned

Inclusions

7-nights accommodation in 4-star hotels

Luxury Mercedes Benz Sprinter Transportation with a Driver

Rail ticket in 1st class for rail travel per itinerary

Seat Reservation on Rhaetian Railway Nostalgic Train in 2nd Class (Filisur - Davos)

Seat Reservation on Furka Steam Railway in 1st Class (Realp - Oberwald)

Seat Reservation on Brünig Steam Railway in 2nd Class (Interlaken - Giswil - Interlaken)

Sunset Cruise on Historical Paddle Steamer on Lake Lucerne in 1st Class

Excursion to Brienzer Rothorn (self-guided)

Guided city tour of Chur (private guided)

Tour of Stockalper Castle in Brig (private guided)

Visit to Langwasser Viaduct

Entry tickets to Appenzell Show Dairy with Audio Guide (self‐guided)

Luggage transportation including an allowance of 1 x large luggage and 1 x hand luggage per person

50% discount on additional rail tickets (local transport) and some mountain excursions

Itinerary

Download Itinerary Expand All

Day 1 Zurich

Arrival in Zurich and enjoy your first day at leisure in Switzerland's biggest city.

Overnight in Zurich in a 4* hotel.

Zurich | Credit Andrea Peto

Day 2 Zurich Appenzeller Chur

Today you will make your way to the historical town of Appenzell.

There you get to taste one of the most famous things in Switzerland, Swiss Cheese. You get to experience how the famous Swiss cheese is made and you also get to taste it at the Appenzeller Show Dairy.

After a stop in the town of Appenzell you will make your way to Chur for your accommodation.

Overnight in Chur in a 4* hotel.

Breakfast

Appenzeller Show Dairy

Day 4 Chur Graubünden Historic Rhaetian Railway Chur

Breakfast at the hotel.

Today begins with a city tour around what is Switzerland's oldest town, learning about its history and the history of the canton of Graubünden. After an early lunch (not included), your driver will take you to see the infamous Landwasser Viaduct on the UNESCO world heritage Albula line, and witness its true scale from below.

Following this, you'll board the historic Rhaetian Railway from Filisur to Davos, comprising carriages predominantly from the 1920s hauled by a historic electric locomotive. Once in Davos, a renowned mountain resort, you'll have time to explore before your driver takes you back to Chur, completing your day with a comfortable ride through more scenic vistas.

Overnight in Chur in a 4* hotel.

Breakfast

Chur → Graubünden → Historic Rhaetian Railway → Chur

Davos

Day 4 Chur Furka Steam Railway Brig

Breakfast at the hotel.

Embark on a spectacular journey aboard the historic Furka Steam Railway, traveling from Realp to Oberwald through some of Switzerland's most breathtaking landscapes. This nostalgic ride offers stunning views of the Rhone Glacier and the majestic Furka Pass, with the train climbing from 1,366 meters in Oberwald to the highest station at 2,160 meters. The route, once known as the "Glacier Express," traverses awe-inspiring gorges and glaciers, creating an unforgettable experience. Additionally, the scenic Furka Pass featured in the 1964 James Bond film "Goldfinger," adding a touch of cinematic history to this remarkable adventure.

There is also ample time at the stations to get up close and personal with the steam locomotive, and to have an early lunch (not included). At Oberwald, rejoin your minibus and proceed onwards to Brig.

Upon arrival in Brig there is time for a tour of the Stockalper Castle, named after its builder, a rich entrepreneur who had a monopoly on road traffic in Switzerland in the 17th century.

Overnight in Brig in a 4* hotel.

Breakfast

Furka Steam Railway

Day 5 Brig Lucerne

Breakfast at the hotel.

This morning, your driver will transport you to Lucerne.

You have the afternoon here at leisure to enjoy this beautiful lakeside city before enjoying a 2.5 hour sunset cruise aboard a historical paddle steamer. Dinner is also available on board in the ship's restaurant (not included).

Overnight in Lucerne in a 4* hotel.

Breakfast

Paddle Steamer

Day 6 Lucerne Brienzer Rothorn Railway Interlaken

Breakfast at the hotel.

Your driver will take you back towards Interlaken for the first of two days in the Bernese Oberland. At the lakeside resort of Brienz, join the scenic Brienzer Rothorn Railway for the trip to the 2200 metre high summit. This railway is unique in having a steam operation on a near daily basis.

You have time at the summit to have lunch on your own before returning to Brienz, rejoining your driver and transferring to Interlaken, your base for the next two days.

Overnight in Interlaken in a 4* hotel.

Breakfast

Lucerne → Brienzer Rothorn Railway → Interlaken

Lake Brienz

Day 7 Interlaken Brünig Steam Railway Interlaken

Today you have an all day excursion aboard the historic Brünig Steam Railway, running along the tracks of the modern day Zentralbahn to Giswil. Enjoy travelling behind two different steam locomotives, including over the steep gradients of the Brünig Pass.

A bar car is available on the train and refreshments are provided during the turnaround in Giswil.

Overnight stay in Interlaken in a 4* hotel.

Breakfast

Interlaken → Brünig Steam Railway → Interlaken

Interlaken region

Day 8 Interlaken

After breakfast, individual extension or transfer to Zurich Airport (extra cost).

Breakfast

Additional information

We work with a selection of hotels in each location. All bookings are subject to availability, which means our team will confirm your specific hotels upon confirmation and payment of deposit.
Guaranteed departures with maximum of 12 passengers. Please note a minimum of 4 passengers per tour is required to operate the Merdedes Benz Sprinter.
Private transfer in Zurich and drop off on the last day in Zurich available on request.
Luggage transportation is provided with the limit of 1 large suitcase and 1 smaller hand luggage that can be placed under your seat.

Excluded

International airfares and taxes
Domestic airfares and taxes, unless otherwise specified in our holiday package
Visa expenses, processing and issuance fees
Meals other than as specified in our holiday package
Travel Insurance or expenses of a personal nature (mini-bar, phone call, laundry, etc.),
Tips or gratuities to guides, drivers, porters, hotel, restaurant or boat staff, etc.
Or any other travel expense that has not been included in our holiday package

FAQs

Who are Entire Travel Group?

Welcome to Entire Travel Group. We offer exceptional travel experiences across our extensive range of Entire Holiday Packages, Entire Group Journeys, Entire Rail Journeys, and Entire Cruise Journeys. With our industry-leading Peace of Mind Booking Plan, you can Book Now with flexibility and confidence.

Entire Travel Group is celebrating over 50 years of passionately delivering unique and memorable travel experiences. We are an Australian, family-owned, award-winning business with a friendly team ready to match your expectations to the perfect holiday experience.

Entire Travel Group used to be known by the individual brands shown in the footer of the website. The company has not changed, but we have amalgamated under one brand - Entire Travel Group.

For more details please visit - About Us | Entire Travel Group

Is Entire Travel Group Australian owned and operated?

Entire Travel Group is proudly Australian family owned and operated and as it stands today represents 50 years of experience, progress, and evolution. We proudly support the community with our long-term commitment to many important charity organisations. We were awarded the best operator in our class at the most recent National Travel Industry Awards.

Is Entire Travel Group industry accredited?

Entire Travel Group is both ATAS and CATO Accredited. ATAS is actively administered by the Australian Travel Industry Association (ATIA). The Council of Australian Tour Operators (CATO) is the trade association representing the land supply sector of the Australian Travel Industry.

Does Entire Travel Group have industry awards?

Entire Travel Group was honoured at the 2023 National Travel Industry Awards with Most Oustanding Wholesaler - Product / Service.

As our team works tirelessly to deliver exceptional holiday experiences, it was exciting to have this acknowledged with the highest recognition. The award is also a testament to the quality of our partners around the globe, and we take this opportunity to thank them for their tremendous support of our customers.

Are the Entire Travel Group holiday packages exclusive?

In some cases, we are the sole representative in Australia for the overseas travel operator. In other circumstances the product developed has been exclusively built for Entire Travel Group and can’t be found elsewhere.

What’s unique about Entire Travel Group Holiday Packages?

They are not group tours with set departures - they are pre-designed, purpose built, independent holiday packages full of unique and memorable experiences.
Our holiday packages have been exclusively built for us in collaboration with our handpicked suppliers, who also offer full on-ground support for the clients.
We are offering unique travel experiences which cannot be found elsewhere.
Many packages include our “Freedom of Choice” options which allow you to tailor the holiday experience. Like a sommelier matching wine to a meal, we have used our experience to carefully select and offer the right experiences in each location.
They include our Peace of Mind Booking Plan.
A wide selection of our packages are compliant with the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) Covid Safe Travels.

Our motto for Independent Holiday Packages is start your holiday when and with who you want!

Our Independent Holiday Packages are NOT group tours with set departure dates. Group Tours have specific set departure dates, and of course, you are travelling with unknown passengers in a coach. These tours are great for certain travellers and there are many reputable tour operators providing a wide range of options around the world.

At Entire Travel Group, our focus is Independent Holiday Packages. Available daily, they are pre-designed, purpose built, packaged itineraries full of memorable experiences delivered by our hand-picked local partners.

Our holidays suit every demographic, from couples to singles, to retirees to families and everyone else in between.

Why travel with Entire Travel Group?

Of Entire Travel Group's attributes, we have settled on "When Experience Matters" as the quality we believe adds the most value to our customers. We have the experience to ensure your itinerary makes the dream holiday possible. Our continually enhanced technology allows our team to provide a quality customer service experience, and our partnerships with outstanding operators ensure we are confident of the on-ground experience for our customers.

For more details please visit - About Us | Entire Travel Group

How does the Peace of Mind Booking Plan work?

Our Peace of Mind Booking Plan allows you to book with confidence in the new international travel environment. With low deposits, a cooling off period and a flexibility period where you can cancel and rebook later, we really do have you covered.

For more details please visit - Peace of Mind Booking Plan | Entire Travel Group

Is there a cooling-off period?

Look for packages with our Peace of Mind Booking Plan logo on the website.

We understand that occasionally plans may change, so we give you the confidence to proceed with a cooling off period.
You may cancel for any reason within 7 days, where you will receive a 100% refund of your $100 per person deposit.

For more details please visit - Peace of Mind Booking Plan | Entire Travel Group

What is Freedom of Choice?

At Entire Travel Group we understand that our customers have their own personal tastes and interests - so throughout our packages look for “Freedom of Choice” which gives you the ability to tailor your holiday from the various experiences offered on selected days. Like a sommelier matching wine to a meal, we have used our experience to carefully select and offer the right experiences in each location.

The Freedom of Choice options are included in the package price, and the price remains the same regardless of the choice you make on each day.

Our Freedom of Choice program offers flexibility, by allowing you to choose from different options on pre-selected days in the itinerary.

Our per person price includes one tour on each Freedom of Choice day in the itinerary.
The price of the package remains the same regardless of the choice you make on each day.

For more details please visit - Freedom of Choice | Entire Travel Group

What is Book Now?

Book Now offers you the ability to make a reservation on our website for Holiday Packages that include our Peace of Mind Booking Plan. But it’s not just a static offer – you have complete flexibility from travel dates, passenger numbers, single supplements, room upgrades, optional extras, flexible booking terms and more.

Our team will contact our overseas suppliers and confirm all arrangements.
A Confirmation from our reservation system will be sent in the coming days.
The Booking Number on this confirmation supersedes the website reference.

What forms of payment can be used at Entire Travel Group?

To confirm a booking using our on-line Book Now process, a credit card must be used to pay the refundable deposit.
For additional payments on the booking, Entire Travel Group supports bank transfer, credit card, TravelPay B2B, PaymentGate.
For further details please visit our Payments page.

How secure is the Entire Travel Group's on-line payment portal?

Entire Travel Group have partnered with TravelPay to ensure secure on-line credit card payments.
TravelPay is a level 1 PCI DSS compliant, which gives you peace of mind that your payment card data is in safe hands.
Entire Travel Group does not store any credit card information.

For more details please visit - Security and Compliance - TravelPay

Can you book my international airfares?

On some Islands Holiday Packages (e.g. Fiji), it is practical to include flights, so where we have done this it is indicated by the plane icon.

However, on the majority of our Holiday Packages, we do not include international flights.

We found that many customers may prefer to:

Travel on a specific airline of their choice
Have the flexibility to book flights with Frequent Flyer points
Select flight dates that may be different to our Holiday Package start/end dates
Use a Travel Credit already held with the airline
Use their travel agent for this service

We are able to assist with flights on any Holiday Package, so please just notify us during the Book Now process or contact our team.

Should I take travel insurance?

Travel insurance is strongly recommended. During the Book Now process please confirm you require assistance, and our team will be in contact with you.

What should I do before travelling?

Before you travel it is your responsibility to ensure you have the appropriate documentation including visas. If you are travelling on a passport other than Australian or New Zealand, you will require a permit to re-enter Australia. It is your responsibility as the traveller and/or travel booker to meet all government entry requirements.

For more information please visit - Before you travel | Entire Travel Group

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Please visit the Entire Travel Group's Agent Portal. We are here to support our industry partners with a range of informative updates, marketing collateral for campaigns and a reward & recognition program.

How do I start a Booking?