May itinerary St.Gallen, Zermatt, Wengen, Lucerne
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Hi All,
I’m working on planning our itinerary for our first ever trip to Switzerland, and we couldn’t be more excited! We’re coming from Seattle, WA and will be in Switzerland the first two weeks of May. I know it is shoulder season, which means less crowds but also less options available. We land in Zurich and are renting a car for the first few days and driving through southern Germany and Northeastern Switzerland. Below please find our tentative itinerary.
Any and all comments and suggestions welcome….
4/29:
Arrive in Zurich at 8:25am
Explore Zurich:
-Alstadt (old town)
-Bahnhofstrasse
-Frau Gerolds Garten and Gerold Cuchi Umbrellas
4/30:
Take shuttle to airport and rent a car
Southern Germany
5/1:
Southern Germany
5/2:
Drive to Wasseraun and park car
Take Cable Car from Wasseraun-Ebenalp
Wildkirchli Caves
Berggasthaus Aescher-Wildkirchli
Drive to Schwagalp Santis Schwebebahn
Take cable car up the mountain
Old Santis is restaurant on top of mountain
Stay in Urnasch
5/3:
Drive to St. Gallen and visit Abbey Library
Drive to Zurich Airport to return rental car by Noon
Take train to Zermatt
Take Gorgnerat bahn to Gorgnerat OR
Kleine Matterhorn to Matterhorn Glacier Paradise
<Peak to peak is CLOSED>
Back down to Zermatt
Stay in Zermatt
5/4:
Train from Zermatt to Jungfrau Region (Staying 4 nights in Wengen)
5/4, 5/5, 5/6 and 5/7: Activities interchangeable based on weather
Day 1:
Wengen to Muerren
Muerren to Schilthorn
Piz Gloria
Thrill Walk
Schilthorn to Gimmelwald
Gimmelwald to Stechelberg
Trummelbach Falls
Walk through the valley of 72 waterfalls to Lauterbrunnen
Back to Wengen
Day 2:
Wengen to Kleine Scheidigg
Kleine Scheidigg to Jungfraujoch
Jungfraujoch to Grindelwald
Grindelwald to First Cliff Walk
Either First Mountain Cart or Trottibike Scooter down the mountain
Explore Grindelwald then back to Wengen
Day 3:
St Beatus Caves
Harder Kulm
Two Lakes Bridge
Boat on Lake Brienz – visit Giessbach falls
Oberhofen castle
Day 4:
Train to Kandersteg
Hike to Oeschinsee Lake
Chocolate making workshop – Interlaken (funkychocolateclub.com /workshops/)
5/8:
Take the train from Wengen to Lauterbrunnen to Meiringen
Leave luggage at Meiringen station
Walk to Aare Gorge
Skip Riechenbach Falls
Train to Lucerne, stay in Lucerne
(Do the things listed for the 10th if decide to do Andermatt and Gotthard Pass trip on the 10th)
5/9:
Take the Burgenstock shuttle boat from Lucerne to Kehrsiten – Burgenstock
Take funicular to Burgenstock resort
Explore and have lunch at Burgenstock resort
Bergenstock Felsenweg hike to Hammetschwand lift
From the top, walk to Villa Honegg
Spa 7pm – 11pm
Make it back to Burgenstock in time to catch last funicular and boat back to Lucerne (11:30pm). Stay in Lucerne
5/10:
OPTION 1:
Breakfast in Old Town Lucerne
Boat to Brunnen
Swiss Army Knife Museum and Visitor Center
Boat back to Lucerne
Lion Monument
Chapel Bridge
Jesuit Church
Explore Lucerne
Train from Lucerne to Zurich airport
Stay in Zurich
OPTION 2: (also can be done on 5/11)
Train to Andermatt
Rent via ferrata gear
Bus to Diavolo via ferrata
Return gear
Bus to gotthard pass to:
I assume the bus stops at the pass itself, near the restaurants and hotels. It’s not a long walk to the look-out. Just south of Lago die Bianchi, just off the main (not busy) road is the view.
Train to Zurich. Stay in Zurich.
5/11:
Train to Stein am Rhein and Rhein Falls
Train back to Zurich. Stay in Zurich
5/12:
Shuttle to Zurich Airport
Depart at 10:15am
Questions:
Via Ferrata Diavolo – this is the only via ferrata I could find for beginners that will be open in May. Do you recommend? Good views?
Tremola – Gotthard Pass: I am really wanting a view of the Tremola, does it sound doable in the itinerary as such?
Oeschinsee Lake: Sounds like the Gondola won’t be open to the lake yet, but the hike to the lake sounds to be pretty doable. Do you recommend in May, weather permitting?
Closures due to season, so sad 🙁
Murren via ferrata – closed
Schynige Platt – closed
Aletch Glacier – closed
Mannlichen – closed
Panoramaweg – closed
Rhone Glacier ice cave – closed
Trift Bridge – closed – especially sad about this one
So this is as it stands currently. I will do the calculations as to what rail pass to purchase once we’ve finalized the itinerary.
I very much welcome your feedback!
Thank you so much!
Lana
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