Glur Reisen

What Glur Reisen does

Glur Reisen is a Basel-based Swiss travel agency founded in 1977 that designs and sells customized package holidays to Scandinavia (Norway, Sweden, Finland, Denmark), Iceland, the Arctic (Greenland, Svalbard), and Antarctica. The company operates as a tour operator, bundling flights, accommodation, ground transportation, and curated activities (Northern Lights viewing, husky tours, fjord cruises, wildlife encounters) into integrated itineraries priced between approximately CHF 3,740 and CHF 9,995 per person. Its core technology footprint is minimal: a content website (glur.ch) with destination guides, an online inquiry form, FlipHTML5-hosted digital catalogs, and a newsletter channel. There is no mobile app, no API, no disclosed proprietary platform, and no self-service e-commerce booking engine — sales are executed via consultative phone and in-person channels during business hours.

Glur Reisen is a brand within the Knecht Reisegruppe (Knecht Travel Group), a Swiss travel conglomerate that provides cross-promotion, brand credibility, and the Knecht Gütesiegel quality seal. The company maintains distribution partnerships with Hurtigruten and Havila for Norwegian coastal voyages, and with 66° Expedition Cruise for polar expedition cruises aboard the MS Seaventure. It also runs Leserreisen (reader trips) in collaboration with Swiss media partners, offering escorted group tours with expert speakers as a differentiated demand channel. The go-to-market motion is sales-led and consultative, targeting individual Swiss travelers, families, and guided group participants; customer money is protected through the mandatory Schweizer Reisegarantie-Fonds.

The business model is a one-time-purchase tour operator model with per-person pricing and seasonal/destination-based variation. Distribution is domestic Switzerland, served by 14 employees from a single Basel headquarters at Spalenring 111. The company is privately held within the Knecht group structure, with no disclosed funding rounds, M&A activity, or executive team information in the source data. The overarching positioning rests on 40+ years of destination specialization and personal consultation rather than technology, scale, or pricing competitiveness.

Name

Glur Reisen

Legal name

Glur Reisen

Website

https://glur.ch

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Glur Reisen is a Basel-based Swiss travel agency (founded 1977) that designs and sells customized package tours to Scandinavia, Iceland, the Arctic, and Antarctica for Swiss individual travelers and families, operating as a brand within the Knecht Reisegruppe.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Basel

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Package Holidays and Customized Tours: Glur Reisen generates revenue through the sale of package holidays and customized travel itineraries to Scandinavia, Iceland, Arctic, and Antarctica regions. The company acts as a tour operator, bundling flights, accommodation, activities, and ground transportation into comprehensive travel packages.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Glur Reisen sells tailor-made and packaged travel itineraries to Scandinavia, Iceland, the Arctic and Antarctica, bundling flights, accommodation, ground transportation and activities (including cruises, husky tours and Northern Lights excursions) into customized trips for Swiss individual travelers. The agency also distributes reader trips (Leserreisen) developed with media partners and acts as a sales channel for partner-operated cruises such as Hurtigruten, Havila Kystruten and 66° Expeditions (MS Seaventure).

Product overview

Glur Reisen is a Swiss travel agency operating as part of the Knecht Reisegruppe, specializing in customized travel packages to Scandinavia, Iceland, Arctic, and Antarctic regions for over 40 years. The core offering includes destination-specific tours to Norway, Sweden, Finland, Iceland, Greenland, Faroe Islands, Svalbard, and Antarctica. The company partners with cruise operators including Hurtigruten, Havila, and 66° Expeditions (MS Seaventure) for maritime experiences. Additional products include reader trips (Leserreisen) developed with media partners, family holidays, camping/RV trips, self-drive tours, and guided group tours. The company provides customer financial protection through the Swiss Reisegarantie fund and emphasizes sustainability with myclimate partnerships.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Customized Scandinavia & Polar Travel Packages Tailor-made round-trip and expedition-style itineraries to Norway, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Iceland, Greenland, the Faroe Islands, Svalbard and Antarctica, bundling flights, accommodation, transfers and activities for Swiss individual travelers.
• 66° Expeditions / MS Seaventure Polar Cruises Antarctic and Arctic expedition cruises operated aboard the MS Seaventure (formerly MS Bremen) in partnership with 66° Expedition Cruise, sold to Swiss adventure travelers seeking remote polar voyages.
• Hurtigruten Norwegian Coastal Voyage Packages Sales of the classic Hurtigruten Norwegian coastal express cruises as part of the Norway portfolio, positioned for travelers wanting the legendary Bergen-Kirkenes voyage.
• Havila Kystruten Norwegian Coastal Cruises Sales of Havila Kystruten coastal voyages as a modern alternative to Hurtigruten along the Norwegian coastline, bundled with pre- and post-cruise arrangements.
• Skandinavien-Leserreisen (Reader Trips) Escorted group tours to Scandinavia co-developed with Swiss media partners, led by German-speaking tour guides and often accompanied by expert lecturers or notable personalities.

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Knecht ReisegruppecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorGlur Reisen is a brand within the Knecht Reisegruppe (Knecht Travel Group), a network of Swiss travel agencies. This affiliation provides brand credibility, shared resources, and distribution through the wider Knecht network.
• 66° Expedition Cruise (MS Seaventure)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorGlur Reisen offers exclusive expedition cruises aboard the MS Seaventure (formerly MS Bremen with Hapag-Lloyd Cruises) to Antarctica and Arctic regions, in partnership with 66° Expedition Cruise. The partnership focuses on adventure travel to remote polar regions with modern technology and sustainable solutions.
• Media Partners (Leserreisen)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerGlur Reisen collaborates with various Swiss media partners (Medienpartnern) to offer Leserreisen (reader trips) - escorted group tours that are organized and advertised through partner media outlets. These tours often include specialist speakers or prominent personalities as additional highlights.
• HurtigrutencoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorGlur Reisen offers Hurtigruten cruise packages as part of its Norway destination portfolio, selling the legendary Norwegian coastal voyages as a certified Hurtigruten partner.
• HavilacoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorGlur Reisen offers Havila Kystruten Norwegian coastal cruise packages, presenting an alternative to traditional Hurtigruten voyages along Norway's coast.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Quark Expeditions: Polar expedition specialist offering Antarctic and Arctic cruises. Comparable to Glur Reisen's expedition product line in destination focus, customer demographic (premium adventure travelers), and bundled package model.
• Lindblad Expeditions: Expedition cruise line focused on remote and polar destinations with strong enrichment programming. Comparable on expedition cruise category, premium positioning, and bundled nature-immersive itineraries.
• Hurtigruten: Glur Reisen is a certified Hurtigruten partner selling Norwegian coastal voyages; Hurtigruten is both a key supplier and a direct competitor when customers book direct or via other agencies. Comparable on coastal Norway cruise product and target traveler.
• 66° Expedition Cruise: Operator of the MS Seaventure for Arctic and Antarctic expeditions, and Glur Reisen's primary polar cruise partner. Directly comparable on expedition cruise product to polar regions, including target customer and pricing tier.
• Havila Kystruten: Havila is Glur Reisen's other core Norwegian coastal cruise supplier and overlaps in offering the Bergen–Kirkenes route. Both compete for the same Norwegian coast traveler and sell through similar multi-channel distribution.
• Ponant: Luxury and expedition cruise operator with strong polar itineraries (Le Commandant Charcot). Competes with Glur Reisen for the high-end polar traveler, particularly on Antarctic and Arctic expedition cruises.

Broad incumbents

• Helvetic Tours: Swiss tour operator with Nordic and Iceland packages among a broader global portfolio. Comparable on Switzerland-based tour operator business model and DACH customer base.
• Hotelplan Suisse: Large Swiss tour operator offering packages worldwide including Scandinavia and Iceland. Broad incumbent that overlaps with Glur Reisen on Nordic destinations but lacks the specialist polar focus.
• Kuoni Reisen (Switzerland): Established Swiss travel brand offering a wide portfolio of tours, including Northern Europe and Iceland packages. Competes on breadth and scale rather than polar specialization.

Others

• Knecht Reisen: Sister brand within the Knecht Reisegruppe, offering general Swiss and worldwide travel. Sibling rather than direct competitor; relevant for group-level synergies, shared customers, and cross-promotion dynamics.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/glur-reisen

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Glur Reisen