5 days in Switzerland Itinerary

Mostly known for its world-renowned jazz festival, Montreux serves as a picturesque lakeside resort town on the Swiss Riviera.

Your cultural itinerary includes sights like Collection de l'Art Brut and Chateau de Chillon. Museum-lovers will get to explore HR Giger Museum and Queen Studio Experience. Change things up with these side-trips from Montreux: Place de la Palud (in Lausanne) and Plage de Celigny (in Celigny). The adventure continues: indulge in some personalized pampering at Les Bains de Lavey, go for a walk through Montreux Lakeside, and take your sightseeing to a higher altitude at Rochers-de-Naye.

To find photos, where to stay, and more tourist information, use the Montreux online route builder.

London, UK to Montreux is an approximately 5-hour flight. You can also take a train; or drive. The time zone difference moving from Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) to Central European Standard Time (CET) is 1 hour. Wrap up your sightseeing on the 14th (Wed) early enough to drive to Basel.

Situated where the Swiss, German, and French borders meet, Basel is considered the hub of Dreilandereck, this "three countries corner." Its location makes Basel a center of culture and history, brimming with important theaters and museums.

On the 15th (Thu), examine the collection at Spielzeug Welten Museum Basel, then get engrossed in the history at Basel Paper Mill - Swiss Museum for Paper, Writing and Printing, then explore the world behind art at Museum Tinguely, and finally wander the streets of Basel's Old Town.

To see maps, more things to do, ratings, and tourist information, read our Basel trip planner.

You can drive from Montreux to Basel in 2 hours. Other options are to take a train; or do a combination of train and bus. In December, daytime highs in Basel are 7°C, while nighttime lows are 0°C. Finish up your sightseeing early on the 15th (Thu) so you can catch the train to Zurich.

The financial hub of Switzerland, Zurich is most often associated with money and banks.

Start off your visit on the 16th (Fri): take an in-depth tour of Landesmuseum, then don't miss a visit to Bahnhofstrasse, and then get to know the fascinating history of Old Town.

To see photos, where to stay, more things to do, and other tourist information, read our Zurich online vacation planner.

You can take a train from Basel to Zurich in 1.5 hours. Alternatively, you can drive; or take a bus. Expect a daytime high around 5°C in December, and nighttime lows around -1°C. Finish your sightseeing early on the 16th (Fri) to allow enough time to fly back home.