Italy & Switzerland Highlights

While traveling from Milan to Bellagio in your private vehicle, stop to explore the historic town of Como. Follow your guide, at an easy pace, through the streets of the historic center of town. Pass by beautiful monuments featuring varying architectural styles including Romanesque and the Baroque. As you walk, your guide will share interesting stories about the town’s culture and heritage. Stately churches, bustling piazzas, and medieval watchtowers are some of the prominent attractions you will see. Afterward, resume your journey to Bellagio. (En route; Duration: 8hrs; Private activity & transfers; Private local guide; Fitness level: easy; Please wear good walking shoes and bring a bottle of water; In case of rain forecast, please bring an umbrella).

Explore Lake Como on your own private boat and take in the stunning sights. Meet your guide at the hotel lobby before walking down to the jetty in Bellagio to board your boat. Set off for Varenna, which is considered to be one of Lake Como’s most beautiful lakeside towns. As you glide along the water, your guide will tell you about the history of the lake and point out properties owned by European aristocrats and Hollywood stars. Once you arrive in Varenna, follow your guide on a tour. Stroll through the town’s historic center and visit the Church of San Giorgio dating back to the 14th-century. Next, head to the Villa Monastero, which used to be a monastery. The villa grounds contain a beautiful botanical garden that runs along the edge of the lake. Explore the garden with its rare plant species while enjoying the views. (Available all year; Duration: 4 hrs; Private activity & transfers; Meals are not included; Fitness level: moderate)

Here are our recommendations on what to do in Bellagio. Begin with a walk in the pretty medieval town center. Its ancient streets and narrow alleys are filled with colorful houses along steep stone staircases. In the Piazza della Chiesa, Bellagio’s main square, there’s the Basilica of San Giacomo. Built in the 11th and 12th centuries in the Como-Lombard Romanesque style, it contains many interesting artworks, frescoes and artefacts. Stroll along the waterfront promenade, soak in the scenery and stop for a coconut and limoncello gelato. Then, go on a guided tour of the gardens of Villa Serbelloni. This hillside botanical garden is replete with native and exotic plants, statues, caves and water features. Next, visit Punta Spartivento at the tip of the peninsula and admire views of Lake Como and the snowcapped Swiss Alps. Feast alfresco on robust regional fare at Ristorante La Punta. Later, go shopping for silk souvenirs, leather items imprinted with gorgeous designs and sample delicious local cheese. (Self-explore activity; Transfers, entrance fees & meals are not included; Choose from our recommendations what suits your interests and pace. Please note that you may not be able to do all our recommended activities.)

Discover the resort town of Stresa as you travel from Como to Zermatt. Located on the banks of Lake Maggiore, this beautiful town is surrounded by the snowy Alps. You could start by exploring the sprawling premises of Villa Pallavicino, which house a park and a zoo. Next, enjoy a cable car ride to the top of Mount Mottarone for panoramic views across the Po Valley, all the way to the Alps. Alternatively, make your way to the waterfront for a boat ride to the Borromean Islands, a cluster of three small islands in the Borromean Gulf. Named Isola Bella, Isola Madre and Isola dei Pescatori, the picturesque isles, with their fruit orchards and variety of trees, are dotted with luxurious palaces belonging to Italian nobility. Isola dei Pescatori, which has a fishing village with cobbled streets and a quaint church, is the only one of the three to be inhabited all year round. After a couple of hours of exploring, resume your drive to your hotel in Zermatt.(Enroute activity; Duration: full day; Private activity & transfers; Fitness level: moderate, please note that people with physical limitations can participate as long as they have someone to provide assistance)

Enjoy a guided hike of the three-lake trail that takes you through the mountains of Zermatt. From Zermatt Village, ride a tram to Sunnegga station. Begin your scenic trek, with the iconic Matterhorn in the background. Go past beautiful Swiss villages and mountain huts to Grunsee, surrounded by lush greenery. Observe its sediment-rich pale blue water and enjoy sweeping views of the Matterhorn, which rises above the ice field. Next, take the path leading straight uphill to Mosjesee, an artificial reservoir. Wind your way around the hills and stop to see the alpine meadows in bloom. Continue along the dirt road that leads you to Mosjesee, with its waterwork structures around the lakeshore. Go down some switchbacks in the forest to Lisee, the third lake near Sunnegga. Take the free self-service funicular through the rock tunnel to a terrace that overlooks the Matterhorn. Finally, return to Zermatt by the cable railway. (Duration: 4hrs; Time: 4 hrs; Private activity; No transfers; Entry fees are included; Meals included: no; Fitness level: moderate, please note that people with physical limitations can participate as long as they have someone to provide assistance)

Discover incredible scenery and the varied terrains of Zermatt on a guided electric mountain bike tour. Choose from easy rides around the Matterhorn to challenging single-track trails on the mountain slopes. The Riffelberg Trail follows a downhill route to the Riffelalp meadows and connects to the Kate Moos Trail leading into Zermatt. Beginners could opt for The Glacier Garden Loop to Schweigmatt and the Glacier Garden Dosen. Pass by Gorner Glacier and cross the suspension bridge to arrive at Furi. Experienced bikers can maneuver the sharp bends of the Blauherd-Sunnegga Trail. From Tuftern, traverse the pebble pathway that passes through a larch and pine forest to Sunnegga. Nature lovers can journey alongside the wild waters of the Matter Vispa River, on the Matterhorn Valley Trail. Then, ride past the Bis Glacier to Saint Niklaus and further down to Visp. Intrepid cyclists can opt for the Gornergrat Trail and enjoy splendid views of the Gorner Glacier and Monte Rosa Massif. The challenging Furi-Schwarzsee Trail climbs through the forest and goes past Zmutt to Stafelalp, a legendary alpine restaurant. From here, maneuver on the gravel path to Scwarzee, passing by the north face of the Matterhorn. (Duration: 4hrs; Seasonal: Jun-Oct; Time: 1000 hrs; Private activity; No transfers; Starting point: Hofmattstrasse 30, Zermatt; Fitness level: easy-difficult, please note that this activity is not suitable for people with physical challenges; Equipment provided: e-mountain bike & helmet)

Explore the picturesque Lauterbrunnen Valley that features 72 cascades including the mighty Trummelbach and Staubbach falls. Meet your driver-guide at your hotel and head out on a scenic journey to the UNESCO-listed Trummelbach Falls. As you drive along the alpine passes, enjoy gorgeous views of the peaks and flowering meadows. The Trummelbach Falls are Europe’s largest subterranean glacier-fed waterfalls, accessible by a network of walkways, galleries and overlooks. See incredible rock formations created by constant erosion over millennia before continuing onward. Arrive at Staubbach Falls, the signature waterfall of the Lauterbrunnen Valley. The moment you enter the village of Lauterbrunnen, you’ll hear the sound of Staubbach Falls, the continent’s highest free-falling cascade. Soak up the Swiss Alps scenery and views of the Eiger, Monch and Jungfrau summits. Then, ascend a steep, uphill trail and pass through a tin tunnel to reach the lookout behind Staubbach Falls. End your trip to this enchanting corner of Switzerland with a scenic drive to Interlaken. (Duration: 4hrs; Time: 4hrs; Private activity & transfer; All entry fees are included; Fitness level: easy)

Explore the scenic landscape around the resort town of Gstaad with your choice of trails. Located in the Bernese Oberlands region of the Swiss Alps and ranging in altitude from 3,280 to 4,593 feet, this area is a hiker’s paradise. With trails of varying lengths and difficulties available, you can decide with your guide on which trail to take and the distance you want to hike. You could set off on the loop that begins in Gstaad village and passes along streams through the Turbach Valley. There is also the route that leads to the summit of Rinderberg Mountain, an easy hike that lets you enjoy beautiful alpine panoramas. Another trail that is popular is the moderately challenging Wispile to Lauenensee trail that winds along the lakeside. Most of these trails require between two to four hours of hiking. (Duration:4hrs; Private activity; Group size: max 6 ppl; No transfers; Fitness level: moderate, please note that people with physical limitations can participate as long as they have someone to provide assistance)

Spend a day at Jungfraujoch, Europe’s highest train station, on a private full-day excursion. A journey through Lauterbrunnen takes you to the beautiful alpine village of Wengen where downhill ski races take place every winter. Take a train to Kleine Scheidegg and then board the cogwheel train for a picturesque ride up to Jungfraujoch. From the adventure platform 3,455 meters above sea level, enjoy stunning views of the famous peaks of Eiger, Mönch, and Jungfrau. Your guide takes you through the Ice Palace with its tunnels and sculptures, and walks you through the Alpine Sensation corridor that connects to Sphinx Hall. At the Sphinx observation deck, you can see the snow-covered Aletsch glacier, while Jungfrau Panorama offers a 360-degrees virtual viewing of the surrounding area. Don’t miss the Lindt Swiss Chocolate Heaven chocolate shop, with interactive displays on the chocolate-making process. A train then takes you to the mountain village of Grindelwald for a short halt before returning to Interlaken by coach. (Duration: 9hrs; Time: Flexible; Private Activity & Transfers, Fitness Level: Moderate-High Altitude; Entrance Fees and Meals Not Included; Please wear sturdy walking shoes. Carry water).