Switzerland Itinerary: Basel, Lucerne and Geneva

A land renowned for its chocolate and cheese? Sign me up. I’ve flown through Zurich many times, but nearly five years of living in France and I’m finally getting around to a proper trip to Switzerland. My parents booked a Rhine River cruise, and it only made sense to meet up before they set sail. It’s not feasible to fly back to Missouri several times per year, so my family and I have gotten creative by meeting up in spots such as London or Finland. And being the good Americans that we are, it means squeezing three towns into under four days. Our itinerary included Basel, Lucerne and Geneva. Here’s a look at our itinerary and what we did in each town.

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Basel Itinerary

We started our journey in Basel, a calm city in northern Switzerland and not far from where the country meets France and Germany. We didn’t have too much time in this charming town but enjoyed the moments we did have, especially the ones including chocolate! If I had more time, I would’ve love to try out one of Basel’s art museums.

Basel Minster and Cloisters

We started our afternoon with a visit to the Basel Minster. We admired its majestic architecture and wandered into this once Catholic, now Reformed Protestant church. We wandered the different epitaphs and though the crypts. Upon exiting, we were lead into the cloisters, which so beautiful. And once we left the cloisters, we immediately stumbled upon an excellent viewpoint over the Rhine River.

Basel Town Hall (Rathaus)

My mom and I were intrigued with this building’s golden spire and decorative walls but didn’t realize it was the town hall. We explored the architecture of Basel’s government and parliament building. It’s even possible to take a tour!

Gifthüttli

With two gluten-free members in our party of three, we had an objective when it came to meal times. After some Google searches and FindMeGlutenFree results, we decided on dining at Gifthüttli, not too far from Marktplatz. This Swiss restaurant offered gluten-free options and had good reviews. I ordered their gluten-free cordon bleu with raclette and my mom ordered a rösti covered with cheese, spinach and an over-easy egg.

Läderdach

There’s no such thing as a successful day in Switzerland if it doesn’t include chocolate. After dinner, we stepped into Läderdach and were immediately overwhelmed. I adore chocolate, but my goodness, this shop has more kinds of chocolate than I’ve ever seen. Although their truffles and individual chocolates were tempting, we all ended up going for their chocolate bark. I ordered a chunk of milk chocolate with hazelnuts and savored every last bite.

Lucerne Itinerary

I certainly liked Basel, but upon arrival in Lucerne, I was already a fan. The quaint architecture, mountain backdrop and lake views won me over immediately. We dropped off our luggage at the hotel, grabbed quick bite to eat and then headed to our tour meeting spot.

Mt. Pilatus Visit

We spent the day at Mt. Pilatus. Our tour included bus transportation to the mountain, and then we took the gondolas up the mountain. From the deep green trees to the lake views, the scenery was stunning. Once we reached the summit, we had free time to walk around the mountain. We couldn’t stop taking pictures! The blue of the sky, the blue of the lake and the bright sunshine made for a perfect afternoon.

Once our free time finished, we joined our group to head down the mountain by cogwheel rail — the steepest one in the world! It sounds scarier that it was 🙂 The trip down allowed us to rest our feet and take in the green scenery. Once we arrived at the base of the mountain, we then boarded a cruise boat that brought us back to Lucerne. I love that our tour allowed us to experience different modes of transportation as we admired the lake and mountain! Our tour guide was nice, but we had quite a bit of free time to explore on our own. The real lure of the tour experience is that they take care of all the transportation and tickets!

Chapel Bridge

Once we made it back downtown, we noshed on pizza at BACiO della Mamma, which had excellent gluten-free “pinsa.” The center of Lucerne is not only gorgeous but also walkable. After our dinner, we took a digestive stroll to Chapel Bridge. Lots of cities have well-known bridges, but Chapel Bridge is one of the more unique ones I’ve seen. Lined with bright flowers, its covered timber bridge is more than 600 years old and features panels painted by Renward Cysat in the 1600s, according to Luzern Tourism. In 1993, part of the bridge caught fire and much history disappeared. But fortunately, the bridge was rebuilt in 8 months.

Out of our three destinations, I think Lucerne is my favorite. From its quaint downtown to its breathtaking views from Mt. Pilatus, this town is worth a visit!

Golden Pass Railway

The panoramic Golden Pass was on my mom’s bucket list for our trip to Switzerland. Trains aren’t just a means of transportation but an experience in and of themselves! Instead of taking a faster (not panoramic!) train to our next destination, we took a longer route in order to experience the Golden Pass. This train route connects Luzern to Montreux on Lake Geneva, per Eurail.

After breakfast at Two Hands Coffeehouse in Lucerne, we headed to the train station to start our Golden Pass journey. The scenery was gorgeous, and our stop in Interlaken with its blue lakes made me want to come back and not just for a train layover.

Later we passed a town that had its own airstrip. I was curious about its small airport as we were in Middle of Nowhere, Switzerland. I checked our location: Gstaad. Ah yes, the vacation spot for stars like the British and Monegasque royal families and Jackie O.

Once we made it to Montreux, we switched trains and boarded for our final leg to Geneva. In retrospect, I wish we would’ve allowed for more time at some of the stops on the itinerary, notably Interlaken. Next time!

Geneva Itinerary

Our final stop of our blitz of a trip was Geneva. Certainly more urban than Lucerne and Basel, Geneva offers upscale shopping and dining along with gorgeous lake views. You can’t miss its renowned Jet d’Eau, a fountain in the lake that shoots up to more than 450 feet high. This fountain that dates back to the 1800s has become an icon.

We had fun wandering through its Old Town streets as well as Place du Molard, a street with lots of shops. We dipped into Longchamp to buy my birthday gift and later into Läderach for more chocolate samples and purchases. Oops! We also discovered Globus, a huge department store that reminds me of Galeries Lafayette.

Where we ate

Eating out in Switzerland is expensive (we’re talking 30 euros a head!). But aside the price, we certainly ate well during our time in Geneva. I had an amazing, copious crêpe at the Crêperie Bourg du Four, which was in a cute square. I’d definitely recommend! And naturally, it doesn’t count as vacation unless you get gelato for dessert! Just a few steps away, Gelato Mania wasn’t just any gelato shop. Trust me, I’m picky. But their creamy, rich flavors are still making me drool.

The next morning, we brunched at White Rabbit Brunch and Co. A+ for gluten-free options. On the first night we arrived, I wanted to try out Pasta People as I’d read good reviews. We followed our trusty Google Maps only to see a crazy long line. A good sign for the restaurant, a bad sign for people like us who didn’t reserve. We came back the next day, and I had an excellent carbonara.

Reformation history

Geneva is chock full of history, especially when it comes to the Reformation. We visited the Reformation Wall inside the Parc des Bastions. The center of the memorial honors church reformation fathers John Calvin, William Farel, Théodore de Bèze and John Knox. Later, we made our way up to the International Museum of the Reformation, which walks you through the history of this important movement. And right next to the museum is his church, Cathédrale Saint Pierre.

For my first time in Switzerland, I’m glad I thrilled to have seen a variety of destinations. Looking back on our trip, it was very quick! Even though Switzerland is right next to France, it’s wild to me how different it is in terms of culture, architecture and customs. It was great to see my parents and experience three different towns. However, I think we could’ve added a day so that it wouldn’t have been as rushed in between stops. And it’s true what they say: Swiss chocolate is superior! And its scenery will make your mouth water. Until next time, Switzerland!

Longing for more Switzerland? Read our guest writer’s article on Zurich, Lucerne, Kerns and Basel.