SWISS & FRENCH ALPS - ITINERARY

 

Itinerary

This new 10-Day Photo Tour itinerary replace the previous (2012-2023) 8-Day Photo Tour itinerary, as we felt 8-days was to rushed and didn't leave us enough time experience some of the more special and remote places we wanted to share with our guests. 

 

DAY 1: SWISS & FRENCH ALPS PHOTO TOUR

Our Swiss & French Alps photo tour will begin in the Swiss town of Geneva - Geneva Airport (GVA), where we’ll meet at 8 AM with the rest of the group. From Geneva, we will take a short drive along Lake Geneva (Le Leman) to Lausanne before exploring UNESCO World Heritage renown region of Lavaux and the town of Montreux and Vevey, home of Charlie Chaplin and Freddie Mercury. We’ll set-up for sunset at one of our favourite secret spots high up in the mountain, before heading back down to the Swiss Riviera to our hotel for the night.

On a clear day/night you can see Geneva at the other side of the lake, as well as all the snow-capped French Alps and the Jura.

 

DAY 2: SWISS & FRENCH ALPS PHOTO TOUR

After breakfast we’ll drive about 2 hours to the Bernese Alps in western Switzerland, where we will spend the next three days shooting some outstanding landscapes.

On the way there, we will stop for lunch and visit the little Medieval town of Gruyère, also known for its fresh cream and world-famous Gruyère cheese. Later we’ll check in our accommodation near Simmerfalle in the Bernese pre-Alps.

 

DAY 3: SWISS & FRENCH ALPS PHOTO TOUR

On the third day of our Alps photography tour, we will wake up early to capture the sunrise at Simmen Spring, a green valley with majestic mountains, waterfalls, and rivers.

Later, we will drive to Lake Brienz, home for the next 2 days. As we get closer to the mountains, the landscapes will become more impressive. Our first stop will be Giessbach Falls, a 500-meter waterfall that drops into Lake Brienz at the foot of the historic Grandhotel Giessbach. The hotel can be reached by a funicular that holds the title of the oldest funicular railway in Europe.

On the way to Brienz, we will make a detour to photograph the picturesque village of Lauterbrunnen, one of the most impressive places in Switzerland.

Lauterbrunnen Valley, also known as the “Valley of 72 Waterfalls,” is a spectacular glaciated valley surrounded by huge mountains and 900ft waterfalls. Tolkien was inspired by this valley to create Rivendell in Lord of the Rings, and as soon as you see it with your own eyes, you’ll understand why.

Here, we will explore the town and its best photographic points.

 

DAY 4: SWISS & FRENCH ALPS PHOTO TOUR

On the fourth day of our Alps photo adventure, we will wake up early to make our way up to Grindelwald, one of the most beautiful villages in Switzerland, which is surrounded by massive, 13,000 ft-high peaks and glaciers. From there, we will take a cable car up to the Kleine Scheidegg, a breathtaking scenic overlook where we will spend the day. Here, we will enjoy some of the trip’s most amazing views and take pictures of the most prominent alpine mountains, such as the Eiger and Schreckhorn. Weather permitting we’ll embark on the new Eiger Express from Grindelwald Terminal to the Eiger Glacier, and from there continue to Europe’s highest railway station with the Jungfrau Railway to the marvel Jungfraujoch – Top of Europe.

‘…Icy air brushes across your face, snow crunches under your feet, and the panorama almost takes your breath away: on one side the view of the Mittelland all the way to France, on the other the Aletsch glacier, lined with four-thousand-meter peaks. Anyone who stands on the Jungfraujoch, 3,454 meters above sea level, feels from the first step: This is a different world. One that you have to experience...’

 

DAY 5: SWISS & FRENCH ALPS PHOTO TOUR

This morning we’ll take it easy, sleep in if you like or take a walk along the mesmerising Lake Brienz. After breakfast we will leave the Bernese Alps via the Grimsel Pass and drive to Fiesch, where we will take a cable car up to the largest glacier in the Alps, Aletschgletscher, which is 23 kilometres (14 miles) long. The views are spectacular here, and we will spend a few hours shooting up in the mountain.

Later, we will head towards the Pennine Alps in southern Switzerland to reach Zermatt, the famous Swiss village with an imposing view of the Matterhorn, and one of our all-time favourite places to photograph in the whole world! To get there, we will take a short train ride from the village of Täsch as Zermatt is a car-free town.

From Zermatt Train Station we will get a group transfer to our hotel to drop off the excess luggage we won’t need for our first day/ night workshop at Lake Stellisee. Shortly after, we’ll make our way by foot to Zermatt’s Talstation Sunnegga; you don’t want to miss the last cable car, as it will add an extra 1.5 hours steep walk to the upper station!  A short easy 30 – 40 minute walk will take us to Fluhalp, our ‘base camp’ for the night. (It does usually take us a bit longer with all the photo stops and adapting to the altitude!)

With a bit of luck, we will spot a few Edelweiss and hopefully get to meet some of the locals along the way; Marmots, Chamois, Alpine Ibex, Mountain Sheep, Chocards and Eagles.

We’ll check-in our accommodation late afternoon, and before dinner go through a few basic camera settings and ‘must do check list’ to be ready for our night photo shoot. We will have an early dinner at 7:00 pm to allow us to shoot the sunset lighting up the Cervin (aka Matterhorn) and then can catch on a bit of sleep, as weather permitting, we will wake up half way through the night to capture the Milky Way shining over the mighty Matterhorn!

 

DAY 6: SWISS & FRENCH ALPS PHOTO TOUR

For those game this morning, who wish to experience the early light, Martial will offer a pre-breakfast session and make his way down with the group (head torch on) to Lake Stellisee in time to claim a spot to capture the blue hour and immortalise the breathtaking reflections of the Alps in the iconic mountain lake at Sunrise.

After breakfast (8 – 9 am) we’ll make our way to the edge of the Findelgletsher (glacier) via the Grimdjibach Track. It is an awesome hidden gem away from the crowds, a fairly manageable hour hike, offering spectacular viewing spots looking out over the Alps and probably as close as you will ever get to the Ice Ages without freezing your bum off!

After lunch, we’ll check-in at Hotel Dufour and all going to plan, have time to recharge and catch up on a couple of hours sleep for the previous night. Mid-afternoon we’ll catch the iconic Gornergrat mountain train and make our way up to the world most famous 360 degrees panoramic view.

Tonight, we’ll enjoy a late afternoon picnic style dinner at Lake Riffelsee as we wait for the light to go down for our second twilight photography session and another great opportunity to capture some amazing images of the ‘King of the Mountain’ peaceful giant, the Matterhorn. We’ll catch the last train back down the valley to Zermatt around 10:30 pm from Riffelalp.

  

DAY 7: SWISS & FRENCH ALPS PHOTO TOUR

A well-deserved sleep-in this morning and after a leisurely breakfast we’ll make our way to a traditional little rustic Swiss Alpine village, typically build with rocks, wood and slate roofs, away from the busy tourists’ routes. After a well-earned rest and a taste of fresh local produce for lunch, we will hike down to Furi and catch a cable car to the Schwarzsee. This is a great place to spend the afternoon with a camera and make good use of those ND filters for waterfall and long exposure effects. We will get back in Zermatt late afternoon to explore the town and enjoy a typical Swiss meal all together. Optional free night to your leisure.

 

DAY 8: SWISS & FRENCH ALPS PHOTO TOUR

On the eighth day of this Swiss & French Alps photo trip, we will wake up early to capture the stars over Zermatt, the magical blue hour with the lights in town, and finally, the alpenglow light hitting the Matterhorn, the fifth highest mountain in the Alps.

We saved the really best for last, after breakfast we will make our way up to the Klein Matterhorn, a snow-covered peak of the Pennine Alps, with unobstructed breathtaking views over the Italo-Swiss Alps and Zermatt in the distance. At 3,883 metres above sea level, it is the highest place in Europe that can be reached by aerial cable cars, as well as by any other means of transport.

We will have the place nearly to ourselves at this time of day and will experience the magical early morning sun glowing on the surrounding Peaks. The perfect place to put in practice everything you’ve learned over the past 7 days and experience snow perhaps for the first time. Time and weather permitting we’ll adventure for a short walk in the snow before heading back to the hotel to collect our suitcases.

After this, we will drive for 3 hours and cross the border to France to spend the night near Chamonix. If there is time, we’ll do a sunset stop around the French Chamonix Valley where we’ll capture some beautiful mountain lakes, the popular French Aiguille Du Midi, and the Mont Blanc, the second highest mountain in Europe.

   

DAY 9: SWISS & FRENCH ALPS PHOTO TOUR

On the second last day of our fully guided Swiss & French Alps photography tour, we will spend the morning exploring the surround of Chamonix before heading the Haute-Savoie town of Sixt-Fer-à-Cheval.

We will spend the day exploring different viewpoints in the area and hike to some locations that look like they came straight out of a Lord of the Rings scene. At times, in the valley, there are up to 30 waterfalls flowing from the tops of the mountains, some of which are among the most photogenic in Europe.

As we approach the end of valley, there will be an option to walk just a bit further and climb the last steepest part of the path to reach an upper spot where you can overlook the entire valley.

At the end of the day, we’ll enjoy some tasty French cuisine for our farewell dinner, in one of the local restaurants in town.

 

DAY 10: SWISS & FRENCH ALPS PHOTO TOUR

On the final day of this Alps guided photo tour, we will shoot the sunrise at one of the most extraordinary gems of the French Alps near Cirque du Fer-à-Cheval.

After breakfast, we will pack up and drive back to Geneva International Airport, where we will wrap up this photo adventure across the Swiss and French Alps. Expect to be at the airport no earlier than 12.30 PM, so you can catch flights that leave at 3.00 PM or later.

If you are travelling by train out of Geneva, you can also catch your train from the Geneva-Airport Train Station located underneath the airport. It will take you to all major cities across Europe from here.

* This is a sample itinerary, our itineraries are subject to change depending on weather and other circumstance beyond our control. Changes in the itinerary are always made to provide our guests the best possible experience, in a secure and professional way.