Lauterbrunnen
72 waterfalls, 300m cliffs, and cable cars to Mürren, Schilthorn, and Jungfraujoch.
Switzerland Holidays: Zurich, Lucerne, and Lauterbrunnen Valley
Zurich's Altstadt and Lake Zurich at the foot of the Alps, the 14th-century Chapel Bridge reflected in the Reuss River at Lucerne, and the Lauterbrunnen Valley, a sheer-walled glacial trough with 72 waterfalls and the cable car to Schilthorn's rotating summit restaurant.
Overview of Switzerland
Switzerland covers 41,290 sq km at the heart of Central Europe, landlocked between Germany, France, Italy, Austria, and Liechtenstein. A federal republic of 26 cantons with four official languages, German, French, Italian, and Romansh, it operates on the Swiss franc and is not a member of the EU.
Zurich, on the northern shore of Lake Zurich, is Switzerland's largest city and primary international gateway. The Altstadt holds the Grossmünster, the Kunsthaus Zürich, and the Bahnhofstrasse, one of the world's finest shopping streets. Swiss Federal Railways connect Zurich Hauptbahnhof to Lucerne in 47 minutes.
Lucerne, on the western shore of its namesake lake, is Switzerland's most visited city after Zurich and Geneva. The 14th-century Chapel Bridge is the oldest covered wooden bridge in Europe, the Musegg Wall ramparts are walkable, and Mount Pilatus and Mount Rigi are both within a day's excursion.
Lauterbrunnen, 55 kilometres southeast of Lucerne in the Bernese Oberland, sits on the floor of a glacial valley with sheer 300-metre cliffs and 72 waterfalls including the near-300-metre Staubbach Falls. Cable cars reach Mürren, Wengen, and the Schilthorn's Piz Gloria summit restaurant, while the Jungfraujoch railway climbs to Europe's highest station at 3,454 metres. Begovo arranges every Swiss Pass reservation, cable car booking, and verified mountain stay.
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Travel by Interest
Featured Itineraries
Each plan is a starting point. Tell us whether Zurich, Lucerne's lakes and mountains, or the Lauterbrunnen Valley is the anchor and we build the full Swiss rail itinerary from there.
Curated experiences
Places to Visit
Zurich, Lucerne, and Lauterbrunnen each hold a different Switzerland, and all three connect by direct Swiss Federal Railways train in under two hours from end to end.
Lucerne
Chapel Bridge, Musegg Wall, and day trips to Mount Pilatus and Mount Rigi on Lake Lucerne.
Zurich
medieval Altstadt, Grossmünster, Kunsthaus, Lake Zurich, and Lucerne by direct train in 47 minutes.
Personally inspected
Top Luxury Hotels in Switzerland
Switzerland's finest stays range from Zurich's lake-view palace hotels on the Bahnhofstrasse to Lucerne's historic grand hotels above the Reuss River and mountain lodges above the Lauterbrunnen Valley.
Zurich
Hotel Am Konzerthaus
Lucerne
Altstadt Hotel Krone
Lauterbrunnen
Hotel IMLAUER Wien
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Every begovo journey begins with a conversation, not a catalogue. Whether you are planning a honeymoon, need a luxury family travel agent for school holidays, or travelling solo and looking for the right tour, your dedicated specialist is here before anything is planned.
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Written by our Switzerland Travel Specialists
Best Time to Visit Switzerland
Switzerland has two high seasons: summer for hiking and Alpine lakes, and winter for skiing. Spring and autumn are quieter and more affordable. The Lauterbrunnen Valley waterfalls peak in early summer from snowmelt.
June – August
Summer: Hiking, Lakes, and Open Peaks
Alpine trails above Lauterbrunnen are snow-free from mid-June, Zurich and Lucerne sit between 22 and 28°C, and the waterfalls run at maximum volume through July. The Montreux Jazz Festival runs in early July on Lake Geneva. Book mountain cable car accommodation and Lucerne hotels at least three months ahead for July and August.
- Alpine trails snow-free
- Waterfalls peak volume
- 22–28°C in cities
- Light until 9 pm
December – March
Winter: Skiing, Snow, and Christmas Markets
Grindelwald and Wengen above Lauterbrunnen rank among the Alps' finest ski resorts, with the Jungfrau region covering 213 kilometres of piste. Zurich and Lucerne hold excellent Christmas markets in December, and city hotel rates drop to their lowest in January and February. Book ski resort properties at least four months ahead for Christmas and New Year.
- Jungfrau 213 km piste
- Christmas markets
- City hotels cheapest Jan–Feb
- Book 4 months ahead
September – October
Autumn: Harvest, Foliage, and Empty Trails
September is Switzerland's finest shoulder month: summer crowds clear, trail conditions hold through mid-October, and autumn foliage across the Bernese Oberland is extraordinary. Zurich and Lucerne stay warm and walkable with no booking pressure. The Swiss grape harvest runs through October in the Valais and Lake Geneva wine regions.
- Best hiking September
- Autumn foliage peak
- Cities warm, uncrowded
- Swiss harvest in October
April – May
Spring: Wildflowers, Waterfalls, and Low Prices
Lower Alpine meadows bloom from late April and the Lauterbrunnen waterfalls begin building from snowmelt. Temperatures rise from 10°C in April to 18°C in May, and hotel rates are among the year's lowest. Note that most high-altitude cable cars remain closed until mid-June, making spring better suited to city breaks and lower-valley walks than summit hikes.
- Alpine wildflowers April
- Waterfalls building
- Lowest city rates
- Cable cars closed until June
from the field
Stories and Inspiration
Every journey begins with a single step off the familiar path. These are dispatches from the edges of the map. Stories of temples found at dawn, coastlines driven at dusk, and the strangers who became guides. Not itineraries. Not reviews. Just the moments that made us stop, look around, and think: this is why we travel.
April 30, 2026
5 min read
How Specialists Build a Switzerland Itinerary: Sequencing the Alps, Cities, and Scenic Rail
A specialist‑built Switzerland itinerary starts in Zurich, moves …
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April 30, 2026
5 min read
The Best Time to Visit Switzerland: Zurich, Lucerne, and the Alps by Season
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"To awaken quite alone in a strange town is one of the pleasantest sensations in the world."
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