Interlaken travel guide

Why visit Interlaken

The name says it all. Interlaken — “between the lakes” — sits on a narrow strip of land between Lake Thun and Lake Brienz, with three of the most celebrated peaks in the Alps forming a perfect backdrop to the south: the Eiger, Mönch, and Jungfrau. This small town of fewer than 6,000 permanent residents receives millions of visitors each year, and it has earned every one of them.

Interlaken is the adventure capital of Switzerland. Paragliding launches from the meadows above town; tandem skydives take off from the local airport; white-water rafting courses run down the mountain rivers; canyoning, bungee jumping, and via ferrata routes are all within easy reach. But it is not only for adrenaline seekers. The town also serves as the main gateway to the Jungfrau region — the mountain railway network that climbs to Jungfraujoch, the highest train station in Europe and one of the most spectacular experiences in the country.

What Interlaken lacks — charm, independent restaurants, a meaningful street life — it makes up for in sheer scenery and accessibility. The mountains are simply everywhere, the lakes glitter on either side of the main street, and on clear mornings the Jungfrau triangle is so crisp and close it seems impossible that it is still kilometres away.

Getting to Interlaken

By train

Interlaken has two stations — Interlaken West and Interlaken Ost (East). Most long-distance trains from Zurich, Bern, and Geneva arrive at Interlaken West, while trains continuing into the Jungfrau region — to Lauterbrunnen, Grindelwald, and beyond — depart from Interlaken Ost, ten minutes east by train.

Journey times from main Swiss cities: Zurich (approximately 2 hours), Bern (55 minutes), Geneva (2 hours 20 minutes), Lucerne (1 hour 55 minutes). All these routes are fully covered by the Swiss Travel Pass, which also includes discounts on the mountain railways within the Jungfrau region.

By car

Interlaken is accessible by motorway from Bern and a scenic regional road from Lucerne. Parking is available throughout the town at modest cost. However, driving into the Jungfrau mountains themselves is not possible — the mountain villages of Lauterbrunnen, Wengen, and Mürren are either car-free or only partially accessible by road. Train is the only practical option once you head into the high valleys.

Getting around

The town centre is compact and walkable. The local bus network connects the two stations and the main tourist areas. For the mountain railways, all departures are from Interlaken Ost.

Top things to do in Interlaken

Journey to Jungfraujoch

The Top of Europe railway journey to Jungfraujoch at 3,454 metres is the defining experience of the Bernese Oberland and one of the great train journeys in the world. The route from Interlaken Ost climbs through the foothills, passes through the dramatic Lauterbrunnen valley, ascends through Kleine Scheidegg beneath the north face of the Eiger, and then disappears into a tunnel bored directly through the mountain — emerging at the highest railway station in Europe.

The summit plateau contains a research station, a glacier experience, a restaurant, viewing platforms, and a year-round snow field where sledging and skiing are possible even in midsummer. On a clear day, the view across the Aletsch Glacier — the longest glacier in the Alps — is absolutely staggering.

Book in advance and choose your day carefully: clouds frequently obscure the summit, and the difference between a clear day and a misty one is enormous. Interlaken to Jungfraujoch — train to the Top of Europe. The ticket is expensive (around CHF 220 round trip at full price) but Swiss Travel Pass holders receive a significant discount.

Tandem paragliding

The launch sites above Interlaken offer some of the most spectacular paragliding in the world. Tandem flights with an instructor require no experience and last 10-20 minutes depending on conditions, launching from the Beatenberg or Mürren area and landing in the Höhematte meadow in the town centre — right between the Eiger and the lake. This is probably the most memorable 15 minutes you will spend in Switzerland. Interlaken tandem paragliding flight. See our full paragliding in Interlaken guide for details on what to expect.

Harder Kulm viewpoint

The funicular to Harder Kulm — the local mountain overlooking Interlaken — is often overlooked by visitors rushing to Jungfraujoch or Grindelwald, which makes it paradoxically one of the best experiences in the area. The ride takes 10 minutes; the summit at 1,322 metres has a spectacular viewing platform suspended above the cliff edge with a direct view down onto both lakes and the full sweep of the Jungfrau massif beyond. It is a fraction of the cost of the higher mountain excursions and, on clear days, arguably offers the best overall panorama. Interlaken funicular ticket to Harder Kulm.

Adventure sports

Interlaken’s adventure sports industry is well-established and generally well-regulated. The main operators have strong safety records and offer a full menu of experiences: white-water rafting on the Lütschine and Simme rivers, canyoning in the gorges above Lauterbrunnen, bungee jumping from the Stockhorn cable car, and via ferrata climbing routes on several peaks within easy reach.

Most operators are clustered along the main street (Höheweg) between the two stations. Book directly with established companies; prices are competitive and the equipment is consistently good.

Lake Brienz and the Giessbach waterfall

Lake Brienz — the eastern of Interlaken’s two lakes — is arguably more beautiful than Lake Thun, with a striking deep turquoise colour caused by glacial melt. A vintage steam-powered paddle steamer still crosses the lake in summer, and the Giessbach waterfall tumbles down the cliff face above the southern shore into the lake, with a vintage funicular from 1879 carrying visitors up to a grand Victorian hotel with a terrace overlooking the falls. This is one of the most romantically preserved corners of the Belle Époque Swiss tourism era.

St. Beatus caves

On the north shore of Lake Thun, about 12 kilometres west of Interlaken, the St. Beatus caves are an extensive cave system that can be explored on guided tours. Stalactites, underground lakes, and waterfalls make for an atmospheric 45-minute walk through the mountain’s interior. The lakeside location and surrounding walking trails make this a pleasant half-day excursion.

Where to stay in Interlaken

Central Interlaken

The main tourist strip along Höheweg connects the two stations and is lined with hotels of every category from budget hostels to luxury grand hotels with direct views of the Jungfrau triangle. For most visitors, staying somewhere central with a mountain view is the priority, and many of the larger hotels deliver exactly this. The Victoria-Jungfrau — a sprawling 19th-century palace hotel — is the grandest address in town; its spa and gardens alone are worth a visit.

Matten and Unterseen

These small residential neighbourhoods immediately adjacent to central Interlaken offer quieter, slightly more affordable accommodation. Matten is on the east side, Unterseen on the west bank of the Aare River. Both are within easy walking distance of the station and the main attractions.

The mountain villages

For a more authentic Alpine experience, consider staying in Lauterbrunnen, Grindelwald, or Wengen rather than Interlaken itself. These villages are deeper in the mountains and offer a very different atmosphere — quieter, more dramatic, and immersed in the Alpine landscape. The railway connections back to Interlaken are frequent and fast.

Food and drink

Interlaken’s restaurant scene reflects its tourist-oriented character: plenty of options, reasonable quality, and prices calibrated for international visitors rather than local budgets. The main strip along Höheweg has restaurants covering Swiss classics, Asian cuisine, and international staples.

What to eat

Bernese cuisine is hearty and meat-focused. Bernese Platte — a massive plate of various smoked and cured meats served with sauerkraut and beans — is the regional speciality and is genuinely excellent in its proper form. Rösti appears everywhere as a side dish. Cheese fondue and raclette are available at most traditional restaurants and pair well with the mountain setting.

For lunch, many of the mountain restaurants on the Jungfraujoch railway route and at Harder Kulm serve simple but satisfying food with extraordinary views. Eating lunch at altitude is one of the small pleasures of the Jungfrau region.

Street food and markets

Interlaken has a small weekly market on Saturday mornings near the station. Several bakeries serve excellent local bread and pastries. In summer, food stalls appear along the Höhematte meadow during the evenings.

Day trips from Interlaken

Lauterbrunnen valley

The Lauterbrunnen valley — 20 minutes by train — is one of the most dramatic landscapes in Switzerland. Seventy-two waterfalls tumble from the sheer cliff walls that rise on both sides of the narrow valley floor. Staubbach Falls — dropping nearly 300 metres free-fall — is visible from the village and was made famous by Goethe and Byron. This is the valley that inspired J.R.R. Tolkien’s Rivendell. A short walk from the village accesses the Trümmelbach Falls inside the mountain, where glacial meltwater from the Jungfraujoch creates a series of dramatic underground waterfalls.

Grindelwald

The other gateway to the Jungfraujoch, Grindelwald offers a different character from Lauterbrunnen — broader, sunnier, with the north face of the Eiger directly overhead. The First cable car from Grindelwald leads to the Cliff Walk and several excellent hiking routes. See the full Grindelwald travel guide.

Thun

The town of Thun at the western end of Lake Thun is 30 minutes by train and offers a well-preserved medieval old town with a commanding castle, good shopping, and a more local atmosphere than Interlaken. The boat from Interlaken to Thun along the lake is a very pleasant journey in summer.

Bern

The Swiss capital is just under an hour by train and combines very well with an Interlaken base. The Bern travel guide covers what to see and do.

Practical tips

Book Jungfraujoch in advance

The Jungfraujoch train has limited capacity and tickets sell out, particularly in July and August. Book your preferred date as early as possible. The early morning “Good Morning” ticket is significantly cheaper than the standard price and gets you to the summit before the crowds arrive.

Weather dependency

Every mountain excursion in this region is heavily dependent on weather. Check the forecast for the summit specifically (not just Interlaken), and have a backup plan for cloudy days. The Harder Kulm funicular and the Lake Brienz boat are good fallback options.

Altitude

Jungfraujoch sits at 3,454 metres. Some visitors experience mild altitude sickness — headache, breathlessness, nausea — at this height, particularly if they ascend quickly. Take the journey slowly, drink water, and avoid alcohol at altitude. Symptoms pass quickly for most people, but if you have cardiovascular or respiratory conditions, consult your doctor before planning this excursion.

Costs

Interlaken is expensive, and the mountain excursions are the biggest single cost. Budget carefully. The Swiss Travel Pass gives a 25% discount on Jungfraujoch tickets and covers local transport. Our budget Switzerland guide has more strategies.

When to visit Interlaken

June through September is peak season and offers the best mountain weather. July and August are busiest; the town is genuinely crowded and hotel prices peak. Late June and September offer very similar weather with considerably fewer visitors.

May is beautiful but unpredictable — the mountains are still partially snow-covered and some high-altitude trails remain closed. October brings stunning autumn colours but cooling temperatures and increasing cloud.

Winter (December through March) transforms the region into a ski destination. Interlaken itself is a valley town and has no skiing, but it serves as a base for the ski resorts of Grindelwald, Mürren, and Wengen. The Glacier Express and Bernina Express scenic train routes are enjoyable year-round and make excellent additions to an Interlaken-based itinerary.

The best time to visit Switzerland guide has detailed month-by-month information relevant to planning your Interlaken trip.

Essential Interlaken information

Interlaken rewards a slightly longer stay than most visitors allocate. Two days gives you time for Jungfraujoch and one other major activity; three days allows a proper exploration of the valley villages and adventure sports. The 7-day Switzerland itinerary typically includes two or three nights here, treating it as the hub for the Bernese Oberland.

The town itself is not beautiful — it is a fairly utilitarian tourist centre — but that barely matters when the Eiger is visible from your hotel window and the world’s greatest mountain railway is departing from the station every hour. In the Bernese Alps, the mountains are the destination. Interlaken is simply the very convenient, very well-connected door.

Lake Brienz and Lake Thun in detail

The two lakes that give Interlaken its name are strikingly different in character. Lake Thun (Thunersee) to the west is broader, calmer, and surrounded by a more agricultural landscape. Lake Brienz (Brienzersee) to the east is narrower, deeper, and has a distinctive turquoise colour that intensifies in clear weather when the glacial melt from the Bernese Alps feeds into the water. Both lakes are served by the antique paddle steamers of the BLS fleet — boats that have operated these routes since the 19th century and remain fully functional today.

A circuit of Lake Thun by boat and return by train takes the better part of a day and visits the castle town of Thun, the palace of Spiez on its promontory, and the medieval village of Hilterfingen. For Lake Brienz, the boat route to the Giessbach Falls and the return via Brienz (where the famous woodcarving tradition of the Bernese Oberland is centred) is similarly rewarding.

The Höhematte meadow

The large grassy meadow in central Interlaken — the Höhematte — is legally protected from development by a cantonal agreement dating back over a century, and this preservation has given the town its defining character. The meadow is framed by the Bernhof hotel on one side and the famous unobstructed view of the Jungfrau on the other. Paragliders regularly land here after their flights from the Beatenberg or Mürren launch sites above, and the spectacle of colourful canopies descending toward the Eiger backdrop draws watchers even on cloudy days.

The local tourism industry’s outdoor event calendar uses the Höhematte heavily. The William Tell open-air theatre production (a Swiss national epic with professional actors, horses, and dramatic special effects) runs on summer evenings in an amphitheatre at the meadow’s edge.

Transport connections and the Swiss Travel Pass

Interlaken’s transport connections are genuinely exceptional and the Swiss Travel Pass allows you to exploit them fully. From Interlaken Ost, you can reach Jungfraujoch (with a 25% discount on the final mountain section), board the Golden Pass Express to Montreux, or take the regional trains deep into the Lauterbrunnen and Grindelwald valleys. The pass covers the lake steamers, the regional buses, and all the valley railways up to the Jungfraujoch discount point.

Understanding what the pass covers — and doesn’t cover — is important for budget planning. Our Swiss Travel Pass guide has the full breakdown of inclusions for the Bernese Oberland region.

Frequently asked questions about Interlaken

How many days do you need in Interlaken?

Two days is the minimum to experience the highlights: one day for Jungfraujoch and one for another activity like paragliding or Harder Kulm. Three days allows you to explore the Lauterbrunnen valley, try adventure sports, and visit Grindelwald. The area has enough to fill a full week if you enjoy hiking and outdoor activities.

Is Interlaken worth visiting in winter?

Yes, though the experience is completely different from summer. Interlaken itself has no skiing, but it serves as a base for the ski resorts of Grindelwald, Wengen, and Murren. Jungfraujoch operates year-round and is spectacular in winter. The town is quieter and significantly cheaper than in peak summer, and the snow-covered mountain scenery is stunning.

Should I stay in Interlaken or Grindelwald?

Interlaken is more convenient for transport connections and offers a wider range of budget accommodation and restaurants. Grindelwald is more scenic and immersive, sitting directly beneath the Eiger with a more authentic Alpine village feel. For Jungfraujoch, Grindelwald is closer via the Eiger Express. For adventure activities like paragliding, Interlaken is the launch and landing point.

Is paragliding in Interlaken safe?

Yes, commercial tandem paragliding in Switzerland operates under strict licensing from the Swiss Federal Office of Civil Aviation. All pilots hold commercial licences, and operators must maintain equipment to specified standards. Interlaken’s competitive market means operators with poor safety records do not survive long. Flights are routinely cancelled when weather conditions are unsuitable.

How much does Jungfraujoch cost from Interlaken?

A standard adult roundtrip ticket from Interlaken costs approximately CHF 235. The Good Morning Ticket (depart before 08:00, return by 13:00) costs CHF 169. Swiss Travel Pass holders receive a 25% discount, and Half Fare Card holders pay approximately CHF 130. Children aged 6-15 receive a 50% discount.

What is the best viewpoint in Interlaken?

Harder Kulm at 1,322 metres offers the best panoramic viewpoint, with a suspended viewing platform overlooking both lakes and the full Jungfrau massif. It is reached by a short funicular ride from Interlaken Ost and costs a fraction of the higher mountain excursions. The afternoon light on the mountains is particularly spectacular from this vantage point.