Switzerland family walking holiday
| country: | Switzerland |
| location: | Swiss Alps |
| trip type: | Introductory walking holidays |
| departures: | 2008: 19 Jul, 26 Jul, 2 Aug, 9 Aug, 16 Aug, 23 Aug 2009: 23 May, 18 Jul, 25 Jul, 1 Aug, 8 Aug, 15 Aug, 22 Aug |
| price: | From £749 - £849 (8 days) per adult and £709 - £809 per child including flights from UK, from £679 - £729 excluding flights. Local payment €100 |
| late availability: | Late availability on 19th July departures. Special offer: Free insurance on late availability departures |
read 1 travellers review
the amazing things you'll be doing
What a trip! How unusual to walk from village to village with donkeys carrying bags (and occasionally tired kids!). The scenery is beautiful – the Swiss Jura region is famed for that – and the walking is easy.
Walking with Mules
Your exploration of this tranquil corner of the Alps begins in the hamlet of Prés d’Orvin. On your first morning you’ll meet and learn to take care of the mules who’ll be your companions for the week. You’ll take the first of two exploratory day walks, enjoying picnics in alpine meadows and visiting isolated farmsteads where cheese is still made in the traditional way.
Peaks, Lakes & Vines
You embark on a three-day trek through the mountains to reach the shores of Lac de Bienne. En route you’ll bed down in the traditional way – sleeping on straw in high pasture bergeries. You’ll leave your mules shortly before arriving at the lakeside village of Twann. From the comfort of your hotel here there’s plenty of time to swim in the lake and cross by small boat to St Peter’s Peninsula, site of an 11th century monastery and now a nature reserve. This is also Swiss wine country so what better way to spend your last night than relaxing over a celebration meal in a vineyard!
Walking with Mules
Your exploration of this tranquil corner of the Alps begins in the hamlet of Prés d’Orvin. On your first morning you’ll meet and learn to take care of the mules who’ll be your companions for the week. You’ll take the first of two exploratory day walks, enjoying picnics in alpine meadows and visiting isolated farmsteads where cheese is still made in the traditional way.
Peaks, Lakes & Vines
You embark on a three-day trek through the mountains to reach the shores of Lac de Bienne. En route you’ll bed down in the traditional way – sleeping on straw in high pasture bergeries. You’ll leave your mules shortly before arriving at the lakeside village of Twann. From the comfort of your hotel here there’s plenty of time to swim in the lake and cross by small boat to St Peter’s Peninsula, site of an 11th century monastery and now a nature reserve. This is also Swiss wine country so what better way to spend your last night than relaxing over a celebration meal in a vineyard!
day-by-day itinerary
| Day 1: | Fly to Zurich; transfer to Prés d’Orvin |
| Day 2-3: | Bread & cheese making; day walks with mules to Chasseral & Les Copperies |
| Day 4-6: | Walk with mules through the Jura, overnighting in the high pastures to reach Twann on the shores of Lac de Bienne |
| Day 7: | Twann; St Peter’s Peninsula; boat ride to Ligerz to visit wine museum and vineyards |
| Day 8: | Transfer to Zurich; fly to UK |
travellers' tales
Walking from farm to farm with not a tourist in sight is wonderful. No junk food, only good home cooked meals. It was very nice to have the mules for the kids to ride on and the last evening in the wine museum as well as the dinner with the vintager was fabulous. (more)
small group family holiday
This is a 'small group family adventure' - typically you will join several other families and travel in a group of approx. 16 people. The trips are great value and a great way for you and your children to meet new people! While itineraries are pre-planned there is some flexibility and you'll have plenty of time to yourselves. Most adventure kids tend to be aged between 7 and 15, but some are younger (minimum age 5) and some older (perhaps travelling as part of a larger family group). Please check with the operator to confirm the minimum age for this trip how this holiday makes a difference
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Revenue generated from our visit goes directly to local people – the farmers with whom we lodge depend on this money to stay in business – without it their lifestyle would be lost. Walking with donkeys places minimal stress on the environment – it’s totally eco-friendly (and the manure helps the fields too!).
Our Responsible Travel Code: Clients who travel with us will automatically receive a copy of our Responsible Travel leaflet. This contains details and advice on how you can make a positive difference when you travel. If you would like a copy in advance of travel please contact us. Charity Partnerships: We work in partnership with Plan International. Plan works with some of the world’s poorest communities where three out of four children die before the age of five. We also support Friends of Conservation – an international charity committed to working with local people to develop a balance between their needs and the wildlife with which they share the natural habitat and ecosystems. Carbon Balancing: Global warming is a real issue and is a direct result of your travel. We have teamed up with Climate Care to give you the opportunity to offset the carbon emissions from your flight. You’ll be asked upon booking if you want to donate – with set amounts from £5. As a company we offset the carbon emissions from all staff travel in full. Our Foundation: We’ve highlighted a few of the ways in which we offer our support, financially or otherwise, and now you can, too. We have set up our own foundation, which will administer funds donated by you. A small donation of £1 per person will be taken when booking a holiday and that money will be put to good use by one of our carefully selected projects. If you don’t want to make the donation, just tell us when you book. |
Tourism can be good and bad for destinations & local people. We carefully screen every holiday against our criteria for responsible travel. 'Look behind the brochure' to find how each holiday makes a difference (see left). We don't claim to be perfect - there is no global accreditation - but we've lead the way since 2001 and screened 1000's of holidays. We invite every traveller to write a review about their experiences and responsible tourism. This valuable feedback is sent to the people who run the holidays. We keep a very close eye on it and take off holidays that don't live up to our standards. |