10-Day Switzerland Deep Dive:
The Complete Rail Loop
Zürich → Lucerne → Rigi → Interlaken → Jungfraujoch → Zermatt → Glacier Express → Lugano → Bernina Express → St. Moritz → Zürich. The Swiss Travel Pass 8-day saves couples CHF 350–500 vs. point-to-point.
Day-by-day itinerary
- 1
Arrival — Zürich
Zürich- Arrive Zürich HB — airport rail 10 min (free with STP)
- Old Town & Bahnhofstrasse
- Kunsthaus Zürich — free with STP
- Overnight Zürich
Activate your Swiss Travel Pass today to cover airport rail.
- 2
Lucerne + Mt. Rigi
Lucerne / Mt. Rigi🚆 IC Zürich HB → Luzern (46 min)- Chapel Bridge, Lion Monument
- Boat Luzern → Vitznau (included with STP)
- Vitznau–Rigi Kulm cogwheel (included with STP)
- Panorama at 1,797 m
- Return Arth-Goldau → Luzern, overnight Luzern
- 3
Interlaken Base
Interlaken🚆 IC Luzern → Bern → Interlaken Ost (2h)- Harder Kulm funicular (50% with STP)
- Schynige Platte rack railway (50% with STP) — alpine garden
- Interlaken town & Unterseen
- Overnight Interlaken
- 4
Jungfraujoch — Top of Europe
Jungfraujoch (3,454 m)🚆 Interlaken Ost → Grindelwald (Eiger Express) → Jungfraujoch- Sphinx Observatory
- Aletsch Glacier view
- Ice Palace
- Return via Lauterbrunnen
- Overnight Interlaken or Lauterbrunnen
Book Jungfraujoch tickets online — especially important Jul–Aug.
- 5
Grindelwald & Hiking Day
Grindelwald🚆 BOB Interlaken Ost → Grindelwald (50% with STP)- First gondola to First (50% with STP)
- Bachalpsee lake hike (2h round trip)
- Grindelwald Glacier Gorge
- Eiger North Face viewpoint
- Overnight Grindelwald
- 6
Zermatt — Matterhorn
Zermatt🚆 Interlaken Ost → Spiez → Visp (1h 45min)🚆 Visp → Zermatt (MGB, 1h 20min) — free with STP- Zermatt village walk
- Gornergrad rack railway (50% with STP) — best Matterhorn view
- Zermatt Alpine Museum
- Overnight Zermatt
Gornergrad reservation recommended in peak season.
- 7
Glacier Express — Zermatt to Andermatt
Glacier Express (partial)🚆 Glacier Express: Zermatt → Andermatt (4h)- Panoramic windows on Glacier Express
- Oberalp Pass summit (2,033 m)
- Andermatt village — Alpine charm
- Overnight Andermatt
Andermatt is a quieter overnight than St. Moritz — great for hikers.
- 8
Lugano & Ticino
Lugano🚆 Andermatt → Göschenen → Airolo (Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn)🚆 Airolo → Bellinzona → Lugano (SBB, ~2h total)- Lugano lakeside promenade
- Monte San Salvatore funicular (50% with STP) — panorama over Lake Lugano
- Riva San Vitale & Gandria village by boat (included with STP)
- Overnight Lugano
The light in Ticino is unlike the rest of Switzerland — bring a camera.
- 9
Bernina Express — Lugano to St. Moritz
Bernina Express Route🚆 Lugano → Tirano (Postbus, covered by STP)🚆 Bernina Express: Tirano → St. Moritz (2h 30min scenic)- Bernina Pass summit (2,253 m)
- Morteratsch Glacier view
- Brusio spiral viaduct — UNESCO heritage
- Arrive St. Moritz — overnight
Sit on the right side Tirano → St. Moritz for glacier and spiral viaduct views.
- 10
St. Moritz → Zürich — Departure
Zürich / Departure🚆 St. Moritz → Chur (Rhaetian Bahn, 2h)🚆 Chur → Zürich HB (IC, 1h 20min)🚆 Zürich HB → Airport (10 min)- Optional: Segantini Museum morning
- St. Moritz Lake walk
- Train Chur → Zürich → Airport
- Departure
Pass comparison — 2 adults
Glacier Express reservation (CHF 29–49) and Bernina Express reservation (CHF 14–29) are additional — mandatory regardless of pass. Prices verified quarterly.
| Pass | Price per person | Covers | Excursion discount | Family Card | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Swiss Travel Pass 8-day | CHF 430 | All SBB + MGB + RhB trains, buses, boats — 8 consecutive days | 50% Jungfraujoch, Gornergrad, Rigi, First, Salvatore | Yes — children free | ✓ Best |
| Swiss Travel Pass 15-day | CHF 530 | Full 15-day flexibility — better if you add extra days | 50% on all mountain railways | Yes — children free | Runner-up |
| Half Fare Card + point-to-point | CHF 520–640 | 50% off every ticket — must book each leg | 25% (not the 50% STP discount) | No | Skip |
| Point-to-point (no pass) | CHF 940–1,100 | Exact routes only | None | No | Skip |
Travelling with children?
For 2 adults + 2 children 6–15, the free Family Card saves approximately CHF 860 over 10 days (children travel free on all STP routes + 50% excursion discount). This is the highest-saving itinerary for families.
Calculate for my family →Variations on the 10-day loop
Skip Bernina, add Geneva
If you prefer a western Switzerland focus: swap Lugano + Bernina for Montreux + Geneva (Château de Chillon). Swiss Travel Pass 8-day still wins.
Run this scenario →Winter version
Winter removes some hiking but adds ski access. Ski passes are NOT included in Swiss Travel Pass — but trains to ski resorts are. Our engine accounts for this.
Run this scenario →Solo traveller
Swiss Travel Pass 8-day still wins solo — you lose the family card but the volume of long-distance travel easily covers the pass cost vs. Half Fare Card.
Calculate solo →Get the exact numbers for your travel window
Peak season SDP surcharges can add CHF 60–100 to the total. Enter your dates and get the precise calculation.
Calculate my passes — free