Milan to Bernina Express: Alpine Train & St. Moritz Day Trip

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Free cancellationTravelers' pick

1/25

Duration12h 45m

GroupUp to 18

LanguagesEN

Mobile ticketAccepted

Thirteen hours, one train, two countries, and views that don't fit in a photo.

You travel from Milan through Lake Como and a mountain valley to board the Bernina Express, a UNESCO heritage railway that climbs to glacier views in the Swiss Alps. The day includes minibus transport, the train ticket, a stop in St. Moritz, and a return drive through Switzerland. Plan for thirteen hours of continuous travel with short walks and stairs; the pace is steady and the group stays under eighteen people.

12h 45m

Step-by-step itinerary

Bernina Train and Swiss Alps tour

Transfer from Milan to Lake Como town
Walk 30 minutes in lakeshore village
Drive along Lake Como and Valtellina valley
Stop at valley town, winery, or café
Climb stairs to Bernina station for lunch
Ride Bernina Train to highest point
Drive toward St. Moritz
Walk along alpine lake and explore town
Return to Milan by train or minibus

The Experience

The Bernina Express climbs 2,330 meters through the Swiss Alps on a single track that UNESCO listed as a World Heritage site, and you board it after a full morning already spent moving through some of the most layered landscape in Europe. You start at Milan Central station before dawn, transfer by minibus or regional train to Lake Como, then walk through a lakeshore village where the light hits the water in a way that makes you understand why people have painted this place for centuries. After that, the minibus winds through the Valtellina valley for ninety minutes — the road is narrow and twisty, and your guide points out the vineyards and old stone villages tucked into the mountainside. You stop once, maybe at a winery or a small café in a town you've never heard of, just long enough to stretch and buy a coffee.

Then you climb to Tirano station on foot — there are stairs, and it takes a few minutes — and you have about an hour to find lunch on your own before boarding the Bernina train. This is the part that justifies the whole day. The train leaves the station and immediately starts climbing through switchbacks and viaducts, and you watch the valley drop away below you. In winter, you get off at Diavolezza, the highest stop, where the glaciers and snowcaps fill the entire view. In summer, the route goes a bit higher. Either way, you're standing on a platform in the middle of the Alps, and the air is thin and cold even when it's warm in Milan. After that, the minibus drives you toward St. Moritz, and you have forty-five minutes to walk around this famous resort town — it's small enough that you can see most of it, and the shops and cafés are exactly what you'd expect from a place that's been fashionable for over a century.

The return to Milan takes three hours and covers another spectacular valley in Switzerland. You can either stay on the minibus the whole way or take a regional train for part of it — your guide will explain the options. By the time you're back at Milan Central station, you've been moving for thirteen hours straight, and you've crossed into Switzerland and back without ever leaving a guided group. The walking is short but involves stairs, and the mountain roads are real — not dangerous, but not smooth either. Bring layers, a valid passport, and realistic expectations about bathroom stops on a twisty road. This is not a relaxed day; it's a full immersion into Alpine geography and a UNESCO railway that actually works the way it was built.

What’s included

Your day includes small-group minibus transport from Milan Central station to Lake Como, a guided walk through a lakeshore village, a ninety-minute drive through the Valtellina valley with a stop at a winery or café, the Bernina Express train ticket with a stop at the highest point to view glaciers and snowcaps, forty-five minutes to explore St.
Moritz, and return transport to Milan by minibus or regional train.
An English-speaking guide leads the group throughout.
Lunch in Tirano is on your own, and all other meals and drinks are your responsibility.

Good to know

Moderate physical levelPublic transport nearbyNot for pregnant travelers

Operated by LUCAfromITALY

Is this one for you?Right for travelers based in Milan who want to see the Swiss Alps and ride a UNESCO heritage railway without arranging their own transport or train tickets. Expect a full thirteen-hour day with stairs, twisty mountain roads, and the physical pace that makes fitting two countries and a glacier view into one trip possible.