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Switzerland

Hiking Switzerland: From the Jungfrau to the Matterhorn

Program No. 16543RJ
By cable car and mountain path, explore quiet meadows, sweeping vistas, glacial waterfalls and alpine villages as you learn about Switzerland from local experts.

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Prices displayed below are based on per person,doubleoccupancy.
DATES & starting prices
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Jun 10 - Jun 23, 2024
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5,899
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Jun 17 - Jun 30, 2024
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Jun 24 - Jul 7, 2024
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Jul 15 - Jul 28, 2024
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Aug 12 - Aug 25, 2024
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Aug 26 - Sep 8, 2024
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Sep 9 - Sep 22, 2024
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Sep 16 - Sep 29, 2024
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Sep 23 - Oct 6, 2024
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5,899
DATES & starting prices
PRICES
Jun 10 - Jun 23, 2024
Starting at
6,369
Filling Fast!
Jun 17 - Jun 30, 2024
Starting at
6,369
Filling Fast!
Jun 24 - Jul 7, 2024
Starting at
6,369
Filling Fast!
Jul 15 - Jul 28, 2024
Starting at
6,369
Aug 12 - Aug 25, 2024
Starting at
6,369
Aug 26 - Sep 8, 2024
Starting at
6,369
Sep 9 - Sep 22, 2024
Starting at
6,369
Filling Fast!
Sep 16 - Sep 29, 2024
Starting at
6,369
Sep 23 - Oct 6, 2024
Starting at
6,369

At a Glance

On foot and led by local experts, explore the picturesque villages and idyllic valleys of Switzerland’s Bernese Oberland and Valais regions, including areas that are only accessible by cog railway or cable car. Experience places where timeless traditions live on, Alpine peaks reach toward the sky and every turn in the path is rewarded with vistas of breathtaking beauty.
Activity Level
Outdoor: Spirited
Walking 4-8 miles daily; well-marked trails and dirt roads, some uneven and hilly terrain. Sturdy walking/hiking shoes are required. Elevations up to 8,720 feet.
Small Group
Small Group
Love to learn and explore in a small-group setting? These adventures offer small, personal experiences with groups of 13 to 24 participants.

Best of all, you’ll…

  • Visit the cozy mountain town of Zermatt for a spectacular view of the famous Matterhorn.
  • Discover the unique Trummelbach Falls, located inside a mountain and made up of 10 glacier waterfalls.
  • Visit Villa Cassel, a stately home built at the turn of the 20th century and now property of the Swiss League for the Protection of Nature.
  • Access some of the most remote, beautiful areas of Switzerland by cable cars and cog railways for expert-led walking excursions.
Visit the Road Scholar Bookshop
You can find many of the books we recommend at the Road Scholar store on bookshop.org, a website that supports local bookstores.
La Place de la Concorde Suisse
by John McPhee
McPhee deploys his usual insight and wonderful prose on the phenomenon of the Swiss army, presenting an irreverent portrait of Switzerland and the Swiss mindset.
Asterix in Switzerland
by Rene de Goscinny
This entry in the Asterix series of comic books features excellent drawings of the Swiss Alpine landscape.
The Apple and the Arrow
by Conrad Buff
Families will enjoy this spirited retelling of the famous legend of William Tell and his 12-year-old son, Walter, which won the 1952 Newbery Medal.
Neither Here Nor There, Travels in Europe
by Bill Bryson
Bryson deploys his famously cranky humor in this romp through European capitals. He's great fun to read and insightful on quirks of character.
The Alps, A Human History from Hannibal to Heidi and Beyond
by Stephen O'Shea
In an entertaining narrative, O'Shea drives, hikes and climbs through 500 miles of the Alps while musing on the historic personalities who braved the forbidding range, including Napoleon, Hitler and James Bond. A thoughtful introduction to the Alps.
Hotel du Lac
by Anita Brookner
Funny, stylish and spellbinding, Brookner's novel tracks the story of a romance novelist seeking evasive peace and quiet at the luxurious Hotel du Lac in Switzerland. Winner of the Man Booker Prize.
Killing Dragons, The Conquest of the Alps
by Fergus Fleming
Fleming spins lively tales of man against nature in this entertaining history of the eccentrics, adventurers and publicity-hounds who sought to conquer the Alps, including Whymper and his first ascent of the Matterhorn 150 years ago.
Heidi
by Johanna Spyri
The beloved tale of a little girl who is sent to live with her curmudgeonly grandfather in a remote Alpine village. This handsome hardback edition retains the quaint prose and buoyant disposition of Johanna Spyri's 1880 original.
Frankenstein
by J. Paul Hunter (Editor), Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley
The Norton Critical edition of Frankenstein features the original 1818 text, an expansive preface, annotations, illustrations and supporting sections with selected criticism. With new analysis on the novel's many film adaptations.
A Tramp Abroad
by Mark Twain, David Eggers (Introduction), Kerry Driscoll (Introduction)
Written 11 years after Innocents Abroad, this is Twain's second foray into European travel. Filled with his characteristic wit and humorous observations, it documents his journeys through Germany, Switzerland, France and Italy. Now with an introduction by Dave Eggers.
Europe, A True Book
by Sandra Newman
Part of the True Book series, this illustrated, readable volume geared toward ages 9 to 12 introduces children to the geography and diverse cultures of Europe.
Daisy Miller
by Henry James
A classic story of a young American woman's innocent flirtation and its misinterpretation by a sophisticated European man, set in Lac Leman and Chillon. This is James' first fictional work to gain mass popularity and one of his great American female portraits.
Culture Smart! Switzerland
by Kendall Maycock
A concise, no-nonsense guide to Switzerland's customs, etiquette and culture.
William Tell: One Against an Empire, A Swiss Legend
by Paul Storrie
The classic tale of a Swiss hunter facing a terrible choice, as a graphic novel for ages 9-11.
Banner in the Sky
by James Ramsey Ullman
A suspenseful tale of a young boy determined to keep his father's mountaineering dream alive.
Swiss Watching, Inside Europe's Landlocked Island
by Diccon Bewes
An international bestseller. Diccon Bewees, a neutral Brit, covers cheese, chocolate, William Tell, bureaucracy and banks, all with humor and thorough research. His cultural portrait of the one-of-a-kind nation includes tips on local customs, greetings and etiquette. Second edition.
Birds of Europe
by Lars Svensson
Featuring 3,500 glorious paintings by Killian Mullarney and Dan Zetterstrom, the second edition of this exquisite guide features updated text and maps.
A Farewell to Arms
by Ernest Hemingway
Set in snowy Switzerland and the rainy Italian Lake Country during WWI, this semi-autobiographical novel chronicles the romance between a British nurse and an American ambulance driver. This edition collects all of the alternate endings, along with early drafts of other essential passages
Slow Train to Switzerland, One Tour, Two Trips, 150 Years -- and a World of Change Apart
by Diccon Bewes
Bestselling author Diccon Bewes (Swiss Watching SWZ73) follows in the footsteps of an 1863 tour group who traveled from London to Lucerne, Switzerland. In his trademark breezy, intelligent prose, Bewes traces how tourism and time have caused a sea change in Switzerland.
The Walk
by Robert Walser, Susan Bernofsky (Translator)
In this classic novella by the Swiss modernist, freshly translated, Walser writes that "it is on walks that the lore of nature and the lore of the country are revealed, charming and graceful, to the sense and eyes of the observant walker."
Scrambles Amongst the Alps: In the Years 1860-69
by Edward Whymper
Edward Wymper's classic account of Victorian-era mountaineering captures the geography, beauty and allure of the Alps.
The Gilded Chalet, Off-Piste in Literary Switzerland
by Padraig Rooney
In this amusing guide, a grand tour of literary Switzerland, Rooney profiles 200 years of outstanding works and their strong Swiss influences. He argues that the land of luxury hotels, fresh air and fresh milk deserves wide renown as a literary hub.
All Along the Rhine
by Kay Shaw Nelson
Subtitled "Recipes, Wine and Lore from Germany, France, Switzerland, Austria, Liechtenstein and Holland" this tribute to the Rhine Valley complements its history and culture with 130 recipes.
Eyewitness Guide Switzerland
by Eyewitness Guides
A compact, thoroughly illustrated guide, featuring over 900 photographs, good maps, and plenty of information on hiking in the Swiss Alps, natural and tourist attractions and the history and arts of Switzerland.
Coming Out Swiss, In Search of Heidi, Chocolate and My Other Life
by Anne Herrmann
Part memoir, part history, part travelogue, Anne Hermann’s passionate celebration of what it means to be Swiss intertwines personal revelation with cultural fact.
Wild Flowers of Britain & Northern Europe
by Andrew Cleave
A colorful field guide featuring commonly encountered species of the fields and gardens of Europe.
Eiger Dreams, Ventures Among Men and Mountains
by Jon Krakauer
A collection of some of Krakauer's (Into Thin Air) best journalism, these stories and essays focus on the mindset and determination of world-class mountaineers, including Alpine and Himalayan climbers.
Cuisines of the Alps
by Kay Shaw Nelson
Subtitled "Recipes, Drinks, and Lore from France, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Italy, Germany, Austria, and Slovenia," this colorful tour of the region's rustic cuisine offers more than 140 recipes, a section on regional wines and historical information.
Switzerland Map
by Michelin Maps
A colorful, shaded relief map of Switzerland at a scale of 1:400,000.





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