6 days in Switzerland in October

Is it 5 nights so 4 full days? With that amount of time, I would plant myself in the Lauterbrunnen Valley/Jungfrau Region for the entire time. The scenery and hiking are magnificent. It is very well covered in the Rick Steves Switzerland Guidebook.

Editing to add we have been all over Switzerland and this is the only place we go back to over and over.

I hope you are going in early October. Mid October can bring snow to some of the best mountain resorts.

You can't go too far wrong starting with the Berner Oberland. Muerren would be my first suggestion. Since your other thread indicates you want to go to Lake Como as a first stop in Italy, after 3 days (minimum) you could go to Eastern Switzerland as a jumping off place for trains to Varenna on Lake Como.

The Glacier Express runs until October 13, 2019, another reason to go early October. You can pick it up in Brig, 2 hours from Muerren by train. Then over the high Alps to Chur and then to St Moritz. Actually recommend getting off at Samedan, the next to the last stop and taking a train to Pontresina. Pontresina is a little lower key than St Moritz. After a 2 or 3 days there, take the Bernina Express to Tirano and change to a train to Varenna on Lake Como mid-lake.

After spending time in Varenna, you can take the train to Milan and then anywhere else in Italy.

There are also regular trains plying the routes of the Glacier Express and Bernina Express, year round, perhaps with a few more changes along the way.

I agree with Laurel, especially the part about returning to the same area over and over.

If you want to see some moderate hikes, click on my name for our dozen favorite hikes in the Lauterbrunnen area, with maps and pics.

The Berner Oberland would be my choice, but I would stay in Murren or Gimmelwald rather than Lauterbrunnen. I think this is an amazing area, with spectacular views. There are many hiking choices. Several good restaurants in Murren, but really none in Gimmelwald, although that would still be my first choice of where to stay. I return there over and over again every trip I take to Europe. I have even introduced Swiss friends to this tiny, traffic free village and they loved it too. The only place I would stay in Gimmelwald these days in Esther's Guesthouse. Used to stay at Hotel Mittaghorn back in the 1990's before it totally went downhill. It was always lacking in amenities, but doable before the owner Walter Mittler got up into his late 80's or so. When he was still cooking and serving dinner it was a fun and unique experience. The last time I stayed there, in 2013, it had really gone downhill and I suspect it is not even in use anymore.

We had 7 nights, so we started in Montreux, Lake Geneva. But with 4-5 nights, I would start in BO (loved Murren) then Luzden. Easy train to Milan from there.

Where are you coming from? Directly from overseas? Flying in to Zurich? Where are you going to in Italy?