Switzerland Glacier Express Adventure Tour Package

The run: A guided raft trip down the Vorderrhein through the Ruinaulta — white limestone walls left by a prehistoric rockslide, which is why it is called the Swiss Grand Canyon.

Difficulty: Mostly grade II to III on the standard summer run — bouncy, wet, and manageable for first-timers. Wetsuit, helmet and guide are all provided.

The point: Most people see this gorge through a train window at speed. Very few see it from the water.

Season: Rafting runs roughly May to September depending on water levels. Outside that window a guided gorge hike replaces it.

The line: Chur → St. Moritz on the Albula route, a UNESCO World Heritage railway that climbs through spiral tunnels stacked inside the mountain to gain height.

Landwasser Viaduct: Six arches curving straight into a cliff face — the most photographed piece of railway in Switzerland, and you cross it rather than photograph it from below.

Check-in:: Two nights in St. Moritz, in the Engadin valley at 1,822m.

Afternoon: Rail up the Bernina line and the cable car to Diavolezza at roughly 2,980m — straight across at Piz Palü, Piz Bernina and the glaciers between them. Included.

Arrival: Zermatt for three nights. The village is car-free; your hotel's electric shuttle meets the train.

The journey: The full St. Moritz → Zermatt run in about eight hours, crossing 291 bridges and 91 tunnels and topping out at the Oberalp Pass, 2,033m.

Along the way: The Rhine Gorge again — this time from the rim, three days after you rafted the bottom of it — then the Vorderrhein valley and the descent into the Matter valley.

Your seat: The reservation is compulsory and sells out weeks ahead in summer. Yours is booked and issued with your documents.

The climb: From the village to Gornergrat at 3,089m in about thirty-three minutes — open-air and electric since 1898, with the Matterhorn in the window nearly the whole way.

Best seats: Right side going up. The Gorner Glacier opens out on the final stretch and Monte Rosa, Switzerland's highest peak, sits behind it.

Walk down a stage: The path from Gornergrat to Rotenboden is short, easy and gets you away from the platform crowds.

Timing: Go early for clear air, or late afternoon for the light. Midday is the busiest and the haziest.

Up: The Sunnegga funicular and the Blauherd cable car from the village, both included.

Five Lakes Walk: A downhill path past five mountain lakes, of which Stellisee gives the famous Matterhorn reflection on a still morning. Around two and a half hours, mostly descending.

Gorner Gorge: Wooden walkways bolted into a narrow gorge of polished serpentinite just outside the village. Short, shaded and included.

Shorter option: Ride to Blauherd, walk only to Stellisee and back to Sunnegga — about an hour, same reflection.