Seven days is not enough for the full 1,280 km Grand Train Tour, and any itinerary that claims otherwise is quietly skipping something. This one is honest about the trade: you get Lucerne, Interlaken, the GoldenPass, Zermatt and the Glacier Express, and you use the official Chur shortcut to close the loop. What you give up is the Bernina — which needs an eighth day. Here is the week, hour by hour, with what it costs.
Trip essentials
The week at a glance
| Route | Zurich → Lucerne → Interlaken → Montreux → Zermatt → St. Moritz → Chur → Zurich |
| Pass needed | 8-day Swiss Travel Pass, CHF 439 — there is no 7-day pass |
| Reservations to pay | Glacier Express, about CHF 49. Nothing else on this version |
| Hotel changes | Five — Lucerne, Interlaken (2 nights), Montreux, Zermatt, St. Moritz |
| Longest travel day | Day 6, eight hours on the Glacier Express |
| What is cut | The Bernina Express, and sections 7 and 8 via St. Gallen |
| Best months | May–June and September–October — clear air, no August crush |
| Total rail cost | Roughly CHF 488 including the one reservation |
Buy the 8-day pass, not the 6. Swiss Travel Passes come in 3, 4, 6, 8 and 15 days — there is no 7-day option. A 6-day pass at CHF 399 leaves your last day uncovered, and a single Chur–Zurich ticket plus that day’s local transport will cost more than the CHF 40 difference. Buy 8 days and treat the extra as free.
Day by day
Day 1
Zurich → Lucerne · 1 hour
Land, take the train straight out of the airport, and do not spend the day in Zurich — it will still be there at the end. Lucerne is an hour away and a far better first night. Afternoon: the covered wooden bridge, the old town, and a lake boat, which is free with your pass. Sleep Lucerne.
Day 2
Pilatus, then Lucerne → Interlaken · 2 hours
Morning on Pilatus via the Golden Round Trip — boat free, cogwheel and cable car half price, back in Lucerne by early afternoon. Then the Lucerne–Interlaken Express over the Brünig Pass, right-hand side. From May to November only; outside that, swap Pilatus for Rigi, which is free outright. Sleep Interlaken.
Day 3
One big mountain from Interlaken
The only day with no train to catch, so spend it high. Schilthorn is free to Mürren then half price above — the best value. Jungfraujoch is the bigger occasion and only 25% off. Check the summit webcam before committing; in cloud, do Grindelwald First instead and keep the money. Sleep Interlaken.
Day 4
Interlaken → Montreux · 3¼ hours
The GoldenPass Express, no reservation required in 1st or 2nd class. Through Gstaad, then the descent to Lake Geneva. Arrive early afternoon with time for Chillon Castle, a short bus ride along the lake. Sleep Montreux.
Day 5
Montreux → Zermatt · about 3 hours
Along Lake Geneva and up the Rhône valley, changing at Visp. Arrive lunchtime, then take the Gornergrat railway up for the Matterhorn from across the valley — 50% off with your pass, and better in late afternoon light. Zermatt is car-free; if you are driving, you park at Täsch. Sleep Zermatt.
Day 6
Glacier Express · Zermatt → St. Moritz · 8 hours
The long one. Book the Glacier Express reservation three months ahead — CHF 49 on top of your pass. Over the Oberalp Pass, down the Rhine Gorge, onto the Albula line and its spiral tunnels. Lunch is served at your seat and worth pre-ordering. Sleep St. Moritz.
Day 7
St. Moritz → Chur → Zurich · about 3½ hours
The official shortcut, and a good final morning: the Albula line to Chur crosses the Landwasser Viaduct — six arches, 65 m up, straight into a cliff tunnel. Then a fast train to Zurich. If your flight is late, stop two hours in Chur, the oldest town in Switzerland. Fly home.
If you can find an eighth day
Add it after Day 6 and spend it on the Bernina Express — St. Moritz down to Tirano and back, or one way with a night in Poschiavo. It is the single best day on the whole Grand Train Tour and the biggest loss in the seven-day version.
Even better: ride the regional train rather than the Express. It costs nothing extra with your pass, needs no reservation, and it stops at Diavolezza, where a cable car climbs to just under 3,000 m facing the Morteratsch glacier. The Bernina Express cannot stop there.
What this actually costs
- 8-day Swiss Travel Pass: CHF 439, covering every train, boat, bus and city tram in the plan.
- Glacier Express reservation: about CHF 49, the only compulsory extra on this route.
- Mountain day: roughly CHF 85 for Schilthorn with the pass discount, or about CHF 168 for Jungfraujoch.
- Not included: hotels, food, and any mountain railway beyond your chosen big day.
Worth checking against a Half Fare Card only if you plan to stay put — on this itinerary the pass clears its break-even by Day 3.
Three things that make this week easier
- Send the bags ahead on Day 4 and Day 6. Neither the GoldenPass nor the Glacier Express has a luggage van, and eight hours guarding suitcases in an aisle is the most common complaint on this route. A luggage transfer costs less than the Glacier Express reservation.
- Keep Day 3 flexible. It is the only weather-dependent day. If Day 3 is cloudy and Day 2 is clear, swap them.
- Book the Glacier Express first, then build the rest around it. It is the only fixed point in the week.
For the full route and the sections this version leaves out, see our Grand Train Tour guide. Travelling with children? The family pass itinerary covers the same ground at a slower pace.
When to cut this itinerary short
Seven days sounds generous for the loop. In practice it is tight, and three things decide whether it holds together.
- One bad-weather day breaks the chain. A fixed seven-day route has no slack. If your one clear window falls on a transfer day rather than a mountain day, there is nowhere to move it to.
- The reservations add up across the panoramic legs. Each scenic service carries its own compulsory fee on top of your pass. Strung across a week, that is a meaningful sum that most itinerary posts quietly leave out.
- You move your luggage almost every day. With a full loop you are packing, carrying and connecting constantly. Dropping one leg buys you two nights in the same bed, and most people find that trade worth making.
7-day Grand Train Tour questions
Can you do the Grand Train Tour in 7 days?
Not the full 1,280 km loop. Seven days covers Lucerne, Interlaken, the GoldenPass, Zermatt and the Glacier Express, then uses the official Chur shortcut back to Zurich. What you give up is the Bernina Express and the St. Gallen sections.
Which Swiss Travel Pass do I need for 7 days?
The 8-day pass at CHF 439, because there is no 7-day option — passes come in 3, 4, 6, 8 and 15 days. A 6-day pass leaves your last day uncovered and the tickets you would buy cost more than the CHF 40 difference.
How much does this itinerary cost in rail fares?
Roughly CHF 488 — the 8-day pass at CHF 439 plus about CHF 49 for the compulsory Glacier Express reservation. Every other train, boat, bus and city tram in the plan is covered by the pass, with mountain excursions extra.
What is the longest travel day?
Day 6, the Glacier Express from Zermatt to St. Moritz, at about eight hours. Everything else is between one and three and a half hours, so the week is less punishing than the distance suggests.
Should I add the Bernina Express?
If you can find an eighth day, yes — it is the best single day on the Grand Train Tour. Add it after the Glacier Express while you are already in St. Moritz. Ride the regional train rather than the Express and you can stop at Diavolezza for the glacier cable car, which the Express cannot do.
When is the best time to do this itinerary?
May to June or September to October. The air is clearer than in high summer, the panoramic trains are easier to book, and the mountain excursions are far less crowded. Avoid the second half of July and all of August if you can.
Buy your Swiss Travel Pass
One pass covers every train, boat and bus in this itinerary — instant e-ticket delivery.