5 days in the Swiss Alps

I spent 5 days in the Swiss Alps at the beginning of May 2022 and it honestly blew my mind. When people ask me what was my favorite destination during my 3 month backpacking trip around Europe, Switzerland comes up in the Top 3 every time. The Swiss Alps has been on my bucket list since.. forever and when I say it not only met expectations but actually blew them out of the water, I am not joking. Here is my itinerary for 5 days in the Swiss Alps, Starting in Bern, working my way through Interlaken, Lauterbrunnen & Grindelwald and ending up in Lucerne.

Note: The weather conditions in the mountains in April/May can be cold and snowy. Some of the hikes I wanted to do were not open yet due to these reasons so keep that in mind when booking a trip. Later in the Summer, all the trails are more likely to be open.

Starting Point: Bern, Switzerland – 1 Night

Bern is surprisingly the Capital of Switzerland and we arrived there via Train from Paris. Here’s a good Backpacker tip, Download the Omio App for booking your train & bus tickets, I couldn’t recommend it more. We used it about 50 times during our trip. Immediately you know your in Switzerland because the price of everything is astronomical, I’m looking at you McDonalds. I booked 1 night in the Bern Backpackers Hostel Glocke since this was just a layover on our journey to Interlaken. The hostel is central so the location is perfectly situated in the cobbled, historical streets of Old Town Bern (which is also a UNESCO Heritage Site). As hostels go, it was fine – no frills and served it purpose. You don’t need more than 1 night in Bern to walk and city and see all the sights. Next morning we made our way to the train station and began the next leg to Interlaken.

Interlaken – 2 Nights

Where do I start with Interlaken? It is a outdoorsy persons paradise. We hopped off the train at Interlaken West (There are 2 train stations in Interlaken, West & Ost) and walked to our accommodation Residence Jungfrau. We had a small apartment fitted with a kitchen – perfect for if you’re on a budget. Lidl is walking distance away for affordable groceries. The weather was very mild and sunny with a threat of rain at all times, typical mountain weather.

First thing on the agenda was to rent bikes and cycle around Lake Brienz. There’s a bike rental place beside the train station and they are very affordable. I highly recommend getting an e-bike which I did not and later regretted. The loop cycle around the lake is around 35-40km and trust me when I say, there are lots of hills on the second half. We went clock-wise around the lake. The views all the way around are incredible and you can stop along the way, maybe in Brienz, for some lunch by the water. This is a bucket list adventure for sure!

After a nice homecooked meal and a good sleep, it’s time to dig into the hiking. Like I mentioned earlier, some trails were inaccessible due to there still being snow on the mountains but we were still able to find some worthy hikes. Most notably, the Harder Kulm Trail – a 5km, extremely steep, one way switchback trail from Interlaken Ost up to the Harder Kulm Peaks. It’s important to note here that you can also simply take the funicular train (The Harderbahn) up to the top and skip the hike or hike down but we chose pain & suffering and hiked up it. From the top you can enjoy the views at the restaurant or continue on your hike to Hardergrat. Unfortunately for us, the rain came in as we peaked so we made the call to take the train back down and save our legs for the next adventure.

That sums up my Interlaken experience. It was everything I wanted it to be and more. There are loads of other activities that we didn’t have time to do on this trip including the Aare Gorge, Schynige Platte Hike, Paragliding, as well as kayaking or boating on the lakes.

Lauterbrunnen – 2 Nights

There are some things in life you will never forget and for me, it was the train journey from Interlaken to Lauterbrunnen. The views along the way and when you disembark the train are hard to describe but magical is a word I’d use. A visual feast around every corner, look up, look down, there is just pure beauty here in the mountains, waterfalls & rolling hills. We stayed in the Valley Hostel which I highly recommend. It has a really well equipped kitchen but it’s the view from the room that sealed the deal for me. (below right). From here you are within walking distance to the train station, restaurants and most importantly the Valley & it’s beautiful waterfalls.

The best way to spend your time here, if it’s limited like mine was, is to walk the Lauterbrunnen Valley Loop Trail. You can make it as long or as short as you like. I rounded it off around 10km out and back. Along the way you take in the Staubbach Falls, cows with bells & even a fresh dairy produce vending machine. Make sure you don’t pass Trummelbach Falls on the way back which features a number of glacier falls inside the mountain which are accessible via an elevator or stairs (Take the elevator up & stairs down). It costs 14CHF to enter but it is money well spent. This whole area is straight out of a fairytale and you most definitely will not regret your visit here.

For my final day in paradise I took an early train from Lauterbrunnen to Grindelwald. Again, the views were to die for. When you google Grindelwald, the main attraction that comes up in of course, Grindelwald First – Top of Europe so that is where I headed. Just a short stroll from the train station you can hop on a cable car to drop you right at the top of First (First is a mountain peak). From there you can explore the cliff walk (not for the faint hearted), hike around the mountain top or follow my steps and try to hike down. Warning, We attempted this in early May using the All Trail App for the route and the mountain top was covered in snow, making the trail impossible to see so needless to say, things were a bit hectic until we got down past the snowy layer and onto safer ground. Halfway down you can grab a beer at Berghaus Bort and admire the views while hydrating. From here you can hike the rest of the way down like we did or hire scooter/carts to descend faster on a paved route but we did see someone having a horrific accident on the scooters so personally I wouldn’t recommend them. By the time you reach the bottom, your eyes are sore from looking at everything this area has to offer and it’s time to hop on the train back to Lauterbrunnen for a good nights sleep. 1 day does not serve Grindelwald any justice and next time, I will stay there for at least 3-5 days.

The next morning I hopped on a train to Lucerne and that was the end of the Swiss Alps dream.

A few things to note, Switzerland is really expensive to eat out in restaurants. I made sure my lodgings had a kitchen so I could cook all my meals to save $$. Accommodation was a little pricey but the locations were fantastic so I couldn’t fault them. Finally the train system in Switzerland is flawless and very affordable. It is the absolute best way to get around the Swiss Alps and is very user friendly. Again, I used the Omio App to book all my tickets but you can also buy them at any train station. Switzerland is a very special destination and it needs to be treated as such. Leave no trace when you are outside enjoying these unbelievable locations and stay on the designated trails as much as possible to protect wildlife & vegetation. Most locals we encountered spoke very good English but (swiss)German & French are their maternal languages depending on the region. The currency is CHF and currently as I write this in August 2022 the exchange rate is approx. 1 CHF to 1 US$. I hope this post is informative and helps you book your next adventure!

Safe Travels

Olivia