Lake Como Cruise & Bernina Red Train from Milan with St. Moritz

★★★★★★★★★★ 3.86 (72 reviews) 54% rated it 5 stars

Free cancellationTravelers' pick

1/12

Duration13h

GroupUp to 50

LanguagesEN · ES

Mobile ticketAccepted

A full day linking three worlds: the Italian lakes, the Alpine railway, and Swiss mountain luxury.

You board a private boat on Lake Como in the morning, ride the Bernina Red Train across the Swiss Alps to nearly 2,300 metres, walk through St. Moritz between stops, and return to Milan by coach through mountain passes. Transport, the train ticket, and a bilingual guide are all included; the day is long but paced so you're not racing between moments.

13h

Step-by-step itinerary

Lake Como cruise and Swiss Alps train

Morning cruise on Lake Como
Bus journey along Maloja route
Free time in St. Moritz for shopping
Board Bernina Red Train reserved carriage
Admire White and Black Lakes
View Brusio spiral viaduct and Bernina Pass
Relax and shop in final town
Return to Milan by bus

The Experience

The bus leaves Milan early, and by mid-morning you're on a private boat cutting across Lake Como's still water. Bellagio slides past on one side, Varenna on the other, and somewhere in between is Villa Balbianello — the kind of place that looks exactly like the photographs, except quieter. Your bilingual guide is pointing things out through the headset system they hand you at the start, and you're free to just stand at the rail or sit inside, depending on the weather. The cruise is short enough that you don't get restless, long enough that you actually see the lake.

After that, the bus winds toward St. Moritz along the Maloja route — a drive that's part of the tour itself, not just the getting there. The road climbs and the air changes. St. Moritz is exactly what you'd expect: expensive chocolate shops, designer storefronts, the kind of place where people come to be seen. You get free time to walk around, grab a coffee, maybe buy something small. Then you board the Bernina Red Train, and that's when the day shifts. The train climbs to 2,256 metres, and the windows open — they tell you upfront it's 2nd class, not the panoramic carriage, but that's actually better because you can lean out and photograph the Brusio spiral viaduct without reflections. The track curves back on itself in a perfect 90-degree loop, and you're inside it, watching the landscape tilt. Two lakes pass — one white, one black, depending on the light and the minerals. The Bernina Pass comes next, and then the train descends toward Tirano (or Thusis, depending on which direction the itinerary runs that day — they switch it sometimes to keep things fresh).

The return to Milan happens by coach through the same Maloja valley, but now you're going the other way, and the light is different. You're tired by then, which is fine — the drive gives you time to sit quiet and think about what you've seen. The whole day is about eight to nine hours from pickup to drop-off, and it moves at a pace that doesn't feel rushed. A current passport or European ID is required, and you need to be at the stop 15 minutes early. The radio headset they give you — don't lose it, because there's a 50-euro charge if you do.

What’s included

Your day includes hotel pickup by luxury air-conditioned coach, a private boat cruise on Lake Como with views of Bellagio and Varenna, a one-way 2nd class train ticket on the Bernina Red Train, reserved seating on the train with window access, a bilingual guide throughout, a radio headset system for hearing the guide, free time to walk and shop in St. Moritz, and the return journey to Milan by coach through the Maloja Pass and valley.

Good to know

Easy physical levelStroller friendlyPublic transport nearbyInfants must sit on laps

Operated by AUTOSTRADALE VIAGGI SRL

Is this one for you?A good fit if you want to see Lake Como, the Swiss Alps, and a mountain resort in one day without arranging separate transport and train tickets — the fixed itinerary and included guide are what make fitting three regions into a single trip possible.