Scenic Swiss Alps break with Bernina Express train & Milan stay

A magical Swiss Alps escape with a journey on the iconic Bernina Express train, with stays in Chur and Milan - includes flights and train travel

Please note that your itinerary may vary depending on your chosen duration.

Days 1-2: Chur, Switzerland

After touching down in Zurich or Geneva, your first scenic train journey will be up to Chur, a magical mountain town high in the Swiss Alps.

Dating back over 5,000 years, Chur is Switzerland’s oldest city, and a stroll through its enchanting cobbled streets will have you falling in love with its old-world alpine charm. A picturesque pedestrian haven, Chur’s fairytale Old Town makes the perfect starting point, and a leisurely amble will take you past beautifully-preserved period architecture, an 800-year-old Cathedral and the baroque splendour of the Episcopal Palace. Other highlights include the iconic Martinskirche and the eerie crypt of St. Luciuskirche, while the Rätisches Museum is your go-to for a deep-dive into the city’s ancient history. And once you’ve ticked off Chur’s historic landmarks, drift between the city’s high-end shopping hotspots, sample hearty regional cuisine, or perhaps take a scenic hike, cycle or cable-car ride up the local Brambrüesch mountain.

Day 3: Chur - Milan (Bernina Express)

After sampling the delights of Chur, you’ll board the world-famous Bernina Express train for a spectacular journey through the Swiss Alps to Italy beyond. Winding its way past idyllic mountain villages, dense forests, dramatic glaciers and the many castles of Switzerland’s Domleschg Valley, the entire route is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and dates back to the early 20th century. Passing through endless looping tunnels and beautiful bridges, you’ll begin with a scenic climb up to the Albula Pass, crossing the legendary Landwasser Viaduct and soaring up the Bernina Pass, perhaps spotting the Morteratsch glacier before gliding along the banks of the magical Lago Bianco. As you near the highest point of the journey (a staggering 2,253 metres), a short stop at Alp Grum station will enable you to take in more enchanting Alpine landscapes, before twisting downwards across the Italian border for a dreamy final journey through the streets of Tirano.

As your bucket-list Rhaetian Railway adventure draws to a close, you’ll transfer to another train headed for Milan, passing through the beautiful hills of northern Italy and skirting the full length of Lake Como.

Upon arrival in Milan, trade the alpine panoramas for stylish city slicking as you take to the streets of the world’s fashion capital, where a stroll through the Quadrilatero della Moda will take you past the glittering flagships of the world’s most famous fashion houses. A cosmopolitan haven, the city’s style prowess blends seamlessly with its centuries-old heritage, with the glamorous shops of Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II framed on either side by the historic Teatro alla Scala and the soaring spires of the Duomo. Book an optional ticket to explore the UNESCO-listed Gothic cathedral at ease, and if time permits, tick off other bucket-list sights like Da Vinci’s Last Supper, the Sforza Castle, and art gems like the Pinacoteca di Brera and Museo Poldi Pezzoli.