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With snow-capped peaks, glittering lakes, and historic towns and cities, Switzerland offers a wide range of experiences for the visitor. The weathered mountains and steep valleys cradle deep-blue lakes every bit as beautiful as photographs suggest and with a web of walking trails and an extensive rail network, it’s easy to access the great outdoors.

You can see the sun set over the Matterhorn and spend time in the most indulgent mountain resorts on a tour of the lakes and mountains of Switzerland. Ride the steepest cog wheel train in the world at Pilatus Kulm, visit cheesemakers and chocolatiers, or wander along cobbled streets flanked by half-timbered buildings in Zürich and Bern on a Highlights of Switzerland trip. From cosmopolitan cities offering art galleries, fine dining restaurants and varied nightlife to traditional mountain villages and bustling ski resorts, Switzerland promises majestic landscapes, outdoor adventures, and urban sophistication.

Switzerland offers a wide variety of places to go depending on what you’d most like to see. Cosmopolitan Geneva with its medieval old town, stately architecture, and striking Jet d’Eau — a fountain shooting water high into the crisp mountain air — is a good place to start.

You could then head to a traditional Swiss resort town such as Montreux on the edge of Lake Geneva to relax, plan to go hiking, or climbing in the Bernese Oberland, or see the Matterhorn from Zermatt.

Set between soaring peaks, Lugano is a beautiful historic town on the shore of a glacial lake, waterfront Lausanne has a 12th-century cathedral and a Florentine-Renaissance-style museum, while compact Lucerne is best known for its handsome medieval streets.

From chic mountain resorts to intimate villas and slick boutique hotels, you can pick and choose where to stay in Switzerland from a wide variety of options. For old-world charm, art and antique-filled rooms, and a Michelin-starred restaurant, the Villa Castagnola on the shores of Lake Lugano is an excellent choice.

In Zürich, stay in the heart of the old town at the Marktgasse Hotel which blends crisp, modern design with historic features. Experience traditional Swiss style and hospitality at the Hotel Daniela in Zermatt, or stay at the century-old Hotel Belvedere in Grindelwald at the foot of the Eiger.

Expect to spend around eight hours in the air if you’re flying to Zürich from Toronto. There are no direct flights from Vancouver, so the journey will take around 12 to 14 hours with a stop en route.

Switzerland uses Central European Time which is UTC+1 hour (EST-6 hours). Daylight Savings Time is observed from late-March to late-October.

The Swiss rail network is extensive and highly efficient and makes a great way to get around the country. Trains will take you right up into the mountains and offer access to remote areas where driving conditions can be challenging.

If you choose to drive, the roads are well maintained but often involve lots of hairpin bends with limited visibility and the concentration needed to drive means you can’t enjoy the scenery quite so much.

No, there are no specific vaccine requirements for visiting Switzerland, however, it’s a good idea to check you’re up to date on all vaccinations that are recommended at home. For further information on suggested travel vaccinations, see the .

Use our travel tool to find up-to-date visa and passport requirements for Switzerland. Enter where you’re traveling to and from (including any stopover destinations en route or flight layovers), along with your intended travel dates and passport details, for a full list of requirements.

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