Swiss lakes in first class: Zurich, Lucerne and Montreux by the GoldenPass line
Switzerland · 6 nights, 7 days · 4.8 (4)
This is Switzerland at an unhurried, first class pace, designed by Mariam Al Falasi for travellers who want beautiful rooms and smooth logistics more than a long list of sights. It follows the lakes from northeast to southwest: one night in Zurich to settle in, two on Lake Lucerne and three on Lake Geneva at Montreux, linking them with one of Europe's great rail journeys. You fly into Zurich and home from Geneva, so there is no doubling back.
The hotels are the point. On every tier you stay on or near the water, and on the deluxe tier in grand palace hotels of the Belle Époque, with lake-view rooms confirmed in writing rather than requested. Private drivers handle the arrival in Zurich, the station transfers and the two countryside days around Montreux, while trains, boats and cable cars are covered by your first class Swiss Travel Pass. First class on Swiss trains is quiet, spacious and rarely full, and luggage can be sent ahead between hotels so you board with only a handbag.
The centrepiece is day four. The Luzern-Interlaken Express climbs over the Brünig Pass to Interlaken, and from there the GoldenPass Express runs through the Simmental and Gstaad to Montreux, descending through vineyards to the lake. We reserve Prestige seats, raised and with the widest windows. Around it, Mt Titlis gives you glaciers and a rotating gondola, and the Lavaux terraces above Lake Geneva, a UNESCO site, give you a private tasting of Chasselas with a winemaker. A day in Gruyères covers the medieval town, its cheese dairy and the chocolate factory at Broc.
Who it suits: couples, honeymooners on a second trip, and parents travelling with adult children. Zurich is 6.5 hours direct from Dubai. Summer days are 22 to 27 degrees; September and early October bring the grape harvest and clear skies. Dining is excellent and expensive, and Mariam's team books tables at the best lakeside restaurants on request, with halal, vegetarian and alcohol-free requirements passed on in advance.
Highlights
- Lake-view rooms confirmed in writing at every hotel
- GoldenPass Express Prestige seats from Interlaken to Montreux
- Mt Titlis rotating gondola and the Cliff Walk at 3,000 metres
- First class lunch cruise on Lake Lucerne
- Private tasting with a winemaker in the Lavaux terraces
- Gruyères, its cheese dairy and the chocolate factory at Broc
Day by day
Day 1Arrive in Zurich, evening in the Old Town
The direct flight from Dubai lands in Zurich after about 6.5 hours, and your private driver meets you in arrivals for the 25-minute drive to your hotel. After a rest, walk along the Limmat river into the Old Town: the Fraumünster with its Chagall windows, the guild houses and the elegant Bahnhofstrasse, then up to the Lindenhof terrace for the view. Dinner can be booked at a classic Zurich brasserie by the lake. Overnight in Zurich.
Day 2First class to Lucerne, lunch cruise and Old Town walk
Your driver takes you to Zurich Hauptbahnhof for the first class train to Lucerne, about 45 minutes; your luggage goes ahead to the hotel. At noon, board a historic paddle steamer for a first class lunch cruise on Lake Lucerne, around two and a half hours among the mountains. In the late afternoon, a private guide walks you through the Old Town, the Chapel Bridge, the painted squares and the Musegg walls with their towers. Overnight in Lucerne.
Day 3Mt Titlis glaciers and the rotating gondola
Take the train from Lucerne to Engelberg, about 45 minutes through the valley. From there, a series of gondolas and the Rotair, the world's first rotating cable car, carry you to the summit station of Mt Titlis at around 3,000 metres. Walk the Titlis Cliff Walk, Europe's highest suspension bridge, explore the glacier cave and, in summer, try the Ice Flyer chairlift over the crevasses. Return to Lucerne by late afternoon. Overnight in Lucerne.
Day 4The GoldenPass journey to Montreux
A day of panoramic rail. The Luzern-Interlaken Express climbs over the Brünig Pass, past Lake Lungern and along Lake Brienz to Interlaken, about two hours. After lunch by the lake, board the GoldenPass Express in your reserved Prestige seats for the three-hour journey through the Simmental valley and chic Gstaad, before the line descends in great loops through the vineyards above Montreux. Your luggage is waiting at the hotel. Overnight in Montreux.
Day 5Chillon Castle and the Lavaux wine terraces
In the morning, walk the lakeside promenade, about 45 minutes, to Chillon Castle, a medieval fortress on a rock in the lake. After lunch, your private driver takes you up into the Lavaux, a UNESCO-listed amphitheatre of terraced vineyards built by monks in the twelfth century. A winemaker hosts a private tasting of Chasselas in the village cellar, with alcohol-free grape juice and local cheese for non-drinkers. Return via the town of Vevey. Overnight in Montreux.
Day 6Gruyères cheese and chocolate at Broc
Your driver takes you an hour inland to the medieval hilltop town of Gruyères, with its castle and cobbled main street. Watch the famous cheese being made at the show dairy, then lunch on fondue or raclette. In the afternoon, visit the chocolate factory at Broc for tastings, about 10 minutes away. Back in Montreux by late afternoon for a sunset drink by the lake and a farewell dinner, which Mariam's team can book at a restaurant with a terrace on the water. Overnight in Montreux.
Day 7Train to Geneva airport and fly home
After a leisurely breakfast, take the first class train along the shore of Lake Geneva to Geneva airport station, about one hour 10 minutes, through Lausanne. A porter service can handle your luggage at Montreux station, or your driver can take you directly by road. Allow two hours for check-in and the airport's watch and chocolate shops. The direct flight to Dubai takes about 6.5 hours, landing the same night.
Hotels by tier
Choose the tier in the price box; the difference is priced per adult for the whole stay.
Named hotels or similar of the same standard if one is full; we tell you before you pay the balance.
What is included
Included
- Return flights, Economy, 30 kg baggage, into Zurich and out of Geneva
- 6 nights in lake-view rooms in your chosen tier, daily breakfast
- Private transfers from Zurich airport to your hotel and from the hotel to Zurich station
- Swiss Travel Pass 8 days, 1st class
- Luzern-Interlaken Express and GoldenPass Express Prestige seat reservations
- Mt Titlis return from Engelberg
- First class lunch cruise on Lake Lucerne
- Half-day private guided walk of Lucerne
- Private driver for the Lavaux and Gruyères days, with wine tasting and dairy and chocolate entries
- Luggage forwarding between hotels
Not included
- Schengen visa fees, where required for your nationality
- Local tourist taxes, around CHF 4 to 7 per person per night, paid at the hotels
- Lunches and dinners other than the lake cruise lunch
- Business class upgrade, from AED 9,800 per person on request
- Travel insurance, required for the Schengen visa
Departures and prices
Price per adult, twin share, standard hotels. Seats are held with our airline and hotel partners.
| Dates | Departure | Seats left | Per adult | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wed 25 Nov to Tue 1 Dec 2026 | Flexible | 8 | AED 13,900 | |
| Wed 9 Dec to Tue 15 Dec 2026 | Flexible | 4 | AED 15,570 | |
| Wed 23 Dec to Tue 29 Dec 2026 | Flexible | 8 | AED 18,680 | |
| Wed 6 Jan to Tue 12 Jan 2027 | Flexible | 5 | AED 15,570 | |
| Wed 20 Jan to Tue 26 Jan 2027 | Flexible | 5 | AED 15,570 | |
| Wed 3 Feb to Tue 9 Feb 2027 | Flexible | 2 | AED 15,570 | |
| Wed 17 Feb to Tue 23 Feb 2027 | Flexible | 8 | AED 15,570 | |
| Wed 3 Mar to Tue 9 Mar 2027 | Flexible | 8 | AED 13,900 | |
| Wed 17 Mar to Tue 23 Mar 2027 | Flexible | 8 | AED 13,900 | |
| Wed 31 Mar to Tue 6 Apr 2027 | Flexible | 8 | AED 15,290 | |
| Wed 14 Apr to Tue 20 Apr 2027 | Flexible | 8 | AED 13,900 | |
| Wed 28 Apr to Tue 4 May 2027 | Flexible | 8 | AED 13,900 |
Where it is
Questions about this holiday
What is the best time to travel?
Do UAE residents need a Schengen visa?
Can we fly Business class?
Is halal food available?
Is it suitable for children?
Can we add Zermatt or St Moritz?
Travellers on this holiday
Emirati couple travelling in summer. Elena arranged private transfers throughout, handled the Schengen applications and gave us a list of halal-friendly restaurants in each city. The Rigi trip and the Chapel Bridge in Lucerne at dusk were superb.
Beautiful hotels and seamless transfers. Lunch on the panoramic train was underwhelming for the price, and dinner in Montreux was booked rather late for us at 9pm. Mount Pilatus on the cogwheel railway was a definite highlight.
Lucerne, Montreux and a final night in Zurich. Lake-view suite in Lucerne, panoramic first-class train seats across the Alps, and a cheese fondue in Gruyères after visiting the castle. Elena had a car waiting at every station, so we never touched a suitcase.
My wife and I were celebrating thirty years of marriage. Chillon Castle, the Lavaux wine terraces and a private boat on Lake Geneva. Elena arranged a surprise dinner on a terrace over the lake for the anniversary night. Polished from start to finish.
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