Bönigen and La Tour-de-Peilz

Flight from the UK to Zurich airport with rail travel to Interlaken (approximately 2 hours 15) and taxi transfer to Bönigen (10 minutes).

Check in to your hotel and enjoy your first look around Bönigen. This quiet village has the most enviable location on the shore of Lake Brienz. Take a stroll along the water's edge, or you could even hop onto one of the lake cruisers, which call at the boat station several times through the day. 

Helpful links 

Bönigen resort page & hotel

Bernese Oberland excursions

Today you may like to venture into the mountains. It’s a short journey to Brienz (by train or boat) and here you can join the Brienzer Rothorn steam train. This heritage cogwheel railway opened in 1892 and is a favourite excursion in the region. The train takes you firstly up to Planalp at 1,341m and then to the summit of the Brienzer Rothorn at 2,350m. Up here you can take in the amazing panorama over 693 peaks! There are several well maintained walking trails to enjoy, including a 3 and a half hour walk back down to Brienz if you wish. The restaurant at the summit offers hearty lunches is a wonderful place to relax and enjoy the view. 

On your third day we can recommend a trip to see Lake Thun, which lies at the other end of nearby Interlaken. You will note that this lake has a different colour to Lake Brienz. It is the larger of the two and well worth enjoying on another lake cruise. Join a boat at Interlaken West – if you time it right, this will be the restored paddlewheel steamer, a real treat! You can stay on board for a full trip around the lake and enjoy the views of the water and the mountains which surround it. Alternatively you may like to disembark at one of the stops along the way – Spiez and Thun itself are both highlights, with castles and other historical buildings, restaurant and shops. Later that day, you could walk from the Interlaken boat station to the Harder Kulm funicular. The views from this mountain, especially from the ‘Two Lakes’ Bridge’ are unforgettable. 

Your last full day in the area. How about a visit to the town of Meiringen, a charming little place around half an hour away. The town has strong links with Sherlock Holmes and you can visit the nearby Reichenbach Falls – setting for the famous detective’s showdown with Moriarty. A wooden funicular (replica of the 1899 original) takes you up to the impressive 120m falls. You can buy a combined ticket for the Falls and the Aare Gorge, which is another natural wonder – carved by water over millennia. It’s a half hour bus ride between the two and well worth visiting. There is an accessible 1km path through the Gorge, as well as 400m of tunnels and galleries to explore. 

Today you transfer from Lake Brienz to Lake Geneva! A train journey via Spiez and Visp to Vevey will take around two and half hours, so there will be plenty of time to have a look around your resort of La Tour-de-Peilz on arrival. This is a little village just outside Vevey where you can find tranquillity, a small marina, lovely lake views and great food. 

Wake up beside Lake Geneva and you might not want to venture too far from its shores today. Why not head to Vevey – you can walk, or take public transport (4 minutes by rail, 17 minutes by bus). Vevey offers elegance on the water’s edge where you can browse through the boutiques and enjoy a coffee with a lake view. Vevey is home to Nestlé and you could explore the company’s interactive Alimentarium attraction, and for many years was home to Charlie Chaplin – visit his house and the museum which has been created there. After lunch, take the train to one of the Lavaux vineyard villages. Vines have been flourishing here for centuries – see them growing in the sunny terraces beside the lake and be sure to call in for a taste of the locally produced wine. The region is protected by UNESCO World Heritage status and is sure to delight.  

Named for the Seven Sisters constellation, Les Pléiades makes for a delightful trip. From Vevey, a mountain railway takes you up to 1,348m, with scenic views on the way. At the summit you can follow a path through an outdoor, interactive exhibit dedicated to astronomy. There are seven walking paths up here as well which you may enjoy with a picnic en route. Alternatively, you may like to settle down for lunch at the restaurant with its traditional chalet ambiance. The menu includes typical Swiss dishes such as fondue, rösti, meringues and tasty seasonal delights. On the way back down the mountain, you might like to try Nordic walking – alight at Blonay station, where you can hire poles. 

Au revoir to the pleasures of Lake Geneva. If your flight is from Geneva, there’s just a 90 minute train ride to the airport so you’ll have time to relax in the morning. Zurich airport is a little further away but still with easy rail connections for your flight to the UK.