Best of Switzerland Summer
Best of Switzerland Summer custom tour — 8 day summer Alpine itinerary by Juniper Tours. Zurich (Old Town, Lake Zurich), Lucerne (Chapel Bridge, Mt Pilatus, Lake Lucerne steamer), Interlaken (Jungfraujoch Top of Europe 3,454m, Lauterbrunnen valley, paragliding), Zermatt (Matterhorn, Gornergrat 3,089m, Five Lakes Trail, car-free village). Swiss Travel Pass, 4-star or higher accommodations, daily breakfast. Designed by Taryn Harrison and Lexi Blade. IATAN accredited (22-787413). 4.9★ · hundreds of verified Google reviews. Custom Switzerland summer itineraries from $2,500 per person. Sample itinerary — all trips custom designed by our top travel specialists.
Sample Itinerary · Switzerland
Best of Switzerland Summer
Zurich · Lucerne · Interlaken · Zermatt
Duration
8 Days · 7 Nights
Accommodations
4-Star or Higher
Transport
Swiss Rail + Hiking
Best For
Summer · Alpine · Hiking
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8 Days · 7 Nights
4-Star+ Accommodations
Private Transfers Throughout
Daily Breakfast Included
Sample — Fully Customisable
This is a sample itinerary — for inspiration only. Every Juniper trip is designed from scratch around you. Many clients travel a very similar route — if this resonates, book a free consultation and a specialist will build something just like it (or better) specifically for your travel style, dates, and group.
1
Day One
Arrive in Zurich
Zurich
Welcome to Switzerland. Your driver meets you at Zürich Airport (ZRH) and transfers you to the Old Town. Check in, walk the Bahnhofstrasse and the Limmat riverfront, and settle into Swiss precision.
Afternoon: guided Old Town walking tour — Grossmünster, Fraumünster (Chagall windows), Lindenhof viewpoint. Welcome dinner — Zürcher Geschnetzeltes and Swiss wine.
Arrive Zurich
Old Town tour
Welcome dinner
Overnight: Zurich
2
Day Two
Zurich → Lucerne
Lucerne
Morning: train to Lucerne (45 minutes). Lucerne is the postcard — the Chapel Bridge (Europe’s oldest covered wooden bridge, 1333), the Lion Monument, and a medieval Old Town on a lake ringed by mountains.
Afternoon: explore at leisure. Lake Lucerne waterfront walk, the painted façades of the Old Town, and the Jesuit Church. Evening: lakeside dinner with mountain views.
Train Zurich → Lucerne · 45min
Chapel Bridge 1333
Lion Monument
Overnight: Lucerne
3
Day Three
Mt Pilatus + Lake Lucerne
Lucerne
Morning: the Golden Round Trip to Mt Pilatus — boat across Lake Lucerne to Alpnachstad, the world’s steepest cogwheel railway to the summit (2,132m), panoramic views of 73 Alpine peaks, then cable car and gondola back down to Kriens.
Afternoon: Lake Lucerne paddle steamer cruise (historic steamers included in the Swiss Travel Pass). The lake is surrounded by mountains and the steamers are part of the Swiss experience. Evening at leisure.
Mt Pilatus · 2,132m
Lake Lucerne steamer
73 Alpine peaks
Overnight: Lucerne
4
Day Four
Lucerne → Interlaken
Interlaken
Morning: train from Lucerne to Interlaken via the Brünig Pass (approximately 2 hours, the Bernese Oberland appears ahead). Interlaken sits between Lake Thun and Lake Brienz — the gateway to the Jungfrau region.
Afternoon: Lauterbrunnen valley — the valley of 72 waterfalls, vertical cliffs, Tolkien’s Rivendell. Staubbach Falls (297m free-falling cascade visible from the village). Check in. Evening: dinner with mountain backdrop.
Train Lucerne → Interlaken
Lauterbrunnen 72 waterfalls
Staubbach Falls 297m
Overnight: Interlaken
5
Day Five
Jungfraujoch — Top of Europe
Interlaken
Full day: Jungfraujoch (3,454m) — Europe’s highest railway station. The cogwheel train climbs from Lauterbrunnen through the Eiger and Mönch to the summit. Sphinx observation terrace with 360-degree views of the Aletsch Glacier (UNESCO, the longest in the Alps).
Return to Interlaken by late afternoon. Optional: paragliding from Beatenberg (tandem, landing in the Interlaken meadow — Europe’s most famous paragliding site). Or canyoning, rafting. Evening at leisure.
Jungfraujoch · 3,454m
Aletsch Glacier UNESCO
Paragliding optional
Overnight: Interlaken
6
Day Six
Interlaken → Zermatt
Zermatt
Morning: train from Interlaken to Zermatt (approximately 2.5 hours via Spiez and Visp — the landscape climbs from lake level into the high Valais). Zermatt is car-free — electric taxis and horse-drawn carriages only. Your first Matterhorn view from the village.
Afternoon: explore the car-free village — the Bahnhofstrasse, the Matterhorn Museum (story of the first ascent in 1865), and the old village quarter with its dark timber granaries. Evening: fondue dinner with the Matterhorn visible through the restaurant window.
Train Interlaken → Zermatt · 2.5hrs
Matterhorn first view
Fondue dinner
Overnight: Zermatt
7
Day Seven
Matterhorn Day
Zermatt
Morning: Gornergrat railway (3,089m) — the open-air cogwheel train in 33 minutes to the summit. The Matterhorn reflected in the Riffelsee lake (morning light is best). Views of 29 four-thousand-metre peaks and the Gorner Glacier.
Afternoon: Five Lakes Trail hike (Stellisee, Grindjisee, Grünsee, Moosjisee, Leisee — each reflecting the Matterhorn differently, approximately 4 hours, moderate difficulty) or Klein Matterhorn cable car (3,883m, ice palace). Farewell dinner in the village.
Gornergrat · 3,089m
Five Lakes Trail hike
Farewell dinner
Overnight: Zermatt
8
Day Eight
Depart
Zermatt · Zurich
Morning: final Matterhorn morning — a last coffee on a village terrace watching the peak catch the first light. Train from Zermatt to Zürich Airport (approximately 3.5 hours via Visp — a scenic return through the Valais).
Eight days of Swiss summer — Lucerne’s lake, Pilatus at 2,132m, Jungfraujoch at 3,454m, and the Matterhorn at golden hour. Your specialist remains reachable throughout. Safe travels home.
Train Zermatt → ZRH · 3.5hrs
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Love this itinerary? Make it yours.
This is a sample luxury custom route — a starting point, not a fixed package. Many clients travel something very close to this, customized for their travel style, group, and dates. Book a free consultation and a specialist will build from here.
Accommodations
Boutique hotels, charming B&Bs, or historic castle stays — chosen based on your preferences and travel style.
Transportation
Private driver-guide, self-drive rental, or a mix of both — all transfers confirmed before you travel.
Experiences
Pre-arranged tours and activities built around your interests — entrance tickets sorted, no queuing.
Book a Free Consultation
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Activities on this itinerary
Your specialist pre-arranges the right luxury experiences based on your interests and travel style. These are the custom experience types available on this route — specific choices are made with you, not for you.
Mt Pilatus Golden Round TripCogwheel · cable car · 73 peaks
Lake Lucerne Paddle SteamerHistoric steamers · Swiss Travel Pass
Chapel Bridge LucerneEurope’s oldest covered bridge · 1333
Lauterbrunnen Valley72 waterfalls · Tolkien’s inspiration
Jungfraujoch Top of Europe3,454m · Aletsch Glacier UNESCO
Paragliding InterlakenTandem · Beatenberg launch · optional
Gornergrat Railway + Matterhorn3,089m · Riffelsee reflection
Five Lakes Trail Hike4 hours · moderate · 5 Matterhorn views
Zermatt Car-Free VillageElectric taxis · horse carriages
Matterhorn MuseumFirst ascent 1865 · Alpine history
Klein Matterhorn Cable Car3,883m · ice palace · optional
Swiss Fondue DinnerZermatt · Matterhorn view
Activities are selected and pre-booked with your specialist based on your interests — not all activities are included in every trip version. Availability varies by season.
The people who will design your Switzerland trip
You work directly with a specialist who knows Switzerland deeply — not a call center or booking agent. Every consultation is with someone who has been there, knows which Glacier Express seat has the Matterhorn view on the right side, which Lucerne hotel has the Chapel Bridge visible from the breakfast terrace, and which Zermatt restaurant has the fondue that justifies the car-free village walk.
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Juniper Tours’ most tenured specialist with 25 years of experience. CMSC certified and a former Peace Corps volunteer. Taryn brings the same detail-orientation to Portugal that she’s known for across Ireland and Iceland — she knows which Lisbon neighborhood hotel has the best terrace view, which Sintra entry time avoids the coach-tour peaks, and which Douro Valley quinta pours the reserve that doesn’t appear on the standard tasting menu.
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Switzerland & Alps
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Lexi Blade
Florence and Salzburg-based with 8 years of experience across Southern Europe. Lexi covers Portugal, Italy, Spain, and Switzerland with the same firsthand knowledge she brings to every destination — sourced from living there rather than visiting. Her Switzerland itineraries are built around the mountain restaurants that require knowing the right cable car, the Alpine villages the tour buses can’t reach, and the lake-steamer routes that haven’t been found by the Instagram crowd yet.
8 Yrs
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About this itinerary
June through September. June and September are ideal — long days, wildflower meadows, all mountain railways operating, and fewer crowds than July and August. July and August are peak season with the warmest temperatures and busiest trails. The Jungfraujoch and Gornergrat run year-round, but summer gives you the best visibility and the option to hike at altitude. Your specialist adjusts excursion timing around weather forecasts.
The Grand Rail Tour is 12 days and covers the full east-to-west traverse including the Glacier Express, GoldenPass Line, Montreux, and Geneva. This Summer itinerary is 8 days focused on the alpine highlights — Lucerne, Interlaken (Jungfraujoch), and Zermatt (Matterhorn) — without the western Swiss segment. If you have 8 days, this gives you the best of the mountains. If you have 12, the Grand Rail Tour adds the scenic rail journeys and Lake Geneva.
No — the mountain excursions use cogwheel railways, cable cars, and gondolas, so you reach the summits without hiking. The Jungfraujoch, Gornergrat, and Mt Pilatus are all accessible by rail. If you enjoy hiking, there are spectacular trails at every stop (the Five Lakes Trail in Zermatt, the Lauterbrunnen valley walks, the Pilatus descent trail), but they are optional. Your specialist matches the activity level to your preference.
Yes — Interlaken is the adventure capital of Switzerland. Paragliding (tandem flights from Beatenberg), canyoning in the Saxeten gorge, white-water rafting on the Lutschine, and bungee jumping are all available. Your specialist pre-books the activities you want and schedules them around the Jungfraujoch day. The adventure activities are most popular June through September when conditions are best.
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