The Best Day Trips from Interlaken

Interlaken’s superpower is range: from one small town you can reach a 3,400-metre glacier saddle, a valley of waterfalls, a cliff-edge walkway and a two-lake panorama — each a different kind of day. The trick is matching the trip to your time, budget and appetite for altitude. Here are the best day trips from Interlaken, roughly from biggest-effort to easiest.

Jungfraujoch — “Top of Europe”

The headline excursion. Jungfraujoch is a glacier saddle between the Mönch and the Jungfrau, home to the highest railway station in Europe at 3,454 metres. Up top there’s an ice palace carved into the glacier, an observation terrace, and the Aletsch — the longest glacier in the Alps — rolling away below you.

It’s also the longest and priciest day out. From Interlaken, the fastest route via the Eiger Express cable car takes roughly 1 hour 36 minutes; the traditional rail route through Lauterbrunnen or Grindelwald runs about 2 to 2.5 hours each way. Worth it for a clear day; check the webcams before committing, since cloud can swallow the view. See Jungfraujoch on a one-day visit for how it fits a tight schedule.

Lauterbrunnen — The Valley of 72 Waterfalls

Lower effort, enormous reward. The Lauterbrunnen valley holds 72 waterfalls, including the 297-metre Staubbach Falls and the extraordinary Trümmelbach Falls — ten glacier-fed cascades thundering inside the mountain, moving up to 20,000 litres per second. Easy to reach by train and walkable, it’s the best half-day in the region for most visitors.

Grindelwald First — Cliff Walk Under the Eiger

From the glacier village of Grindelwald, a gondola climbs to First, where the First Cliff Walk by Tissot juts out over the void at about 2,200 metres with the Eiger’s north face filling the sky. Pair it with a high-alpine stroll, and on summer days the optional First Flyer zip-line and mountain carts.

Harder Kulm — The Two Lakes Panorama

The easiest big view. Interlaken’s home mountain, Harder Kulm (1,322 m), is a ten-minute funicular ride from town, ending at the Two Lakes Bridge that looks straight down the spine of Interlaken with Lake Thun on one side, Lake Brienz on the other, and the Eiger–Mönch–Jungfrau trio behind. Perfect when you only have a couple of hours.

Schynige Platte — The Seasonal Classic

A nostalgic favourite reached by a historic cogwheel railway: Schynige Platte offers a ridge-top alpine garden and some of the region’s finest ridge-walks. Note it’s strictly seasonal — roughly mid-June to late October — so it’s off the table in winter.

Which to Pick?

• One big bucket-list day, clear forecast → Jungfraujoch.
• Waterfalls and scenery on a budget → Lauterbrunnen.
• A high cliff thrill without the full Jungfraujoch day → Grindelwald First.
• Maximum view, minimum time → Harder Kulm.
• Summer ridge-walks → Schynige Platte.

Many of these can be strung together by a single guided day trip that handles the connections. Browse the featured Interlaken day trips or check live availability to lock one in. For the travel maths from a city base, see Interlaken day trip from Zurich or Lucerne.