In the sun-bathed days of summer, Bernese Oberland—the heart and soul of Swiss adventures—becomes a true feast for the senses. The crisp air that is enriched with the sweetness of wildflowers and clinking cowbells makes this bucolic arena the perfect setting for your 8-day hiking adventure. With the magical Grindelwald as your base, transportation options are just superb—heritage cable cars and cogwheel railways will whisk you high above jewel-like lakes, pastoral meadows, mighty glaciers, and evergreen forests. And once you’re done with explorations for the day, retreat to a moonlit terrace for a glass of Petite Arvine paired with traditional Swiss dishes.
A hiking trip to Bernese Oberland is the epitome of an Alpine paradise. The views you’ll be witnessing over the course of 8-days are nothing short of spectacular, with snow-capped peaks, cow-grazed meadows, and crystalline lakes providing an unforgettable experience in the Swiss Alps. The charming Grindelwald and a high-quality hotel will be your base, breakfasts and dinners are taken care of, and every day you’ll use the fantastic transportation to maximize your explorations. Feel the Swiss hospitality, and taste their mouth-drooling cuisine, marvel at unique natural gems.
Settle into your hotel in Grindelwald and join your guide at 6pm for a briefing. If you arrive early, there are plenty of shops and local sites—such as Trümmelbach Falls—to explore in Grindelwald. As this is a hotel-based trekking trip, your base for the week is the same, high-quality Grindelwald with breakfast and dinner included.
Meals: Dinner
Accommodation: Hotel in Grindelwald
Hop on a bus to Hotel Wetterhorn (or you can hike up, extra 3.5 km / 2.2. miles), from where you’ll get on the undulating trail along the side of the valley to Chalet Milbach. This balcony path has superb views of the icefall of the Oberer Grindelwaldgletscher. Continue onto Pfingstegg (1,391 m / 4,564 ft) for a refreshment stop. From here, follow the path through the meadow and along a path which rises steadily—enjoy views of the gorge and the east ridge of Eiger. As you reach Stieregg, have lunch at Bäregg. Return along the same path to Pfingstegg and catch the cable car back to Grindelwald. Another option is reaching Grindelwald through the forest: although rather steep, the footpaths are good throughout.
Meals: Breakfast and dinner
Accommodation: Hotel in Grindelwald
Distance: 4-5 hours
Hiking: 8.5 km / 5.3 miles
Elevation: +558 m / +1,831 ft | -397 m / -1,302 ft
Start the day with a short hike up to Gletscherschlucht. Next you’ll head through the forest and out onto the rocky paths with great views of Grindelwald. Make your way up some smooth slabs, which are easily climbed with the help of a ladder. The trail continues winding through the forest up to Schüssellauenen and out into the open with views of Eiger Mittellegi Ridge. Descend to Alpiglen for your lunch stop (or take the train from Grindelwald to Alpiglen if you want to make the day shorter), and after it, pick up the Eiger Trail until you reach Eigergletscher. You might even see climbers embarking on the famous ascent. Once you’ve taken in views of the Eigergletscher cascading down the mountain, descend to Kleine Scheidegg and go back to Grindelwald (or take the train from Eigergletscher).
Meals: Breakfast and dinner
Accommodation: Hotel in Grindelwald
Distance: 7.5 hours
Hiking: 15 km / 9.3 miles
Elevation: +1,510 m / +4,954 ft | -500 m / -1,640 ft
After a train ride to Wilderswil, take the historic funicular to Schynige Platte. Next to the station is an incredible alpine garden and great panoramas over the Lütschental and Lauterbrunnental valleys. Take the Panoramaweg past the station and enjoy fantastic views down to Lake Brienz. Traverse a steep slope to the pass below the peak of Loucherhorn (2,230 m / 6,627) and reach the remote Weber hut. From there, follow the trail boasting views of snow-capped peaks of Mönch, Jungfrau, and Eiger. Once you reach the summit of Faulhorn, have a well-deserved refreshment stop. Descend down to Gassenboden and Lake Bachalpsee. Take the “first” cable car to go back to Grindelwald or hike Trotti Bikes (additional fee) to make the speedy return.
Note: It’s possible to reduce the length of today’s walk. Talk with your guides.
Meals: Breakfast and dinner
Accommodation: Hotel in Grindelwald
Distance: 6-7 hours
Hiking: 15 km / 9.3 miles
Elevation: +614 m / +2,014 ft | -513 m / -1,683 ft
Such a unique area deserves a rest day so you can explore the surroundings (or just relax at the hotel). Here are some top recommendations:
Meals: Breakfast and dinner
Accommodation: Hotel in Grindelwald
Take the Holstein cable car from Grindelwald up to Männlichen and reach the summit of Männlichen Gipfl (2,342 / 7,306 ft). From there, admire views of Eiger, Mönch, and Jungfrau before taking the cable car down to the car-free village of Wengen. Next section follows the final part of the Eiger Ultra Trail, after which you continue towards Mettlenalp via farm trails—once again, expect terrific views of those peaks. Go steadily up to Wengernalp through the open farmlands and meadows. Follow the railway line up to Kleine Scheidegg for a refreshment stop. You can either take the path over to Männlichen and return to Grindelwald via the Holstein cable car, or take the gentle path from Kleine Scheidegg to Alpiglen station to board a train back to Grindelwald.
Meals: Breakfast and dinner
Accommodation: Hotel in Grindelwald
Distance: 5-6 hours
Hiking: 12 km / 7.4 miles
Elevation: +1,070 m / +3,510 ft | -115 m / -377 ft OR to Alpiglen +902 m / 2,959 ft | -560 m / 1,837 ft
Wake up early and take a train ride to Lauterbrunnen. From there, take the cable car to Grütschalp, where you’ll catch the train to Mürren. Follow a steep path to the upper station of the Allmendhubel funicular railway, and continue walking up to Sonnenberg through the meadows. Pick up the path that contours along the mountainside beneath the Schilthorn cable car and to Schiltalp. Then you’ll make your way out to the isolated Rotstockhütte at 2,039 m / 6,690 ft—where you’ll stop for lunch—following the Wassenegg ridge with wonderful views along the way. Once you’ve soaked in the views, follow the trail to Brig, descend via the Wassenegg ridge, and follow the river down to Spielbodenalp, and back into Mürren.
Meals: Breakfast and dinner
Accommodation: Hotel in Grindelwald
Distance: 5 hours
Hiking: 13 km / 8 miles
Elevation: +610 m / +2,001 ft | -825 m / -2,707 ft
Your hiking adventure in the Bernese Oberland has come to an end. Return to the airport or keep on exploring—just ask your guides for some recommendations!
Meals: Breakfast
What an incredible experience. Our guide was fantastic, teaching our kids so many things along the way. Highly recommend!
Included:
Not included:
To fully enjoy the 8-day tour with 5 days of trekking and one rest day in the Bernese Oberland, a moderate to high level of fitness is recommended. You should be comfortable with hiking between 5.3 and 9.3 miles (8.5 and 15 km) per day with up to 5,000 feet (1,520 m) of elevation gain. Keep in mind that you’ll also be carrying a daypack filled with things you might need throughout the day.
Some walks are more challenging than the others, but you can always walk at a steady pace. As you’ll be based in Grindelwald for the duration of this tour, there is an option to skip a day if you’d like. The excellent transport network allows for walks to be shortened and this is something you can discuss with your guide once you’re there.
Here’s a list of the equipment you need to bring:
Dress comfortably and for the weather in clothes you can move in. We suggest bringing clothing appropriate for the season. Layers are best and don’t wear jeans.
Group sizes and prices:
Hiking in the Bernese Oberland can be arranged for larger groups. Contact us to make arrangements.
Min. age requirements:
To get to Grindelwald, the starting point of your hiking adventure in Bernese Oberland, most people fly into Zurich Airport (ZRH). It takes around 2.5 hours to reach Grindelwald by car and around 3 hours by train. You can also fly into Geneva Airport (GVA), but add an hour to your journey.
Once you and your guide agree on the details of your itinerary, your guide will suggest the best place to meet in Grindelwald.
Travel and medical/rescue insurance is mandatory on this tour. To make your booking and traveling experience as carefree as possible, simply choose Redpoint—the official 57hours insurance partner!
Redpoint tailors their protection packages for adventure travel, offering a comprehensive travel program, even in remote locations. Trip cancellation, natural disasters, pandemic coverage, medical evacuation, primary medical expenses—regardless of the travel interruption that may happen, Redpoint will have you covered.
Once your booking is confirmed and your trip is paid in full, you will be offered to purchase Redpoint’s protection. If you need any help or require more information, let us know and we will be happy to help!
Deposits
You can secure one of the set dates with a 30% deposit upon booking. The remaining 70% of the trip price is to be paid 90 days prior to departure, at the latest.
Secure your early bird spot with a 10% deposit! This tour gets sold out very quickly, but with early-bird booking, you will be the first one to know about any new upcoming dates. Pick your preferred dates without the risk of your bucket list adventure selling out!
Cancellations
Booking fees are non-refundable in all cases. During checkout, however, you can choose one of 57hours’ flexibility options:
Basic
Flexible
Super Flexible
Cloud 9 planned everything for our group: Food, lodging, baggage transportation and excellent hiking plans. The food and service in the hotels was great and staffs were friendly and helpful! I would highly recommend Cloud 9 for anyone planning a trip.