City of mountains, lakes and chocolates - Switzerland!

Chillon Castle!

Switzerland has always fascinated me with its natural beauty and culture, so I was thrilled to choose this country for our vacation. We decided to visit four amazing cities (based on some recommendations) in 10 days. Sharing below our full itinerary:

Geneva (2 days/3 nights): Our Swiss adventure began in Geneva, where we found a convenient flight from Paris. We also had a friend in Geneva who welcomed us and gave us some tips for our trip. We enjoyed wandering around the Old Town and seeing its sights at a leisurely pace, and thus got enough time to get over jet lag and the time difference. Our Airbnb was at a convenient location close to the Old Town and many restaurants were within walking distance. After Geneva, we traveled by train to the other cities using the Swiss Travel Pass. We were mesmerized by the scenic views of the Swiss Alps, the crystal-clear lakes and the charming Swiss cows along the way. The scenic train rides were the highlight of our trip!

Mesmerizing views from the top of Interlaken - Harder Kulm!

Turquoise color lake - Lake Brienz!

Interlaken (2 days/3 nights) : Day 1: We started our Switzerland adventure by visiting Bern, the charming capital city that lies on the banks of a river. We walked around the old town, admiring the medieval architecture, the historic bridges and fountains, and the impressive clock tower. Its also home to many filming locations of Bollywood director Yash Chopra, so we had fun spotting them along the way. For those who love thrill and scenery, you can also try skydiving over the Swiss Alps from here.

Day 2: We took a short funicular ride from Interlaken to reach Harder Kulm, a viewpoint that offers stunning views of Interlaken, Lake Brienz and Jungfrau Mountain. We were lucky to have a clear sunny day and enjoyed the panorama from the observation deck. After a quick lunch, we boarded a train to Lausanne, the Olympic capital of the world. We explored the city on Lake Geneva and visited the Olympic Museum, which was very interactive and educational. We also had some difficulty finding vegetarian food in Lausanne, so we were glad we brought some snacks with us.

Day 3: We headed to Grindelwald, a popular picturesque village surrounded by mountains and snowy peaks with traditional chalets, shops, restaurants and hotels and town easily explorable on foot . We took a cable car to Grindelwald-First and did the first cliff walk, a suspended bridge that offers breathtaking views of the valley and the glaciers. It was very crowded, so we had to wait for a while to get a photo at the edge of the cliff. On our way back, we decided to hike down instead of taking the cable car again, which turned out to be a long and steep descent. The kids were exhausted by the end of it, regardless, we had a wonderful time soaking in 360-degree views of the alps.

Grindelwald is easily accessible from Interlaken through a short train ride of around 30 minutes using Swiss train/travel pass. The train ride is a delight in itself, we enjoyed the stunning views of the green valleys and the snowy peaks along the way.

Also, if you want to see Mt Jungfrau, you’ll need an entire day for the visit. We chose Mt Pilatus instead, because it's more fun for kids and closer to Lucerne (our next destination). But you can pick any mountain you like, just be flexible because the weather up there can change a lot and impact your views.

Hiking through the Swiss Alps!

Lucerne (2 days/3 nights) Day1: We started our adventure at Lucerne from Kriens, where we took a panoramic gondola ride to the top of Mt Pilatus. The gondola ride was breathtaking, as we could see the lush green valleys and the sparkling lakes below us. Along the way, we stopped at two mountain stations that had kid friendly activities. The first one was Krienseregg, where our younger child enjoyed playing at the Dragon Moor playground and the petting zoo. The second one was Fräkmüntegg, where our older one had a blast on the the rope park. From Fräkmüntegg, we took the final cableway called the Dragon Ride to reach the summit of Pilatus. The Dragon Ride was an exhilarating experience, as it felt like we were literally flying over the clouds and the mountains. The views were spectacular, and we could see the peaks as it was a bright day. For our descent from Mt.Pilatus to Lucerne we took the steepest cogwheel in the world to the Alpnachstad train station.

Mt. Pilatus cogwheel!

Chapel Bridge - Lucerne Landmark

Day 2: In Lucerne, Our day was mostly spent leisurely strolling in and around the cobbled streets of Old Town. Its a charming city located in the heart of Switzerland with a historic Chapel Bridge along the river Ruess. It feels like stepping into a fantasy world or teleported to a medieval era with colorful buildings and the view of the town and the river from the Chapel Bridge is mesmerizing to say the least. Off all the cities we visited in Europe we adored Lucerne the most!. We also spent couple of hours visiting the Lion monument the beautiful Glacier Garden and the Jesuit church. We decided to explore Lucerne and its surroundings. Its a charming city that lies on the banks of the river Reuss and has a lot of historical and cultural attractions. One of them is the Chapel Bridge, which is a wooden bridge that crosses the river and has paintings depicting scenes from Swiss history on its roof. The bridge is also decorated with colorful flowers and offers a lovely view of the city and the river. Another attraction that we visited was the Lion Monument, which is a sculpture of a dying lion carved into a rock face. We also visited the Glacier Garden, which is a museum that showcases the natural history of Lucerne and Switzerland. The museum has exhibits of fossils, minerals etc. that were formed during the Ice Age. There is also a mirror maze that was fun to get lost in and kids enjoyed it a lot. Our last stop was a stunning church from the 1600s. It's called Jesuit Church and it's one of the many we saw on our trip.

Old Town!

Zurich (1 day/1night): We wrapped up our Swiss adventure with a night at Hotel Adler, a charming hotel in the heart of Old Town. We loved being able to walk everywhere and explore the historic streets and buildings. We enjoyed the scenic views of Lake Zurich and did some shopping at clothing stores like H&M (they had more options than in the US) and, of course, we got some delicious Swiss chocolates for our trip back😊.

Pros

• One of the best things about traveling in Switzerland is the public transport system and one of the best ways to enjoy Switzerland is by train. Highly recommend taking the Swiss travel pass this was a lifesaver for us, allowed us to explore as much as possible without worrying about buying tickets every time. It also covers scenic trains, boats, and cable cars, which are a must-do in Switzerland. You can buy the pass online or at any train station.

• We loved the pristine water fountains, ringing of the church bells every hour, historical charm and beautiful landscapes to soak in, it’s like living in a postcard!

• Also, the train stations have lockers of varied sizes (small to large though limited) at affordable rates for storing the suitcases and allowed us to explore the town with only our backpacks. The lockers are safe and easy to use, and one can pay with cash or card.

• If you’re a chocolate fan (like me), Switzerland is the place to satisfy your taste buds for life! It’s famous for its chocolate, and for good reasons. The chocolates are creamy, rich, and delicious. You will find these chocolate shops everywhere, selling all kinds of varieties and flavors.

Cons

• It’s the most expensive country in Europe to visit and it’s recommended to plan way ahead for accommodation and consider Airbnb’s (with kitchens) to prepare some quick meals whenever possible.