Hidden Gems of Switzerland

LeShuttle to Calais and overnight stay in France on a bed and breakfast basis.

Hidden Gems of Switzerland

We continue our journey, stopping in Riquewihr, a storybook village nestled in the Alsace region of France and the inspiration for the charming town in Beauty and the Beast. Colourful half-timbered houses and cobbled lanes create an enchanting scene, with courtyards, boutiques and cafés hidden amongst its well-preserved architecture. It’s the perfect spot for a leg stretch and some lunch at your leisure!
Later, we arrive in Winterthur in time for dinner, our base for the next 4 nights, which offers a blend of history, culture and peaceful green areas. 

Hidden Gems of Switzerland

We walk with our tour manager to Winterthur train station and catch the train to Schaffhausen, where there’s time to spend at leisure. You may like to visit the IWC watchmaking museum to learn about the history of the largest watchmakers in German-speaking Switzerland, walk up to the Munot Fortress for lovely views or stroll through the colourful Old Town. 
Later, we regroup at Schaffhausen station for the short journey to Schloss Laufen, where we enjoy entry to this historic castle plus the spectacular Rhine Falls. As the largest waterfall in Europe, cascading over a width of 150 metres and a height of 23 metres, there are plenty of photo opportunities and viewing platforms close to the roaring waters. It really is a sight to behold! Afterwards, we return by train to Winterthur, experiencing the beauty of the Swiss countryside, quaint villages and lush forests along the way. There’s time to find somewhere for dinner at leisure before returning to the hotel.

Hidden Gems of Switzerland

Enjoy a day at leisure, relaxing at the hotel or exploring the local sights of Winterthur, including the iconic Stadthaus, an architectural masterpiece that serves as the city’s town hall and the picturesque Old Town, where narrow cobblestone streets are lined with medieval buildings and charming boutiques. Other highlights range from the art museum and the photography museum to the Swiss Science Centre Technorama, or you could wander back to the train station and catch an easy direct train to Zurich.
Or, join the customer highlight of this tour, the full-day optional excursion to some of the area’s most beautiful sights. We journey by coach to Brulisau and then take the cable car to Mount Hoher Kasten, a stunning peak in the Alpstein range. Its summit features a rotating restaurant, perfect for indulging in Swiss delicacies while taking in the wonderful panoramic vistas over the Rhine Valley and the Alps, geological formations and diverse flora. We then continue to the lovely town of Appenzell, famous for its painted wooden houses and traditional Swiss architecture, as well as quaint shops and cafés offering local specialities, such as Appenzeller cheese. We then visit a local brewery for a beer tasting experience, or there are alcohol-free beers and soft drinks on offer too. Many of the snacks served are guided by the practices of sustainability, using the by-products from the beer-brewing process.  

Hidden Gems of Switzerland

This morning, we journey to St Gallen and head towards the Old Town and UNESCO World Heritage Abbey District, where we are immersed in the medieval charm and the intricate details of the grand library and interiors that tell stories of the past. There’s also time to explore other sides of St Gallen, such as the embroidery museum or relax at one of the quaint cafés. After lunch at leisure in the town, we take the short journey to the shores of Lake Constance, stopping at the cosy town of Arbon. 
Here, we can take a stroll to pass by the traditional houses on the relaxing lakefront and admire the view that stretches to the German shore of Lake Constance. Our journey takes us through the scenic Thurgau countryside back to the hotel, where a farewell dinner awaits this evening.

Hidden Gems of Switzerland

We begin our journey home after breakfast, stopping en route in Basel, where Swiss, French and German influences meet. There’s free time to enjoy the city’s sights, from the striking red sandstone Town Hall and medieval Old Town to the impressive Rhine-spanning bridges and the bold architecture of its modern art museums. Later, we continue to our overnight hotel in eastern France, with dinner included.  

Hidden Gems of Switzerland

After breakfast, we check out of the hotel and head to Calais for our journey home on LeShuttle.

Discover the UNESCO-listed Abbey District of St Gallen, a graceful ensemble of squares, arcades and church towers. Admire the Baroque Cathedral and the world-renowned Abbey Library (Stiftsbibliothek), whose Rococo interiors safeguard medieval manuscripts in an atmosphere of hushed reverence.

Beyond the abbey precincts, wander streets lined with oriel-windowed townhouses, a flourish from St Gallen’s heyday as a textile powerhouse. Cafés, boutique shops and quiet courtyards reveal a city that marries scholarship and style amid centuries of mercantile prosperity.

Explore Schaffhausen’s pastel facades and fountains as you stroll the car-free lanes beneath the vine-clad Munot Fortress. Bay-windowed houses display painted oriel windows and intricate guild signs, while secluded courtyards open onto inviting cafés and chocolateries.

Trace the Rhine’s trading legacy and the city’s precision pedigree through IWC watchmaking heritage, still synonymous with Schaffhausen today. The circular 16th-century Munot crowns the skyline, offering wide views across tiled roofs, the river’s bend and rolling vineyard slopes.

Walk the waterfront of Lake Constance (Bodensee) in the cosy town of Arbon, where linden and chestnut trees frame a gentle shoreline. Sailboats tack across the blue expanse and distant hills soften the horizon as you amble the Arbon promenade past timbered houses and café terraces.

Glance up to Schloss Arbon, a lakeside castle with a Roman past, and enjoy views to the German shore across this international lake. The easygoing mood and lakeside light make this a restorative pause amid rural Thurgau.

Wander the cobbles of Riquewihr, a walled Alsatian gem wrapped in vineyard slopes. Timber-framed houses tilt over laneways, flower boxes spill geraniums, and wine boutiques tempt with Riesling and Gewurztraminer from the famed Alsace Wine Route.

Pass through the Dolder Tower and medieval ramparts into streets that inspired fairytale imaginings, where cooperages, courtyards and guild signs evoke 16th-century prosperity. It’s a photogenic stop for regional flavours, artisan shops and half-timbered charm in abundance.

Explore Basel where Swiss, French and German cultures meet, beginning with the frescoed, red-sandstone Town Hall (Rathaus) on Marktplatz. Meander to the twin-towered Basel Minster and cross the Rhine on the historic Mittlere Brucke to feel the river’s steady pulse through the city.

Slip into Old Town alleys lined with bookshops and ateliers, and note the city’s flair for art and architecture—From medieval facades to sleek museum spaces, Basel blends humanist heritage with contemporary creativity beside the broad, green Rhine.

Ascend the Alpstein range as you take the cable car to Hoher Kasten, a panoramic peak overlooking the Rhine Valley and Säntis. Linger in the rotating summit restaurant to watch ridgelines, glacially carved valleys and patchwork pastures revolve beneath wide alpine skies.

Return to the painted houses of Appenzell, rich in folk tradition, and conclude with a local brewery tasting featuring snacks crafted from sustainable brewing by-products. This full-day experience is at additional cost (£69pp) and is bookable on tour, subject to availability and weather.

Visit Schloss Laufen, a medieval castle poised above the thunder of the Rhine Falls. Walk the forested paths to the Belvedere path and Känzeli platform, where spray hangs in the air and the torrent roars beneath you. Cameras love the shifting light, rainbows and foaming water pouring over the limestone ledge.

Learn how this is Europe’s largest waterfall by volume, spanning about 150 metres and dropping 23 metres in a dramatic horseshoe. The castle courtyards and interpretive displays add context to the site’s strategic Rhine crossing and the region’s river-borne trade.