Tastes of the Swiss Lakes: Lucerne & Lugano

Enjoy complimentary airport lounge access before your flight from the UK to Zurich. On arrival, take the train (a journey of around 45 minutes) to Lucerne, a city renowned for its picturesque lakeside setting and beautifully preserved medieval Old Town. Later on, you’ll be treated to an evening filled with live entertainment and hearty cuisine as you head to a traditional restaurant in the Old Town. Here, you’ll be served a four-course feast featuring the likes of cheese fondue, veal sausages and potato rösti, accompanied by a Swiss folklore show with alphorns, cowbells, flag-throwing and yodelling. It’s a wonderfully immersive introduction to your Swiss adventure. 

Stay: Lucerne accommodation

After breakfast, you’ll swap the urban surrounds of Lucerne for the rural setting of Mount Rigi – a mountain massif surrounded by three alpine lakes (Lake Lucerne, Lake Zug and Lake Lauerz). You’ll begin at Rigi Kulm (1,797 metres altitude), where you’ll be greeted by your guide for a short walk to a dairy farm called Alp Chäserenholz, surrounded by lush meadows and forests. Here, you’ll enjoy a traditional outdoor Swiss barbecue, including sausages, raclette, fresh bread and beer, with the opportunity to take part in the cooking yourself. In the event of poor weather, the barbecue can be moved indoors, ensuring a memorable experience in all conditions. Afterwards, return to Lucerne for the evening. 

Stay: Lucerne accommodation

Today, you’ll embark on one of Switzerland’s most scenic journeys: the Gotthard Panorama Express. First, you’ll enjoy a boat cruise across Lake Lucerne to Flüelen, where you’ll board a train that sweeps through the Alps, eventually arriving in the lakeside city of Lugano in Switzerland’s Italian-speaking Ticino region. With its mild climate, palm-lined promenade, subtropical gardens and elegant piazzas, Lugano emanates a distinctly Mediterranean ambience – and you’ll have ample time to soak it all up, as you’ll be based here for the next two nights.

Stay: Lugano accommodation

You’ll spend today immersing yourself in the culinary heritage and wine-making traditions of the Ticino region in the most atmospheric setting possible: a hidden grotto accessible only by boat. On this three-hour private guided tour, you’ll taste traditional cured meats, local cheeses and other regional delicacies, all paired with a selection of the finest local wines. Afterwards, the rest of the day is yours to spend exploring Lugano at leisure. 

Stay: Lugano accommodation

After breakfast, bid farewell to Lugano as you take the train back to Zurich in time for your flight home.