Experience rich culture and traditions against a backdrop of Alpine peaks.
Journey from Switzerland’s mountain-lined Lake Lucerne to France’s inspiring Lake Annecy. Take in the picturesque Chamonix Valley, stroll along Italy’s Lake Como, cross Liechtenstein, and hit the winter wonderland of Innsbruck. End your adventure in Munich, the lively capital of Bavaria, where you’ll join thousands of beer lovers from around the world in celebrating Oktoberfest.
Your tour package includes
12 nights in handpicked hotels
12 breakfasts
5 dinners with beer or wine
8 sightseeing tours
Expert Tour Director & local guides
Private deluxe motor coach
1 train ride
Included highlights
Oktoberfest in Munich
Kapellbrücke
Interlaken
Chamonix
Mont Blanc
Lake Como cruise
Bernina Express train ride
Liechtenstein
Munich Residenz
Glockenspiel
Itinerary
Overnight Flight1 night
Day 1: Travel day
Board your overnight flight to Zurich today.
Lucerne Region2 nights
Day 2: Arrival in Zurich & transfer to Lucerne Region
Included meal: Welcome dinner
Welcome to Switzerland! Transfer to the Lucerne region and get settled in to your hotel. Then, meet your Tour Director and fellow travelers at tonight’s welcome dinner.
We handpick every hotel to strike the balance of comfort, location, and local charm. Specific accommodations will vary based on your departure date, but these are frequently used hotels for this tour and we're confident you'll be satisfied.
This Belle Époque hotel is located near the lake promenade. Guests enjoy a restaurant, bar, and outdoor terrace. Nearby, you’ll find Lake Lucerne, Chapel Bridge, and the Swiss Museum of Transport.
Mercure Chamonix Centre Hotel
This contemporary mountain hotel is located in the center of Chamonix at the foot of Mont Blanc. Guests enjoy views of Mont Blanc and the Alps, rooftop terrace, and spa. Nearby you’ll find the Aiguille du Midi cable car, the...
Albergo Firenze
This contemporary hotel is located in Como's historic center overlooking Piazza Volta. Guests enjoy free WiFi, a minibar, and air conditioning. Nearby, you'll find the Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta, Palazzo del Broletto, and...
Hotel Laudinella
This rustic hotel is located in the Upper Engadin Valley of St. Moritz. Guests enjoy a restaurant, pool, and spa with turkish bath. Nearby, you’ll find Lake St. Moritz, the Lake of Staz, and the Segantini Museum.
Hotel Edelmanns
This stylish hotel is located in the Austrian Alps town of Tirol, just outside of Innsbruck. Guests enjoy the sauna, fitness center, and impressive bar. Nearby you'll find the Dorfpark, Innsbruck Botanical Garden, and the...
Holiday Inn Munich City Centre
This centrally-located hotel is located in the heart of Munich. Guests enjoy the fitness center, Finnish style sauna, and an on-site restaurant. Nearby, you’ll find the Au-Haidhausen district, Marienplatz, and Residenz.
Arcotel Castellani
This contemporary hotel is located in Salzburg city center. Guests enjoy the large garden, fitness center, and restaurant. Nearby, you'll find the Salzburg Old Town, Mozart's birthplace, and Fortress Hohensalzburg.
Round-trip flights are one more thing we handle to make your journey as smooth as possible. Our team of travel experts will find the best flight itinerary for you at a competitive rate, thanks to our partnerships with top airlines.
Add our airfare and you’ll get:
Round-trip flight for your tour
Airport transfers at your destination
A great price locked in today
24/7 support from our dedicated service team
Options for arriving early, staying longer, or requesting an upgrade
Flexible rebooking options if your tour itinerary changes
This tour visits Switzerland, France, Italy, Austria, Liechtenstein, and Germany. In order to enter these countries, U.S. and Canadian citizens need a valid passport with an expiration date extending at least six months beyond the date of reentry.
We recommend having at least one blank passport page for entry stamps.
Beginning in 2026, U.S. and Canadian passport holders must register for an ETIAS travel authorization in order to enter many European countries.
Passport holders from over 60 visa-exempt countries (including the U.S. and Canada) will need to apply for an ETIAS travel authorization in order to visit 30 European countries. That means that even if you’ve previously traveled to any of these European countries without a visa, starting in 2026, you’ll need to get ETIAS authorization to visit them again. If you’re traveling to multiple countries with this requirement, you only need to complete the form once. All Go Ahead travelers are responsible for obtaining their own ETIAS travel authorization before departure. For more details, please visit our Help Center.
If you are not a U.S. or Canadian citizen, you must contact each country’s consulate for your specific entry requirements.
You can see the most up-to-date entry requirements for the destination(s) you’ll visit on tour by going to goaheadtours.com/entry-requirements and searching the code DAO.
You will walk for at least 1 hour daily across moderately uneven terrain, including paved roads and cobblestone streets, with few hills or stairs.
Travelers should be healthy enough to participate in all included walks without assistance. Adding optional excursions may increase the total amount of walking on your tour.
You should feel comfortable managing your own baggage at times as well as getting in and out of boats and trains.
Go Ahead Tours and the Tour Director who accompanies your group are unable to provide special, individual mobility assistance to travelers on tour. The responsibility of the Tour Director is to ensure the group as a whole enjoys a relaxing and informative journey, and he or she cannot be relied upon to provide ongoing, individualized assistance to any one traveler.
If you have any mobility concerns or physical restrictions, please contact our Customer Experience Team.
Round-trip flights booked through Go Ahead Tours arrive in Zurich and depart from Munich. A representative from Go Ahead Tours will meet you at the airport and take you to your hotel. Please remain in the arrival lounge, as the representative might be escorting one of your fellow travelers to the bus at the time of your arrival.
Transfers to and from the airport at the beginning and end of the tour are included for travelers who purchased their flights through Go Ahead Tours. Travelers who booked their own flights are responsible for securing their own airport transfers. (Please note that on the extension, the travel time between Salzburg and Munich is approximately two hours, and should be considered for travelers purchasing their own airfare.)
A train ride from Tirano to St. Moritz is included in the price of your tour.
All other included transportation on this tour is by private motor coach.
Please note that our travelers are limited to one checked bag and one carry-on bag per person due to storage limitations on motor coaches and other transfers, which may include train connections or flights.
Contact your airline(s) for baggage size and weight restrictions for your flights, which may include on-tour flights in addition to your round-trip flights to and from tour. Please note that your included on-tour flights may have more restrictive baggage limits.
Some airlines may impose additional charges if you choose to check any baggage or exceed baggage size and weight restrictions. Be advised that you are responsible for any baggage fees incurred on all flights.
Make sure you label your baggage and keep valuables, medication, and documents in your carry-on bag.
We recommend packing lightweight, loose-fitting clothing that can be easily layered to accommodate varying temperatures, as well as a light jacket or rainwear.
A sturdy pair of walking shoes or sneakers is recommended for sightseeing.
You may want to pack dressier attire if you plan to visit a high-end restaurant or attend a special performance.
It is preferable not to visit churches or other religious sites with bare legs and shoulders (and entrance may be denied on this basis).
At least 60 days prior to departure, check with your doctor or healthcare provider for the latest updates and entry requirements, or visit the Center for Disease Control and Prevention website at cdc.gov.
If you have medication that you take daily, be sure you have enough for each day of the tour as well as any possible delays encountered.
If you have dietary restrictions and/or food allergies please notify Go Ahead Tours at least 30 days prior to departure by logging in to your account and updating your traveler info. To update this information closer to your departure date, please call our Customer Experience Team.
You can see the most up-to-date entry requirements for the destination(s) you’ll visit on tour by going to goaheadtours.com/entry-requirements and searching the code DAO.
Swiss food is varied and sophisticated, and some popular dishes include sausages, breaded veal fillets, freshwater fish, and cheese dishes such as fondue and raclette. Be sure to try Swiss chocolate, which is among the world’s finest.
For a picnic with French flair, stop at a small grocery store for cheeses, pâtés, cured meats, fresh-baked bread, and fruit. In the cities, sidewalk vendors are known for their steaming crepes, while mouthwatering pastries and hot café au lait beckon from cafes. In restaurants, the prix fixe option is a popular way to enjoy a set three- or four-course menu for a good price.
Although lunch is generally served from noon until 2pm in France, dinner is served from 7:30pm onward. Those wishing to eat earlier can stop at a cafe, where light entrées and sandwiches are available throughout the afternoon and evening.
Northern Italy is known for flavorful meats and pastries.
For more authentic meals, try local trattorias, small restaurants set away from the main piazzas. A typical Italian meal includes wines and the occasional beer, followed by a few sips of after-dinner drinks like grappa or limoncello.
Austria is known for its savory Wiener schnitzel and excellent wild trout, carp, and crayfish. Save room for dessert—especially the strudels of fruit and nuts and elegant chocolate cakes, such as the world-famous Sachertorte.
German food is hearty and substantial. Among the specialties are dumpling stews, sauerkraut, sausages, smoked cheeses, and dark breads. Bavaria produces some of the world’s purest beers, and white German wines are exceptionally good.
All destinations visited on this tour operate on the European standard 220-240 volts and use Types C, E, or F plugs with two small, round pins. You may also use a Type J plug with three small pins in Switzerland and a Type L plug with three small pins in Italy.
We recommend packing a universal adapter, as well as a voltage converter if you plan on using your own hairdryer or other device without a built-in converter.
The strength of the air conditioning in European hotels is often not as strong or as cool as what you might be used to in the U.S. or Canada. When air conditioning is available, it is usually regulated seasonally and controlled centrally by the hotel.
Your hotels may provide hairdryers, irons, and other small appliances. However, these amenities cannot be guaranteed.
Wi-Fi is available in most hotels, though some charges may apply.
There is no Wi-Fi on any of the motor coaches.
Please contact your mobile service provider for information on roaming charges.
All destinations visited on this tour are one hour ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) and six hours ahead of Eastern Time (ET).
When it’s noon in New York, it’s 6pm on tour.
You will use the euro in France, Italy, Austria, and Germany, and the Swiss franc in Switzerland.
Better rates of exchange are usually available overseas, although it’s worth ordering some currency from your local bank to use when you first arrive.
We strongly advise that you take debit/bank cards and credit cards, which can be used to withdraw cash at local banks as needed.
You can use most debit/credit cards at ATMs on the international networks Cirrus and Plus, but make sure to check with your home bank about withdrawal fees.
Inform your bank and credit card company of your travel plans so that they won’t confuse your international purchases for fraudulent charges.
International banks and businesses primarily accept debit and credit cards that work with the EMV chip system. If you do not already have at least one debit or credit card with a chip in it, we strongly recommend requesting one from your bank prior to your tour.
At the conclusion of your tour, it is customary to offer your Tour Director and driver a gratuity in local currency. Please keep current exchange rates in mind.
We recommend tipping the equivalent of $10USD to $12USD per person per day for your Tour Director and the equivalent of $4USD per person per day for your driver.
If applicable, we also recommend the equivalent of $2USD per local guide.
Tips can only be paid in cash.
If you are traveling to multiple countries with different currencies and the same Tour Director, ask them what currency they prefer for their tip.
The cost of porterage is included in your tour price, and it is not necessary to tip baggage handlers.
Most optional excursions will be available for purchase while you are on your tour.
Your Tour Director will only accept cash (in USD only), Visa, or MasterCard as payment for optional excursions.
Please be advised that if you pay for an excursion by credit card while on tour, it may take up to three months for your card to be charged.
Some optional excursions may only be purchased in advance. See page four of your tour itinerary for more information.
It was all wonderful. I love the Alps, I loved Anacey, I loved Chamiose, lake Como, Train ride to St. Moritz, st Moritz, mount Pilatus, Innsbruck, Munich, Octoberfest and Salzburg. I had to change my plans and come home earlier than I anticipated and EF Tours helped me change...
Jewel of the Alps
5 out of 5 stars
1st-time traveler Mary Kate "Katie", travelled in Sep 2023
As first time GoAhead tours travelers, we felt GoAhead Tours was well organized and employed professional guides and drivers. Hotels were comfortable and lovely, which is important after a long day on our feet. We were blessed with fantastic weather and incredible group of...
EF Go Ahead Tours
Thank you for your review, we are so happy to hear you enjoyed your first Go Ahead tour! We hope to see you making more new friends on...
Tour of the Alps
5 out of 5 stars
2nd-time traveler David, travelled in Sep 2023
Great tour, not too large (28) knowledgeable
Guide wonderful scenery
Good hotels. Things to work on, some hotels were not walking distance from sites. If meal contracts limit wine to 1 glass a 5 oz pour would be more appropriate than a 3 ounce pour. The food was usually...
We had a great time
5 out of 5 stars
1st-time traveler David, travelled in Sep 2023
Over all we enjoyed the Alps. Octoberfest was interesting. Since Munich was not in the Alps, we could have skipped that. The tour director, Ersin, was very attentive to our daughter (gluten-free and slight mobility challenges). Some logistical challenges. Flying us in so we...
EF Go Ahead Tours
Thank you for leaving a review. We are glad that Ersin was such an attentive tour director. We understand the inconvenience of having to...
Gorgeous Views
5 out of 5 stars
8th-time traveler Sue, travelled in Sep 2023
This is simply the most beautiful tour we have taken with GoAhead. The mountains of Switzerland, France, Italy, Germany, and Austria are breathtaking. Words cannot describe the beauty of the cities, towns, and the Alps. Not to mention the fun our entire group had at...
