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Itinerary help for June 2 through the 12th

Posted by on

How does this look so far?
Day 1:
• Arrive at Zurich Airport
• Train to Lucerne (1 hr, direct)
• Check into hotel & drop luggage
• Explore Lucerne Old Town:
• Chapel Bridge & Water Tower
• Lion Monument
• Stroll along Lake Lucerne
•OPTIONAL: Lake Lucerne boat cruise (1-hour round trip for scenic views)
• Dinner in Lucerne

Day 2: Mount Pilatus or Mount Rigi (Lucerne Day Trip)
• Morning:
• Golden Round Trip to Pilatus (Best Option for variety)
• Boat from Lucerne to Alpnachstad
• World’s steepest cogwheel train to Pilatus summit
• Explore Pilatus summit, walk trails, enjoy panoramic views• Gondola & cable car down to Kriens, then bus back to Lucerne
• Alternative: Mount Rigi via boat & cogwheel train for more trails
• Dinner in Lucerne
 
Day 3: Travel to Wengen & Lauterbrunnen Valley
• Morning: Train to Wengen via Interlaken &
Lauterbrunnen (~2.5 hrs)
• Check into hotel in Wengen
• Afternoon: Explore Wengen & relax
• Leisurely walk through Wengen Village
• Dinner in Wengen

Day 4: Männlichen Hike & Jungfraujoch
• Morning:
        • Cable car from Wengen to Männlichen
        • Hike: Männlichen to Kleine Scheidegg (Panorama Trail, 1 hr, easy)
        • Take the Jungfraubahn to Jungfraujoch (“Top of Europe”)
• Explore Ice Palace & Sphinx Observatory
• Afternoon: Return via Kleine Scheidegg → Wengen
• Dinner in Wengen
 
Day 5: Lauterbrunnen → Schilthorn → Mürren → Gimmelwald →Trümmelbach Falls
• Morning:
     • Walk from Lauterbrunnen to Stechelberg (~45 min) can also take bus from Lauterbrunnen to Stechelberg (10 min) to save energy for hiking later in the day.
     • Cable car up to Schilthorn
     • James Bond Brunch (optional)
     • Birg Thrill Walk (must-do!)
     • Cable car to Mürren (10 min)
     • Explore Mürren village & optional & optional coffee/snacks
• Afternoon:
     •Hike from Mürren to Gimmelwald (~30 min)
     •Easy, scenic walk through Swiss meadows and wooden chalets
     •Cable car back to Stechelberg (5 min)
     •Bus back to Lauterbrunnen
     •Visit Staubbach Falls (quick 5-10 min walk)
•Visit Trümmelbach Falls (5-10 min bus ride or 30 min walk)
•Return to Wengen: Bus/taxi to Lauterbrunnen Station (10 min), then train to Wengen
 
Day 6: Grindelwald & First Cliff Walk
• Morning: Train to Grindelwald (~30 min)
• Cable car to First → First Cliff
• Hike to Bachalpsee (~1 hr, stunning alpine lake)
• First Flyer Zipline & Mountain Cart Down (optional,fun!)
• Explore Grindelwald Village
• Return to Wengen in the evening
 
Day 7: Wengen to Montreux
Morning:
•Scenic train journey to Montreux via the Golden Pass Line (approx. 2.5 hrs).
Late Morning / Early Afternoon:
•Drop off luggage.
•Explore Montreux:
•Walk along the Lake Geneva promenade.
•Visit Chillon Castle: Spend 1-2 hours.
Evening:•Dinner in Montreux
 
Day 8: Montreux to Zermatt
Morning:
•Catch the train to Zermatt: scenic ride (approx. 2.5–3 hrs).
Late Morning / Early Afternoon:
•Drop off luggage.
•Explore Zermatt.
•Zermatt Old Town.
•Visit the Matterhorn Museum.
Evening:
•Dinner in Zermatt:
 
Day 9: Matterhorn Glacier Paradise & Gornergrat Hike
• Morning: Cable car to Matterhorn Glacier Paradise
         • Highest cable car station in Europe• Ice Palace & panoramic views
• Afternoon: Gornergrat cogwheel train
• Hike to Riffelberg & enjoy stunning views about 3 miles.
•Can also do the Gornergrat → Rotenboden → Riffelsee → Riffelberg hike (~2 miles / 3 km, ~1 hour), which still includes the iconic lake view but skips part of the descent.
• Evening: Return to Zermatt
• Dinner in Zermatt

Day 10: Travel to Zurich
Morning: Train to Zurich
•Check into Zurich hotel & drop luggage
• Explore Zurich Old Town (Niederdorf, Bahnhofstrasse)
• Visit Grossmünster & Fraumünster Churches
• Afternoon:
• Lindt Home of Chocolate Tour (book in advance)
• Boat ride on Lake Zurich (optional)
• Dinner in Zurich
 
Day 11: Fly home. Train to airport (~15 min)

Posted by
5966 posts

Your trip is well-researched, the pacing good, and you're spending days in the BO.
I think the Berner Oberland is one of the most beautiful places in the world.

Obviously, one can't plan the weather, so stay flexible if the summits are clouded in. You may have to re-arrange days. Don't buy tickets until the day before. Generally, the peaks are clearest in the mornings.
If it's drizzling or cloudy, the area is still beautiful and good for hiking, just pack waterproof gear.

The Matterhorn is probably the hardest peak to catch when one is only there a few days.

Have a wonderful time. Safe travels!

Posted by
12 posts

Thank you kindly. We are very excited to visit beautiful Switzerland. I really wanted to keep it at 3 to 4 bases to avoid one night stays but wanted more time in Wengen.. so had to do two one nights.

Posted by
98 posts

Keep your fingers crossed you have good weather to see the Matterhorn. The Sunnegga-Rothorn is an alternative to Matterhorn Glacier Paradise as the station lies about a 10 minute walk from Zermatt railway station. The two are not the same, but something to consider as it had less people than the Gornergrat last July. Try to fit in Charles Kuonen Suspension Bridge located in Randa (2 stations from Zermatt)

Posted by
3368 posts

I would have a backup plan for Männlichen to Kleine Scheidegg as that walk typically does not open until mid-June.

Posted by
21552 posts

You might find the upper hiking trails from the Gornergrat not open yet. You will just have to find out when you get there. I am also not sure of the opening date of the Sunnegga-Rothorn. The Gornergratbahn and the lifts to Klein Matterhorn will always be open as there is year round skiing on the glacier.

Speaking of Matterhorn viewing, if it is clear on your arrival afternoon, you might want to jump on the Gornergratbahn right away. And on your departure morning, if you have been shut out of Matterhorn viewing and it is clear, you can go up on the Gorenergratbahn and delay your departure for Zurich a couple of hours.

Posted by
725 posts

It’s a bit too much moving in my opinion, but doable. I’d recommend removing the night in Zurich to move one less time and add a night to Montreux. You can easily get to the airport from Luzern on a direct train.

Zurich Airport > Montreux (2 nights) > Zermatt (2 nights) > Wengen (4 nights) > Luzern (2 nights)

A few notes:

Day 4 - You’ll have to wait until closer to your trip to find out if the Mannlichen Panorama walk will be open (it depends on snow levels for the spring and opens between late May-late June). If it’s not open, you can still go up to Mannlichen, but you may have to then go down from there to Grindelwald Terminal and take the Eiger Express up to Jungfraujoch if the walk isn’t open. Which is a fine option as well.

Day 5 - The Schilthorn cable car no longer involves Gimmelwald. It goes straight from Stechelberg > Murren > Birg > Schilthorn

Trummelbach Falls is on the way from Stechelberg to Lauterbrunnen, so you can stop on the bus on the way, you don’t need to backtrack. There are multiple bus stops along the valley in between Stechelberg and Lauterbrunnen so you just get off at the Trümmelbachfälle stop. And then when you're done you get back on the bus to Lauterbrunnen, you don't taxi.

Day 7 - It takes 4 hours 15 minutes to get from Wengen to Montreux on the Golden Pass Express, not 2.5

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