Bernese Oberland Swiss Walking Holiday | Walking Holiday in Switzerland | Self Guided Walking Holiday

The majestic snowy peaks and mighty glaciers of the Bernese Oberland are surrounded by beautiful flower meadows and in the valleys you will find delightful villages complete with wooden chalets, their balconies overflowing with flowers. The villages are often famous too, having been visited by the discerning visitor for many years. Names such as Lauterbrunnen, Grindelwald, Muerren and Wengen conjure up a magical picture of the area, popular in both summer and winter. This circular Swiss walking tour is a true classic and takes you amongst some of the best scenery the world can offer.

Grade: Whilst the route described is fairly strenuous it should be noted that the public transport system is so good that options for making days easier are always available.

Getting there: Fly to Zurich or Bern then travel by train to Interlaken.

Day 1 Arrive Interlaken.

Day 2 Interlaken to Iseltwald.
Spend some time in Interlaken then catch the ferry to the delightful lakeside village of Iseltwald for your overnight stay.

Day 3 Iseltwald to Meiringen.
Your first full day of walking takes you high above Lake Brienz to the alpine pastures of Axalp, then through delightful woods to the secret Hinterburgsee before descending to Meiringen. The views are beautiful throughout. ~ 6h30m

Day 4 Meiringen to Grindelwald.
This is a long but truly spectacular day. You begin by passing the Reichenbach Falls, where Sherlock Holmes had his famous duel with Professor Moriarty. You then climb up the lovely Rosenlaui Valley to Grosse Scheidegg. Views of the Wetterhorn as you climb are replaced by the breathtaking panorama in front of you where the Eiger dominates. The views stay with you as you descend to Grindelwald. ~ 7h30m

Day 5 Grindelwald to Lauterbrunnen.
We run out of superlatives to describe today. Suffice to say that the climb up to Kleine Scheidegg and subsequent descent to Wengen are dominated by the big three of the Eiger, with its forbidding north face, Moench and Jungfrau. The descent to the car-free village of Wengen takes you under the Lauberhorn mountain, famous for its downhill ski race. From Wengen perched on a ledge above the valley floor you descend to your next hotel in Lauterbrunnen. ~ 6h30m

Day 6 Day in Lauterbrunnen
You are free today to choose whatever you would like to do. You might want to visit Muerren, another traffic-free village, perched above the other side of the valley, with unrivalled views. Or weather permitting, you could take a ride on the pic railway to the Jungfraujoch at an icy 3450 metres.

Day 7 Lauterbrunnen to Interlaken.
A wonderful final day's walking takes you down the valley to Zweiluetschinen and on further to the villages of Gsteigwiler and Wilderswil where typical Swiss covered wooden bridges can be seen. Then it's back into Interlaken at the end of a memorable walk in Switzerland. ~ 4h

Day 8 Departure.