Trip Overview
Both art and science are human attempts to understand and describe the world around us, and Switzerland is known for its deep connection to both fields. Visit Swiss museums featuring modern art, famous Swiss artists such as Paul Klee, and great collections of early printing and historical scientific equipment. Of course, follow in the footsteps of Albert Einstein, and discuss how he developed stunning new theories that upended traditional physics. Enjoy the flavors of Switzerland, including raclette in Gruyeres and fine restaurants throughout the program.
The finale of this program will occur just outside Geneva, Switzerland, at CERN, home to the world’s most powerful particle accelerator—the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). Work at this facility has led to the discovery of some of the fundamental building blocks of the universe, with several Nobel Prizes awarded as a result. There is much to see and do on the surface at CERN, and visits are very much in demand. But once every few years the LCH is shut down for maintenance and upgrades, and a select few visitors are
allowed visits underground. The next shutdown is scheduled to run through 2027. During this time an underground hard-hat visit several stories down into the heart of ATLAS, the largest of the detectors, is possible, and will be arranged for this tour.
Schedule by Day
Click each drop-down below to view a detailed itinerary. For a full view, please select the "print page" button above.
Pricing
Double Occupancy | Single Occupancy |
|---|---|
$9,990 per person | $12,490 |
To reserve a space on this program, a $2,000 deposit is required per person. Final payment is due 120 days before departure (April 28, 2027) payable by major credit card, check, or wire transfer. Participants will receive an invoice directly from the tour operator, Criterion Travel for all subsequent payments after the initial deposit.
Notification of cancellation must be received in writing by HAA from the participant. Cancellations received within 14 days of booking are eligible for a full refund, provided that initial deposits were made 121 days or more prior to departure. After 14 days, $1,000 per person becomes non-refundable.
The program terms and conditions can be found here and must be acknowledged upon registration.
Accommodations
- Hotel Park Hyatt, Zurich (two nights)
- Schweizerhof Hotel, Bern (two nights)
- Mandarin Oriental, Geneva (three nights)
What to Expect
This is a moderately strenuous, fast-paced program that is at times physically demanding and busy and requires participants to be in good health and able to keep up with the group without assistance from tour staff. In order to make the most of what each locale has to offer, the journey includes daily excursions with some early departures from the hotels and activities scheduled throughout the day and into the late afternoon or evening. Busy times will be offset with opportunities to relax at the hotels and explore independently. Travel will be by modern air-conditioned motorcoach, with drives generally lasting under an hour at a time, sometimes over winding mountainous roads. There will be two longer drives during the program: from Zurich to Bern on August 29, which takes approximately one and a half to two hours; and from Bern to Geneva on August 31, which takes approximately three hours, with a stop for lunch in Gruyères. Longer drives are broken into shorter segments with rest stops and site visits. Motorcoaches may not have close access to the historic city centers, and you will need to walk some distances where streets are sometimes cobblestoned and uneven, have steep paths, and where stairways occasionally may not have handrails. Daily excursions involve up to three miles of walking, and you can expect to spend up to three hours at a time on your feet, sometimes remaining fairly stationary, as in a museum, and sometimes covering a moderate distance. Please note that some buildings will not have elevators and it will be necessary to navigate stairs in order to participate in the visit. Please be aware that the excursion to Jungfrau on August 30 takes place at high altitude, with a maximum elevation of about 11,716 feet at the Sphinx Terrace. Participants may experience symptoms of altitude sickness on this day, including headache, fatigue, or dizziness, and it is possible that some participants will experience more severe symptoms. In addition, higher altitudes can exacerbate health issues you already have. If you commonly experience severe altitude sickness, you may wish to skip this excursion. There is a stop about halfway up/down the mountain, at Kleine Scheidegg, for those who find their reaction to the altitude is more serious than they had anticipated. This promises to be a memorable journey, but as with all travel, a flexible attitude and a spirit of adventure will enhance your enjoyment of this program. You do not have to participate in all scheduled activities, except when traveling to the next destination. We are sure you will be pleased with the exciting educational program provided, but we want you to be aware of the pace and activity level.
Study Leader(s)
For More Information
Please email haatravels@harvard.edu or call our office at 800-422-1636 or 617-496-0806.
Reading Recommendations
