Interlaken

Adventure, Lakes and Alpine Magic

Bern stands as Switzerland’s capital with a compact historic core. The old town features sandstone buildings and wide streets lined with cafes. Public transport connects the city to nearby mountain towns like Interlaken, known for clear lakes and easy access to hiking trails. Bern’s train station provides quick routes to other Swiss cities. In Interlaken, outdoor activities include boat trips on Lake Thun or Lake Brienz, plus skiing in winter. Both areas maintain a calm pace with strong local culture and clean public spaces.

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Town in Switzerland

$$$+

$	Cheap
$$	Medium
$$$	Expensive, upscale
$$$+	Very expensive, luxury

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Safety: 8.6

General Safety:	9
Health & medical:	8
Accessibility:	6
Tap water:	10

Read details

4/5

English is widely spoken in hotels, restaurants, and tourist attractions. Most staff are used to international visitors, and signage is often in English. Communication is rarely a problem, but a few German phrases are always appreciated.

Highlights Attractions Getting there Hotels Tips Travel costs Safety Articles

Last update: 12 Oct 2026

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Interlaken Summary

These place ratings give you a quick overview of how well a destination matches different types of trips.

‘Best for’ scores:
The specific interest scores show where this place really shines – whether it's ideal for hiking, food & drink experiences, museums or other activities. These highlights help you understand what makes the destination special at a glance.

‘Your personal’ scores:
This reflects how well a place matches your personal preferences. You can adjust the importances of travel topics or other personal requirements categories in your account settings.

‘Suited for’ badges:
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Read how our scores work

Great for adventure sports and alpine views. Go paragliding and skydiving, take boat trips on lakes and hike spectacular mountain trails.

Place score

9.1

Best at:

Mountains

Lakes

Spotless

Natural sites

Cosy towns

Personal score

Suited for

👶 6

Families

🧓 6

Seniors

🛡️ 8

Travel Beginners

👩 8

Solo

Switzerland – Quick facts

Guide Etiquette Holidays Other

Power Grid:	230 V, 50 Hz Plug: Type C , Type J Type C: Type J: Read about power adapters
Currency:	Swiss Franc (CHF) £1 ≈ CHF 1.10
Cashless info:	Rating 5/5 Switzerland is very cashless-friendly, with credit and debit cards widely accepted. Mobile payments like Apple Pay and Google Pay are also increasingly common. Save with a travel credit card
eSIM providers:	Best value: Saily Flexibility: Airalo Read our in-depth comparison

Tipping:	Tipping is appreciated but not mandatory in Switzerland. Most service charges are included in bills. In restaurants, rounding up to the nearest 5 CHF or leaving 5-10% is common. Taxi drivers and hotel staff appreciate small tips for exceptional service.
Public drinking:	Public drinking is allowed and socially acceptable in Switzerland, but being disruptive is frowned upon. Alcohol can be consumed in parks, trains, and outdoor events.
Public smoking:	Smoking is banned indoors in public places but allowed in designated areas. Outdoor smoking is common.

Swiss National Day (August)	Expect celebrations, parades, and fireworks throughout the country.
Christmas (December)	Markets and festive events are common, with tourist areas being busier than usual.
Easter (March/April)	Many attractions are closed, but some areas offer special events and celebrations.

Emergency contact:	Emergency Number: 112 (Police, Fire, Ambulance)
Taxi apps:	Uber, Bolt
Other:	Switzerland is famous for its natural beauty, well-organised transport, and multilingual culture. The Swiss Travel Pass is highly recommended for tourists.

Best times to travel

The best times to travel section shows how the months compare for a visit, so you can find the time of year that fits what you want to do.

Background colours of the months:
The colour shows the typical temperature: yellow (hot), green (mild) and blue (cold). How strong the colour is shows the travel season: full colour means high season, soft colour means shoulder season and soft-striped means off season.

Weather symbols:
Each month has one symbol showing what the weather is typically like, such as hot and sunny, freezing or a rainy or snowy season. Use them to quickly spot months that match the weather you want, or to avoid the ones that don't.

Crowdedness:
The people icon shows how busy the place usually is. The more people, the more crowded it gets.

Additional notes:
The grey info boxes point out special things worth knowing, like recurring weather issues or seasonal events.

for Interlaken, Switzerland

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Jan

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Feb

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Mar

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Apr

🌧️

May

🌦️

Jun

🌦️

Jul

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Aug

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Sep

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Oct

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Nov

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Dec

High season:	June - Sep.
Shoulder season:	Jan. - Feb., May, Oct., Dec.
Crowdedness:	9 (Very crowded)

Tap on a month for more info Hover over a month for more info

Climate details

Many mountain railways, cable cars and boats close for maintenance in parts of April, May and November

Ski season December to March in Grindelwald, Wengen and Mürren; Jungfraujoch open year-round

High hiking trails above 2,000 m usually snow-free late June to early October

Don't miss

🚡 Take a scenic cable car ride to Harder Kulm for panoramic views
🌸 Explore the botanical gardens and alpine trails at Schynige Platte
🏞️ Hike around Lake Thun and enjoy the stunning mountain scenery
🌉 Visit the Harder Kulm viewpoint and walk across the Two Lakes Bridge
❄️ Discover the Ice Palace and Sphinx Observatory at Jungfraujoch

You've been here?

Why travel to Interlaken?

Interlaken is famous as Switzerland’s adventure capital, offering everything from paragliding and skydiving to canyoning, rafting and bungee jumping. But it’s not just about adrenaline: the area’s hiking trails, scenic train rides (like the legendary Jungfraujoch) and tranquil lakes make it perfect for all types of travelers. You can stroll past traditional Swiss chalets, enjoy local cheese fondue or simply relax and soak up the views. The town is also a gateway to charming alpine villages and iconic peaks like Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau. It’s a year-round destination, with skiing and snow sports in winter and hiking, biking and water sports in summer. Just be prepared: the weather can change quickly and prices for food and activities are high by global standards. Some outdoor adventures require good fitness and caution, especially in unpredictable mountain weather.

🏯Places worth seeing

1 Schilthorn
2 Jungfraujoch
3 Höhematte
4 Harder Kulm

🎡Places for activities

1 Schynige Platte
2 Harder Kulm
3 Funky Chocolate Club
4 Kunsthaus

🏞️Natural landmarks

1 Eiger
2 Valley Hostel
3 Schynige Platte
4 Lake Brienz
5 Lake Thun

🎈Events

Unspunnenfest (Swiss folklore festival)
Trucker & Country Festival
Greenfield Music Festival
Swiss Yodelling Festival
Interlaken Classics (music)
International Street Artists Festival
Christmas Markets
Swiss National Day (Aug 1)
Alpine cheese festivals
Winter Magic Interlaken

Explore on map

Open map view

Knowledge before you go

Use a regional pass; mountain lifts quickly get expensive.
Stay flexible with weather; clouds can hide Jungfrau views and disrupt outdoor plans.
Pick bases wisely: Interlaken for transport links, Lauterbrunnen or Grindelwald for alpine atmosphere.
For a quick viewpoint without a full-day excursion, ride the Harder Kulm funicular near sunset.

How to travel to Interlaken

Interlaken is easily reached by train from major Swiss cities (Zurich, Bern, Lucerne, Geneva) with frequent connections. The nearest airports are Bern and Zurich; from there, direct trains take you to Interlaken in 1–2 hours. International travelers often arrive via Zurich or Geneva airports. Driving is possible, but not necessary unless you plan to explore remote valleys.

Access summary

From Zurich Airport (ZRH): Direct trains via Bern, roughly 2–2.5 h.
From Bern: Very frequent direct trains to Interlaken Ost/West, about 1 h.
Scenic GoldenPass trains from Lucerne or Montreux, around 2–5 h total.

Check your route from anywhere

Where to stay in Interlaken

Interlaken offers everything from luxury hotels and lakeside resorts to cozy guesthouses, hostels and campsites. Many accommodations are within walking distance of the station and main attractions. Book early in peak seasons (summer and winter) and consider staying in nearby villages for a quieter, more local experience.

Hotel recommendations

*by rating and popularity. Commissions have no influence on the rankings.

Hotel Krebs Interlaken

9.0

Hotel Weisses Kreuz

8.6

Hotel Central-Continental

8.2

Hotel Du Nord

8.7

Hotel Metropole Interlaken

8.6

Carlton-Europe Vintage Adults Hotel

8.7

Hotel Bernerhof

9.3

Hotel Artos Interlaken

8.9

Boutique Hotel Bellevue

8.7

Victoria Jungfrau Grand Hotel and Spa

9.1

Explore more accommodations

How to get around Interlaken

Interlaken is compact and easy to explore on foot or by bike. Local buses and trains connect you to surrounding villages, lakes and mountain railways. The town has two main train stations (Ost and West) and boat services run on both lakes. For mountain excursions, the Swiss rail and cable car network is world-class. Parking is limited and expensive, so public transport is the best bet.

Budget snapshot

Costs compared to home

We calculate the average costs when travelling to destinations and compare those with the living costs at your home. With this you can get an estimate of how expensive or cheap the destination is for you.

To customise this, you can set up which location and price level are used for the calculations in your account settings.

+58 %

Daily expenses in Interlaken are around 58% higher than the average across United States. That means you'll spend a lot more on meals and getting around.

Exchange rate trend

The exchange rate price factor shows how expensive or cheap a currency currently is compared to its historical average. It's a quick way to see if a country is currently more or less affordable due to exchange rate changes.

+6 %

Your exchange rate (GBP to CHF) is 6% worse than in recent years. That means travelling now is more expensive compared to the past.

Travel costs

To help you plan your trip, we provide estimated daily costs per person (when travelling as a pair) for different travel styles. These numbers give you an idea of what you might spend each day at this destination, including accommodation, food, transport and activities.

Additionally, we also provide average hotel costs for different travel styles to give you an estimate for the accommodation only.

Please note that these are only estimates. The real costs depend on booking times, season and other factors.

Daily cost summary

Travel style categories explained:

Backpacker:
Staying in hostels or budget hotels, cooking your own meals or eating cheap and choosing low-cost activities.

Mid-range:
Staying in mid-range hotels, eating at a mix of restaurants and casual spots and enjoying a variety of activities.

Luxury:
Staying in luxury hotels, dining out at high-end restaurants and enjoying premium experiences without worrying about the price.

	Backpacker	Mid-range	Luxury
💵 Total costs per day, including accommodation	£93	£219	£601
🏨 Accommodation per night, per person	£30	£90	£225
🍝 Food per day	£50	£113	£306
🚕 Transportation per day	£13	£16	£70

Food & Drink

🍽️ Restaurant Dinner, per person	£39
🍛 Lunch Set, per person	£31
🍟 Fast food combo	£14
🍝 Preparing your own food, per day	£17
☕ Cappuccino	£3.40
🍺 Beer in a restaurant, 0.5 l	£7

Transportation

🚌 Public transport ticket	£3.30
🚕 Taxi Ride, 10 km / 6 mi	£42
⛽ Petrol, 1 l	£1.70

Other

🎞️ Cinema ticket	£19
👩‍⚕️ Doctor's consult	£95
🤧 Cold medication	£13
💇 Basic haircut	£34

Safety information overview

General safety

Interlaken is very safe, with low crime rates. Usual precautions apply: keep valuables secure and follow safety advice for outdoor activities. Mountain weather can change rapidly — always check conditions before hiking or adventure sports.

Health & Medical

Medical care is excellent, with clinics and pharmacies in town. Bring any needed medication and consider travel insurance for adventure activities. Tap water is safe to drink. Altitude is moderate, but those with health issues should pace themselves.

Accessibility

Most main attractions, hotels and transport are accessible, but some mountain trails and cable cars may be challenging for those with limited mobility. Check accessibility before booking adventure tours or remote excursions.

Tap water

Tap water is safe, clean and delicious. Public fountains are common, so bring a refillable bottle. Bottled water is available but rarely needed.