Austria & Switzerland Road Trip
Your Journey
Vienna — Arrival
Arrive at Vienna International Airport. Your private driver transfers you to your hotel. A short stroll through the nearby historic streets in the evening is a gentle introduction to the city.
Vienna — City Tour
A full day in Vienna: the Ringstrasse boulevard — a 5-km ring road of imperial palaces and museums — Schönbrunn Palace (UNESCO World Heritage site), the Vienna State Opera, and St. Stephen's Cathedral (Stephansdom). The evening is free to explore the Old Town's coffee houses and streets.
Vienna — Salzburg
Drive to Salzburg via Lake Mondsee (297 km, approximately 3 hours) — the alpine lake that featured in the Sound of Music. Check in and explore Salzburg's baroque old town lanes and the Salzach riverfront at leisure.
Salzburg — Mirabell Gardens & Fortress
Mirabell Gardens — formal baroque gardens with mountain views and the Pegasus fountain. Getreidegasse — the city's oldest shopping street and Mozart's birthplace (1756). A funicular ascent to Hohensalzburg Fortress (1077), one of the largest medieval castles in Europe, gives a panorama of the city and Alps. Optional Sound of Music countryside drive through the Salzkammergut lake district.
Salzburg — Interlaken
Cross into Switzerland through picturesque Alpine terrain. The drive south (525 km, approximately 6.5 hours) passes through the Austrian lakes and across the Swiss border into the Bernese Oberland. Arrive in Interlaken — nestled between Lakes Thun and Brienz beneath the Eiger, Mönch, and Jungfrau. An evening promenade along the riverbank between the two lakes.
Interlaken — Grindelwald & Jungfraujoch
Drive to Grindelwald Terminal (18 km). A cable car ascends to Grindelwald First — a ridge-top platform with a cliff-top suspension bridge and views of the Wetterhorn. An optional Jungfraujoch excursion reaches Europe's highest railway station (3,454 m, UNESCO World Heritage site) — the Aletsch Glacier panorama, Ice Palace, and Sphinx Observation Deck. Free time in Grindelwald village before the return.
Interlaken — Lauterbrunnen — Harder Kulm
Drive to Lauterbrunnen (13 km). Staubbach Falls — a free-falling 297-metre plume above the village — and Trümmelbach Falls (a glacial waterfall within the mountain rock) are among the 72 waterfalls of this legendary valley. Afternoon funicular ascent to Harder Kulm (1,322 m) for a panoramic view over both Lakes Thun and Brienz. Optional paragliding or lake cruise.
Interlaken — Lucerne
Drive to Lucerne (297 km via Lake Mondsee). A walking tour covers Chapel Bridge (14th-century covered wooden bridge with painted panels), the Lion Monument — carved from the cliff face in 1820 to honour the Swiss Guards — and the painted medieval buildings along the Reuss River. Optional boat cruise on Lake Lucerne or cogwheel railway to Mount Pilatus (2,132 m).
Lucerne — Zurich
Drive to Zurich (approximately 3 hours). A walk through the Altstadt (Old Town) covers the Grossmünster and Fraumünster churches, Bahnhofstrasse — one of the world's great shopping streets — and the shores of Lake Zurich. The Swiss National Museum traces 2,000 years of Swiss history. An evening along the lake with views of the Alps.
Zurich — Bernina Express Day Trip (Optional)
An optional full-day excursion aboard the Bernina Express — the UNESCO World Heritage panoramic railway from Chur through Alpine passes, glacial lakes at 2,253 m, the Brusio circular viaduct, and dramatic mountain scenery to Tirano and back. Alternatively, a relaxed day in Zurich exploring further districts and the lake promenade.
Zurich — Departure
After breakfast, your private driver transfers you to Zurich Airport for departure.