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How many days in Interlaken? 4 days, one valley and one summit per day
By Tony Panopoulos · travel-agency planner in Greece · Updated
Interlaken itself is a small town on a strip of flat land between Lake Thun and Lake Brienz; what you come for is the Jungfrau region above it. Give it four days: one for the town and an easy viewpoint, one for the Jungfraujoch, one for the Lauterbrunnen valley and one on the lakes. Keep the high-altitude day flexible and go up on the first clear morning, because cloud at 3,000 metres turns an expensive ticket into a view of white fog.
Short answer
Two days lets you do the Jungfraujoch and the Lauterbrunnen valley. Four days gives you a weather margin, a lake day and time to walk between villages, which is what makes the region special.
The 4-day plan, day by day
Day 1: Interlaken, Unterseen and Harder Kulm
Morning. Arrive at Interlaken Ost (about 2 hours by train from Zurich, 50 minutes from Bern). Walk the Hoheweg to the Hohematte, the open meadow with the classic view of the Jungfrau, 4,158 metres high, framed between the hills.
Afternoon. Cross the Aare river to Unterseen, the old town with a 15th-century church tower and wooden houses, 10 minutes on foot. If it rains, the St. Beatus Caves above Lake Thun (about CHF 20, bus 21, 20 minutes) have waterfalls inside the mountain.
Evening. Take the Harder Kulm funicular (about CHF 40 return, 10 minutes from Interlaken Ost) to 1,322 metres. The Two Lakes Bridge platform looks down on both lakes and across to the Eiger, Monch and Jungfrau at sunset.
Ask your hotel for the Interlaken Guest Card: it gives free local buses in Interlaken and around the two lakes, plus small discounts.
Day 2: Jungfraujoch, Top of Europe
Morning. Take the train from Interlaken Ost to Grindelwald Terminal, then the Eiger Express gondola to the Eigergletscher station and the cog railway through the Eiger to Jungfraujoch at 3,454 metres, about 2 hours in total. Return tickets cost roughly CHF 200-250 in summer, less with a Swiss Travel Pass or Half Fare Card, and you must reserve a seat for the last section.
Afternoon. At the top, walk out to the Sphinx terrace for the view down the Aletsch Glacier, the longest in the Alps at about 20 km, through the Ice Palace, and onto the snow plateau. Allow 2-3 hours, and move slowly: the air is thin.
Evening. Come down via Kleine Scheidegg, Wengen and Lauterbrunnen to make a loop. Eat in Interlaken, where cheese fondue costs about CHF 30-35 per person.
Check the live webcams on jungfrau.ch at 7:00 before buying. Book the earliest train: the summit is often clear in the morning and clouded by 13:00.
Day 3: Lauterbrunnen, Murren and the Schilthorn
Morning. Train to Lauterbrunnen (20 minutes). The Staubbach Falls, about 300 metres high, drop beside the village street; a short path leads behind the spray. Take the bus 10 minutes up the valley to the Trummelbach Falls (about CHF 16, April-November), ten glacier waterfalls inside the rock, reached by a tunnel lift.
Afternoon. Continue to Stechelberg and ride the cable cars via Gimmelwald and Murren to the Schilthorn (2,970 metres; about CHF 110 return). The revolving restaurant Piz Gloria was a James Bond film set in 1969, and the cliff-edge Thrill Walk is on the way down at Birg.
Evening. Get off at Murren and walk the 40-minute path down to Gimmelwald, a car-free farming village, before taking the cable car back down. Evening trains from Lauterbrunnen to Interlaken run every 30 minutes.
Murren can also be reached from Lauterbrunnen by the cable car to Grutschalp and a cliff-top train, which gives the best views of the Jungfrau along the way.
Day 4: Lake Brienz by boat
Morning. Take the BLS lake boat from the pier at Interlaken Ost towards Iseltwald (about 40 minutes), a fishing village on a small peninsula. The famous wooden jetty from a Korean TV series now charges a small fee for photos.
Afternoon. Continue by boat to Giessbach and ride the Giessbach funicular, opened in 1879, to the Grandhotel and the 14 cascades of the falls; the walking trail passes behind one of them. Then sail on to Brienz, known for woodcarving and the steam cog railway up the Brienz Rothorn (June-October).
Evening. Return to Interlaken by train from Brienz (about 20 minutes) for a last dinner of rosti or Lake Brienz fish fillets.
Lake boats run a full schedule from April to October; in winter there are fewer sailings, so check the BLS timetable. Swiss Travel Pass holders ride free.
Only have 2 days?
With 2 days, do the Jungfraujoch on the clearest day and the Lauterbrunnen valley with Murren on the other, ending with Harder Kulm if the sky is clear. You lose the lake day.
Got extra days?
A 5th day can go to Grindelwald First: the gondola (about CHF 70 return) leads to the First Cliff Walk and an easy 1-hour walk to Bachalpsee, a lake that reflects the Schreckhorn. Or take a tandem paragliding flight over the town (about CHF 180-220), or cruise Lake Thun to Oberhofen Castle and Spiez.
Where to stay in Interlaken
| Budget | Area | Why | Typical double/night |
|---|---|---|---|
| Budget | Interlaken hostels / Lauterbrunnen campsites | Dorms and cabins near the stations; kitchens help cut food costs. | CHF 60-130 |
| Mid-range | Interlaken, between Ost and West stations | Every train and boat starts here, with the most restaurants. | CHF 180-300 |
| Mid-range | Wengen / Murren | Car-free mountain villages with valley views from the balcony. | CHF 200-330 |
| Comfort | Hoheweg grand hotels / Grindelwald chalets | Historic hotels facing the Jungfrau, or spa chalets under the Eiger. | CHF 400-900 |
Getting around
Interlaken has two stations: Interlaken West for the town centre and Lake Thun boats, and Interlaken Ost for the mountain trains and Lake Brienz. The Berner Oberland Bahn runs to Lauterbrunnen and Grindelwald about every 30 minutes. The Swiss Travel Pass covers trains, buses and boats and gives about 25-50% off most mountain lifts; the Berner Oberland Regional Pass covers more of the lifts locally. With a single long trip, the Half Fare Card (about CHF 150 for a month) can be cheaper. Do not hire a car: Wengen and Murren are car-free.
What to eat in Interlaken
Swiss food is hearty and expensive. A main course in a sit-down restaurant costs CHF 25-40, so many visitors lunch from the Coop and Migros supermarkets near both stations, where a sandwich and drink is CHF 8-12. Try cheese fondue or raclette, rosti with a fried egg, alplermagronen (macaroni, potato, cheese and apple sauce) and meringues with double cream from the Emmental. Mountain huts serve soup and sausages with a view for CHF 15-25. Tap water is excellent and free; ask for it in restaurants.
Best time to visit
Mid-June to mid-September for hiking, open passes and the most lifts running, with valley highs of 20-26°C; it is also the busiest and dearest season. Late September and early October bring clear, cooler days and autumn colours. Winter, from about mid-December to March, is for skiing in Grindelwald, Wengen and Murren. Avoid late October-November and April-May, when many lifts close for maintenance.
Month-by-month weather for Interlaken →
What a day costs
| Budget | Mid-range | Comfort | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bed (per person, sharing a double) | CHF 55 | CHF 130 | CHF 300 |
| Food & drink | CHF 40 | CHF 80 | CHF 150 |
| Sights & tickets | CHF 50 | CHF 100 | CHF 150 |
| Local transport | CHF 15 | CHF 30 | CHF 50 |
| Total per person, per day | about CHF 160 | about CHF 340 | about CHF 650 |
Approximate 2026 prices in Swiss francs, averaged over four days including one Jungfraujoch trip. Hotels add a local visitor tax of a few francs per person per night, which pays for the Guest Card.
Before you go
Common questions
Is the Jungfraujoch worth the price?
On a clear day, yes: the train through the Eiger and the view down the Aletsch Glacier are unique in Europe. On a cloudy day it is not, and tickets are expensive. Watch the webcams the night before and morning of your trip. If the budget is tight, Schilthorn, Mannlichen or Grindelwald First give superb views for less than half the price.
Is the Swiss Travel Pass worth it for Interlaken?
It depends on how far you travel. If you arrive from Zurich or Geneva and continue to Lucerne or Zermatt, the pass covers those trains, the lake boats and the local valley trains, and gives discounts on the summits. For a stay based only in Interlaken, the Berner Oberland Regional Pass or the Half Fare Card with single tickets usually works out cheaper. Compare using your actual route.
Should I stay in Interlaken or Lauterbrunnen?
Stay in Interlaken for the widest choice of hotels and restaurants and for direct trains in every direction, including the lakes. Choose Lauterbrunnen, Wengen or Murren if you prefer waking up under the cliffs and waterfalls, and you mostly plan to hike. Prices are similar, but food choice is smaller in the villages, and some restaurants close early.
Do I need hiking boots?
For the walks in this plan, such as Murren to Gimmelwald, Bachalpsee and the Giessbach trail, good trainers with grip are enough in dry weather. Bring proper boots for longer mountain paths, which can be steep, rocky and muddy. At the Jungfraujoch you walk on packed snow even in August, so wear closed shoes and take a warm layer and sunglasses.
How this guide was made
Compiled by TonyPlan from official tourism, transport and attraction sources and on-the-ground travel knowledge. Prices are approximate for 2026 and change with season; anything we could not confirm is marked as approximate.
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