The Blue Backpack · Women's Small Group Travel
Switzerland
in December
Christmas Markets, Spa Days & a Slower Kind of Holiday
Explore the Journey Book Now
The Blue Backpack · Women's Small Group Travel
Christmas Markets, Spa Days & a Slower Kind of Holiday
Explore the Journey Book NowBefore the Holidays Begin
From December 1st to 10th, we move through two of Switzerland's most distinctive regions — German-speaking Zurich and Bern, then Italian-speaking Lugano — arriving just before the holiday rush and settling into the rhythm of Christmas as the Swiss actually live it. We even slip across the border to Como, Italy, for a day.
Your guide, Céliane, is Swiss-born. This isn't a tour of Switzerland. It's an introduction — through the eyes of someone who grew up here.
Day by Day
We check into Josephine, a charming women-only guesthouse — a 15-minute walk or five minutes by tram from the main station. From the top-floor breakfast room, the city rooftops and Uetliberg mountain rise in the distance. Once everyone has arrived, a leisurely evening stroll to a nearby Christmas market: Glühwein, twinkling lights, the scent of roasting chestnuts in the crisp air.
Morning in Zurich's medieval Old Town — the Grossmünster, winding lanes along the Limmat, centuries of history layered into stone. In the afternoon, we slow down as the locals do: restorative hours at the Stadtbad Hammam & Spa on a women-only day. Warm stone, steam, ritual, and rest — a beautiful blend of Oriental and Western bathing traditions. Entrance included; massage optional and highly recommended.
The train to Bern, Switzerland's Federal City and one of its most underrated gems. The UNESCO-listed Old Town feels like stepping into a perfectly preserved medieval storybook: covered arcades, colorful 16th-century fountains, ochre sandstone. We end the day gathered around our first regional meal — traditional cheese fondue paired with local wine.
A slower day. I'll show you a few favorite corners, then the city is yours. The Swiss National Museum. Lakeside promenades. Comparing Christmas markets. Shopping along elegant Bahnhofstrasse. For those who wish, an optional happy hour to close the evening.
Bahnhofstrasse, Zurich · December
We leave German-speaking Switzerland behind and travel south to Lugano in Ticino. The train journey itself is part of the experience — mountain landscapes gradually softening as palm trees appear. We check into Hotel Federale, in Lugano's Old Town, just a couple of minutes' walk from the train station. In the evening, Piazza della Riforma glows with its Christmas market — festive, intimate, distinctly Italian in spirit.
We ride up to Monte Brè for panoramic views over Lake Lugano and the surrounding Alps. Just below the summit, the village of Brè is an open-air gallery of stone houses, narrow lanes, and contemporary art tucked into walls and courtyards. We gather at a traditional grotto for our second regional meal — polenta, braised meats, risotto, local cheeses — rustic and deeply rooted in Ticino's mountain culture.
We begin at the Cattedrale di San Lorenzo, then wander through favorite local shops — clothing, food, stationery — the places worth knowing. The afternoon is yours. Or join me, weather permitting, for the scenic Olive Tree Trail along Lake Lugano, or a visit to LAC Lugano Arte e Cultura.
Less than thirty minutes by train, Como makes an easy and rewarding Italian interlude. We stroll the lakefront, visit the Duomo — a magnificent blend of Gothic and Renaissance architecture — and browse favorite shops. Pizza and tiramisu for lunch. Naturally.
We return to Zurich and check into Fred Hotel by the train station. Then: Hürlimannbad & Spa, set inside a beautifully restored former brewery. Thermal waters drawn from deep beneath the city. The Roman–Irish ritual — heat, steam, cooling water, rest — culminating in the rooftop infinity pool overlooking Zurich's winter rooftops. We close the evening at Frau Gerolds Garten, cozy and luminous in winter.
On our final morning, I'll accompany you to the airport and send you home restored, inspired, and ready for the holidays.
Piazza della Riforma · Lugano · Christmas Market
The Details
Lake Lugano · Ticino, Switzerland
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