Hiking in Interlaken: an in-depth guide to 3 epic day hikes
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The charming town of Interlaken is one of the best places for hiking in Switzerland. With stunning scenery every step of the way and countless hiking trails suitable for beginners and advanced alike, you will fall in love with this corner of Switzerland from the moment you first set foot in it.
Interlaken is a gateway to the Jungfrau Region, a world-class destination for adventurers, skiers, and families alike. Its proximity to the picturesque villages of Grindelwald and Lauterbrunnen and epic mountain backdrop everywhere you look make it the perfect hiking base.
These three epic day hikes will take you along ridges and lakes to some of the most breathtaking — yet still highly accessible — peaks in the Swiss Alps. Let’s dive right in.
Sunset on one of the best hikes around Interlaken
Where is Interlaken?
Interlaken is a Swiss town located in the Bernese Oberland canton. It sits pretty much in the heart of Switzerland, between the emerald waters of Lake Brienz to the east and Lake Thun to the west.
While it’s a permanent home to a mere couple of thousand people, its proximity to stunning nature and the plethora of adventure activities on offer attract countless tourists each year.
Interlaken is accessible by train, car, and bus alike. The nearest international airport is in Bern, located just a 40-minute drive away.
How to get around Interlaken?
One option to get around Interlaken is by car. Not only does it offer more flexibility than public transport, but it can also save you some time. There are parking lots available at the beginning of every trailhead.
For non-drivers — and drivers who just want to take a break — a combination of trains and buses will get you wherever you need to be. If you’re staying in Interlaken for three days or more, you can get a travel pass from your accommodation that will allow you to use local buses for free. For hikes that start a bit further away from Interlaken, it is best to take the train. While they are not the cheapest, the scenic rides really make up for it.
Interlaken is truly picturesque
Depending on how long you’re staying in the region, you can also look into purchasing either the Jungfrau Travel Pass for unlimited travel around the Jungfrau Region and a discount on the visit to the top of the Jungfraujoch, or the Swiss Travel Pass which lets you travel by train, bus, and boat across the entire Switzerland.
Hike #1: Mount Niesen (the Swiss Pyramid)
🚶♀️ Hiking distance: around five kilometres from Schwandegg to Niesen Kulm
⏱ Time needed: between one and a half to three hours from Schwandegg to Niesen Kulm
The hike to Mount Niesen promises amazing views of Lake Brienz and Lake Thun, an out-of-this-world sunset, and a ride in one of Switzerland’s top 10 steepest funiculars.
To start, you first need to get from Interlaken to Mülenen. Here’s where you’ll find the bottom station of the more than 100-year-old Niesenbahn funicular. You have three options. One, hike from the bottom station up to Niesen Kulm. This involves 1700 metres of incline and takes approximately five hours. Doable, but pretty intense.
On the way up to Niesen
Two, sit your way up in the cable car all the way to Niesen Kulm. Doable, but not that adventurous. Three, take the funicular halfway up to Schwandegg — and hike to the summit from here. The best option to save a bit of time but still enjoy some beautiful views, if you ask me.
Once you reach Schwandegg station, you — once again — have to make a choice. You can follow route number five which is shorter but steeper, as it pretty much copies the path of the funicular. Or you can set off on route number six. That one is a little longer but offers scenic views of the alpine landscape all the way through. This is the option that I went with.
Landscape around Niesen Kulm
Golden hour
Via route six, it takes anywhere between one and a half to three hours to reach the summit of Mount Niesen. Once you’re there, it feels like you’re standing on top of the world. The beautiful blue lakes surrounding Interlaken stretch far and wide beneath you and magnificent 4000-metre peaks tower in the distance.
As soon as the sun starts moving towards the horizon, you’ll understand why Niesen is nicknamed the Swiss Pyramid. The shadow that the mountain creates has the shape of exactly that — a perfect pyramid.
If you have some time to spare, make sure you enjoy a cup of hot chocolate with a view at the local restaurant.
Many come to enjoy sunset at the Niesen Kulm restaurant
The funicular from Mülenen to Niesen Kulm runs every half hour. It’s closed during the winter, but in the main season as well as in the shoulder season, it runs every day from 8:00 to 17:45.
There are also additional evening trips on Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays. This means you can easily come up here for sunset without having to worry about how you’re gonna get back down.
Cotton candy skies
Hike #2: Schynige Platte to First via Faulhorn
🚶♀️ Hiking distance: around 16 kilometres
⏱ Time needed: five to seven hours
Gorgeous blue lakes seen from above and from below, a glacier lined with 4000-metre peaks always in your sight, and up-close encounters with alpine landscapes are all characteristic of the hike from Schynige Platte to First.
This epic day hike starts with a scenic ride on a rustic train from Wilderswil to Schynige Platte. It’s a slow one, taking about 45 minutes. Remember to take that into account when planning this hike, as you’ll need to make it to First before the gondola down to Grindelwald stops running for the day. The best is to hop on the first train from Wilderswil in the morning.
Looking over at the tallest peaks
You’ll see all kinds of landscapes on this hike
Once you finally reach the end of the rails, you’re welcomed by a historic mountain railway station. Grab a cup of coffee before you start walking up through the alpine garden. There are signs pointing towards both Faulhorn and First, the endpoint of this hike.
Soon after you leave the station, you can take a little detour to the top of Oberberghorn. If you’re up for the extra steps, I would highly recommend it. The views of Lake Brienz from up here are truly wonderful and the whole endeavour shouldn’t cost more than 30 minutes.
As you make your way along the ridge and through the depths of the alpine landscape, you will eventually spot a lake called Sägistalsee in the distance. You need to pass above it and walk towards Männdlenen mountain hut.
Sägistalsee in the distance
Taking in the views
On a warm sunny day, this is an ideal place to enjoy a glass of beer before climbing up to the summit of Faulhorn. The views are amazing not just from the top of the peak but also all along the way, so remember to pause now and then and take in all the beauty.
The descent from Faulhorn towards Bachalpsee is one of the most beautiful and rewarding parts of the hike. As you make your way down, beautiful vistas of the blue lake and the iconic peaks of Eiger, Mönch, and Jungfrau towering in the distance slowly open up.
Views from the top of Faulhorn
Bachalpsee is truly iconic
Only the bravest (or the most insane) dare to take a dip in the ice-cold water of Bachalpsee. Even on a sunny summer day, the water temperature most probably doesn’t go above 10° C.
The last stretch of the hike from Bachalpsee to First Station is smooth sailing. The trail is pretty much flat and it doesn’t take more than an hour. The views are absolutely beautiful. But since it’s a relatively easy walk, you’ll likely be sharing this part of the trail with many other tourists who come to see Bachalpsee — but don’t dare to venture beyond its confines.
If you have a bit of time to spare before hopping onto the cable car down to Grindelwald, make sure you check out the First Cliff Walk. It’s extremely touristy and packed with people — but if you think about it, it’s pretty impressive that someone managed to build a walkway that “extends 45 metres into nothingness.”
You see these magnificent peaks pretty much throughout the entire hike
Hike #3: Harder Kulm to Augstmatthorn
🚶♀️ Hiking distance: about 14 kilometres in total
⏱ Time needed: around three to four hours one way
The hike from Harder Kulm to Augstmatthorn will have you walking along the Hardergrat ridge while enjoying epic views of Lake Brienz below. One of the great things about this hike is that it starts directly in Interlaken.
The bottom station of Harderbahn, which you’ll need to take to begin the hike, is located next to the Interlaken Ost train station. The cable car is very popular, so factor in some waiting time when planning this hike. Alternatively, you can skip the funicular and hike from Interlaken up to Harder Kulm. It’s about a four-kilometre journey with an incline of 750 metres.
Suggiture peak in the distance
The views are just spectacular
Once you’re up there, it’s hard to miss the signs pointing toward Augstmatthorn. The first half of the trail involves an ascent through the forest, with occasional views of the blue water below and Jungfrau region’s tallest peak across the water in the distance.
The transition from walking through a forest to hiking along a ridge is almost instant. Once the forest opens up, the trail is exposed in some parts, but a steep drop is generally only on one side, making it pretty comfortable to walk.
The biggest challenge of this hike is the climb to Suggiture — the peak before Augstmatthorn. The trail is steep and a bit rocky. Luckily, there are steel cables to support you. It was a bit windy the day I visited, so the somewhat exposed incline made me a bit uncomfortable at first. But in the end, I managed just fine.
Walking along the ridge
The 360° views from the top are mesmerising. From Suggiture, it should be another 30-40 minutes to reach Augstmatthorn. This is where you walk on the ridgeline with drops on both sides.
Unfortunately, I didn’t get to do this last bit of the hike due to time constraints. It was getting late and it didn’t seem like the best idea to hike back on the narrow forest trail in the dark.
I returned the same way I came from with a mini detour to a little viewpoint near Harder Kulm station. Back at the station, we enjoyed a cup of beer with a friend as we watched the last evening's colours disappear from the sky.
If you're lucky, you might spot some chamois or ibex on this hike. Augstmatthorn is home to a colony of ibex, but they occaisonally wander off into the forest surrounding the trail to Harder Kulm.
On the way back to Harder Kulm
This ibex did not feel like posing
If you’re well prepared, many say that Augstmatthorn is also a great place to watch the sunset. Furthermore, you can make this into a loop hike instead of returning to Harder Kulm.
From Augstmatthorn, you can hike down to Lombachalp, where it’s possible to park a car, and further on to Habkern. From here, you can catch a bus back to Interlaken. Make sure to check the schedule in advance though, there aren’t many options in the evening.
Sunset above Interlaken
With countless mountain peaks, great infrastructure, and two gorgeous lakes to swim in or look at from above, Interlaken is an exceptional hiking destination. Whether you’re coming for just a weekend of a couple of weeks, there are plenty of options to keep you entertained.
Have you been hiking around Interlaken? What was your favourite hike? Leave a comment below!