How to Spend Two Weeks Travelling Through Switzerland

Start in Zürich, but Don’t Linger

Zürich is the obvious entry point for most visitors, and it deserves a day or two. The old town is compact and walkable, the lake is beautiful on a clear morning, and the food scene has improved dramatically over the past decade. But Zürich is also Switzerland’s most expensive city in a country already known for high prices, and its charms are best appreciated briefly. Two nights is enough — use them well, then get on a train.

The Swiss rail network is one of the great pleasures of travelling in the country. It is punctual, clean, and connects almost everywhere worth going. A Swiss Travel Pass covers unlimited travel on trains, buses, and boats for a fixed period and pays for itself quickly if you’re moving around regularly. Buy it before you arrive.

The Bernese Oberland: Days Three to Six

The Bernese Oberland is the Switzerland of the imagination — the Eiger, Mönch, and Jungfrau rising above the valley, flower-covered meadows in every direction, and a network of cable cars and cogwheel railways that put the high alpine world within reach of almost anyone. Base yourself in Grindelwald or Lauterbrunnen for three or four nights and use the days to explore at your own pace.

Lauterbrunnen sits in one of the deepest valley floors in the Alps, with 72 waterfalls dropping from the cliffs on either side. From there, the village of Mürren — car-free and perched on a terrace high above the valley — is a 20-minute cable car ride and feels like a different world entirely. The walking here is exceptional, and the region is a natural fit for anyone who enjoys being in the mountains on foot. Those who want a more structured experience often book Switzerland hiking tours that cover the Bernese Oberland in depth over several days, combining guided walks with carefully chosen accommodation along the way.

“Standing at Kleine Scheidegg with the north face of the Eiger directly above you is one of those moments that makes the journey feel entirely worth it.”

Lucerne and Central Switzerland: Days Seven and Eight

Lucerne is the most immediately beautiful city in Switzerland. The medieval Chapel Bridge, the lake, the mountains visible from the old town centre — it all comes together in a way that feels almost too composed. It gets a significant amount of day-trip tourism, but staying overnight allows you to experience it at a more human pace. The morning light on the lake before the tour groups arrive is worth setting an alarm for.

From Lucerne, the cogwheel railway up Mount Rigi or the cable car to Pilatus are both worthwhile half-day excursions. Neither requires serious walking, but both deliver the kind of elevated alpine views that are difficult to find anywhere else in Europe with so little effort.

The Valais and Zermatt: Days Nine to Eleven

Zermatt sits at the end of a long valley in the Valais, car-free and surrounded by some of the highest peaks in the Alps. The Matterhorn dominates everything — it appears at the end of streets, above rooftops, reflected in shop windows — and its profile is so distinctive that it never quite loses its impact however many times you see it. The town itself is well-equipped and busy in summer, but the mountains above it are large enough to absorb the crowds comfortably.

The Gornergrat rack railway climbs to 3,089 metres and provides one of the finest high-altitude panoramas in Europe, with views across 29 peaks above 4,000 metres. Allow a full day here and walk part of the descent if the weather holds.

Ticino and the Italian Lakes: Days Twelve to Fourteen

The final stretch of the trip drops south through the Gotthard Pass into Ticino, Switzerland’s Italian-speaking canton, where the architecture, food, and light change completely. Lugano sits above its lake with a Mediterranean ease that feels genuinely surprising after the Germanic north. The palm trees are real, the risotto is excellent, and the slower pace makes it a natural place to wind down at the end of a fortnight’s travelling.

From Lugano it’s a short journey to the Italian border and the northern lakes — Como and Maggiore are both within easy reach — making it a practical and scenic final stop before a flight home from Milan or Zürich.