Highlights

• Board the Glacier Express in First Class from Zermatt to St. Moritz, one of the world's great rail journeys, crossing 291 bridges and passing through 91 tunnels over nearly eight hours as the route traverses three mountain passes through the heart of the Swiss Alps
• Ride the Bernina Pass train from St. Moritz across the highest point of the UNESCO-listed Rhaetian Railway at over 2,200 metres, descending from glaciers to the Italian border before crossing Lake Como by private boat to the Villa del Balbianello, a terraced lakeside villa used as a location in several major international films
• Enter the Matterhorn Museum in Zermatt after hours for a private session with the Museum Director on the history of mountaineering and the story of the first ascent of the Matterhorn in 1865, in the stillness of the closed museum
• Attend a private cooking class inside Rocca di Angera, a medieval castle on the shore of Lake Maggiore, to make fresh pasta by hand before sitting down to eat it with cured meats, local cheeses and regional wine in the castle's historic rooms
• Take a private boat to Isola Bella for the farewell dinner of the trip, eating in the historic villa on one of the Borromean Islands in Lake Maggiore as the sun drops behind the Alps

On Board: The Glacier Express and the Bernina Pass

The Glacier Express is one of the most celebrated train journeys in the world, running between Zermatt and St. Moritz on a route that covers 291 bridges and passes through 91 tunnels over nearly eight hours. The line was built in stages between 1926 and 1982 and climbs through terrain that would be impossible to navigate any other way. The group travels in First Class, with wide panoramic windows, a table service lunch included, and the Oberalp Pass at 2,033 metres as the high point of the route. The landscape moves from the snow-capped peaks around the Matterhorn through the deep gorges of the Rhine Valley and up into the Engadin, the high valley where St. Moritz sits.

The Bernina Pass train follows two days later, covering a different stretch of the same Rhaetian Railway network from St. Moritz down toward the Italian border. This section reaches 2,253 metres at the Ospizio Bernina station, making it the highest point on any non-rack railway in the Alps, before descending steeply through viaducts and looping curves into the palm trees and terraced villages of the Italian side. The journey ends in Poschiavo, from where the group transfers by road to Lake Como.

What's Included

• Return flights from Dublin to Zurich and Milan to Dublin with Swiss Air and KLM via Amsterdam
• Arrival transfer in Zurich and departure transfer from Lake Maggiore to Milan airport
• All transport between destinations as per itinerary
• 9 nights accommodation: 1 night at Hotel Schweizerhof Luzern or similar, 3 nights at Hotel Zermama or similar, 2 nights at Art Boutique Hotel Monopol St. Moritz or similar, 3 nights at Hotel Splendid Lake Maggiore or similar
• All meals as specified in the itinerary
• National Geographic Expedition Leader and Expedition Expert throughout
• All guided tours and site entry fees listed in the itinerary
• Glacier Express First Class from Zermatt to St. Moritz with lunch
• Bernina Pass train from St. Moritz to Poschiavo
• Gornergrat cogwheel railway, Zermatt
• Cable car and gondola to Glacier Paradise, Europe's highest cable car station
• Private after-hours visit to the Matterhorn Museum with the Museum Director
• Private curator-led tour of the Segantini Museum, St. Moritz
• Muottas Muragl funicular, St. Moritz
• Chocolate making demonstration at Hanselmann Confectionery, St. Moritz
• Private boat to Villa del Balbianello with guided tour, Lake Como
• Boat tour to Bellagio with guided walking tour
• Rocca di Angera fresh pasta cooking class and lunch inside the castle
• Walking tour of Isola Madre, Lake Maggiore
• Private farewell dinner on Isola Bella, Lake Maggiore
• Porterage at hotels and on transport
• Tips for all activities, meals and porterage (excluding the Expedition Leader)

Terms and Conditions

This offer is based on 2 adults sharing throughout. Outbound flights depart Dublin Airport on 2027-05-09 with Swiss Air to Zurich. Price is correct at the time of posting (3 June 2026). Offers are subject to change. Price from €11,100 per person

9 Nights from €11,100 per person