Days

Program

Friday

Zurich

Board your overnight transatlantic flight

Day 1

Saturday

Zurich

Individual arrival in Zurich, Switzerland

Time to rest or to start exploring Zurich. At 6 pm meet yyour Tour Director and travelling companions for a welcome aperitif and dinner at your hotel, Zurich

Overnight in Zurich area

Day 2

Sunday

Lucerne

Travel by motor coach to Engelberg

Easy walk and welcome by Mr. Charly Christen, former President of Engelberg. (1A) He will show us his area and later we will visit Switzerland's only show-room cheese factory, located within a monastery. You'll find the largest selection of regional cheeses.

Lunch in Engelberg

Afternoon: Relaxing

Dinner in the hotel

Overnight in Lucerne

Day 3

Monday

Lucerne

Morning: Relaxing or sightseeing Lucerne (1).

Lunch at a Swiss farm

Afternoon: Visit one of the top secret places in Switzerland: Military Fort Vitznau
 (2).

Dinner in the hotel

Overnight in Lucerne

Day 4

Tuesday

Zermatt

Travel by boat on Lake Lucerne (3) and continue by motor coach to Andermatt.

Individual lunch

Board the world-renowned Glacier Express Train (4) to the famous car-free mountain village of Zermatt/Matterhorn.

Dinner in the hotel

Overnight in Zermatt

Day 5

Wednesday

Zermatt

Zermatt (5) and its majestic Matterhorn. Ride Europe’s highest rack-railway to Gornergrat for a breathtaking panoramic view of the Alps. Short hike and individual lunch in a mountain restaurant.

Afternoon: Relaxing or shopping in Zermatt.

Special dinner and present: a rock from the Matterhorn by Mr. Matterhorn (2A)

Overnight in Zermatt

Day 6

Thursday

Lake Geneva Area

Travel by motor coach to Sion.

Special lunch in Sion, Valais:
Raclette-lunch and wine tasting with the the Royal Procurer (Knight of Order de la Channe) (3A).

Continue travelling by motor coach to Lake Geneva area.

Dinner in a castle (6)

Overnight in Lake Geneva area

Day 7

Friday

Berner Oberland

Travel by motor coach to Berner Oberland. On the way visit a chocolate factory. (7)

Lunch in the chocolate factory.

Dinner in the hotel.

Overnight in Interlaken

Day 8

Saturday

Berner Oberland

Ride the train up to the famous Jungfrau Joch – Top of Europe.
The word’s highest-altitude golf tee shot on the glacier (4A) at 11’329 feet (3’454 m.). And if you play a hole-in-one you will win a CHF 100’000.- (about $90’000.-) PIAGET watch.

Lunch at the Top of Europe, afternoon relaxing

Individual dinner

Overnight in Interlaken

Day 9

Sunday

Berner Oberland

Morning: Short walk through the Gulch of the Aare. (8)

Individual Lunch in the Brienz area.

Afternoon: Visit the Ballenberg: The historic museum of Switzerland (9).

Special dinner at the Harder-Kulm Restaurant.

Overnight in Interlaken

Day 10

Monday

Zurich

Transfer by motor coach to Bern, capitol of Switzerland; sightseeing and shopping.

Individual lunch in Bern.

Afternoon: Continue travel by motor coach through the heart of Switzerland to Zurich.

Special dinner in the restaurant “The Blind Cow” (10).

Overnight in Zurich
 area

Day 11-

Tuesday

Flight back home

Lucerne und its wooden Kappeler-Bridge is the "Swiss paradise on the lake." Enjoy a leisurely-paced Altstadt (Old Town) walking tour, exploring the hidden treasures of the city. In addition to its natural charm and tranquillity, Lucerne has more than 800 years of history. Explore such medieval treasures as the covered Chapel Bridge, the famous Water Tower, the Renaissance-style Town Hall, the baroque Jesuit Church, and the Lion Monument, carved from natural rock to commemorate the heroic Swiss Guard.

Military Fort Vitznau - Top secret of Switzerland. The Swiss love to dig holes, as tunnels across Switzerland testify. We love to build not only tunnels, but also military fortifications can be found across Switzerland. After Switzerland signed the Viennese Treaty and committed itself to armed neutrality, the Swiss army started to build fortresses across Switzerland at the end of the 19th century The fortresses ranged from small shelters to massive structures for artillery and infantry. Switzerland is like a Swiss cheese: it has many holes. Up to a few years ago, all these forts were top secret and not open to the public. Now some are open and we have the chance to visit one

Lake Lucerne is Switzerland’s most famous lake, well known all over Europe and overseas. What began in 1837 with a one steamship operation has grown into the largest, most successful cruise system in Switzerland with 5 nostalgic paddle steamers and 15 elegant motor vessels. We will take the boat from Lucerne to Vitznau

The Glacier Express – Experience the Swiss Alps The Glacier Express is one of the most famous Swiss mountain railways. A train ride lasting four hours which is also a panoramic voyage through the high Alps in the heart of Switzerland. The comfortable train takes you through a piece of unspoiled nature, fragrant, virgin mountain forests, quiet Alpine pastures, rushing mountain streams, mountain valleys rich with tradition and centuries-old cultures

Zermatt and its Matterhorn: Friendly and hospitable Zermatt, with its spectacular panoramas of snow-capped peaks that include the legendary Matterhorn; boasts the longest winter season in Europe and the highest skiing  area. In this picturesque town no cars are permitted. Horse-drawn carriages in summer and snow sleighs in winter add further ambience to Zermatt's quaint Walliser houses and the elegant, world famous hotels. The absence of cars has helped to enhance the unique status of Zermatt

Dinner in a castle on the Lake Geneva area

Visite the chocolate factory Cailler in Broc, Switzerland

Gulch of the Aare. Between Meiringen and Willingen in the valley of Hasli, we find a leftover from the ice age, a powerful rock barrier, the Kirchet. A long time ago, when the glaciers reached down into the valley, deep cuts were formed under the ice. Stones and water worked as an inexorable file which developed during thousands of years into the gulch of the Aare. With enormous walls on both sides, the rocks are aligned and at the closest place they are hardly one meter apart. Only briefly before noon does the sun light stream into the gulch. Today, this 1`400 meter long and 200 meter deep nature miracle can be reached over a barrier ramp and tunnels to be safely wandered through

Ballenberg - Switzerland as it once was.
With 100 original century-old buildings from all over Switzerland, "historical" gardens and fields, demonstrations of typical crafts, many special events and 250 native farmyard animals. Ballenberg creates a vivid impression of rural life in bygone days. Ballenberg is in fact, absolutely unique.

Restaurant "The Blind Cow". The most amazing and the most unusual restaurant in Switzerland is called The Blind Cow. The restaurant has been set up in an old church. When you come into the reception area you are asked to give up anything that emits light—even a luminous watch. Then you read the menu on the wall and make your selection. At this point your waiter or waitress arrives, takes your order and leads you to your table. You stand behind her and place your hands on her shoulders. The other guests in your party form a line each one holding on to the person in front. The staff of the restaurant is blind and the room you are going into is completely dark. You hear what’s going on but see nothing. The food and drinks come to the table and you do the best you can. It is an experience that reverses our common roles. Suddenly the sighted cannot see and are dependent on the blind who are totally comfortable in the space and completely in charge of the surroundings

Easy walk and welcome by Mr. Charly Christen, former President of Engelberg. He will show us his area and after we will visit Switzerland's only “show” cheese factory, located within a monastery. Here you'll find the largest selection of regional cheeses.

Amadé Perrig, former President of Zermatt Tourism, was nicknamed “Mr. Matterhorn”. He is one of the few persons who has the authority to present a rock from the Matterhron. While enjoying a memorable Swiss dinner in Zermatt, he will give each participant of the trip a special rock from the Matterhorn and he will tell the story about the first ascent to the Matterhorn.

Wine tasting with the Royal Procurer of the Order de la Channe (Knight of Order de la Channe) and Raclette-lunch.

Under the leadership of the Knight and Royal Procurator, Mr. Melchior Kalbermatten, we will have a wine tasting und Raclette-lunch. He will initiate new members and also someone from our group of participants

Jungfraujoch-Top of Europe, where, before and after the lunch, the word’s highest-altitude golf tee shot on the glacier (altitude of 11’329 feet or 3’454 m) will be the challenge to meet and if you play a hole in one, you will win a CHF 100’000.- (about $90’000) PIAGET watch. This is a very exclusive and unique offer of the trip:

• The world’s highest-altitude golf tee shot
• Play a par 3 of 130 yards on the glacier
• If you play a hole-in-one you will win a CHF 100’000.- (about $90’000) PIAGET watch
• To play golf in the UNESCO World Heritage of the Swiss Alps

Program

Persons

Dates

Grossprice

Trip A

20-30

May 24 – June 03.2008

$ 4’600.- per person

Trip B

20-30

August 30. – September 09.2008

$ 4’600.- per person