Switzerland’s Bernese Oberland
Holiday Highlights
- Seven nights four-star accommodation in Interlaken in an excellent hotel displaying the true tradition of Swiss hospitality, with dinner;
- Four days of planned touring;
- Two days free with your own personal itinerary and included Swiss Regional Pass;
- Breathtakingly beautiful scenery - mountains, lakes and valleys;
- Travel by a combination of rail, post bus and lake steamer;
- A dramatic mountain railway ride past the majestic Jungfrau, Mönch and Eiger then Kleine Scheidegg and Grindelwald, some of the world’s finest alpine scenery;
- A visit to Brienz and another breathtaking ride on the Brienz Rothorn cog railway;
- A spectacular cable car ride to beautiful Lake Oeschinen;
- A visit to Lucerne and its picturesque waterfront;
- Escorted by our experienced tour manager;
- Return flights;
What's Included
- The price of this holiday is per person based on two people sharing a twin room. Single rooms are subject to availability at the relevant supplement. The price includes:
- Return flights
- Airport departure taxes
- Seven nights’ accommodation
- Daily breakfast and dinner
- All transfers
- Transport using a 2nd class 6-day Bernese Oberland Pass
- All touring as mentioned
- The services of a Riviera Travel tour manager
- Things to Note
- The opening and closing dates of some mountain railways may be subject to weather conditions.
- Some places or routes suggested for your ‘free’ days may be subject to entrance fees or a supplement.
- In Switzerland, beds are often one bed base with two mattresses and individual bed linen.
Itinerary
Day 1
You fly to Geneva and transfer to the extremely comfortable four-star MGallery Royal-St. Georges Hotel for seven nights with breakfast and dinner. The beautifully located hotel in Interlaken’s historic centre, just a few minutes’ walk from the station has real pedigree, welcoming guests in style and comfort since 1908. Established during the golden age of travel and kept tastefully up-to-date ever since, it seamlessly blends a classical heritage with modern facilities to meeting your every need. The grand public areas with their traditional furnishings are reminders of an opulent past when only the well-to-do could afford to visit such fashionable haunts. The bedrooms (either in modern or traditional style) have everything you’d expect from a contemporary hotel with this rating – with well appointed bathrooms, satellite TV, safe, mini bar and free wifi. This evening we dine in the hotel’s ‘Les Miriors’ restaurant – before perhaps retiring to the hotel’s art nouveau bar for a digestif.
Day 2
Well known for its genteel atmosphere, Interlaken’s position at the heart of the Bernese Oberland makes it the perfect base from which to explore this amazing region’s fascinating towns and villages. Mighty mountains surround you and today you’ll get up close and personal with some of the world’s most famous peaks – the majestic Jungfrau (young maiden), Mönch (Monk) and Eiger (Ogre). Together they form a trio of giant snow-capped peaks soaring upwards to nearly 11,000 feet. We take the narrow gauge railway to Lauterbrunnen, nestling in a stunning vertical sided glacial valley formed millennia ago. With mountains now completely dominating the skyline, and with only upward views, we change onto the mountain cog railway. It climbs steeply through the fashionable ski resort of Wengen, across the slopes of the famous Lauberhorn world cup ski race reaching one of Europe’s highest railway junctions, Kleine Scheidegg, and some of the world’s most breathtaking alpine scenery. You’ll wonder at the audacity of climbers conquering these snowy peaks and glistening icefields. Breathe deeply and take the crisp mountain air deep into your lungs – it’s almost like wine! You’ll want to photograph the beauty here before descending to the picturesque mountain resort of Grindelwald with the flower-decked, shallow roofed “chocolate box,” chalets so typically Swiss. This afternoon we take the yellow post bus for a scenic drive over the 6,400-foot Grosse Scheidegg pass. This is one of the most beautiful routes in the region, crossing the ‘secret’ Rosenlaui Valley where no private cars are allowed to disturb the tranquility of the flower-filled alpine meadows, dwarfed by the towering jagged peak of the Wetterhorn. Finally we reach Meiringen – a wonderfully pleasant town, famous for its role in the final demise of Sherlock Holmes at the nearby Reichenbach Falls, a spectacular water torrent plunging towards the valley floor. Visit the small Sherlock Holmes Museum or just relax in Meiringen itself, before joining the train back along pretty Lake Brienz to Interlaken.
4* Mgallery Royal St Georges - Interlaken
The four-star superiorHotelRoyal-St.GeorgesMGallery Collectionis ideally situated just a few minute’s walk from Interlaken East rail station and very close to the town’s main green space, the Hohematte. There are plenty of shops, restaurants and cafés within an easy stroll. Dating from 1908 and one of the ‘grand dames’ of Interlaken hotels, the Royal-St.Georges was originally two hotels, now connected by an enclosed footbridge on the first floor. The hotel’s Art-Nouveau marble lobby and public rooms have been carefully renovated and facilities include the stylish Royal Lounge bar, the Verandah à la carte restaurant and a large, ornate dining room where breakfast and half board meals are served. There is a charming terrace and garden to the rear overlooking the peak of the Harder Kulm. The 93 rooms have twin beds, bath/shower, hairdryer, minibar, safe, TV, tea/coffee-maker and free wifi. Our ‘classic’ rooms will face the city or the Harder Kulm and will be either in modern or traditional style.