Switzerland in late October worth it?

Truly, it depends. Not everything will be open as it is virtually end-of-season and in advance of ski season. Of course, people live there and most of the transportation functions, but some high mountain lifts will close and restaurants and hotels start to take their seasonal breaks before ski season. Weather is as chancy here as anywhere else: could be brilliant late fall weather or snowing. The valley remains largely snow-free, though.

Thank you! Appreciate it I know it is hard to predict but was curious what the trends are. Is it a decent time to hike? Also for 4 days would you recommend this or another part of Switzerland? Appreciate the help.

Switzerland is about the mountains and late October is Zwischenzeit--the in between time of summer/fall and winter. The weather will not be your friend. Trails and lifts will close. Go to the south of France or Italy and be happy.

I wouldn’t do the mountains at that time. The weather here has already started to turn to fall, we’ve had snow up above Mürren and by late October a lot of things in the area will be shutting down for maintenance before ski season. If it’s the only time you have, perhaps stay at lower altitude on a lake and do a day in the mountains if you get lucky with weather. Perhaps somewhere like Thun, who is central to visiting various cities and areas depending on the weather.

I was there in a weird year, but I was there even later (very end of October) and was wearing short sleeves in Lucerne and during the day in Murren. I could not change my dates due to a business trip, so it may not be worth it to you, but seeing the crowds in other times of year made me very glad I had the exceptional experience I had. The only thing that was closed was the Almendhubel, and we just walked up instead. Only one restaurant I had wanted to try was closed. Ultimately, I would decide based on the rest of the itinerary. If this is it, I would be wary, if it is part of a wider trip, then I'd consider taking the risk.

I’m running into the same dilemma. I have my trip planned to hit this region October 28-October 31 and am starting to think it may not be the best idea. The views alone seem worth it but I’m trying to find out about restaurants and shops and touristy activities. We were gonna stay in Wengen but I’m worried it’ll be a ghost town.

FYI here are the planned closures https://holidaystoswitzerland.com/cable-car-and-funicular-closures-winter/.

I’d rather be there when Wengen is a “ghost town” than in high season when 50 person tour groups traipse through.

Here is a recent news article talking about the current changes in tourism

https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/tourism-trends/positive-outlook-for-autumn-tourism/90028457

• Many resorts are extending their opening times...extending their operations into November
• For the first time, in 2025 the Schilthorn cable car in canton Bern will be open all year round
• Several destinations are trying to position themselves to attract visitors in autumn. In the Engadine, for example, a dedicated website provides an overview of establishments open in autumn.

It's also good to note that here, the seasons tend to transition gradually over several months — they don’t shift overnight. While it's not unusual to see a brief spell of early snow in the mountains, that doesn’t mean winter has arrived for good. In fact, a colder spell is often followed by a return to mild, sunny weather typical of early autumn, like we just experienced this past week (Sept. 15 - today the 21st). The days will get shorter and cooler, but often still very beautiful!

It’s only September 22 and already the weather in the Berner Oberland has shifted to rainy days with highs in the 40’s and lows in the 30’s.

Not exactly optimal hiking weather.