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- Written by: Roger Fulton
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Interlaken’s ace card can be summed up in three words: location, location, location. This pretty resort town in the Bernese Oberland region of Switzerland is the central tourist hub for enjoying so much of the natural beauty the country has to offer.
Sitting on a narrow strip of land between the beautiful twin lakes of turquoise Brienz and deep blue Thun, alongside the Aare river, which flows between the two and surrounded by mountains, including the majestic trio of the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau, it offers the best of all worlds. Interlaken is the perfect base for outdoor activities, including water sports on the lakes, hiking, biking, paragliding and simply seeing the sights in the surrounding Alps and the idyllic Diemtigtal Nature Park.
Interlaken’s reputation as a tourist hub is reinforced by the presence of its two linked rail stations – Interlaken West, which serves as the main gateway from the national Swiss network, and Interlaken Ost, which is the start point for the Bernese Oberland Railway, a narrow-gauge mountain line fanning out to the famous ski resort villages of Lauterbrunnen, Wengen and Grindelwald, and ultimately to the Jungfraujoch, Europe’s highest train station, known as the Top of Europe, perched between the Jungfrau and Mönch.
Closer to town, the viewpoint of Harder Kulm, just to the north, and the Schynige Platte, just to the south, are also accessible from Interlaken Ost station and provide wide-ranging views of the Interlaken region and the higher mountains. At lake level, boat trips operate on both lakes, serving various other lakeside towns.
Interlaken itself is an attractive town, with old timber houses and parkland on either side of the Aare River. It has many good restaurants such as the family-owned (fifth generation!) Bären Unterseen and Laterne, both specialising in Swiss cuisine, as well as international restaurants, including Little Thai, Layaly Beirut and Madras Jungle. One particularly Interlaken experience is to have lunch or dinner at the Pizzeria Sapori (within the 5-star Victoria-Jungfrau Grand Hotel & Spa, on the main street Höheweg) and watch the paragliders circle into land on the big field opposite.
Popular with backpackers and luxury travellers alike, Interlaken is also blessed with accommodation for every taste and budget, from campgrounds and hostels to 3-5 star hotels.
With so many choices when it comes to things to do and places to see, we’ve picked some of our favourites to make up your ideal Interlaken itinerary.
Day 1: Arrival & Lakeside Strolls
Short and sweet: Get things off to a gentle start with an easy walk along either Lake Thun or Lake Brienz. The lakeside walk from Interlaken Ost along the River Aare to Bönigen and beyond to Lake Brienz is 2.7km, for example, giving you a round trip of about one hour. It’s a great way to take in the beauty of the lake and mountain views. Insider tip: Grab a coffee along the Aare river at The Aarburg.
A different perspective: For a more up-close lakeside experience, rent a stand-up paddleboard from one of the many providers on both lakes Brienz and Thun. You can also go wake boarding, wake surfing, water skiing, sailing, windsurfing or even try out something new like surfski paddling.
Sunset on the water: Round the day off with a sunset steamboat cruise. Scheduled passenger ferries also serve the lakes of Brienz and Thun to make getting around a breeze.
Day 2: Canyoning in Grimsel
Dive in: Interlaken is known as ‘the adventure capital of Europe’ and is the ideal jumping off point to explore the region’s mountain streams, rivers and alpine cliffs. Feel the sheer power of the white water on a guided canyoning tour, where you’ll climb cliffs, abseil down narrow gorges, clamber along smooth rock faces and strap yourself to a zip line to follow a riverbed.
Beginner or expert? There are options for all abilities, with the local gorge is only a five-minute drive from Interlaken. The tour is perfect for beginners and offers you all the elements of the sport: climbing, sliding, abseiling and diving into deep water basins.
The full experience: If you’re looking for a thrill and have no fear of heights, the Grimsel canyoning trip is perfect for you. You start out by abseiling 50m down into the spectacular gorge. What follows is the ultimate adrenaline rush: sliding down rocks, exciting jumps and zip lines.
Day 3: Lakeside Cycling
On your bike: Interlaken is a great base for exploring by bike and a morning lake tour is a must. The Brienzersee Loop around Lake Brienz is a challenging, 38km varied cycling route starting and finishing at Interlaken Ost.
Highlights: Sweeping panoramic views of the intense turquoise lake, dramatic cliffs, and scenic, steep terrain. You tick off two suspension bridges on the way to Brienz, where you head towards the most demanding part of the route, the steep climb to Giessbach Falls. The roaring waterfalls offer an impressive scenery.
Don’t miss: The Grandhotel Giessbach is a great lunch stop – the carrot cake dessert is heavenly!
Afternoon excursion: From Interlaken Ost take a local rail link for a 10min funicular trip up to Harder Kulm at 1,322m. Known as Interlaken's ‘local mountain’, it offers panoramic views of the lakes, and the Eiger, Mönch, and Jungfrau mountains.
Hit the spot: The summit features the Two Lakes Bridge viewing platform (which feels a bit like standing in the prow of a ship!). The Harder Kulm Panorama Restaurant serves Swiss specialties on a large sun terrace – ideal for sunset viewing.
Summer 2026 Events
Interlaken and the surrounding area has a busy summer programme of sporting, music and cultural events. These include:
11 – 13 June: Greenfield Festival
26 – 28 June: Trucker & Country Festival
5 July: Ironman Thun
1 August: Swiss National Day
8 August: RunThrough Trails
14 – 16 August: Inferno Triathlon
4 – 5 September: Jungfrau Marathon
Day 4: Head Skyward on a High-altitude Hike
Hit the trails: Interlaken is the base for a wide variety of lakeside and mountain walks – from the easy to the demanding. Falling in the middle is the six-hour 16km traverse from Schynige Platte to First.
What to expect: Views, even before you start the walk. The day begins by taking the first train from Interlaken Ost and changing at Wilderswil to catch the mountain railway up to Schynige Platte. Before setting off on the hike, make sure visit the Alpine Botanical Gardens.
And the walk itself? This wonderful high-altitude hike begins above the tree line and leads gently uphill across a high plateau to the Mändelen Hut, with stunning views of Interlaken, its lakes and the mountain panorama of the Eiger, Mönch, and Jungfrau. After an ascent to the Faulhorn mountain hotel, built in 1830, take a short break and enjoy the breathtaking 360-degree view of the surrounding peaks. Spectacular scenery accompanies the subsequent descent to Lake Bachalpsee, from where an easy trail leads to the top station of the First cable car.
Tip: Once you reach your destination, take the cable car from First down into Grindelwald, from where you can catch the train back to Interlaken.
Day 5: Take in the Schilthorn
The name is Bond: One of the ‘once in a lifetime’ experiences. Take a scenic cable car ride from Stechelberg up the 2,970m Schilthorn mountain to visit the summit Piz Gloria, which has given its name to the revolving restaurant which featured heavily in the 1969 Bond film On Her Majesty's Secret Service, as the villain Blofeld’s mountain lair.
Must do: A meal in the revolving restaurant Piz Gloria allows you to take in the entire mountain panorama from your seat in less than 45 minutes. Visit the Walk of Fame, honouring the movie.
Don’t miss: On the way up it’s also well worth stopping off at the Birg middle station to visit the Thrill Walk, a 200m steel and glass walkway that clings to the perpendicular walls of rock. Here you’ll be treated to panoramic views across the valley to the Eiger, Mönch, and Jungfrau mountains, with free admission for cable car ticket holders.
Tip: For a more challenging way to ‘do the Schilthorn’, take the cable car/mountain railway from Stechelberg or Lauterbrunnen up to Mürren – a picture-postcard village and cradle of Swiss ski tourism – and hike up to the summit, a somewhat demanding trek of around 4hrs.
Need to know: The cable car from Stechelberg to Mürren is the steepest in the world.
Day 6: Air and Water
Morning flight: Another experience you have to try at least once in your life. There’s no feeling like it! Escape the ordinary and rise above with a tandem paragliding flight in Interlaken with one of their many adventure specialists. Summer tandem flights allow beginners and old hands alike to soar over the awe-inspiring landscapes of Interlaken, the lakes and surrounding peaks.
How it works: You’ll meet your guides in Interlaken and be driven to the take-off point at Beatenberg. After a short safety briefing, you’ll take off from a gently sloping hillside. One second you’ll be jogging on the grass, the next you’ll be walking in the air for a 20-minute flight that ends with a soft landing on the grassy field right in the centre of Interlaken, right in front of the Jungfrau massif. The only barrier is your weight: you have to be under 90kg to fly.
Afternoon: Come down from your morning high with a relaxed boat ride on the deep blue Lake Thun, with views of green meadows, forests, mountains and five castles. Leave from the jetty at Interlaken West on the steamship Blümlisalp and cruise along the Neuhaus nature reserve, towards the St Beatus Caves and Beatenbucht, to Spiez, Gunten, Oberhofen, Hilterfingen, Hünibach and then ultimately on to Thun. The entire trip from Interlaken to Thun takes a little over 2hrs.
Day 7: Departure with Memories
Optional hike: Say farewell to Interlaken with a last walk. Enjoy a lakeside stroll or for a change of scenery perhaps hike the short 3.2km route from the town to Wilderswil through the Rugen Forest past the historic Unspunnen castle ruins.
Rail pass options
Jungfrau Travel Pass
The Jungfrau Travel Pass gives you unlimited trips on the mountain railways, cable cars, trains and boats in the Jungfrau Region as often as you like! This includes access to must-visit sites like Schynige Platte, Harder Kulm, Grindelwald-First and Jungfraujoch - Top of Europe. Go to jungfrau.ch to find out more.
Swiss Travel Pass
Enjoy unlimited travel by train, bus and boat in Switzerland for 3, 4, 6, 8 or 15 consecutive days. Free museum admission and discounted mountain railway tickets are included in the pass. Go to interlaken.swiss for more info.
Berner Oberland Pass
Explore the most beautiful places in the Bernese Oberland in comfort – and without stress. Travel flexibly by train, bus, boat and over 25 mountain railways and cableways and benefit from discounts with around 40 bonus partners – all with just one ticket. Go to berneseoberlandpass.ch for more info.
Interlaken FAQs
When is the best time to visit Interlaken in summer?
The best months to visit are June and September for a balance of warm weather, hiking accessibility, and fewer crowds. July and August are ideal for maximum warmth and summer activities but can be crowded. For dramatic scenery with wildflowers and waterfalls, May and June are excellent, while September and early October offer crisp air, autumn foliage, and great hiking.
What are the must-try adventure activities?
Hiking, canyoning and paragliding will take you to corners most tourists can’t reach.
How do I get to Interlaken?
The famously efficient Swiss rail network is an integral part of most international tourist journeys to Interlaken. Fly to the main airports such as Zurich or Geneva, and rail links will quickly bring you to Interlaken. Particularly useful for international visitors is the direct train from Zurich Airport to Interlaken.
To find out more about active holidays in Interlaken, go to interlaken.swiss
