Day 1: Arrival in Vevey
Stroll along the promenade and enjoy the breath-taking views of the Lake Geneva and the snow white glaciers of the nearby Mont-Blanc massif.
Overnight in Vevey
Day 2: Vevey – Gruyère and surroundings (25-31 miles/40–50 km; ascents - 1,969-2,805 ft / 600-855m, descents - 1,640-2,411 ft / 500-735m)
From Vevey, take the rack railway up to the Mont-Pèlerin (ticket not included in tour cost; approximately CHF9 per person, including bike). Tranquil roads lead you to the source of the most popular cheese of Switzerland: the Gruyère, which shares its name with the landscape. A recent symphony of green melancholy, cowbells and customs. Before you head towards the hotel, have a sweet-break and visit the chocolate factory Maison Cailler in Broc (entrance included in tour cost; open hours are daily from 10:00am-5:00pm).
Overnight in Gruyère/surroundings
Day 3: Gruyère and surroundings – Gstaad and surroundings (25 miles/40 km; ascents - 2,411 ft / 735m,
descents - 1,345 ft / 410m)
Postcard country Switzerland: cheeseries, chalets, snowy mountains, cable cars, hotel scent and papercutting. Away from the idyll, the Pays d’Enhaut and the Saaneneland are a magnificent landscape, animated by the haze of celebrity and happy mountain goers.
Overnight in Gstaad/surroundings
Day 4: Gstaad and surroundings – Spiez (31-34 miles/55 km; ascents - 2,411 ft / 735m, descents - 1,345 ft / 410m)
The artfully decorated wooden houses of the Simmental belong to the most beautiful of Europe. The Simme remains a wild river that demands a lot from dinghy riders. Spiez is a water sports paradise on the shore of cheerful Lake Thun.
Overnight in Spiez
Day 5: Rest day at Spiez
Spiez is the portal to Grindelwald and to Wengen. The high peaks of the Bernese Oberland can be easily reached by train and a day off at this Lake gives you the opportunity to visit sights like Harder Kulm above Interlaken, Jungfrau Joch, or the lively mountain villages Wengen and Murren.
Overnight in Spiez
Day 6: Lake Thun – Lake Sarnen (31-34 miles/50–55 km; ascents - 3,757 ft / 1,145m, descents - 3,937 ft / 1,200m)
You'll transfer by boat from Spiez to Interlaken this morning. On the shore of Lake Brienz there is a steep rise to get to Meiringen where you take the train across the Brünigpass (ticket not included in tour cost; approximately CHF7 per person, including bike). You reach Obwalden: a small Canton, a big Valley, a pre-alpine landscape with scattered villages, flat lakes and long traditions.
Overnight in Lake Sarnen
Day 7: Lake Sarnen – Lucerne (22 miles/35 km; ascents - 787 ft / 240m, descents - 1,017 ft / 310m)
As soon as you get a glimpse of the Lake of Lucerne the Pilatus is in your path. Bay after bay right to Lucerne, a fixed point for every tourist.
Overnight in Lucerne
Day 8: Departure or extension