GC- Gaston College – Switzerland 2024

DAY 1 – DEPARTURE Sunday May 19

Depart Home for Geneva, Switzerland

DAY 2 – GENEVA Monday May 20

Arrive in Geneva, Switzerland

Airport Transfer 

Orientation Walking Tour – The group will become oriented with their neighborhood, the public transportation systems, nearby pharmacies, markets, ATMs, etc. Additionally, an in-depth safety briefing will be provided for what to do incase of an emergency

Old Town Historical & Cultural Walking Tour – Place Neuve, Reformation Wall, St Peter’s Cathedral, City Hall, Place du Molard, the Flower Clock and more of picturesque Old Town. 

Welcome Dinner – The group will be taken for an authentic dinner with a wide variety of menu options to cater all diets. 

DAY 3 – GENEVA Tuesday May 21

Breakfast & Day Briefing

Chocolate Walking Tour – Experience one-of-a-kind, award-winning chocolate creations. You’ll visit some of the city’s best artisanal chocolateries – from traditional to modern- and experience chocolate in all shapes and forms.

During the tour you will learn the secrets of the origins and manufacturing of chocolate, as well as the history of Swiss chocolate. You will experience Geneva’s most important tradition – breaking the chocolate “marmite” (cauldron).

Lunch Break

CERN Guided Tour – Learn more about the European Council for Nuclear Research visiting one or two areas on the site, such as control rooms, research facilities, engineering facilities, etc. guided by an insider. In addition you can explore our permanent exhibition Universe of Particles, located on the ground floor of the Globe of Science and Innovation.

DAY 4 – LAUSANNE Wednesday May 22

Breakfast & Day Briefing 

Train to Lausanne (approx. 45’)

Olympic Museum – The multifaceted world of the Games will reveal its secrets to you. The Museum offers 3,000m2 of exhibition space, over 1,500 objects, 150 screens and our passion, which combine to create a unique immersive experience.

Boat Trip to Villeneuve (approx. 1,5 hours)

Lakeside walk to the Castle (approx. 20’)

Chillon Castle – The beautiful Chateau de Chillon castle dates back to the 12th century and can be seen from the promenade of Montreux. So it’s been standing like a rock for almost 1000 years. However, some excavations show that this castle had been inhabited since the Bronze Age.

Return to Geneva  (approx. 1,5 hours)

DAY 5 – BERN Thursday May 23

Breakfast & Day Briefing

Train to Bern (approx. 2 hours)

Bern Walking Tour – Albert Einstein, Paul Klee and Friedrich Dürrenmatt all lived in Bern for a while and have walked beneath the arcades and enjoyed the relaxed atmosphere on the Minster terrace.

Be it famous guests, locals or tourists from all over the world – Bern’s Old City, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, fascinates everyone with its distinctive limestone buildings, charming alleys and impressive monuments.

Lunch Break

Einstein House – Albert Einstein house is the

same place that he discovered photoelectric effect (received 1921 Nobel Prize for it) and the relativity E=mc2

DAY 6 – ST. NIKLAUS – Friday , May 24

Breakfast & Day Briefing

Train to St. Niklaus (approx. 2 hours)

Bosch Plant Visit – Organized by Faculty

Lunch Break

Free time in St. Niklaus

Return to Bern (approx. 2 hours)

DAY 7 – BERN/LUCERNE Saturday May 25

Breakfast & Day Briefing

Full Day Chartered Bus – 

First Stop Jungfraujoch – Top of Europe –  See the Sphinx terrace, Alpine Sensation, Ice Palace, glacier plateau and Lindt Swiss Chocolate Heaven…Icy air streams across your face, snow crunches under your feet, and the view nearly takes your breath away: on one side the view of the Mittelland up to the Vosges, on the other the Aletsch glacier, bordered by four thousand metre peaks. Standing on the Jungfraujoch 3,454 metres above sea level, you can feel it with your first step: this is a different world. It’s one you have to experience.

Continue to Grimsel Power Plant – One of Switzerland’s alternative power sources. TBD

Continue to Lucerne

DAY 8 – LUCERNE Sunday May 26

Breakfast & Day Briefing 

Cultural Walking Tour- On the tour you will learn important and humorous facts about the history of Lucerne visiting world-famous sights such as the Chapel Bridge with the octagonal Water Tower, the Jesuit Church and the Culture and Convention Centre Lucerne (KKL Luzern).

You will discover hidden alleys, visit town squares teeming with activity and even catch a glimpse of the city’s «crown», the Musegg Wall. 

The Swiss Museum of Transport – Experience the past, present and future of mobility in Switzerland’s most-visited museum. A wealth of interactive attractions brings its road, rail, water, air and space focal points to life. Completing the unique museum experience is the up-to-the-minute Media World visitor experience, the Planetarium and the Swiss Chocolate Adventure. Get ready for a day to remember!

DAY 9 – LUCERNE/ZURICH Monday May 27

Breakfast & Day Briefing 

Train to Zurich (approx. 1 hour)

Cultural Walking Tour – The historic heart of the city beats on both sides of the Limmat river. Here guild houses, churches, historic squares, and hidden-away places nestle alongside each other.

Beyer Clock and Watch Museum – Experience the wondrous world of clocks and watches and the fascinating art of their manufacture in the heart of Zurich – in the basement of the shop on Bahnhofstrasse.

Lunch Break

Zürich James Joyce Foundation Guided Tour

DAY 10 – ZURICH Tuesday May 28

Breakfast & Day Briefing 

Free day in Zurich
Farewell Dinner and Program Closing

DAY 11 –RETURN Wednesday May 29

Breakfast & Day Briefing

Train to Geneva Airport (approx. 3 hours)

Depart Geneva, Switzerland for Home