Home > Zurich > Switzerland Mountains, Cheese and Chocolates Tour from Zurich
USD $153.00
Switzerland Mountains, Cheese and Chocolates Tour from Zurich
Zurich, Switzerland
Venture to the Heidi-like region of eastern Switzerland on this full day guided coach tour from Zurich. Sample local cheese and chocolate, walk the streets of Appenzell and catch an aerial cable car over Swiss Alpine peaks for a comprehensive insight into this region. Even better, you'll travel in a personalized small group with a maximum of 16 people!
Start with a relaxed short city tour of the upcoming, trendy district of Zurich West passing the renowned university and the Museum of Art before heading into the Old Town. See the beautiful Limmatquai and the Fraumunster Church on your way to Lake Zurich. Visit the outlet shop of world-famous chocolatier Lindt where you'll have the opportunity to shop for the famous Swiss chocolate - a must-do for all chocolate fans.
You'll then travel past the lakeside town of Rapperswil, well known for its medieval and impressive castle before you reach the village of Stein. Here, you'll visit the local cheese factory where the famous wheel-shaped Appenzeller cheese is made. Your tour continues to the village of Brulisau where you'll board the aerial cable-car to the panoramic Mt. Hoher Kasten. At 6,000 feet (1,800 meters), enjoy breathtaking views over the Rhine Valley and Austria's Voralberg region. Go for a walk through the Alpine Garden or enjoy lunch at the spectacular revolving mountain restaurant (not included).
Before heading back to Zurich, your guide will take you on a brief walking tour of Appenzell with its narrow pedestrian lanes and lovingly painted houses.
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.
Review by: Gülşen E, May 2017
very nice tour
Review by: John F, May 2017
Overall really nice, however, freak snow storm caused cancellation of ride to Alps - we were reimbursed though. If you are looking for a tour that includes chocolate-making, this isn't it. Just includes stop at a Lindt outlet.
Review by: tien45, January 2017
Value for money
Review by: Maria Melissa S, October 2016
Nice tour...great cheese tasting , chocolate stop was to only see their outlet store....overall, a good slow paced tour, great scenery
Review by: Soheyl Sim., October 2016
It was a nice tour, our tour leader was nice, it is a nice experience but nothing special, we were not happy that our tour leader was driving and talking at the same time and we thought she might not be able to focus enough on driving, mountain and snow experience was very nice and the only good part of the tour.
Review by: molly.nicole90, October 2016
This was the most amazing day and I would do it again in a heartbeat! It was so beautiful and such a wonderful tasting day! You will not regret taking this tour!
Review by: Amanda M, October 2016
This was a great tour! I loved the beautiful mountain views, the cheese factory and the stop at the Lindt Chocolate Outlet. The cable car ride and the views up the mountain and of the countryside were to die for! I also loved that this was a small group tour so we were able to get to know other travelers really well. I would have loved more cheese and chocolates, but overall this tour was amazing!
Review by: Erik d, October 2016
Our tour guide was incredibly knowledgable and did a great job explaining the Swiss culture and all of the locations we visited. It was a bit of a downer that we couldn't actually see the making of the chocolate but the cheese factory was pretty awesome to see. The gondola ride and the views at the top of the mountain were amazing! I would suggest taking some time to walk around there on your own after eating lunch._br/_ Be aware that this is a long tour--we did not get back into Zurich until after 7:00PM. Lunch is also pretty late didn't get it till after 2:00. I would suggest asking for a timeline of the day so you can plan accordingly._br/_ Overall I would highly recommend this tour!!
Review by: Norma-Jean H, September 2016
Guide was excellent. Scenery was beautiful. Enjoyed all parts of the day.
Review by: Vernon H, July 2016
Good products cheese and chocolate tasting and information on traditions in various locations.
Review by: vhanmer, July 2016
We had the wonderful Annaliza as our tour guide. She had so much knowledge that she shared with us. I loved the small group and the small bus was very comfortable. The views were absolutely amazing. I had to limit my purchases at the Lindt factory outlet, only because of the weight limitation on my baggage. The cheese factory was very interesting and the cheese tasting was delicious. Appenzelle is a beautiful small town and the church simply stunning inside - do not miss! I loved the beautiful countryside and all the additional information that Annaliza shared on living in Switzerland was very interesting. I would recommend this tour in a heartbeat!
Review by: Shatha A, June 2016
This tour was amazing!
Review by: patricia.wong, June 2016
Amazing guide very knowledgable cheese tasting was great_br/_ And what can you say about Lindt chocolates very cheap compared to Australia_br/_ Then the views from Swiss mountains where amazing lucky I had a warm sunny day
Review by: Kristi H, June 2016
I loved this tour!! It was a great experience....and oh so tasty! We had a great tour lady and driver. It was fun to learn all the information on Switzerland. We were surrounded by beauty!
Review by: Diane L, May 2016
The experience was great. The trip itself was great, but we also lucked out with good weather and free beer at the Appenzeller brewery! Our guide was very friendly, knowledgeable and kind as well.
Review by: meagan b, December 2015
AMAZING tour : Read about it in my blog to learn more about this tour, Zurich, and other cities in Europe
Review by: Nina P, November 2015
terrible, waist of time and money.. ...
Review by: Reynolds C, October 2015
Very good tour. The driver/ guide Richard was excellent. He made the tour.
Review by: zakiah.jamali, September 2015
It was a whole day tour that we took. Our driver guide, took us through the drive to the Appenzall mountains. It was pretty. I've never had a driver guide before so it was a new experience. Though, I would appreciate more if the guide had more eye contact with us, when she's explaining about the surroundings throughout the journey. I suppose that was not possible too as she had to drive and talk at the same time. _br/_ But all in all, it was a beautiful drive up the mountains and it was a pretty little town she took us to. _br/_ The cheese and choc tour was fulfilled.
Review by: zakiah.jamali, September 2015
It was a whole day tour that we took. Our driver guide, took us through the drive to the Appenzall mountains. It was pretty. I've never had a driver guide before so it was a new experience. Though, I would appreciate more if the guide had more eye contact with us, when she's explaining about the surroundings throughout the journey. I suppose that was not possible too as she had to drive and talk at the same time. _br/_ But all in all, it was a beautiful drive up the mountains and it was a pretty little town she took us to. _br/_ The cheese and choc tour was fulfilled.
Review by: Jenette B, September 2015
Great tour - never enough time and you see so much. Bus was comfortable and guide was very knowledgable. A good mix of free time and time actually touring.
Review by: Jenette B, September 2015
Great tour - never enough time and you see so much. Bus was comfortable and guide was very knowledgable. A good mix of free time and time actually touring.
Review by: Roger R, September 2015
If you want to experience the true beauty of Switzerland then this is a must do tour! We really enjoyed the smaller group experience and highly recommend this tour.
Review by: Mauchisss, August 2015
Great! Too bad the chocolate part is just going to shop to the outlet....
Review by: Leticia B, August 2015
Excellent trip, knowledgeable, friendly guide. Great way to explore the Appenzelle flavor and ambience.
Review by: Nan, July 2015
Enjoyable day tour from Zurich through beautiful countryside.. Alpenzell is a beautiful town. Beat did a great job as our tour guide.
Review by: Claire T, July 2015
My daughter and I really enjoyed the tour. The tour guide was excellent Monika. Only suggestion was to be more clear about visiting the chocolate store only not the Lindt Chocolate Factory. I enjoyed the store but thought we were going to the factory and touring it.
Review by: Michael M, June 2015
Not what I expected. The chocolate visit was basically a shop which we could have easily visited in the States. Cheese factory was a bit more interesting and we had fun there. The cable car up to the Mountains was the best part of the day and really enjoyed the meal at top in the revolving restaurant.
Review by: Lian Hui, June 2015
Yes! Everything one could hope for if you are here for a short time only. Alps, Rhine, Lake Constance all can only be seen on a clear day and we were very fortunate today :)
Review by: Casey K, May 2015
Fabulous! Great guide, delicious food, beautiful view!
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