Bern Old Town & Emmental Cheese Tour from Zurich with Tastings

Medieval streets and a working cheese dairy in one day from Zurich

A private day tour from Zurich combines a guided walk through Bern's UNESCO Old Town (including the Zytglogge Clock Tower, Federal Palace, and Bear Park) with a visit to a traditional Emmental cheese factory where you watch cheesemaking and taste artisanal varieties. The tour runs nine hours with hotel pickup and drop-off, a professional driver-guide, and a climate-controlled Mercedes vehicle.

Step-by-step itinerary

Bern and Emmental Cheese Tour

• Meet driver at Zurich hotel
• Travel to Bern city center
• Explore Bern Old Town landmarks
• Drive through Emmental countryside
• Visit Emmental cheese dairy
• Taste traditional Emmentaler cheese
• Return to Zurich hotel

The experience

Your driver-guide meets you at your Zurich hotel and drives you south through the Swiss countryside to Bern, the nation's capital. The medieval center sits on a peninsula in the Aare River, its covered arcades and sandstone facades largely unchanged since the 16th century. You walk under the shopping passages, stop at the Zytglogge Clock Tower to watch its mechanical figures perform, see the Federal Palace where Parliament meets, and visit the Bear Park along the river where the city's heraldic bears live.

From Bern, the route turns east into the Emmental region, a landscape of rolling green hills dotted with traditional wooden farmhouses and grazing cattle. At a regional cheese dairy, you see how Emmentaler is made using techniques that have barely shifted in centuries: the milk heating in copper vats, the curds being cut and stirred, the wheels aging in the cellar. You taste several varieties, from younger cheese to aged wheels with their characteristic holes. The drive back to Zurich follows scenic valleys and takes the late afternoon, with the return timed to reach your hotel by early evening.

What’s included

• Professional driver-guide.
• luxury Mercedes Benz vehicle with climate control.
• entrance to the Emmental cheese factory.
• cheese tastings.
• hotel pickup and drop-off (with the Pickup option).

Options for this experience

2 options

Private tour, no pickupGuide in 6 languages · Available from 14 Nov · 08:00Includes pickup

Private tour, pickup includedGuide in 6 languages · 9 departure times: the first at 08:00, the last at 12:00Includes pickup

You pick the guide language when booking.

You'll see the exact price of each option when you check availability.See dates and prices

Before you book

Days and timesEvery day9 departure times: the first at 08:00, the last at 12:00

Book up to16h before

AgesAdult (16 and older) · Child (6 to 15 years): free · Infant (under 6): free

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish, Spanish, French, German, Italian and Portuguese

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather or if the minimum number of travelers isn't reached. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated yesterday

Good to know

Low physical effortWheelchair accessibleAccessible transportStroller-friendlyInfant seats availablePets welcomePublic transport nearby

Operated by Swiss Epic Tours

Is this one for you?Choose the option with pickup if your hotel is in central Zurich and you'd rather not arrange your own transport to the meeting point. The nine-hour day leaves you free to explore the city the morning before or after.

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English, Spanish, French, German, Italian and Portuguese.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (6 to 15 years): free; Infant (under 6): free.

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.

What is the Zytglogge Clock Tower and why is it worth seeing in Bern?

The Zytglogge is a 13th-century clock tower in Bern's Old Town with an astronomical dial and mechanical figures that perform a short show before the hour strikes. It's one of Bern's most recognizable landmarks and a stop on this tour's walking route through the medieval center.

Can I see how Emmentaler cheese is actually made, or is it just a shop visit?

You visit a working cheese dairy where you watch traditional cheesemaking in progress. The milk being heated, curds being cut and stirred, and wheels being turned in the aging cellar. The visit includes tastings of different varieties.

Does this tour include hotel pickup from my Zurich accommodation?

Pickup is included with the Private Tour with Pickup option. The Private Tour without Pickup option requires you to meet the driver-guide at a central Zurich location instead.

How long is the drive from Zurich to Bern, and how much time do you spend in the Old Town?

The drive from Zurich to Bern takes roughly an hour. You spend several hours walking and exploring Bern's medieval center before heading into the Emmental region for the cheese factory visit.