The van is a comfortable Mercedes with room for 8. Our driver spoke good English and was very knowledgeable about Switzerland. I believe his name was Franz. The first stop was the Lindt chocolates outlet store with enough variety to sate any chocoholic. Then it was off to the foothills of the Alps for a stop at the Appenzeller cheese factory where you could taste different cheese selections included, and enjoy a local beer. Then to the factory to watch the cheese production. Now off to the mountains to enjoy a cable car ride to a mountain top restaurant that revolves and viewing platforms for fantastic views of peaks and valleys of the Rhine river area.
Review by: Steve L, May 2018
Our tour guide Martin was wonderful. Started with Lindt chocolate tour which was really not a factory tour, but rather a chocolate store tour that was connected to the factory. Health regulations prohibit factory tours. But it was a beautiful store with wide selection of chocolates which we all bought and enjoyed the free samples on entering. Next came the cheese factory tour which had a glass partition allowing a direct view of the production floor and cheese storage area. We had a marvellous cheese tasting experience with lovely cheeses, fruit, nuts, and bread. Drinks whether alcoholic or non alcoholic had to be purchased with the tasting - not a deal breaker. Then we went to a town and took an enclosed lift up an alp. Unfortunately it was foggy so no view, but I was assured it would have been a spectacular view but for the weather. So we ate at our expense at the revolving restaurant - it was OK but not special but with nothing else to do we connected with our fellow travelers. Had the weather been more cooperative we might have skipped the meal to take in the view. Lastly we went to a lovely small town for a descriptive walk about and grabbed a coffee. A return to Zurich ended a lovely if at times weather frustrating day. I should mention that Martin pointed out the farms, rolling hills, architectural elements and historical landmarks throughout the drive. Very informative. There were restrooms at every stop. Overall quite enjoyable and recommended.
Review by: Lester Lim C, February 2018
The mountain is really cold. so keep yourself warm. Chocolate and Cheese tour can be disappointed
Review by: Michelle E, February 2018
This was a GREAT tour! The chocolate factory has some great deals and the chocolate is wonderful. The cheese factory was a bit stinky but it is a cheese factory! The mountains are so beautiful! You are in for a treat!
Review by: bmweber0906, December 2017
Fantastic small group tour! Stopping at a factory Lindt chocolate store is first on the agenda. The whole drive is narrated by a lovely guide who will tell you anything and everything about Swiss culture as you drive to the city of Appenzell. Touring the cheese factory and having a tasting then up to the top of mountain you can opt out if wanted but I wouldn't suggest that and see the city of Appenzell from above and have a bite at a revolving restaurant while you see 4 countries from your view. Afterwards you are given a quick tour by the guide of Appenzell and then free to walk your own around the town before heading back to Zurich. The small group atmosphere and knowledgeable guide made this an absolutely must see trip. My husband and I loved it!
Review by: tobye1748, December 2017
The description leads you to believe that you will be touring a cheese factory to see how cheese is made. There was no tour. You were given a package of cheese as a consolation prize for not being able to tour the factory. The Lindt chocolate factory, is just a visit to the retail store to buy chocolate. You can do that at any grocery store in the USA. The cable car ride and mountain visit are beautiful. Yes, you can eat lunch in the panoramic revolving restaurant, but at a very steep price. The visit to Appenzal is way too short, and the 1.5 hour drive back is in the dark.
Review by: Craig G, December 2017
Absolutely amazing, turned out to be the best part of our trip and was great. The tour guide was extremely knowledgeable and passionate about the tour and even inclement weather didn’t detour our great experience
Review by: Kate W, November 2017
Loved the day- beautiful tour- wonderful guide!
Review by: Anthony M, October 2017
Highly recommend this tour as the Mountain View is breathtaking!
Review by: Holly P, October 2017
We had a great time on this tour! It allowed us to see a different part of Switzerland, with our fantastic tour guide: Monika! Such a beautiful place!
Review by: Kathi D, September 2017
Fun day, and a beautiful place to see.
Review by: Reddy, September 2017
This was the best trip I ever had. Most recommended to families with children.
Review by: tse.wendy, September 2017
Tour was good and interesting, bus was comfortable, guide was funny and entertaining, only wish we had a bit more time at each stop as the cheese tour felt quite rushed and we didn't have much time to see the town of Appenzell. I was travelling with my 2 elderly parents and they managed fine with the amount of walking on this tour. _br/_ Also, it would have been nice to go to the real Lindt shop at Kilchberg instead of the one we went to, which really felt like it was just a shop meant for tourists. Overall, I'm glad we went!
Review by: betteractions, September 2017
Our Tour Guide was amazing for this trip. Each destination was hospitable, and even when the weather wasn't so nice, or something wasn't very timely, our guide made things perfect.
Review by: fredjayoder, August 2017
We had one day to visit and this tour gave us as much of Switzerland as could be accomplished in that amount of time. Excellent!
Review by: Jennie L, August 2017
Thomas was an amazing tour guide. Tour exceeded expectations. If you have the time you really should invest in this day trip. Completely worth it.
Review by: Gabriela M, August 2017
It was a nice day driving to the mountains from our hotel. They had comfortable and airconditioned buses. They tour guides were ok, but nothing impressive. The cheese factory was ok, but kind of boring and the chocolate tour, wasn't really a tour. They just drove you to their store and had you buy your own chocolate :- Next time we will get a Lonely Planet guide book, rent a car and explore on our own. I would not recommend this tour.
Review by: Karen F, July 2017
It's hard to complain about chocolate, cheese and beautiful mountain sights. A great way to see the countryside.
Review by: Graham P, July 2017
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Review by: Denise G, July 2017
I would highly recommend this tour. Try to go on a clear day if possible. The view from on top of the mountain was amazing. I do wish we could have had a little more time in Appenzell because it was such a cute town. By the time we got there most of the shops were closing. This wasn't our tour guides fault it was our fellow travelers.
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