Please sign in to post.

4 Night Lauterbrunnen Itinerary- trying to organize sights and timing.

Posted by on

Hello! Thank you to everyone who has already been so helpful with the larger planning of my trip this summer.. I now want to start organizing the stays in the different locations. My husband and I are planning on staying 4 nights in Lauterbrunnen. We will most likely arrive in Zurich around 8:00 am (Wednesday, June 28) from an overnight JFK flight. I'm guessing it would take about 60-90 minutes to get off the plane, get our luggage, get through customs, and then drop our luggage to be sent ahead to Lauterbrunnen, and the grab a quick snack before boarding a train. Then, depending how tired my husband is (he sometimes can sleep on overnight flights, and other times he's wide awake), we would either stop in Bern for a few hours before heading into Lauterbrunnen, or we would head right to Lauterbrunnen.

Depending on whether we stop in Bern or not, I'm guessing we would end up in Lauterbrunnen somewhere between noon and 5pm (staying at Hotel Silberhorn).

Once we are in Lauterbrunnen, the main things we want to do/see are (and I know its possible we won't get to all- these are just the main things that have piqued our interest):

-Trummelbach Falls
-Blumenthal-Murren Hike
-Mannlichen-Kleine Scheidigg Hike
-Possibly a visit to Schlithorn/ Piz Gloria (depending on how we are adjusting to the altitude-we've never been up in the high mountains, so we're just going to see how we feel and how much we can tolerate).
-Day trip (or maybe a little more than a half day?) to Thun, which would include a boat ride (probably only one way- we can just take the train the other way).

I'm guessing if we get to Lauterbrunnen early, depending on the weather, we can even do the falls on the day that we get there. Then, that would leave 3 full days for the rest. Is this doable? Not exactly sure how to organize everything or how long things would take (we would probably stop to eat a meal somewhere during or at the end of the hikes and even though we wouldn't turn a 2 hour hike into 6 hours, we would want to take our time, take pictures etc). Any suggestions on how to organize this? Also, if we get washed out on a given day and we have to trim down what we do, which of the above would you cut? Finally, if we have to change plans due to weather, does anyone have any recommendations for other things to do that would still be a great experience?

Thank you again for your help! :)

Posted by
7245 posts

We started a Switzerland/Italy trip with a similar itinerary - flew into Zurich & took the trains to Wengen, above Lauterbrunnen. By the time we arrived, we just wanted to walk around Wengen to walk off some of the jet lag & train travel in the beautiful sunshine & scenery.

After you arrive, check the weather forecast for which days might be the best (clearest skies) for the Schlithorn & Kleine Scheidigg hikes. You don't need to plan ahead which hike which day - just buy your ticket & take the local trains or gondolas up each morning. Use a late afternoon or rainy day to see the Trummelbach Falls.

Personally, I wouldn't take the boat ride away from the Lauterbrunnen valley unless the weather isn't good for hiking one of your days.

Posted by
2708 posts

If you are blessed with good weather, you will have enough time to do all of this. Your hikes shouldn't take more than half a day, and a trip to the Schilthorn can also be done in half a day. Trummelbach Falls will take even less time. I can't speak to Thun as I have not been there. Once I got to the Lauterbrunnen area, I didn't want to leave! (We stayed in Murren.) I would prioritize your other sites this way: 1) Mannlichen-Kleine Scheidigg hike, 2) Murren area hikes, 3) Schilthorn. I prefer hiking to staring at views from on high, although I did enjoy the Schilthorn. Trummelbach Falls was neat, but I'd save it for a rainy or overcast day.

Posted by
8421 posts

Note what Carroll said. The Trummelbach Falls are mostly inside the mountain, so don't waste a sunny day on that sight. Be flexible.

Posted by
1443 posts

There are companies in the area, mainly Interlaken, which do "adventure" tours. River rafting, paragliding, glacier hiking, etc. I've seen bike rentals available in Interlaken, Murren, and Lauterbrunnen.

Posted by
360 posts

You will be able to do all of that in your four nights, though I will say that going up to the Jungfraujoch was one of our highlights (if you were considering it at all). We enjoyed it more than Schilthorn, though it is also pricier.

Posted by
11294 posts

"Any suggestions on how to organize this?"

Yes - don't worry. I see you are very concerned about logistics. I was too, before I got there. Once you are there, you'll see how easy this all is.

If the weather is good, do one of the expensive excursions to Schilthorn or Jungfraujoch, or other weather-dependent things like the Maennlichen-Kleine Scheidigg hike. If it's not, do something like the Trümmelbach Falls or valley floor walk. You hotel will have the webcams for various places - always look at these, as well as asking at your hotel, before making decisions on your day's activities.

If the weather's iffy, something that isn't too expensive but is still rewarding is the Allmendhubelbahn, leaving from the center of Mürren. You get to see the peaks of all three mountains (can't see the peaks from Mürren itself), and while it's not as thrilling as the views from the top of the Schilthorn or from Birg, it's also a LOT cheaper - so you don't lose much money if you get clouds. It's also very nice walking around at the top. Finally, since it's much lower than the Schilthorn, you don't have to worry about the altitude.

As for lunch, I recommend bringing some ziplock bags from home, and getting some trail mix from the Coop grocery store in Lauterbrunnen (they also have stores in Mürren and Wengen). Carry this and a water bottle with you during the day. This way, if you're in the middle of a hike or excursion, you don't have to worry about "lunch." Midday is prime sightseeing time - don't take time out from it for sit down meals. You'll have plenty of time for relaxing dinners (there's not much else to do at night in the area, but after your days, you won't want anything else). This will also save money - once you see how expensive meals are, you'll be looking for alternatives.

I like trail mix because it keeps. But if you don't mind more perishable lunch goods, the Coop also sells pre-cooked eggs (called picnic eggs and dyed bright colors so you don't confuse them with uncooked eggs), sandwiches, and other ready-to-eat foods. These can certainly be your dinner as well, but again, after walking and hiking all day, I appreciated treating myself to a sit down dinner - even at those high prices.

You'll have a great time - I know I did!

This topic has been automatically closed due to a period of inactivity.