Switzerland 9 days Lucerne & Interlaken

Hi,

Me and my wife are planning to visit Switzerland from Aug 27 to Sept 4 (for about 9 days and 8 nights). This is going to be our first visit to this great place.

We are reaching Zurich Airport on 27th morning around 08:30 a.m. In order to cover places like Jungfraujoch , Titlis, Pilatus, Mt Regis, Glacier Express train ride (not the whole trip, just part of it), Lake Lucerne, a bit of Basel or Bern, Gornergrat Bahn (Zermatt) Matterhorn, looking for best cable car experience , Bernina Express or Glacier express.

We need suggestions as how to make best of use of our stay and time, how much and what could be covered, what to skip and what to include in the above list. How many nights we should stay in Lucerne and what could be covered from Lucerne and how many nights in interlaken or any other place to see these?

We are flexible and open to suggestions from the experts since we have no idea and very open minded. Also we would appreciate if you could suggest on the accommodation bargains on the hotels. Which cities we should stay and which cities we could skip. We are planning on taking 8 day swiss pass, but we are left with one more day, so what is the best way to manage the 8 day swiss pass, our return flight from Zurich is on Sept 4th around 5:30 p.m.

We really appreciate the trip plan for us in all aspects.

Thank you

Hi chandraks, welcome to MySwissAlps!

There are lots and lots of options for a 9 day itinerary. Here are some thoughts:

• if you stay in both Lucerne and Interlaken (or a nearby town), you will be able to cover quite some of your destinations as day trips from both bases, without having to change hotels too often. Lucerne allows for day trips to Pilatus, Rigi, Titlis, Lake Lucerne and further regional activities. From the Interlaken region you'll be able to visit Zermatt/Gornergrat in one day and make a trip to Bern. You'll even be able to do part of the Glacier Express (please see the recommendations under "Don't have time to do the full trip?" here). And don't forget about the Jungfrau region either;
• alternatively, you can create an itinerary with several base towns along the way, allowing you to include the Bernina Express as well. A rough travel route would look like this: Zurich - Chur/St. Moritz for the Bernina Express trip - Glacier Express to Zermatt and visit the Gornergrat there - travel to Interlaken or Lucerne for local day trips - back to Zurich;
• an 8 day Swiss Travel Pass is probably the best option for your plans. If you end your stay in Zurich on day 8, you can cover some local sightseeing in or near Zurich with an additional ZurichCard.

Our general planning tips will be of help too. Once your itinerary is set and you know what towns you're interested in, you're welcome to ask for hotel guidance in our accommodation forum. You can start off with exploring our budget hotels selection.

Thank you Annika for the information, I will read and get back to you if I have more questions