Winter Day Trips from Interlaken: What Runs, Last Way Back

The best winter day trips from Interlaken take you up the mountain, skis or no skis. On a clear day I send people to the Schilthorn first and the Niederhorn second; when cloud sits on every summit, I send them down to Thun or Bern. Watch the clock: on Wednesday 20 January 2027, the last ride down from six of these trips leaves at 17:00 or earlier, starting with the Niederhorn at 16:25.

I'm a local guide in Interlaken. In winter I'm in Mürren and Lauterbrunnen every weekend, and I ski in Grindelwald every Tuesday. Without skis, I have done five of these trips in winter: the Schilthorn, the Niederhorn, First and its Cliff Walk, the Oeschinensee, and the walk from the Männlichen to Kleine Scheidegg. Below, each place has its winter 2026-27 dates, the real time from Interlaken Ost and the last way back, checked at the official sources on 4 October 2026.

What are the best winter day trips from Interlaken?

On a clear day, the Schilthorn, then the Niederhorn. Over three days, Mürren and the Schilthorn, then First, then an evening sled run at Isenfluh. When cloud hides every summit, Thun or Bern. Those are my picks for a winter without skis.

The evening sled run is our own tour; every other trip on this page works on your own, by train and bus.

Skip for a single day: Iseltwald and Brienz. In winter I find both in the shade and cold; that is my impression. One fact adds to it: no boat sails on Lake Brienz from 7 December 2026 to 25 March 2027. I don't send people to Zurich for a day either: good for living, not for visiting. And if the Harder Kulm is on your list, its funicular runs no trains from 30 November 2026 to 25 March 2027.

The Jungfraujoch runs 365 days a year, 97 minutes from Interlaken Ost via the Eiger Express, with the last way back at 16:45. The classic winter mistake I see is paying for it under cloud; I weigh whether it pays off in the Jungfraujoch in winter.

Pierre says: "Often a lot of people. The view is nice, but it's expensive for what it is, and sometimes it's in the clouds, so no view. I prefer the Schilthorn, Piz Gloria."

Pierre Vetsch, founder and head guide at Swiss Local Adventures

Swiss timetable for Wednesday 20 January 2027 (St. Beatus Caves: Friday 15 January), read on 4 October 2026; last gondolas at the Männlichen and the Oeschinensee from the operators. Winter dates from the operators, or from the Swiss timetable where marked.

The table in words, from Interlaken Ost:

• Schilthorn, my first pick: 71 minutes, all winter, last cable car down at 17:00.

• Niederhorn, my second pick: 63 minutes, 19 December 2026 to 7 March 2027 on the Swiss timetable, last gondola 16:25.

• Grindelwald First: 75 minutes, gondola from 28 November 2026 on the Swiss timetable, last one 16:45.

• Männlichen: 54 minutes, 12 December 2026 to 4 April 2027, last gondola 16:30.

• Jungfraujoch: 97 minutes, 365 days a year, last way back 16:45.

• Oeschinensee: 87 minutes, gondola from 5 December 2026 to 7 March 2027, last one 16:50.

• Lauterbrunnen: 22 minutes, Staubbach Falls in view, last train back 23:31.

• Isenfluh-Sulwald: 47 minutes, cable car 7:00 to 18:15, last bus 17:13.

• Blausee: 72 minutes, 365 days a year, evening lights until 10 January 2027, last bus 22:08.

• Iseltwald and Brienz, skip for one day: 16 and 17 minutes, no boats from 7 December 2026 to 25 March 2027, last back 20:26 and 22:33.

• Thun: 34 minutes, Christmas market 27 November to 23 December 2026, last train 00:36.

• Bern: 56 minutes, markets 19 November to 27 December 2026, last train 00:08.

• St. Beatus Caves: 33 minutes by the 14:10 boat from Interlaken West, open 21 November 2026 to 20 March 2027, bus back 16:37 or 17:37.

For activities rather than places, winter activities ranked by a guide compares sledding, snowshoeing and skiing. For summer and the passes, start with our day trips from Interlaken.

Schilthorn, Niederhorn or First: where should you go up on a clear winter day?

The Schilthorn first, then the Niederhorn. That is my order for a clear January day, and I have been up all three in winter.

Pierre says: "For the Schilthorn, you go through Lauterbrunnen and Mürren, so I put it first. But the view is more beautiful from the Niederhorn."

Pierre

The Schilthorn. From Interlaken Ost it takes 71 minutes: the train, bus 141 to Stechelberg and three cable cars. On 20 January 2027 the last cable car down leaves the summit at 17:00 and reaches Interlaken Ost at 18:24. At Piz Gloria the operator lists the Skyline View terrace and the revolving Piz Gloria restaurant. I was up there on 9 March 2026. Its 2026-27 fares were not published on 4 October 2026.

The Niederhorn. It is the closest of the three: 63 minutes from Interlaken Ost, by bus 21 to Beatenbucht, the funicular to Beatenberg and the gondola. The Swiss timetable has it running from 19 December 2026 to 7 March 2027, with the last gondola down at 16:25. Its 3 km sled run to Vorsass is the one I name for families, as in the Niederhorn and other sled runs; the last sled leaves the top at 16:00. I was up there on 3 March 2026.

On snowshoes, the Niederhorn has the longest signposted trail in the canton of Bern, from Vorsass over the Grünenbergpass to Habkern in about six hours, a crossing I advise beginners against. The other routes are in snowshoe trails around Interlaken.

First is not in my top two for a single clear day, but it is day two of my three-day plan. It takes 75 minutes from Interlaken Ost by train, bus 122 and gondola. The gondola runs again from 28 November 2026 on the Swiss timetable, and on 20 January 2027 the last one down leaves at 16:45.

From 8 March 2027 into the spring, the timetable shows no Niederhorn service, so the choice is the Schilthorn or First. On a day of fog in Interlaken, the Schilthorn and the Niederhorn are the two I name to get above it.

Can you walk from the Männlichen to Kleine Scheidegg in winter?

Yes. The winter path from the Männlichen to Kleine Scheidegg is 6.5 km long, and the operators give it between 2 hours 30 and 2 hours 45, depending on the page. I have walked it in winter without skis.

The Grindelwald-Männlichen gondola is one of the cable cars I call the eggs. From Interlaken Ost, the trip to the Männlichen takes 54 minutes, by train to Grindelwald Terminal and then the gondola. It runs from 12 December 2026 to 4 April 2027.

Fares for winter 2026-27. Grindelwald Terminal to the Männlichen costs CHF 72 return; the loop ticket, up by gondola and back down from Kleine Scheidegg via Grindelwald Grund, costs CHF 73.80. A Half Fare Card, GA or Swiss Travel Pass halves both. The Jungfrau railways' Hiking and Sledging Pass covers both; it costs an adult CHF 61 a day, or CHF 64 in peak season and at weekends.

The last gondola down leaves at 16:30 until 29 January 2027, and at 17:00 from 30 January. Once you have walked to Kleine Scheidegg, the train sets your evening: on 20 January 2027 the last one to Interlaken Ost leaves at 18:31 and arrives at 19:54.

If you do ski, skiing between Männlichen and Kleine Scheidegg is my first pick for a ski day.

Is the Lauterbrunnen valley worth a day trip in winter?

Yes, as the gateway to Mürren, the Schilthorn and Isenfluh. The train takes 22 minutes from Interlaken Ost, and on 20 January 2027 the last one back leaves at 23:31.

The valley floor is dark in winter: in December and January, I'd say the sun almost never reaches the village. If you are choosing where to sleep, Lauterbrunnen or Interlaken in winter covers the cold and the dark.

You come for the Staubbach Falls, in view all year; in winter, the Jungfrau railways write, the fall is "not rarely" frozen. I always see a small trickle of water, with ice on the rock walls. The gallery behind the falls and the Trümmelbach Falls are closed in winter, as a day trip to Lauterbrunnen explains, and the best time to see Lauterbrunnen gives the hour to go.

In the evening, after 17:00:

Pierre says: "Dark and cold in winter, but light on the Staubbach Falls."

Pierre

Mürren or Wengen? For a winter day I choose Mürren, and Wengen or Mürren in winter says why; the three ways up to Mürren explains the routes.

Isenfluh takes 47 minutes, by train to Lauterbrunnen and PostBus 142, and its small cable car to Sulwald runs from 7:00 to 18:15. On 20 January 2027 the last bus leaves the village at 17:13, so without a car the 17:00 cable car from Sulwald is your last connection; the sled run and the bus are in the egg cable car to Sulwald.

Insider tip: Peter, who works at the Isenfluh cable car, gave me this tip: the Lobhornhütte, going up via Sulwald, past the waterfall and on up to the small hamlet in the Soustal. The marked way is the red Lobhorn Trail from the Sulwald top station: 4.0 km there and back with 430 metres of climbing, by the cable car operator's figures, and about two hours up, by the hut's. The operator says to go only in good snow conditions or with enough knowledge: the ground is moderately steep, with occasional steeper or exposed passages, and it takes some snowshoe experience, sure feet and a head for heights. In winter the hut is staffed only at weekends in good weather, and its website says from Thursday whether it opens. On 4 October 2026 its booking calendar showed Friday and Saturday nights from 11 December 2026 to 13 March 2027 (not 25 December), and every night from 26 December 2026 to 2 January 2027. Away from signposted snowshoe routes, the Swiss accident prevention office, the BFU, says you need an avalanche transceiver, a probe, a shovel and practice in using them.

Can you visit the Oeschinensee in winter?

Yes. The gondola from Kandersteg runs daily from 5 December 2026 to 7 March 2027, 9:00 to 17:00, and a groomed winter path takes you from the top station to the shore in 25 to 30 minutes.

I have been up in winter without skis. The last gondola down leaves at 16:50, and from 8 March to 23 April 2027 it does not run at all.

Getting there takes 87 minutes from Interlaken Ost: the train to Kandersteg with one change, then a 15-minute walk to the valley station. The last train from Kandersteg on 20 January 2027 leaves at 22:45. The gondola's 2026-27 fares were not published on 4 October 2026.

Will the lake be frozen? For part of the winter, maybe. The operator writes that the lake freezes over only for a limited time and becomes accessible only when it is freezing cold and snow covers the ice. Walk on the ice only when the operator opens the Ice Walk, and check the Oeschinensee Ice Walk status on the morning you go. Ice fishing usually starts on 1 January, at your own risk, the operator states.

A traveller on TripAdvisor in December 2023 had been told the lake would be frozen in December and found it was not.

There is no sled run down to the valley; the operator allows sledding only in the Oeschiland beginners' park. It is the day I add to my three winter days:

Pierre says: "And why not a day trip to the Oeschinensee."

Pierre

The Blausee goes with it: in my all-season plan for five nights, Kandersteg comes with the Blausee and the Oeschinensee. The Blausee is 72 minutes from Interlaken Ost by train to Frutigen and bus 230, open 365 days a year. An adult pays CHF 11 on weekdays and CHF 13 at weekends and on public holidays. Its Path of 1000 Lights runs from 16:00 to 20:00 on set days from 19 November 2026 to 10 January 2027, and every day from 25 December to 3 January. On 20 January 2027 the last way back leaves at 22:08. For the lake in summer, read our guide to Oeschinensee.

Do Lake Brienz and Lake Thun freeze in winter?

No: even in the winter of 1962-63, when Lake Zurich froze over, the cold was not enough to freeze Lake Brienz or Lake Thun, according to MeteoSwiss. The federal weather office finds few historical reports of either lake freezing, if any.

I live on the shore of Lake Brienz, in Ringgenberg, and I have never seen ice on it. In winter the lake changes colour.

Pierre says: "Darker, green-blue, it depends on the sun."

Is Iseltwald worth it in winter?

Iseltwald. PostBus 103 from Interlaken Ost takes 16 minutes; on 20 January 2027 the last one back from Iseltwald leaves at 20:26. The pier from Crash Landing on You costs CHF 5 and has its own guide, the Crash Landing on You pier.

Brienz is 17 minutes by train, with the last train back at 22:33 on 20 January 2027. No boat sails on the lake from 7 December 2026 to 25 March 2027, and the Giessbach funicular stops for the winter too. The village itself is in a day trip to Brienz.

My verdict stays: not for a single winter day. Kayak tours still go out on the lake in winter; read winter kayaking on Lake Brienz for how it works.

Thun or Bern: where should you go when cloud hides every summit?

Go down to the towns. When cloud hides every summit and even the top shows nothing, Thun and Bern are the two I send guests to.

Pierre says: "Either Thun, or Bern for the day."

Both are my picks, and your dates help you choose between them. Rain in Interlaken alone is another case: then go up, as I explain in what to do when it rains.

Thun is 29 minutes from Interlaken West by train and 34 from Interlaken Ost. Its castle publishes recurring hours, without a year: 13:00 to 16:00, on Sundays only from November to January, every day from 25 December to 10 January, and every day in February and March. Entry costs CHF 10, free with the Swiss Travel Pass. The Christmas market runs from 27 November to 23 December 2026.

All winter, one boat a day each way links Thun and Interlaken West, with a restaurant on board. It leaves Interlaken West at 14:10 and reaches Thun at 16:20: before Christmas, Monday to Saturday, that puts you in Thun for the market evening. On Saturdays from 14 November to 19 December 2026, a cheese fondue cruise leaves Thun at 19:10 and returns at 21:20, for CHF 75.

Bern is 51 minutes from Interlaken West and 56 from Interlaken Ost. Its onion market, the Zibelemärit, takes place on Monday 23 November 2026, from early morning until 18:00. The Sternenmarkt on the Kleine Schanze runs from 19 November to 27 December 2026, the Christmas market on the Waisenhausplatz from 27 November to 24 December, and the one on the Münsterplatz from 28 November to 24 December.

The calendar. Before Christmas, both towns have markets, and Bern has three. On weekdays from 11 to 31 January, Thun Castle stays shut, so go to Bern. On the night of 20 January 2027, the last trains back leave after midnight: 00:36 from Thun, 00:08 from Bern.

When is the last way down from each winter day trip?

On Wednesday 20 January 2027, the last ride down from six trips in this guide leaves at 17:00 or earlier. The last way down that day, on the Swiss timetable, with the arrival at Interlaken Ost:

• Niederhorn: 16:25 (last sled 16:00), at Interlaken Ost 17:34.

• Männlichen: 16:30 (17:00 from 30 January), at Interlaken Ost 17:54.

• Grindelwald First: 16:45, at Interlaken Ost 18:24.

• Jungfraujoch: 16:45, at Interlaken Ost 18:24.

• Schilthorn summit: 17:00, at Interlaken Ost 18:24.

• Isenfluh: the 17:13 bus from the village, at Interlaken Ost 17:54.

• Kleine Scheidegg: 18:31, at Interlaken Ost 19:54.

Add the Oeschinensee, where the last gondola down leaves at 16:50. Mürren stays connected later: the last way back leaves at 19:58 via Grütschalp, or 22:51 via Stechelberg. These are timetable times read on 4 October 2026; apart from the Männlichen and the Oeschinensee, the lift companies had not confirmed them, so check them the day before.

Eleven summer classics around Interlaken are closed in mid-winter, and what is open in winter gives the wider picture:

• Harder Kulm funicular: no trains from 30 November 2026 to 25 March 2027.

• Schynige Platte: last day 25 October 2026, 2027 reopening not published.

• The Brienzer Rothorn steam train: season over on 25 October 2026.

• Lake Brienz boats: none from 7 December 2026 to 25 March 2027.

• The Giessbach funicular: stopped for the winter.

• Trümmelbach Falls: closed from early November to early April.

• Staubbach gallery: open from May to October only.

• Ballenberg open-air museum: closed from 2 November 2026 to 14 April 2027.

• The Aare Gorge in Meiringen: closed after 1 November 2026, 2027 season not published.

• Reichenbach Falls funicular: closed from 5 October 2026.

• Spiez Castle museum: closed from 1 November 2026 to 30 April 2027, park open.

Insider tip: The Harder Kulm page on the Jungfrau railways' site does not say it closes in winter. The Swiss timetable does: last trains on 29 November 2026, next one on 26 March 2027 at 9:10.

Early winter has its own gaps: the First gondola has no departures on the timetable from 26 October to 27 November, the Niederhorn none from 16 November to 18 December, and the Oeschinensee gondola runs at weekends only from 14 to 29 November, then not at all until 4 December. Lauterbrunnen in November lists what still runs.

Guests who went off on their own tell me about two regrets: city shoes in the snow, and arriving in front of a place that was closed. More broadly:

Pierre says: "Either not well prepared, or too many things planned and not enjoying them, or badly informed."

How would a local guide spend three winter days around Interlaken?

Day one, Mürren and the Schilthorn; day two, First; day three, the evening sled run at Isenfluh. I plan three winter days without skis in that order, and the Oeschinensee makes a fourth.

Day one: Mürren and the Schilthorn. The Allmendhubel funicular reopens on 12 December 2026 and climbs to 1,907 metres in four minutes; the Bob Run starts up there. On Thursday and Friday evenings from 7 January to 5 March 2027, its Sledging & Fondue costs CHF 35 with the funicular, sleds not included. Mürren hosts the Inferno race from 20 to 23 January 2027. If it rains in Interlaken that day, we usually go up to Mürren anyway: up there, it's snow.

Fun fact: The bobsleigh scenes of the 1969 James Bond film were shot on the Bob Run above Mürren, according to the Schilthorn cableway.

Day two: First. The Jungfrau railways list the First Flyer and the First Glider as running "in winter too". For a long day, the Big Pintenfritz starts with about two and a half hours on foot from First up to the Faulhorn. I have done it, and yes, it is worth the walk; the Big Pintenfritz and other runs compares it with the rest.

Day three: the evening sled run. Our sledding tour picks you up at 15:30, which leaves the morning free. If you sled on your own instead, where a local guide eats fondue helps with the evening.

The Niederhorn, my second pick for one clear day, does not make these three days; First does. When cloud covers everything, swap in Thun or Bern.

My all-season plan for five nights, in staying in Lauterbrunnen or Interlaken, also has the Brienzer Rothorn and Meiringen. Neither works in January: the Rothorn train's season ends on 25 October 2026, and the Aare Gorge closes after 1 November.

Your Questions About Winter Day Trips from Interlaken

What is the most beautiful village near Interlaken in winter?

For a winter day, my pick is Mürren, for the reasons in Wengen or Mürren compared: more things to do, a better exposure, and I prefer the resort. Mürren is 50 minutes from Interlaken Ost. Gimmelwald, the cable car stop between Stechelberg and Mürren, I see in winter mostly as a place you pass through, as I explain in is Gimmelwald worth visiting. Lauterbrunnen, down on the valley floor, is the dark one: in December and January, I'd say the sun almost never reaches it.

Can you still do the First Cliff Walk in winter?

Yes. The Jungfrau railways list the First Cliff Walk among the winter highlights of their ski region, marked "Incl. in ski pass", and I have walked it in winter without skis. On the Swiss timetable, the gondola from Grindelwald runs again from 28 November 2026, and on 20 January 2027 the last ride down leaves at 16:45. What happens to the Cliff Walk after a heavy snowfall was not published on 4 October 2026. For the Bachalpsee, the winter hike from First to Waldspitz and Bort, about three hours, passes close to the lake; the railway says to plan the detour to the shore, as the valley path branches off shortly before it.

What are the St. Beatus Caves' winter hours and prices?

From 21 November 2026 to 20 March 2027, the caves open Monday to Friday from 10:00 to 17:00 (last entry 16:15), Saturday from 10:00 to 18:30 (last entry 17:45) and Sunday from 10:00 to 17:00. An adult pays CHF 20 and a child from 6 to 16 pays CHF 12; inside it stays at 8 to 10 °C all year. In winter, the daily Lake Thun boat leaves Interlaken West at 14:10 and reaches the Beatushöhlen-Sundlauenen landing at 14:43. It then sails on to Thun, so you come back on bus 21: on 15 January 2027 it leaves at 16:37 or 17:37 and takes 13 minutes to Interlaken West.

What is on in Lucerne in winter, and how long is the trip?

A Christmas market and a free ice rink, 111 minutes away on the direct morning train from Interlaken Ost, the longest trip on this page. The Christmas market on the Franziskanerplatz runs from 3 to 21 December 2026, with stalls open from 11:00 to 20:00, and the Lucerne Ice Magic rink on the Europaplatz is free for everyone from 20 November 2026 to 1 January 2027. On 20 January 2027 the last train back leaves Lucerne at 23:00, with one change. If your dates miss the market, Thun and Bern are closer for a town day.

Do you need to book the Jungfraujoch in advance in winter?

No. The Jungfrau railways make the CHF 10 seat reservation mandatory only from 1 May to 31 October 2026, though they strongly recommend one in good weather. The risk with booking early is the weather. A traveller wrote on Viator in December 2022 that the refund policy left a choice between going up anyway and losing 800 dollars, and a TripAdvisor review of a December 2024 visit calls the trip not worth the money when the top is in fog. On 4 October 2026 the railway had not published its full winter fare from Interlaken.

End your winter day on a sled above the Lauterbrunnen valley

The worry about an evening sled run is the snow. At Isenfluh it is very variable, and we often switch to Mürren.

Our tour page puts the rule in writing. Before each tour we check both runs, Mürren and Isenfluh, and take the one in the best condition, at the same price. If neither run is safe, we cancel and you choose between another date and a full refund. You can cancel free of charge up to 48 hours before departure.

The evening: we pick you up in Interlaken at 15:30, at the Adventure Hostel, at Balmers or at the station, and confirm your pick-up point by message before the tour. We drive into the Lauterbrunnen valley, where a cable car takes you up into the snow. My guests talk about the sunset at the top, the run down through the forest by headlamp and the small Isenfluh cable car. The sled, the headlamp, mulled wine for adults, and a cheese fondue with one drink back in Interlaken are included. It lasts about four hours, Wednesday to Sunday, from 15 December 2026 to 11 April 2027, from age 10 (under 15s with an adult), with eight guests at most. In April, when the days are long, we cannot promise the sunset.

It fits after a morning in Lauterbrunnen, 22 minutes away, or Thun, 29 from Interlaken West: you are back for the 15:30 pick-up.

If you want the pink summits, the forest by headlamp and a fondue waiting in town, reserve the Sunset Sledding & Cheese Fondue, at CHF 139 per person, or CHF 129 each from six guests.

For a morning on snowshoes instead, our Snowshoe Tour with Swiss Cheese Fondue goes up from Isenfluh to Sulwald by the small cable car, at CHF 129 per person, or CHF 119 each from six guests.

How we made this: based on Pierre's interviews of 22 September to 4 October 2026, facts and prices checked at the official sources on 4 October 2026, written with AI assistance.

Source: Swiss public transport timetable, MeteoSwiss, and Pierre's own winter trips without skis to the Schilthorn, the Niederhorn, First, the Oeschinensee and the Männlichen.

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