Grindelwald
Country Switzerland
Travel Companion Andrea Haney
My Favorites
Royal Walk * Jungfraujoch * boat ride from Brienz to Interlaken * Trümmelbach Falls *
What I Could Have Missed
Pfingstegg * Mürren * Harder Kulm
Currency CHF - Swiss Franc
1 CHF is worth roughly 1.10 US Dollars as of the time of this blog post. Keep about 20 CHF in cash on hand. Go to an ATM associated with a bank rather than one just sticking out of a wall on a street or one located in a convenience store. Not only are they typically inside, so safer to use, but they sometimes have a better conversion rate. Switzerland is very good about taking credit/debit cards for payment, so you do not need to worry about having a lot of cash on hand. I had to use CHF cash three times my entire time in Switzerland. The first was to pay for a stamp in my passport when I took a day trip to the country of Lichtenstein. The stamp was not required, but I wanted the Lichtenstein stamp in my passport. The second was to pay for mini golf in Grindelwald, and the 9 CHF was totally worth it. The third was to purchase bus tickets on various buses when I had not bought them online in advance.
Time of Visit June 2023
Weather 50-85 Degrees Fahrenheit
In the valley and on most of the hikes, even those of high elevation, it was hot. Sunscreen was necessary. The only time I needed my coat, hat, and gloves was on the trip to Jungfraujoch where the temperatures were around freezing. There were afternoon showers and thunderstorms each day. There was even hail during one of these storms.
Closest Major Airport Zürich
Transport Train, Bus, Cable Car, Funicular, Boat
One way in which I save money on my trips is by utilizing public transport and forgoing renting a car. The Grindelwald region has many options for getting around: train, bus, cable car, funicular, and boat. I arrived on train, taking a few connecting trains from Zurich to Grindelwald. If you are utilizing the Eurail or Interrail pass, the pass will only take you into the town of Interlaken. You will need to purchase a separate ticket or pass to take the train from Interlaken to Grindelwald.
I purchased a 5-Day Jungfrau Travel Pass for 250 CHF. This may seem like a lot, but it saved me so much money and gave me the freedom to do what I wanted without trying to price out individual train, cable car, boat, or funicular passes. The Jungfrau Travel Pass gave me unlimited train, cable car, boat, and funicular rides within Grindelwald, Lauterbrunnen, and Interlaken for 5 days. You can purchase it online and it can be added to your Apple Wallet which is very convenient.
For reference on how this is budget friendly, one of the many things I did in the region was take the funicular up to Harder Kulm. An individual ticket for this costs 40 CHF. I did at least four of these types of activities each day, so halfway into the second day in the region, I had already used what I had paid for with the Jungfrau Travel Pass.
I mentioned earlier how the Eurail and Interrail passes only take you into Interlaken and you need a separate ticket to go further. The Jungfrau Travel Pass works for these train rides, taking you from Interlaken to Lauterbrunnen, Interlaken to Grindelwald, and Interlaken to Brienz.
I used the bus services once I was in the town. Grindelwald, Interlaken, and Lauterbrunnen have good bus services that take you to the major parts of the cities from the train stations. Our hostel gave us a free bus pass in Grindelwald for the duration of our stay there. In Interlaken and Lauterbrunnen you can purchase a ticket on board for 1-2 CHF. Keep in mind this will have to be paid in CHF cash.
I rode every cable car, funicular, train, and boat that was open and included in the Jungfrau Travel Pass (see below for what I did). By clicking on the link, you can see the map of the region and all of the routes this includes. Each mode of transportation offered incredible views, cut down travel time, and saved me from walking/hiking extreme distances.
Packing
light rain jacket * coat * warm hat * gloves * umbrella * hiking boots & socks * hiking sandals (i.e. Teva or Chaco) * athletic/hiking clothes (bring layers) * sunscreen * swim suits * hat (i.e. baseball cap or bucket hat) * sunglasses * backpack for hiking with waterproof cover
Accommodation Mountain Hostel / Eiger Lodge
I stayed in an all-female, 6-bed hostel room. There was no air conditioning which made it stuffy during the day, but the window opened and there was a cool breeze at night, so I was able to sleep at a comfortable temperature. This hostel was a 5-minute walk from the train station / cable car station of Grindelwald Terminal, so it was very convenient to get to when I arrived and when I wanted to travel to other locations.
I arrived prior to the check-in time which can sometimes be problematic with storing luggage, but this hostel had a room to store personal items so I could be free of them until check-in. At check-in, the hostel gave me a bus pass for Grindelwald that was valid for all the days I was at the hostel which was very convenient. The room was on the second floor and it had a sink. This might seem like a silly detail, but this is very nice because you do not have to walk all the way to the bathroom if you have to brush your teeth, wash your face, do your makeup, etc. The lockers were very large and had hangers in them. They did however make a lot of noise because they were all metal.
The free breakfast was one of the best I’ve experienced at a hostel. They had bread, a toaster, Nutella, jam, sliced meat, cheese, fresh fruit, coffee, juice, and water. The basement area housed the refrigerator and microwave. You are not allowed to cook at this hostel, only heat things up with the microwave. The basement was also where the showers and larger bathrooms were located. It felt like a summer camp shower/bathroom situation. The good part about this situation was that I never had to wait on a shower/toilet which can become a problem in some hostel set-ups. The bad part about this situation was the walk to and from the shower/bathroom area and the fact that there was only one small toilet on our hallway, a hallway of at least 10 rooms. Finally, there was a washer and dryer available in the afternoon/night to use for 5 CHF each. The washer worked great, but the dryer left things quite damp, so it might be best to just go ahead and hang dry your clothes and save 5 CHF.
What I Did
(Day 1) I arrived in Grindelwald a little before lunch, and the first thing I did (after eating lunch from the Coop grocery store) was take the cable car up to Männlichen. Prior to taking this cable car ride, I had seen the beauty of the region on the train ride in, but this first cable car ride was even more exciting. It was a long ride, maybe 15 minutes. At the end of the ride, I had two hikes to choose from: The Royal Walk and The Panorama Trail. There are other hikes to choose from, but these are the shortest and most popular.
I chose the Royal Walk because it boasted views similar to the Panorama walk and a view of Lauterbrunnen and Interlaken. I feel as though I made the correct choice. It was a relatively quick walk, taking a little over an hour because of the numerous stops to look at the views. The walk out was uphill the entire way and the walk back was steeply downhill. There are nice informational plaques along the walk, many of them science-related which was interesting to me.
This was a great first activity because it gave amazing views, did not take a lot of time, and was easy to access. In the same area as the cable car in Männlichen, there is a children’s play area, café, bathrooms, and seating. There are also a variety of overlooks in this area as well in case you travel with anyone that may have a harder time taking a hike.
(Day 2) The day after I arrived in Grindelwald was probably my favorite day. I started the day around 7:30 at the Grindelwald cable car / train terminal so that I could purchase tickets to Jungfraujoch. I got these tickets at a discounted price of 60 CHF because it was early in the morning and because I had the Jungfrau Travel Pass. To start this journey, I took the cable car up to Eigergletscher. This ride takes less time than the cable car ride up to Männlichen, taking maybe 10 minutes. On this ride, you get a great view of the Eiger Mountain face. People famously try to rock climb this and it is the highest rockface in the Alps. If you have some time to spend at the Eigergletscher stop before your train leaves to Jungfraujoch, I would walk around a little bit. I chose to do this on my way back down the mountain so that I didn’t miss my train. If you go at a later time in the day, the wait for this train can get very long, but I was able to get right on.
The next part of the journey was the train ride up to Jungfraujoch. This train ride felt like I was on the Polar Express. It mainly snakes through the mountain, stopping once at Eismeer to let the downward train pass. I was too nervous to get off the train at this stop because it is only a 5 minute stop and I didn’t want to be left behind. The people sitting next to me had no trouble leaving the train to see the view and coming back within the allotted time, so I would recommend getting off here to see the view.
The train eventually reached the end at the highest railway station in Europe. After exiting the train, I did the “Tour” which consisted of the Panorama (video while you wait for the elevator), the Sphinx viewpoint (views of Europe’s longest glacier - Aletsch Glacier), the alpine sensation (a fancy hallway with a mural and facts about Jungfraujoch), the ice palace (so cool!), the snow plateau (walk on snow and see views properly outside), and ended with gift/snack shops. I tried new flavors of Lindt chocolates from the highest-altitude chocolate shop in Europe. Caramel, hazelnut, salted caramel, coconut, and pistachio were delicious. Raspberry was not so good.
In the gift/snack shop area, there is a place to get a stamp indicating you have been to Jungfraujoch. There are plenty of restrooms, but this is not a place you can picnic, so I left a little before noon to go back down toward the valley of Grindelwald. After this journey down to the Grindelwald terminal station, I took the train one stop up to the “city center” of Grindelwald. I use the term “city center” loosely because it is very quaint.
From here, I walked to the First Watch cable car station and it took 20 minutes to ride this cable car all the way to the top. If you do not have advance tickets or the Jungfrau Travel Pass, expect to wait in a long ticket line before being able to board a cable car. Also, if you are purchasing individual tickets for each experience, consider doing Männlichen or First Watch, not both, as they offer similar views.
At the top of First Watch, I decided to eat my picnic lunch from the Coop that is in the Grindelwald terminal station (cheap lunches always). This was another fantastic viewpoint of the Grindelwald valley. At the top of First Watch, you can choose to pay more money to do different activities, but in the spirit of budget traveling, I decided to have the same views for free with my already purchased ticket and the cable car ride back down the mountain. You can also do different hikes down the mountain from here as well.
After this 20 minute ride back down to the Grindelwald valley, I walked to Pfingstegg. This is NOT included in the Jungfrau Travel Pass and I would not recommend going here if you have the pass. If you are just looking for a quick cable car ride with an ok view of the valley and an overpriced spot for lunch, then this is the place for you. I paid the extra money to ride this cable car because at the top there is a 6 CHF toboggan ride (similar to a mountain coaster) at the top. This was a very fun but very quick ride. There is a group of cows with traditional Swiss bells around their necks near the mountain coaster. Be careful about getting close to them though as they can be aggressive and I watched someone get way too close and then get charged at.
After going back down on the cable car, I ate dinner in the Grindelwald “city center”. Expect to pay at least 15 CHF for dinner and more if you want something other than pizza and water. My pizza and water was delicious though! I played mini golf at Minigolf Grindelwald and it was 9 CHF cash. The course was super quirky, so do not go expecting the same artificial grass and actual mini golf holes like in the United States. It was very fun though and the views of the mountains were amazing. The check-in desk also sold snacks and drinks if you wanted anything while playing your mini golf round.
Day Trips
After this full day in the Grindelwald area, I did two days of traveling around. The first day consisted of Lauterbrunnen & Interlaken. The second day took me to Bern & Lucerne. Below is a brief overview of how I got there and my highlights. I can do a later blog post that is more detailed about Bern & Lucerne because they deserve as much.
(Day 3) I started off early again around 7:30 and had a bit of a delay because my key card fell behind the toilet paper dispenser so I spent 20 minutes trying to get it out from behind (I was successful). I enjoyed the hostel breakfast and then got on the cable car to Eigergletscher. From here, you can take the train up to Jungfraujoch (like I did the day before) or down to Kleine Scheidegg. Today I went down to Kleine Scheidegg. This is a tiny little town with small places to eat. They had a very cute souvenir shop, one of my favorites in Switzerland.
I got on the next train continuing down the mountain and rode all the way to Lauterbrunnen. Lauterbrunnen felt more touristy than Grindelwald, but the church and waterfall can’t be missed. It was very idyllic.
I didn’t spend much time in the town because it was similar to Grindelwald, but I did take the bus out to Trümmelbach Falls. I had no idea what I had paid 14 CHF for, but it turned out to be a good way to spend my money.
Once I entered the gate, I walked up to the funicular that took me into and up the mountain. There are 10 glacial waterfalls you can see in this area and the funicular takes you up to the 6th. My recommendation is to walk from the 6th up to the 10th and then come back down. All of these glacial waterfalls are within the mountain, so you are in the shade and the experience is more unique than seeing the waterfalls that are outside. I did not walk down to waterfalls 5-1 because these were outside and the walk would take longer than I had time allotted for. Instead, I took the funicular back down.
Back by the bus stop for Trümmelbach Falls, there was a nice café. I got what I thought was lemonade and a blueberry crumble cake to go with my bread and apple from the Coop. The lemonade was not actually lemonade and to this day I am still unsure what I got. It tasted very flowery and was fizzy. I took the bus back into Lauterbrunnen and got on the cable car to Mürren. This was the first cable car I had to stand in and we were packed in there. This gave ok views of the valley, but it was not my favorite experience. I had planned to take the train from Mürren up to the final stop, but once I saw how many people were jammed into the one and only train car (see the pic below), I turned right back around and rode the cable car back down.
Back in Lauterbrunnen, I took the train to Interlaken. From here, I walked to the Harder Kulm funicular and the line for tickets was so long. Thankfully, I could bypass it because of the Jungfrau Travel Pass. I did not like how many people were on this funicular because it was a bit overwhelming. When I got to the top, the afternoon thunderstorm started which encouraged people to go back down the mountain. The shower cleared quickly and I was able to get great views of Interlaken and the two lakes that surround the town (hence the name). I also tried a blue raspberry slushy here and it was not the best. I think that the artificial raspberry taste might be different here than at home because I haven’t liked anything raspberry flavored that I’ve tried.
I took the funicular back down to Interlaken and took the train to Brienz. This was a gorgeous 20-minute ride along the lake. This was included in the Jungfrau Travel Pass. In Brienz, I got dinner from the Coop and took this on board the boat from Brienz to Interlaken. This ride was a little over an hour and very relaxing. The views were incredible and this was one of my favorite parts of the day. I got off the boat one stop before it arrived back at the center of Interlaken because this place had been recommended to me for a swim.
From the boat, I saw the area where people were sunbathing and walked about 5 minutes to get there. There was a sign saying not to stand on the sand bars because they could collapse, so I avoided these areas. There is no bathroom or place to change, so come with your swimsuit on or be prepared to change discreetly in your towel. The water was very cold, but nothing too extreme. It was quite refreshing after the long day of exploring. From here, I took the bus back to the Interlaken train station, and from here a train back to Grindelwald.
(Day 4) I started my second day of day trips around 7:30 again, enjoying the hostel breakfast before I departed. I took the train from Grindelwald to Interlaken and another from Interlaken to Bern. For the train from Interlaken to Bern I had to use my Eurail pass, not the Jungfrau Travel Pass. This journey took about 2 hours. In Bern, I went straight to the tourist office for a map and advice on what to do with my two hours in the city. The lady working was super helpful!
Bern is the capital city of Switzerland, so it felt more city-like and was a lot busier than Grindelwald and its surrounding areas. There were markets everywhere with produce, flowers, and other items. The highlight of my time here was Baren Park, a park with three bears in the middle of the city. From here, there is a hill that you can walk up and have a great view of the entire city and its surrounding river. I spent most of my time in Bern walking to each spot on the map from the tourist office and could have spent a day here going into every location and taking my time a bit more. I do feel as though I got a good feel for the city in my short time there though.
I boarded the train around lunchtime and took another 2 hour trip to Lucerne. On this ride, I ate another lunch sponsored by the Coop. When I arrived in Lucerne, I again first went to the tourist office to grab a map and get advice on what to do with my 2 hours. The lady working here was also helpful and she mapped out what route to walk and which spots to see. Kapellbrücke was my favorite stop here. I took the train from Lucerne to Interlaken and then from Interlaken to Grindelwald to end my day. The ride from Lucerne to Interlaken was one of my favorite train rides in Switzerland, and you need to sit on the right side of the train to get the best views for the entire ride.
