Interlaken is located in between Lake Thun and Lake Brienz in central Switzerland. It is known as a great base for exploring the nearby lakes and mountains. We did just that and based ourselves in Interlaken while visiting the surrounding area. Here is our guide for how to spend 4 days in Interlaken, Switzerland including everything you need to know to do it all!
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Getting to Interlaken
The train from Zurich to Interlaken takes under 2 hours. With our Eurail Global Passes we were able to take the train between Zurich, Lucerne and Interlaken with no additional fees!
There are two train stations in Interlaken, Interlaken Ost and Interlaken West. They are both technically in Interlaken just in different parts. If you’re taking the train into the area just make sure you know which stop to get off at. We stayed really close to the Interlaken West train station which made it easy to take day trips to other areas.
Day 1: Explore Interlaken & Harder Kulm
Interlaken has a really cute town area that’s easily walkable. There are a lot of restaurants and of course chocolate shops because it is Switzerland. It isn’t huge but it’s pretty to walk through even just on your way to find somewhere to eat dinner.
One thing you have to do in Interlaken is take the train to Harder Kulm. Harder Kulm is a viewpoint at over 1,300 meters in elevation overlooking all of Interlaken. The short train ride goes pretty much vertical up the mountain to the station at the top. Tickets on the Harder Kulm train are 36 CHF ($37 USD) round trip per person. You can buy them right at the station at the bottom.
- With our Eurail Passes we got a discount making our tickets cost 12 CHF round trip. Don’t be afraid to ask about any extra discounts. We found especially in Switzerland there were quite a few extra perks.
- The Harder Kulm station is located about 5 minutes walking from the Interlaken Ost train station so if you’re not staying nearby (like us) it’s easy to take the train there.
- The train ride up takes no more than 15 minutes and is kind of an experience in itself. The track is small and our car was packed pretty tightly with people.
The views at the top, however, are absolutely gorgeous! You are staring straight at mountains all around you. Because of how high up you are it’s like you’re looking at the mountains at eye level. Down below you’re looking over all of Interlaken and both Lake Brienz and Lake Thun in the distance.
We ended up seeing the sunset up there and it’s one of the best sunsets we’ve ever seen! It was such an incredible spot and is absolutely worth the ticket price up! I’m so glad we went because it is completely amazing! We would highly recommend going up to Harder Kulm in Interlaken at sunset!
After watching the sunset at Harder Klum you’ll likely be ready for some good food. We ate dinner at Hüsi Bierhaus which was a bar type restaurant and had lots of other people eating and drinking. They had a special for a beer and schnitzel for I think 10 Euros which is a pretty good deal especially for Switzerland! We also ate at El Azteca which was recommended to us as one of the best restaurants in Interlaken and it was delicious! Ox Restaurant was also really good and a little nicer of a restaurant.
Read More: 7 Day Switzerland Itinerary
Day 2: Day Trip to Grindelwald
Grindelwald is a town about 20 kms southeast from Interlaken. It’s known for being an entrance for all kinds of activities such as hiking, skiing and more in the Jungfrau Mountain Region.
We took the train from Interlaken Ost to Grindelwald in about 30 minutes. It’s a beautiful train ride through the countryside so make sure to get a seat by the window!
- If you are traveling with a Eurail Pass the train from Interlaken Ost to Grindelwald is not included in the pass network. You will have to buy a ticket for that specific trip which cost about 12-14 CHF depending on the month.
We spent an amazing day just staring at the mountains surrounding Grindelwald. Some of the most impressive snowcapped mountains that we have ever seen!
There is so much to do in Grindelwald that although it can get pricey, it is so worth it to spend the day exploring this area! The Grindelwald Cable Car gives an incredibly scenic ride over the rolling mountains, small houses and grazing cows. If you’re okay with heights check out the First Cliff Walk by Tissot that follows the cliffs and gives panoramic views of the area. Not to mention a walkway that extends about 45 meters out!
We would recommend dedicating at least one full day to Grindelwald as there is so much to see even if you aren’t looking to do any additional activities. We could have easily spent a few days here and are so glad we made the trip!
Check out our full Day Trip to Grindelwald Post for everything you need to know!
Day 3: Day trip to Thun, Switzerland
Thun is a small town in Switzerland located about 30 kms from Interlaken on the other side of Lake Thun. It’s located along the Aare River that eventually empties out into the lake. It’s another popular day trip from Interlaken because of it’s charming town area and beautiful location!
We took the train from Interlaken to Thun in under 30 minutes so it’s a really quick ride. You can also take a bus from the Interlaken bus station to the Thun bus station which is right outside the Thun train station. But the train was included for all of us so we opted for the train!
Schloss Thun, or Thun Castle, is one of the top things to do in the town of Thun and has amazing views from the top towers. It is located about a 9 minute walk from the train station. You can walk up to the castle and get views from there without needing to buy a ticket if you’re looking to save money.
- The views from the woman’s bathroom in the ticket office are the best bathroom views ever! The sinks face a wall of windows looking out over the town and the nearby mountains.
Tickets to Schloss Thun cost 10 CHF for an adult ($10 USD) or it’s free with the Swiss Pass. There is a small museum that starts on the first floor. It is fairly small but keep climbing up. You’ll walk up spiral staircases going through different levels of the museum until you get to the top floor. There are four lookout towers facing different directions so you get views looking all around!
- Three of the towers were open to visitors when we visited. None of them were crowded at all which made the experience even better!
Some of the best pictures we have from Switzerland are from the towers of the Thun Castle. The Stadtkirche Thun (Central Church of Thun) is the beautiful white building that you can see in the distance. The white church with the bright Aare River and the snowcapped mountains is incredible looking! Make sure to go to all the towers because the views are all slightly different!
Before leaving Switzerland we had to try traditional Swiss fondue so after exploring the castle we made our way back down to the town area. We sat at a table outside at Fondü-Hüsli on the river. We had cheese fondue with potatoes and bread and it was really delicious! The pots of cheese are quite big so be prepared for a lot of food.
Read More: Day Trip to Lucerne, Switzerland
Day 4: St. Beatus Caves & Chocolate
If you have time before leaving Interlaken or have a rainy day a good option is visiting the nearby St. Beatus Caves. We woke up to pouring rain so this was a perfect thing to do while waiting out the rain (which never really stopped).
Bus #21 runs from outside the Interlaken West train station to Beatushöhlen or St. Beatus Caves. We bought tickets right on the bus from the bus driver. There were also automated ticket machines on the bus which is something we haven’t seen before.
- Bus tickets from Interlaken to the St Beatus Caves cost 5.20 CHF ($5.20 USD) round trip per person.
- The bus ride took about 15 minutes and stops right at the bottom of the walkway up to the caves.
- The bus stop to take you back to Interlaken is just on the opposite side of the road.
There is a steep winding pathway up to the caves that you have to walk up first to get to the entrance. In the rain it was slippery so be careful. On the pathway, however, if you look back you get views looking onto Lake Thun. Even on a cloudy and raining day we could see to the other side of the lake. On a clear day I’m sure you can see even more!
- It took us less than 10 minutes to walk up the top to the entrance to the caves.
Tickets to St. Beatus Caves cost 18 CHF ($18 USD). You can buy them right at the ticket office at the entrance. You have the option of self-guided or a guided tour. It’s definitely doable to do self-guided as there are plenty of signs directing you the correct way as well as signs with information about what you’re looking at.
We spent about 40 minutes walking through St. Beatus Caves. There was quite a bit of moisture on the pathway so we were glad to be wearing hiking shoes and rain jackets. It was interesting to walk through and see the caves especially on such a bad weather day. Had the weather been better though I wouldn’t skip Grindelwald or Thun to see the St. Beatus Caves.
If you have more time there are quite a few chocolate shops in Interlaken some of which offer chocolate making classes. You do need to reserve a spot ahead of time so if that’s something you want to do definitely plan ahead. We had some of the best chocolate in Interlaken so even if you don’t have time for a class make sure to try some before leaving Switzerland!
