Hello all, I am completely overwhelmed planning this trip! There is just so much to see and do and I am having a lot of difficulty narrowing it down. Please help! Also not sure if we shouldn't move around so much, it seems like the places we are staying are relatively close together so I'm having a hard time which activity we should do from which base. One of the adults really wants to see the Matterhorn; this is their really only "strong wish" so we worked that in which may be what is stressing me out with the planning.

Logistics: 2 families - 4 adults and 4 teenagers aged 15-19. We are all active. We have plane tickets in and out of Zurich - arrive July 3 9AM and depart July 10 11:45. Plan to train, no car.

Lodging booked as follows:
July 3, 4, 5 (3 nights) - airbnb in Merligen, on Lake Thun (this was a splurge)
July 6, 7 (2 nights) - Chandolin Boutique Hotel (near Zermatt) - Marriott property / using points
July 8, 9 (2 nights) - Zurich Marriott (can't remember which property)

Rough plan is:
Merligen / Lake Thun days:
July 3rd: fly into Zurich and train immediately to Thun / transfer to property. Would like to do something a little active that afternoon but nothing pre-booked as it is travel day. Maybe rent bikes and explore Thun on this day
July 4th and 5th (full days in Merligen) boat cruise on Lake Thun / explore Thun town and castles if we didn't do already. St Beatus Caves and / or Harder Klun; train to Grindewald for First Cliff Walk?

Zermatt:
focus on hiking here and viewing Matterhorn. Riffelseeweg Hike, Sunnega Viewpoint hikes. Do we skip Glacier Paradise Summit?

Zurich:
we have very little free time here as 4 of us (all the girls) are going to the Taylor Swift concert on the last full day (July 9) - YAY! But the day before, July 8, will be a full day and I am tempted to do a day trip to Lucerne that day to hike Mt Pilatus and / or boat on Lake Lucerne. Thoughts? It does feel like backtracking as we will pass through on our way from Zermatt the day before but we will have luggage with us. So then July 9, explore Zurich in the morning, then the concert is that evening. Then we fly out the next day.

Thoughts? Are we making a terrible mistake by not staying IN Lucerne? Are we missing out a lot if we don't go at all? I know its gorgeous but SO MANY places there are gorgeous and we just can't do it all in the time we have !

Chandolin isn't close to Zermatt - it's three hours away by train.

Chandolin is three hours by train from Zermatt!

I know the area, it's pretty, but it's not even remotely a base for Zermatt. Why not stay IN Zermatt?

Keep in mind that two nights is only one full day, and there's no way you can cover all you want in Zermatt in a day, let alone do it from a Chandolin base.

No, you're not missing out if you can't fit in Lucerne. Save it for another time when you can do it justice.

FWIW - I think three bases in six days (I'm counting actual full days - you have seven nights, right?) with one full day already devoted to a concert, is completely unrealistic.

Let's break this down:

July 3, 4, 5 (3 nights) - this is only two full days, plus a partial day on your arrival, some of which will be lost due to jet lag, getting your bearings and getting to Thun (about 90 minutes) plus check into hotel, get settled, etc.

July 6, 7 (2 nights) - Thun - Chandolin - this will take two trains, two buses, and 7.5 hours. Chandolin is not the base you want. Thun to Zermatt is two trains, 1:48. You want Zermatt, not Chandolin. Two nights is only one full day, and one partial day assuming you arrive into Zermatt early in the day.

July 8, 9 (2 nights) - Zermatt to Zurich - three trains, about 3:20 - so about 1.5 days, of which one day is devoted to concert.

Please correct me if I've misunderstood your post.

I typed a very long response to this last night, but it has disappeared!

In short - your Chandolin hotel isn't near Zermatt, it's in Chandolin, which is about 3.5 hours from Zermatt by train (actually two trains and two buses). This makes no sense, especially as you only have one full day to devote to Zermatt. Your wish list for Zermatt will take more than one full day.

I count six full days, one of which is already spoken for with the concert. Three cities/towns spread across seven nights isn't realistic if you want to see the places you're visiting.

Lucerne is only about an hour's train ride from Zurich, so easy to reach, but I just don't see any extra time in your itinerary.

CHANDOLIN BOUTIQUE HOTEL
This excellent 7 year old mountain hotel is situated above the charming small unspoilt village of Chandolin FAR AWAY FROM ZERMATT.
If you want to do the hikes you mention in your post, you have first to go to Zermatt by public transport, most probably like this:

Chandolin dp 7.36am (Summer time!) by Postbus to Vissoie ar 8.03, change bus, dp 8.10 - Sierre ar 8.43. Go by elevator down to the railway station and leave Sierre at 9.08 by Interregio train. Leave the train at the next stop (Visp) at 9.23 and change to the Zermatt railway train leaving Visp at 9.41 and arriving at Zermatt at 10.51. For Riffelsee take the Gornergrat train Zermatt dp 11.12 - Rotenboden ar 11.40.
Trains back to Chandolin:
Riffelberg dp 14.34, 15.22, 16.51 - Chandolin ar 17.57, 19.17 20.42
BTW: there isa phantastic, somewhat strenuous panoramic trail from Chandolin to Zermatt; the hike takes 3 full days.

I lost my last post again - if it doesn't post - note that I said "mea culpa" oops the Marriott website said Chandolin is only 17.9 miles from Zermatt and yep I saw the truth when I mapped it myself.

OK thank GOD I was able to get my companions to agree to skip the Zermatt (Chandolin heehee oopsie) section of the trip. So we can focus on Interlaken / Zurich and possible Lucerne.

Unfortunately, our airbnb in Thun is booked the day we had planned to leave, so we can't extend that. And with the concert July 9 and flight out July 10, I think its in our best interest to keep the Zurich Marriott for that night at least.

What would you recommend for the 3 nights in between Thun and Zurich? Add the nights in Zurich so we only have two bases for the trip, and day trip out of Zurich? That is where I'm leaning... though my companion suggests Lucerne for 3 nights and just travel to Zurich for the concert and leave from there.

I have replied twice and both disappeared so idk if this will show up at all ? Trying another way … anyway …

yes, thanks all, I did find out that Chandolin is far from Zermatt ! The Marriott app says the hotel is 17.9
miles from zermatt but once I mapped it out with trains I realized that’s wrong and makes that whole part of the trip unreasonable.

So - sadly for my companions who aren’t really doing the planning, we are going to scrap the Matterhorn. Unless she chooses to do it via a (very expensive it looks like) and long day trip from Zurich.

Now we are faced with :
3 nights (booked in Thun)
Then 4 to do something else ending in Zürich.

I wish we could extend our time in Thun. But our Airbnb is booked after us so we can’t stay in that one.

Would you suggest :
3 nights Thun
3 nights Lucerne ???
1 night Zurich (the last night - after concert, then depart next day )

- Or -

stay in Zurich the last 4 nights and do day trips (ie, Lucerne)?

or elsewhere ? Would love to minimize to 2 bases but we can’t get around leaving from Zurich the last morning.

Listen to your companion - the idea of staying in Lucerne is excellent.

Yes, since Zermatt is off the table, Lucerne would work nicely.

There is no reason to skip Zermatt (the real one, not Chandolin).
It's just 2 1/2 hrs from Gunten by bus and train.
The second best solution (for galcier views, mountain hiking, etc.) would be Riederaplp-Bettmeralp, 2 hrs by bus, train and gondola from Gunten.
Accommodation in Zermatt Valley: check Zzermatt, Taesch, Graechen, Stalden.....
Accommodation in Aletsch Glacier area: Riederalp, Betttmeralp, Fiescheralp, Fiesch....(or even Brig, the local transport hub for Aletsch Glacier, Saas Fee and Zermatt.
Trains from Brig to Zurich at least every hr. 2hrs journey.

Zermatt is less than 2 hrs by train from Thun

This thread is cursed, every response I've made has gone into moderation.

Melnq8, I agree! So many lost responses.

Friend is ok skipping zermatt. I feel much better with the revised plan. 3 nights Thun, 2 Lucerne, 2 Zurich.

For specific plans , these are our top activities. Any feedback would be appreciated!

Thun:
Explore town of Thun, castles, possibly a boat trip (is there a hop-on hop-off boat trip where we can combine with castles and exploring town?) , St Beatus caves, possibly a 3 hour bike tour of Interlaken.

Lucerne:
hike Mt Pilatus / Rigi, boat ride if we didnt do in Thun

Zurich:
explore Old Town, climb Grossmunster tower, Feelseneg cable car , boys will do Zurich Beer Tour the night girls are at Taylor Swift concert

We obviously can’t do everything and won’t try. But with this general set of ideas are we missing anything obvious ?

also would love a traditional Swiss fondue / raclette meal. Any great restaurant suggestions ?

Thanks so much everyone !

Lake Thun:
Gunten has a boat's pier with hourly boats to
Oberhofen castle (museum of old Bernese furniture in the 17tz/18th Century) - Thun,
and to
Spiez (castle) - Beatenucht (rope railway to Beatenberg and gondola to viewpoint Niederhorn) - Beatushöhlen (access to the caves) - Interlaken West.
Spiez is the railway hub for Visp - Zermatt/Saas Fee, Brig - Aletsch Glacier, Frutigen - Adelboden, Kandersteg - Lake Oeschinen, Goppenstein - Loetschental, Muelenen - Niesen rope railway, Golden Pass - Gstaad - Montreux, Interlaken)

Lucerne:
the hike to Pilaus is feasble, but rather strenuous. Rig is better for hiking.
But be aware that all that has nothing to do with real alpine hikes with glacier views like Grosse Scheidegg - First - Lake Bachalp (Gridelwald), Lauchernalp - Fafleralp (Loetschental), Riffelsee - Riffelalp (Zermatt), Riedefurka - Moosfluh (Riederalp)........

Zurich:
Zurich has some excellent museums. Compared with the alpine trails, the Uetliberg - Fesenegg trail is absolutly nothing to write home about.

And of course, Grindelwald, Lauterbrunnen, etc are just a simple train ride away from Thun. I would bike from Interlaken to Lauterbrunnen. Glorious.

The OP will stay at Gunten.
There is no need to backtrack to Thun.
He can take either a direct bus to Interlaken (1/2 hr journey)
or a direct boat to Interlaken (1 1/2 hrs journey).

BIKE from interlaken to Lauterbrunnen??? Looking into this immediately

neckervd - what are top suggestions for Zurich aside from museums, if the hiking is not that incredible? I don't think with our crowd (4 teenagers) the musuems will appeal much.

I have an e-bike (which can easily be rented in Switzerland) and this route has been on my bucket list for awhile.
Alpine Bike – Etappe 11, Meiringen – Grindelwald | SchweizMobil

"neckervd - what are top suggestions for Zurich aside from museums"
I don't know any.
The zoological garden is among the best in Europe.
Boat trips on Lake Zurich, but those on Lake Thun or Lake Lucerne are much nicer.
Visit of the Lindt chocolate factory (not much to see)
Day trip to Lake Lucerne or Rigi
Day trip to Schaffhausen/Rhine Falls (Adventure Park) and Rhibne river boat trip to Stgein am Rhein.
Vist of the Hoellgrotte Caves, close to Zug