Switzerland Glacier Express Adventure Tour Package

It is a long day, and there is no point pretending otherwise. What makes it work here is what surrounds it: you have rafted, ridden the Albula line and seen a glacier panorama before you board, and three unhurried Zermatt nights waiting at the other end. The coaches have floor-to-ceiling windows and at-seat service, and the scenery genuinely changes every twenty minutes. If you would still rather split it, we can break the journey at Andermatt with an overnight — just ask.

No. The standard summer run through the Rhine Gorge is grade II to III—bouncy and wet rather than technical —and operators regularly take complete beginners. A qualified guide steers every boat, and wetsuits, buoyancy aids, and helmets are provided. You just need to be able to swim, and operators apply minimum age and weight limits that vary between them. Send us the ages in your group at enquiry, and we will confirm with the operator before you pay anything.

Two reasons. It puts the Matterhorn at the end of the trip rather than the start, so the week builds rather than peaks on Day 2. And it means your four longest nights are in Zermatt, which is the village people actually want time in — running the other way would leave you with three nights in the Engadin and one night under the Matterhorn.

For July and August, three to four months ahead. The Glacier Express reservation is compulsory, and the best summer departures fill up long before hotels do—that single booking usually constrains your dates, not availability in Zermatt. June and September are generally comfortable at six to eight weeks. We hold the seat first and build the rest of the itinerary around it.

It is the gateway to both the Rhine Gorge and the Albula line, and it costs considerably less than St. Moritz or Zermatt for the same standard of room — which is part of how three summits and a rafting day fit within this price. It is also the oldest continuously inhabited town in Switzerland, with a compact old town that is a good, low-effort first evening after a long flight.

Not included, deliberately. You already have Gornergrat at 3,089m, which most people consider the better Matterhorn view, and adding a second high cable car would push this package into a higher bracket. If you want to reach 3,883m and see the Glacier Palace ice cave, you'll need an extra night in Zermatt on this 7-day route, and we quote both together so you can compare the cost and decide.

Yes, and this is worth checking carefully. Schengen visa rules make travel medical insurance mandatory regardless, but many standard policies exclude white-water rafting by default. Confirm that yours specifically covers it, or buy an adventure add-on. Insurance isn't included in the package because pricing varies so much by age and medical history, but we'll tell you exactly what the policy needs to say.

Being honest about it: this is a compact seven-day route with no spare day, so there is nowhere to move a cancelled activity to. Cable car closures at Diavolezza and Gornergrat happen occasionally due to high winds, and rafting depends on water levels as well as weather. If something cannot run, it is refunded in full rather than swapped for a voucher. If you want a built-in buffer day, ask us for the 9-day version of this route instead. The Glacier Express itself runs in almost all conditions.

Mid-June to early October. You need the rafting season open, the Five Lakes path snow-free, the Gorner Gorge running and the Glacier Express on its summer timetable — all four line up in that window. September is the quietest of the good months, with the clearest air for Gornergrat. Outside the season, this becomes a different trip: the rafting and both walks close, and we would build you something else rather than sell a thinner version of this.

The displayed amount is per person on a double-bed basis and includes applicable GST—no service fee or tax is added at the end. What sits outside it is listed plainly in the exclusions: flights, visa fee, travel insurance, city tourist tax collected at each hotel, all meals other than the six breakfasts, and any optional add-on you choose. Nothing beyond that list will appear on your invoice.