France, Switzerland & Germany: Alsace Vineyards to Alpine Steam & Munich

Day-by-Day

Itinerary

Day-by-Day Itinerary

Day 1: Arrival in Paris

Arrive at Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport and transfer to your hotel. Evening welcome dinner and illuminated Seine river cruise past the Eiffel Tower.

Day 2: Paris Icons & High-Speed Train to Alsace

Morning panoramic tour of Paris — Champs-Élysées, Arc de Triomphe and the Louvre courtyard — before boarding the high-speed TGV east to Strasbourg and Colmar in the heart of Alsace.

Day 3: Colmar & the Alsace Wine Route

Explore Colmar’s half-timbered “Little Venice” (La Petite Venise) quarter and the storybook vineyard villages of Eguisheim and Riquewihr.

Day 4: Train Thur Doller Alsace (Cernay – Sentheim)

Board our first heritage steam railway, the Train Thur Doller Alsace, steaming through the lush Doller Valley at the foot of the Vosges Mountains from Cernay to Sentheim, including a guided visit to its historic station depot.

Day 5: Mulhouse Cité du Train to Lake Geneva (Montreux)

Morning visit to the Cité du Train in Mulhouse — Europe’s largest railway museum — before crossing into Switzerland to Montreux on the shores of Lake Geneva. Visit the lakeside fortress of Château de Chillon and enjoy a boat cruise past the terraced Lavaux vineyards.

Day 6: Gruyères & Bern to Interlaken

Travel through the hilltop cheese-making village of Gruyères and Switzerland’s UNESCO-listed capital of Bern before arriving in Interlaken between Lake Thun and Lake Brienz.

Day 7: Brienz Rothorn Bahn Steam Rack Railway

Transfer to lakeside Brienz and board Switzerland’s iconic Brienz Rothorn Bahn, where steam locomotives push panoramic carriages up steep rack-and-pinion grades to 2,244 m for sweeping views of the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau.

Day 8: Lauterbrunnen Valley & Grindelwald

Excursion into the valley of 72 waterfalls at Lauterbrunnen and the alpine village of Grindelwald at the foot of the Eiger.

Day 9: Across the Brünig Pass to Lucerne

Travel over the scenic Brünig Pass to lakeside Lucerne. Afternoon walk across the medieval Chapel Bridge (Kapellbrücke) and Lion Monument.

Day 10: Lake Lucerne Paddle Steamer Cruise

Enjoy a leisurely morning cruise across Lake Lucerne aboard a vintage Belle Époque paddle steamer surrounded by alpine peaks, with the afternoon free to explore Lucerne’s Old Town.

Day 11: Zurich & the Rhine Falls at Schaffhausen

Explore Zurich’s historic center and Lake Promenade before continuing north to witness the thundering cascades of the Rhine Falls at Schaffhausen near the German border.

Day 12: Sauschwänzlebahn Steam Railway & Onward to Munich

Cross into the Southern Black Forest in Germany to board our third heritage steam line, the famous Sauschwänzlebahn (“Pig’s Tail Railway” / Wutachtalbahn) from Blumberg-Zollhaus to Weizen, celebrated for its spiral tunnel, loops and towering viaducts. In the afternoon, continue east through Bavaria to your hotel in Munich.

Day 13: Royal Munich & Farewell Dinner

Full day in the Bavarian capital exploring Marienplatz, the Glockenspiel, the Munich Residenz and the gardens of Nymphenburg Palace, followed by a celebratory farewell dinner in a traditional Bavarian hall.

Day 14: Departure from Munich Airport

Private transfer to Munich Airport (MUC) for your return flight home.