Situated on the banks of the River Main, Frankfurt is the major financial hub of Germany and Europe, housing the headquarters of more than 300 banks.
Welcome to Frankfurt, an international financial and trade fair city, which has a lot to offer its visitors! Upon arrival your driver meets you at the airport and transfers you to your centrally located hotel for check-in.
No meals included.
Following breakfast, you meet your private guide and embark on a comprehensive city tour around the main sights of Frankfurt - the city which is a motherland of writer Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, large German metropolis and a major European financial hub.
Frankfurt's city center is best explored on foot, while walking along its cobblestone squares and alleys. You take a stroll in the old town, called Altstadt in German, which is home to the old Römerberg Square, city hall, gothic Old St Nicholas Church, the Goethe House and many other historical sights. You also explore the Zeil, Frankfurt’s premier pedestrian promenade that ranks among Germany’s most profitable shopping streets, as well as a modern banking district.
After the tour you walk to the train station. Then you take a train ride to Mannheim, located within just 30-minute ride to Heidelberg. Your private driver meets you at the train station and transfers you to your hotel in Heidelberg.
Upon arrival to Heidelberg, you check in and have a good rest.
➤ Firebird recommends: Take a cruise along the romantic and quiet Neckar Valley and discover the beauty of the Castle Road.
Breakfast is included.
We carefully select hotels to ensure your amazing stay. We will recommend the best available properties for your travel dates.
Hop on a modern bullet train and enjoy a nice journey along the Deutsche Bahn railway. The fast high-speed train will take you from the main German financial hub to Mannheim. Then, you will be taken to Heidelberg by your private driver.
Heidelberg is a charming town in Baden-Württemberg, nestled on the banks of the Neckar River. Historically, Heidelberg has served as the town of philosophers and students.
After breakfast at your hotel, meet your private guide in the lobby and enjoy a wonderful 4-hour walking old town or Altstadt tour and explore the university town of Heidelberg, with its historic and romantic appeal.
The old town of Heidelberg has a typical atmosphere of the German old quarters: squares where the locals socialise, cobblestone streets with bar terraces, and of course the marketplace, or the Marktplatz.
You get a chance to step inside the Studentenkarzer, the old Students' Prison, and hear interesting stories of how the students ended up here. You see the Old Bridge and admire the Church of the Holy Spirit, Heidelberg's main church.
After the pleasant walk through the Old Town, you board a historic funicular to reach the top of the hill where you find Schloss Heidelberg, the Heidelberg Castle, which is considered to be one of the most important ruins in Germany. These extraordinary Renaissance ruins, that inspired Germany’s Romantics, used to be the former seat of Heidelberg’s Prince Electors. In the Castle you will also have a chance to visit the German Apothecary Museum and see the Great Tun, the biggest wine barrel in the world, that was able to hold 221,726 liters (or 58,578 gallons) of wine.
After the tour, you take the funicular back down to the Old Town and return to your hotel. You have the afternoon and evening at leisure and can continue exploring Heidelberg on your own, or join one of our optional tours.
Breakfast is included.
We carefully select hotels to ensure your amazing stay. We will recommend the best available properties for your travel dates.
Choosing a journey onboard a fast Deutsche Bahn train is a wise choice for traveling around Germany. First, you are transferred from Heidelberg to the station of Mannheim where you board the train to Stuttgart. German trains boast modern equipment and quality services needed for a worry-free trip.
Set on the banks of the Neckar River, beautiful Stuttgart is the capital of southwest Germany's Baden-Wurttemberg state as well as the real "Germany in miniature".
After breakfast at your hotel and check-out, meet your private driver for a transfer to the station. Board the train to Stuttgart, the capital of southwest Germany’s state called Baden-Württemberg. You driver meets you and head for your centrally-located hotel.
Upon arrival, meet your private guide and embark an entertaining and informative city walk through the historic heart of Stuttgart. In 3 hours your guide shows you all the main attractions such as the Old Castle, Neues Schloss (New Castle) and Schlossplatz, Rathaus or town hall, the ancient gathering place Marktplatz, and many others. This trip through time covers the founding of the city in 950 all the way to the present day.
After the tour you get to your hotel for check-in and have the rest of the day at leisure.
➤ Firebird recommends: Explore modern architecture by visiting Weissenhof Estate which includes buildings designed by 17 architects from more than 5 European countries. Two of the buildings projected by Le Corbusier were inscribed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites as the part of his "Outstanding Contribution to the Modern Movement".
Breakfast is included.
We carefully select hotels to ensure your amazing stay. We will recommend the best available properties for your travel dates.
Boasting a great location near the main attraction of the scenic city, the top-notch Kronenhotel Stuttgart Hotel is a great place for anyone who values style and comfort. It provides modern soundproofed rooms, offering free Wi-Fi, as well as a great number of on-site facilities, such as an elegant bar and a sauna.
Set off on a scenic journey from Stuttgart to the gem of Alpine Switzerland, Zurich. Enjoy a safe ride on a comfortable Deutsche Bahn train coupled with witnessing exceptional panoramas of German and Swiss nature.
Zurich is the largest city in Switzerland, wealthiest in Europe, with the best quality of life in the world. Its history goes back to its founding by the Romans in 15 BC and has a rich medieval background.
Following breakfast, you check out from your hotel and have a transfer to the station for a train ride to Zurich, the largest city in Switzerland. Upon arrival, your driver meets you at the station and transfers you to your remarkable hotel. After check-in, you meet your private guide and enjoy a perfectly-planned sightseeing tour around the most beautiful landmarks of Zurich.
Immerse yourself in the unique atmosphere of the Old Town for the following 3 hours, walking through its narrow cozy streets and exploring its breathtaking medieval houses, churches and town hall.
After the tour you return to your hotel and have the rest of the day free.
Breakfast is included.
Following breakfast you head to the railway station to take a train to Lucerne. In about 50 minutes you meet your guide at the station of Lucerne.
Then you are invited to take an unforgettable trip with your private guide who shows you the magnificent views of Mount Pilatus and the Lucerne region. The tour starts with a cruise across the Lake Lucerne to Alpnachstad. There you board the famous cogwheel train that takes you across the world's steepest railway passing through lush Alpine meadows, spectacular rocks and sparkling mountain streams to the top of Mt Pilatus, altitude of which is 2132 m (6995 ft).
For the return journey you ride a cable car to enjoy the fantastic scenery once again. As the last part of your magnificent tour you take a 20-minute bus from Kriens to Lucerne. Tickets* for public boat cruise, cogwheel train, cable car and bus are included.
- Please note: boat and cogwheel train are available only from middle of May to September. The rest of the year they are replaced with cable car and bus.
After the tour you take a train back to Zurich. The rest of the evening is free.
Breakfast is included.
We carefully select hotels to ensure your amazing stay. We will recommend the best available properties for your travel dates.
Modern Swiss trains are one of the fastest and most comfortable ways to get to Zermatt. A restaurant, family coach with play area, comfortable seats, and extensive luggage space are at your service during the journey.
Set gracefully just at the foot of the highest summit of the Alps, majestic Matterhorn, the city of Zermatt, Switzerland is a popular ski resort that's all about gorgeous natural panoramas.
Following breakfast, you check out from the hotel and head for the station to board a train to Zermatt. After enjoying a picturesque ride with spectacular scenery you finally arrive to Zermatt, a traffic-free mountain village and enjoy views of the Pfyn-Finges Nature Park along the way.
Zermatt is famous not only for being a popular ski resort. This lovely village is located in the southern canton of Valais which is home to some of the world's most spectacular mountains, including Matterhorn. Upon arrival you go to your hotel for check-in and have the rest of the day at leisure.
Breakfast is included.
After breakfast you walk to the railway station, where you board a cogwheel train equipped with large windows which allow you to enjoy a journey across the highest open-air railway in Europe. The Gornergrat Bahn is the cog railway which was the first in the world to be fully electrified. Nowadays regenerative braking system of this eco-friendly railway generates electricity on the descent and so saves energy.
After about 45 minutes you reach the station of Gornergrat which is considered to be the highest open-air railway station of Europe at an altitude of 3, 090 m (10,135 ft). Gornergrat observation platform is accessible all year round and offers one of the finest panoramas in Switzerland. From there you have a glorious view of more than 20 four-thousand m (13,123 ft) peaks, one of which is Matterhorn. A truly unforgettable experience you cannot miss!
- Please, note: It is important to wear something warm and wind/rain protective when going to Gornergrat. The temperature there is usually lower than in the cities even in summer. In case you feel too cold you can always go inside the restaurant which is close to the observation platform. The trains to/from Gornergrat are heated well.
After some free time in Gornergrat you have a train ride back to Zermatt. The rest of the day is free.
Breakfast is included.
We carefully select hotels to ensure your amazing stay. We will recommend the best available properties for your travel dates.
Enjoy your journey traveling along the highest open-air railway in Europe providing with some truly scenic views, which can be admired through the wide windows of the train. (Connection with 1 train change).
If you have Switzerland on your travel radar, we highly recommend visiting the lovely Swiss Riviera with the capital in Montreux. Stretching along the shores of Lake Geneva, it boasts a mild climate and inspiring landscapes that are worth the ride.
In the morning after breakfast you check out from the hotel, go to the railway station and have a train ride to Montreux also known as 'Swiss Riviera' (you have a train transfer in Visp). In about 2.5 hours your train arrives to the traditional resort town located on the shores of Geneva Lake.
After check-in you take a public boat cruise* on Lake Geneva to reach the most recognizable historic monument in Switzerland - Chillon Castle which dates back to medieval ages. Its charming architectural style and rich history inspired such literary geniuses as Victor Hugo, Jean-Jacques Rousseau and Lord Byron. First you admire the exterior of this historical monument from water. Upon disembarkation you have a private guided touring around the most spectacular parts of Chillon Castle.
Following Chillon you head for Montreux where you meet your guide and have a private walking tour. You learn about the history and culture of charming 'Swiss Riviera' strolling along the lake shores where the summer Jazz Festival takes place. On the way up to the old town you enjoy stunning views over the lake and pass by the oldest house in Montreux, dating back to the 16th century.
While you walk the little streets of this charming town, your guide shares with you the stories of the famous expats in Montreux such as Vladimir Nabokov and Freddie Mercury. You see the statue of Freddie Mercury and have a chance to visit the Queen: The Studio Experience exhibition located in the original Mountain Studios, part of the Montreux Casino. Queen recorded a total of seven albums here at Mountain Studios in Montreux, which the band owned between 1979 and 1996, including the final album Made in Heaven.
During the tour you also find out how fire at the Montreux Casino inspired Deep Purple's classic "Smoke on the Water." Since then the casino has been beautifully rebuilt, so have a great chance to visit it in the evening.
After the tour you return to your hotel. The rest of the day is free.
- Please, note: cruises are available from mid-April to mid-October; in winter season they are replaced with train rides.
Breakfast is included.
Following breakfast, you walk to the train station for a 1-hour train to Geneva. Upon arrival, you meet your guide and start exploring the highlights of Geneva, the second most populous city of Switzerland and a capital of Romandy, the French-speaking region. Being the European seat of the UN and headquarters of the Red Cross, Geneva is known as the «capital of peace».
You start discovering Geneva sights by the lakefront. You take a short water tram ride on lake Geneva and see one of the most famous landmarks, the Jet d'Eau fountain of 140 m (460 ft) and enjoy the view of the mountains.
Then you proceed to the astonishing Old Town and see St. Peter Cathedral, the English Garden with Flower Clock, Ile Rousseau and Castle Tour-de-l'ile. Here you also see the city council building where the first Geneva Convention was signed, in the Alabama Room, as it is now called, and learn about the beginning of international Geneva. You also visit the grounds of the University of Geneva to see the Reformation Wall that features statues of the four Geneva luminaries and learn about the role Geneva played in the Reformation in the 16th century.
Finally, you have a short ride by public transport to view the international district of Geneva and its heart - United Nations Office located in the Palace of Nations.
After the tour you return to Montreux by train.
Breakfast is included.
This is the final day of your tour. Following breakfast, you check out from the hotel and have a direct train ride to Geneva airport for your flight back home. We wish you a safe flight and hope to work on your future vacations!
Breakfast is included.
We carefully select hotels to ensure your amazing stay. We will recommend the best available properties for your travel dates.
Boasting a fantastic location in the heart of Montreux, the favorite city of legendary Freddie Mercury, the Ads Grand Hotel Suisse Majestic is among the best places to stay for anyone who appreciates unparalleled comfort and great service. It offers 155 well-fitted guestrooms, providing everything you need for a good rest as well as fantastic views over the city.
What's included
- Accommodation at remarkable centrally located 4-star hotels in Frankfurt, Heidelberg, Stuttgart, Zurich, Zermatt, Montreux;
- Delicious breakfasts at your hotels;
- Airport transfers with private drivers and all transportation according to the itinerary;
- Breathtaking sightseeing tours according to the itinerary with professional English-speaking guides;
- Entrance tickets to Chillon Castle;
- Tickets for public boat cruise, cogwheel train, cable car and bus for the tour to Mt Pilatus;
- 1st class train tickets: Frankfurt - Mannheim, Heidelberg - Stuttgart, Stuttgart - Zurich, Zurich - Zermatt, Zermatt - Montreux and Montreux - Geneva Airport;
- 2nd class train tickets: Zurich - Lucerne - Zurich, Montreux - Geneva - Montreux;
- Tickets for non-guided tour to Gornergrat by cogwheel train;
- Support line during the trip.
Note: we include 1 vehicle for your arrival and departure transfers. If multiple vehicles are required additional transfer costs will apply.
Note: Hotels availability is subject to change. In case current hotels are booked out we will provide alternative hotels of an equal value for you.
Not included: international flights, multiple arrival/departure transfers, other meals not mentioned in the program, optional tours and services, all personal expenses.
Tour Highlights
- Enjoying the view of Frankfurt from the observation deck of the city's tallest building
- Exploring the ruins of the Heidelberg Castle
- Touring the historic heart of Stuttgart
- Cruise across the Lake Lucerne & ride on the cogwheel train via Alpine meadows
- Railway journey on the Glacier Express
- Cogwheel train journey on the highest open-air railway in Europe, the Gornergrat Bahn
- A boat cruise on Lake Geneva & a guided tour around the Chillon Castle
What To Know
- It's always best to bring some cash in local currency for your trip. You will need Euros for your time in Germany and Francs in Switzerland
- You will be walking quite a bit during your sightseeing tours, so make sure to bring comfortable shoes
- Communication equipment in Switzerland takes 230 volts, you will need an adapter plug (type J) to make your plug fit into the socket
- Tipping is included in the price of your meal at restaurants in Switzerland. If you liked the service, it is acceptable to round up the bill to the nearest Franc
- You can safely drink tap water in Switzerland, the quality of it is often measured as purer than that of bottled mineral water
