TOUR SUMMARY

• Duration: 22 days starting in Luzern and finishing in Graz
• Trip focus: Moderately active walking tour. Enjoy day hikes in the Alps, and off the beaten track areas in Austria and Italy
• Accommodation: 21 nights comfortable hotels and family run bed and breakfasts twin share, possible 1 or 2 nights mountain huts multi share
• Transport: train, bus and boat
• Group Size: Min 4, Max 11 + S.E.T. tour leader

TOUR HIGHLIGHTS

• Lake Luzern and Pilatus mountain railway excursion
• Wander the coastal walkway of the Cinque Terre and its colourful villages
• Spend time in the ancient walled city of Lucca and visit Pisa
• Sample a real Swiss fondue
• Enjoy spectacular walks around Zermatt and the famous Matterhorn
• Hike with the locals off the beaten track in Austria and Italy
• Ride Europe’s highest cog railway
• Stay in a little known Austrian village with spectacular scenery
• Walk through the stunning Italian Dolomites
• Enjoy a unique visit to the tour leader’s family winery in Austria

ITINERARY

DAY 1.
Arrival Day Luzern. Short welcome meeting and dinner in one of the lovely riverside outdoor restaurants.

DAY 2.
Traverse the lake on one of the original paddle steamers and then ride the cog railway up to Mount Pilatus for spectacular views and a short hike for a picnic lunch stop. From the top we take a cable car down the other side and/or walk part of the way through picturesque mountain scenery, forests and there’s even time to stop for a beer at in a mountain pub on the way.

DAY 3.
This morning you have another opportunity to savour the medieval town center of Luzern, before we depart on a beautiful train trip over the Brunning Pass to Interlaken and Grindelwald. Our base for the next few days in the Jungfrau region. Enjoy an afternoon walk to the stunning glacier gorge of Grindelwald.

DAY 4 & 5
From here we include a visit to the uniquely U shaped valley of Lauterbrunnen and the Trummelbach Falls which drain the Eiger, Monch and Jungfrau mountains. Ride up an elevator inside the mountain to see them! A stunning train ride up to Jungfrau Joch, the highest cog railway in Europe takes us though the north wall of the Eiger mountain as we gain height. At the top, the glacier stretches for miles out behind the Monch, and there are ice caves complete with sculptures. Walks in this region can include the spectacular Eiger Trail underneath the north face, or a walk towards Lauterbrunnen through alpine pastures. Or the famous hike towards the North Face of the Eiger. 

DAY 6 & 7
After a four hour traverse of Switzerland to the mountain village of Zermatt, home of the famous Matterhorn. We will hopefully be rewarded with a sunset glimpse of this majestic peak. Our day walk with plenty of rests and photo opportunities takes us up the lower sunny slopes and through a forest with spectacular views of the Matterhorn.

DAY 8 & 9
Our train journey today takes us through the alps, into Italy and on to Vernazza, one of the five Cinque Terre villages where we stay for the next two nights. The area is so unique that it has been named a UNESCO world heritage site and is a group of five fishing villages clinging to the cliffs overlooking the ocean. Our main hike takes us along the ancient pathway joining the villages of Monterosso, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola and Riomaggiore. We will walk among the steep terraces that allow for cultivation of olives, grapes, and chestnut trees.

DAY 10
Enjoy a leisurely breakfast and a swim in the bay, or spend a further morning exploring the region around Vernazza then it’s only a couple of short train rides to the ancient city of Lucca, hemmed in by 16th century ramparts and laced with cobblestone streets. There is time to visit Pisa, only 40 minutes away by bus.

DAY 11
The best way to get around Lucca is by bike, as cars are not allowed on many of the streets within the wall. For fabulous views and a great morning walk, bike or run, the 5km loop on the top of the ramparts was once a racetrack and is now paved and tree lined. Or enjoy a walk through the Tuscan hills with wine and olive oil tasting.

DAY 12
Morning train to Trento and bus to our hotel on the slopes of Monte Bondone. This is an area famous for its scenery, wine making and medieval town with underground Roman ruins.

DAY 13 & 14
Spend time walking in the Three Peaks area for dramatic views. A day can be spent exploring Trento. It has ancient Roman ruins under the museum and remnants of a town wall, a castle and one of the best pizzeria/breweries in northern Italy. Or hike more spectacular trails in the region.

DAY 15
A 3 hour train journey takes us to Austria for the start of our stay at Neustift in the magnificent Stubai Valley. Here we stay in a lovely family owned B&B. On our first night a leisurely 1hour walk takes us to a typical restaurant in the forest, for a feature dinner of their autumn treats

DAY 16, 17 & 18
We take the road less traveled and hike to the alpine club mountain huts throughout the valley. Most of the hikes to the huts are no more than 2 hours each way and we can actually go from hut to hut over rocky mountain passes and some spectacular scenery. These huts are a cozy moutnain retreat, accommodating up to 130 guests so it’s always a lively atmosphere and a great way to meet the locals.

DAY 19
This morning we board our train to Graz. It’s a scenic journey through central Austria an afternoon arrival where we’ll be picked up and taken to our accommodation which, depending on group size, will be a couple of home stays near the tour leader’s family winery, or a small Pension in the town of Weiz.

DAY 20 & 21
Our final days in Austria are a truly local experience, thanks to the tour leader's friends and family. Here we enjoy a walk through a river gorge rather than mountains, outside of Weiz. One walk ends at the tour leader’s family farm for a lunch made entirely of home produced goods. From the meat, to the very tasty apple cider! Time to let your hair down on our last evening together. This special evening in a typical winery or “Buschenschank” as it’s called. You'll be treated to local Styrian food,  traditions and the hospitality of the tour leader's family.

DAY 22
Choose flights which either fly out of Graz or take the 2 ½ hour train journey to Vienna to connect with a flight there. If flying from Vienna, please do not schedule a flight before 1pm.

IS THIS ADVENTURE FOR YOU?

This walking tour takes in some of the European Alps most spectacular scenery while also getting off the beaten track and giving you opportunities to get to know the locals. This is not your average tour and is designed to be a unique and personal experience in some otherwise well touristed areas. You will get to eat local food, spend time with local families and walk through areas known mostly to locals.

You will enjoy it more if you are relatively fit and healthy, and are able to comfortably walk 4 to 6hrs on hilly terrain. We travel on the European trains which are fast, clean and efficient. However this means you must be able to handle moving your own luggage around train stations, many with steps, and onto trains. There are no porters to take care of your gear and it's very important that you can walk from platform to platform without requiring help with your bags.

Typically the hotels have private facilities, though in the smaller B&B's you may have an apartment style room with one bathroom for two bedrooms. If we choose to stay in a mountain hut, there will be one multi-share night, with shared bathrooms. Be prepared to deal with what the weather has in store, sun, rain, snow or wind. It’s all part of the experience.

WHAT IS INCLUDED IN THE TOUR PRICE ... pretty much everything!

• Lake Luzern boat, rail trip to Mount Pilatus
• Excurision to Trummelbach falls
• Cog railway ride to Jungfraujoch
• Swiss Fondue dinner
• Biligual tour leader
• Cinque Terre UNESCO World Heritage site and walks
• Local farm and winery visit in Austria
• Walks throughout Switzerland, Austria and Italy as specified
• All land transport during the itinerary.
• The cost of entry for all scheduled tours.
• 3 highlight dinners and all meals as listed B,L,D in the trip dossier
• Photo CD of trip
• All hotel, B&B and apartment accommodation* (on a twin share basis including meals as specified).
  * Additional accommodations can be arranged at the clients’ request

PAYING LOCALLY

Most of our adventure tours involve a local payment. Paying locally allows us to keep the overall cost of our tours competitive and pass the savings on to you. These funds are put towards local expenses.

All prices are approximates and subject to currency fluctuations until final payment has been made.