Switzerland is an amazing country for students to spend the summer season. It’s filled from end to end with stunning beauty and endless outdoor recreation opportunities, and it welcomes everyone worldwide.
Getting around the country is a snap thanks to the abundance of trains that crisscross the country, taking campers directly through some of the most gorgeous countryside on the planet and gorgeous mountains. Summer camps in Switzerland are as scenic as the ones you will find anywhere else in the world.
Why Choose A Camp In Switzerland
Switzerland is home to some of the most photographed places in the world, and it’s no wonder. The majesty of the Swiss Alps, the verdant green stretches of farmland, and the crystal clear rivers running in every direction practically beg to be explored. The focus of many summer camps in Switzerland is just to place kids directly in the middle of this natural bounty to experience it firsthand.
While in Switzerland, your kids have the chance of a lifetime to experience some of the finest cuisine in the world. Whether it’s through the camp’s meal program or as part of a day trip touring the Swiss countryside, there will be ample opportunities to try exotic foods of all varieties. Of course, any conversation about Switzerland and its food should include its world-famous chocolate and cheeses, crowd favorites among everyone who visits.
Children can immerse themselves in many cultures simultaneously. The country rests between France, Germany, and Italy and is influenced by all three, combining cultural traditions in one beautiful display of the best of Europe. There are hints of all three countries throughout Switzerland just waiting to be discovered.
Switzerland is generally considered to be one of the safer destinations for children to visit solo or with a camp group or simply as part of student travel. The general rules of travel apply here like anywhere else.
Bold Earth Adventures
Bold Earth Adventures is a destination-based summer camp company that offers trips all over the United States and throughout Europe, as well as Africa, Asia, and Latin America. They have two different camps in Switzerland to choose from: Alps Adventure and Bold Alps. Each is made for a different group of campers, sorted by age.
Alps Adventure is a 14-day session for students between 8th and 10th grade and is an outdoor enthusiast’s dream. The major highlights include whitewater rafting in Chamonix, a hike of Tour du Mont Blanc, canyoneering just across the border in Italy, and rock climbing near Lacs de Gaillands. It’s a nonstop, action-packed adventure in Switzerland and France.
Bold Alps follows the same itinerary as Alps Adventure but is intended for campers between 9th and 11th grade. Campers stay in mountain huts, hostels, and tents for a real authentic outdoor experience. Both camps include accommodations, transportation, and nutrition throughout their stay.
SILC Academy
The SILC Academy hosts leadership adventure camps in the scenic city of Lausanne near Lake Geneva and in the Gstaad Valley, Switzerland. Within these beautiful Swiss locations, your children can spend anywhere from 1 to 3 weeks doing everything from canyoning, mountain biking, surfing, zip-lining, whitewater rafting, and hiking.
SILC Academy welcomes international students ages 7 to 17 to stay at its various campuses. Camp staff will be readily available and situated on each floor, which are separated by gender. Here, students will step out of their comfort zone while experiencing some of the best outdoor experiences that Switzerland has to offer.
The camps are all-inclusive, which means that all the exciting camp activities, leadership workshops, challenges, nutritious and carefully catered meals, and equipment are included throughout the experience. Each day consists of a different leadership topic from goal setting and communication to teamwork and habit building. The daily modules will then be implemented into a full day’s worth of exciting activities!
The program in Lausanne contains 3 sessions of 2 weeks each, while Gstaad contains a 1-week, 2-week, or 3-week option. They also provide a one-week winter camp experience in the scenic Gstaad Valley during the December winter break.
ENSR International School Summer Camp
ENSR International School Summer Camp is located in the lakes and mountains of the Swiss Alps of Champery. Camp sessions range between 1 and 5 weeks and are available to children between the ages of 9 and 18.
There are two programs depending on the desired summer camp experience. The language studies camp includes a full, 22-period course in English or French in addition to traditional sports and outdoor activities. Or for the more sports-focused camper, a multi-sport camp that challenges them with a huge range of outdoor, indoor, solo, and group activities.
Kids will enjoy private accommodations in the heart of the Swiss Alps, days full of activities and leisure opportunities, and ample chances to practice their English and French language skills.
There is even an add-on weekend trip available if you are interested in visiting Europa Park in Germany. It’s a chance to visit all of Europe in one day in an amusement park. Having been in business for almost 60 years now, they know how to give campers an amazing summer.
Village Camps Leysin
Campers 7-17 are invited to enjoy a summer their way just an hour outside of Geneva in Leysin thanks to a wide offering of sessions from Village Camps. Sessions are two weeks in duration and are available throughout the school break.
Village Camps Leysin has language learning camps for English and French, outdoor activity adventures, dance, leadership training, sports, and a lab explorers camp. Whether your kids are looking for an action-packed summer or the enrichment of language learning or STEM learning, there are camps for all.
In addition to weekly schedules filled with activities and learning, students will get the chance to take excursions to local spots. These include a chocolate factory, the Olympic Museum, Labyrinth Adventure Park, the United Nations building, and Geneva Old Town. Switzerland isn’t the only place where they host programs, as they also have them in England and Austria.
Swiss Camps
Swiss Camps has a world-class range of camps for all ages 7-17. There are focuses on language learning, sports, art and films, adventure travel, robotics, as well as leadership. All camps offer a blend of outdoor activities and a focus on education in a preferred area of study.
Swiss Camps offer you the chance of a lifetime to enjoy the thrills of adventure that the country of Switzerland has to offer. This 2-week international summer camp also brings campers on ski trips during the winter months.
Children from over 100 countries have been a part of the Swiss Camps family, stretching back in time over 125 years. It’s a special tradition that any child would be lucky to add to their summer. They’ll be able to form lifelong friendships with an international community of other students.
If you already live in Switzerland or planning a vacation and want to drop off your kids here, look into their all day camps from Monday to Friday.
Altitude Camps
Altitude Camps offer a classic overnight experience for those 7-14. Programs are based on what you are interested in pursuing and with choices between language learning and outdoor adventures in the mountains.
Both camps include full board accommodations in private chalets and a chance to gain real-world skills and improve themselves alongside a group of other international campers. Children eat the most nutritious chef-style meals with fresh produce.
Small group sizes offer personalized attention with any assistance needed, allowing kids to flourish. All of this occurs in the breathtaking surroundings of Verbier, nestled high in the Swiss Alps yet convenient to Geneva.
Altitude Camps have traditional residential camps as well as a day camp to get a feel for the experience. The day camps are a terrific option for families on holidays who would like some structured outdoor activities for their kids.
Surval Montreux Girls School
Surval Montreux Girls School offers sessions ranging from 2-6 weeks exclusively to girls ages 10-17. Every program features an emphasis on language learning for both English and French. After the morning lessons, girls have the chance to enjoy exciting activities.
An extensive range of excursions are part of the experience at a Surval Montreux Girls School summer camp. Campers get the chance to explore all over Switzerland including Geneva, Gruyeres, Luzerne, Bern, and more.
There are indoor and outdoor things to do in order to take advantage of the real beauty of Montreux. This list includes a host of watersports and traditional sports, culinary arts and pastry classes, arts and crafts, and evenings full of leisure with fellow campers.
Surval Montreux also hosts winter camps where girls can go on a full-fledged skiing adventure on some of the most world-renowned slopes. Kids from up to 30 different nationalities come and enjoy this international camp every season.
Beau Soleil
College Alpin Beau Soleil welcomes campers to experience the magic of the Swiss Alps for a two or three-week session.
Campers are divided up by age groups starting with the 8-10-year-olds who attend the Be an Explorer camp featuring activities like canyoning, laser tag, camping, and rafting. Those 11-13 attend the Challenge Yourself camp and will enjoy waterskiing, banana boating, and pool parties.
Teenagers can choose from more advanced activities like sailing, motocross, and karting as part of the Be Your Own Hero camp.
The price of admission to Beau Soleil summer camp includes free transfer to and from Geneva airport, twin accommodations with a bunkmate, all meals, activities and trips, and so much more. All the food is carefully prepared by chefs with balanced meals that accommodate any diet.
Brillantmont Summer Course
Brillantmont Summer Course is a 2 to 6-week international summer camp. Kids ages 10-16 get a chance to gather with an international cast of peers and grow together in the great outdoors of Lausanne on the shores of Lac Leman.
Children pick the summer course they want to focus on with an option on physical activities, coding, or arts and crafts. All courses include some similar themes, with language learning for English and French being a part of every day. There are sports to enjoy including stand-up paddleboarding, football, and beach volleyball.
Campers experience a little bit of everything thanks to free activity periods every afternoon both on and off campus. Excursions take kids out on adventures with themes including high ropes, mountain hikes, museum workshops, and city discovery.
Le Rosey Summer Camp
The Swiss Education Le Rosey Summer Camp offers a total of five camps. Camps range in duration between 2 and 4 weeks and there are themes for every age group. Every camp mixes academic achievement and fun, making it part summer school and part camp.
The sessions feature a language learning component for students to practice and improve their skills in English and French. It’s an optional component of the Le Classique but is a part of the standard curriculum of all the other choices.
For participants who want to spend the summer honing their scholastic skills, there are three options including SAT Prep, Summer School, and Excellence Camp. There are also sports clinics and music classes.
JFK Swiss Outdoor Camp
JFK Swiss Outdoor Camp puts campers right in the heart of the Swiss Alps in the village of Saanen. It’s designed to transport children away from their lives at home and teaches them the value of the natural world and independence.
The key themes of a session at the JFK Swiss Outdoor Camp include exploration, discovery, camping, hiking, and just a little outdoor learning for good measure. Every week there is a new theme, and they are based on what the area has in abundance: water, mountains, and rock.
Activities are centered around the weekly theme and include rafting and rock climbing. Day and overnight camps are available based on what works best for your family and schedule. Two and three-week sessions in the heart of the Alpine Mountains run from July to August.
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