We will arrive in Zurich at 8:00a.m. on Aug. 20 and head straight for Interlaken, where we'll be staying. We will depart sometime on the 22nd. With the limited time we have, I need help with planning. I don't think we have time to do Lauterbrunnen-Gimmewald-Schilthorn plus the Kleine Scheidegg-Jungfrau. So, I really need some advice w/ an itinerary. Any suggestions on how and where we could spend our time there?
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Just pick one mountain, either the Schilthorn or Jungfrau. No reason to ascend both. I guess it depends on if you want to ride to the top on a cable car or cogwheel train.
Another difference between the two mountains is the time to get there. From Track 2A at the Interlaken Ost train station, you can be on top of the Schilthorn in 90 minutes. If you go early, you can have breakfast in the revolving restaurant. To get to the top of the Jungfrau, its 2hrs up and 2hrs back down from Lauterbrunnen. Lauterbrunnen is a 25 minute train ride from Interlaken Ost.
To get there, you will most likely go through the gondola stations at Gimmelwald and Murren. You won't be able to resist hopping off and walking through and then hopping back on. One suggestion is to get off at Murren, walk around, and if the weather is good, take the back road down to Gimmelwald (about 30 minutes fast - 45 slow). It's all downhill. Beautiful views. We did this in early June and all of the wildflowers were in bloom. It took us 45 minutes.
A round trip ticket from Interlaken to the top will cost you about 115CHF without any type of Swiss pass or Card.
The Jungfrau and Schiltorn are unique sites...each provide a different experience. Jungfrau is more about glaciers, Schiltorn is a top of the world panorama. They are both excellent sites, but if I only had time to do one, I would pick the Jungfrau. The ride to the top is thrilling, it's not everyday you get to ride a train inside a mountain peak:) At the observation deck at the top of the Jungfrau you get excellent views of the glacier valley, and a Mount Everest type sensation. You can then take an evevator down to the glacier and walk around a bit, and the hop on the elevator again to go inside the glacier and view the ice carvings gallery. A sit down restaurant and cafeteria are available if you want to do lunch.
Yet another difference between the two, beside the cost and time to get there: the Schilthorn is a ride in a cablecar high off the ground (spectacular and thrilling, but scary for some), which the train to the Jungfraujoch takes you through a tunnel for 45 minutes of the journey---dark, no views, and claustrophic for some.
If you can handle the cablecar I think the Schilthor makes a much nicer excursion, with hiking and sightseeing opportunities on the way---Grutschalp, Mürren, Gimmelwald, Trummelbach Falls, Lauterbrunnen--that can fill a whole day.
On the day you arrive, after leaving your bags in Interlaken, you could do all but the last section of the Jungfrau route, visiting Kleine Scheidegg by way of Grindelwald and the gondola up to Männlichen, walk to Kleine Scheidegg, and walk or ride the train down to Wengen to look around. There are various restaurants with view decks for lunch up on the Männlichen ridge.
Where do you go from Interlaken on the 22nd? If back to Zürich, you could go by way of the Golden Pass route to Luzern, maybe with one leg of the journey by boat if you have time.
Actually, we'll be heading up to Basel to take a river boat cruise. Thanks for all your advice. It is greatly appreciated!
