Milan, Lake Como & Scenic Trains Loop

An Italy-Switzerland rail loop connecting Lake Como, the Bernina Express, the Glacier Express, and Lake Maggiore

Head north from Milan for a leisurely tour of the lake district, then travel via Tirano to board the Bernina line. Stay two nights in the Engadin valley, take the Glacier Express to Zermatt, and return to Lake Maggiore and Milan via Domodossola without backtracking. This route offers a striking contrast between Italian and Swiss landscapes. By skipping the Bernese Oberland and Swiss cities, it is ideal for travelers entering from Italy.

The Glacier Express is suspended from mid-October to early December; seat reservations should be made months in advance during summer.

Day by day

Day 1 · Milan Cathedral and Galleria

Milan（Milan Cathedral、Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II、Teatro alla Scala、Sforza Castle）

Take the airport express train to the city center, and explore the central area on foot and by metro

Stay: Centrale Station Area

Day 2 · Varenna and Bellagio

Lake Como（Varenna、Bellagio、Villa Monastero）

Take a train from Milan Central Station to Varenna (approx. 1 hour), and take a round-trip ferry to Bellagio (approx. 15 minutes)

Stay: Varenna

Day 3 · Bernina Line to the Engadin

Tirano → St. Moritz（Brusio Spiral Viaduct、Alp Grüm、Lago Bianco & Bernina Pass）

Take a train from Varenna to Tirano (approx. 1 hour 15 minutes), and transfer to the Bernina line train to St. Moritz (approx. 2.5 hours)

Bring your passport for the border crossing. Seat reservations are mandatory for the Bernina Express panoramic carriages.

Stay: Pontresina

Day 4 · Diavolezza and Glacier

St. Moritz（Diavolezza、Morteratsch Glacier、St. Moritz Dorf & Leaning Tower）

Take a regional train from Pontresina to the cable car station to ascend the mountain, and visit the Morteratsch Glacier Trail in the afternoon

Stay: Pontresina

Day 5 · Glacier Express to Zermatt

St. Moritz → Andermatt（Glacier Express） → Zermatt & Matterhorn（Glacier Express）

Depart from St. Moritz in the morning and travel via Chur, Andermatt, and Brig to Zermatt (approx. 8 hours)

Seat reservations are mandatory for the Glacier Express.

Stay: Zermatt Village Center

Day 6 · Gornergrat Viewing Day

Zermatt & Matterhorn（Gornergrat、Riffelsee、Zermatt Old Village (Hinterdorf)）

Take the cogwheel railway from the village up to Gornergrat, and hike the section past Riffelsee on the return journey

Stay: Zermatt Village Center

Day 7 · Simplon Pass to Lake Maggiore

Lake Maggiore & Stresa（Stresa Lakefront & Old Town）

Travel to Visp and transfer to the EuroCity train, traveling via Domodossola to Stresa (approx. 3 hours)

Stay: Stresa

Day 8 · Borromean Islands and Return to Milan

Lake Maggiore & Stresa（Isola Bella、Isola dei Pescatori）

Tour Isola Bella and Isola dei Pescatori by ferry in the morning, and return to Milan by train in the afternoon (approx. 1 hour)