Home to towering mountains, iconic landscapes, and wonderful people, Switzerland is a slice of Europe that’s truly divine. As a part of our 19 day Western European backpacking trip back in 2018, we spent a few days exploring Switzerland, using Interlaken as our home base. Interlaken is a great choice for this because it’s very centrally located – you can simply pick a direction and take a tram or train up the mountains to explore farther during the day, then come back. Interlaken itself is a beautiful destination – situated between two lakes and in a valley of mountains, it’s hard to beat.
Where to Stay
We stayed at Balmer’s Party Hostel, which I highly recommend, if not just for the hammock room (I took the best nap I’ve ever had in my life in one of these hammocks with the mountain breeze coming in – fantastic)! We really liked it here, it’s a great facility with friendly staff and lots of other budget travelers who are interested in meeting people. Yes, party is in the name, but you don’t have to party if you don’t want to, although there is a club/bar available on site. Or, if you’re like us, you’ll play card games in the common room with the nice Canadians you just met.
Day 1 – Explore Interlaken
Interlaken itself is a beautiful little city, tucked in the valley. It’s a very walkable city and it felt really safe and clean. I would recommend just walking the streets, taking in the architecture and culture. Then head to the city center to grab AMAZING crepes from street vendors (I had a savory one). In a place this picturesque, just taking in your surroundings will take a lot of time and you should take the time to do it.
Hike or take the tram up to Harder Kulm
“The top of Interlaken” is a sight to see and I think totally worth it. The hike up there is a bit challenging and takes most people around 4 hours to complete. Trail info can be found here. We would’ve hiked up, but someone (my sister) was having issues with her foot, so we took the tram which, while more expensive, was very convenient. Once you reach the top, there’s a café where you can recharge before heading back down. Roundtrip tram tickets are 40 CHF ($40.73), more info can be found here.
Day 2 – Lauterbrunnen and Grindelwald
As I said before, Interlaken is a great place to catch a train further up the mountain. Lauterbrunnen and Grindelwald are both mountain towns at higher elevations. I want to preface this by saying that both of these locations deserve more time to truly appreciate, so if you have more time, consider spending at least one night in each place. BUT it is totally doable to see both in one day if that’s the time you have.
Lauterbrunnen
Take the train from Interlaken to Lauterbrunnen – about a 20 minute ride for roughly $4.
This simply magical town is quintessential Swiss in all it’s glory. You have the buildings right in front of these sheer cliffs. What Lauterbrunnen is probably especially known for since Instagram became a thing is it’s waterfall Staubbach Falls, which can be seen from the city center. There are lots of lovely cafes here – where you should probably try some local cuisine!
Looking for some hiking trails in Lauterbrunnen? – click here! There are lots more waterfalls in this area to hike to.
Grindelwald
Take the train from Lauterbrunnen to Grindelwald – about a 40 minute ride for roughly $10.
Grindelwald is a bit further up the mountains, offering a completely different view of just spectacular mountainscape. In the winter, Grindelwald is the place to ski, and when the snow melts, a whole slew of adventure activities is available, like mountain coasters, canyoneering, mountain hiking, zip-lining, cliff walks – there’s just so much here. I will say, this area seemed to be a bit more tourist-centric, but it’s understandable because the natural beauty is unmatched.
Looking for hiking trails in Grindelwald? – click here!
Looking for adventure activities? – click here!
Looking for family friendly adventure activites? – click here!
If you have more time . . .
Interlaken is also known to be a prime destination for adrenaline junkies, with lots of skydiving, bungee jumping, and other related activities available in the area. If you’re interested in this, here is where you can find more information.
Interlaken also boasts some amazing hiking trails that we didn’t take the time to pursue. If you’re interested in hiking in the area, find more information here.
I hope this helps you plan a little bit of your trip to Switzerland, so you can take in this magnificent landscape.
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