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Authentic Switzerland
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Zurich
Gotthard Panorama Express
Lugano
Mount Rigi
Zurich
Switzerland

Authentic Switzerland (Tour code: 11608)

Starts and Ends
Zurich to
Lugano
Travel Periods
01 Sep 23 - 20 Oct 24
Experience
Travel Style
Rail Packages
Travel across Switzerland from North to South and discover different regions, cultures and food on this classic self-guided tour.

Highlights

Guided Walking Tour of Lucerne, the capitol of the canton of Lucerne and largest town in central Switzerland. Lucerne is surrounded by beautiful scenery. 

Jump aboard the Gotthard Panorama Express by boat cruise and panoramic train through the heart of Switzerland, all the way to Lugano.

Lugano is nicknamed the Monte Carlo of Switzerland because of all the rich and famous who visit. The city borders Italy with an Italian speaking majority. We've included a 2h risotto workshop at Grotto Osteria degli Amici here.

Horse drawn carriage ride on Mount Rigi, the Queen of the Mountains. Enjoy the magnificent views across Lake Lucerne. Spend 2 nights on Mt Rigi!

7 days
From
AUD 4,572
per person, twin share
Travelling with kids? Read more 
All services are subject to availability.

Book Now

Only $100pp deposit to Book Now

Visit our Agent Portal for more info.

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Overview

Head off for an exciting journey across Switzerland to discover fantastic lakes and mountain sceneries. Explore Zurich through its medieval alleys, squares and arcades. A quick train journey takes you from Zurich to Lucerne, where you will be enchanted by the beautiful lakeside setting and iconic Chapel Bridge. Continue to Mt. Rigi, the “Queen of the Mountains”. It’s a great location for hiking or merely soaking up the views. Travel on the Gotthard Panorama Express to Lugano, a town full of Mediterranean flair, with parks and flowers, villas and sacred buildings.

Peace of mind booking plan
  1. ENTIRE Cooling-Off Period
  2. ENTIRE AUD Prices
  3. ENTIRE Change of Mind
  4. ENTIRE Industry Accredited
  5. ENTIRE On Ground Support
  6. ENTIRE Australian Owned

Inclusions

1 night in Zurich - 3* Hotel
2 nights in Vitznau (for Mt Rigi) - 3* Hotel
1 night in Lucerne - 3* Hotel
2 nights in Lugano - 3* Hotel
6 Day Swiss Travel Pass in 2nd class
Point to Point ticket in 2nd class from Zurich Airport to Zurich Main Station on day 1
Upgrade to 1st Class on Gotthard Panorama Express with seat reservation
Daily Breakfast
Lucerne Guided Walking Tour
2h Risotto workshop at Grotto Osteria degli Amici (subject to change)
Horse-drawn carriage ride on Mt. Rigi
Sunset or Dinner cruise on Lake Lucerne
Ticino Ticket for free local transport
Lucerne Guest Card
Freedom of Choice Days
Freedom of Choice

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

Our per person price includes one tour on each Freedom of Choice day, as follows:

  • One "Freedom of Choice" tour on day 4

Expand the itinerary below for more details.

Please note, if more than one room is selected during the booking process, our team will contact you afterwards to discuss options.

Package Upgrades

Authentic Switzerland - 4 Star from AUD5,438 per person, twin share.

Day 1 Zurich

Arrival in Zurich and check in to your hotel. Time at leisure.

Overnight stay in Zurich in a 3-Star Hotel.

Zurich
Limmatquai, Zurich | Credit: Switzerland Tourism - Jan Geerk

Day 2 Zurich Lucerne

Breakfast at your hotel.

Independent train journey to Lucerne, enjoy a guided walking tour through Lucerne (2.5 hours).

Depending on your arrival time in Lucerne, you will either enjoy a lunch cruise or a dinner cruise on Lake Lucerne. (Dinner cruise only available from mid-May)

Overnight stay in Lucerne in a 3-Star Hotel.

Breakfast
Zurich → Lucerne
Chapel Bridge, Lucerne

Day 3 Lucerne Vitznau

Breakfast at your hotel.

From Lucerne Pier take the boat to Vitznau which lies in an idyllic bay of Lake Lucerne at the foot of the Rigi. This holiday resort in central Switzerland is a popular starting point for numerous excursions around the lake, primarily and naturally, up the famous regional mountain.

Overnight stay in Vitznau in a 3-Star Hotel. 

Breakfast, Dinner
Lucerne → Vitznau
Cogwheel railway, Mount Rigi

Day 4 Mount Rigi

Breakfast at your hotel.

Take the cogwheel train to the top of Rigi Kulm which offers magnificent views over Central Switzerland.Walk down to Rigi Kaltbad (or take the cogwheel train) for a horse-drawn carriage ride in the surroundings of Mount Rigi. Afterwards, it is time to enjoy your pre-selected Freedom of Choice tour from the options below.               

Overnight stay in Vitznau in a 3-Star Hotel.

Breakfast


Freedom of Choice Options

  • Cheese Workshop:

    Cheese workshop at an authentic alpine dairy farm where you will learn about the alpine life style and the difference between Alpine and mountain cheese.

OR

  • Entry to Mineral Bath & Spa Rigi Kaltbad:

    Entry to the Mineral Bath & Spa Rigi Kaltbald for the day including bathing towel hire. Various pools, steam room and sauna as well as a connect outdoor pool with spectacular views across Lake Lucerne  await.

Mount Rigi
Mount Rigi overlooking Lake Lucerne

Day 5 Vitznau Lucerne Lugano

Breakfast at hotel.

Return to Lucerne independently by bus or train via Kussnacht am Rigi, your journey continues with the Gotthard Panorama Express by boat cruise and panoramic train all the way to Lugano.

Overnight stay in Lugano in a 3-Star Hotel.

Breakfast
Vitznau → Lucerne → Lugano
Gotthard Panorama Express

Day 6 Lugano

Breakfast at hotel.

Time in the morning to explore the historic town centre of Lugano. In the late afternoon you will enjoy a boat cruise followed by a typical Risotto workshop. The 2 hour workshop at Grotto Osteria degli Amici (subject to change) includes aperitif, Brasato and vegetables, dessert as well as wine, water and coffe. 

Overnight stay in Lugano in a 3-Star Hotel.

Breakfast, Dinner
Lugano
Panoramic views over Lugano

Day 7 Lugano

Individual return journey from Lugano to your next destination or back to Zurich.

Breakfast

Accommodation

Kräuter Hotel Edelweiss Rigi

Rigi Kaltbad
This 3-star hotel, family-owned for four generations, is located directly on the crest of the Rigi mountain and boasts a beautiful panorama of the Alps and Lake Lucerne. The hotel features a wellness centre with Finnish sauna, Turkish steam bath, Jacuzzi and Kneipp. In addition, the hotel offers 5 fully equipped seminar rooms for 2 to 50 persons, each with a magnificent mountain view. The hotel is also ideally suited for private events of every kind.

Optional Extras

Upgrade to 1st Class Rail

Upgrade your ticket to 1st Class on the Golden Pass Line.

Prices are dynamic based on travel dates. Please proceed to Book Now or Contact Us for details.

Additional information

Official language
French, Swiss - German, Italian, Romansh
Local currency
SWISS FRANC
  • 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. The package price is based on 3-star accommodation. This itinerary is bookable in reverse.
  • Swiss Travel Pass in 2nd class covers unlimited travel by train, bus and boat from days 2 ‐ 7
  • Gotthard Panorama Express does not run on Mondays.

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

How does a Travel Agent make a booking?

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?

  • On any page that has Book Now simply follow the booking process.
  • You must select the Travel Agent tick box and provide correct details.
  • To confirm a booking only the refundable deposit is required.
  • An agency credit card must be used for this initial payment.

How do I contact Entire Travel Group?

For more information please visit - Contact us | Entire Travel Group

When experience matters
INDUSTRY ACCREDITED
AWARD WINNING
TRAVEL SUPPORT
50 YEARS EXPERIENCE
HANDPICKED SUPPLIERS
UNRIVALLED EXPERIENCES