By Gemma Tedaldi | Published: 12th September 2024 | Updated: 13th September 2024
Thinking about taking a trip to Interlaken, but not sure where to go or what to do? Situated between two lakes and surrounded by the incredible mountains of the Jungfrau Region and the local mountain Harder Kulm, Interlaken is one of the best places to visit in Switzerland and a perfect location for those who want adventure as well as relaxation.
Paragliders fill the skies, the river and lake sides are always bustling and who doesn’t like a sundowner with views over the mountains? But with so much to see it can be hard to figure out how to spend your time in Interlaken. That is where our Interlaken itinerary comes in.
We’ve visited Interlaken numerous times over the years since we moved to Switzerland and can honestly say that is a great place to visit and a great place to base yourself for day trips in the surrounding area too. So here is our guide to the perfect Interlaken itinerary:
📍 Interlaken Itinerary Day 1: Interlaken & Harder Kulm
📍 Interlaken Itinerary Day 2: Schynige Platte
📍 Interlaken Itinerary Day 3: Boat Day on Thunersee or Brienzersee
📍 Interlaken Itinerary Day 4: Day trip to Lauterbrunnen
📍 Interlaken Itinerary Day 5: Day trip to Grindelwald
Planning Your Trip? Use our favourite travel resources below:
Accommodation: We recommend Booking.com
Rental Car: We recommend Rentalcars.com
Flights: We recommend Kiwi.com
Tours: We recommend Get Your Guide & Viator
Interlaken Itinerary Map
The Perfect Interlaken Itinerary: 1 to 5 Days
We have put together multiple itineraries from 1 day up to 5 days, (including a couple of day trips in the surrounding area), to ensure that you can make the most of your time whilst visiting Interlaken and the Jungfrau Region, and help you figure out how many days to spend there too.
It is worth noting that your experiences may differ a lot depending on the time of year that you are visiting Interlaken though. We have visited numerous times over the years and at different times of the year, with very different weather and hiking options. We’ve spent weekends in April and September that have been polar opposites in terms of weather, had snow in July and no snow in November! Switzerland is a bit of a guess when it comes to weather in the Alps so always keep an eye on the forecast.
Also, before setting out on any hikes in this region, or indeed elsewhere in Switzerland, be sure to check not only the weather but the hiking trail status too as you don’t want to be caught out in a storm up a mountain or trying to hike a route that is closed. Routes often get closed for various reasons, such as rock fall, snowfall or just for renovation. You can find the hiking trail status for the Jungfrau region here.
Interlaken Itinerary Day 1: Interlaken & Harder Kulm
You can’t have an Interlaken itinerary and not visit the home of Swiss adrenalin sports Interlaken! With a quaint old town, riverside walks, views of the surrounding Bernese Alps at Hoand a few great eateries, you can easily spend a day or two here just soaking in the scenery. Plus, If you have a taste for the high life then why not book into go paragliding over Interlaken as well?
There are various companies that do these trips either early morning or in the evening weather depending, and you will get some of the best views in all of the Alps. Check out some of the best from Get Your Guide below:
We would recommend stopping by Velo Café for breakfast/brunch, before heading out on foot to explore, as this town is small enough to be able to walk from one end to the other in half an hour. Be sure to stop at the Lindt store and the Top of Europe Flagship Store to get your fill of all things Swiss souvenir, try some unique chocolate flavours and get a stamp in your Grand Tour of Switzerland book, (more info on that unique souvenir here!).
One of the other best things to do whilst in Interlaken is to take a trip up to the top of the local mountain Harder Kulm. We would recommend going for dinner and drinks in the evening, so you get the chance to see the sunset. It is so beautiful, and you may even get some live music during that time as well, (I, Gemma, have played cowbells up there with the local musicians!).
📍 Tickets for a return to Harder Kulm cost from 44 CHF per adult or 22 CHF with a Half Fare Card / Swiss Travel Pass / GA Card and 20 CHF per child.
Book your Harder Kulm tickets here.
Interlaken Itinerary Day 2: Schynige Platte
One of the best things you can do when in Interlaken is take a trip to Schynige Platte with views back to Interlaken and over Brienzersee and hiking trails that are simply stunning! The trip starts as soon as you board the train at Wilderswil, (a short train ride from Interlaken Ost), where you take a slow mountain railway up to the summit of Schynige Platte. From here you can hike a few different routes, including through the Alpine garden as part of the Swiss Flower and Panorama Trail.
There are also live alphorn concerts up the mountain every day, (weather pending), so you can hear this wonderful Swiss instrument being played for free, all in the surroundings of the Alps!
📍 Tickets for a return trip to Schynige Platte from Interlaken Ost cost from 71.60 CHF per adult, 35.80 CHF for Half Fare and 32 CHF for a Swiss Travel Pass / GA Card, and 20 CHF per child, (aged 6-15).
Book your Schynige Platte tickets here.
Interlaken Itinerary Day 3: Boat Day on Thunersee or Brienzersee
Day 3 on the Interlaken Itinerary and you should get on one of the local boats to explore either Thunersee, (Lake Thun), or Brienzersee, (Lake Brienz), the lakes that surround Interlaken. Both boats are well worth a trip on, with numerous stops you can take on both lakes including Spiez and Niederhorn on Thunsersee and the village of Brienz, and Giessbach on Brienzersee. We’ve taken trips on boats throughout Switzerland and the views you get on these lakes are some of the best!
A round trip on Thunersee from Interlaken West takes just under 5 hours, and a round trip on Brienzersee from Interlaken Ost takes 3 hours, and if you want to spend the whole time on them then there are various food and drink options available throughout the day too. It is worth knowing that the boats operate all year on Thunersee but stop during the winter months on Brienzersee.
Book your tickets for a Thunersee or Brienzersee cruise here.
📍 100% discount on the boat fare with a Swiss Travel Pass, Saver Day Pass or GA Travelcard, 50% discount with a Half Fare Card or for children aged 6-15.
Interlaken Itinerary Day 4: Day trip to Lauterbrunnen
Another great day trip that you can add to your Interlaken itinerary is Lauterbrunnen. Lauterbrunnen is well known around the world for its stunning village centre and for being situated in the heart of a valley filled with thundering waterfalls, but it is a great place for a day trip if you are short on time and don’t want to stay. (We would recommend trying to stay there, especially at Camping Jungfrau, as falling asleep with the sound of the waterfalls around you is like nothing else, but if not, this is the next best thing!).
The village itself is very small so can easily be walked around in a hour or two, but the surrounding valley is well worth a walk through as well, be it to visit the 7 waterfalls at Trümmelbach Falls, walk along the Weisse Lütschine River to Stechelberg which is the starting point for trips to Mürren and Piz Gloria or to head the other way in the valley and take the mountain train up to Wengen.
If you are stopping in Lauterbrunnen for food then we can highly recommend BASE Cafe for breakfast or Restaurant Weidstubli at Camping Jungfrau for dinner. Hotel Edelweiss Superior in Mürren or Bäckerei Konditorei Vincenz in Wengen are great options for lunch.
📍 Train from Interlaken to Lauterbrunnen: 40 minutes, with trains every half an hour from 05:17 through to 22:17 – From 5.90 CHF.
Interlaken Itinerary Day 5: Day trip to Grindelwald
Another one of the best day trips from Interlaken is Grindelwald. With a beautiful and lively village filled with cafes, outdoor sports shops and of course the local Grindelwald First mountain that you can enjoy, Grindelwald is the perfect place to add to your Interlaken itinerary. We would recommend spending the majority of the day with a trip up Grindelwald First hiking out to Bachalpsee and enjoying the views and food at the mountain restaurant and along the First Cliff Walk.
If you visit in the summer months then you can also have a go at the First Glider or Trotti Bikes, or in the winter months snowshoeing or winter hiking, (assuming you aren’t in Switzerland for skiing!).
📍 Train from Interlaken Ost to Grindelwald: 40 minutes with trains every half an hour from 05:17 through to 22:17 – From 5.90 CHF.
📍 Tickets for Grindelwald First cost from 72 CHF return per adult / 36 CHF with a Half Fare, Swiss Travel Pass or GA Pass and from 20 CHF return per child. Summer activities, such as the First Glider or Trotti bikes cost from 78 CHF per adult per activity / 52 CHF with Half Fare, Swiss Pass or GA Pass and 43 CHF per child.
Book your tickets for Grindelwald First here.
Best Day Trips From Interlaken
We go into these day trips from Interlaken in more detail over in another blog post, but these are the locations that we would highly recommend you add a day trip to if you have more time:
📍 Kleine Scheidegg & Mannlichen – 1.5 hours via train and cable car
📍 Thun – 30 minutes by train / 2 hours if you take the boat, (which we would recommend!)
📍 Kandersteg – 1.5 hours by train
📍 Basel – 2 hours by train
📍 Lucerne – 2 hours by train
📍 Zürich – 2 hours by train
📍 Jungfraujoch – 2 hours by train and cable car
Where To Stay In Interlaken
We would recommend staying at either Hotel Lötschberg Interlaken or Post Hardermannli for your trip to Interlaken. They are both within a short walk of Interlaken West Station, and both very affordable, (especially for Swiss prices!), great for those visiting on a budget. Both also have different room options often with breakfast included, and stunning views out to the surrounding mountains of the Bernese Oberland.
Where To Eat In Interlaken
For breakfast/brunch:
📍 Velo Café – open from 09:00 to 17:00 every day
For lunch/dinner:
📍 Café de Paris – French / Swiss cuisine – open every day from 07:30
📍 Restaurant Bären – traditional Swiss food – open from 16:30 Wednesday to Friday and 10:00 Saturday / Sunday
📍 Pasta Store – Italian restaurant by Interlaken West Station – open from 10:00 everyday
📍 Huesi Bierhaus – burgers/sausages/ribs – open from 1:30 Monday / Wednesday / Thursday and from 12:30 Friday to Sunday
For drinks:
📍 Harder Kulm Panorama Restaurant – The mountain railway is open from 9:10 am to 9 pm but we would recommend going here for evening drinks so you can watch the sunset! They also often have live music up here too, (I was lucky enough to play the cowbells up here one night!).
Planning your own trip to Switzerland? Be sure to download Wise by far the best currency conversion app around. We use it daily living on the border of two countries and it is a game changer when travelling!
Interlaken Itinerary FAQs
Where is Interlaken?
Interlaken is located in the Bernese Oberland in central Switzerland, sandwiched between the two lakes of Thunersee and Brienzersee.
How to get to Interlaken
There are two train stations that connect Interlaken to the rest of Switzerland, Interlaken West and Interlaken Ost, as well as a ferry stop on Thunersee, also called Interlaken West, and one on Brienzersee, also called Interlaken Ost. All of this makes Interlaken really easy to get to via public transport.
🚃 Zurich to Interlaken via train – roughly 2 hours direct via train.
🚃 Lucerne to Interlaken via train – just under 2 hours direct via train.
🚃 Basel to Interlaken via train – roughly 2 hours direct via train.
Getting to Interlaken by car takes a little longer than by public transport as you have to take the long way around, but the views make up for this.
🚐 Zurich to Interlaken via car – anywhere from 1 hour 30 minutes to 2 hours 30 minutes, 118km up to 175km.
🚐 Lucerne to Interlaken via car – around 1 hour 15 minutes, 68km.
🚐 Basel to Interlaken via car – anywhere from 1 hour 40 minutes to 3 hours, 150km to 185km, depending on the route.
How to get around Interlaken
Interlaken is very easy to get around on by foot or by bike. If you would rather take some form of transport, then there are also bus routes that serve the town. You might miss out on some lovely cafes or riverside walks if you do though!
When to visit Interlaken
We have visited Interlaken a few times over the years, and at various times of the year, and would highly recommend visiting in either the spring or late summer into autumn. Not only are there fewer tourists around during these times in the year, but the weather is often some of the nicest you will get – not swelteringly hot and often perfect for hiking.
How many days are enough for Interlaken?
We would suggest staying for at least three days in Interlaken, as this gives you plenty of time to explore the town as well as take various day trips in the surrounding area.
Is 2 days enough for Interlaken?
If you are just exploring Interlaken, and not venturing on any day trips, then yes 2 days is enough time to see Interlaken. However, we would recommend staying there longer so you can do day trips out to the surrounding Bernese Oberland.
Is Interlaken a good place to stay?
Interlaken is a great place to stay, with easy access to the rest of Switzerland as well as countless options for day trips.
Should I stay in Interlaken or Grindelwald?
Stay in Interlaken over Grindelwald. Yes, Grindelwald is a great location to visit, but there is more choice in terms of accommodation and restaurants in Interlaken and it is much easier to do day trips.
Can I do Interlaken and Lauterbrunnen in one day?
No, you need at least one day to see Interlaken and at least one to see Lauterbrunnen and its famous valley.
Can you do Interlaken and Jungfrau in one day?
As with above, no you can’t see Interlaken and Jungfrau in one day, you will need at least a couple of days, one for each.
Is Interlaken worth going to?
Interlaken is definitely worth going to, not only as it is a lovely town to explore with numerous cafes, a local mountain and some wonderful riverside walks, but Interlaken is also a great location to stay to be able to take day trips from into the nearby Jungfrau region as well as on both Thunersee and Brienzersee.
How much is an Interlaken guest card?
An Interlaken guest card is free to those staying overnight in Interlaken and the surrounding villages, (including Wilderswil and Ringgenberg which are two quite popular areas for those wanting to stay a little out of the centre). You can’t buy an Interlaken guest card.
How much is a Jungfrau ski region pass?
A Jungfrau Travel Pass costs from 210 CHF for adults / 30 CHF for children, (3 days), up to 549 CHF for adults / 30 CHF for children, (unlimited pass). The costs can change depending on the season though, with both summer and winter having slightly different costs.
What is the currency in Switzerland?
The currency in Switzerland is Swiss Francs, CHF, so be sure to have some of them for your trip – we have seen quite a few people trying to pay with Euros whilst in Interlaken, and although some places may take them, they will charge you extra!
Conclusion: The Perfect Interlaken Itinerary: 1 to 5 Days
So, there you have our perfect Interlaken itinerary from 1 to 5 days. Having Interlaken as a home base is a great idea for being close to the public transport network that connects Interlaken to the rest of the country, as well as having more accommodation and restaurant options. Plus, there are also numerous great day trips that you can take whilst staying in Interlaken.
All Our Switzerland Content
Here are a few other articles you may find useful for planning your trip:
📍 Is Interlaken Worth Visiting? Things To Do & Reasons To Visit
📍 The Perfect Grindelwald Itinerary: 1 to 5 Days
📍 The Perfect Lauterbrunnen Itinerary: 1 to 5 Days
📍 The Perfect 1 Day Kandersteg Itinerary
📍 Is Switzerland Worth Visiting & When
Gemma Tedaldi
Gemma is the owner and author of The Travelling Tedaldi, a travel blog helping travellers to discover the best road trips and travel itineraries throughout the UK and Europe. When she isn’t writing about her favourite travel destinations, she can often be found out exploring local hikes or planning future trips.