Summits & Lakes in Summer

Glacier trains, private boats on Lucerne, and hikes guided to the views the crowds never reach.

Few countries pair such effortless precision with wild beauty, and here it is all arranged so quietly that you notice only the ease.

When to go

December through March for pristine alpine snow, June through September for green valleys, warm lakes and clear summit days. Your advisor times it to the light, the crowds and your own calendar.

The experiences

A sense of what this journey can hold — each one arranged privately and shaped to you:

• A private carriage aboard a glacier train, the Alps unfolding through panoramic glass.
• A boat held for you alone on Lake Lucerne, mooring wherever the afternoon invites.
• A guided hike in the Jungfrau region to viewpoints the day-trippers never reach.
• A leisurely ascent to a high pass, a private table waiting with lunch and the long view.

A sense of the rhythm

Summer here is generous and unhurried, the days long and the light lasting well into evening. You move between water and altitude, an easy morning on the lake giving way to a mountain afternoon. Your guide reads the weather and the crowds so that you are always in the right place at the right moment.

Lakeside ease or the high alpine

Base yourself by Lucerne and the days feel gentle, centred on the water, the boats and the villages along the shore. Head into the Jungfrau region and the register shifts to glaciers, high trails and thinner air. We usually pair the two, opening beside the lake and rising into the mountains as you find your rhythm.

How to do it well

The counsel our advisors give travelers planning this journey:

• July and August offer the warmest lakes and the most dependable high-mountain weather.
• Book scenic rail in first class and private carriages early, as the best departures sell out.
• Start alpine excursions at first light to have the summits and trails largely to yourself.
• Carry layers even in summer, as mountain weather can turn within a single afternoon.

What only your advisor can open

The difference between a good trip and an unrepeatable one is access — and access is a relationship, not a booking. Every guide, room and moment is chosen and sequenced for you.

Who it's for

Travelers who value privacy, time and doing it once — beautifully — and who would rather have one trusted advisor orchestrate every detail than assemble it themselves.

Estimated investment

From US$14,000 per traveler, based on double occupancy — scaled to your dates, party size and level of privacy. A starting point, not a final quote; confirmed once your advisor tailors the itinerary.

Designed entirely around you

Nothing here is a package. A Forest Travel advisor shapes the whole journey and stays one message away before and throughout your trip.

Your Virtuoso privileges

As a Virtuoso member, Forest Travel includes benefits reserved for Virtuoso guests at the finest luxury hotels, at no added cost: a room upgrade on arrival when available, daily breakfast for two, a property credit toward dining or spa, and early check-in with late check-out when the hotel allows.

Continue exploring Switzerland

Part of our Switzerland travel guide. Related private journeys:

• The Alpine Winter, Privately
• The Longevity Journey
• The Connoisseur's Switzerland

Begin the conversation

Tell a Forest Travel advisor how you like to travel and they will design Summits & Lakes in Summer around you — privately, every Virtuoso privilege included. Request your private consultation →