Switzerland

Switzerland in six days asks you to move vertically more than horizontally. The country is small enough to cross by train in an afternoon, but the real distance is upward, from lakeside promenades at 400 meters to glacier saddles above 3,000. Plan a route that loops through the Bernese Oberland and the Valais, with one slow rail day stitching the regions together. Luxury here means private transfers from Zurich Airport, a suite at a grande dame like Victoria-Jungfrau in Interlaken or Mont Cervin Palace in Zermatt, and helicopter time over the Aletsch if weather cooperates.

Base yourself first in the Lauterbrunnen area for two nights. Take the cogwheel train through Kleine Scheidegg to Jungfraujoch, then spend a slower morning paragliding off Beatenberg or hiking the Eiger Trail beneath the north face. The light at 6 a.m. on the Schilthorn is worth the early alarm; Piz Gloria's revolving terrace puts the entire Bernese range in one frame.

Shift south to Zermatt by Glacier Express, reserving Excellence Class for the welcome drink and the larger windows. Three nights in the car-free village give you time for the Five Lakes hike, a sunrise run up to Gornergrat, and a long lunch at Chez Vrony in Findeln, where the rösti arrives with a wedge of Cervelat and the Matterhorn fills the deck. Save an afternoon for the Klein Matterhorn cable car to ski or simply walk on summer snow at 3,883 meters.

Eat fondue moitié-moitié in Gruyères if you transit through, drink Heida wine from Visperterminen, and book mountain restaurants at least a week ahead in July and August. June and September deliver the cleanest air for photography. Trains run on the minute, so build tight connections with confidence and carry a Swiss Travel Pass for the lifts it covers.