Interlaken Winter Activities, Ranked by a Local Guide

Winter activities in Interlaken start above the town. Snow on the valley floor is rare and melts fast, while the Jungfrau ski region above it counts 211 km of pistes, 50 km of sled runs and 100 km of winter hiking trails. The one real winter mistake here, in my view, is staying down in town because you don't ski.

My ranking, as a local guide who takes sledding and snowshoe groups up to Sulwald: first, sunset sledding from Sulwald down to Isenfluh; second, snowshoeing on a marked trail; third, a ski day between the Männlichen and Kleine Scheidegg. I guide the first two for Swiss Local Adventures, so the criteria are written out below, and you can do both without us.

Every price and date in this guide was checked at the official source on 30 September 2026, for the 2026-27 season. That includes what shuts: the Harder Kulm funicular, the first sight TripAdvisor lists for Interlaken, runs no trains from 30 November 2026 to 25 March 2027.

What are the best winter activities in Interlaken?

Sunset sledding at Isenfluh, snowshoeing on a marked trail, then a ski day between the Männlichen and Kleine Scheidegg. I ranked them on four criteria: what you must learn before you start, how much winter mountain you get for your day, what it costs, and how much a thin winter can spoil it.

1. Sunset sledding, Sulwald to Isenfluh. You need no lessons and no ski gear. On your own, the cable car costs CHF 16 return and a sled CHF 7, and the forest road drops from 1,520 to 1,095 metres over 4.7 km. It loses points on snow: the run ends low, and some weeks it has too little.

2. Snowshoeing. A blue trail asks for no lessons either, and 12 marked trails lie within about 70 minutes of Interlaken. You climb before you come down, and on your own you rent the snowshoes, from CHF 15 for the first day in Matten.

3. Skiing, Männlichen to Kleine Scheidegg. The most terrain of the three, and the only one that asks for skills, rental and a day pass from CHF 79 before you start.

I guide numbers 1 and 2, and we sell both as tours: weigh my ranking with that in mind. The Isenfluh cable car, the sled rental and the marked trails are public, and each section below shows how to do them on your own.

Prices and dates read at each operator's official source on 30 September 2026. Magic Park dates from the regional press; its prices were not published.

The table in words. Sledding from Sulwald on your own costs CHF 16 for the Isenfluh cable car return and CHF 7 for a sled; our Sunset Sledding with Swiss Cheese Fondue costs CHF 139, from mid-December to early April, snow permitting. Snowshoe rental starts at CHF 15 for the first day at Swiss Alpine Guides in Matten, and our snowshoe tour costs CHF 129, from mid-December to April. A Jungfrau Ski Region day pass costs CHF 79, or CHF 83 in peak season; the Männlichen sector is planned from 12 December 2026 to 4 April 2027 and Kleine Scheidegg from 21 November 2026 to 25 April 2027. The Winter Hiking and Sledging Pass costs CHF 61, or CHF 64 in peak season, from 21 November 2026 to 25 April 2027.

Hightide's winter kayak on Lake Brienz costs CHF 139 for an adult, from 1 November to 30 April. A tandem paraglide from Beatenberg starts at CHF 190, on an offer valid until 27 March 2027. The Schilthorn return from Stechelberg costs CHF 115 on a price list valid until 12 December 2026, and the Jungfraujoch return starts at CHF 129.60. The Top of Europe Magic Park runs from 18 December 2026 to 28 February 2027. The Christmas markets of Thun (27 November to 23 December 2026) and Brienz (28 and 29 November 2026) are free, and so are Touch the Mountains on 1 January and the Harder-Potschete on 2 January 2027. The Harder Kulm funicular runs no trains from 30 November 2026 to 25 March 2027.

What can you do in Interlaken in winter if you don't ski?

Go up anyway, and sled, snowshoe or walk. On the timetable for 13 January 2027, the train takes 37 minutes from Interlaken Ost to Wengen and 50 to Mürren, and the Isenfluh cable car is 47 minutes away. Asked which winter activity I would warn people off, I did not name an activity.

Pierre says: "Not going up, even if you don't ski."

Pierre Vetsch, founder and head guide at Swiss Local Adventures

Interlaken Ost sits at 567 metres. Down there you get the lake and the town lights; the snow, the forest runs and the long views start higher up.

Sledding. My guests talk about the sunset at the top, the descent through the forest by headlamp and the small Isenfluh cable car, as I wrote in Interlaken in winter, worth it if you go up. A guest on another operator's night sledding tour wrote on TripAdvisor, in December 2021, that sledding is for children in the USA, and that these sleds went fast.

The runs, from the beginner's choice to the steep one, are compared in sledding in Interlaken: 9 runs. Isenfluh has its own guide, the egg cable car to Sulwald, and the risks are laid out in is night sledding dangerous.

Snowshoeing. The 12 marked trails range from a 2 km forest loop above Isenfluh to a 10.7 km crossing above Lake Thun. For a first time alone, I send people to the Chänelegg loop in Mürren, and when I ask my own snowshoe guests what stayed with them, they name the silence in the forest. Our Snowshoe Tour with Swiss Cheese Fondue, at CHF 129, walks the blue Sulwald Trail, and snowshoeing in Interlaken: 12 marked trails compares them all.

Walking. The Jungfrau railways' Winter Hiking and Sledging Pass costs CHF 61 a day, CHF 64 in peak season, from 21 November 2026 to 25 April 2027. Without skis, you can also walk up and ride what I call the eggs, the cable cars at Grindelwald-Männlichen or the Schilthorn.

Where can you ski near Interlaken, and what does a day cost?

My pick is the area between the Männlichen and Kleine Scheidegg, where a Jungfrau Ski Region day pass costs CHF 79, or CHF 83 in peak season. The Männlichen sector is planned from 12 December 2026 to 4 April 2027, and Kleine Scheidegg from 21 November 2026 to 25 April 2027, snow permitting.

I am also an Austrian state-qualified ski instructor. On the four criteria above, skiing comes third: it is the only activity on this list that asks for skills and gear before you start.

Peak season runs from 19 December 2026 to 3 January 2027 and from 30 January to 28 February 2027, and in low season the weekend costs the peak rate. A day pass costs CHF 45 for ages 16 to 19 and CHF 38 for children from 6 to 15; a half day from 12:00 costs CHF 62. On Saturdays, up to three children aged 6 to 15 ski free when an adult buys a full-price day or afternoon pass.

Insider tip: A ski instructor I met in Interlaken gave me three pieces of advice. Come in March: more sun and fewer people. Mürren is calmer than Grindelwald. And a beginner starts best at the Axalp or at the bottom of Grindelwald, where, he said, you do not even need to buy a ski pass. In Mürren, stay at the foot of the Allmendhubel, without riding the funicular.

On 30 September 2026, the Jungfrau railways had not set their opening day: it depends on the snow. You can cancel a ski pass free of charge until the day before. After that, the region refunds nothing if the lifts stop, you get hurt or you fall ill, and it sells an insurance for those cases. The four ski areas and how to reach them are in skiing near Interlaken. If you arrive before the lifts open, Lauterbrunnen in November lists what runs.

Can you still get on the lakes, or in the air, in winter?

Yes: by kayak on Lake Brienz from November to April, and by tandem paraglider from Beatenberg, though the Lake Brienz boats stop on 6 December 2026. I have done both a winter kayak and a winter paraglide, and when a guest asks me to choose one, I say the kayak.

The winter kayak. Hightide Kayak School runs it from 1 November to 30 April: three hours, two of them on the water, in a drysuit, six people at most per group. An adult pays CHF 139 and a young person from 12 to 15 pays CHF 119. The tour takes guests from 12, and the details are on our Winter Kayak page. Departures leave between 9:15 and 9:45 in the morning and between 13:15 and 13:45 in the afternoon. The rest is in winter kayaking in Interlaken.

Paragliding. Tandem pilots fly in winter when conditions allow, with a thinner offer than in summer. MySwitzerland listed The Golden Eagle, a tandem flight from Beatenberg sold by Swiss Activities, from CHF 190, on an offer valid until 27 March 2027. If you hesitate between the two kinds of wing, read hang gliding or paragliding; prices across operators are in tandem paragliding in Interlaken.

The boats. BLS stops sailing Lake Brienz after 6 December 2026 and starts again on 26 March 2027. Lake Thun keeps one return trip a day through the winter, until 21 March 2027: on the BLS timetable, the boat leaves Thun at 11:40, reaches Interlaken West at 13:49 and sails back at 14:10. On Sundays, a brunch cruise leaves Thun at 9:40.

Which mountain is worth it in winter: Jungfraujoch, Schilthorn or Harder Kulm?

In the Jungfrau region, skip the Harder Kulm in winter: its funicular runs no trains from 30 November 2026 to 25 March 2027 and restarts on 26 March. The Schilthorn and the Jungfraujoch run in winter. Choose them on the day by the weather, because the classic winter mistake here is paying for the Jungfraujoch under cloud.

Insider tip: The Harder Kulm was the first sight on TripAdvisor's list of things to do in Interlaken on 30 September 2026, and some winter guides still send you up there. Check the funicular before you build a day around it.

The Schilthorn. The return from Stechelberg costs CHF 115 for an adult and CHF 57.50 with a half-fare card, on a price list valid until 12 December 2026. The winter 2026-27 prices were not published on 30 September 2026. On a foggy day in town, I go up to the Schilthorn or the Niederhorn, as I wrote in our winter guide to Interlaken.

The Jungfraujoch. The Jungfrau railways list the return trip "from CHF 129.60" without saying from which station or with which discount card, and we could not read the full winter fare from Interlaken. Skiers holding a pass of three days or more get the Top Ticket to the Jungfraujoch for CHF 63, from 1 December 2026 to 30 April 2027. Two other classic viewpoints, the Schynige Platte and the Brienzer Rothorn, do not run in January.

What's on in Interlaken in December and January?

An ice park in the Kursaal garden from 18 December 2026, Christmas markets in Thun and Brienz, a free concert on 1 January and the Harder-Potschete on 2 January 2027. Ice Magic, the rink that some winter guides still list, has not taken place since 2022.

Radio BeO reports that the Top of Europe Magic Park replaces Ice Magic in the Kursaal garden from 18 December 2026 to 28 February 2027, with an ice rink of about 1,000 m², a covered lane for Bavarian curling, ice mini-golf, a Christmas market and food stalls. On 30 September 2026 we found no official page, and prices and opening hours were not published.

Interlaken Tourism listed no Christmas market in Interlaken itself on 30 September 2026. Thun holds one from Friday 27 November to Wednesday 23 December 2026, about 50 chalets from the Waisenhausplatz to the Mühleplatz, free entry. Brienz holds its Erlebnis Weihnachtsmarkt on 28 November (12:00 to 21:00) and 29 November 2026 (10:00 to 18:00).

At New Year, Touch the Mountains fills the Höheweg along the Höhematte every 1 January: a free open-air concert with Swiss bands, apart from the Golden Circle tickets, with fireworks at the end. The next day, Saturday 2 January 2027, the Harder-Potschete parade leaves the Marktplatz, loops through Unterseen and comes back. Watching costs nothing.

Asked for my favourite winter moment here, sledding and snowshoeing aside, I answered:

Pierre says: "The bells of the Potschete."

Pierre

Interlaken Tourism describes the parade: you hear the heavy bells of the Trychler, the bell ringers, from far away, while masked figures called Potschen run through the streets and the Hardermannli, a wooden stick in hand, frightens the crowd along the road. The noise is meant to drive out the evil spirits of winter.

Fun fact: The Hardermannli has a face you can see from town. Below the Harder summit, a rock face shows the giant head and shoulders of a man, and local legend made him the evil mountain spirit who comes down to the valley every 2 January, according to Interlaken Tourism.

What should you do with one winter day, or when it rains?

One day and no skis: Isenfluh, for the evening sled run. Rain in Interlaken: go up anyway, to Mürren, 50 minutes from Interlaken Ost, where you usually find snow instead. Those are the two answers I give guests, and both follow the same rule as the rest of this guide: go up.

Pierre says: "Isenfluh, the evening sled run."

Our sledding tour leaves Interlaken at 15:30, which leaves you the morning for the town or the lake.

When it rains in the valley, my answer does not change much.

Pierre says: "We go up. Usually Mürren: up there, it's snow."

Mürren sits higher than Isenfluh: the Bob Run starts at the Allmendhubel at 1,907 metres, against 1,095 metres at the bottom of the Isenfluh run. The Allmendhubel funicular reopens on 12 December 2026 after its autumn closure. Mürren has no road, so plan the three ways up to Mürren first. If you are still choosing a village, Wengen or Mürren compares the two. The other winter villages, from Grindelwald to Iseltwald, are in winter day trips from Interlaken.

Your Questions About Winter Activities in Interlaken

Short answers first: children have sled runs, a rink and free skiing on Saturdays; the New Year events and the Christmas markets cost nothing; Interlaken works as a base if you mix activities; and you dress for sitting in snow.

What can children do in Interlaken in winter?

Sled first. The Niederhorn run, 3 km from the summit to the Vorsass middle station above Beatenberg, is the one I name for families. Its operator rates it medium, says beginners can ride it and asks that small children sled under supervision. In the Jungfrau ski region, a child from 6 to 15 pays CHF 38 for a ski day and CHF 30 for the Winter Hiking and Sledging Pass, and on Saturdays up to three children ski free with an adult on a full-price pass. In town, the Magic Park ice rink in the Kursaal garden opens on 18 December 2026. Our sledding and snowshoe tours take children from 10, under-15s with an adult.

Are there free things to do in Interlaken in winter?

Yes, around New Year and on foot. Touch the Mountains on 1 January 2027 is free apart from the Golden Circle tickets, and the Harder-Potschete on 2 January costs nothing to watch. The Christmas markets of Thun and Brienz charge no entry. The Winter Park on the Höhematte, a free park of recycled Christmas trees open from 8:30 to 21:30, ran from 10 January to 1 March 2026; its 2027 edition was not published on 30 September 2026. Everything above the valley costs a lift ticket, from CHF 16 return for the Isenfluh cable car. For the town itself, see our local guide to Interlaken.

Should you stay in Interlaken or in a mountain village in winter?

It depends on how many days you will ski. A member of the TripAdvisor forum summed it up years ago: Interlaken is no ski resort. That is true, and the trains make up for it: on the timetable for 13 January 2027, Interlaken Ost reaches Grindelwald in 36 minutes, Wengen in 37 and Mürren in 50. If you plan to ski every day, a village saves you that train each morning. Non-skiers can pick either: another forum member spent five January days in Grindelwald without skiing. For ideas beyond winter, start with our best day trips from Interlaken.

For a short stay, Pierre's verdict and the hours of winter sun in each place are in Interlaken or Grindelwald in winter.

What should you wear for winter activities around Interlaken?

Dress for sitting in snow as much as for walking in it. Our sledding tour page asks for gloves, ski trousers, a warm jacket, a beanie and waterproof shoes or winter boots. If you travel light, you can rent a jacket, trousers and gloves as a full set for CHF 5, subject to availability, if you ask by email before the day. On snowshoes you warm up on the first climb: wear layers you can take off and carry. The Swiss accident prevention office, the BFU, recommends a helmet for sledding, and a ski or bike helmet both work. We do not provide helmets on our tours, so bring your own.

Spend a winter evening on the sled with a local guide

The honest worry about a sledding evening near Interlaken is the snow. The Isenfluh run ends at 1,095 metres, and its snow varies a lot from one winter to the next. Other operators cancel for it too: a guest on another company's night sledding tour wrote on TripAdvisor, in January 2024, that it was called off for lack of snow.

Our tour page puts the answer in writing. When the snow at Isenfluh is too thin, we move the tour to Mürren, higher up the valley. If the weather stops the evening altogether, we offer another date, another activity or a full refund, and you can cancel up to 48 hours before.

The evening itself: we pick you up at 15:30 at the Adventure Hostel, Interlaken Ost station or Balmers, drive to Isenfluh and ride the small red cable car up to Sulwald as the sun goes down. You sled down through the forest with a headlamp, your guide rides at the back of the group, and the fondue with one drink waits back in Interlaken. It lasts four hours, Wednesday to Sunday, from mid-December to early April. The sled and the headlamp are included, from age 10, under-15s with an adult, and eight guests at most.

Our Google profile showed 5.0 stars from 54 reviews on 30 September 2026.

If you want the sunset at the top, the forest by headlamp and a warm fondue waiting in town, save your seat on the Sunset Sledding with Swiss Cheese Fondue, at CHF 139 per person.

How we made this: based on Pierre's interviews of 24 and 30 September 2026, facts and prices checked at the official sources on 30 September 2026, written with AI assistance.

Source: Jungfrau Railways, Winter Season 2026/27 skipass price list, Interlaken Tourism, Harder-Potschete, and guided sledding and snowshoe tours at Isenfluh with Swiss Local Adventures, 2025-2026.

*Written by Pierre Vetsch, founder and head guide at Swiss Local Adventures