We spent an incredible 8 days in Grindelwald, in the Bernese Oberland region of Switzerland, immersing ourselves in everything the Jungfrau region has to offer. The trip gave us everything we could have hoped for from a trip to the Swiss alps: mountain hikes, turquoise lakes and waterfalls, dramatic gorges, paragliding and an impressive amount of melted cheese!
During our 8 days, we explored Lauterbrunnen, Wengen, Mürren, Jungfraujoch, Grindelwald-First and much more! If you're visiting Grindelwald or the Jungfrau region for the first time, here’s our detailed 8 day Grindelwald trip report.
Making the most of your time in Grindelwald and the Jungfrau region
There's a huge amount to do around Grindelwald - it's a perfect base for exploring the Swiss alps. Our 8 days looked like this:
- Day 1 - Lauterbrunnen, Trümmelbach Falls and an Alpabzug cow descent
- Day 2 - Grindelwald Glacier Gorge on a rainy day
- Day 3: Aare Gorge and Meiringen
- Day 4: Männlichen and Wengen hike
- Day 5: Jungfraujoch – Top of Europe
- Day 6: Paragliding over Grindelwald and hiking to Berghaus Bäregg
- Day 7: Mürren and the North Face Trail
- Day 8: Grindelwald-First, Bachalpsee and hiking to Faulhorn
Planning around the Swiss mountain weather
Our golden rule for this trip was simple: stay flexible. The unpredictable mountain weather meant we focused on flexibility to move hikes and activities around. We used the MeteoSwiss and Meteoblue weather apps throughout our trip, which provided reliable, hourly forecasts and weather radars. We also checked the local webcams before heading out for visibility and cloud cover.
Packing layers also turned out to be essential. During our September stay we experienced everything from heavy rain to nearly 30°C temperatures in the valleys.
Good prep will help ensure you have a great day out in the mountains.
Day 1: Lauterbrunnen & Trümmelbach Falls
Our first day was forecast to be hot and beautifully sunny, with highs of 25°C - not bad in September! Ordinarily, we'd have maximised the weather and gone for a hike, but we'd seen that a traditional cow descent (Alpabzug) was happening in Lauterbrunnen that afternoon. Wanting to take advantage of the experience, we decided to plan a day in the village and visit Trümmelbach Falls.
We caught the 7:17am train from Grindelwald train station (bahnhof) having downloaded the SBB app and booked our train tickets the day before. We originally planned to visit Lauterbrunnen once we had our Jungfrau Travel Pass, as this would have given us free train travel, but we knew heavy rain was forecast for the next day and we wouldn't use the pass. Our two return tickets came to CHF 18, so it wasn't worth the expense of the pass.
Visiting Trümmelbach Falls
We arrived in Lauterbrunnen by 7:58am, and we were one of the very few up at that time of the morning which was lovely. Lauterbrunnen is an incredibly popular tourist spot (for good reason), but strolling through before other day-trippers arrived meant we had it all to ourselves.
Our first stop was the spectacular Trümmelbach Falls. You can catch a bus from the train station, but we chose to walk through the valley. The walk takes around an hour and is an easy, flat route following the valley floor past traditional chalets, green fields and some of Lauterbrunnen’s 72 waterfalls, including the well known Staubbachfall.
We planned our arrival at Trümmelbach for opening at 9am, keen to avoid the crowds. Inside the mountain, a funicular lift takes you up to a network of tunnels, stairways and platforms to explore the series of enormous glacial waterfalls - and honestly, the waterfalls are unreal! The falls far exceeded our expectations. Nothing can prepare you for the thunderous roar of 20,000 litres of water, which pour from the peaks of Eiger, Mönch, and Jungfrau. It's incredible!
We spent a good hour exploring the walkways and viewing platforms, which was a comfortable amount of time to take in it all in. If you're planning to visit, be sure to wear a good waterproof jacket, as it's cold and wet inside.
Trip to Staubbachfall
We made the walk back through the valley and stopped off at Staubbachfall. Along the way we continued to admire the stunning views around us, which are truly picture-perfect! Lauterbrunnen is ten times more beautiful than the photos you've seen online and it's a total sensory overload (in all the right ways). We passed waterfalls and admired the beautiful views of the surrounding mountains and glaciers. We also had helicopters and jets passing overhead, and saw many paragliders and parachuters floating high above us. We even witnessed a helicopter airlifting a goat! What is this place??
As we approached the village centre, opposite the church car park is a pathway that zigzags up the hill to a tunnel where you can walk behind Staubbachfall, which is very cool! Our only regret is that we should have done this on the way to Trümmelbach. It was no later than 11am and it was already very busy! The experience was still worth it though and the views of the valley, overlooking the church across to Wengen was stunning. chefs kiss
Alpabzug cow descent
Our 8 day trip to Grindelwald, happened to coincide with an Alpabzug cow descent in Lauterbrunnen, which we definitely didn't want to miss out on. This festive procession through the streets marks the return of the cows from their high Alpine pastures back to the valley farms. They're dressed with beautifully embroidered blankets, floral garlands, and large bells, symbolising the start of autumn. The parade lasted no more than 15 minutes, but it was so worth being there for it!
There was only one way to round off our first day: our first taste of Swiss fondue, which we had at Hotel Oberland. Traditional dishes in the area include cheese fondue and rösti, and there are plenty of great restaurants to try in and around town. It was a boiling hot day, so we enjoyed their shaded terrace with its beautiful mountain views. Our fondue arrived with bread and potatoes - all our favourite things!
Once back in Grindelwald, we relaxed with a few glasses of wine at Cork Club, reflecting on the day before heading back to our Airbnb, for a couple more drinks on our covered patio (with Lady of course).
Day 2: Grindelwald Glacier Gorge
Today was forecast to rain all day, so we decided to head to the Grindelwald Glacier Gorge (Gletscherschlucht). Many of the walkways within the gorge are covered or sheltered from the rain by the high rock face - and visibility is irrelevant, so it's a great rainy day activity.
There's a direct bus from Grindelwald, but it was only a short 20 minute walk from our Airbnb. As we wouldn't be hiking as originally hoped, we were keen to get some steps in, even in the rain. We stopped off at Eiger Bean Coffee Roastery first, and then followed the road out of the village to the gorge.
We arrived just after 9:30am, expecting the ticket office to be open as scheduled. However, a technical issue delayed the opening until 10am, meaning there was a somewhat large queue when we got there and some waiting in the rain. We booked our tickets online while we waited though, so we could sail through nice and quick when we got to the ticket office.
The Grindelwald Glacier Gorge was absolutely worth the wait though. Stretching about 1km long, with towering 300m high walls, the place is honestly jaw dropping! The river was also fast flowing after all the rain, making it even more dramatic.
This gorge itself was formed by the Lower Grindelwald Glacier, which has been retreating steadily over the last century, carving out the deep, narrow canyon. There's a walkway that wraps around the lower canyon walls and tunnels that take you deep through the gorge. Below you is the rushing Lütschine River, meaning there are stunning views at every turn and reveal. The temperature inside the gorge stays around 10°C year-round, so make sure to wear something warm and waterproof.
About one-third of the way in, there's the "spider web" which is a net of rope suspended over the river which you can walk across for some fun photo opportunities! For the brave, there’s also the Canyon Swing, which is a 90 meter free-fall jump from high over the gorge (which we did not do!).
We absolutely loved our trip here and it felt like it was over too soon. The walkway only goes so far before you reach a dead-end and you have to walk back the way you came. We therefore recommend going early as it can get quite tight with people passing by.
We then spent the afternoon chilling at our Airbnb with Lady. We made some lunch and enjoyed the rainy weather from our covered patio, enjoying all the cosy vibes! In the evening we walked to Golden India for dinner, at the top end of Grindelwald town. The food was great and rounded off our day perfectly!
Day 3: Aare Gorge (Aareschlucht)
Today’s plans didn’t quite go as expected. The weather was dry and cloudy, but a quick check of the webcams showed the mountain peaks completely hidden by clouds. Rather than waste one of our bigger mountain days, we decided to visit Aare Gorge (Aareschlucht) in Meiringen. We planned to take the train and enjoy a boat trip across Lake Brienz to avoid a one-hour drive. It initially seemed like a good idea to take advantage of the Jungfrau Travel Pass.
Jungfrau Travel Pass details
The pass cost CHF 620 for two people over 7 days (about 88 CHF per day) and includes unlimited travel on most cable cars, gondolas, trains, boats, and mountain railways in the Jungfrau region. Our train fare from Grindelwald to Interlaken was CHF 47 for us both, and the boat from Interlaken to Brienz was CHF 39, so the pass nearly paid for itself on day one.
The pass also acts as your ticket, so we could just hop on and off without purchasing separate travel tickets. But this is when our plans started to somewhat unravel...
Upon arriving in Interlaken, we had an hour before the boat across Brienz. A trip up Harder Kulm was included in the pass, however the cloud had settled and the top was completely clouded over. We grabbed breakfast at the Coop restaurant near the station to kill some time, but when we got to the dock it was absolutely packed with people! Clearly everyone had the same cloudy day activity planned as us - and it was not looking like the relaxing boat trip we had imagined. We changed plans and caught the train to Meiringen instead.
The train ride to Meiringen was also busy with people, but it was absolutely stunning the whole way, with the glacial lake’s pure blue waters framed by the towering mountains, which looked even more dramatic shrouded in clouds. Once at Meiringen and pleased to get away from the crowds, we enjoyed a peaceful 20 minute walk to the gorge.
Visiting Aare Gorge
Aare Gorge itself was stunning. The walk follows elevated pathways and tunnels through narrow sections of canyon, surrounded by towering, moss-covered rock walls that felt completely otherworldly.
We bought a combi ticket to also visit nearby Reichenbachfall, but as we walked through the gorge, we both started to feel a bit unwell. The gorge was also really busy and we felt we'd reached our "people limit" for the day. We cut the visit short and skipped Reichenbach Falls too. Today was not going to plan!
We'd planned to try the boat at Brienz, but the dock was again very busy! So we stayed firmly planted on the train.
Though the crowds and feeling under the weather made the day feel like hard work, and it was a shame not to have maximised the full cost of the travel pass we still enjoyed our day. It's not realistic to have 8 solid perfect days (right?).
The gorge was genuinely beautiful and definitely worth a visit. The train journey from Interlaken to Grindelwald takes 35 minutes, so once back in Grindelwald we spent the evening with a cheeky pizza from the Co-op and a glass of wine, recharging ourselves for the sunnier hiking days to come.
Day 4 - Männlichen to Wengen hike
We kept today flexible again as the weather was forecast to be cloudy, with some sunny breaks. We had a hike around Männlichen and Wengen planned, but Grindelwald was sitting beneath some thick, low cloud. We debated whether heading up Männlichen would be a waste of time, but we took a gamble to head up early and power through the clouds.
We caught the gondola from Grindelwald Terminal to Männlichen, with the trip covered by our Jungfrau Travel Pass. As we climbed, Grindelwald gradually disappeared beneath us and clouds clung to the mountainsides, making an already impressive gondola ride even more dramatic.
Once we got to the top we were completely shrouded in cloud. We waited patiently for a few minutes under the cable car station and all of a sudden the cloud disappeared and we were rewarded with our first ever cloud inversion, with the sheer peaks rising through the cloud - unbelievable! We couldn't believe our luck, and even non-perfect weather can still be beautiful.
After taking about 700 photos of the mountain tops, we headed straight for the Männlichen summit. The short climb from the gondola station gave us even bigger views across the Bernese Alps and down towards Lauterbrunnen.
We stayed here for a few minutes taking in the views, before deciding it was time to crack on with our hike. The original route started in Wengen, climbing up the mountainside to Männlichen and then back down again.
For some reason, we decided that rather than taking the cable car down to Wengen and hiking up, we should start on Männlichen and walk all the way down. This (surprise surprise) turned out to be a miserable idea, starting with a descent of 900 meters (which Oli kindly took to reminding me about).
Exploring Wengen
After a punishing 2 hours, we enjoyed some time in picturesque Wengen. Perched on a sunny terrace above the Lauterbrunnen Valley, Wengen is a small, car-free mountain village filled with traditional Swiss chalets, hotels and restaurants, with huge views towards the surrounding Swiss alps.
We found a small bench near the church overlooking Lauterbrunnen, with the sheer cliffs of the valley dropping away below us and the mountains stretching out in front. We enjoyed our hiking lunch and flask of tea in the sun, before catching the cable car back up to Mannlichen. We discovered for an extra CHF 5 you can ride in the open-air section of the cable car! I couldn't quite convince Oli to do this, not that it mattered much at the top anyway as the summit was still drenched in cloud.
Back in Grindelwald, the valley was hot and sunny, so we freshened up at the Airbnb to check on Lady, and headed for a drink at Sunstar hotel. We'd seen photos of their garden terrace with amazing views of Eiger and couldn't resist popping in. We sat in a sunny part of the garden and enjoyed a couple of wines and beers. We then had dinner reservations at Barry's where we indulged in our second fondue of the trip which was delicious!
Day 5 - Jungfraujoch - Top of Europe
Saturday rolled round and we had clear, uninterrupted sunshine forecast. We ideally wanted to avoid Jungfraujoch over a weekend, but with the weather looking so good, we couldn't avoid the chance.
We caught the first Eiger Express cable car of the day at 7:45am and there was a busy queue already! We thankfully pre-booked our tickets the day before (definitely recommend), so we got in line and waited patiently.
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7:45am on the dot though, the doors opened and we hopped straight on the cable car. The Eiger Express took us high above Grindelwald towards Eigergletscher in around 20 minutes, with brilliant views back across the valley. From Eigergletscher, we then transferred to the Jungfrau Railway. Much of this final section runs inside the mountain before eventually arriving at Jungfraujoch station at 3,454 metres - Europe's highest station, which is where the “Top of Europe” name comes from.
We first found it a little confusing how to navigate our way around, before we realised we had to do the "self discovery tour" leading to the different attractions and eventually the outdoor viewpoints. We started the tour and found a side entrance that took us outside where lots of people were gearing up with crampons to do some ice climbing.
We had planned to hike to Mönchsjochhütte, a mountain hut 45 minutes hike away. Sadly though the route was closed due to a collapsed glacier, so this removed a fairly major part of our morning. Instead we found some loungers in the sun next to a hut serving hot chocolate. We sat there for a bit, watching the ice climbers get kitted up and we enjoyed the sunshine, overlooking the Aletsch Glacier. The views were jaw dropping and the sun was warm, even 3,454 meters above sea level!
Sphinx Observatory and terrace views
From here we headed up to the terrace at the Sphinx Observatory - easily our favourite viewpoint at Jungfraujoch. The benefit of being one of the first to travel up meant we had an almost empty terrace with panoramic mountain and glacier views surrounding us.
From here we continued the "self discovery tour" and into the ice palace. We thought this might be a bit gimmicky, but actually we had so much fun! The route then leads you outside onto the main snowy plateau. Again there are beautiful views for miles, but we felt the observatory had the better views. We decided to circle back to the observatory, but we had to go to the exit to then work back through the tour again - it's a bit like the one-way system at IKEA. And after all that, by this point the observatory was completely packed! So we didn't stick around.
We had planned to be at Jungfraujoch all day, including the hut hike plus a visit to the Snow Fun Park. But with the hut closed, it meant we were done by 10am and the snow park didn't open until 11am. We decided to head back down and make the most of our day.
Grindelwald festival
Getting back early gave us an afternoon we hadn't planned and Grindelwald happened to be hosting a youth music festival. The village was full of food stalls, with locals wearing traditional dress, with yodelling and alpine horn competitions taking place and flag throwing.
The festival was so much fun and the town had such a lively atmosphere. We spent most of the afternoon there, chatting to people and soaking up the atmosphere. We also grabbed an afternoon drink in Avocado Bar, playing a few games of corn hole and table tennis, before moving on to Basecamp for a drink which we loved! The restaurant has great Eiger views from their terrace and we immediately decided we'd have to come back for dinner before the end of our trip.
Day 6 - Paragliding and hike to Berghaus Bäregg
Since arriving in Grindelwald, I had been planning to book up paragliding. Sunday rolled round and the conditions were perfect, so I took the plunge and booked a 10am slot!
I booked with the amazing Jungfrau Paragliding, and arranged to meet my pilot at First cable car station. We caught the cable car up together (the Jungfrau pass coming in handy again). Once at the very top, we took a short walk to our launch site, got kitted up and after a quick jog we were in the air by 10:25am. It was, without exaggeration, one of the best things I've ever done.
We spent about 20 minutes in the air, with nothing but the wind and beautiful mountain views for miles. I was completely mesmerised and the views were honestly jaw dropping. We even did some aerobatics which was insane!! I had the time of my life!
Oli met me in the landing field and we grabbed a drink together at Eiger Coffee to debrief and share some photos. Safe to say I was absolutely buzzing with adrenaline, so we headed out for a hike to burn off some energy.
Berghaus Bäregg hike
We caught the Pfingstegg cable car (which isn't included in the Jungfrau pass, but it does give you a discounted rate) and started the hike to Barëgg Hut, which quickly became one of our favourite hikes.
From the Pfingstegg cable car station it's a 90 minute hike all the way to the hut. We did it in 50 minutes though at a comfortable pace. The hike is great fun, starting off in the forest line, before rising above Grindelwald gorge, with stunning views of the Lower Grindelwald Glacier in front of you. There are some exposed sections with steep drops, but there's enough fencing to not make it feel scary.
Effort-wise it's a moderate to hard hike. There are some steep sections and the last big push to the hut is tough, with some big steps and a steep incline, but it's so worth it when you reach the hut and you're greeted with uninterrupted views of the glacier in front of you.
We sat at a sunny table on their terrace and ordered gratified cheese which was an absolute carb fest and a drink each. We sat there for an hour, enjoying the sun and views before hiking back down. The descent isn't too strenuous, we did it fine without hiking poles, but it may be a good idea to bring them if your knees struggle.
Once back at the cable car station we decided to give the toboggan a go which was great fun! We then had a chilled evening at our Airbnb with some nibbles and wine, watching F1 and keeping Lady company.
Day 7 - Mürren North Face trail hike
We had a wet and cloudy start, but sunny spells were forecast from late morning, so we took a gamble for a hike around Mürren.
We caught the train from Grindelwald to Lauterbrunnen, followed by the cable car to Grütschalp and the train to Mürren - once again all covered by our Jungfrau Travel Pass. The journey is an experience in itself, gradually climbing away from Lauterbrunnen until you reach Mürren high above the valley, with scenic views during the short train journey.
We found a North Face Trail route on AllTrails and started our hike directly from Mürren village centre. The start of the hike was super steep. It was also still cloudy, with much of the surrounding mountain scenery hidden. Despite little visibility, the mountains still looked moody and dramatic draped in the clouds.
About one hour into our hike, blue skies began to appear and eventually we were greeted with the most jaw dropping views we'd seen so far on our trip and it was mesmerising to be up in the clouds.
We stopped at the halfway point for a packed lunch and some tea. The route winds through mountain meadows and farmland beneath the enormous peaks, with Lauterbrunnen's waterfalls and valley below.
Back in Mürren we stopped at Hotel Edelweiss for lunch. We had walked by at the start of our hike and were drawn in by their apple strudel signs, but once sat down we were tempted by far more on their menu. We sat at a sunny table overlooking the valley - an absolutely beautiful spot and enjoyed a couple of wines and beers and ordered a raclette rösti each too.
We spent over an hour here, soaking up the sun and the views and watching the paragliders below us. We definitely had a soft spot for Mürren. It's a beautiful little village and the views are second to none - it's worth a visit just for the views alone.
By 4pm we were back at our Airbnb for a chill with Lady, before heading out to Grindelwald to Onkel Tom's - a pizza place we'd been eyeing up all week!
Day 8 - First Cliff Walk, Mountain Lakes, and Hike to Faulhorn Hut
Today was our last full day in Grindelwald. The weather was forecast to be hot with clear sunny skies all day - and we had a big hike in the bag ready to go.
We got up early and caught the 9am cable car from Grindelwald up to First, which takes about 20 minutes.
First sits at 2,166 metres and is one of Grindelwald's main adventure areas, as well as the starting point for some fantastic hiking routes.
First cliff walk
Our first stop was its most famous attraction - the First cliff walk, which is a metal walkway that wraps around the side of the mountain, before finishing on a viewing platform 45 metres out into open space. We thought it would be touristy (which it is) and over hyped - but we really enjoyed it! The whole thing only takes around 10–20 minutes, but it's genuinely good fun and the views are ridiculous! Go early if you can, because it gets considerably busier as the day goes on.
If you're not familiar with First, it is the Jungfrau region's "top of adventure" where you can not only paraglide and start amazing hikes from - the scenery and views are some of the very best in the region. You can also do lots of other fun adventure activities such as First Flyer, which is a 50mph zipline! There's also the First Glider, where riders are suspended face-down or the mountain carts, which follow a 3km dirt track between Schreckfeld and Bort.
Faulhorn Hut hike
Our focus though was a 5 hour return hike from First mountain to Faulhorn Mountain hut.
The route goes via Bachalpsee, which is a stunning spot with two lakes, before climbing steeply to Faulhorn. Most people only hike from First to Bachalpsee and starting the hike early meant there was only a few of us at the lakes which was bliss.
We stopped for a quick snack here, admiring the view, before powering on to the mountain hut. The climb to the hut is 600 meters of elevation, with steep inclines and tough switch back sections. Wow was it worth it though with bigger views the higher we got. Once at the hut, we had unrivalled views over Männlichen and Grindelwald, plus the big three of Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau - we could even see the Sphinx Observatory!
The mountain hut was a great rest stop after a tough hike. We ordered a homemade apricot tart and found a sunny spot to enjoy the views. Just below the hut there's a ridgeline which opens up enormous panoramas towards Lake Brienz on one side and the Bernese Alps on the other. We cracked open our flask of tea, packed lunch and sat with one of the best views in the region.
We reached the hut in just under 2 hours and it took us the same amount of time on the way back. Despite the elevation, we didn't find the descent too bad, with our hiking poles taking the brunt of the work for us. The scenery was even better heading back, with the Grindelwald mountains in front of us the whole way and looking down towards the two lakes. As we approached Bachalpsee again, the lakes had become completely still, creating that classic mirror reflection of the Swiss Alps.
Once back at First, we had planned to catch the First Flyer on our way down, but 3pm meant the queue was 60 minutes! We instead watched a number of paragliders make the run off First mountain before we caught the cable car back down.
In the evening we had dinner at Basecamp and had the best veggie smash burgers we have ever had! Followed by Tiramasu for Oli and a passionfruit cheesecake for me - easily the highlight meal of our trip!
Final thoughts on Grindelwald
Safe to say we fell in love with Grindelwald pretty easily. It was the ideal base for exploring the Swiss alps and the Jungfrau region. We drove from the UK and we didn't need the van once. Everything was so accessible - we could hike, cable car or train our way everywhere. Every mode of transport is also incredibly scenic.
It's a perfect base for exploring the region. 8 days in Grindelwald had allowed us to hike above glaciers, through mountain meadows, along ridgelines, beside Alpine lakes and up to remote mountain huts.
Grindelwald is also incredibly foodie, which was great for us as vegetarians. We found the Dolomites for example to be very "meaty" and not massively veggie friendly. There were also plenty of cafés, restaurants and bars within easy walking distance of where we were staying.
We have fallen in love with Grindelwald and we can't wait to come back again.
Get in Touch
We hope our 8 days in Grindelwald trip report inspires your own visit – whether it’s your first time or a long-awaited return. If you have any questions please leave a comment below, we’d love to hear from you! If you found our blog helpful, check out our Insta @welovetravel.in – if you give us a follow feel free to drop us a message and say hello!
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