I studied abroad in Europe, and I made a point to go on as many weekend trips as possible. However, none were as much fun as the trip to Interlaken, Switzerland – the adventure capital of Europe!
It’s more than safe to say that Interlaken lives up to it’s nickname. In a span of a few days, I packed in more adventures than I do most months! With so much to do in such a condensed area, Interlaken is the perfect European destination for outdoor adventure lovers.
Nestled in the Swiss Alps, Interlaken is surrounded by mountains, home to pristine lakes, and full of beautiful forests. Not only is it breathtakingly beautiful, but there’s also something to do every season! So whether you’re planning a trip in the winter or the summer, there will be no lack of thrills and adventure.
From hiking a mountain, to splashing through a canyon, I’ve compiled a list of the 11 best adventures to add to your Interlaken, Switzerland itinerary!
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1. hike to the top of harder kulm
The first thing I did on my trip to Interlaken, Switzerland, was hike to the top of Harder Kulm.
I’ve done a lot of beautiful hikes in my lifetime, but this one might take the cake. At the top of this mountain, you’ll be greeted with panoramic views of Interlaken. You’ll be surrounded on all sides by mountains and have breathtaking views of the lakes. There’s even an overlook platform for even better views!
Not only is the view at the top amazing, but along the way you’ll have numerous viewpoints where you can stop in and take in even more views. Not only that, but you’ll also be strolling through the beautiful, shaded forest.
This hike is quite literally up a mountain, so be prepared for a challenge! This hike is 5.1 miles (2.8 kilometers), has over 2,500 feet of elevation gain, is a looped trail, and is ranked as hard on AllTrails. It’s no joke! But the views and the journey make it so worth it. Just bring a good pair of hiking boots!
If this hike sounds a bit too much for you, if you go from early April to late November, you can take the funicular up to the top. All the same views from the top of the mountain, but with none of the work.
If you’re in Interlaken around the same time of the year mentioned above, you can even take a break from your hike at the top to enjoy a meal at the Panorama restaurant at the top of the mountain!
Whether you’re hiking alone or with others, check out my article for tips on how to stay safe while solo hiking – they’re good to apply even if you’re not hiking alone!
2. enjoy the view while paragliding
While the views of Interlaken are beautiful from the top of Harder Kulm, imagine how amazing the views must be soaring above the town?
There are many paragliding service providers around Interlaken, Switzerland to choose from. But rest assured, all of them include 360 degree views of the Swiss Alps, lakes, and forests surrounding you!
On your tour, you’ll start 800 meters in the air and soar for 10-20 minutes, with this scenery around you the whole time. You won’t have to brave these heights alone – you’ll be tandem with an experienced pilot who will show you the ropes and give you a safety briefing. Regardless of what time of the year you’re visiting, these tours run year round.
This flight begins in Beatenberg, and ends in the center of Interlaken in Hohematte park! You can practically walk right off the field and go shopping in the downtown area.
Paragliding in Interlaken costs around 210 USD, and this includes the pilot, equipment, and mountain shoes. While you’re pilot will be taking photos for you during the flight, you’ll have to purchase these for an additional cost if you want them.
3. bike around the swiss mountains
Maybe hiking isn’t your preferred method of exploring your surroundings. If you’re more of a biking person, there are options to rent bikes and go on a biking tour around Interlaken!
Ride through a valley in the mountains passed multiple lakes and a river. For a bit over three hours, you can enjoy a flat ride past forests on both gravel and paved paths. While you don’t have the added assistance from an E-bike, this beautiful route is considered easy. However, there are other E-bikes options available with different tour companies if that’s more your speed.
This tour costs around 110 USD per person, and includes the bike and helmet, and your guide. Even though this activity is considered easy and only has about 130 feet of elevation gain over just over 12 miles, it’s always a good idea to bring water on physical adventures, and snacks too, if you think you’ll need them.
4. kayak on crystal clear water on lake brienz
Switzerland is known for its crystal clear water, and it almost seems to beautiful to be real. Lake Brienz had the prettiest and cleanest water I’ve ever seen.
If you choose to go kayaking on your trip to Interlaken, pretty much every kayaking excursion going forward will feel disappointing. Nothing else quite beats paddling on the bluest water, surrounded by mountains and passing cute Swiss architecture.
I went kayaking with Outdoor Interlaken, and I highly recommend them.
Whether you go during the winter or the summer, you can expect slightly different experiences. Both amazing though, of course, and both incredibly peaceful.
During the winter season, which runs from November to April, you’ll be provided with a wet suit. Since you won’t be getting in the water, it’s recommended to wear layers under the suit. Our guide also gave us hot tea and cookies during a break in our tour, which was really nice to warm up! Winter kayaking costs around 150 USD per adult.
The summer season runs from April to November, and a wet suit isn’t provided for this season. Instead of wearing warm layers, you can wear a bathing suit. Summer kayaking costs around 130 USD per adult, and access to a beach is included in this cost!
Both tours come with the kayak rental, a professional guide, and photos. For both, you can also expect two hours on the water, and a group of no more than 6 people on the tour!
5. get adrenlane pumping while canyoning
I think any adventure lover should go canyoning at least once in their life. What better time to do it than when having an adventure filled trip in Interlaken, Switzerland?
From April 15th through October 31st, you can go canyoning with Outdoor Interlaken. Spend over an hour braving swings, plunges, and trekking through the water in the gorge!
This is an epic activity to get your adrenaline pumping. Not only does the water wake you up (especially if you go in April like I did), but it’s a great way to push yourself out of your comfort zone with all the adventure you’ll be pushing yourself to. You’ll be constantly doing some sort of fun activity to get around the gorge! I think my favorite part was a slide like section where it was a true water slide.
Don’t worry, you don’t have to figure all of this out on your own. You’ll have experienced guides with you leading you through every step of the way. Our guides were great, and really made me feel comfortable doing something I’d never done before. It’s a great canyoning activity for first-timers.
The canyoning trip in Interlaken costs around 160 USD. This includes the guides, transportation to and from the canyon, all the gear you’ll need, including helmets and a suit, and a drink once you get back to the base! A video package isn’t included in this, but you can purchase it for an additional 40 USD. We left our phones and cameras behind for safety reasons, so you won’t be able to film your own.
6. take a day trip to grindelwald
Only about an half hour train ride from Interlaken, Grindelwald is the perfect half-day or day trip. You can take a direct train there and back, and it only costs around 15 USD one way. You can book your train tickets online.
Once in Grindelwald, similar to Interlaken, there are plenty of shops and restaurants to roam, and this time, you’re even closer to the mountains! Or at least, it feels like it. Can you believe these views from where we ate lunch?
The most popular thing to do in Grindelwald is to visit Jungfraujoch. Take another 45 minute train ride to the highest rail station in Europe, and enjoy views of the longest glacier in the Alps at the Sphinx Terrace. Other than enjoy the snowy scenery, in Jungfraujoch you can also tour an ice palace, go skiing, go on a hike, or visit another Lindt shop.
If you’re not wanting to go to Jungfraujoch, you have plenty of options of how to spend the day in Grindelwald. You can do the First Cliff Walk, ride in a cable car, hike the Eiger Trail, visit a glacier canyon, or do a canyon swing.
Let’s be real, you can probably spend a whole trip just in Grindelwald itself!
7. Enjoy a traditional swiss dish on a raft
Raclette is a traditional Swiss dish consisting of heated cheese, and often served with potatoes.
For a more relaxing adventure in Interlaken, you can enjoy raclette on a raft along calm waters, floating past mountains and local homes with while sipping on wine.
Raclette rafting in Interlaken costs around 110 USD per person, and includes the raclette meal, wine and tea, a professional guide, and blankets! Don’t forget to bundle up anyways, though!
Since you will have a guide with you on your journey, you don’t have to worry about trying to steer or anything of the sorts. Just enjoy your meal and the amazing Swiss views. You’ll have about 1.5 hours on the water to enjoy your meal.
8. stroll around hohematte park
Hohematte Park is another great spot to get amazing views of the surrounding Swiss Alps. Something about standing in the center below them, mountains on all sides, makes you feel so awe-struck by their beauty.
During the spring, there were beds of colorful flowers, and lush green grass in the 30+ acre park I wish I would have packed a picnic for!
Not only are you surrounded by mountains, but there’s also plenty of shops, hotels, and restaurants along the perimeter. This park is hard to miss on a walk around the town. And if you go paragliding, you’ll inevitably end here as this is the landing point!
9. shop around downtown
While I wouldn’t spend too much of your time in Interlaken just downtown shopping, definitely carve out some time for it! There are plenty of cute shops to pop into, and restaurants along the way.
There were plenty of stores dedicated to Switzerland souvenirs, some with local crafts, and then other more mainstream stores, such as Swiss Army Knife.
Some of my favorites we went into were Swiss Mountain Market, Lindt Chocolate, and a wooden craft store I wish I could remember the name of. Most of the shops had adorable Swiss architecture, and just walking along the outside of them was a pleasant experience.
The town is so safe, shops just left racks of merchandise outside their store, unprotected, during the closing hours. Everywhere was also so clean, I don’t remember seeing a single piece of trash. One word of advice though – it is Switzerland, so whatever you may buy may be pricier than you’d expect elsewhere.
10. go sledding during the winter
Interlaken during the winter is quite literally a winter wonderland. Even in April, the mountains were snowcapped. During the full on winter, it must feel like living in a snow globe.
Sure, you can rent skis during your trip to Interlaken, but if you’re like me, sledding sounds a bit more enjoyable. From December to March, you can choose to go on your snowy adventure during the daytime, or during night.
For an hour you can speed down the mountain, taking in the beauty of even more snowy mountains around you, and through a breathtaking white forest. All of this by the light of the moon and the stars if you decide to venture out during night.
For about 100 USD per adult, you’ll get a rental sled, a gondola ride to the top, and your experienced guide to lead the way. Warm clothes are not included in this initial price, make sure to bundle up!
Getting to Interlaken
We flew into the Zurich Airport, which is a bit over a two hour train ride from Interlaken. These train tickets typically range anywhere from 40 USD to 100 USD one way, and you can book online.
You can of course rent a car or take another form of transportation, but I’d recommend taking the train. Once in Interlaken, everything is pretty much walkable. You won’t need a car while you’re in the actual town.
To get from the Zurich Airport to Interlaken by train, you an actually board a train directly at the airport. The train station in the airport is located under Terminal B. There are a few different train routes you can take, we took the IC 8 toward Brig, and got off 2 stops later at Bern. We then transferred trains at Bern to the ICE toward Interlaken Ost, then rode 3 stops to Interlaken West. Then, congrats! You’re now in Interlaken.
Apple Maps is a great resource for planning your transportation, especially if the above route is taking too long or not the way you want. It has a train feature, which tells you which stops and transfers you need to take. Rome2Rio and Trainline are also another good options.
Where to Stay
There are many great options for places to stay in Interlaken. We stayed at Hotel Rossli, and it was a great experience! They had free breakfast and great views, and it had more of a bed and breakfast feel than a mainstream hotel. Plus, everything we did was walkable from here, with the exception of Grindelwald.
There are plenty of other hotel options to check out, as well as AirBNBs.
Have the Most Epic Adventure!
Now that you’re ready for your trip to Interlaken, be ready to have the most epic adventure! I know it’s Switzerland, so this may be a trip on the pricier side of adventure travel, but every penny is worth it. I stand by this being my favorite trip I took in Europe because of the sheer amount of adventures we got to do. I’d bet it’ll be one of your favorites, too!
