Switzerland Bicycle Tour Itinerary

Day One: Lausanne – Montreux-Vevey
At the Lausanne train station, your guides will greet you and transfer you to Epesses, in the heart of the terraced Swiss vineyards. In Epesses, you will have your introductory wine tasting with Marina Bovard, one of the only female winemakers in the region. After the tasting your guides will prepare you with a bike fitting and map review before we cycle off through the scenic vineyards and learn about the colorful history of this region. We’ll visit historic Vevey, home of food giant Nestlé, and the burial place of Charlie Chaplin. Then we cycle onto Montreux, famous for its Jazz Festival, to visit scenic Chateau Chillon, built on an island in the lake. We then return to our hotel in Vevey, a destination for outstanding hospitality, and the perfect place to have our first gourmet dining experience together. After dinner, retire to your room for a good night’s sleep.

Meals: Dinner
Destinations visited: Grandvaux, Epesses, St. Saphorin, Vevey & Montreux
Distance cycled: 35.5 km / 22 miles

Day Two: Montreux - Gstaad
We follow the gentle contours of the Upper Rhone to Yvorne and then Aigle, capital of the Chablais wine region. We’ll tour the town’s fortified castle before taking the cog railway up to Les Diablerets (1200m), where you’ll enjoy lunch at one of the local restaurants. After your meal, we’ll take a gondola ride with our bikes to reach Iseneau at 1750 meters altitude with stunning views of the Glacier des Diablerets. The rest of the afternoon spin is a glorious downhill ride off the beaten track through rolling pastures into Gstaad, a small Alpine village with a reputation for being one of the most luxurious destinations in the world. Here we will spend the next two nights.

Meals: Breakfast/ Dinner
Destinations visited: Yvorne, Aigle, Les Diablerets & Gstaad
Distance cycled: 48 km / 30 miles

Day Three: Rossiniere
The tour continues downstream, along the banks of the River Sarine. We’ll pass the town of Rougemont and then on to Rossiniere, home of one of the best cheeses in the country, l’Etivaz. From there we’ll drive you up on to the steep slopes above the valley floor to meet our friend, Pipo, a local cheese maker. Together, we’ll learn the art of traditional cheese making. Pipo has many stories to tell about himself, his cheeses and his mountains. After a generous cheese tasting and sampling of some of the other local products, we’ll jump back on our bikes to visit Chateau d’Oex before returning to Gstaad. Once back at the hotel we’ll treat you to a chocolate tasting, explaining the history and production methods and, of course, we’ll sample some of the different Swiss chocolates. Before you retire for the evening, we’ll end with an amazing cheese Fondue dinner.

Meals: Breakfast/Dinner
Destinations visited: Saanen, Rougemont, Chateau d’Oex, Rossiniere & Gstaad
Distance cycled: 32 km / 20 miles

Day Four: Gstaad - Interlaken
A three mile climb into the hills above Gstaad starts the day, taking us up to Saanenmöser (1279m) for another long downhill ride along the gentle flowing Simme River. This scenic ride, takes us through pastures, small mountain hamlets and the beautiful Alpine valleys of Switzerland. We’ll stop in Erlenbach for lunch before continuing along the Simme to the town of Spiez on the shores of the magnificent Thünersee (Lake Thun). We’ll transfer across the lake by boat, so we can marvel at the towering mountain panoramas before heading into Interlaken. In Interlaken you will check into your luxurious hotel before having a free night to explore the city and find the perfect spot for dinner.

Meal: Breakfast / Lunch
Destinations visited: Gstaad, Saanenmoser, Zweissimen, Spiez & Interlaken
Distance cycled: 40.3 km / 25 miles

Day Five: Lauterbrunnen Valley Loop
From Interlaken, we’ll cycle to Lauterbrunnen, the location of Switzerland’s most breathtaking waterfalls. There are over seventy-two falls in the valley, two of which are the tallest in Switzerland. The falls are so awe-inspiring that Goethe and Lord Byron both wrote odes to the falls of Lauterbrunnen! We will visit the waterfalls of Trummelbach, the largest series of waterfalls in Europe inside a mountain. The falls eroded with the aid of 20,000 liters of water per second through the interior of the mountain and are accessible to the public via a series of intricately crafted tunnels and walkways. After the visit, we’ll continue to the end of the valley and stop for a typical Swiss lunch at a local restaurant. Following lunch, you’ll have the option to go paragliding, before returning to the hotel. This evening we’ll indulge in our final gourmet feast together.

Meals: Breakfast/ Gourmet Lunch/ Dinner
Destinations visited: Lauterbrunnen & Trummelbach
Distance cycled: 43 km / 26.7 miles

Day Six: Interlaken
After breakfast and a final bike or hike around the village, we will see you off at the train station as you head on to your next destination.

Meal: Breakfast Accomplished: Total Satisfaction!

TRIP TOTAL: 198.8 KM/ 123.2 MILES, averaging 40 km/ 24.5 miles per day. Optional longer rides available each day.