Bernina Red Train, Alp Grüm & St. Moritz Guided Day Trip from Milan

Tirano, where the Bernina line begins

The coach leaves Milan early and follows the eastern shore of Lake Como to Colico, then turns into the Valtellina, a broad valley of terraced slopes and stone villages, to reach Tirano near the Swiss border, about three hours in all. Tirano is the southern terminus of the Bernina line, and its most charming sight is the way the red train rolls straight across the town square in front of the Renaissance basilica of Madonna di Tirano, built from 1505.

You have around 45 minutes here for a coffee and a look at the square before boarding. If you are asking how to get to the Bernina line from Milan, Tirano is the gateway: about 2.5 hours by train or coach. On this tour the coach and the train tickets are arranged for you, and your guide explains the day ahead.

The Brusio viaduct and the Poschiavo valley

Soon after leaving Tirano, the train crosses into Switzerland and reaches the circular viaduct of Brusio, built in 1908, where the line turns a complete loop on a curving stone bridge to gain height in the narrow valley. It is one of the most photographed railway structures in the Alps, and together with the Albula line the route has been a UNESCO World Heritage site since 2008.

The train then follows the Poschiavo valley, an Italian-speaking corner of Switzerland, past chestnut groves and the calm Lake Poschiavo, before climbing through the old town of Poschiavo with its stone houses and church towers. The Bernina line is one of the steepest adhesion railways in the world, rising from about 430 m in Tirano to over 2,200 m without a cogwheel.

Alp Grüm and the Palü Glacier

High above the valley, the train winds up a series of hairpin curves to Alp Grüm, a tiny station at 2,091 m perched on a rocky balcony. From here the Palü Glacier spills down the mountainside opposite, a great tongue of blue-white ice beneath snowy peaks, while far below you see Lake Poschiavo and the route you have just climbed. The group stops here to enjoy the view and take photos before continuing on a later train.

Is the Bernina Express route worth it? For many travellers this stretch is the highlight: in a short distance you move from Italian valley gardens to a world of rock and ice. Above Alp Grüm, the line passes Lago Bianco and crosses the Bernina Pass at about 2,250 m, the highest point of the line, then descends past the Morteratsch Glacier towards Pontresina.

St. Moritz and its lake

The train ride ends in St. Moritz, at about 1,820 m in the Upper Engadin, one of the oldest winter resorts in the world and twice host of the Winter Olympics. The town rises above a blue lake framed by larch forests and peaks, and its sunny, dry climate has drawn visitors since the mineral springs were discovered thousands of years ago.

You have around 1.5 hours for free time, with your guide introducing the town's history: stroll along the lake shore, see the leaning tower of an old 12th-century church, browse the elegant shops or relax with a hot chocolate facing the mountains. Halal-certified food is limited in St. Moritz, so many travellers bring snacks from Milan, which has much wider choice. The best time to visit St. Moritz is winter for snow and frozen lakes, or summer for green alpine meadows.

Back over the Maloja Pass

The return journey is a scenic drive in itself. From St. Moritz the coach follows the chain of Upper Engadin lakes, Silvaplana and Sils, whose waters change from deep blue to green with the light, then reaches the Maloja Pass at about 1,815 m. On the far side, the road drops in a dramatic series of hairpin bends into Val Bregaglia, a wild valley of granite peaks and stone hamlets.

Through Chiavenna the route returns to Italy and the shore of Lake Como before reaching Milan Central Station in the evening, about three hours after leaving St. Moritz. Take the chance to rest, review your photos and watch the landscape change from high mountains to the plains of Lombardy. In some cases the whole day runs in reverse, starting over the Maloja Pass.