The Alps

Well, the Schilthorn transport is less expensive and if clear you have a wonderful view of the Eiger, the Mönch and the Jungfrau across the valley.

Do the Schilthorn. Not only is the trip up less costly, it is easier and you can get on and off at Murren and Gimmelwald to take in the sights. Also, from the Schilthorn you have a view of the Jungfrau but from the Jungfrau, you have a view of the Schilthorn which may be nice but is not as great as the other way around. It’s nice to stop for a snack at the Piz Gloria rotating restaurant and watch the scenery go by.

I agree with Pam & Irv

I also agree with the others. The Schilthorn is less expensive to get to, and has a nice revolving restaurant that provides spectacular views (assuming the weather is clear). The Schilthorn is also at a slightly lower altitude than the Jungfraujoch, so easier for some people to tolerate.

With either location, it's a good idea to check the mountain top Webcams before making the trip, as if the top is shrouded in cloud you won't be seeing much (although it's still enjoyable to have a fine meal in the revolving restaurant).

Look skyward on the day of your trip. Take the option that appears to offer better views.

You know how they say the worst view in Paris is from the Eiffel Tower .... because its the only view that doesn't include the Eiffel Tower? Likewise in the Alps. The worst view is from the Eiger/Monch/Jungfrau. Go to the Schilthorn and definitely hang around Murren on your way up or down.

And how much time do you actually have there? There’s a lot to see and do without spending lots of time and money going to either of those 2 places. Jungfrau will eat almost a whole day of your time, Schilthorn not so much, the valley and alpine villages are stunning so don’t shortchange your time in those places.

Both summits have a live webcam at swisspanorama.com, so check the weather before you go up.

The Jungfraujoch is crazy expensive, crowded, and time-consuming vs. the Schilthorn. Personally, on a sunny day I'd much rather be on a nice trail than trying to get to either.

We have three days in Lauterbrunnen and the following is what we have planned. Any recommendations would be helpful.

In the afternoon, take a train up to Wengen and ride the cable car up to Mannlichen. Walk from Mannlichen to Kleine Scheidegg (1.5 hr) before returning to Lauterbrunnen by train.

Walk up the Lauterbrunnen Valley, to explore a 10-tiered underground Trümmelbach waterfall that drains the Eiger Glacier. Possible excursion to take a cable car up to the top of the Schilthorn and come back down to the town of Mürren and walk through the town before returning to Lauterbrunnen.

Take a 30-minute train to Grindelwald. From Grindelwald, Lauterbrunnen Hotel Silberhorn take a gondola to First, which leads to the reflective alpine lake of Bachalpsee (elevation 7,431 ft) —with a backdrop of the snowcapped peaks and glaciers of the Jungfrau region. Return to First to descend to Grindelwald by gondola, zipline, mountain cart, scooter, or on foot. Take a train back to Lauterbrunnen.
Thank you

The "walk up the Lauterbrunnen Valley" plans sound good. Instead of a "possible" trip to the Schilthorn, I'd suggest definitely going there. You'll have to get from Trummelbach Falls to Stechelberg to connect with the Gondola. I don't know how long the walk would be for that?

Given the fact you plan on using some of the mountain lifts, you might find it more cost effective to use one of the Swiss Passes. You may find this helpful - https://www.ricksteves.com/travel-tips/transportation/trains/switzerland-rail-passes .

I wasn't overly impressed with Grindelwald, but if you're just passing through on the way to a hike you may want to have a short look.

Everything depends on the weather. If its a sunny day, dont waste it to go to Trummelbach Falls (mostly an inside sight). As I recall the Falls were a 45 minute walk from Lauterbrunnen.

I have done the walk between Lauterbrunnen and Trummelbachfalle. Google Maps says 45 minutes, but for me it was a brisk half an hour. Take the path that runs on the other side of the river from the road (you can see it on Google Maps), for a more "close to nature" experience.

To continue to walk on to Stechelberg for the Schilthorn cable car would be even shorter.

You also have the option of taking the PostBus (a curiously Swiss invention: half mail van; half public transport). It stops at Stechelberg, Trummelbachfalle and Lauterbrunnen.

I vote Schilthorn too!

Mountain weather can change very quickly and as a broad generalization better in the morning and less so later in the day as clouds may build and lead to rain.

Check the view from the top via the cams. On the first clear morning go for it.

Take the cable car out of Lauterbrunnen up to Grutschalp. Ride the train to Murren. The train offers great views across the valley. Walk through town to the Schilthorn lift. Ride all the way up. You can have breakfast in the revolving restaurant on top. Otherwise spend some time soaking in the views. When finished take some time for Bond world if you’re a fan.

Head down to Birg and do the thrill walk if so inclined. Then down to Murren. It has a coop grocery store where you can pick up supplies for a picnic lunch.

From Murren you have some choices.

• Hiking via some local trails. I hear some of the trails off the funicular are very nice.
• Backtrack to Grutschalp via train or trail.
• Hike down to Gimmelwald then hop the lift down to Stechelberg
• Lift down to Stechelberg

From Stechelberg you can walk or take the PostBus to the falls or back to Lauterbrunnen.

I know several others have already made these points, but I want to emphasize them because they're so important.

1. Before doing anything involving going up, look at the webcams. Last time I was there, I saw the webcam showed white-out conditions on the top of the Jungfraujoch, but tour groups were still going up (presumably because they had already paid). They wasted a lot of time and money. If the webcam of the top of a sight shows poor visibility, don't go up - do something else.

2. It's fine to have an outline, as you do. But be prepared to change plans quickly if the weather changes. For instance, if it's clear when you arrive, don't waste time unpacking - get outside! If it's raining, that's the time to pivot to things like Trummelbach Falls.

The Jungfraujoch and the Schilthorn are quite different, and I enjoyed both. But the Schilthorn is cheaper and faster, so if you're not doing both, and if both have good visibility, do the Schilthorn. If neither has good visibility, don't worry about "missing" them both - there are plenty of other great things to do. For instance, consider the Allmendhubel. It's much cheaper and faster than the Schilthorn, but you still get views of the three peaks, as well as a lovely area to walk around up top (there's a playground, but it's hardly just a spot for kids).

I really enjoyed the Allmendhubel and the little restaurant there. It was September and a friend and I shared what I think was called Vermillces, a dessert made from chestnuts at the little restaurant. It was a different taste, but a good experience and the views were fantastic! We also walked on the series of varying sizes stones, rocks, small logs, wood chips, etc. which stimulate your feet. I wish I could remember the name of this, and if I was home I could l look in my journal to find it. I love new experiences like this.

Kitzelpfad. The walk on the pebbles and water at Allmendhubel. It was a goal of ours a few years ago when we stayed in Murren.

One question..... when is this trip going to be taking place?

We will be there the first week of August.

Rod,

Thanks for the additional information. I wanted to make sure that the Allmendhubel Funicular would be operating at the time of your visit. It should be operating normally at that time of year.

If you decide to take a ride up to Allmendhubel, it's a nice walk to go down to go from the top down into the valley and then back to Mürren. As I recall there are a couple of hotel/bars along the way and much of the walk is through alpine meadows, with cows grazing. The route passes under a portion of the Schilthornbahn cable cars. I can't remember how long it takes (I suppose that depends on how fast one walks), but probably best to allow a few hours.

There is always at lease one different opinion! If the weather is good, I'd do the Jungfrauojoch. (We did both) Check the weather and hop on the first train of the morning (I bought tickets on line that morning from our hotel in Wengen). I think many, many people simply stay right where the train stops, and it is very busy and crowded. We took straight off up to the Mönchsjochhütte. It was not crowded and a gorgeous hike. Get a snack and a beer and enjoy! On the way back down in the early afternoon we stopped at Kleine Scheidig on the hotel patio and admired the Eiger. It was one of our favorite days on the whole 3 week trip.

Is the walk between the train station in Mürren and the Schilthorn lift a level walk or is it uphill/downhill depending upon the direction?

If the latter, which direction is uphill and which is downhill?

Continental,

The BLM train arrives in Mürren in the lower level of the station. I believe you can exit on that level but you may want to walk upstairs to the main level of the station to reach street level. I can't remember if there's an elevator? As I recall, there's a very slight uphill walk past a couple of hotels to reach the "maiin street" of Mürren, but after that it's mostly level. The BLM train station and the Schilthornbahn are at opposite ends of the town.

This photo provides a view of both levels of the station with one of the large hotels in the distance - https://images.app.goo.gl/iNKsKMxc3VnmPQ6HA (this is looking towards the main part of town).

This photo provides a view of the main part of town - https://images.app.goo.gl/2GqKP38DF7hBadpX8 . As you can see, it's fairly level.

Thank you! The difference between the upper and lower levels of the train station looks to be doable for me. I’m relieved that the walk is essentially level between the train station and the Schilthorn lift.