Top things to do in Interlaken, Switzerland.
Hello Loves!
So, you’re planning a trip to Switzerland but you’re on a budget? Switzerland was definitely an expensive place to travel to, so we decided to stay in Interlaken and travel to different towns nearby. Here’s the Interlaken Summer Map so you can familiarize yourself with it. Sadly, we didn’t get to see a lot of places because of our budget but at least we got to experience and enjoy the beauty Switzerland has to offer.
My husband and I went in June for part of our honeymoon and the weather was perfect. We took the train from Basel to Interlake East, where we stayed at this cute Airbnb in Unterseen with glorious mountain views. If you’re on a budget, this is a pretty inexpensive Airbnb I highly recommend. We didn’t have the whole place to ourselves, but the upstairs was all ours. The host was extremely friendly and she gave us our privacy which was perfect. We barely even saw her. If you don’t mind that, this place is great and walking distance from the train station. Also, she might gift you some cookies, which were delicious! Anywho, here’s the Airbnb if you’re interested: Click here to see the Airbnb.
1. LAUTERBRUNNEN
You cannot, I repeat, you cannot miss this amazing town. The first day we took the train from Interlaken to Lauterbrunnen even though we only had a few hours until sunset. We walked about 5 to 10 minutes from our Airbnb to the train station and took the train Interlaken West and then Interlaken Ost and that took us to Lauterbrunnen. It was about 45 minutes to an hour from Interlaken. When we arrived, we saw the amazing waterfall and we couldn’t believe it. I didn’t realize how majestic it is until I saw it with our own eyes. I highly recommend visiting!
2. GIMMELWALD
This place was so dreamy, I felt like I was in a story book. We again walked to the train station and took Interlaken West to Interlaken Ost that took us to Lauterbrunnen. In Lauterbrunnen we walked to the bus station and took the 141 to Stechelberg, Schilthornbahn. From there we took a gondola up to Gimmelwald and walked around the little town. There are a few trails you can take to get amazing views. We had no set plan, so we just enjoyed a relaxing walk mesmerized by the powerful mountains surrounding us.
3. HARDERGRAT TRAIL
Miles: 8 miles one way from Trailhead to Augstmatthorn (12.8 Km)
Location: 46°41'54.0"N 7°51'17.6"E
Elevation gain: 7,936 Feet
Level: Hard
Fee? No
We wanted to hike a trail with you know “the views,” which is not hard to find in Interlaken. But WOW, this hike was definitely worth all the strenuous work because the views were magnificent. We took the Harder Railway Valley Funicular at Interlaken Ost early in the morning to get a head start. The trip was about 10 minutes to Harder Kulm. From there we started the Hardergrat trail hike. You can find the trailhead to your right of the building. Just so you know, you can start the trail from the bottom of the mountain, but we decided to take it easy and start the hike from the top. The hike from Harder Kulm to Augstmatthorn was around 5-6 hours there and 5-6 hours back. We decide to embrace the views by taking our lunch and basking in one of the best places we’ve ever seen. I highly recommend this hike, but if you are afraid heights, this might not be for you. Don’t worry, I was pretty intimidated the day before, but we did it and it was amazing! Once you’re there, the altitude is not so bad. Please make sure you stay safe and don’t get too close to the edge.
4. GRINDELWALD
This place was so beautiful! From Interlaken we took Interlaken West to Interlaken Ost, then from Interlaken Ost we set off to Grindelwald! It was truly an amazing small town, like most of Switzerland. We took the gondola up to ride the toboggan which was only 6 francs (about $6 American dollars) for one ride! We definitely went on it more than once. Check out our Switzerland video below to see the ride!
5. WENGEN
You’ve probably seen this view on Instagram. Well, this is the spot where you can get the amazing photos. We took the train up to Wengen by taking Interlaken Ost. It’s a beautiful town with great food and spectacular views. To get to this view point you will need to hike down the Lauterbrunnen trail. You will see street signs that say Lauterbrunnen, so take that hike down and make sure you stop to get some awesome photos. By the way, this trail goes around some of the resident’s homes, so please respect their property.
6. FOOD! BEBBIS RESTAURANT
We loved eating their Fondue’s, even though it had a lot of that alcohol taste that I’m not so fond of lol. One of their dishes I absolutely loved was their Raclette! Raclette is a cheese plate in Switzerland that dates back to as early as 1291, which was eaten by peasants in the mountainous Alpine regions of Switzerland and it is typically served with potatoes, onions, different meats, and pickles. It is melted to perfection giving it an amazing taste! You can find this dish anywhere in Interlaken, but if you want to know where we ate this delicious meal, visit Bebbis Restaurant in Interlaken. The atmosphere was so fun and the waiters dress with cow printed pants. They were definitely a fun bunch. They’re also located in Unterseen and Grindelwald, so make sure you don’t miss out!
Well, I hope this blog helps you decide what places you want to visit in the beautiful Interlaken, Switzerland! Remember to enjoy and embrace every moment. Happy traveling!
Love you all!
