Itinerary
A week-long Zurich loop covering the canonical Swiss passes, the Engadine, Ticino and the Bernese Oberland, the distilled version of the official 1,600km Grand Tour.
The official Grand Tour of Switzerland is 1,643 signed kilometres, five passes, 22 lakes and 12 UNESCO sites. Driven literally, it takes two weeks and includes substantial stretches of lakeside villages and valley floors that are scenery more than driving. The version below is the compressed, enthusiast's cut, seven days, 1,200 kilometres, every major pass, and the lakeside transits kept short.
The loop starts and ends in Zurich. Day 1 heads southeast to St. Moritz via the Klausen and Julier, putting two of the quieter classics behind you before dinner. Day 2 is the Engadine high day, Bernina, Flüela, and a detour over the Albula. Day 3 crosses south into Ticino via the Maloja and returns north over the Gotthard's old Tremola road to Andermatt. Day 4 is the Big Three in compressed form, Furka, Grimsel, Susten back to Interlaken. Day 5 takes the Grimsel south into Valais, the Nufenen east, and back north through Ticino to Lucerne. Day 6 adds the Brünig and a final Furka run. Day 7 is the return via the Oberalp to Zurich.
The pace is deliberate. Every day includes at least one major pass; most include two. Transit sections are kept under two hours. Nights are spent in towns that matter to the region, St. Moritz, Andermatt, Interlaken, Lucerne, not in anonymous motorway hotels. Budget for good hotels: Switzerland punishes corner-cutting on accommodation, and the difference between a mid-range hotel and a proper four-star is not as large as you'd expect once you factor in location.
The vignette (CHF 40) is compulsory for any autobahn transit and is on sale at every border and petrol station. No Swiss pass charges its own toll. Fuel is expensive but available everywhere. Credit cards are accepted universally. The one thing the Swiss road system does not tolerate is speeding: fines are substantial and radar is dense. Stay within 5km/h of the limit on the autobahn and you'll never hear from anyone.
Weather is the variable. Any day can turn, pack waterproofs, plan for the possibility of an afternoon change, and treat the forecast as advisory rather than prescriptive. Late June through mid-September is the reliable window. July brings heat in the valleys but perfect pass weather above 2,000m. September is the best single month: cool, clear, and empty on weekdays.
South from Zurich to the Klausen Pass, a quieter classic with excellent surface and flowing bends. Lunch in Linthal, then continue east via the Albula valley and the Julier Pass into the Engadine. Check in at St. Moritz for two nights.
Overnight
St. Moritz — Kulm Hotel St. Moritz or Carlton Hotel St. Moritz.
A day without repeats: east over the Bernina into Italy's Valtellina as far as Tirano, back up via Livigno, then north over the Flüela and south again via the Albula, or reverse, based on the weather.
Overnight
St. Moritz — Same as Day 1.
West over the Maloja down to Chiavenna, south via the Splügen into Ticino, lunch at Lago di Lugano, then back north over the Gotthard's Tremola cobbles to Andermatt.
Overnight
Andermatt — The Chedi Andermatt or River House.
The canonical Swiss day: Furka west into the Rhone valley, Grimsel east, Susten west to Innertkirchen, then north via the Brünig to Interlaken.
Overnight
Interlaken — Victoria-Jungfrau Grand Hotel or Hotel Bären Interlaken.
South over the Grimsel and Nufenen into Ticino, loop through the valleys above Bellinzona, then back north via the Gotthard Tunnel to Lucerne, a long, scenic day.
Overnight
Lucerne — Hotel Schweizerhof Luzern or The Chedi alternative in Flüelen.
Short day: morning Furka run from the Gotthard base (Andermatt is 45 minutes from Lucerne), back by midday. Afternoon in Lucerne, the Chapel Bridge, the KKL, dinner on the lake.
Overnight
Lucerne — Same as Day 5.
Final morning: east from Andermatt over the Oberalp to Chur, then the A13/A3 autobahn back to Zurich. Depart.
Overnight
Departure — Departure day. Return the car at Milan Malpensa (via Aprica and A4) or Innsbruck (via Reschen).
A tight three-day loop out of Andermatt that takes in the three canonical Swiss passes, the Furka, Grimsel and Susten, with a detour over the Nufenen and time left for a second lap where it counts.
Five days based in Bolzano, looping the Sella Ronda, driving the Great Dolomites Road end to end, and climbing the Stelvio on the last morning before the drive home.
The classic French Alpine crossing, 720 kilometres from Lake Geneva to the Mediterranean, over seventeen passes, in seven days.
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