Basel | Chamonix | Zermatt | Zurich | Reykjavik

Day 1:  Arrival Basel

Arrive at Basel Airport. Meet and transfer to the hotel in a private vehicle and the rest of the day is free to relax or explore the city on your own.

Overnight stay in Basel.

Day 2: Basel

Proceed for the Guided tour of Basel and Discovery the heart of Swiss heritage as we explore the historic city of Basel. Internationally acknowledged as the cultural capital of Switzerland, our tour will take in the art, architecture, and rich array of historical sights that pepper the city. Your guide will reveal the multi-cultural stories behind some of the city’s best-loved buildings, including the 500-year-old Roothus (Town Hall), where you will have the chance to see some of Europe’s most distinguished artworks.

Wander the cobbled streets of the stunning Old town Grossbasel, where you will discover the birthplace of pharmaceuticals and 360-degree views from the iconic Basel Minster cathedral. Journey back in time as you explore the lofty Romanesque passageways and hear how the building grew alongside the city into modern times. Immerse yourself in rich Swiss culture with a visit to the original Basel opera house, where you will discover the whimsical Tinguely fountain.

Overnight stay in Basel.

Day 3: Basel To Chamonix

Transfer to the train station for your travel to Chamonix and the rest of the day is free to relax or explore the city on your own.

Overnight stay in Chamonix.

Day 4: Chamonix

Proceed to the Mont Blanc tour. Mont Blanc Skyway cable car entrance, in Courmayeur. You’ll get into a cable car and ascend to more than 2000 meters in just five minutes. Along the way, because of the rotating movement of the cars, you’ll enjoy impressive 360-degree views of the spectacular Alps. You’ll reach the Mont Frey station, where you can explore the small cable car history museum, shops, and restaurants. Here you’ll also stop for a two-course meal and drinks.

Afterward, you’ll head back to the lift to go up to Punta Helbronner Station which stands 3466 meters high. There you can discover the rock and crystal exhibition, and learn more about the geological richness of the area. If you want to test your vertigo stand on the glass floor viewpoint!

Overnight stay in Chamonix.

Day 5: Chamonix To Zermatt

Transfer to the train station for your travel to Zermatt and the rest of the day is free to relax or explore the city on your own.

Overnight stay in Zermatt.

Day 6: Zermatt

Proceed for a private guided tour to the mount Matterhorn area and mount Gornergrat. Visit the mountain resort village of Zermatt with your private tour guide and spend a day in Zermatt and on mount Gornergrat. Enjoy the perfect view of the mounting Matterhorn all day long on this sightseeing tour. You will start with a walk around in Zermatt and get information about the history of the village and the influence of alpine tourism as well as the ascent to mount Matterhorn. Afterward, board the scenic cogwheel railway to Gornergrat and enjoy views to mount Matterhorn, the glacier Monte Rosa and the surrounding summits at 2800m above sea level. Get a feeling of mountain climbing while visiting the museum in Zermatt later in the afternoon.

You will start the tour by meeting your tour guide at your hotel in Zermatt. Together, you will make your way to the historical part of the village. Visit the small streets and get information about the architecture of the wooden houses. While stopping at the best photo point, your tour guide will explain the story about the climbers at mount Matterhorn. You will pass by the hotel “Monte Rosa” and the memory of the first climbers in Zermatt. Your tour guide will show you the cemetery for climbers and missing mountaineers.

Within 40 minutes, the train climbs up to 2800m above sea level, where you will enjoy the fantastical aerial view. Your tour guide will lead you to the scenic platform, where you have a 360 degrees panorama to mount Matterhorn, the glacier Monte Rosa, and the surrounding summits. You will have time at the top to sit on the terraces and just enjoy the views. According to your preferences, your tour guide will lead you back to Zermatt by train. In Zermatt, you’ll make your way to the local museum, where you will have an insight view of life in Zermatt in the 19th century. You will see exhibition objects from the first ascent to mount Matterhorn, local houses, and stories about life in the mountain area. The visit will take approx. 45 minutes and after it, the tour guide will lead you back to your hotel, where the tour ends.

Overnight stay in Zermatt

Day 7: Zermatt – Zurich

Transfer to the train station for your travel to Zurich the and rest of the day is free to relax or explore the city on your own.

Overnight stay in Zurich

Day 8: Zurich

Proceed for a private tour to Rhine falls. This half-day tour to Rhine Falls from Zurich will take you to the largest waterfall in Europe, Rhine Falls. The place is sometimes compared to Niagara Falls. You will be absolutely mesmerized to see the amazing charm of the river and the might of the falls. You can also take the panoramic lift close to the waterfall.

Visit the Laufen Castle, medieval town Stein am Rhein, Munot Fortress in Schaffhausen, and pass by picturesque vineyards and quaint villages of Switzerland on the way. Throughout the tour, you will be able to witness the royal life of the people that use to live there over a hundred years ago.

DAY 8: Zurich To Reykjavik (Iceland)

Transfer the to Airport for your flight to Iceland and the rest of the day is free to relax or explore the city on your own.

Overnight stay in Reykjavik.

Day 9: Reykjavik

Proceed for a private Blue Lagoon tour. Passing the town of Keflavik and a large lava field before we reach the Blue Lagoon. What an unusual and unique start to a holiday in any country! The Blue Lagoon is one of Iceland’s most popular attractions. It is a natural geothermal pool in the middle of a large and dramatic lava field and an oasis that owes its existence to a nearby geothermal power plant.
We stop for 1 ½-2 hours for a refreshing bath or a swim in the inviting, rejuvenating, and pleasantly warm mineral-rich water (36°C-38°C/100-110°F), famed for its reputed healing properties. An indoor pool and geothermal sauna are also on the site. Bathing in this surreal environment is a unique experience no one should miss.

The Blue Lagoon’s warm water and natural active ingredients like mineral salts, silica, and blue-green algae help you relax and escape the stress and strain of daily life.
From the Blue Lagoon, it takes about 45 minutes to pass a lava landscape and several suburbs before reaching Reykjavík, the northernmost Capital city in the world.

Overnight stay in Reykjavik.

Day 10: Reykjavik

Proceed for a private Classic Golden Circle tour. By a scenic route, we reach pingvellir (Thingvellir) National Park (1930) and UNESCO World Heritage Site (2004). We stroll around the country’s most sacred site, home of the oldest existing national parliament in the world, the Alþingi, and major events in the history of Iceland. Thingvellir is a place of fascinating natural beauty, a spectacular geological vista, set on a vast plain flanked by large fissures, right by Iceland’s largest lake, Thingvallavatn. The Mid-Atlantic rift is clearly visible, forming as Iceland is pulled apart by tectonic forces. Here, the North American and Eurasian continental plates drift apart by 19mm (¾) a year, forming a rift valley.

Next, we drive to the mighty waterfall of Gullfoss – the Golden falls – perhaps the most beautiful in the country. Here the glacial river of Hvita (white river) tumbles 32 meters (105 ft.) in a double cascade. Afterward, we explore the active geothermal area of Haukadalur, which contains the geysers Geysir and Strokkur and many other hot springs. Most active nowadays is Strokkur, erupting hot water and steam to an elevation of 25 meters (82 ft) every 5-7 minutes.
Then we drive on to Skalholt, an ancient bishopric, Iceland’s spiritual and educational heart for centuries. Next, we pass the greenhouse town of Hverageroi and continue over the mountain past Hellisheioi, an area with large lava fields and steaming valleys.

Overnight stay in Reykjavik.

Day 11: Reykjavik

Proceed for the City tour. The city center is a maze of narrow alleys framed with old timber houses from the late 19th to early 20th centuries punctuated with more recent buildings. Reykjavik is the oldest settlement in Iceland (late 9th century) but became a town relatively recently, in 1786. We will learn about life in the city from the very beginning of settlement in Iceland to the present day. We stop by the church of Hallgrimskirkja and drive through the university district, past the Nordic house (Nordic cultural center, designed by Alvar Aalto) and the National Museum. In the city center, we stop by the City hall, which juts into the small lake of Tjornin. Nearby are the Lutheran Cathedral (1847) and the House of Parliament (1881) and monuments to Jón Sigur0sson (19th century Independence hero) and also a sculpture of Skuli Magnusson, the father of the town itself.

On the lake are many birds: many kinds of ducks, whooper swans, various seagulls, and arctic terns (depending on the season). We also drive by the harbor to observe fishing vessels of different sizes, whale hunters, and whale watchers. In Reykjavik are many public works of art, mainly sculptures.

Many of those are the work of Asmundur Sveinsson (1893-1982), whose home and workshop we will pass near the recreational area of Laugardalur. The latest addition to Reykjavik is the concert/conference hall of Harpan (the Harp), built on the northern waterfront of the town center whose dramatic design captures and reflects the light of the city, ocean, and sky with a thrilling effect. (The routing of this city tour is subject to change)

Overnight stay in Reykjavik.

Day 12:  Reykjavik

Proceed for the South Coast tour. We drive first over a lava plateau and then into the southern lowlands of Iceland. The route passes through some of the prettiest countrysides in Iceland with fields, farms, and villages towards the Eyjafjallajokull and Myrdalsjokull glaciers in South Iceland. Under Eyjafjallajokull is the volcano that erupted in the spring of 2010 and caused all the problems with air traffic over Europe. Next, we reach Seljalandsfoss, a graceful ribbon-like waterfall, which drops from an overhanging lava cliff. It is possible to walk behind it, but do not expect to stay dry! We continue to the impressive Skogafoss waterfall (62m, 203 feet), among the most beautiful waterfalls in Iceland. Then on to the view of Solheimajokull from a distance before we reach the beautifully sited village of VikiMyrdal, the southernmost village in Iceland (population 250).

we continue to the volcanic black sand beach of Reynisfjara. Here are interesting caves and impressive rock formations, including columnar basalt. In summer, birds nest in the cliffs, including puffins and fulmars. After a storm, the spectacular high surf of the North Atlantic pounds the cliffs. From Reynisfjara, you can enjoy stunning views of the picturesque Dyrholaey promontory, a 120m spur of rock featuring a natural arch that stands in water deep enough to allow boats to pass through.

Overnight stay in Reykjavik.

Day 13: Reykjavik

Proceed for the Northernmost tour. Take a full-day tour, seeing spectacular fjord landscapes while traveling to Siglufjorour, Iceland’s northernmost town, known as the herring capital of the North Atlantic. Siglufjorour is located on the mountainous Trollaskagi Peninsula. On the way, we pass small fishing villages and stop at a deserted valley that even most Icelanders have not seen. Included is a visit to the Herring Era Museum in Siglufjorour. It is Iceland’s largest maritime museum and the only Icelandic museum that won the European Museum Award. We won’t miss the opportunity to taste the herring along with Brennivin, Icelandic schnapps. Early afternoon we go whale watching for 2-3 hours in Eyjafjorour – Iceland’s longest fjord right below the Arctic Circle. For a bonus and fun, try your luck at sea angling towards the end of the tour.

Overnight stay in Reykjavik.

Day 14: Reykjavik

A full day is free on your own.
Overnight stay in Reykjavik.

Day 15: Reykjavik T0 Departure

Transferred from  Reykjavik to Keflavik airport for your return journey.