What to Do in Grindelwald in Winter Without Skiing

What to do in Grindelwald in winter, if you don't ski, comes down to three choices: which mountain to ride up, which walk or sled run to take, and what to do when the clouds sit low. Grindelwald is 36 minutes from Interlaken by train, the Grindelwald-First lifts reopen for winter on 19 December 2026, and a day pass for winter walkers and sledders costs CHF 61.

I am Pierre, and I ski in Grindelwald every Tuesday in winter. Below is how I would spend a day there without skis, with the trains, prices and dates checked at the official sources on 6 November 2026: First or Männlichen, the walks and the sled runs, the indoor ice rink, what is closed, and a plan for a grey day.

Is Grindelwald worth visiting in winter if you don't ski?

Yes, if you ride up. The village sits low under the Eiger, and when people ask me where to base a ski week, my short answer about it is "never any sun in Grindelwald." Up at First or the Männlichen, the light, the views and most of the things to do are waiting.

Pierre says: "Snowshoes with fondue, plus sledding."

Pierre Vetsch, founder and head guide at Swiss Local Adventures, on his ideal winter day in Grindelwald without skis

That is the whole plan, and it works because the Eiger stays in front of you all day. Asked where to show someone the north face, I could not pick one spot: "you see it from everywhere," from the village, the Männlichen, the Eiger Express and First.

A ski instructor once gave me their view of First: they love it because it is always in the sun, though the snow there is not as good. For a skier that is a trade-off. For a walker or a sledder, it is simply good news.

If you are still deciding where to sleep, I compare the two bases in Interlaken or Grindelwald in winter. If you do stay in Grindelwald, I would take the centre over Grund: "closer to the lifts and the train." And if you are torn between Grindelwald and the car-free villages across the valley, I weigh them up in Mürren or Grindelwald in winter.

How do you get to Grindelwald in winter?

By train from Interlaken Ost: 36 minutes to Grindelwald station, or 29 minutes to Grindelwald Terminal, with a train every 30 minutes. I checked a Wednesday in January 2027 on the official Swiss timetable: the 09:04 from Interlaken Ost, then the 09:34 and the 10:04. Grindelwald Terminal is the stop before the village, on the same line: the 09:04 from Interlaken Ost reaches Terminal in 29 minutes and the village in 36.

Grindelwald Terminal is the base of the Eiger Express and the Männlichen gondola, so for most winter days it is the stop to aim for. If you drive, that is also where I park. Jungfrau Railways lists CHF 15 for 2 to 24 hours in the Terminal car park, which has 1,032 spaces and is open around the clock. Its tariff sheet, dated May 2024, shows CHF 1 for the first two hours, which suits a short stop.

The timetable changes on Sunday 13 December 2026. If you travel after that date, look up your trains again rather than trusting a connection saved in November.

What can you do at Grindelwald First in winter?

Four things, and I would do all four if the weather allows: the First Cliff Walk, the winter path towards the Bachalpsee, the sled run down to Bort, and a sunny terrace. The Grindelwald-First lifts run from 19 December 2026 to 29 March 2027, according to the winter sports report of Grindelwald Tourism updated on 4 November, subject to snow.

The winter path from First to Waldspitz and Bort takes 3 hours, from 2,275 m down to 1,530 m, on prepared paths marked with purple poles, and Jungfrau Railways calls the detour to the Bachalpsee worthwhile. I have been out to the Bachalpsee in winter on snowshoes. The sled run from First to Schreckfeld and Bort takes about 20 minutes, from 2,166 m to 1,560 m. I compare every Grindelwald run, and which one suits a beginner, in sledding in Grindelwald for first-timers.

The Cliff Walk is listed among the winter highlights of the First area, a 20-minute stop at 2,166 m with snow-covered peaks in front of you. Jungfrau Railways did not state its winter opening in words when I checked, so look at the live status the morning you go. I would send anyone there, "everyone," as I put it. I have no view on the First Flyer or the First Glider, so I leave them out.

Insider tip: I go up before 9:00, "but there is not much of a queue in winter." Jungfrau Railways prices First tickets in an online calculator rather than a fixed list, so check the fare for your date before you go.

For lunch, my choice is not a restaurant: "a picnic instead, to eat on the slopes."

What is there to do in Grindelwald village in winter?

An indoor ice rink, a small local museum, and two big events, but not the Glacier Canyon. Grindelwald Tourism says the canyon is generally open from May to November, so it is closed in winter. If you came for it, ride up to First instead.

The ice rink at the Sportzentrum is covered, which makes it my pick for a grey afternoon in the village; I chose it over curling, which I have not tried. Public skating costs CHF 10 for an adult and CHF 8 for a child aged 6 to 15, or CHF 5 and CHF 4 with a guest card. Skate hire is CHF 7 and a helmet CHF 5. The Sportzentrum publishes its hours day by day, for example 10:00 to 21:00 on Friday 6 November, with last entry 30 minutes before closing. Its winter season dates were not published when I checked.

The local museum opens from late December to late March, according to Grindelwald Tourism. For events, the World Snow Festival runs from 18 to 24 January 2027 and the Velogemel World Championship takes place on 7 February 2027. The Velogemel is a wooden snow bike, and I explain what it is in what is a Velogemel.

Fun fact: skating in Grindelwald goes back a long way. A photo by Photoglob-Wehrli from around 1910, kept by the Swiss National Library, shows skaters on the village's open-air "Eiger-Rink."

Can you go sledding and snowshoeing in Grindelwald?

Yes, both, and that is the heart of a winter day there. For a first sled run in Grindelwald, my pick is Männlichen to Holenstein. For a first time on snowshoes, my pick is the Wetterhorn loop from the Hotel Wetterhorn. I lay out all the runs and trails in two guides, so I keep this short.

For snowshoes, read snowshoeing in Grindelwald: seven trails, where to rent, and why I rent in the village without booking ahead. For sledding, the guide for first-timers covers every run, from the gentle ones to the Big Pintenfritz.

The cheapest way to do both is the Winter Hiking and Sledging Pass of Jungfrau Railways: CHF 61 a day for an adult, CHF 64 in high season (19 December to 3 January and 30 January to 28 February, and at weekends), CHF 44 for ages 16 to 19 and CHF 30 for children aged 6 to 15. It is valid from 21 November 2026 to 25 April 2027, and the Männlichen gondola is included. A lift employee and a sled rental shop in Grindelwald told me that people sometimes take the wrong run or get caught out: follow the signs, and expect it to go faster than you think.

First or Männlichen: which is better for a non-skier?

First. It is sunnier and the view is better, which is my verdict in four words: "sunnier and a better view." The Männlichen is the gentler, flatter option, with a winter walk I love at the end of the day. Here is the comparison, with the facts checked on 6 November 2026.

The Männlichen gondola from Grindelwald Terminal is closed for its overhaul and reopens on Saturday 12 December 2026. A return ticket costs CHF 72 for an adult, a single CHF 36, with 50 percent off for Half Fare and Swiss Travel Pass holders, and it is free with the Winter Hiking and Sledging Pass. From the top, the winter path to Kleine Scheidegg runs from 2,222 m to 2,061 m, and Jungfrau Railways times it at 2 hours 45. I did it on snowshoes in about 1 hour 30.

Pierre says: "End of the day, the pink colour, and the moon out."

First opens a week later, on 19 December, and has more to offer someone without skis: the Cliff Walk, the 3-hour path to Bort with the Bachalpsee detour, and a 20-minute sled run. My verdict, First vs Männlichen: for one day, go to First. If you have a second day, take the Männlichen gondola late in the morning and walk to Kleine Scheidegg as the light turns.

Your Questions About Grindelwald in Winter

These are the questions that come up in Google's suggestions and on travel forums before a winter trip to Grindelwald. I answer them with the operators' own pages, read on 6 November 2026, and what I have seen as a guide.

Is Grindelwald First open in winter?

Yes. The Grindelwald-First lifts run from 19 December 2026 to 29 March 2027, according to the winter sports report Grindelwald Tourism updated on 4 November 2026, subject to snow conditions. Before that date the mountain is closed for winter visitors. Up there, you have the winter path to Waldspitz and Bort, about 3 hours with an optional detour to the Bachalpsee, the 20-minute sled run to Schreckfeld and Bort, and the Cliff Walk, which Jungfrau Railways lists among the winter highlights. Check the live operating status on the morning you go.

Is the Grindelwald Glacier Canyon open in winter?

No. Grindelwald Tourism says the Glacier Canyon is generally open from May to November, so it is closed during the winter season, and the restaurant at its entrance is closed from early November until the summer of 2027. If the canyon was on your list, swap it for something that runs in winter: the indoor ice rink at the Sportzentrum, at CHF 10 for an adult, or a ride up to First from 19 December. In summer, the canyon is a short trip from the village, so keep it for a warmer visit rather than a winter one.

What can you do in Grindelwald when it rains or the clouds are low?

Check before you give up on the mountain. I look at the webcams and the MeteoSwiss forecast, and if the summits are clear above the cloud, I go up. If they are not, Grindelwald has the indoor ice rink and the local museum, open from late December to late March. On a wet day I would also look for a pool or a spa, or a chocolate workshop, which I have tried myself. And when the whole region sits under cloud, I would rather spend the day in Thun or in Bern, both an easy train ride from Interlaken, than pay for a lift into the fog.

Is the Jungfraujoch worth it from Grindelwald in winter?

Only on a clear day, and only if the price does not hurt. I have been up more than five times. In winter it is colder and less crowded than in summer, and the two things that disappoint people are the clouds and the price. If you go, I would ride the Eiger Express from Grindelwald Terminal, spend about an hour at the top, and "the rest in the villages or at another viewpoint." The coldest I have felt up there was "-20, exceptional with the wind, very cold." For a single winter summit, my own choice is the Schilthorn, and I compare the options in is Interlaken worth visiting in winter.

Spend the day in Grindelwald, the evening on a sled

The doubt with Grindelwald in winter is whether a day without skis is worth the trip. It is, as long as you go up: First or the Männlichen, a walk, a sled run, a picnic in the sun. What a day trip rarely gives you is the evening, when the summits turn pink and the valley goes quiet.

That is where our sledding in Interlaken evening fits. It leaves Interlaken at 15:30, from 15 December 2026 to 11 April 2027, Wednesday to Sunday: a cable car up above the Lauterbrunnen valley, a sled run through the forest as the light goes, mulled wine halfway, and a cheese fondue back in Interlaken. It costs CHF 139 per person, CHF 129 from six people, for 8 guests at most, from age 10. Spend the morning at First, and be back in Interlaken by 15:30. For more ideas across the region, see things to do in Interlaken in winter. On another day, my guides to Mürren in winter without skis and Wengen in winter without skis cover the other side of the valley.

Source: Jungfrau Railways, Grindelwald Tourism, and Pierre's ski days in Grindelwald.

How we made this: based on Pierre's interviews of 4 October, 14 October, 22 October, 27 October and 3 November 2026, facts and prices checked at the official sources on 6 November 2026, written with AI assistance.

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