Highlights of Switzerland: Glacier & Bernina

Your Swiss rail holiday begins today as you meet the Tour Manager and travel group at London St Pancras, ready to board the Eurostar for a journey through the scenic French countryside. In Paris, we change trains and continue to Strasbourg by rail.

Dotted with grand squares and narrow waterways, Strasbourg's Old Town is compact and captivating. The city's UNESCO-listed Grande Île, or Large Island, 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 an octagonal tower. After checking in to our central hotel, we take a short walk to a local restaurant for dinner.

• Eurostar Light Meal (Eurostar Plus departures only)
• Dinner

After a leisurely breakfast, you're free to explore Strasbourg. The grand main square, Place Kléber, is the focal point of city life, while La Petite France is a short stroll from our hotel. Home to tanners, millers and fishermen in the Middle Ages, this pretty area is now a UNESCO World Heritage site full of cobbled streets, flower-lined canals and half-timbered houses.

Leaving Strasbourg in the afternoon, we board a train to the alpine city of Chur. As we travel through Switzerland, the scenery quickly increases in beauty and altitude. From the gentle shoreline of Lake Zurich, the Swiss Alps begin to surround our route and the landscape becomes more dramatic.

As the country's oldest city, Chur is full of history, and our charming hotel is the perfect place from which to explore the area. This evening, we enjoy a three-course dinner before settling down for the first of three nights.

• Breakfast, Dinner

In the morning, we travel by train to St Gallen, an elegant city with a fascinating history. On arrival, you're free to explore the Old Town and the St Gallen Abbey District, a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site.

Founded in 719 AD, the Abbey of St Gall is a great Benedictine monastery reflecting 12 centuries of monastic architecture. It includes the Baroque St Gallen Cathedral, an exhibition hall and a magnificent library boasting one of the oldest and richest collections in the world. With your Swiss Travel Pass, you can step inside these acclaimed buildings and marvel at the treasures inside, including ancient manuscripts and elaborate Baroque art.

In the late afternoon, we travel by rail back to Chur, where you're free to dine independently. You could opt for the local speciality of pizzoccheri, a hearty dish of pasta, potato, cabbage and cheese, or try the pan-fried potato pancake known as a rösti.

• Breakfast

Dubbed the rail experts' best-kept secret, a journey on the Bernina Express in panoramic carriages is a highlight of this holiday. After breakfast at our hotel, we take the short walk to Chur train station and join this spectacular train.

Twisting south through the rugged landscape of the Engadine Valley, the UNESCO-listed route boasts amazing scenery and eye-catching feats of engineering. One of the man-made marvels we can admire is the curved Landwasser Viaduct, which we cross before winding through spiral tunnels as the track climbs through the spectacular Alpine landscape.

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. We have free time to discover Poschiavo's pastel-coloured buildings and pretty squares before returning to Chur, where we dine at our hotel this evening.

• Breakfast, Dinner

Today, one of Europe's most iconic train journeys awaits. After breakfast in our hotel, we board the spectacular Glacier Express to Brig. The scenic route of the 'slowest express train in the world' delves into the Rhine Gorge, where panoramic carriages provide front-row seats to the 'Swiss Grand Canyon' as our train snakes alongside the Rhine.

Travelling at an average speed of 24mph, we can admire dramatic landscapes from our panoramic carriages. We admire snow-dusted peaks and picture-perfect Swiss villages as we ascend to Andermatt and enter the nine-mile-long Furka Base Tunnel, emerging near the historic town of Brig.

Here, we switch trains and travel the short distance to Täsch via a stunning route that climbs the beautiful Matter Valley. Known as the gateway to Zermatt and the mighty Matterhorn, Täsch is a peaceful village huddled in a lush valley. We check in to our hotel, where we can absorb the scenic vistas, and enjoy a three-course dinner in the restaurant this evening.

• Breakfast, Dinner

From our picture-perfect base in Täsch, you have many ways to spend a day at leisure today. You might like to use your Swiss Travel Pass for a free journey to the charming mountain resort of Zermatt, nestled at the foot of the iconic Matterhorn. Here, you can peruse the Matterhorn Museum to learn more about the iconic peak, or get a closer look by riding the Gornergrat Mountain Railway.

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 you can visit a statue of the Queen frontman on the town's shoreline walk.

This evening, you're welcome to dine independently.

• Breakfast

After breakfast, we walk the short distance to the station and board a train to the charming capital city of Bern for a day at leisure.

With a UNESCO-listed Old Town and a wealth of historic architecture, Bern is a fascinating place to explore, and with your Swiss Travel Card, you can enjoy free public transport and entry into the city's world-class museums. Some of Bern's most famous sites include the Bear Park, the monumental parliament building and the iconic Zytglogge (clock tower). You might like to stop by the characterful Matte neighbourhood or visit the famous rose garden, where you can take in the spectacular views over the rooftops of Bern's Old Town.

In the afternoon, you could find lunch in a nearby restaurant or café or stroll along the turquoise River Aare, where locals often float or paddle in summer. Later, we gather at the station for our train back to Täsch, where we share a final dinner before the end of the holiday.

• Breakfast, Dinner

Throughout this journey, picturesque Switzerland, 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. Visiting Bern gave us the opportunity to admire historic architecture, while the warm hospitality of our four-star 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
• Eurostar Light Meal (Eurostar Plus departures only)