Interlaken Adventure Activities, Ranked (Local Guide)

Which Interlaken Adventures Are Actually Worth Your Money?

The best outdoor adventures in Interlaken are tandem paragliding onto the Höhematte (CHF 180-199), kayaking on Lake Brienz and canyoning. Famous and worth the money are two different lists, though. Ask Pierre Vetsch, our founder, what visitors who come for the adrenaline get wrong, and he says:

"They only do the paid stuff and never see the landscape."

Pierre Vetsch, guide and founder, interview of 8 October 2026

Interlaken has been called the adventure capital of Europe for so long that the title has lost its edge. Some of it is true. Some of it is marketing inertia. Pierre guides our small groups, never more than eight people, and has tried the adrenaline classics on this list himself, paragliding included. His verdicts run through this guide: which adventures live up to the legend, which ones over-promise, and what locals actually book.

The ranking below rates each activity on the experience itself, then says plainly where the price does not match. Our own tours sit in Tier 3: slower, cheaper than a tandem flight, and built around the landscape.

Why Is Interlaken Called the Adventure Capital of Europe?

Before the rankings, the context. Interlaken became the unofficial adventure capital of Europe for three reasons that have nothing to do with marketing.

First, geography. Two lakes, three peaks above 4000 metres, dozens of canyons, predictable thermal weather, and a flat valley floor that doubles as one of the world's best landing zones for paragliders. There is no equivalent compression of terrain anywhere else in central Europe.

That landing zone is the Höhematte, the open meadow in the middle of town where most tandem flights touch down. If you wonder why it was never built on, the story of the 37 farmers who protected it explains how a Victorian-era deal kept it green.

Second, regulation. Switzerland has tight safety standards across all commercial outdoor sports. Following the Saxetbach canyoning tragedy of 1999, where 21 people died in a flash flood, the canton of Bern rewrote the rulebook. Today's operators are licensed annually, weather windows are calculated daily, and equipment is inspected with watchmaker's precision.

Third, longevity. Some Interlaken operators have been running tandem flights, raft trips and canyoning expeditions since the late 1980s. That kind of institutional memory is rare in adventure tourism, and you feel it in the calm of an experienced guide.

Fun fact: The Harder funicular above town opened in mid-May 1908 and still climbs 755 metres of altitude in about eight minutes, on a 1,447-metre track with a gradient of up to 64 %. For its 100-year anniversary in 2008, both carriages from 1966 were replaced.

Tier 1 - What Are the Best Outdoor Adventures in Interlaken?

1. Paragliding. Tandem flights launch from Beatenberg or Niederhorn and land on the Höhematte. Run three steps, your feet leave the ground, and twenty minutes later you slide onto grass surrounded by the entire town. It is the activity Interlaken is most famous for and the one that delivers most reliably on its promise. We wrote the complete local guide to paragliding in Interlaken.

Pierre often talks paragliding with Marc of Alpin Air, whom he describes as one of the pioneers of the sport in Interlaken: one of the first to fly spirals with his passengers and to make videos of their flights, with a lot of knowledge and tips to share.

Paragliding is the most beginner-friendly extreme sport on the list: your pilot handles everything from launch to landing.

At CHF 180-199 for 10 to 20 minutes in the air, it is also Pierre's answer when asked which adrenaline activity in Interlaken is not worth its price:

"Paragliding."

Pierre Vetsch, guide and founder, interview of 8 October 2026

So why does it still rank first? This tier rates the experience, not the value for money, and the flight delivers what the photos promise. If it is the reason you came, book it, and keep the rest of the day for something that costs less and shows you more of the valley.

2. Kayaking on Lake Brienz. This is the underrated star of the list. The water is impossibly turquoise. The east shore has cliffs and hidden coves. Operators like HighTide run small group tours that include local cheese and wine tastings on a beach you cannot reach by car. If you do one water activity in Interlaken, do this.

Our guide to kayaking on Lake Brienz covers what you see from the water that the lake boat misses.

Tier 2 - Which Interlaken Activities Give the Most Adrenaline?

3. Canyoning. The Saxetbach for beginners, the Chli Schliere for intermediates, the Grimsel for advanced. Operators have been running these routes for thirty years. The water is cold (10-12°C in summer), the suits are full neoprene, and the descents involve jumps, slides and rappels into pools. It is a real workout. Skip if you are not comfortable in cold water or with heights.

4. White Water Rafting. The Lütschine and the Aare are the two main rivers. Lütschine is shorter and pulsier, the Aare longer and more scenic. Both are guided. The graded rapids are accessible to first-timers but you will get wet. A 2-3 hour activity that ends with hot tea and (usually) a free photo package.

5. Skydiving over Interlaken. A plane climbs from the Reichenbach dropzone in the Kandertal to 4,000 metres, over Lake Thun and Lake Brienz. You free-fall for 45 seconds at up to 180 km/h, then float for about five minutes under the canopy, with the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau around you, and land on grass. We sell it at CHF 425 per person from age 12, and your tandem master flies the jump, so you need no experience.

6. Bungee Jumping. Multiple sites in the region. The most famous is the Stockhorn cable car bungee (134 m drop) and the GoldenEye bungee off the Verzasca dam (220 m). Less Bond-themed but closer to Interlaken: at Stockhorn you jump 134 m above the Hinterstockensee.

7. Base jumping. Reserved for licensed jumpers. Lauterbrunnen valley is the global capital of legal base jumping, with multiple cliffs offering different exit altitudes. If you are a base jumper, you already know about Lauterbrunnen. If you are not, this is a spectator sport: stand on the valley floor and watch wingsuits exit from 800 metres above.

Tier 3 - What Do Locals Actually Book in Interlaken?

This tier is for the landscape that adrenaline days skip: a lake day, our own small-group tours of eight guests at most, and two easy family outings.

If a calm day by the water appeals more than any of the above, the Oeschinensee near Kandersteg is an easy day trip from Interlaken, and that guide covers the gondola, the lakeside walk and the best time to arrive before the crowds.

8. Sunset Sledding & Fondue (winter). No skiing or sledding experience needed. Depending on the snow, we sled at Mürren or at Isenfluh, both above the Lauterbrunnen valley and both officially rated easy, then sit down to a cheese fondue back in Interlaken. It leaves Interlaken at 3:30 pm, Wednesday to Sunday, from 15 December 2026 to 11 April 2027, for CHF 139 per person (CHF 129 from six guests). Asked for one precise moment from our tours, Pierre picked this one:

"The light on the Jungfrau just before the sled run down."

Pierre Vetsch, guide and founder, interview of 8 October 2026

9. Wine Tour in Spiez (summer). Three hours, about 15 minutes of easy walking, four local wines paired with regional cheese, below the 11th-century Spiez Castle above Lake Thun. Our Spiez vineyard walk and wine tasting leaves Interlaken at 3:30 pm from May to October, depending on conditions, for CHF 139 per person (CHF 129 from six guests), from age 18.

10. Farm tour with Swiss breakfast. A morning at Daniela's working alpine farm above Lake Thun: breakfast from what her farm produces, then her real batch of cheese in the copper cauldron, with no hiking. Our farm tour runs on Tuesdays and Thursdays from May to mid-September, leaving at 8:00 am and back in Interlaken around noon, for CHF 149 per person (CHF 139 from six guests).

11. Snowshoeing. Quieter than skiing, easier than ski touring, accessible to anyone who can walk. The Männlichen routes are well-marked, and our Snowshoe Tour with Swiss Cheese Fondue takes the small red cable car from Isenfluh up to Sulwald for an easy, marked loop. It runs from mid-December to April, depending on snow (checked on 8 October 2026).

12. Trottibike. Downhill scooter that you ride from First or the Niederhorn. Less effort than mountain biking, more fun than walking down. Family-friendly.

13. Cliff Walk First. Not technically an adventure but a guaranteed adrenaline burst. A walkway pinned to the west face of the cliff at First (above Grindelwald), 2166 m up, with a 45 m platform jutting out into thin air. Twenty minutes of slow walking, twenty minutes of nervous laughter.

Tier 4 - What Are the Hidden Adventure Sports in Interlaken?

Speed flying is the new sibling of paragliding: smaller wing, higher speed, more technical. Reserved for licensed pilots. If you are watching paragliders in Interlaken and notice some that move twice as fast, those are speed wings.

Hang gliding is paragliding's older brother. Bigger wing, longer flights, slightly more adrenaline on takeoff and landing. Fewer operators in Interlaken, but the experience is excellent.

Torn between the two wings? We compared hang gliding and paragliding in Interlaken side by side.

Glacier hiking with a mountain guide takes you onto real ice, with crampons and ropes, on the Aletsch or above the Jungfraujoch. Expensive (CHF 250-400) but the closest most travelers will ever come to high-mountain alpinism.

Via ferrata at Mürren-Gimmelwald or Tälli combines hiking with iron rungs and steel cables for short bursts of vertical exposure. A halfway house between hiking and climbing.

What I Would Skip

These calls come from running small-group tours in this region.

Honest opinion, after years of guiding:

• Paragliding combined with a separate "skywalk" : the Skywalk at Harder Kulm is fine, but it is a lookout you can visit with a normal funicular ticket. You do not need to bundle it.

• The Interlaken bungee bus tour : a logistics-heavy day for an experience you can have closer to home.

• Helicopter sightseeing without skydiving : if you are paying for the helicopter, jump out of it. Otherwise the cogwheel up to Schynige Platte gives a comparable view for a fraction of the price.

What to Book Months in Advance

In peak summer (July and August), the highest-demand slots fill up early:

• The first morning paragliding flights from Niederhorn (calmer thermals, longer rides)

• The summer skydiving slots over Lake Thun and Lake Brienz

• Our own small-group tours, eight guests at most: the Wine Tour in Spiez and the Farm Tour, which runs only on Tuesdays and Thursdays

If you have travel dates locked, book these at least 6 weeks before your trip.

💡 Insider Tip from Pierre If you have one full day for adventure, do this combo. Morning: book the first paragliding slot of the day. The thermals are smooth and the light is golden. Lunch: a slow Swiss meal in town. Afternoon: kayak Lake Brienz with a small operator. Evening: fondue on the Höhematte watching tomorrow's paragliders practice on the grass. That is one of the best days you can buy in Switzerland.

FAQ - Best Outdoor Adventures in Interlaken

Which is the best adventure in Interlaken for first-timers?

Paragliding. The barrier to entry is zero (your pilot does the technical work), the flight is over in 10 to 20 minutes, and the photo is one you will look at every year for the rest of your life.

What if I'm afraid of heights?

Tandem paragliding is counterintuitive. The sensation is nothing like standing on a ledge or looking over a railing. You move forward, not down, and the wing creates a feeling closer to pure freedom than to falling.

That said, if heights are a genuine concern, kayaking on Lake Brienz in summer or a sled run above the Lauterbrunnen valley in winter keeps you close to the ground. Interlaken does not require adrenaline to leave a mark.

How much do adventures in Interlaken cost?

Tandem paragliding costs CHF 180-199 at Alpin Air and Paragliding Interlaken (checked on 7 October 2026). With us, a kayak tour on Lake Brienz starts at CHF 115 for adults, and skydiving costs CHF 425. Canyoning and rafting prices vary by operator. Prices change yearly. Always check live availability before booking.

Are these adventures safe?

Switzerland has some of the strictest safety standards in adventure tourism. Operators are licensed annually, weather is checked daily, and equipment is inspected regularly. Established Interlaken operators have safety records better than driving in most countries.

What is the best time of year for outdoor adventures in Interlaken?

Summer activities run May to October. In winter, our sledding and snowshoe tours run from mid-December into April when the snow allows. November is quiet but unpredictable. May, June, September and October offer the best light, smaller crowds and reliable weather.

If your dates fall in the warm months and you want more than the adrenaline list, we keep a separate guide to what locals do in summer, from lake swims to evening walks that cost nothing.

If you would rather trade an adventure day for a trip out, our list of the best day trips from Interlaken by train covers 19 places.

What if the weather cancels my activity?

Operators check conditions each morning. If conditions are unsafe, they contact you directly and reschedule at no cost. In Switzerland, safety standards are not negotiable, no operator runs a tour that shouldn't run.

One practical tip: if you plan two or more activities, build one flexible day into your itinerary. Weather in the Bernese Oberland shifts fast, especially in spring and autumn.

That flexible day is easier to fill when you already have options in mind. Our honest guide to Interlaken lists what works in rain, what to skip, and how to reach each place by public transport.

Can children paraglide in Interlaken?

Yes: Paragliding Interlaken takes children from age 6 (checked on 8 October 2026), and other operators set their own limits. Skydiving starts at age 12 at the Reichenbach dropzone, and anyone under 18 needs a waiver signed by a parent or legal guardian. For canyoning, kayaking and rafting, the minimum age depends on the operator: ask when you book.

What should I bring on an adventure day?

Closed shoes, layers (the lake might be 28°C while the launch site is 12°C), a light rain jacket, sunglasses, sunscreen, water. Most operators provide all the technical gear.

How Do I Plan the Perfect Adventure Day in Interlaken?

Plan one big thrill per day, keep a spare day for the weather, and save one evening for the landscape.

The Bernese Oberland rewards travelers who plan with intent and stay flexible with weather. Some of the best days I have ever had in this region were the ones where the morning's plan got cancelled by clouds and the afternoon's improvisation became a story.

Still hesitating? You came to Interlaken for the famous thing, and you want to do it first. Pierre's answer:

"Do the paragliding in the morning, our tour in the evening."

Pierre Vetsch, guide and founder, interview of 8 October 2026

Our evening tours leave Interlaken at 3:30 pm. On the Sunset Sledding & Fondue, if neither run has safe snow, you choose between another date and a full refund, and you can cancel free of charge up to 48 hours before departure.

Whatever else you book, take the popular slots early and pack layers. Then keep one winter evening for that light on the Jungfrau: save my seat on a Sunset Sledding & Fondue evening.

How we made this: facts and prices checked at the official sources on 8 October 2026, written with AI assistance.

*Written by Timoté Baily, your mountain photographer at Swiss Local Adventures

Source:

On-site experience and guided tours in the Interlaken region, Bernese Oberland, 2026.