Swiss Christmas in Zermatt Tour
11 Amazing Days
- Leisurely 2 and 4 night stays
- Stay in authentic, character style hotels
- Genuinely inclusive, no additional on tour costs
- Guaranteed 'My Time'
- Designed for Australians & New Zealanders
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Small group size - now capped at 28!
Tour Overview
Imagine relaxing this Christmas in a charming chalet style hotel in the Swiss Alps, surrounded by snow covered peaks. Ride on the Gornergrat funicular to enjoy dramatic views across to the magnificent Matterhorn, discover the Christmas Markets of baroque Salzburg and Innsbruck, explore the stunning Austrian Lakes District and ride on the famous Glacier Express!
Highlights
- Celebrate Christmas over 4 nights in the first class Alex hotel, in snow drenched Zermatt, surrounded by soaring peaks of the high Swiss Alps and beside the mighty Matterhorn
- Relax and pamper yourself over Christmas in the excellent fitness, spa and wellness centre of your delightful chalet style hotel
- Savour the fabulous Christmas Markets in Munich, Salzburg, Innsbruck and Lindau
- Savour special festive dinners including Christmas Eve and Christmas Day dinners, and a farewell dinner in Luzern
- Stay 2 nights in Fuschl in the Austrian Lakes District, enjoy a hot drink and biscuits in Salzburg and visit the ‘Silent Night Chapel’
- Explore medieval Innsbruck
- Stay 2 nights in Appenzell, visit historic Lindau and enjoy a horse drawn carriage ride
- Glide through the Swiss Alps in the Glacier Express panoramic train carriages from Chur to Zermatt
- Ride on the Gornergrat funicular and see the mighty Matterhorn at 3,100 metres and enjoy a mulled wine at the Kulmhotel surrounded by dozens of 4,000 metre high peaks
- Enjoy a walking tour of Zermatt’s historical old town
A Swiss Christmas in Zermatt is just one of many tours you can enjoy in Austria, Germany or Switzerland. Visit each destination page for more information for our other amazing tours!
Hear about this tour first hand from an Albatross traveller - read about Les and his wife's experience on this tour.
Tour Itinerary
Day 1: Munich
Your tour commences this evening in cosmopolitan Munich. Shopping is always excellent in Munich – particularly around the town hall and the decorated wooden Christmas Market stalls. Before your Bavarian style buffet dinner enjoy a welcome drink in the hotel.
Meals:
D
Hotel:
Maritim Hotel
Day 2: Mondsee, stunning Hallstatt and Fuschl in the Austrian Lakes district
A leisurely start as we cross into Austria to spend lunchtime in Mondsee on Lake Mondsee, and visit the church made famous in the wedding scene of the film ‘The Sound of Music’. Later we drive deep into the Lakes District and visit Hallstatt. Set on a rocky terrace jutting into the quiet dark water of the lake surrounded by towering peaks, this is considered the oldest inhabited village in Europe and perhaps the most beautiful in Austria. Our home for the next two nights is Fuschl in the Lakes District. This evening join in a torchlit village walk followed by mulled wine.
Meals:
B
D
Hotel:
Hotel Mohrenwirt
Day 3: The Silent Night Chapel, Salzburg sightseeing, ‘My Time’ and Christmas Markets
Today includes a full day excursion to Salzburg. Our first stop is at the nearby village of Oberndorf where we visit the famous ‘Silent Night Chapel’ on the site where the Christmas carol was first performed. We then continue onto Salzburg – the baroque city of Mozart sitting beneath its enormous Festung (Fortress).
A walking tour with an expert local guide will introduce you to this enchanting city, including several locations used in the film ‘The Sound of Music’. As a finalé you will gather amongst the fir trees in the small stone courtyard of the St Peter’s Keller, dating back to the 1500’s and Salzburg’s oldest restaurant, for a hot drink and biscuits. The rest of the day is free to enjoy the city. Maybe take time to visit the huge castle which is fascinating, or savour the atmosphere of the famous Salzburg Christmas Markets.
Meals:
B
D
Hotel:
Hotel Mohrenwirt
Day 4: ‘My Time’ and Christmas Markets in Innsbruck and delightful Appenzell
A leisurely day as we follow the spectacular Inn Valley across the Tyrol to reach the Winter Olympic resort of Innsbruck mid morning. You will have plenty of time to explore the old town with its famous ‘Golden Roof’ and Christmas Markets. After lunchtime we continue past St Anton and through The Arlberg Tunnel into the Appenzell Region of Switzerland. Surrounded by undulating fields, hills and mountains, Appenzell is old fashioned even by Swiss standards being full of well-preserved 16th-century buildings, including some delightfully painted wooden houses. We stay here two nights.
Meals:
B
D
Hotel:
Hotel Hecht
Day 5: A horse drawn carriage ride in Neu St Johann & St Gallen
This morning we drive over the mountains to Neu St Johann to enjoy a delightful horse drawn carriage ride through the countryside. Lunchtime is at leisure in the beautifully preserved town of St Gallen. A highlight will be an included visit to the 1,000 year old, UNESCO World heritage listed Stiftsbibliothek. This historic, wooden panelled library houses over 160,000 books and manuscripts, some of which date back as far as the 8th century. Your afternoon is at leisure in Appenzell before dinner in your hotel.
Meals:
B
D
Hotel:
Hotel Hecht
Day 6: The Glacier Express train to world famous Zermatt
At Chur we board the famous Glacier Express train which takes us along the ‘Valais’ through Switzerland’s finest mountain scenery to the world famous alpine resort of Zermatt, where we stay the next four magical nights over Christmas. Set at an altitude of 1,620 metres (5,310 ft), the village is surrounded by dozens of huge Alpine peaks and dominating all is the mighty Matterhorn. Petrol-driven vehicles are banned from the village and as such the peace and quiet enhances the wooden chalets and small winding village streets. Stunning!
Meals:
B
D
Hotel:
Hotel National
Day 7: Zermatt walking tour and ‘My Time’
This morning your Tour Manager will escort you on an orientation walk of this fascinating mountain retreat, from its modern chic apartments and hotels to little winding streets still lined with traditional stone and slate hamlets and cottages. The rest of the day is free to relax in the crisp clean air. Perhaps explore the town or go for a walk on the 70 kilometres of winter trails along the valley.
Meals:
B
Hotel:
Hotel National
Day 8: Ride the cog railway to the Gornergrat and see the mighty Matterhorn
Christmas Eve! To celebrate, we have included a ride on the Gornergrat funicular train (cog railway) up to the highest open air railway station in Europe – the Gornergrat. At 3,100 metres (10,170 feet) the view from the top across the Alps is beyond belief. We have also included a warming hot drink on the terrace of the Kulmhotel restaurant, surrounded by one of the great vistas of the world – the mighty Matterhorn and the 28 other 4,000 metre high peaks that surround you. Tonight we continue the celebrations with a wonderful four course Christmas Eve dinner in our hotel.
Meals:
B
D
Hotel:
Hotel National
Day 9: Christmas Day – ‘My Time’ in an Alpine paradise
Christmas Day! What a magnificent location to relax and do as much, or as little, as you want! Whether you are a ‘super active snow sports’ person or a ‘take it easy and relax’ person there are numerous activities you can enjoy, and your Tour Manager will be at hand to assist and advise you. You will be in the heart of the Matterhorn glacier paradise and the whole valley and mountainside is alive with activity. There are numerous cable cars and lifts that can whisk you up the mountains. At virtually all ‘drop off’ points there are restaurants, cafés and observation points – usually with extraordinary panoramic views spanning the jagged Alps.
Perhaps take a cable car up to the Klein Matterhorn. At 3,883 metres, it is the highest cable car station in Europe. From here you can clearly see Europe’s highest mountain Mont Blanc (4,810 metres) which is in France, and the summit of the Gran Paradiso in Italy. Alternatively, catch a lift to Rotenboden and visit the igloo village where you can enjoy a Swiss cheese fondue or a ‘white igloo mulled wine’ in the ice bar. The toboggan ride down to Zermatt also starts from here! A five course Christmas Day dinner is included at your hotel.
Meals:
B
D
Hotel:
Hotel National
Day 10: Chateau Chillon, Montreux and Luzern
Driving to Montreux on Lake Geneva, we have included entrance and a guided tour through the beautifully preserved Château Chillon. Later we journey on to the lovely lake-side town of Luzern with its covered wooden bridges. Tonight enjoy a farewell dinner.
Meals:
B
D
Hotel:
Hotel Schweizerhof
Day 11: Luzern
Your Christmas tour comes to a close and it is time to say farewell. For those of you joining one of our wonderful New Year Tours that begin in Munich or Milan, the good news is, we have arranged complimentary Group transfers on 28 December.
Meals:
B
Incredible Value Inclusions
- All excursions, scenic drives, sightseeing, train journeys and entrances as described
- Fully escorted by our experienced Tour Manager
- Travel in a first class air conditioned touring coach
- 10 nights authentic, specially selected hotel accommodation as described
- Hotel porterage (1 suitcase pp)
- Free use of fitness, spa and wellness centre in your
- Welcome drink in Munich
- 19 Meals – Buffet breakfast daily (B) and 9 evening dinners (D)
- A complimentary wine, beer or soft drink with all included dinners
- Tea and coffee with all included dinners
- Local guides as described in the itinerary
- Personal audio system whilst on tour
- Free WiFi at hotels
- End of tour tips to Tour Manager and Driver, tips for local guides
Your Hotels
Maritim Hotel, Munich - 1 Night
This 4 star hotel is in a superb location in the city centre just a few minutes' walk from the main pedestrian shopping mall.
Hotel Mohrenwirt, Fuschl - 2 Nights
Hotel Mohrenwirt is located in the centre of Fuschl am See in the Salzkammergut region. Family-run since 1846, it provides a sauna, a steam bath, a relaxation room, and a roof terrace with mountain views.
Hotel Hecht, Appenzell - 2 Nights
Centrally located in the historic and charming town centre. All hotel rooms feature a private bathroom and are equipped with a television.
Hotel National, Zermatt - 4 Nights
This distinctly first class hotel is superbly located in the heart of the stunning village of Zermatt.
Hotel Schweizerhof, Luzern - 1 Night
This superb 5 star hotel is located on the banks of the Lake, in the heart of Luzern’s old town.
Tour Reviews
I have just arrived home after the 2011 Christmas in a Swiss Spa Resort and New Year in Paris Tours with Albatross.
Firstly I would like to congratulate Albatross for the overall excellence in tour management. It was my first tour with Albatross and right from the start I was very impressed with the professionalism and attention to detail especially on the Christmas tour. I have travelled extensively over the years on different tours and must say Albatross has surpassed all my expectations and I would highly recommend them to my friends in the future.
Our tour guide and just a gem. She is on the ball the whole time and tried to cater to all the different needs of many different personalities. She has researched her regions very well and was most informative to us while travelling on the coach. Not to mention her great personality and sense of humour which kept all the Australians quite amused. She also made sure everyone was settled in ok and happy. The Christmas tour was just fabulous with plenty of snow and I was amazed that each new day something more exciting was in store for us. Our coach driver also did a fantastic job and kept everyone relaxed and safe.
Donna
