6-Day Drive 9 Swiss Passes, Glacier Express Route +Stelvio, Italy

The main event here is the road itself: a Porsche 718 Boxster Roadster winding through Switzerland and northern Italy, over high passes, past glaciers, and along the famous Glacier Express route. This is not a bus tour with quick photo stops. You drive your own car and decide how long to linger.

I like the carefully planned route and the rare combination of five-star hotels, a Porsche, and self-guided freedom. I also like the range of scenery, from Lake Lucerne and Aare Gorge to the Rhine Gorge and Stelvio’s 48 hairpins. The main catch is price: at $11,629.51 for two people, this is a special-occasion splurge, and mountain weather can force changes.

Key points at a glance

• A Porsche for 96 hours: You drive a 718 Boxster GTS 4.0 Roadster with insurance and tour mileage included.
• Nine or more famous Alpine passes: The route includes Susten, Grimsel, Furka, Oberalp, Julier, Fuorn, Stelvio, Bernina, Albula, and Klausen.
• The Glacier Express by road: You follow one of the train’s most scenic sections, including Oberalp Pass and the Rhine Gorge.
• Five-star overnight stays: Nights are arranged at the Renaissance Zurich, GrandHotel Kronenhof in Pontresina, and The Chedi in Andermatt.
• A flexible private trip: Only your party takes part, with a programmed GPS, English road book, hotel car delivery, and phone or WhatsApp support.
• A demanding Alpine drive: You need to be at least 23, physically fit enough for short walks, and comfortable with mountain roads, tunnels, hairpins, and changing weather.

Why this six-day Porsche route is different

Many Alpine tours give you a seat beside a driver. This one gives you the wheel. That changes the whole mood of the trip. You can stop for a glacier view, take a longer lunch break, or skip an optional museum without waiting for a group.

The Porsche 718 Boxster GTS 4.0 is also a major part of the appeal. The car is not just transport between hotels. It is the reason the route can use narrow, twisting roads that would be the highlight of any driving holiday. The road book and GPS keep the trip self-led rather than improvised, while en route support gives you someone to contact if a question comes up.

You should know what you are buying. This is a private premium driving holiday, not a low-cost sightseeing package. Fuel, parking, hotel tourism taxes, meals, entrance fees, and travel insurance cost extra. The $3,000 credit card deposit is another important cash-flow detail, even though it is separate from the tour price.

The planning has real value. EPIKdrives arranges the rental, comprehensive car insurance, mileage, car delivery and collection at your hotel, hotel bookings, GPS programming, and a personal briefing. Ask for Stephan when you arrange the trip. His planning and follow-up are specifically associated with the smooth handling of car delivery, hotel details, directions, and trip paperwork.

Zurich to Lake Lucerne and the first Alpine passes

You meet at the Renaissance Zurich Tower Hotel at 5 p.m. on the first day. That opening meeting is short, about 30 minutes, but it matters. You receive the briefing, get familiar with the route, and prepare for the car handoff and the next morning’s mountain roads.

The Zurich hotel is practical rather than romantic. It is in the industrial Zurich West area, away from the old town and the city’s most atmospheric restaurants. If you want a historic-center stay or easy evening wandering, this location may disappoint. Its value is convenience for the tour rather than a classic Zurich experience.

Day two quickly leaves the city behind. The route heads toward Lake Lucerne through broad meadows and rolling hills, then into roads cut through the mountains. Near Weggis, you get one of the trip’s most recognizable Swiss views across the lake and surrounding peaks. A 20-minute stop is enough for a look, but you may want to budget extra time if the weather is clear.

Susten Pass is an excellent first serious drive. The route uses 26 bridges and tunnels, with sections carved into bare rock. It has the sort of steady curves that let you enjoy the Boxster without turning the day into a race. The pass is also tied to Porsche’s own imagery, since a promotional film for the 2016 Porsche 911 R was shot there.

At Stein Glacier, the emphasis shifts from road to mountain scenery. You get views of the glacier, then continue toward Aare Gorge. The gorge is one of the few stops where you should plan a proper walk. The suggested time is two hours, and the entrance fee is not included. Impressive rock walls and a narrow route along the Aare River make this a good counterpoint to the driving.

Grimsel, Rhône Glacier, and Furka Pass

Grimsel Pass brings larger mountain drama. The road bends through granite, tunnels, and high reservoirs before linking with the celebrated Furka route. The stop itself is listed as only ten minutes, but the pass is best enjoyed at a slower pace, with safe pullouts and time to look beyond the windshield.

A stroll through Andermatt gives you a change from open mountain roads. Its wooden houses add a human scale to the day, and this is also where the itinerary places The Chedi Andermatt, a five-star hotel included for one night. After several hours behind the wheel, a comfortable hotel is not a minor perk. It gives you a proper reset before the next day’s route.

The Rhône Glacier stop offers one of the trip’s most unusual paid add-ons. A blue ice tunnel and ice chamber are cut into the glacier each spring, with the tradition dating to about 1870. The visit takes about an hour, and admission is extra. Conditions at a glacier change over time, so treat this as a scheduled possibility rather than the sole reason to book the tour.

Then comes Furka Pass, famous for the view used in the 1964 Goldfinger film. The road gives you a classic Alpine driving moment: sharp bends, open views, and a sense of height that is hard to match from a train window. You do not need to be a James Bond fan to enjoy it, though the movie connection adds a little fun.

This is a full day with several short stops and two longer visits. You will get more from it if you resist the urge to rush from pass to pass. Mountain roads take concentration, and the best views often appear between the official stops.

Oberalp and the road beside the Glacier Express

Day three follows the route of the Glacier Express panorama train toward Oberalp Pass. At 2,033 meters, Oberalp is the train’s highest point. By car, you experience the same broad Alpine corridor at your own speed, stopping when the view earns it.

The Benedictine monastery at Disentis is a worthwhile cultural pause. Allow about 45 minutes, and remember that admission is not included. Its location at the meeting point of the Lukmanier and Oberalp passes helps explain why this valley mattered as a route through the mountains.

At Il Spir viewing platform, you look over the Rhine Gorge and its dramatic horseshoe bend. The stop is listed at ten minutes, but the view deserves a calm look, especially if you have spent the morning focused on driving. It is one of the clearest places to understand the shape of the gorge from above.

Pradaschier adds a lighter, more playful stop. Its toboggan run is described as the longest in Switzerland, and the suggested visit lasts two hours. Admission is extra. This is a good choice if you want more than scenery and museums, although the activity may not suit every driving pair.

Julier Pass takes you into the Engadine at 2,284 meters. It is a high, open gateway to the valley and a fine approach to Pontresina. St. Moritz is available as an optional one-hour stop for a walk around Lake St. Moritz, coffee, and views of the surrounding mountains.

Pontresina is a smart base for the two included nights at the GrandHotel Kronenhof. It is quieter than St. Moritz and still close enough for a short visit to the famous resort town. You get traditional architecture, access to mountain paths, and a calmer evening after a demanding road day. The hotel is listed as about 20 minutes from St. Moritz.

Fuorn Pass, Val Müstair, and Italy’s Stelvio

Day four starts near the Swiss National Park. The schedule leaves room to stop if you want to learn about the park’s flora and fauna. No specific admission arrangement is included, so check timing and fees before you build the day around it.

Fuorn Pass is the gateway toward Italian Tyrol. Compared with the tighter hairpins later in the day, it is described as a fast, sweeping Alpine road. That makes it an enjoyable transition, but you still need to respect speed limits, weather, cyclists, and other cars.

The Convent of Saint John in Müstair is a short cultural stop with a major distinction. Its well-preserved Carolingian art has earned UNESCO World Heritage status since 1983. Admission is extra, and 20 minutes gives you only a quick look. If early medieval art interests you, allow more time and shorten one of the driving pauses.

Stelvio Pass is the headline road for many people. The Italian route climbs to 2,757 meters through 48 numbered hairpins over 47 kilometers. It is spectacular, but it is not an effortless drive. The bends are tight, the road can be busy, and the elevation and weather can affect conditions. The Porsche makes the route fun, but the car does not remove the need for patience and caution.

Bernina Pass continues the Alpine theme, running parallel to the UNESCO-listed Rhaetian Railway. This is a fine place to think about the difference between driving and taking the train. The train gives you a relaxed view of the engineering and valleys. The car lets you choose every pause and feel each change in the road.

Albula Pass and the final Klausen run

Day five uses Albula Pass, one of the route’s more elegant drives. The northern section follows the Albula River, then climbs beside a cliff with a series of bends before opening to views over the Albula canyon.

In Bergün, the Albula Railway Museum gives the day a useful change of pace. Allow about an hour, with admission extra. The railway follows the pass for part of the way, and you might see a train crossing one of the stone viaducts. This is especially appealing if you like the technical side of Alpine travel, not just the scenery.

Klausen Pass is the final major road, connecting Altdorf and Linthal. It rises to 1,948 meters and runs for 46 kilometers with 136 curves. Because it is only about an hour from Zurich, it can also work as a first Alpine pass for a shorter trip. Here, it serves as a fitting final challenge before the return to the city.

Day six is at leisure, followed by departure for your next destination. The activity ends back at the Renaissance Zurich Tower Hotel. Since the schedule is self-led, you should confirm your exact car collection and return times before booking flights or onward rail.

What the price includes, and what it does not

The listed price is $11,629.51 per group of up to two people. That is a steep figure, but it includes several expensive pieces: five nights in five-star hotels, 96 hours with the Porsche 718 Boxster GTS 4.0, comprehensive car insurance, all tour mileage, GPS, the route book, private transport, the briefing, and support by phone or WhatsApp.

For two people, the package can make sense if you value time saved and want one company to coordinate the complicated parts. Booking a high-end car, arranging a cross-border route, finding suitable mountain hotels, and handling navigation on your own would still require money and effort. The package also reduces the risk of arriving without the right route planning.

Still, the inclusions need close reading. Fuel is not covered. Neither are parking, local tourism taxes, meals, attraction admission, or travel insurance. The $3,000 deposit is required on a credit card, and the minimum driver age is 23.

The tour is weather dependent. If poor weather cancels the experience, you are offered another date or a full refund. That policy is helpful, but Alpine conditions can also affect individual roads and stops without canceling the whole trip. Keep your schedule flexible.

Who should book this Alpine driving holiday

I would recommend it to a couple celebrating an anniversary, a Porsche fan, or anyone who sees the drive as the main vacation rather than a way to get from hotel to hotel. It also suits people who want polished hotels and a private route but do not want to plan every pass, border crossing, and overnight stop themselves.

You should be comfortable driving mountain roads and handling your own decisions. The tour calls for moderate physical fitness because of walks such as Aare Gorge and the Rhône Glacier visit. If you dislike hairpins, tunnels, changing elevations, or independent navigation, a rail-based Alpine holiday may suit you better.

The route also asks you to make choices. You cannot fully experience every pass, gorge, monastery, museum, toboggan run, and resort town at a leisurely pace in six days. Use the road book as a framework, then choose two or three priorities each day.

Should you book the nine-pass Porsche tour?

Book it if you want a polished, private driving experience and can accept the premium price. The strongest parts are the Porsche, the freedom to set your pace, the thoughtful route, and the excellent hotels in Pontresina and Andermatt.

Think twice if Zurich location matters to you, if you want meals and admission included, or if you expect every listed stop to receive a long visit. Before paying, confirm the precise overnight sequence, since the route notes refer to Interlaken while the included hotel list names Zurich, Pontresina, and Andermatt.

For the right pair, this is a memorable way to see the Alps: not from a coach window, but from behind the wheel, with a glacier, a gorge, and a wall of hairpins waiting around the next bend.

FAQ

Where does the tour start and end?

The tour starts and ends at the Renaissance Zurich Tower Hotel, Turbinenstrasse 20, 8005 Zürich, Switzerland.

How long is the experience?

The experience lasts approximately six days and includes five nights of accommodation.

What car do I drive?

You drive a Porsche 718 Boxster GTS 4.0 Roadster for 96 hours. A CHF 3,000 deposit is required on a credit card.

What is the minimum driver age?

The minimum driver age is 23.

Are hotels and car insurance included?

Yes. The package includes two nights at the Renaissance Hotel Zurich, two nights at the GrandHotel Kronenhof in Pontresina, one night at The Chedi Hotel in Andermatt, and comprehensive car insurance.

Are fuel, meals, and attraction fees included?

No. Fuel, parking, local hotel tourism taxes, admission fees, travel insurance, lunch, and dinner are not included.

Can the tour be canceled because of weather?

Yes. The experience requires good weather. If it is canceled due to poor weather, you are offered a different date or a full refund. Standard cancellation terms provide a full refund when you cancel at least six full days before the start time.