In this relaxing, easy tour we travel across the whole of Switzerland--from Geneva to St. Gallen, along tranquil roads and bike paths in completely flat terrain!

 

Starting at the shores of Lake Geneva we arrive at the picturesque city of Lausanne, then head north through the cheese-making region of Gruyères to the Lake of Neuchâtel, then on to the cosmopolitan and financial center of Zürich, past the beautiful medieval town of St. Gallen, all the way to the shores of Lake Constance: a journey punctuated with the opportunity to soak your feet in no less than seven crystalline lakes!

 

Designed for the leisure cyclist, this tour is ideal for beginners and children.

 

 

Tour duration: 12 days.

Difficulty: Easy.

 

Day 1: Registration and Welcome Dinner

Meet the VeloTours team at our booth in the Geneva Train Station. We will escort you to the hotel and after settling in, join us for a trip briefing and welcome dinner in the heart of downtown Geneva!

 

Day 2: Stage: Geneva-Lausanne. Trip distance: 68 km. Elevation gain: -10 m.

We start the tour with a relaxing ride around Lake Geneva, the vineyards of La Côte on your left, the lakeshore on your right. We pass by the market towns of Nyon, Rolle, and Morges, and stop for lunch at one of the vineyards before arriving to the Olympic city of Lausanne.

 

Day 3: Free day in Lausanne.

Enjoy a full day's of freedom strolling the shops of downtown Lausanne, visit  its cathedrals and towers, get lost in the rooms of the Chateau Saint-Marie, catch an art exhibit or stroll the botanical gardens, or even take a dip or a boat ride on the Lake to the nearby towns of Montreux or Evian in France. There's no limit to what you can do as you explore this famous student city with unparalleled views of the French Alps across the lake!

 

Day 4:   Stage: Lausanne-Gruyères-Bulle. Trip distance: 51 km. Elevation gain: 400 m.

We leave the lake and the beautiful vineyards of the Lavaux and head inland along a historic trading route to visit the famous cheese-making area of the Gruyères, with the background sounds of cowbells and a visit to a typical Gruyère cheese-making demonstration!

 

Day 5: Stage: Bulle-Neuchâtel. Trip distance: 52 km. Elevation gain: -300 m.

Heading northwards and skirting no less than 3 lakes along the way, we have lunch in the medieval city of Fribourg, before arriving to Cudrefin, where a boat takes us on to pretty Neuchâtel for our night's stay and an evening dinner by the lakeshore.

 

Day 6: Stage: Neuchâtel-Solothurn. Trip distance: 59 km. Elevation gain: 0 m.

After lunch in the lakeshore town of Biel, we follow the banks of the Aare to the Celtic town of Solothurn, which calls itself Switzerland's most beautiful Baroque city. Spend the evening discovering why this town won the 1980 Wakker Prize for the preservation of its architectural heritage!

 

Day 7: Stage: Solothurn-Aarau. Trip distance: 58 km. Elevation gain: -49 m.

We again follow our old friend the Aare passing by the old Wartenfels castle in Olten, a town famous for its medieval wooden bridge. We then arrive for our night's stay in Aarau, home of Nobel Prize winners Albert Einstein, Paul Karrer, and Werner Arber.

 

Day 8: Stage: Aarau-Zürich. Trip distance: 51 kms. Elevation gain: 51 m.

Cycling along the banks of the Aare we arrive for lunch at the thermal baths town of Baden, where water springs from 19 different sources at a temperature of 47 degrees Centigrade! We then abandon the Aare and follow the Limmat into the heart of downtown Zürich, one of the most renowned financial centers of Europe.

 

Day 9: Free day in Zürich.

Enjoy a free day in the cosmopolitan city of Zürich.  Visit the collections of the Swiss National Museum, take the tram across the lake to the Lindt & Sprüngli chocolate factory, walk by its very old Grossmünster and Fraumüster churches (dating from the 9th century!), admire the modern art collections at the Kunsthaus, or simply shop 'till you drop in the famous Banhofstrasse!

 

Day 10: Stage: Zürich-Wil. Trip dist: 65 km. Elev gain: 139 m.

Today we pass by the high tech city of Winterthur before arriving at the quiet town of Wil, which won the 1984 Wakker Prize for the preservation of its architectural heritage. We are now in the heart of the apple orchard region, why not take the chance to try some refreshing apple cider (Sümost) or Süssmostcreme, a dessert made of eggs, sugar, cream and...you guessed it...pressed apples!

 

Day 11: Stage: Wil-St. Gallen. Trip dist: 30 kms. Elev gain: -104 m.

Our cycling ends with our arrival to St. Gallen. Use the rest of the day to visit the famous  Benedictine library (UNESCO World Heritage Site) in the city's old town or, if you want to be able to say that you've cycled Swizerland border to border, join the guides as we cycle an extra 20 kms along the Lake of Constance to Austria, where the van will be waiting to take us back to join the others for our goodbye dinner in St. Gallen!

 

Day 12: Time to go home!

Free shuttle to St. Gallen or Zürich train station provided by the VeloTours van team. 

 

 

 

Reserve your spot today!