two day layover in Zurich

Is it ridiculous to take the Viator tour from Zurich to the Jungfrau/Grimmelwald region?

I would not call it ridiculous, but maybe risky. I looked at this on the Viator site. Is this the one you are referring to?

http://www.viator.com/tours/Zurich/Jungfraujoch-Top-of-Europe-Day-Trip-from-Zurich/d577-2460JUNG
For $220, not a bad deal, but what if the day you book ahead is inclement weather? If you can't see anything, it will be a waste of a long day not to mention the money. Viator is a middleman for other company's tours. That is not to say they aren't a good deal.

And would it be more quaint and serene to stay in Luzern rather than Zurich?

Yes. There are frequent direct trains from the airport in about 1 hour.

I have done a couple of the tours through Viator and have really enjoyed them. Like mentioned above they are a secondary company that uses local tour offices. The weather situation may be of concern but I think I would take that chance. I like having it paid for ahead of time!

I haven't been to Zurich, but I have yet to hear of a single person who prefers it to Luzern (including Rick Steves). Since it's easy to reach Luzern directly from the Zurich airport, and since you have two days, I'd go directly to Luzern. Rick's Switzerland book has all the info you need for two nice days there. On your full day (remember, two nights is just one full day), a great trip is taking the boat to Vitznau, the train up to Rigi Kulm, train down to Rigi Kaltbad, cable car down to Weggis, steep walk downhill from cable car to Weggis boat dock, and boat back to Luzern. If the steep downhill walk will be a proglem, take the train back down from Rigi Kulm to Vitznau instead.

The Jungfrau and Berner Oberland are spectacular, but I'm not sure that it's worth the long schlep for just a day - particularly if the weather then turns out to be bad once you get there. The Rigi Kulm trip, while not quite as jaw-dropping, is plenty scenic, and you can make sure the weather's good before you go.

shelley,

I don't know if it's "ridiculous" to take the tour, but that's a trip you can easily do on your own. If you'd be more comfortable with a tour and can afford it, then it's certainly one option. Doing that trip on your own will give you more schedule flexibility, as you won't be tied to the group's schedule.

Yes, I would definitely suggest staying in Lucerne instead, especially as it's an easy trip from the Zürich airport. Is there any way you could add a day to that portion of the trip? Keep in mind that may be jet lagged for the first day or two. so won't get as much touring done as anticipated. While Zürich is a beautiful city and does have some interesting sights, it doesn't have the "charm" of Lucerne (IMO).

I'm assuming you meant "Gimmelwald", or did you mean "Grindelwald"?

However, "doing on your own" will be quite a bit more expensive. Full fare is 342 chf. If you buy a Half fare card for 120 chf, that gets you to 291 chf. Super Saver Fares are about the same. At the current exchange rate, that's about $300. The tour's price advantage is that it uses a bus to get from Zurich to Grindelwald, then a return to Zurich from Interlaken on the bus as well. Thus my opinion that $220 Viator price is not bad.

When I have visited the Jungfrau region in June for the last several years we always stay at least 3 nights and usually 4. Usually in 4 nights there will be at least 1 day clear to travel to the Jungfrau. It's a fabulous place...if it's clear. If it's socked in with zero view and/or blizzard conditions then the trip to the Jungfrau is just a waste of time and money. You could have chosen a destination with good weather instead.

That's exactly what you're going to be dealing with if you buy a Jungfrau trip ahead of time. You just don't want to do that. And you DEFINITELY don't do it just because you like to have things paid for before you arrive. That's ridiculous. You check the weather, if it's good then you walk to the nearest train ticket counter and ask for a return ticket to the Jungfraujoch. That's it. Nothing difficult in the least.