Bernese Oberland walking holiday
| country: | Switzerland |
| location: | Swiss Alps |
| trip type: | Strenuous walking holidays |
| departures: | 2008: 27 Jul, 24 Aug, 7 Sep, 14 Sep 2009: 21 Jun, 28 Jun |
| price: | From £579 - £599 (8 days) including flights from the UK, from £479 - £499 excluding flights. Local payment £150 |
Kandersteg and Kiental
The first part of the tour is spent exploring Kandersteg, with its alpine meadows and the glaciated lake of Oeschinensee, dramatically set beneath the peaks of the Blumisalp massif.
We walk from Kandersteg along a magnificent high path with views of Lake Thun to the little-visited valley of Kiental, then continue on foot via the shores of the lake to Wilderswil, just above Interlaken.
To Grindelwald and Lauterbrunnen
From Wilderswil there is the chance to take a spectacular cog railway journey high up above the valley to the Schynige Platte, from where there are unique views of the Eiger, Monch and the Jungfrau. Travelling on a mountain railway from Wilderswil to Grindelwald, we then walk beneath towering peaks to Lauterbrunnen - the valley of the waterfalls - the most classic u-shaped glacial valley in Europe.
Around Lauterbrunnen
Whilst in Lauterbrunnen there will be opportunities to hike up to the picturesque traffic-free village of Murren, nestled high up on a sunny alpine ledge, or to ride on the Jungfrau Railway, Europe's highest railway, which travels right through the awesome Mount Eiger.
| Day 1: | Fly London/Geneva, drive to Kandersteg |
| Day 2: | Day walk from Kandersteg |
| Day 3: | Walk along high mountain path to Kiental |
| Day 4: | Walk from Kiental to Darlingen, train to Wilderswil |
| Day 5: | Optional mountain train to Shynige Platte or visit Interlaken |
| Day 6: | Train to Grindelwald and walk to Lauterbrunnen |
| Day 7: | Optional walk to Murren above Lauterbrunnen, with views of Eiger, Monch, Jungfrau, or optional ride on Jungfrau railway |
| Day 8: | Drive to Geneva; fly London |
|
Our Tour Leaders are trained by us in the importance of responsible tourism with guidance given on how they can make a difference, and that our visit is of minimal impact on the environment. We stay in traditional accommodation and taste typical food and wine of the region, most of which is sourced locally. This not only provides direct employment within the hotel, but also has the effect of percolating money beyond to small businesses that supply the hotel and in this way money is spread throughout the region we visit.
Travelling on foot is definitely the best way to travel - both avoiding the potential car pollution and being able to stop and explore whenever you wish. We also travel by cable car and train which allows you to see much more of the countryside at a more relaxed pace. As well as the above, we support a variety of charities and projects worldwide which support vulnerable communities and habitats including Friends of Conservation, Hope Worldwide and Send A Cow. We are also actively engaged with UK travel industry bodies which promote best practice in responsible tourism, such as Tourism Concern, The Travel Foundation and AITO. Our commitment to responsible tourism is not limited to our overseas operation and we have measures to ensure our UK office operates according to our responsible tourism policy. Carbon offsets for all flights booked with us are included in the tour cost. |
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 led 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. |