FAQ

Booking is done directly on our website tours-switzerland.ch by selecting your tour, preferred date and number of participants. You will receive a confirmation email within 24 hours of payment. You can also reach us through the contact form on our site for personalized assistance with your Switzerland tour booking.

We accept credit and debit cards (Visa, Mastercard, American Express), PayPal and bank transfer. Full payment is required at the time of booking for tours departing within 30 days. For advance bookings, a 30% deposit is charged immediately, with the balance collected 30 days before the departure date.

Cancellations made more than 30 days before departure receive a full refund. Between 15 and 30 days before departure, 50% of the amount is retained. Less than 15 days before departure, no refund is possible. If we cancel a tour due to operational reasons or exceptional weather conditions, you will be fully refunded or may choose an alternative date at no extra charge.

We recommend wearing comfortable walking shoes and clothing suited to mountain conditions, even in summer. A lightweight rain jacket, sunscreen and sunglasses are essential at altitude. Also bring a small water bottle and a snack. For winter excursions or high-altitude tours, warm layered clothing is strongly advised. A valid photo ID is required for certain public transport journeys.

The vast majority of our tours operate in all weather conditions, as Alpine weather is part of the authentic Swiss experience. However, in cases of extreme weather posing a danger to participants (storms, cable car closures, impassable roads), we reserve the right to modify or cancel the tour. You will be notified by email or SMS as promptly as possible, with an offer to reschedule or receive a full refund.

Our shared group tours accommodate between 8 and 16 participants, ensuring a friendly and personalized experience. We also offer fully customized private tours for families, groups of friends or corporate events, regardless of group size. Pricing for private Switzerland tours is available on request by contacting us directly.

Our guides are multilingual and provide commentary in English, French, German, Italian and Spanish. The tour language is specified at the time of booking. For private tours, it is possible to request a guide who speaks exclusively your language. We also have written documentation in Japanese, Portuguese and Mandarin to accompany some of our flagship tours.

Many of our tours are ideal for families with children aged 6 and over, particularly the excursions to Titlis, Rigi and the lake cruises. Some high-altitude or physically demanding activities are not recommended for children under 8, or under 12 for advanced hikes. Children under 4 travel free when they do not occupy a separate seat on transport. The minimum required age is indicated on each tour page.

A hotel pick-up service is available at major hotels in Zurich, Lucerne and Interlaken for most of our tours, for a supplement indicated during booking. Outside these cities, we offer central meeting points accessible by public transport. Your pick-up details are provided in your booking confirmation, along with a reminder the day before departure.

During booking, a dedicated field allows you to specify any special dietary requirements (vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, allergies, halal, kosher, etc.). We pass this information to our restaurant partners in advance. In locations where options are limited (mountain huts, summit restaurants), we recommend bringing your own provisions as a supplement. Our team is available to advise you on the best options based on your itinerary.

Travel insurance is not included in the base price of our tours. We strongly recommend that all participants take out cancellation insurance, repatriation assistance insurance and personal liability insurance before departure. Our advisors can direct you to trusted insurance partners. Certain high-altitude tours require specific insurance covering mountain activities; this requirement is noted in the relevant tour description.

Several of our tours are adapted for people with reduced mobility, particularly those using modern cable cars, panoramic trains or equipped boats. Each tour page indicates the required mobility level (from "easy — accessible" to "sporty"). We invite you to contact us directly to assess together the options best suited to your situation and arrange, if necessary, personalized assistance throughout the tour.

Some iconic tours such as the Zurich city tour, Lindt cruise and Lucerne excursions are available year-round. Others, like Jungfraujoch, Grindelwald First or Titlis, may be subject to seasonal variations linked to snow conditions or temporary closure of certain facilities. The availability calendar is updated in real time on our site. We recommend booking well in advance for peak season periods (July–August and December–January).

Personal photography is of course encouraged throughout our tours. However, drone use is subject to Swiss federal regulations and is strictly prohibited in many protected areas, near airports and above crowds without prior authorization. Any drone use must be declared at the time of booking and is subject to approval. Switzerland Tours accepts no liability for participants' non-compliance with these regulations.

Tipping is not included in our tour prices and is by no means mandatory. In Switzerland, tipping is not as ingrained in the culture as in North America, but it is always a welcome gesture of appreciation. If you were particularly satisfied with your guide, a tip of 10 to 20 CHF per person is a generous way to acknowledge their work. You can also leave a review on our site or on review platforms, which helps us tremendously.

From Zurich, the most popular Swiss Alps excursions are: the Jungfraujoch tour from Zurich (Top of Europe, 3,454 m), the Mount Titlis excursion from Zurich (Rotair revolving cable car), the Grindelwald excursion from Zurich (Cliff Walk and Eiger panorama), the Rhine Falls excursion from Zurich (Europe's largest waterfall), the Lucerne excursion from Zurich (Chapel Bridge and Engelberg), and the Interlaken excursion from Zurich (gateway to the Bernese Oberland). All our excursions from Zurich depart from the central station (Hauptbahnhof).

From Lucerne, our most popular excursions are: the Mount Pilatus excursion from Lucerne (Golden Round Trip with boat, cogwheel railway and cable car), the Mount Rigi excursion from Lucerne (Queen of the Mountains, 360° panorama), and the Mount Titlis excursion from Lucerne (Rotair and glacier at Engelberg, 45 minutes away). The Grindelwald excursion from Lucerne is also possible via Interlaken. Lucerne is just 50 minutes from Zurich by direct train.

Yes, we organize the Zermatt excursion from Zurich on request. The scenic train journey takes approximately 3.5 hours and crosses the spectacular landscapes of the Valais region. In Zermatt, the car-free village at the foot of the Matterhorn (4,478 m), you can ride the cogwheel train to Gornergrat (3,089 m) for a panoramic view of 29 peaks over 4,000 metres. Contact us to arrange this bespoke excursion.