Highlights of the Glacier Express

Your Swiss rail holiday begins today as you meet the Tour Manager and your travel group at London St Pancras, ready to board the Eurostar for a journey through the scenic French countryside to Paris. In the French capital, we walk to the neighbouring station and continue to Strasbourg for an overnight stay.

The compact but captivating historic centre of this Alsatian city is dotted with grand squares and narrow waterways. Blending German and French architecture, Strasbourg's picturesque Grande Île is dominated by the incredible Gothic cathedral. Dating from the 13th century and featuring a façade of ornately carved portals, the cathedral is topped by a piercing, octagonal tower.

After checking in to our hotel in the centre of Strasbourg, we head out to a local restaurant to enjoy our first dinner together, savouring the cuisine of the Alsace.

• Dinner

There is a free morning after breakfast to uncover the sights of Strasbourg. Its main square, Place Kléber, or beautiful La Petite France are only a short stroll from our centrally located hotel. A UNESCO World Heritage site of cobbled streets and half-timbered houses lining gentle canals, La Petite France bustled with tanners, millers and fishermen in the Middle Ages but now attracts tourists to its flower-lined lanes.

This afternoon, we board a train down the Rhine to Basel and switch trains to reach our destination, Chur. Travelling through Switzerland, the scenery quickly increases in beauty and altitude. From the gentle shoreline of Lake Zurich, the Swiss Alps surround our route as the landscape becomes more dramatic. As the country's oldest town, Chur is full of history, and our charming hotel is perfectly located to explore.

Tonight, we enjoy a three-course dinner before settling down to spend the first of three nights in Chur.

Please Note - For departures 6th, 13th & 20th May and 16th & 30th September we will stay at the Central Hotel Post in Chur.

• Breakfast, Dinner

The day is yours to get acquainted with Switzerland, and there are many excellent destinations within reach. Backed by mountains and with an old town boasting many colourful buildings, Chur is a great town to stroll around. There is also an array of museums, from the Bündner Art Museum and Cathedral Treasury Museum to the Rätisches Museum, which documents the region's history.

With your complimentary Swiss Half Fare Card providing 50% discounts on rail, boat and most mountain railway journeys, you could join the scenic Arosa Line, which climbs more than 3,000 feet in less than 17 miles to the beautiful lakeside town of Arosa. The stylish atmospheres of mountain resorts such as Davos and Klosters, a firm favourite of the Royal family, are easily reachable, too.

Dining independently tonight, you could sample one of Chur's many restaurants, where local specialities include hearty pizzoccheri and röstis.

• Breakfast

A journey on the Bernina Express is a highlight of any holiday to the Swiss Alps, and we embark on a memorable trip after breakfast today.

Leaving Chur, this route twists and spirals its way south through the rugged landscape of the Engadine Valley as it has done for more than a century. With amazing scenery and eye-catching feats of engineering, the route has been a UNESCO World Heritage site since 2008. One of the manmade marvels we can admire is the curved Landwasser Viaduct, which we cross before twisting through spiral tunnels as the track climbs nearly 2,300 feet to Preda. Sat beside glacial Lago Bianco, Ospizio Bernina is the route's summit station at more than 7,300 feet above sea level. Shortly after leaving here, the train pauses to allow us to view the Palü Glacier at Alp Grüm before winding its way down to the Italian-speaking town of Poschiavo.

There is free time to explore Poschiavo, its pastel-coloured buildings and pretty squares, before returning to Chur, where we dine at a local restaurant this evening.

• Breakfast, Dinner

After breakfast, we embark on one of Europe's most iconic train journeys: travelling aboard the Glacier Express from Chur to Brig.

With an average speed of 24mph, the 'world's slowest express train' delves into the Rhine Gorge, where our panoramic carriages deliver great views of the 'Swiss Grand Canyon'. The breathtaking scenery continues to impress as we admire snow-dusted peaks and picture-perfect Swiss villages while ascending to Andermatt and entering the nine-mile-long Furka Base Tunnel, emerging near Brig. In Brig, we switch trains and travel the short distance to Täsch via a stunning route that climbs the beautiful Matter Valley.

The gateway to Zermatt and the Matterhorn, Täsch is a peaceful village huddled in a lush valley surrounded by incredible mountain scenery. We check in to our hotel, where we can absorb the beautiful vistas, for a three-night stay and enjoy a three-course dinner together in the on-site restaurant this evening.

Please note, certain departures stay in Kandersteg days 5-8. See Dates & Pricing for further info.

• Breakfast, Dinner

The charming mountain town of Zermatt is our destination after breakfast this morning. Travelling by rail, we enjoy views of snow-covered meadows and rugged mountains of the dramatic Matter Valley enroute.

Zermatt is nestled below the snowy pyramidal peak of the Matterhorn, and as we arrive, we first experience its traditions at a local bakery. Heading to Bäckerei Fuchs, we sit down to a tasting of the shop's specialities, from breads to chocolates, and enjoy a cup of coffee or hot chocolate.

Following our visit, you're free to explore the car-free resort. You might like to peruse the Matterhorn Museum or get a closer look at the iconic peak while riding the Gornergrat Mountain Railway.

We reconvene at Gornergrat Station later this afternoon for an expert-led tour of Zermatt, which unveils its surprising connections to the UK, including the story of English mountaineer Edward Whymper, before enjoying the rest of the day at leisure. You are free to return to Täsch independently, though Zermatt has many inviting restaurants for dinner this evening.

• Breakfast

From our picture-perfect base in Täsch, you have many ways to spend a day at leisure today.

With the complimentary Swiss Half Fare Card, you can enjoy 50% discounts on train journeys from Täsch station. Within easy reach is the town of Brig, with a pretty Old Town and the Baroque Stockalper Palace. Brig's rail connections allow you to travel further afield, perhaps visiting Spiez and its fairytale castle sat on the shores of Lake Thun. Alternatively, journey along the Rhône Valley to Lake Geneva, where you could explore the Swiss Riviera towns of Montreux or Vevey. Montreux is a cultural town, with many actors and musicians having chosen to live nearby along the shore of Lake Geneva. Two of its most famous residents were Charlie Chaplin and Freddie Mercury - and there is a statue of the Queen frontman on the shoreline walk.

Wherever you choose to explore, on returning to the hotel this evening, we gather for our final dinner as a group.

• Breakfast, Dinner

Chur and Täsch provided wonderful bases from which to explore the Swiss Alps, and our trips on the Bernina Express and Glacier Express - opened our eyes to the sheer majesty of this nation. A trip to Zermatt gave us the opportunity to admire the Matterhorn, while the warm hospitality of our family-run hotels ensured Switzerland delivered unforgettable experiences from beginning to end.

Switzerland puts on another grand show for our journey home. After our final breakfast in Täsch, we board the train to Brig and continue to Lausanne, where we change trains and head to Paris. The final leg of our journey sees us board the Eurostar to London St Pancras, where this Swiss holiday concludes.

• Breakfast