Switzerland's Best Cycling Routes

From rolling green countryside to lakes and mountains, the beauty of the Swiss landscape is best experienced by bike.

With nothing between you and the view but the lenses of your sports sunglasses, hear the cow bells clang, breathe the fresh air and feel the atmosphere shift as you change altitude. Road cycle touring in Switzerland allows you to connect more closely with the country’s dramatic landscape than car touring does, yet you cover far more ground with greater ease and speed than you can on foot.

Cycle routes range from flat-out easy to epic multiday tours zig-zagging over some of the country’s highest paved passes. Though keep this in mind when planning: it’s Swiss people, raised around the alps, who grade them easy, moderate or difficult. Don’t feel you can’t catch the PostBus or utilise bike transport on steeper ascents.

1. Loop-de-lake

Start ‘easy’ by getting to know the countryside around one of Switzerland’s most beautiful lakes. The 68-kilometre Tour of Lake Lucerne begins and ends in a city that’s stood on that lakeshore since the Middle Ages. From Lucerne’s main railway station, cycle south along the waterfront to Hergiswil before diverting to one of the valley’s oldest settlements, Stans. Back at the lake, take a 15-minute boat ride from Beckenried to Gersau then head for the village of Weggis for a caffeine injection. From there the road gently undulates offering elevated views of Lake Lucerne and snow-capped mountains.

Hire a bicycle in Lucerne from Boardlocal Bikelocal.

2. Take me to the river

Stein am Rhein: a small town west of Lake Constance (Bodensee), in northeastern Switzerland.

Swiss Rhine Highlights is a four-day/three-night tour that’s as ‘easy’ on the eye as it is on the legs. For 160 kilometres from Kreuzlingen/Gottlieben to Rheinfelden you’ll follow the general course of the Rhine with only minor ascents. Get to know one of Switzerland’s major rivers and see Europe’s largest waterfall, Rhine Falls.

This tour is available from May to October from around $435 per adult, which includes accommodation, luggage transfer, route guidance, travel documents, GPS data and service hotline. Single supplement and bike or e-bike hire at additional cost.

3. Make a pass

The Grosse Scheidegg is a mountain pass in the Bernese Alps of Switzerland, The pass crosses the col between the Schwarzhorn and the Wetterhorn mountains at an elevation of 1,962m.

The Jungfrau region has Europe’s highest railway station, top-class alpine hiking and one of the continent’s finest mountain passes – the Grosse Scheidegg (alt 1962 metres) – which is car-free apart from PostBuses and the odd tractor. This 80-kilometre circular alpine route, taking in that pass, has been deemed ‘moderate’.

A cow passes a cyclist on The Grosse Scheidegg.

From Interlaken, tackle the route clockwise for a long lakeside warmup to Meiringen (alt 595 metres) before turning off for the Grosse Scheidegg ascent on which the road steepens to a gradient of up to 16 per cent. Yet the rewards are great: rock features up to 1700 metres high on either side of the road, the enormous Eiger and visible glaciers. Sail down the other side to the village of Grindelwald.

Hire a bike in Interlaken from Flying Wheels.

4. Basel brush

A stunning cycling track in Baselbiet, Switzerland.

The canton of Basel-Landschaft is locally known as Baselbiet. After easily negotiating your way out of Basel on a Swiss-engineered intercity cycle path network, explore country backroads and conquer a couple of passes on a 103-kilometre ‘moderate’ route. From Aesch, where urban gives way to rural, you’ll start to encounter some decent ascents with sweeping views of pastures, woodlands and wilder scenery. Enjoy the hairpins on the descent towards Balsthal.

Hire a bike in Basel from Geneva-based BikeSwitzerland.

5. From one lake to the next

A cycling track through Aigle; a historic town and a municipality and the capital of the district of Aigle in the canton of Vaud in Switzerland.

For those looking for a ‘moderate’ multiday trip consider the 4-day/3-night Lakes Route from Lake Geneva to Lake Thun overnighting in Gruyères and Gstaad. The rolling green countryside of this 135-kilometre hilly route is some of Switzerland’s prettiest non-alpine scenery. Start with a night in Montreux then, the next morning, catch the cog railway up Mont Pèlerin for an altitudinal headstart towards Gruyères and a fondue dinner.

This May to October tour, from around $550 per adult, includes accommodation and luggage transfer. Single supplement and bike or e-bike hire at additional cost.

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6. Up and at ‘em

Col de la Croix is an Alpine pass in the canton of Vaud in Switzerland. It connects Bex and Villars-sur-Ollon with Les Diablerets.

Villars’ loop with a view, graded ‘difficult’, starts and ends in Villars-sur-Ollon/Gryon and demands you ascend 2250 altitudinal metres over a 92-kilometre route. It begins with a serious slog up to Croix Pass (alt 1774 metres) into the foothills of the Alps to overlook Lake Geneva and see the surrounding mountains. The views are particularly glorious on the descent to Les Diablerets (where you’ll want coffee) and, from there, sections of climbing and the grand scenery last all the way back to Villars.

Hire a bike in Villars-Sur-Ollon or Gryon from McBoard/Paragon. Check beforehand that Petit Hongrin military zone and Agites Tunnel – both in the first 50 kilometres of the route – are open to traffic.

7. Aching for the Alps

Klausen Pass is a high mountain pass in the Swiss Alps connecting Altdorf in the canton of Uri with Linthal in the canton of Glarus.

This 270-kilometre Alpine Panorama Route from Appenzell to Thun is a challenging cycling tour graded ‘difficult’. The highlight for most riders is Klausen Pass (alt 1948 metres) through the largest alp in Switzerland, called Urnerboden. The grass is definitely greener on the other side in the agricultural Schächental Valley with its mountainous backdrop. Stop overnight in Appenzell, Linthal and Lake Sarnen.

Available late-May to mid-October, this tour is from $660 per adult and that includes accommodation and luggage transfer. Single supplement and bike hire at additional cost.

Wellbeing means different things to different travellers. Here’s how to pick a hotel that gets it right for you.

The best wellness holidays aren’t necessarily spent wrapped in a spa robe. Sometimes they’re found around a dinner table in Cambodia, on a hiking trail in New Zealand or after finally beating jet lag on the other side of the world. The hotel you choose is what makes them happen.

1. Easy access to good food

meals from Novotel Bangkok Sukhumvit 20 — Taste delicious meals at Novotel Bangkok Sukhumvit 20.

One of the quickest ways to derail healthy habits on holiday is to spend half of it working out where to eat instead of digging into the culture around you. Thankfully, Novotel has done much of the hard work already, with chefs building menus that lean into the flavours, ingredients and traditions of each destination.

In Sihanoukville, Cambodia, Korkor soup – often dubbed ‘Cambodian ratatouille’ – sits alongside raw blue crab dressed with lime and chilli, best enjoyed with views across the Gulf of Thailand.

In the lovingly chaotic city of Bangkok, the presence of food cranks up the sociability. At Novotel Bangkok Sukhumvit 20, you can settle in with mango sticky rice and stranger-turned-friends beside the pool at Sky on 20 rooftop bar, or bring them along to tackle river prawns and stir-fried crab with holy basil at the buzzing Crab Paradise Dinner Buffet.

Then Novotel Dubai Al Barsha welcomes you with a laidback twist on the level of indulgence the Middle Eastern city is best known for up on Deck Se7en. Looking towards Burj Al Arab, the rooftop lounge has everything from Mediterranean-style dishes like seabass ceviche to Italian prosecco sundowners.

At the other end of the scale, in the hills that surround the Novotel Bali Ubud Resort, calm comes from nature. At Siralada restaurant, Balinese traditions shape the menu while thunder rumbles over the surrounding jungle – proving the setting is as nourishing as the food itself.

While at Novotel Nha Trang, chef Kieu Thi My Hanh and her team showcase Vietnam’s knack for balancing freshness, texture and fragrant herbs. Pho remains a favourite, while seafood salad with pomelo and mango brings those flavours together in one bright dish.

It’s all an approach backed by partnerships with expert food creators such as Alfie Steiner, whose plant-forward recipes prove healthy food should never taste plain.

2. Better sleep options

Novotel Bali Ubud Resort room — Sleep deeply with Novotel.

There are few travel experiences more disappointing than arriving in a new country, determined to seize the day, only to fall asleep fully clothed by 3pm.

For Australian travellers, jet lag is often an unavoidable part of the journey. That’s one reason Novotel runs sleep-focused initiatives that help guests adjust quickly without compromising on health. We’re talking partnerships with Sydney-based sleep specialist Olivia Arezzolo, known for her advice on everything from better sleep habits to beating jet lag, alongside features like pillow menus, in-room yoga content and tailored sleep guidance.

The sooner you’re operating on local time, the sooner you can get back to more pressing matters – like deciding which spa treatment to book.

3. More ways to move

woman hiking around queenstown new zealand — Stay at Novotel Queenstown Lakeside and explore local hiking trails. (Credit: GettyI mages/ naruedom)

Every place in the world has its own way of getting you moving: whether that’s hiking up ice-bitten mountains before a sauna or gentle stretching by the pool before a facial. From fitness centres to spas, Novotel recognises that wellbeing rarely looks the same.

At Novotel Queenstown Lakeside, activity is inescapable. Here, hiking trails, ski fields, bungee jumps, and white-water rafting have made the region famous. The hotel’s location on the shores of Lake Wakatipu means less time spent organising yourself and more time out there experiencing them. To top it all off, you can book a private hot tub for the evening before heading back into the wilderness tomorrow.

Bali, of course, takes a softer approach. At Novotel Bali Ubud Resort or Novotel Bali Nusa Dua, movement is less about conquering a mountain and more about a dance class between the tropical gardens and lagoon pools. Afterwards, the spa takes over, with traditional treatments like a Lulur body scrub: a combination of rice, turmeric, sandalwood, ginger and jasmine that’ll soothe muscles already relaxed by the Balinese heat.

4. Better connections

Kids will love a stay at Novotel Sharm El Sheikh.

One of the best things about travel is that it gives your family stories you’ll be telling for years. Novotel helps create them with activities that bring everyone together, whether that’s trying something new, learning a local skill, or simply spending more time together.

Go for a distinctly Thai twist at Novotel Phuket Vintage Park, where many of the family activities draw on local culture. Kids can try everything from beginner Thai boxing and language lessons to umbrella painting and – a pastime beloved by children the world over – pool foam parties. Everyone is welcome to join in, whether that’s getting splashed, covered in paint, or simply watching their children discover a new side of Thailand during the dedicated Family & Kids Day.

A different adventure awaits at Novotel Sharm El Sheikh. Kids could be perfectly content with discos, drawing classes and new holiday friends, but the Red Sea has other ideas. Sitting on the edge of Naama Bay, days here might involve snorkelling colourful reefs, taking a boat trip to Ras Mohammed National Park or heading into the desert by quad bike or camel for a Bedouin-style dinner beneath the stars.

5. Location is everything

Surin Beach, Choeng Thale, Thalang District, Phuket, Thaiföld — Explore Phuket’s gorgeous beaches. (Credit: Bence Biczo)

Everyone’s idea of wellness looks a little different. With more than 600 hotels across 65 countries, Novotel gives guests the freedom to choose the destination that suits them best. Whether that’s a beachside escape in Phuket, an alpine expedition in Queenstown or a city break in Bangkok, there’s a good chance a Novotel isn’t far away.

All that’s left? Choosing your version of wellbeing.

Discover stays to inspire your everyday at novotel.accor.com.

Switzerland: the world’s most picturesque cycling routes