Switzerland in April or May can be beautiful. Down in the valleys everything starts turning green, waterfalls are powerful because of the melting snow and there is often still a thick layer of snow on the mountains. At the same time, this may be one of the trickiest periods for planning a road trip through Switzerland.
We quickly discovered that while preparing our own trip. Many higher cable cars, hiking trails and mountain restaurants were still closed. Several roads across the Alps were also still in their winter closure. A route that looks perfectly logical on Google Maps can therefore suddenly be impossible in April or early May.
That is why we planned our route very carefully. We started in the northeast, travelled through Central Switzerland to the Bernese Oberland and finished in Kandersteg. We mainly chose places where there was still something to do even if the summer lifts were not yet running.
Most of the time, that worked out very well. Sometimes we still had to improvise. Kandersteg was the best example: we arrived a few days too early for the cable car to Oeschinensee. What would normally be an easy trip suddenly became a proper uphill hike. We also had to skip Schäfler Ridge because we were just a little too early, but Seealpsee turned out to be a fantastic alternative.
In this blog, I explain what you can expect from Switzerland in April and May, which places were open during our trip and how to avoid planning an entire holiday around cable cars that turn out to be closed.
Contents
Is April or May a good time to visit Switzerland?
Yes, as long as you understand that April and May are real in-between months.
In many places, the winter sports season is coming to an end while the summer hiking and cable car season has not fully started yet. In Switzerland, this period is often used for maintenance on gondolas, cogwheel trains and mountain restaurants.
So you do not get a complete summer holiday, but it is not really a winter trip either.
What you do get:
- green valleys and snow-covered mountain peaks
- lots of water in rivers and waterfalls
- quieter hiking trails
- fewer crowds at popular attractions
- regularly sunny hiking weather in the valleys
- a chance of snow, mud and slippery sections higher up
The weather can vary a lot in a single day. At Seealpsee, we walked in a T-shirt while there was still snow next to the trail. At Grindelwald First, it was pleasant down in the valley, but higher up we walked between patches of snow and over wet, muddy sections.
We actually loved that contrast. You just need to bring more than a thin summer jacket.
April and May are not the same
A lot can change within just a few weeks.
Switzerland in April
In April, many mountain areas are still clearly in winter mode. At lower altitudes, hiking can be perfectly possible, but higher trails are often still covered in snow.
This is also a popular month for technical maintenance. A cable car may still operate during the winter season until early April, then close for a few weeks and only reopen at the end of April or sometime in May.
A good example is the cable car from Wasserauen to Ebenalp. In 2026, it was closed for maintenance from 7 to 24 April. We were there exactly during that period. Our original plan was therefore impossible and we chose the hike to Seealpsee from the valley instead. For current opening times, always check the official Ebenalp website.
Switzerland in early May
In many places, early May still feels a lot like April. Especially above around 1,500 to 2,000 metres, you can still encounter snow and winter conditions.
Some summer lifts do not start operating until the second or third weekend of May. Hiking trails can also remain closed even after a cable car has reopened.
We noticed that very clearly in Kandersteg.
Switzerland in late May
From the second half of May onwards, more and more things usually start opening. Cable cars reopen, restaurants begin their summer season and lower hiking trails become easier to walk.
But even at the end of May, you cannot automatically assume that every high mountain pass or hiking trail will be open. Snowfall differs every year and on every mountain. We were already back home by late May, but around that time it actually started snowing again in the Jungfrau region, where we had still enjoyed temperatures above 20 degrees in early May.
And yes, rain… that can always happen. Do not expect your entire holiday to stay dry.
Why our route mainly went through northern and central Switzerland
While planning our route, we noticed that many higher roads and activities towards or across the main Alpine ridge were still closed.
This applies especially to the famous mountain passes. Some passes open in May, while others only reopen in June. In 2026, for example, the Gotthard Pass opened on 21 May and the season on Grosse Scheidegg started on 14 May. In many years, the Susten Pass does not open until sometime in June. Before travelling, always check the current status of the Swiss mountain passes.
You can of course still reach southern Switzerland through tunnels and main roads. But if you are travelling mainly for scenic mountain passes, hikes and viewpoints, part of that experience is missing in April and early May.
That is why we decided not to force our route as far south or as high into the mountains as possible. Our route included:
- Rhine Falls and Appenzell
- Vitznau and Lucerne
- Stoos and Rigi
- Meiringen and Lake Brienz
- Grindelwald, Lauterbrunnen and Mürren
- Kandersteg
That turned out to be a really nice combination. We could do something almost every day while still being surrounded by snowy mountain peaks.
Rhine Falls and Schaffhausen: a safe spring stop
Rhine Falls is a great place to start a spring route. You are not dependent on a cable car or a high-altitude hiking trail here.
We visited the waterfall early in the morning. It was still quiet and we had plenty of time to walk around the water. Because of all the meltwater, spring is also a beautiful period for waterfalls.
For parking, the walking route and the viewing platforms, read our detailed blog about visiting Rhine Falls.
After the waterfall, you can continue towards Schaffhausen or Appenzell. If you visit Schaffhausen, keep Sundays and public holidays in mind. Many regular shops may be closed, while restaurants and tourist attractions often remain open.
Appenzell in April: beautiful, but check the Ebenalp cable car
Our original idea was to take the cable car to Ebenalp and hike towards Schäfler. Once we arrived in Appenzell, we discovered that the cable car was closed for maintenance.
That is typical for this time of year. The attraction is there, the car park is accessible and the weather can be beautiful, but the cable car simply does not run for a few weeks.
Luckily, we had an alternative: the Seealpsee hike from Wasserauen.
That hike simply started down in the valley. We walked uphill through the forest and eventually reached a mountain lake surrounded by snowy peaks. At the end of April, it was around 15 degrees and we partly walked in T-shirts. At the same time, we still passed patches of snow.
Useful to know: do not only check whether a cable car exists, but also the exact maintenance period for that year. In 2026, the Ebenalp cable car only restarted its spring service on 25 April.
Central Switzerland works well in spring
Central Switzerland was one of the easiest regions for us in April.
From Vitznau, we could go in several directions:
- take the boat to Lucerne
- take the cogwheel train to Rigi Kulm
- drive to the Stoosbahn
- walk along Lake Lucerne
- have a quiet day in the village
The boat trip from Vitznau to Lucerne does not depend on snow conditions on hiking trails. Lucerne itself can also be visited all year round.
Rigi is another good option, although you should also check the timetable here. Not every smaller cable car operates throughout spring and several mountain restaurants use April for their annual break. The official Rigi information for 2026, for example, showed several maintenance and closure periods in April and early May. Before travelling, check the current Rigi operating information.
We took the train from Vitznau to Rigi Kulm. At the top, we could still see plenty of snow on the surrounding mountain peaks, while it already felt completely like spring down by the lake.
Also read our tips for visiting Rigi Kulm by train.
If you want to visit Rigi from Lucerne, you can combine a boat trip with the train journey to Rigi Kulm.
Stoos: the village may be open while the higher hikes are not
At Stoos and the Stoosbahn, you also need to make a distinction between the village itself and the higher mountain activities.
The Stoosbahn took us up to the car-free village as normal. There, we walked past the small lake, the chapel and several viewpoints. It was quiet and sunny.
We did not do the higher ridge hike. A route like that depends on chairlifts, snow and the condition of the hiking trail. The official Stoos information states that the real summer routes generally start opening from around the middle of May, depending on conditions. Before your visit, always check the current Stoos information.
This is an important spring tip: a mountain destination can be partly open. You may be able to reach the village, but that does not automatically mean every summit or hiking trail is accessible.
Meiringen and Aare Gorge: sometimes only one entrance is open
Aare Gorge near Meiringen is a good example of an attraction that opens in stages.
In 2026, the western entrance opened on 3 April. The eastern entrance did not open until 9 May. Only when both entrances are open can you walk all the way through the gorge from one side to the other. Check the current schedule on the official Aare Gorge website.
If you visit early in the season, you may therefore walk out and back from the same entrance. That is not a problem, but it is something to take into account when planning your day.
Meiringen is also a useful base in spring. From here, you can combine:
- Aare Gorge
- the village and Sherlock Holmes sights
- Reichenbach Falls, when the railway is operating
- Giessbach Falls
- Lake Brienz
Also read our blog about things to do in Meiringen and our experience at Giessbach Falls.
Grindelwald and Lauterbrunnen: a lot is possible, but not everything
The Jungfrau region was surprisingly easy to visit at the end of April and beginning of May. The valleys were green, the waterfalls were flowing strongly and several well-known activities were open.
We still had to check carefully each day what was possible.
Grindelwald First in April
We could take the gondola to Grindelwald First and walked towards Bachalpsee. There was still quite a lot of snow at the top and Bachalpsee was partly frozen.
It looked beautiful, but parts of the trail were wet and muddy. Good hiking shoes were definitely useful.
Read our complete experience at Grindelwald First, the First Cliff Walk and Bachalpsee.
According to the official schedule, the area around First remained open for almost the entire 2026 season, but the status of hiking trails and activities still depended on snow and weather. Always check the current information for Grindelwald First.
Mürren and Allmendhubel
Not everything was open around Mürren either. The cable connection to Mürren was running, but the funicular to Allmendhubel was still in its maintenance period.
In 2026, the Allmendhubel funicular was closed from 7 April to 22 May. Always check the current schedule on the official Allmendhubel website.
We therefore started the Northface Trail near Mürren from the village itself. That meant climbing a little more ourselves, but the hike was still possible.
This is exactly why, in April and May, you need to look beyond simply checking whether “Mürren is open”. The destination itself may be open, while your planned starting point or lift is not.
Other activities you can combine in the region include:
Kandersteg in early May: a few days made a big difference
Kandersteg was perhaps the clearest example of why timing is so important in spring.
We were there in early May. The cable car to Oeschinensee was still closed and several higher hiking routes were not open. The area was clearly between the winter and summer seasons.
For the 2026 summer season, the cable car did not start operating until 9 May. We were therefore just a few days too early. Before your visit, always check the current Oeschinensee timetable.
Normally, you take the gondola up from Kandersteg. From the mountain station, it is then a relatively easy walk to the lake.
We had to walk all the way up from Kandersteg itself.
That meant:
- around 500 to 600 metres of elevation gain
- around 1.5 to 2 hours of climbing
- bringing our own food and drinks
- checking beforehand which restaurants were open
- not being able to use the normal summer facilities
Read our complete experience with Oeschinensee without the cable car.
The advantage was that it was incredibly quiet. No queues at the gondola, no crowded trails and hardly anyone around the lake. That made the hike feel much more untouched.
The disadvantage is obvious: you need to be fit enough for the climb. Travelling with young children, short on time or mainly looking for an easy way to reach the lake? Then I would plan your stay one or two weeks later.
Blausee as an easy alternative
Blausee near Kandersteg, on the other hand, was very easy to visit.
This is a smaller nature park with a short walking trail around the lake. You do not need a cable car and you are not dependent on a high-altitude hiking route.
Blausee and Oeschinensee therefore complement each other very well. One is a calm, short stop. The other can turn into a proper mountain hike early in the season.
How to plan a Switzerland route in April or May
Stay several nights in each region
In spring, we would not change accommodation every day. It is better to stay three or four nights in one place.
That way, you can move a mountain day if the weather is bad or a cable car unexpectedly turns out to be closed.
Stay in the valley
Accommodation in a valley is often more practical than a hotel high in the mountains. You are less dependent on the last gondola and can more easily switch to another region.
We chose bases around:
- Appenzell
- Vitznau
- Interlaken
- Grindelwald and Lauterbrunnen
- Kandersteg
For the Jungfrau region, we stayed in a quiet location between Grindelwald and Lauterbrunnen. Take a look at our apartment in Lütschental or hotels and apartments in Lauterbrunnen.
In Kandersteg, Hotel Ermitage, Belle Epoque Hotel Victoria & Apartments and Hotel Bernerhof are convenient options.
Make a plan B for every mountain day
Examples:
- Ebenalp cable car closed → hike to Seealpsee;
- clouds at Grindelwald First → Glacier Canyon or Lauterbrunnen;
- Oeschinensee gondola closed → hike up yourself or visit Blausee;
- higher hike at Stoos closed → walk around the village;
- rain in the mountains → Lucerne or Meiringen.
Check five things before every day trip
Every morning, check:
- the current cable car status
- the webcam
- the last ride down
- the condition of the hiking trail
- which restaurants and toilets are open
Really check the official website of the destination. Google Maps regularly shows an attraction as “open”, while in reality only the valley station, restaurant or winter section is open.
Always bring food and warm clothing
Outside the main season, you cannot automatically rely on a mountain restaurant being open. We therefore usually brought our own water, snacks and lunch.
Dress in layers. It can be pleasant down in the valley while it is windy and feels close to freezing higher up.
A car gives you extra freedom during this period
You can reach almost everywhere in Switzerland by public transport. Even so, we found having a car very useful in April and May.
If an activity was not possible, we could immediately drive to a lower alternative. It also made it easier to combine stops such as Giessbach, Blausee, Rhine Falls and several villages.
The advantages of Switzerland in April or May
After all these warnings, it may sound like July would simply be a better choice. Still, we would not immediately advise against travelling during this period.
We actually loved the combination of spring and winter, with snowy mountains and powerful waterfalls.
At Rhine Falls, we were almost alone early in the morning. Around Seealpsee, it felt peaceful. In Stoos, we could walk around without queues. And at Oeschinensee, there were sections where we hardly met anyone.
You probably will not get that kind of peace during high season.
Is April or May the best time to visit Switzerland?
That depends on what you want to do.
Do you want to use all cable cars, mountain passes and high hiking trails without much hassle? Then June through September is a better choice.
Do you prefer green valleys, snowy peaks and fewer crowds? Then late April and May can be very beautiful.
My own preference would be the second half of May. More things are usually open by then, while you can still enjoy that beautiful contrast between spring and snow.
If you travel in late April or early May, do not build your entire route around high mountains. Combine nature in the valleys with a few mountain days and leave enough room to change your plans.
Our route worked precisely because we were not dependent on one specific gondola every day. We had lakes, cities, gorges, waterfalls and mountain villages as alternatives.
And sometimes a closed cable car creates one of the best experiences of the entire trip. Without that closure, we probably would never have hiked all the way from Kandersteg to Oeschinensee ourselves.
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