Switzerland in September 2024

14 Days

Seattle (SEA) → Frankfurt (FRA) → Zürich → Mürren → Zermatt → Lucerne → Frankfurt (FRA) → Vancouver (YVR) → Seattle (SEA)

trip at a glance

day 0 (Sep 7)

Seattle (SEA) → Frankfurt (FRA)

departed Seattle (SEA) at 2:15pm on Lufthansa LH491.

day 1 (Sep 8)

Frankfurt → (train) → Zürich

arrived Frankfurt (FRA) at 9:20am. walked to train station inside airport (Frankfurt am Main Flughafen Fernbahnhof). took short train ride to Frankfurt (Frankfurt am Main Hbf) and then long ride to Zürich (Zürich Hauptbahnhof) - with a transfer at Basel. about a 5-hour journey - $200/person. high speed train - noticed 250km/h at one point. taxi from Zürich train station to Hotel Storchen Zürich and checked in.

Storchen Zürich [https://storchen.ch/en] - elegant boutique hotel with well-appointed rooms and excellent breakfast. perfect location — middle of Zürich's Old Town, right next to Limmat River. 5/5.

dinner at 9pm at Zeughauskeller [https://www.zeughauskeller.ch/en/home] - ~100 years old, known for traditional Swiss dishes. had Wienerschnitzel with beers. huge, bustling space with many tables — shared our 4-seater with another couple. this building used to be a weapons storehouse from medieval period. inside is decorated with old weapons including swords, crossbows, spears, and old guns - essentially a living museum.

day 2 (Sep 9)

Zürich

breakfast at hotel. walked cobblestone streets and explored shops in Old Town - Limmat River divides Old Town into two sections, easy to crisscross back and forth via bridges. visited Lake Zürich. wife got me a gift - a TAG, F1 Gulf edition. stopped by Läderach chocolate store. sandwiches and coffee at Confiseur Bachmann. later dinner at Swiss Chuchi in Hotel Adler — had Kalbsbratwurst (veal sausage) and Riz Casimir (chicken curry with rice and fruit) with drinks.

day 3 (Sep 10)

Zürich → (train) → Mürren

walked around Old Town early before it gets busy. breakfast at hotel, checked out and walked to train station (Zürich Hauptbahnhof). on the way - got my wife a gift from Piaget on Bahnhofstrasse. it took about 3.5 hrs to reach Mürren - travelled through many beautiful Swiss landscapes. first train to Interlaken with a transfer at Bern, then train to Lauterbrunnen, cable car to Grütschalp and finally train to Mürren. checked into Hotel Drei Berge. unfortunately didn't get a room with a view — disappointing. fortunately my wife found a room with view in another hotel from next day. Hotel Drei Berge refunded unused nights without question — appreciated! had some drinks at hotel's open terrace while marveling at the breathtaking view of Swiss Alps. later had dinner there — tasty pasta and lamb.

Mürren - car-free town, only ~450 inhabitants, on a cliffside at 1638m. unreachable by public road — only by cable car or train from Lauterbrunnen. faces Eiger, Mönch, and Jungfrau — three of the four highest peaks in Switzerland. one of the most photographed villages in the world.

Hotel Drei Berge [https://dreibergehotel.ch/] - a charming Swiss mountain hotel, open terrace with breathtaking views, excellent restaurant for breakfast and dinner. 5/5.

day 4 (Sep 11)

Mürren

woke up early to experience magnificent Swiss Alps in quiet of the morning. checked out after breakfast. took cable car from Mürren to Schilthorn with a transfer at Birg. at Schilthorn [https://schilthorn.ch/] — 360° open deck views were awesome. had drinks at revolving Piz Gloria restaurant - famous for James Bond filming location. on way back, went for Thrill Walk (metal and glass pathway clinging to cliffs) at Birg. then hiked down from Birg to Mürren (~4 hours) - following Northface Trail via Allmendhubel. trail was empty, occasionally met one or two other hikers. experienced the beauty of Swiss Alps — vibrant green valleys with wooden chalets, cows with ringing bells on necks, towering snow-covered mountain peaks, clouds hugging hiking trails. once at Mürren - checked into Hotel Regina - a room with breathtaking view of Swiss Alps. had dinner at hotel that night.

Hotel Regina [https://www.reginamuerren.ch] - a classic Swiss mountain hotel with good breakfast (didn't enjoy dinner option much). views from rooms are breathtaking - panoramic views of Eiger, Mönch, and Jungfrau! 5/5.

day 5 (Sep 12)

Mürren

after breakfast at hotel, took cable car down to Gimmelwald. walked around the cute, quiet village — not many tourists unlike Mürren. while I love Mürren the most - Gimmelwald is wife's favorite. it became a daydream to own a place in Gimmelwald and spend a few months yearly. later continued cable car down to Stechelberg, and walk to Lauterbrunnen village center. nice flat walking trail - crossing many waterfalls on the way. the walk made us hungry - had chicken shawarma with soda in Lauterbrunnen. took train to Interlaken — very crowded and touristy, didn't like it a bit. took funicular up to Harder Kulm. unfortunately the entire area was covered with low-hanging cloud — occasionally got glimpses of surrounding valleys, rivers, lakes, and mountain ranges. had coffee and ice cream. came back to hotel. later hiked down to Gimmelwald and shopped at its honesty shops (unstaffed, pay-what-you-take). hiked back up to Mürren. only restaurant option available late was Hotel Drei Berge — had awesome fresh pizzas and drinks at bar (even though bar was for drinks only, they kindly allowed us to eat there — thanks again, Hotel Drei Berge!).

Gimmelwald — car-free village, only ~100 inhabitants, on a cliffside at 1367m. accessible only by cable car from Lauterbrunnen or on foot from Mürren. untouched by mass tourism — a truly preserved Swiss mountain village.

Lauterbrunnen - a picture-perfect U-shaped valley carved by glaciers, with towering cliffside on both sides and countless waterfalls. Grindelwald and Lauterbrunnen are two larger towns with train stations - busy tourist hubs.

Interlaken — major train hub. lacks charm - extremely crowded and over commercialized. located outside the heart of Jungfrau region.

day 6 (Sep 13)

Mürren

woke up to snow-covered Mürren — a spectacular view! it snowed overnight. after breakfast, went down to Lauterbrunnen, train to Wengen, then cable car to Männlichen. hiked Panorama Trail to Kleine Scheidegg under snow. reached after about an hour - hiking in blinding snow — an awesome, rare experience. barely met one or two other hikers on the trail. hiked further to Fallbodensee to capture reflection shots — worth it! took train to Jungfraujoch [https://www.jungfrau.ch/en-gb/] — we were the only passengers. unfortunately couldn't go outside due to a crazy snowstorm. explored the Ice Palace — tunnels carved into glacier, filled with ice sculptures. train back down to Wengen. had good Indian food at Golden India restaurant. then back to Mürren.

Wengen — sits on the opposite side of Lauterbrunnen Valley. many options for hotels and restaurants - but lacks the small-town charm and calmness of Mürren and Gimmelwald.

day 7 (Sep 14)

Mürren → (train) → Zermatt

checked out after breakfast. goodbye Mürren — will surely return! train to Grütschalp, cable car to Lauterbrunnen, train to Interlaken Ost → Spiez → Visp → Zermatt - about 3.5 hours. very scenic ride — especially the last leg to Zermatt. checked into Hotel Bellerive. top floor, good room — unfortunately city-facing, not Matterhorn view. got first glimpse of Matterhorn on the way — unforgettable! later walked around buzzing town. later dinner at Whymper Stube [https://www.monterosazermatt.ch/en/restaurants-bars/whymper-stube/] — named after Edward Whymper, first to climb Matterhorn. had raclette and fondue bourguignonne (raw meat cooked in hot oil at table, served with various sauces and sides) with beers. short hike after dinner to Zmutt — a tiny 500-year-old hamlet with weathered dark wooden chalets, just above Zermatt.

Hotel Bellerive [https://www.bellerive-zermatt.ch/] - comfortable hotel with fantastic breakfast option. good base for exploring Zermatt. request a Matterhorn-facing room when booking. 5/5.

Zermatt — car-free at 1620m at the foot of iconic Matterhorn. surrounded by countless four-thousand-metre peaks. one of the world's most famous mountaineering destinations. explore three distinct mountain experiences — Matterhorn, Gornergrat, and Rothorn — each offering dramatically different views and trails.

day 8 (Sep 15)

Zermatt

went out early morning to capture Matterhorn in golden light of sunrise. back for breakfast. took train to Gornergrat (sit on right side for better views). my wife booked Hotel 3100 Kulmhotel Gornergrat for one night for me - to experience view of Matterhorn from room. they let us check in early - got a room with balcony facing Matterhorn. rooms are named after surrounding four-thousand-metre peaks - my room named Dent Blanche 4357m. later hiked down from Gornergrat to Rotenboden following Scenic Trail. stopped at Riffelsee for Matterhorn reflection shots. had a beer at Rotenboden before taking train back to Zermatt. had fondue bourguignonne again at Restaurant Stadel [https://www.stadelzermatt.ch/] - known for traditional cuisine. later took last train up to Gornergrat — completely quiet, very different from crowded morning earlier. wife stayed back in Zermatt to explore town. at night, tried to capture star trails — but too much light pollution from hotel. should have walked to a darker spot.

Hotel 3100 Kulmhotel Gornergrat [https://www.gornergrat-kulm.ch/] - highest hotel in the Alps at 3100m, right at Gornergrat summit. room with balcony facing Matterhorn — unforgettable. rooms named after surrounding four-thousand-metre peaks. 5/5.

day 9 (Sep 16)

Zermatt

hiked down to Riffelsee in the dark and freezing cold to capture reflections of Matterhorn at sunrise. hard to hike in pitch dark but completely worth it! took first train back from Rotenboden to Gornergrat. had breakfast and checked out. met wife back in Zermatt — at Mammut store. later took cable car to Blauherd and hiked 5 Lakes Trail — Stellisee, Grindjisee, Grünsee, Moosjisee, and Leisee (~2 hours). back to Zermatt and had dinner at Le Chalet da Giuseppe — popular Italian restaurant. had pasta, lamb chops with wine. typical loud Italian atmosphere, bit politically edgy — but the best pasta we've ever had - ever!

day 10 (Sep 17)

Zermatt → (train) → Lucerne

breakfast at hotel and checked out. train from Zermatt to Visp → Bern → Lucerne → Alpnachstad - about 5-6 hours. then cogwheel railway to Mt. Pilatus summit (steepest in the world). checked into Hotel Pilatus-Kulm - got a spacious room with panoramic views of surrounding Alps. later had a great 4-course dinner.

Swiss Travel Pass - even though had 15-day Pass, bought many daily train tickets as travelled around Switzerland - without knowing most of it was covered by the pass. staff at Zermatt train customer care desk refunded everything by going through transaction history. much appreciated!

cogwheel railway (from Alpnachstad to Mt. Pilatus summit) is free if you stay in Hotel Pilatus-Kulm.

Hotel Pilatus-Kulm [https://pilatus.ch/en/hotels/hotel-pilatus-kulm] - awesome location at summit of Mt. Pilatus. breathtaking views all around. package includes fantastic 4-course dinner along with great breakfast buffet. 5/5.

day 11 (Sep 18)

Lucerne

good breakfast. took cable car down to Kriens and walked for an hour to Old Town in Lucerne. coffee break at La Vie en Rose — tried Vermicelles, popular Swiss chestnut purée dessert that looks like noodles. walked around Old Town, crossed iconic Kapellbrücke (medieval Chapel Bridge) - 14th-century wooden covered bridge over Reuss River. shopped at Läderach chocolate store and Blue Tomato — good outdoor gear store. back to hotel and had another 4-course dinner - guests staying 2+ nights get extra dinner options compared to the first night. later spotted group of Ibex from room grazing on the hillside.

Mt. Pilatus has two paths — cogwheel railway from Alpnachstad and cable car from Kriens.

day 12 (Sep 19)

Lucerne

after breakfast - went for Tomlishorn Trail — short scenic hike. trail had been closed due to snow. later checked out and took cable car down to Lucerne. had pizza and pasta at Ristorante Da Ernesto sitting by the Reuss River. put extra luggage (side effect of shopping) into lockers at Lucerne train station. took the ferry to Bürgenstock — hotel guests get first-class seating, which was pretty empty while the day-trip section was very crowded. checked into Bürgenstock Hotel & Alpine Spa — got a room with a wide, gorgeous view of Lake Lucerne. experienced renowned spa and infinity pool overlooking Lake Lucerne — pretty empty at that time of day. later had mini burgers and sausages with drinks for relaxed dinner.

Bürgenstock Hotel & Alpine Spa [https://burgenstockresort.com/en] - stunning room with wide views of Lake Lucerne. Alpine Spa with infinity pool overlooking the lake — world-class facility. excellent breakfast. 5/5.

day 13 (Sep 20)

Lucerne → (train) → Frankfurt

excellent breakfast. walked around Bürgenstock and surrounding trails. checked out and took ferry back to Lucerne. picked up luggage from lockers and took train to Basel. had a short stopover in Basel — didn't find the city exciting at all. later took train to Frankfurt - about 4 hours, $500 for two. taxi to hotel. checked into Steigenberger Icon Frankfurter Hof [https://www.steigenberger.com/frankfurt]. later dinner at OSCAR's Brasserie Moderne — adjacent to hotel. unfortunately spotted a mouse running around during dinner — left without finishing food. didn't like that part of Frankfurt — hotel, restaurant, neighborhood.

day 14 (Sep 21)

Frankfurt (FRA) → Vancouver (YVR) → Seattle (SEA)

checked out and straight to airport. departed Frankfurt FRA at 10:15am on Lufthansa LH6526 (operated by Air Canada). arrived Vancouver YVR at 11:20am. departed Vancouver YVR at 1:25pm on Lufthansa LH6510 (operated by Air Canada). arrived Seattle SEA at 2:30pm.

trip budget

- airfare · ~$2,300
- train (incl. Swiss Travel Pass ~USD $1,625) · ~$2,900
- taxi + cable car · ~$400
- Storchen Zürich (2 nights) · ~$1,650
- Hotel Drei Berge (1 night) + Hotel Regina (3 nights) · ~$1,750
- Hotel Bellerive (3 nights) · ~$1,025
- Kulmhotel Gornergrat (1 night) · ~$625
- Hotel Pilatus-Kulm (2 nights) · ~$1,400
- Bürgenstock Hotel & Alpine Spa (1 night) · ~$1,400
- Steigenberger Icon Frankfurter Hof (1 night) · ~$200
- food & misc · ~$2,000
- dog boarding · ~$2,000
- total · ~USD $17,650

Switzerland — tips

- buy 15-day Swiss Travel Pass at https://www.sbb.ch/en - install app
- check train schedules using https://www.raileurope.com/en - install app
- travel lighter - use larger backpacks (40L) if needed. helps while traveling on trains and walking around. wheeled luggage is absolute nightmare.