Bernese Oberland (Canton of Bern)
Interlaken
Treat Interlaken as a rail base for the Jungfrau region, not a destination: sleep up the valley in Lauterbrunnen, Wengen or Grindelwald for the scenery, book Jungfraujoch ahead, and sort your travel pass before you arrive.
Best length
2-3 nights
Airport
Zurich (ZRH) ~120km, or Geneva (GVA) ~150km; no airport at Interlaken
Airport to centre
Direct train from Zurich Airport ~2h10 with one change at Bern
Best base
Lauterbrunnen or Grindelwald up the valley; Interlaken Ost for pure convenience
In short
Interlaken at a glance
Interlaken works best as a 2- or 3-night base for the Jungfrau region rather than a place to spend your days: book your Jungfraujoch or Schilthorn excursion ahead, sleep up the valley in Lauterbrunnen, Wengen or Grindelwald for the scenery the town itself lacks, and decide between the Swiss Travel Pass and a Berner Oberland Regional Pass before you arrive, because the mountain railways are where the money goes.
The short version
- Treat Interlaken as a transit and shopping town: the mountains are up the Lauterbrunnen and Grindelwald valleys, a 20-40 minute train ride away.
- Sleep in Lauterbrunnen, Wengen or Grindelwald for the views; central Interlaken is convenient but flat, built-up and short on atmosphere.
- Book the Jungfraujoch ahead and pick a clear-weather morning slot: at over £180pp return it is too dear to waste on cloud.
- Interlaken has two stations - Interlaken Ost is the one for every mountain train, so book hotels and transfers to Ost, not West.
- Two full days covers Jungfraujoch or Schilthorn plus the Lauterbrunnen valley walk; add a third night if you want to actually hike.
The thing nobody tells you about Interlaken is that the town itself is the least interesting part of the trip. It sits flat on the valley floor between Lake Thun and Lake Brienz, lined with watch shops and chain hotels, while the scenery everyone came for — the Staubbach Falls, the Eiger north face, the cliffs of Lauterbrunnen — is a short train ride up the side valleys. First-timers book three nights on the main strip, spend their days commuting out and back, and wonder why the place felt like a car park with a mountain backdrop. The fix is simple: treat Interlaken as the rail hub it is, and sleep up the valley in Lauterbrunnen, Wengen or Grindelwald instead.
The other call that makes or breaks the trip is your one big mountain excursion. The Jungfraujoch is the famous one and it is genuinely spectacular, but at around £185 return it is too dear to gamble on cloud, so you check the summit webcam and go on the first clear morning — or take the cheaper, often clearer Schilthorn instead. Below, the structured planning — where to stay, what each railway really costs, how to get in from Zurich or Geneva, and a budget in pounds — picks up from here.
Plan your Interlaken trip
Keep a first trip focused: book the big timed sights, then leave room for neighbourhoods and food.
Top things to do in Interlaken
Harder Kulm
Harder Kulm is the funicular up to a 1,322m viewpoint directly above Interlaken, where the Zwei-Seen-Steg viewing platform juts out for the postcard shot looking straight down Lake Thun and Lake Brienz with the Eiger, Monch and Jungfrau behind. It is the one thing genuinely worth doing in the town itself rather than up the valleys, and at around CHF 38 return it is cheap by Swiss-mountain standards. Two things matter: the funicular only runs from spring to late November, so it is shut in deep winter, and a Half Fare Card or Swiss Travel Pass takes 50% off the fare. Go up for the last departure before sunset, eat at the Panorama Restaurant, and walk back down through the forest if your knees allow.
Jungfraujoch - Top of Europe
The Jungfraujoch is the cogwheel-railway trip from Interlaken to Europe's highest station at 3,454m, where the Sphinx observatory terrace, the Ice Palace carved into the glacier and the view down the 22km Aletsch Glacier are the payoff. It is also the most expensive thing most people do in Switzerland, so two rules matter: only go on a genuinely clear morning, and buy a Swiss Travel Pass or Half Fare Card first, because either knocks roughly a quarter off the high-altitude fare. Book a timed slot at jungfrau.ch ahead in summer, take the first train up, and budget a 5-7 hour round trip from Interlaken Ost.
Schilthorn (Piz Gloria)
The Schilthorn is the cheaper, often clearer rival to Jungfraujoch: a four-stage cable car from Stechelberg up to the 2,970m revolving Piz Gloria restaurant, with an Eiger-to-Matterhorn panorama and the Skyline View Platform and Thrill Walk on the way down. You don't need to pre-book a timed slot the way you do for the high Jungfrau trip, but you must time it to the weather — check the summit webcam the morning you go, take the first clear departure, and buy the return at the valley counter or carry a Half Fare Card to halve the fare.
Where to stay first
The areas that make a first visit easier — not an exhaustive directory.
Lauterbrunnen
££ mid-rangeThe cliff-and-waterfall valley 20 minutes by train from Interlaken Ost, and the most scenic place to wake up in the region. Limited rooms, so book early, but you trade Interlaken's traffic for the Staubbach Falls outside your window and direct trains up to Wengen and the Schilthorn cable car.
Best for: Scenery-first stays, hikers, photographers
Grindelwald
£££ premiumThe larger resort village under the Eiger north face, with more hotels, restaurants and the Eiger Express gondola to the Jungfraujoch line. Busier and pricier than Lauterbrunnen but with proper apres and an easier base for serious walking.
Best for: Hiking bases, resort comforts, winter sports
Wengen
£££ premiumCar-free terrace village above Lauterbrunnen, reached only by the cog railway, with balcony views across to the Jungfrau. Quieter and calmer than anywhere in the valley floor, though everything must be carried up by train.
Best for: Couples, quiet stays, car-free calm
Central Interlaken (near Ost station)
££ mid-rangeFlat, built-up and lined with watch shops and chain hotels, but unbeatable for changing trains, late arrivals and early Jungfraujoch starts. Choose it for pure logistics, not for charm - the Hohematte park is the only real green space.
Best for: Short stays, transit nights, convenience
Airport to city centre
| Option | Time | Cost | Book ahead? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Direct train from Zurich Airport | ~2h10, one change at Bern | around CHF 70 / £62 second class single | Trains every 30 min; covered by a Swiss Travel Pass |
| Train from Geneva Airport | ~2h55 via Bern or Spiez | around CHF 78 / £69 second class single | Best if flying into Geneva for the ski season |
| Train from Bern | ~52 min direct to Interlaken Ost | around CHF 30 / £26 single | Bern is the hub all routes pass through |
| Private transfer / shared shuttle | ~2h from Zurich by road | from about CHF 90 / £79 per seat shared | Door to door; useful with ski gear |
When to go
Sweet spot: Late June to September is the window for the high trails and clear summit days, with July and August warmest but busiest; December to March for skiing in Grindelwald and Wengen. June and September give you open cable cars, snow-free valley walks and lower prices than the peak weeks.
July and August fill the valley with hikers and paragliders and push room prices to their highest; the Lauterbrunnen campsites and Interlaken hostels book out weeks ahead. May and early June are cheaper and quieter but the highest trails and some lifts can still be closed by snow - check before booking a high-altitude day. November is the dead month, with many mountain railways shut between the summer and ski seasons.
What it costs
There is no airport at Interlaken, so you fly to Zurich or Geneva and train on. UK return flights to Zurich or Geneva run from about £50-£90 off-peak booked ahead, £120-£250 in school holidays or at short notice, and more during the ski-season Saturday rush into Geneva.
Daily budget per person
The single biggest cost here is the mountain railways, not the hotel. Picnic from the Coop by Interlaken Ost station before you go up, and decide your one signature excursion - Jungfraujoch or Schilthorn, rarely both - rather than paying twice for the same view of the Jungfrau massif.
Book the essentials
Where to stay
Tours & tickets
Airport transfers
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Trains & rail passes
Also in Switzerland
Interlaken FAQs
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