Switzerland is on almost everyone’s bucket list. Yet the real Switzerland is impossible to discover without insider knowledge – and exactly what my Swiss food and wine tour is all about.
I’m blessed to know it as few outsiders can thanks to my Swiss husband, our family and friends.
I adore Switzerland’s hearty food, farmhouse stalls and outdoor food markets. And I love its crisp white wines, soft reds, picturesque vineyards and breathtaking scenery.
I’m accredited by Switzerland Tourism as a Swiss Travel Expert – and on this Swiss food and wine tour I’ll show you the hidden corners of Switzerland that tourists never find.
Cheesemaking, cheese fondue and the best cheese trolleys you’ve ever seen are all part of any Swiss food and wine tour. We start ours in a 300-year-old chalet in the Jura mountains with delicious traditional fondue and crisp white wine.
We'll stay in the pretty village of Romainmôtier, built around a thousand-year-old priory. Dinner is chicken spit-roasted in front of the priory's huge open fireplace and breakfast is excellent coffee and pastries in the local boulangerie.
Our hotel on Lake Murten has spectacular views across to the highest peaks of the Alps. We'll dine on fish fresh from the lake, explore Murten's medieval ramparts, visit local vineyards and dine at a Michelin starred family auberge.
In the beautiful Emmental countryside we'll stay in ancient Landgasthof Bären. The breakfast buffet is a feast of cheese, yoghurt and cold cuts from local farms and dairies and dinner offers an impressive seasonal game menu.
The UNESCO-listed old town of Bern retains much of its ancient charm. A stroll around it feels like a walk through time. From the ornate medieval clock tower, past the Gothic cathedral, to the elaborate 16th century fountains.
We'll ride the world’s steepest cable car to lunch at the Schilthorn's revolving restaurant. At almost 3,000 metres, the 360-degree view of Eiger, Mönch, Jungfrau and many other Alpine peaks is truly breathtaking.
Hotel Trois Couronnes is the place to stay on Lake Geneva, with heart-stopping views of the French Alps. Stroll along the lake front to Charlie Chaplin's statue and browse the small shops in the cobbled streets of the old town.
The Lac Léman vineyards are steeply terraced above the lake. After a tour and tasting with a local winemaker, we'll lunch in a small wine village on delicious local fare with wonderful views of the vineyards, lake and Alps.
Immerse yourself in the food and wine of Switzerland. Visit artisanal food producers and boutique wineries, eat regional specialties in local restaurants and enjoy hands-on cooking with like-minded food and wine lovers in a relaxed, comfortable environment on this small-group Swiss food and wine tour.
The above itinerary covers the tour highlights – the order of activities and locations may vary.
Closest international airport is Geneva; 1.5 hrs by train to/from Romainmôtier (tour start) and Vevey (tour finish). Trains from Zurich international airport to Lausanne take about 2.5 hours then to Croy-Rômainmotier a further 30 minutes – see sbb.ch for details. Airport transfers can be arranged at an additional cost.
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While cheese is the first food that comes to mind, Switzerland has so much more to offer.
The Seeland – known as ‘Switzerland’s vegetable garden’ – grows more than 60 varieties of vegetables, from crisp lettuces, leeks and celeriac to carrots, beans and autumn pumpkins, alongside Swiss favourites like nüsslisalat (mâche) and Swiss chard.
Orchards are heavy with apples, pears and quinces, and berries abound.
There’s crisp golden rösti of course, alongside a fabulous range of classic pastries and breads – including plaited, brioche-like züpfe.
Add fresh fish from its many lakes, game in autumn, excellent beef, lamb and cured meats, wild mushrooms, honey, and rich yoghurt, butter and cream. And yes, some of the world’s finest chocolate too. Discover more in my collection of Swiss recipes.
Absolutely! The Swiss love their salads, and a crisp green or mixed salad – like nüsslisalat – starts many a meal.
Menus follow the seasons, and September is harvest time, so vegetables are at their peak.
I plan our meals so that rich dishes like fondue and raclette are balanced with lighter, fresher ones.
Switzerland makes more than 500 cheeses, many still made from raw milk in small village dairies.
Favourites include nutty Gruyère, spicy Appenzeller, creamy Vacherin Fribourgeois and Tête de Moine, shaved into delicate rosettes.
Fondue and raclette are the famous ways to melt them, but they’re just as delicious on a platter with fresh bread and cold cuts.
On this tour, we’ll taste a wide range of local cheeses – many rarely seen outside their home region – meet a cheesemaking family and sample their cheeses fresh from the cellar.
Switzerland produces some very good wine – and the Swiss drink almost all of it themselves, so it’s rarely seen outside Switzerland.
Chasselas is the signature white grape and pinot noir the most widely planted red, alongside dozens of rare local varieties.
On this Swiss culinary tour, we’ll taste with passionate family winemakers from the tiny Vully region to the UNESCO-listed terraced vineyards of Lavaux above Lake Geneva.
The Swiss love their schnapps – clear, dry brandies (eaux de vie) distilled from fermented fruits. Traditional Swiss schnapps has the intense aroma of the fruit and no added sugar, unlike the syrupy liqueurs sold as ‘schnapps’ in some countries.
Favourites include kirsch (cherry), Williamine (Williams pear), Pflümli (plum) and Bätzi (a mix of apple and pear). Non-fruit schnapps include Kräuter (from local herbs), Enzian (from gentian root) and Hopfen (hops).
Schnapps is usually sipped as a digestif after dinner.
On this tour, we’ll visit a boutique distiller to taste their schnapps and see how it’s made.
September is my favourite time of year in Switzerland: the grape harvest is beginning, the forests are full of wild mushrooms, game is on every menu, and cows are brought down from their summer Alpine pastures in flower-decked processions.
The weather is usually mild, and the summer crowds have headed home.
Switzerland is known as a pricey destination, which is exactly why an all-inclusive tour makes such good sense.
Every meal is included, with local wines at lunch and dinner, along with accommodation, transport, tastings and private guided tours – so you can simply relax and savour every gourmet experience.
English is widely spoken throughout Switzerland, especially in hotels and restaurants, and I’ll be with you every step of the way.
Locals do love it when you try a cheerful ‘Grüessech’ in the German-speaking regions or ‘Bonjour’ in the French-speaking west – and I’ll give you a short language primer in case you’d like to try a few other key expressions.
Yes – I always offer at least 2 tours back to back so you can make the most of your time in Europe.
My tour to Emilia-Romagna (Italy’s ‘Food Valley’) comes just after my food tour of Switzerland.
I can arrange accommodation for the days in between, and transport from one to the other.
Being on tour with me is like travelling with a small group of food-loving friends.
Discover all the details – from accommodation and restaurant style to catering for dietary requirements and travelling solo – in the FAQ on my Food & Wine Tours page.
