Glacier Express & Lucerne tour: 10-hour Alpine train journey

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Duration10h

GroupUp to 15

LanguagesEN · ES

Mobile ticketAccepted

First-class seats on the Glacier Express with the Oberalp Pass at the highest point of the route

A 10-hour tour from Basel combining the Glacier Express scenic train through Chur and Andermatt with a guided walking tour of Lucerne's medieval Old Town, Chapel Bridge and Lion Monument. The route includes first-class seating, gourmet lunch served at your seat, and a live guide in English or Spanish. A guide meets you at Basel SBB station and returns you there at the end of the day.

10h

Step-by-step itinerary

Glacier Express and Lucerne tour

Meet guide at Basel train station
Train ride to Chur with stories
Board Glacier Express panoramic carriage
Enjoy scenic ride to Andermatt
Lunch served on train
Depart Glacier Express at Andermatt
Train to Lucerne with guide commentary
Tour Lucerne Old Town and landmarks
Return to Basel

The Experience

Your guide meets you at Basel train station and the day begins with a scenic train ride to Chur, Switzerland's oldest city, where you board the Glacier Express. The train itself carries the weight of history—it's one of the world's most iconic rail journeys, and your guide shares stories about its legacy as you settle into first-class panoramic seats. The route covers 291 kilometers inland, moving at a pace that lets the landscape unfold without rushing past it.

The Glacier Express carries you south through the Alps toward Andermatt, a traditional Swiss village in the Ursen Valley. This is where the Oberalp section begins, surrounded by snow-capped mountains and the highest altitude of the tour. Gourmet lunch arrives at your seat—you choose whether to purchase it on board—so you don't have to leave the window. Your guide provides commentary on Swiss traditions and the train's operational history as the scenery shifts from one valley to the next. From Andermatt, you board a second train for the final leg to Lucerne, passing Lake Lucerne with its backdrop of sparkling water and deep mountain ranges.

In Lucerne, your guide leads you through the medieval Old Town on foot, pointing out the perfectly preserved gothic architecture and the stories embedded in the streets. You'll see the Chapel Bridge (Kapellbrücke), the world's oldest surviving wooden bridge, and the Lion Monument, an intricate 19th-century rock carving carved into the mountainside to commemorate the Swiss Guards who died during the French Revolution. After a full day of train and walking, you return to Basel by train.

What’s included

Glacier Express first-class seat reservation.
guide meeting at Basel SBB station.
standard rail pass for all train segments.
live guide in English or Spanish.
guided walking tour of Lucerne's Old Town, Chapel Bridge and Lion Monument.
return transport to Basel.

Good to know

Easy physical levelWheelchair accessibleAccessible transportStroller friendlyPets welcomePublic transport nearbyInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Tours of Switzerland

Is this one for you?Choose this if you want a guide handling the train logistics and narrating both the journey and Lucerne's landmarks—book the self-guided version if you'd rather explore independently.