Majestic Alps Vacation: guided tours and luxury hotels

Welcome to Geneva! Your adventure begins as you arrive at the Crowne Plaza Geneva Hotel which offers a free airport shuttle service. You’ll meet your tour leaders for a welcome drink late afternoon. Prof Rob Butler and Dr Taija Torvela will give you a warm welcome and an overview of the exciting journey ahead. Take this time to settle in, meet fellow travellers, and get ready for a week of exploration. Free evening.

• Hotel: Crowne Plaza Geneva
• Free evening

Start your day with a scenic drive through the beautiful Alpine foothills, which have been sculpted by ancient glaciers over millennia. Enjoy the dramatic landscapes as we make our way to the charming town of Samoëns. Free time to explore the town and find a spot for lunch.

Afterward, we'll continue our journey through the valley of the Arve, stopping to marvel at incredible folded rock formations involved in creating the Alps.

By evening, we'll arrive in Chamonix, where you’ll settle into our centrally located hotel for the next two nights and enjoy a group dinner in a local restaurant.

• Hotel: 5-star Hotel Hameau Albert 1er
• Group dinner

We start the day with a cable car ride to Le Brévent, where you'll be treated to sweeping views of the western Alps and Mont Blanc. After taking in the stunning scenery, controlled by the underlying geology, we'll head back to Chamonix for a group lunch.

The afternoon is dedicated to discovering Chamonix’s rich history through visits to the mineral and alpine museums.

Make the most of your free evening in the vibrant town of Chamonix and prepare for the next leg of our journey.

• Hotel: 5-star Hotel Hameau Albert 1er
• Free evening

We’ll start early to beat the traffic through the Mont Blanc tunnel. Our first stop will be Courmayeur, where we'll have a coffee in front of the awe-inspiring south face of the Mont Blanc range. From there, we'll drive down the upper part of the picturesque Aosta Valley. Its numerous castles and ancient bridges chart the valley’s importance as a route through the alps, since before roman times. We head into the Gran Paradiso National Park for a group lunch, at the alpine village of Cogne. We can spend the afternoon finding out about the region’s ancient history of mining in the region’s museum.

By evening, we'll arrive in the historic city of Aosta, founded in 25BC by the Romans. From the centrally located 4* Duca D’Aosta hotel, our base for the next three nights. From the hotel you can explore the Roman and Medieval remains and browse the excellent range of shops. Each evening you’ll have time to unwind in the hotel or perhaps take a stroll to cosy bars, cafes and restaurants serving excellent local cuisine.

• Hotel: Duca D’Aosta Hotel 
• Free evening

Today, we’ll drive up the Valtourneche valley to the mountain village of Breuil (Cervinia) and take the dramatic cable cars up to a vantage point on the Swiss-Italian border. It provides stunning views of the Matterhorn. Prof Rob Butler will lead a fascinating geological discussion, explaining the forces that shaped these iconic mountains. We will enjoy a group lunch in a superbly located alpine restaurant, returning to Breuil.

The rest of the day is yours to explore or relax before returning to Aosta and the Duca D’Aosta hotel.

Enjoy a relaxing evening in Aosta, we’ll spend our second night in Aosta.

• Hotel: Duca D’Aosta Hotel
• Free evening

After driving down the dramatic gorge of the Aosta valley, passing ancient castles and segments of roman roads, we will spend this day up in Val di Gressonney. The valley is an alpine gem full of little alpine farms. We will take another cable car ride to see Monte Rosa and Lyskamm – another set of alpine 4000m peaks on the border between Switzerland and Italy. Monte Rosa is the second highest mountain in the Alps and western Europe, after Mont Blanc. Lyskamm at 4532m also known as Silberbast (literally "silver bast"), is renowned for frequent avalanches, leading to its nickname the Menschenfresser ("people eater"). We’ll be able to touch outcrops of former oceanic crust – and discuss how they came to be over 3 km above sea level.

After a tasty group lunch at another picturesque alpine restaurant and a short stroll across meadows to a tiny chapel, we can return to the valley. Our return down Val di Gressonney passes romantic waterfalls, villages, and the odd roman bridge!

If the weather restricts the cable car and view, we will spend more time visiting the local historical castles. Return to Aosta for final evening, group dinner and overnight stay.

• Hotel: Duca D’Aosta Hotel
• Group dinner

On our final day, we’ll drive back to Geneva via the historic Grand Saint Bernard Pass, the third highest road pass at almost 2500m (8100ft) in Switzerland. This scenic route offers more stunning views of Great St Bernard Lake and Mt Velan (3727m) and its glaciers, and a sense of the journey's historical significance. With a leisurely lunch stop planned, we aim to arrive in Geneva by late afternoon, marking the end of our incredible adventure through the majestic Alps.