Alpine Grandeur, Precision Luxury
Switzerland is a country that seems almost impossibly beautiful — a land where snow-capped peaks soar above flower-strewn meadows, crystal-clear lakes mirror medieval towns, and precision is elevated to an art form in everything from watchmaking to hospitality. This is a nation that has perfected the art of living well, and it invites the luxury traveller to share in that perfection.
From the glamorous slopes of St. Moritz and Zermatt — where the world's elite have gathered for over a century — to the lakeside promenades of Lucerne, Geneva, and Montreux, Switzerland offers a diversity of landscape and experience that belies its compact size. In a single day, you can breakfast on a sun-drenched terrace overlooking Lake Geneva, ride a cogwheel railway to a glacier at 3,454 metres, and dine in a Michelin-starred restaurant in a medieval Old Town, all connected by one of the world's most efficient and scenic rail networks.
Swiss hospitality is legendary — and not without reason. The country has been welcoming travellers since the 18th century, when the first Grand Tour tourists marvelled at its alpine scenery. Today, Switzerland's palace hotels — the Badrutt's Palace in St. Moritz, the Victoria-Jungfrau in Interlaken, the Beau-Rivage in Lausanne — carry forward a tradition of gracious, detail-obsessed service that has influenced luxury hospitality worldwide. These are hotels where the concierge knows your name before you arrive, where the linen is pressed to perfection, and where every window frames a view that takes your breath away.
Switzerland is also a paradise for the active traveller. In winter, its ski resorts — from the car-free village of Zermatt with its iconic Matterhorn backdrop to the sun-drenched pistes of Verbier and Gstaad — offer some of the finest skiing in the world, complemented by world-class apres-ski dining, spas, and entertainment. In summer, the mountains transform into a hiker's paradise, with over 65,000 kilometres of marked trails winding through alpine meadows, past glacial lakes, and along dramatic ridgelines with views that stretch to the horizon.
At Baywatch Travels, Switzerland is one of our most beloved European destinations. Whether you dream of a winter ski holiday in the shadow of the Matterhorn, a summer lake cruise through the Bernese Oberland, or a romantic chocolate-and-cheese trail through the rolling hills of Gruyeres, we design Swiss itineraries that combine the country's most iconic experiences with hidden gems that only a seasoned travel specialist can unlock.
Lucerne is the Switzerland of postcards come to life — a medieval city of covered wooden bridges, baroque churches, and pastel-coloured townhouses reflected in the impossibly blue waters of Lake Lucerne. The Chapel Bridge, dating from 1333, is Europe's oldest covered wooden bridge and Lucerne's most beloved landmark. Behind it, the twin spires of the Jesuit Church and the turrets of the Musegg Wall create a skyline that has barely changed in five centuries.
The city serves as the gateway to some of Switzerland's most spectacular mountain experiences. The Buergenstock Resort, perched 500 metres above the lake, offers Europe's highest outdoor infinity pool and panoramic views across the lake to Mount Pilatus and the Rigi massif. A paddle steamer cruise across the lake reveals a necklace of villages, meadows, and forested hillsides that define the Swiss idyll. Mount Pilatus, accessible by the world's steepest cogwheel railway, offers views that stretch from the Jura Mountains to the Black Forest.
Stay: Bürgenstock Resort · Hotel Schweizerhof · Mandarin Oriental Palace
Must Do: Chapel Bridge, Lake Lucerne paddle steamer, Mt Pilatus cogwheel railway, Lion Monument, Old Town walk
Interlaken sits in the dramatic saddle between Lake Thun and Lake Brienz, backed by the towering triumvirate of the Eiger, Monch, and Jungfrau — three of the most famous peaks in the Alps. This is Switzerland's adventure capital, where paragliders soar above the valley, canyoning expeditions plunge through glacial gorges, and the Jungfraujoch railway ascends to 3,454 metres — the highest railway station in Europe, where the Aletsch Glacier stretches 23 kilometres into the distance.
The Victoria-Jungfrau Grand Hotel has anchored Interlaken's luxury scene since 1865, its Belle Epoque facade a monument to the region's golden age of tourism. Beyond the adrenaline, Interlaken offers gentler pleasures — boat cruises on the turquoise waters of Lake Brienz, visits to the open-air museum at Ballenberg, and scenic walks through the flower-strewn meadows of Grindelwald and Lauterbrunnen, the "valley of seventy-two waterfalls" that inspired Tolkien's Rivendell.
Stay: Victoria-Jungfrau · Harder Kulm Panorama · Bellevue Parkhotel
Must Do: Jungfraujoch Top of Europe, Paragliding, Lake Brienz cruise, Lauterbrunnen Valley, Grindelwald First
St. Moritz is where winter tourism began — and it remains the undisputed capital of alpine glamour. Perched at 1,856 metres in the Engadin Valley, surrounded by peaks that soar above 4,000 metres, this legendary resort town has attracted royalty, artists, and the international elite for over 150 years. The frozen lake, which hosts polo, cricket, and horse racing on ice each winter, is one of the most extraordinary sporting venues on earth.
Badrutt's Palace Hotel — the property that sparked winter tourism with a famous wager in 1864 — remains the social epicentre, its King's Club nightclub and Renaissance restaurant drawing a glamorous crowd. In summer, the Engadin Valley transforms into a hiking and cycling paradise, with over 580 kilometres of trails winding through Alpine meadows, past crystal-clear lakes, and along dramatic ridgelines. The Bernina Express railway, which runs from St. Moritz to Tirano in Italy, is a UNESCO World Heritage route of breathtaking beauty.
Stay: Badrutt's Palace · Suvretta House · Kulm Hotel
Must Do: Glacier Express departure, Frozen lake activities, Corviglia skiing, Bernina Express, Engadin Valley hike
Zurich is Switzerland's largest city and its cultural and commercial heart — a compact, walkable metropolis where medieval guild houses line cobblestone lanes, and world-class museums and galleries share the waterfront with Michelin-starred restaurants. The Old Town (Altstadt), draped along both banks of the Limmat River, is a treasure trove of Romanesque churches, antique bookshops, and hidden courtyards. Bahnhofstrasse, one of Europe's most exclusive shopping streets, runs from the main station to the lake.
Lake Zurich, stretching southeast toward the snowcapped Alps, provides a stunning natural backdrop to the city's urban sophistication. The Kunsthaus Zurich houses one of Switzerland's most important art collections, while the Freitag Tower in the West district and the vibrant Langstrasse neighbourhood showcase the city's contemporary creative energy. As a gateway city for Swiss rail journeys, Zurich is the perfect place to begin or end any Swiss itinerary — combining urban culture and refined hospitality with easy access to the Alps.
Stay: The Dolder Grand · Baur au Lac · La Reserve Eden au Lac
Must Do: Old Town walk, Bahnhofstrasse shopping, Lake Zurich cruise, Kunsthaus, Lindenhof viewpoint
Switzerland's luxury hotels are among the finest in the world — grand establishments that have hosted royalty, artists, and visionaries for generations. Each of our recommended properties offers a distinctive character, from the Art Nouveau grandeur of a lakeside palace to the sleek contemporary design of an alpine wellness resort, but all share the unmistakable Swiss commitment to flawless service, exquisite cuisine, and settings of heart-stopping beauty.
Switzerland offers far more than mountains and skiing. Its cities are compact treasure troves of art, architecture, and gastronomy. Its countryside conceals vineyards that produce some of Europe's most sought-after wines, watchmaking ateliers where master craftsmen assemble complications by hand, and culinary traditions — from fondue and raclette to chocolate and patisserie — that have been refined over centuries. Here are the Swiss experiences we love most.
Adventure, Luxury, Family, Romance — Switzerland appeals to every kind of traveller. Couples find romance in lakeside suites and candlelit fondue dinners. Families delight in scenic train rides, chocolate workshops, and gentle alpine hikes. Adventure seekers thrill to world-class skiing, paragliding over Interlaken, and via ferrata on sheer cliff faces. And for those who simply want to rest and restore, Switzerland's palace hotels and alpine spas offer an environment of unmatched tranquillity and beauty.
Our Swiss itineraries are designed to maximise the country's extraordinary scenic rail network — combining the Glacier Express, GoldenPass, and Bernina Express with stays at the finest hotels en route. We arrange private transfers, luggage forwarding, and first-class rail reservations that transform the journey itself into a highlight. Our relationships with Buergenstock, Badrutt's Palace, and The Chedi ensure that Baywatch guests enjoy the finest suites, complimentary upgrades, and personalised welcome amenities.
Three decades of Alpine bookings — Glacier Express private carriages, helicopter transfers, exclusive chalet access.
From the Glacier Express and Jungfraujoch to lakeside palace hotels and alpine ski resorts — let our Switzerland specialists design a journey through one of Europe's most breathtaking countries. Every itinerary is personally crafted, every hotel hand-selected, every experience curated to exceed your expectations.