Published on Nov, 2024
We traveled with three generations of women: grandmother, mother, and daughters (aged 20 and 23). Due to the diverse age span, we wanted a tour that accomplished the following:
1) Enabled us to engage with a local to learn about their life in Switzerland and who was relatable personality-wise to both young and old.
2) Transport us to hidden gems we could not easily reach on our own
3) Insider’s selection of Bernese Oberland’s greatest scenic hits to satisfy the young people’s desire to hike a bit while providing accessibility for the older generation.
During our time in Switzerland, we did four different tours. Three of the four were exceptional and highly enjoyable. However, Chris’s tour ultimately edged out the stiff competition.
Chris is very knowledgeable about Switzerland and was able to answer our questions about its culture, politics, infrastructure, etc. He’s professional and intelligent, but at the same time, he has a British sense of humor that keeps things light-hearted. He struck a good balance of being a bit cheeky but appropriate enough for Grandma’s approval.
Thankfully, the weather cooperated, and his scenic selections were stunningly dramatic. While some of the waterfalls were not at total capacity due to the season, we still loved seeing the juxtaposition of the fall colors and turquoise glacial water. We had requested to eat at a restaurant that served fondue, and Chris selected a charming place that seemed to be full of locals and had a mountain chalet vibe above Lake Brienze. By the end of the day, we had visited Lake Lucerne, Hergiswil, Aareschluct, Giessbachfalle, Lake Brienze, Interlaken, and Lauterbrunnen. There were long enough walking aspects to suit the girls, but several times, Chris would run off and grab the van to pick us up to spare my mom from walking further than she could manage. Given the number of places we visited, Chris kept the pacing appropriately on track so that more time was allocated to more scenic locations and less time was allocated to spots that were interesting to see just briefly.
Ultimately, Chris’s tour was a highly memorable and delightful finale to our Switzerland trip!
