The Jungfrau region was without a doubt the part of Switzerland where we wanted to spend the most time. And after our trip, we concluded that this was absolutely the right choice. You do not have just one famous place here, but several completely different areas close together: Grindelwald, Lauterbrunnen, Mürren, Wengen, Interlaken and, of course, the mountains around the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau.
That does create one small problem: it is very easy to try to do too much here.
A cable car ride to Grindelwald First may look like an activity of just a few hours on paper. But add the First Cliff Walk, a hike to Bachalpsee, lunch and the gondola ride, and suddenly a large part of the day is gone. The same applies to Mürren. Simply visiting the village can be quick, but combine it with the Northface Trail and it suddenly becomes a full mountain day.
We therefore stayed several nights in a central location between Grindelwald and Lauterbrunnen and made different day trips from there. In this blog, we list the best things to do in the Jungfrau region, including our own favourites, useful combinations and places we deliberately skipped.
Contents
Things to do in the Jungfrau region at a glance
Just looking for some quick inspiration? These are, in our opinion, the best sights and activities in the Jungfrau region:
- Take the gondola to Grindelwald First.
- Hike from First to Bachalpsee.
- Walk through Glacier Canyon Grindelwald.
- Visit Lauterbrunnen and Staubbachfall.
- Feed alpacas and llamas at Lampaca Farm.
- See the Trümmelbach Falls inside the mountain.
- Take the cable car to car-free Mürren.
- Hike the Northface Trail above Lauterbrunnen.
- Visit the St. Beatus Caves on Lake Thun.
- Consider visiting Jungfraujoch, Kleine Scheidegg, Schilthorn or Harder Kulm.
We would plan at least three full days for this region. Four to five nights is even better because it gives you some flexibility with the weather. Especially for First, Mürren and other mountain days, clear weather really makes a difference.
1. Grindelwald First: expensive and touristy, but still one of our favourites
Grindelwald First is one of those places you see everywhere before your trip. The gondola takes you up the mountain from Grindelwald, where you will find the famous First Cliff Walk, a restaurant, viewpoints and several adventure activities.
It is not cheap. And around the Cliff Walk it can feel quite touristy. Still, we thought this day was absolutely worth it.
But there is one important condition: do not go up just for that one famous photo.
For us, First became much more enjoyable once we continued hiking from the mountain station towards Bachalpsee. You leave some of the crowds behind and suddenly spend a few hours properly out in the mountains.
We visited First at the end of April. There was still snow and Bachalpsee was even partly frozen. That made the surroundings especially beautiful, although parts of the trail were muddy and slippery.
For parking, gondolas, costs, the Cliff Walk and the complete hike, read our blog about Grindelwald First and Bachalpsee.
2. Hike to Bachalpsee
Bachalpsee really deserves its own place on this list. Many people see it as a small extra to First, while we actually thought it was the best part of the day.
From the mountain station, you follow a clear mountain trail towards the lake. It is not an extreme hike, but there is some elevation change and you are walking for a while.
Once you reach the lake, you look out over the surrounding mountain peaks. In calm weather, the mountains reflect beautifully in the water. That was a little more difficult during our visit because part of the lake was still covered in ice.
Only have half a day in Grindelwald? Then I would combine First and Bachalpsee and not try to squeeze in any other major activities.
3. Glacier Canyon Grindelwald
After all the mountain views, Glacier Canyon Grindelwald is a fun change because you suddenly experience the mountains from below.
You walk through a narrow gorge with high rock walls and fast-flowing water. The walk itself is quite short. Allow around 1 to 1.5 hours if you walk at a relaxed pace and stop to take photos.
We liked the contrast with First. First is open, high and expansive. Here it is narrow, cool and damp. That also makes the gorge a good option when the mountain weather is less than perfect.
We would skip it with a stroller, by the way. We saw people struggling on the narrower and uneven sections. A baby carrier is much easier.
Want to arrange your entry in advance? View tickets for Glacier Canyon Grindelwald here.
4. Lauterbrunnen and Staubbachfall
Lauterbrunnen is probably the most famous village in the region. Its location is quite special: a narrow green valley with enormous cliffs on both sides and dozens of waterfalls coming down the rock walls.
You can already see Staubbachfall as soon as you enter the village. At almost 300 metres high, it is an impressive sight, but we would not visit Lauterbrunnen just to take a quick photo of this waterfall.
Instead, continue further into the valley. It is relatively flat here, which makes it a nice change from the mountain hikes around Grindelwald and Mürren.
We have described all the stops and useful combinations in more detail in our separate blog about things to do in Lauterbrunnen.
Lampaca Farm: a fun short stop
Close to Staubbachfall you will find Lampaca Farm. Here you can feed alpacas and llamas and, if you want, book a walk with the animals.
We spent about half an hour here. It is not an activity you travel to Switzerland specifically for, but it is a really fun change between all the hikes, mountains and waterfalls.
Especially with children, this is very easy to add to a day in Lauterbrunnen.
5. Trümmelbach Falls: ten waterfalls inside the mountain
Further into the Lauterbrunnen Valley you will find the Trümmelbach Falls. We thought this was one of the strangest water experiences of the trip because much of the water literally makes its way down inside the mountain.
A tunnel lift and lots of stairs take you past several different levels. The water makes an enormous amount of noise and the rocks are wet and dark. Completely different from the photogenic Staubbachfall outside.
Important with children: children under four years old are not allowed inside. We only discovered this at the entrance when we arrived with our six-month-old daughter. In the end, one of us went inside while the other stayed outside.
So definitely read our blog about Trümmelbach Falls in advance if you are travelling with young children.
6. Take the cable car to Mürren
If you are already in Lauterbrunnen, I would definitely reserve a day for Mürren. This car-free mountain village sits high above the valley and immediately feels completely different from Lauterbrunnen below.
We travelled up from Stechelberg. The ride itself is already beautiful because you get an increasingly wide view over the Lauterbrunnen Valley.
Mürren itself is not huge. You will find wooden chalets, hotels, a few restaurants and, above all, lots of views towards the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau.
Do not feel like doing a difficult hike? You can easily spend a few hours walking around here and then head back down. But we came mainly for a hike.
7. Northface Trail: our favourite hike near Mürren
The Northface Trail was one of our favourite hikes in Switzerland.
Not because you walk towards one spectacular final viewpoint, but because you keep views of the mountains on the other side of the valley for almost the entire route.
The route is around 6.5 to 7 kilometres long and we would allow roughly 2 to 3 hours. You walk across alpine meadows, through sections of forest and past traditional chalets.
We were here in early May. There was still snow and mud on some sections. I even slipped once. Good shoes are definitely useful here, especially early in the season.
Planning to hike the Northface Trail? Make it the main activity of the day. Combining it with Mürren makes sense, but we would not also try to fit First or another major mountain activity into the same day.
8. St. Beatus Caves: useful when the mountain weather is not great
On the other side of Interlaken, above Lake Thun, you will find the St. Beatus Caves.
They are slightly outside the main area around Grindelwald and Lauterbrunnen, but they are easy to add if you spend several days in the Jungfrau region.
You walk around one kilometre into the cave, past underground waterfalls, rock formations and pools of water. The route takes about an hour. After that, you walk back the same way.
We especially liked the combination. First you climb towards the entrance with views over Lake Thun, and then you suddenly walk into a cool, damp cave.
This is also a useful option when it is cloudy high in the mountains. You pay quite a lot for First and ideally want to have some views. A cloud makes much less difference inside a cave.
9. Jungfraujoch – Top of Europe: famous, but we skipped it
The most famous excursion in the entire region is, of course, Jungfraujoch – Top of Europe. The railway station sits at an altitude of 3,454 metres and you can reach it from Grindelwald via the Eiger Express and Jungfrau Railway, or via the traditional train route.
We deliberately skipped Jungfraujoch. We were travelling with our six-month-old daughter and did not want to take her unnecessarily high. It is also an expensive excursion and we already had plenty of other mountain days planned in the region.
That does not mean Jungfraujoch is not a beautiful place. If it is high on your list, really plan a separate day for it and preferably choose a day with good visibility. Also check current tickets and reservation rules in advance on the official Jungfraujoch website.
10. Other famous places in the Jungfrau region
We had several days in the region and still did not manage to see everything. That is exactly why you should not try to squeeze every famous name into one trip.
Wengen and Kleine Scheidegg
Wengen is a car-free village above Lauterbrunnen. From there, you can continue by train towards Kleine Scheidegg, at the foot of the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau. Especially if you enjoy train journeys and mountain hikes, this is a logical extra day.
We originally had Kleine Scheidegg in our plans as well, but eventually chose other activities. You have to cut something somewhere.
Schilthorn and Piz Gloria
From Mürren, you can continue higher towards Birg and Schilthorn. At the top you will find Piz Gloria and views across a large part of the Alps. This is another activity that can easily take up a large part of the day.
We stayed around Mürren and chose the Northface Trail instead. Looking back, we would make the same choice because hiking adds more to the experience for us than simply taking a cable car to a viewpoint.
Harder Kulm near Interlaken
Staying in Interlaken and have a few hours left? Then Harder Kulm is an easy option. The funicular takes you up from Interlaken in around ten minutes. At the top, you have views over Interlaken, Lake Thun, Lake Brienz and towards the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau.
We would mainly see Harder Kulm as an extra activity near Interlaken rather than a replacement for a proper day in Grindelwald or Mürren.
What to do in the Jungfrau region in bad weather?
One of our most important tips: do not automatically schedule your most expensive mountain day for day one.
Is Grindelwald First completely covered in clouds? Move that day if you have enough flexibility. You pay quite a lot for the gondola and the views are a big part of the experience.
These activities are more suitable on a less clear day:
- Glacier Canyon Grindelwald;
- St. Beatus Caves;
- Lauterbrunnen and the valley walk in light rain;
- Lampaca Farm as a short activity;
- Interlaken for shopping, restaurants or a quieter day.
In really bad or stormy weather, of course, you should also check gorges and hiking trails. Mountain weather is still mountain weather.
Our ideal 4-day itinerary for the Jungfrau region
Have four full days? Then I would roughly divide them like this:
Day 1: Grindelwald First and Bachalpsee
Go to Grindelwald early, take the gondola to First, walk the Cliff Walk and then hike to Bachalpsee. Take your time. If you return early and still have energy, you can add Glacier Canyon, but you really do not have to.
Day 2: Lauterbrunnen
See Staubbachfall, stop at Lampaca Farm and continue walking into the valley. Afterwards, visit Trümmelbach Falls if everyone in your group is old enough.
For this day, read our full itinerary with things to do in Lauterbrunnen.
Day 3: Mürren and Northface Trail
Take the cable car up, first walk around Mürren for a while and then hike the Northface Trail. Do not want to hike? Then you can continue higher towards Schilthorn instead.
Day 4: St. Beatus and Glacier Canyon or a flexible day
Use the fourth day as a flexible day. In good weather, you can still plan Kleine Scheidegg, Wengen or Jungfraujoch. If the mountain weather is less good, St. Beatus and Glacier Canyon are logical alternatives.
We really liked having a flexible day like this. The weather ultimately determines part of your itinerary in this region anyway.
Where should you stay in the Jungfrau region?
Your base makes quite a difference here. There is simply no single place that is best for everyone.
Grindelwald: convenient for First and lots of activities
Do you mainly want to visit Grindelwald First, Bachalpsee, Glacier Canyon, Männlichen or Jungfraujoch? Then Grindelwald is the most practical choice. It is touristy, though, and accommodation is not cheap.
View hotels and apartments in Grindelwald on Booking.com.
Lauterbrunnen: central for the valley and Mürren
Lauterbrunnen is ideal if the waterfalls, Mürren and Wengen are high on your list. The village can become very busy during the day, though, and parking is not always relaxing.
View hotels and apartments in Lauterbrunnen on Booking.com.
Mürren: for the real mountain atmosphere
Mürren is less practical with a car, but probably one of the most beautiful places to wake up. The village is car-free and once the day visitors have left, we imagine it becomes wonderfully peaceful.
- Hotel Alpenruh – conveniently located near the cable car.
- Eiger Guesthouse – a cosy option near the station.
- Hotel Edelweiss – beautifully located with views over the valley.
Lütschental: quiet and right between Grindelwald and Lauterbrunnen
We chose Lütschental ourselves. This village sits between Grindelwald and Lauterbrunnen. It worked very well for us because we were travelling by car and were out exploring during the day anyway.
You miss having restaurants and atmosphere right outside your door, but in return you get peace and a central location. Especially with a baby, we preferred that to staying right in the middle of a busy tourist centre.
We stayed in this apartment in Lütschental.
Interlaken: the most facilities
Interlaken has the largest choice of accommodation, restaurants and shops. It is also a convenient base for train connections. The downside is that every day you first have to travel towards Grindelwald or Lauterbrunnen before you are really among the mountains.
Public transport or a car in the Jungfrau region?
You do not really need a car in the Jungfrau region itself. In fact, in several places it is not very useful. Mürren and Wengen are car-free, and for First, Jungfraujoch and many other mountain areas you eventually have to take a train or cable car anyway.
If you are only travelling to this region, I would seriously consider public transport. Trains, buses and mountain railways connect very well here.
Staying for several days and using lots of mountain trains? Then a Jungfrau Travel Pass can be interesting. Do compare in advance which journeys you are actually going to make because individual mountain tickets are expensive and not every pass automatically covers everything completely.
We had a car because the Jungfrau region was part of a larger road trip. That also made it easier for us to visit St. Beatus, Lake Brienz, Meiringen and later Kandersteg.
Activities and tours in the Jungfrau region
You can easily organise many activities yourself. Still, booking in advance can be useful for popular mountain excursions, especially if you want to visit Jungfraujoch or only have a few days in the region.
The Jungfrau region with a baby or young children
We visited this region with our six-month-old daughter. It went surprisingly well, but we did make some deliberate choices.
In the Lauterbrunnen Valley, we regularly used the stroller. For Grindelwald First, Bachalpsee and the Northface Trail, we used the baby carrier instead.
We also deliberately stayed away from Jungfraujoch because of the altitude. There are so many beautiful places at lower altitude in this region that we did not feel like we were missing out.
Also pay close attention to age restrictions. Trümmelbach Falls, for example, are not accessible to children under four years old.
For our complete route, altitude choices and tips for travelling with a baby carrier and stroller, read our blog about Switzerland with a baby.
The Jungfrau region in April or May
We were in the Jungfrau region at the end of April and beginning of May. It was beautiful, but you need to be more flexible during this period than in summer.
Down in the valleys everything was already green, while there was still snow around Grindelwald First and Mürren. Some mountain railways were also still in their maintenance period.
The advantage? Several places were quieter than you would expect in high season, and the contrast between green meadows and white mountain peaks was beautiful.
Also travelling early in the season? First read our detailed tips for Switzerland in April or May. Especially with cable cars and hiking trails, just a few days can make the difference between something being open or closed.
How many days do you need in the Jungfrau region?
With two days, you can get a good impression, but you will have to make choices. For example, one day in Grindelwald and one day in Lauterbrunnen.
We think three days is the minimum if you also want to see Mürren. With four or five days, it becomes much more relaxed and you have enough flexibility to adjust your plans to the weather.
We would roughly divide the time like this:
- 2 days: Grindelwald First + Lauterbrunnen;
- 3 days: add Mürren and the Northface Trail;
- 4 days: add St. Beatus or Glacier Canyon;
- 5 days: time for Jungfraujoch, Wengen, Schilthorn or a spare day in case of bad weather.
Will you be visiting the Jungfrau region too?
For us, this was one of the most complete regions of our entire trip through Switzerland.
That is mainly because you are not doing the same thing every day. One morning you are standing high above Grindelwald beside a partly frozen mountain lake, the next day you walk past alpacas and waterfalls in Lauterbrunnen and after that you walk through a dark glacier gorge.
My main tip is simple: do not try to tick everything off. The region is expensive enough, and it was the hikes that made the famous places interesting for us. So take your time at First, actually walk all the way to Bachalpsee, make Mürren a hiking day and leave some flexibility for the weather. This is easily a place where you can stay for several nights!
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