Switzerland: Bernese Oberland walks from Grindelwald and Mürren

1. Day 1: Zurich to Bern and Grindelwald

   Zurich Airport to Bern, then Grindelwald

   • Drive about 2.5 h
   • Lunch in Bern and welcome dinner
   • Stay in Grindelwald
   Day 1 details

   Your guide meets the group in the arrivals hall at Zurich Airport (ZRH) at about 10 am; the exact meeting time is confirmed with your final itinerary, and if your flight lands later we send you a train ticket to Grindelwald and meet you at the station. Our own vehicle takes us west for about an hour and a quarter to Bern, the Swiss capital, whose old town on a loop of the Aare is a UNESCO World Heritage site. We stop for a sit-down lunch, then walk the arcaded streets to the Zytglogge clock tower and the terrace beside the Münster for a first look down at the green river. From Bern it is about another hour and a quarter, past Lake Thun and Interlaken, to Grindelwald at about 1,030 m, under the Eiger and the Wetterhorn. Your luggage goes to the room and stays there for three nights. Before dinner your guide and hiking leader run through the week, check boots and layers, and explain how each day splits into an easier and a fuller walk. Welcome dinner together in the village.

   Included

   • Meeting at Zurich Airport (ZRH)
   • Sit-down lunch and a short guided walk in Bern's old town: the arcades, the Zytglogge and the Münster terrace
   • Welcome briefing and kit check with your guide and hiking leader
   • Welcome dinner in Grindelwald

   Activity: About an hour on foot in Bern on cobbles and gentle slopes. Later arrivals travel to Grindelwald by train on a ticket we provide.

   

2. Day 2: First and the Bachalpsee

   Grindelwald to First by gondola, walk to the Bachalpsee, then down to Bort

   • By train
   • Breakfast and lunch
   • Stay in Grindelwald
   Day 2 details

   We take one of the first gondolas from the village up to First at 2,168 m, a ride of about 25 minutes over pastures and farm roofs, so we start walking while the air is still and the path is quiet. From the top station a broad, well-made trail climbs gently for about an hour to the Bachalpsee, a small lake at 2,265 m. On a calm morning the Schreckhorn and the Finsteraarhorn reflect in the water, and marmots whistle from the slopes around it. We walk back to First for a sit-down lunch at the mountain restaurant by the top station, with the Wetterhorn across the valley, and anyone with a head for heights can step out onto the First Cliff Walk, a metal walkway fixed to the rock face. The afternoon walk drops through alpine meadows to Waldspitz and on down to Bort, the gondola's middle station, where we ride the last section back to Grindelwald. You are back by mid-afternoon, with the rest of the day free.

   Included

   • Grindelwald-First gondola, up to First and back down from Bort
   • Walk from First to the Bachalpsee and back
   • Sit-down lunch at First
   • Afternoon walk from First via Waldspitz to Bort

   Optional experiences

   • First Flyer zipline or a Trottibike scooter ride down from Bort (price shown at booking)

   Easier option: Walk to the Bachalpsee and back to First (about 6 km, 2 hours), then ride the gondola all the way down after lunch.

   More active option: Carry on from the Bachalpsee up to the Faulhorn summit at 2,681 m (about 1.5 hours more and 420 m of climbing) before walking back to First with the hiking leader.

   Free time: Late afternoon free in Grindelwald

   Activity: About 9 km and 3.5 to 4 hours on foot, about 150 m up and 700 m down on good paths.

3. Day 3: Männlichen to Kleine Scheidegg

   Grindelwald to Männlichen by gondola, walk to Kleine Scheidegg and down to Alpiglen, then train to Grindelwald

   • By train
   • Breakfast and lunch
   • Stay in Grindelwald
   Day 3 details

   The Männlichen gondola from Grindelwald Terminal lifts us to the ridge at about 2,230 m, between the Grindelwald and Lauterbrunnen valleys. From here the panorama trail to Kleine Scheidegg is one of the gentlest high walks in the region: about 4.5 km and an hour and a half, mostly downhill, with the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau straight ahead the whole way. Your guide checks the summit webcams at breakfast; if the peaks are in cloud, we swap this day with yesterday's and walk it when they clear. Lunch is a sit-down meal at Kleine Scheidegg, the pass at 2,061 m where the Jungfrau railway starts, right below the Eiger's north face. After lunch we walk down through pasture to Alpiglen at 1,616 m, about an hour and a quarter, and take the Wengernalp railway back to Grindelwald. The late afternoon is free: a coffee on a terrace, a browse through the village, or the Gletscherschlucht gorge at the foot of the Lower Grindelwald Glacier.

   Included

   • Männlichen gondola from Grindelwald Terminal
   • Panorama trail from Männlichen to Kleine Scheidegg
   • Sit-down lunch at Kleine Scheidegg
   • Walk down to Alpiglen and the Wengernalp railway back to Grindelwald

   Optional experiences

   • The Jungfraujoch by the Jungfrau railway from Kleine Scheidegg after lunch, in place of the afternoon walk, if the weather and time allow: about 2.5 to 3 hours return plus time at the top, back in Grindelwald in the early evening (price shown at booking)

   Easier option: Walk only the panorama trail, then take the train from Kleine Scheidegg back to Grindelwald after lunch.

   More active option: Take the train up to Eigergletscher after lunch and walk the Eiger Trail along the foot of the north face down to Alpiglen (about 6 km, 2.5 hours, 700 m down).

   Free time: Late afternoon free in Grindelwald

   Activity: About 8.5 km and 3 hours on foot, about 100 m up and 600 m down.

   

4. Day 4: Up the Lauterbrunnen valley to Mürren

   Grindelwald to Lauterbrunnen, walk to Trümmelbach Falls and Stechelberg, cable car to Gimmelwald, walk to Mürren

   • Drive about 30 min
   • Breakfast and lunch
   • Stay in Mürren
   Day 4 details

   Today the luggage moves, and we handle it: your bags leave Grindelwald in our van and reach your Mürren hotel by cable car, so you walk with a day pack. A half-hour drive takes us down to Lauterbrunnen, where the Staubbach Falls drop nearly 300 m from the cliff beside the village. From there we walk up the flat valley floor, between sheer rock walls and past barns and hay meadows, for about an hour to the Trümmelbach Falls, where meltwater from the glaciers of the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau thunders through a chain of falls inside the mountain, reached by a tunnel lift and stairs. Entry is included. After a sit-down lunch in the valley we carry on for about half an hour to Stechelberg at the head of the valley and ride the cable car to Gimmelwald, a small farming village. The last stretch is an uphill walk of about 45 minutes on a quiet lane to car-free Mürren, on its ledge about 800 m above the valley floor, our home for three nights.

   Included

   • Your luggage moved from Grindelwald to your Mürren hotel
   • Staubbach Falls in Lauterbrunnen
   • Walk up the Lauterbrunnen valley floor
   • Trümmelbach Falls entry
   • Sit-down lunch in the valley
   • Cable car from Stechelberg to Gimmelwald and the walk up to Mürren

   Easier option: Ride in the van from Lauterbrunnen to Trümmelbach and Stechelberg, then take the cable car all the way up to Mürren.

   More active option: Walk up from Stechelberg to Gimmelwald on the steep forest path instead of the cable car (about 2 hours and 450 m of climbing).

   Free time: Late afternoon free in Mürren

   Activity: About 8 km and 2.5 to 3 hours on foot, with about 300 m of climbing at the end; many wet steps inside Trümmelbach Falls.

5. Day 5: The Schilthorn and the Northface Trail

   Mürren to the Schilthorn and Birg by cable car, then Allmendhubel and the Northface Trail

   • By train
   • Breakfast and lunch
   • Stay in Mürren
   Day 5 details

   We ride one of the first cable cars of the day from Mürren to the Schilthorn, changing at Birg, because the summit at 2,970 m is usually clearest early and fills with day visitors by late morning. From the terrace of Piz Gloria, the revolving summit building that appeared in the 1969 James Bond film On Her Majesty's Secret Service, the view runs across the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau and, on a clear day, far along the Bernese Alps. On the way down we stop at Birg for the Thrill Walk, a steel path along the cliff with glass floor sections, or a coffee on the terrace for anyone who prefers solid rock. Back in Mürren we have a sit-down lunch, then ride the funicular up to Allmendhubel at 1,907 m. The afternoon walk is the Northface Trail, a waymarked path of about two and a half hours back towards Mürren, with panels telling the stories of the climbs on the Eiger face opposite. The late afternoon is free.

   Included

   • Cable car from Mürren to the Schilthorn via Birg, and back
   • The Schilthorn summit terrace at 2,970 m
   • The Thrill Walk at Birg
   • Sit-down lunch in Mürren
   • Allmendhubel funicular and the Northface Trail

   Easier option: After lunch, ride up to Allmendhubel for the short flower trail by the top station (about 45 minutes) and ride back down.

   More active option: Walk up from Mürren to Allmendhubel instead of taking the funicular (about an hour and 270 m of climbing) before the Northface Trail.

   Free time: Late afternoon free in Mürren

   Activity: About 6 km and 2.5 hours on foot in the afternoon. The summit is cold and windy even in summer: bring a warm layer.

6. Day 6: Rotstockhütte and the Sprütz waterfall

   Mürren on foot to the Rotstockhütte, down to Gimmelwald, cable car to Mürren

   • By train
   • Breakfast and lunch
   • Stay in Mürren
   Day 6 details

   Today is the fullest walk of the trip, and the quietest. We leave Mürren on foot after breakfast and climb gently through the Blumental, a valley of meadows and summer farms, then more steadily to the Rotstockhütte at 2,039 m, a mountain hut below the Schilthorn, in about two hours. Lunch is a hot meal at the hut, eaten outside when the weather allows. The descent goes past Spielbodenalp to the Sprütz waterfall, where the path runs behind the falling water, and on down through forest and pasture to Gimmelwald, about an hour and a half and around 680 m lower than the hut. The cable car takes us back up to Mürren, or you can walk the lane in about 45 minutes. In July and August afternoon thunderstorms are common, which is why we start in the morning and are down before they build. If the morning is wet, your guide swaps this walk with yesterday's lift day. The rest of the afternoon is yours, and dinner tonight is your choice.

   Included

   • Walk from Mürren through the Blumental to the Rotstockhütte
   • Lunch at the Rotstockhütte
   • Descent past the Sprütz waterfall to Gimmelwald
   • Cable car from Gimmelwald to Mürren

   Easier option: Walk down the lane from Mürren to Gimmelwald (about 40 minutes), have lunch there and ride the cable car back up.

   More active option: From Gimmelwald, carry on down through the Sefinen valley to Stechelberg (about 1.5 hours more) and ride the cable car back up to Mürren.

   Free time: Afternoon and evening free in Mürren

   Activity: The longest walk: about 10 km and 4 to 4.5 hours, about 400 m up and 680 m down, rocky in places.

7. Day 7: Grütschalp, Schynige Platte and Interlaken

   Mürren to Grütschalp on foot, cableway to Lauterbrunnen, Schynige Platte railway from Wilderswil, then Interlaken

   • Drive about 18 min
   • Breakfast, lunch and dinner
   • Stay in Interlaken
   Day 7 details

   We leave Mürren by the Mountain View Trail, an easy path of about an hour and a quarter along the terrace to Grütschalp, facing the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau across the valley, while your luggage goes down by train and our van. From Grütschalp the cableway drops to Lauterbrunnen, where the van takes us about fifteen minutes to Wilderswil and the Schynige Platte railway, a cog line opened in 1893 that climbs for about 50 minutes to 1,967 m. At the top is an alpine garden with hundreds of plant species from across the Alps, labelled along a short circuit. After a sit-down lunch at the top station we walk the panorama trail, about two hours along a ridge with the Bernese Alps on one side and Lake Thun and Lake Brienz below on the other. We ride the train back down in the late afternoon and drive five minutes to Interlaken, our hotel for the last night. There is free time before a farewell dinner together.

   Included

   • Mountain View Trail from Mürren to Grütschalp
   • Cableway from Grütschalp to Lauterbrunnen
   • Schynige Platte railway from Wilderswil, up and down
   • The alpine garden and the panorama trail at Schynige Platte
   • Sit-down lunch at Schynige Platte
   • Farewell dinner in Interlaken

   Easier option: Take the train from Mürren to Grütschalp, and at Schynige Platte walk only the alpine garden circuit (about 45 minutes).

   More active option: Add the climb to the Oberberghorn viewpoint at about 2,069 m on the panorama trail.

   Free time: Free time in Interlaken before dinner

   Activity: About 9 km and 3.5 hours on foot across the day, with short climbs on the panorama trail.

   

8. Day 8: Interlaken to Zurich Airport

   Interlaken to Zurich Airport

   • Drive about 2 h
   • Breakfast
   Day 8 details

   A last breakfast in Interlaken, then time for a short walk across the Höhematte, the open meadow in the middle of town, with the Jungfrau framed at the end of the valley on a clear morning. We leave at about 9 am for the drive to Zurich Airport (ZRH), about two hours and 180 km on the motorway past Bern, arriving by about 11 am, so book a flight leaving after about 1:30 pm. Your guide sees you to the terminal and checks your flight before saying goodbye. If you are staying on in Switzerland, we can drop you at Interlaken Ost station instead, or in Bern or Zurich on the way, and the rail network takes you anywhere from there. If you want the country's other highlights, the Jungfraujoch, Lucerne and Zermatt, our Switzerland by Train trip pairs well before or after this one and does not repeat these walks.

   Included

   • Drop-off at Zurich Airport (ZRH), or at Interlaken Ost station if you are staying on

   Activity: Book a flight leaving Zurich after about 1:30 pm.

Wildlife and weather: June brings flowering meadows but snow can linger into late June on the highest paths we use, around the Bachalpsee, the Rotstockhütte and on day 2's active option to the Faulhorn, so early in the month your guide may choose a lower variant. July and August are warmest, with afternoon thunderstorms, so we walk in the mornings. September is often clearer and quieter. Marmots are common around the Bachalpsee and along the Männlichen trail.

• Grindelwald3 nights
• Mürren3 nights
• Interlaken1 night