Interlaken Switzerland itinerary and how much it will cost

By Halal Xplorer City Guide Switzerland April 8, 2023

Itinerary

1. London to Zurich (flight)

2. Zurich Airport to Zurich HB (the main train station) – train. Spend the night, preferably near Zurich HB.

Day 1

1. Zurich HB to Interlaken OST (6 – 8 am) – train

Top of Europe experience (9 – 2 pm – depends on how long you want to spend up there):

2. Interlaken OST to Terminal (before Grindelwald station – if you want to take the cable car) – train

3. Eiger Express to Eigergletscher station – cable car

4. Eigergletscher station to Jungfraujoch (i.e. the top) – train

Visiting Lauterbrunnen (3 – 4 pm):

5. Eigergletscher station (platform 1) to Kleine Scheidegg – train

6. Kleine Scheidegg to Lauterbrunnen – train

Back to base:

7. Lauterbrunnen to Interlaken OST (4:30 – 5 pm) – train

8. Check in to hotel

9. Dinner

Comments:

We landed in Zurich at night and so didn’t want to take a train to Interlaken at night as we’ll miss the views. So, we decided to spend the night in Zurich the first night. You can of course go directly from Zurich HB to Interlaken the night you land. We started our day early – left Zurich before sunrise! and the Top of Europe experience has to be done during the day, so the earlier you start, the better. There are two ways up to Jungfrau (i.e. the top): one is via Grindelwald and one is via Lauterbrunnen. The Grindelwald route is quicker especially if you take the cable car, which if you do want to take, you have to get off at the train before the actual Grindelwald station – at the Terminal station.

The higher you go up, the snowier it will get. Of course you want clear skies so you can get the views and the million dollar pictures. Unfortunately, we didn’t get that. The weather was terrible. Think horror movie near death experience kind of blizzard. We couldn’t see a thing at the very top. But because of the thrill of it all, it turned out to be an exhilarating experience. One that we’ll remember for the rest of our lives.

Lauterbrunnen is a picturesque town that is known for its waterfalls. It is definitely worth taking a stroll through. You’ll get some great picture worthy moments. The main waterfall everyone goes to see is about a 10 minute walk away from the train station, so it is very accessible.

Day 2

First cliff walk in Grindelwald (10 – 3 pm):

1. Interlaken OST – Grindelwald – train

2. 121 bus (Grindelwald station) to Firstbahn (or can walk – 5-10 mins) – bus

3. Cable car to FIRST

Back to base:

4. Grindelwald to Interlaken OST – train

5. Lunch – the best halal spot in the town and it is near the train station – click here

6. Explore Interlaken

7. Dinner

Comments:

Grindelwald is fascinating, pretty, dramatic and there is so much to do. There’s mountains, pretty buildings, snow, activities for all thrill seeker levels. You can easily spend a whole day there. You can hire out sledges or ski equipment and go skiing. You can go paragliding. But what most go there to do is the First Cliff Walk. It is a bucket list thing to do for sure. Just look at the pictures!

Day 3

Leave Interlaken

1. Interlaken OST to Zurich HB (2 – 4 pm) – train

2. Zurich HB to Zurich Airport – train

3. Lunch/dinner at the oldest restaurant in the world if you’ve got time

4. Zurich to London (flight)

Expenses

Flight – EasyJet £69 return

Half Fare Card: £110 – click here – this will get you discounts on all the below except for hotel and sim card and the prices below include this discount. With the amount you save on the train rides below and the Top of Europe experience, it makes this card worth it.

Trains within Switzerland:

From Zurich airport to hotel (Zurich Flughafen – Zurich HB) – £3.17 pp

Zurich HB to Interlaken OST – £23 pp (6 am)

Interlaken OST to Zurich HB – £28 pp (2 pm)

From Zurich HB to Airport – £3.17 pp

(Use SBB mobile app to book train tickets. Ensure you have enabled the half fare card onto your account to get above prices. If payment doesn’t go through make sure you try during working hours)

Hotel:

Gasthof Schoenegg – £244 (2 nights + breakfast – for two people) – a charming chalet hotel where your stay is cosy and comfortable. You get to use the kitchen and lounge downstairs at your own will. And it is a minute away from the bus stop (which will take you to where you need to go – train station / town centre). The bus rides are free.

Top of Europe / Jungfrau experience: (CHF)

This is where it gets complicated. A online search will give a numerous choices without clarity as to which one will be best for you. It all depends on what you are planning to do, when you are visiting and how long you will be there for. We were going for the Top of Europe experience in one of the winter months and that meant only one option was best for us. Prior to mentioning the best options for this experience, I have to remind you that they are best purchased with the half fare card we mentioned at the beginning.

TOP OF EUROPE pass – 229 / 179 (half fare) – 3 day pass (no longer valid from April 2023) – we chose this as this suited our needs and saved us the most money. It is the only one that includes the final leg that takes you to the Top of Europe.

Berner Oberland Pass – April until the end of October – 230 / 150 (half fare) – top of Europe not included (99 discounted rate) – 3 day pass – probably the best pass because you can explore a lot more of Switzerland but it isn’t available during winter months

JUNGFRAU TRAVEL PASS – 07.04.23 – 05.11.23 – 190 / 145 (half fare) – top of Europe not included (63/75 discounted rate) – 3 day pass