When Does the Grindelwald Ski Season Open? By Sector

The Grindelwald ski season opens in two steps this winter: the high sector above the Eiger Express, from Eigergletscher down to Kleine Scheidegg and Wengen, is scheduled from 21 November 2026, and the Männlichen sector on the Grindelwald side from 12 December 2026. Grindelwald-First follows on 19 December. Those are the operator's dates as published on 30 October 2026, and the operator adds that until the end of November it may run weekends only, depending on snow.

So the short answer to "is Grindelwald ski resort open?" depends on the week and the sector. Here is what opens when, what you can actually ski on the first weekends, and when I tell guests to come.

When does the Grindelwald ski season open in 2026?

The Jungfrau railways' slope report gives these dates for the two sectors of the Grindelwald-Wengen area: Wengen, Kleine Scheidegg and Eigergletscher from 21 November 2026 to 25 April 2027, and Grindelwald, Holenstein and Männlichen from 12 December 2026 to 4 April 2027. Grindelwald-First, the sunny side above the village, runs from 19 December 2026 to 29 March 2027. Mürren-Schilthorn, across the valley, opens for weekends from 31 October and daily from 21 November.

The Männlichen date is firm on the lift side too: the Männlichen cableways closed for maintenance on 29 October and announce their winter reopening for Saturday 12 December 2026. Before that, the only way up from Grindelwald is the Eiger Express.

The table says: Wengen, Kleine Scheidegg and Eigergletscher open 21 November 2026 and close 25 April 2027, top 2,320 m; Grindelwald, Holenstein and Männlichen open 12 December 2026 and close 4 April 2027, top 2,232 m; Grindelwald-First opens 19 December 2026 and closes 29 March 2027, top 2,166 m; Mürren-Schilthorn runs weekends from 31 October, daily from 21 November, lower area to 4 April and upper area to 2 May 2027, top 2,970 m.

Fun fact: the ski pass itself is dated 21 November 2026 to 25 April 2027, so a day pass bought for a November weekend covers whatever the operator has opened, and the train from Interlaken Ost.

What is actually open in late November and early December?

The high sector only, and often at weekends only. Everything above Kleine Scheidegg sits between 2,061 m and 2,320 m, which is why the operator opens it first and why it holds snow when the valley is green. In those weeks you ride the Eiger Express from Grindelwald Terminal, ski between Eigergletscher and Kleine Scheidegg, and take the lift back up: the long runs to the Terminal and the whole Männlichen ridge wait for December.

I have skied an opening weekend in November at Kleine Scheidegg myself, and it was exactly that.

Pierre says: "Yes, the top only."

Nothing below the pass, no Männlichen, and the cabin down at the end instead of the forest run. Worth it if you are already here and the snow has come; not worth building a trip around.

My photo at the top of this page is from Saturday 13 December 2025 at Eigergletscher, the first weekend the Männlichen side was open last winter: a freshly groomed piste at 14:50, and legs that already wanted the forest run home. That weekend is the one I would aim for if you want the whole Grindelwald side early in the season.

Insider tip: from 21 November to the opening of Männlichen, buy the day pass at the Terminal rather than online if the forecast is uncertain. The operator refunds nothing after the day before at 23:59, and in November the weather decides whether the weekend runs at all.

When does the season end, and when is the snow best?

The Grindelwald side closes in two steps as well: Männlichen on 4 April 2027, Kleine Scheidegg and Eigergletscher on 25 April 2027. First closes on 29 March. If you want to ski into May, Mürren-Schilthorn keeps its upper area open until 2 May 2027.

High season on the pass runs from 19 December 2026 to 3 January 2027 and from 30 January to 28 February 2027, when a day costs CHF 83 instead of CHF 79. Asked when I would first tell a guest to come, my answer is the same every year.

Pierre says: "March, more sun and longer days."

March sits after the February crowds, outside high season, and before the April afternoons turn the lower runs soft. If your dates are fixed in December, aim for the Männlichen opening weekend and the high sector.

In April I am still on skis, but not here.

Pierre says: "Yes, Mürren-Birg."

The Männlichen side closes on 4 April, and the Birg sector above Mürren sits between 2,677 m and the Schilthorn at 2,970 m, which is where the snow lasts when the Grindelwald runs are going.

Is Grindelwald ski resort open today?

Check two pages before you buy: the operator's live slope report, which lists each sector with its open lifts and pistes once the season runs, and the Männlichen and Eigergletscher webcams on the same site. In November, read them on Friday evening: the operator's own wording is "weekend or partial weekend operations" until the end of the month.

If the Grindelwald side shows closed and you are already in Interlaken, the honest fallback is Mürren-Schilthorn, which opens weekends from 31 October and daily from 21 November. When it rains in Interlaken, I usually go up to Mürren, where it is snow.

Your Questions About the Grindelwald Ski Season

How high is the Grindelwald ski area?

The lift system runs from Grindelwald Terminal at 937 m to Eigergletscher at 2,320 m, with Kleine Scheidegg at 2,061 m and the Männlichen top station at 2,232 m. Grindelwald village itself is low for a Swiss ski resort, which is why the early-season skiing happens above Kleine Scheidegg and why the runs down to the Terminal can be thin in November and April. For reliable high snow, Mürren-Schilthorn goes up to the Schilthorn at 2,970 m.

Is there snow in Grindelwald in November?

Above Kleine Scheidegg, usually enough to open the high sector on the planned weekend; in the village, rarely. The operator's own note for 2026 says that until the end of November it expects to run exclusively or partially at weekends, depending on snow conditions. If your trip is in the second week of November, plan a day in Mürren, a winter walk, or our winter activities around Interlaken that do not depend on lifts.

When does Grindelwald-First open for skiing?

On 19 December 2026, and it closes on 29 March 2027, the shortest season of the three areas. First is the sunny side, which is lovely at lunch and less kind to the snow, so it opens last and closes first.

Do I need a different pass for the opening weekends?

No. The Jungfrau Ski Region pass covers all three areas and the train from Interlaken Ost from 21 November. Day and half-day passes cost the high-season rate at weekends all winter, CHF 83 and CHF 65, so an opening weekend costs the same as a February Saturday. The details are in my article on the Jungfrau ski pass and what it covers.

Ski the opening weeks with someone who reads the slope report

The worry behind this question is real: you book a trip for late November or early December and the mountain may be half open. The way around it is to ski where the snow is that day, and that is what I do on our Private Ski Day in Interlaken: I read the slope report in the morning, choose between Eigergletscher and Mürren, drive you from Interlaken West to the right valley and ski the day with you, for up to 8 guests and from CHF 500 per group. When the whole Grindelwald-Wengen area is open, my one-day route through Grindelwald-Wengen is the plan I follow.

How we made this: based on Pierre's interviews of 1 and 31 October 2026, season dates, prices and lift times checked at the official sources on 30 October 2026, written with AI assistance.

Source: Jungfrau Railways, slope and snow report, Männlichen cableways, and ski days at Eigergletscher and Kleine Scheidegg, winters 2024 to 2026.

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