Best of Switzerland Tours 2022

I took this tour in 2019 and I think there have been a few itinerary changes since that version of the tour. Key things I would consider
1) if you arrive early, what will you do that day in Luzern?. I did the golden ticket version of Mt Pilatus and enjoyed it greatly. It was the perfect mix of movement and rest for making time zone changes. I bought the ticket at the hotel front desk.
2) Have some options in mind for the free time at various locations in advance.

This was a great tour with a good variety of experiences. I know you will enjoy it.

Thanks, Carol! Looking forward to this trip with great anticipation. We are indeed arriving a day early, and have done a deep dive into Luzerne to research activities. We've planned low key/easily accessible items for arrival day, in case jet lag rears its ugly head, but settled on Mt. Pilatus for Day 2 (tour group meeting in evening). Good to know that tix may be available at hotel desk; didn't think of that! Think breakfast is now included at Schilthorn; will have to recheck that but thanks again for that tip. Continuing to explore options for free time in various places; lots to see and do, never enough time!

Just adding the links to my trip reports. I’ve had 2 recent trips to Switzerland. They weren’t on a tour, but you might find the info. helpful.

https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/trip-reports/solo-in-switzerland-my-trip-report

https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/trip-reports/still-dreaming-of-switzerland-a-trip-report

https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/switzerland/i-think-we-re-in-switzerland-unless-we-re-still-dreaming

Switzerland is fabulous and I'm sure you will have a great time. You’ve probably seen the advice on dressing in layers. Also, be prepared for some potential rain. Even on cloudy days, I have enjoyed great views and those clouds make for some fabulous pictures. So, don’t worry if you see rain the forecast.

Thanks, Carrie! I recognize your name from several very informative posts/comments that I've seen here, but now devouring your trip reports to be sure I haven't missed anything. We've been researching quite a bit (finding high-quality videos on YouTube incredibly helpful in visualizing destinations/transitions/attractions) and preparing as best we can, but aware that there is always so much more to learn - particularly through the eyes of those who have been there/done that. Thanks again!

I love you tube as a travel planning resource. There are some great videos on Switzerland. Adding links to my favorites in case you haven’t come across them:

My absolute favorite and I hope you have time for Mannlichen on the tour:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zsp2XG8lPyw

Two good ones on Lauterbrunnen. Watch them in order as the second is a continuation of the first.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3xqgW2Ha7kg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GI3IH6KJjFY

The walk from Murren to Gimmelwald (one of my absolute favorite walks. You cannot beat the views).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8cq_aVrVEFY

I also really like the How to Switzerland videos. She doesn’t post anymore, but there are lots of helpful videos. She’s how I first found out about the paprika chips that I talk about in my trip reports.

https://www.youtube.com/c/HowToSwitzerland

I could go on about Switzerland all day, but I guess I better get back to work. 😊

Thanks again, Carrie. I hadn't seen these videos among the ones we found, and they look great. We watched another version of the Mürren to Grimmelwald hike and it looks fantastic! Funny that you should mention "How To Switzerland", as we watched a couple of her videos this weekend. Good stuff!

I went on this tour 3 years ago and it is wonderful!! I second the idea of going to see Mt. Pilatus while in Lucerne. The days at Murren are especially nice, the group will often take a hike over to a neighboring village and ride the gondola back up to your hotel. Your going to have a great experience!

There’s a Manora restaurant in the Manora department store in old town Lucerne. It’s a nice budget option for a meal. Good food at decent prices. Good selection at lunch time. Less so at dinner time. On a nice day take advantage of the outdoor seating area upstairs.

Enjoy the tour! Switzerland is beautiful.

Mt. Pilatus is a must-see, but I also enjoyed going up Mt. Rigi on the train.

Thanks to Donald, Rocket & Eric for their thoughts & suggestions. I had heard about Manora as a nice budget option, and interesting to know that lunch options are a bit more robust. I think we've definitely decided on a Mt. Pilatus visit, but I have heard great things about Rigi & Titlis as well. Wishing we had more time already!

We went on the guided tour a few years ago so the itinerary has probably changed a bit. Mt. Pilatus is well worth a visit but get there as early in the morning as you can since the fog can roll in and erase the view. We took the boat to the base and while it was scenic, the fog rolled in about 10 minutes after we got off the cogwheel train to the top. It turns out you can take a train to where the cogwheel train starts; if doing it again I'd take the train there and the boat back.

We took this tour in July. It was fabulous! Getting the idea from a post on the Rick Steves Europe Facebook group, we rented a boat for 4 hours on Lake Lugano on our free day. The weather was fantastic and it was one of my favorite days. We flew into Zurich and stayed there an extra day on the front end of the tour. While I really enjoyed Zurich, in retrospect, I would have loved an extra day in Luzern. Such a fabulous city!