Switzerland: Best of Bernese Oberland - 8 Days
SwitzerlandSwiss Alps

Switzerland: Best of Bernese Oberland - 8 Days

8 Days
Moderate to Challenging

Switzerland: Best of Bernese Oberland - 8 Days

from $6,345 / person

Overview

Walk one of the classic high routes of the Bernese Oberland, from the quiet spa town of Lenk to Grindelwald at the foot of the Eiger. Over six days on the trail you climb through flower filled meadows and dense forest to alpine passes, swim in glacier fed lakes, and wake each morning to a fresh line of peaks: the Wetterhorn, the Eiger, the Mönch, the Jungfrau and the Breithorn. This trip suits walkers who are already fit and comfortable with long days in the mountains, with up to eight hours of walking and elevation changes of over a thousand metres on the toughest stages. Your guide walks with you every day, so you can focus on the Bunderspitz summit, the turquoise waters of Oeschinensee and the thundering drop of the Staubbach waterfall. Your main bag travels ahead by vehicle each day, so you only carry a light daypack. Nights are spent in comfortable hotels in Interlaken, Lenk, Adelboden, Kandersteg, Wengen and Grindelwald, with a small group of no more than 12 walkers.

Highlights

  • Warm up on the Wildstrubel foothills to the blue green waters of Iffigsee
  • Cross the Hahenmoos Pass and descend into the chalet village of Adelboden
  • Stand on the Bunderspitz summit for a 360 degree view of the Bernese Alps
  • Take in the glacier fed turquoise of Lake Oeschinensee from its rock viewpoint
  • Walk beneath the 300 metre drop of the Staubbach waterfall in Lauterbrunnen
  • Follow the Panorama Trail from Kleine Scheidegg with the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau overhead
  • Finish in Grindelwald, a village built in the shadow of the Eiger's north face

Itinerary

Day 1

Arrival in Interlaken

Your trip begins in Interlaken, the gateway town to the Bernese Oberland, set between Lake Thun and Lake Brienz at the foot of the mountains. Settle in and meet your Auswalk guide at 6pm for a trip orientation before heading out for a group dinner (at own cost) at a local restaurant. It is a chance to meet the rest of your group and hear how the week ahead will unfold, from the first warm up walk near Lenk to the high passes around Kandersteg and the final descent into Grindelwald.

Accommodation

3-star Hotel in Interlaken

What's Included

Accommodation

3-star Hotel (7 nights)

Meals

7 breakfasts, 6 lunches, and 2 dinners

Transfers

  • Train
  • Public Bus
  • Luggage Transfers
  • Cable Car

Guidance & Support

  • Itinerary & Walk Notes
  • 24/7 on-trip support

How We Rate This Walk

4

Auswalk Walking Grade

Moderate to Challenging

Rated by our team — we walk every route before we recommend it.

Regular hills and varied terrain. These walks involve more challenging sections. Regular walking beforehand is recommended.

View Fitness Guide

6

Days on the trail

6-16 km

Daily distance range

90-1250 m

Daily ascent range

6/10

Trail difficulty

Where You'll Stay

Over the week you stay in 3 star hotels, from the lakeside town of Interlaken through the chalet villages of Adelboden, Kandersteg and Wengen, before finishing at the foot of the Eiger in Grindelwald. Rooms are twin/double occupancy with en suite bathrooms, and a single room can be arranged for a supplement on request. You spend two nights in the Kandersteg valley, using it as a base for the walk to Lake Oeschinensee, and one night in each of the other villages along the route.

What You'll Eat

Breakfast is included every morning, and dinner is provided as half-board on two nights of the trip. On the remaining evenings you're free to choose your own restaurant, with plenty of good options in each village and your guide happy to point you toward a local favourite. Along the trail, your guide prepares a packed picnic lunch each day, along with energy bars, nuts and dried fruit to keep you fuelled between passes. Guests with specific dietary needs, such as vegan or gluten free, can be catered for if you let us know in advance.

More About This Trip

The walk starts in Interlaken and finishes in Grindelwald, both reached easily by train on the Swiss rail network. The nearest airport is Bern, about an hour from Interlaken by public transport, followed by Zurich at around two hours and Geneva at around three hours. At the end of the walk, trains run regularly from Grindelwald back to Interlaken, so getting away is as straightforward as getting there.

This walk runs from mid-July to early September, when the high passes are clear of the season's last snow and the alpine meadows are in full flower. If you walk in early July, be aware that snow can linger on some of the higher passages, and a little more hiking experience helps in those conditions. By late July and through August the trails are at their clearest, with the settled weather typical of a Bernese Oberland summer.

Expect a classic Bernese Oberland mix of forest tracks, open alpine pastures and well graded mountain trails, with a handful of higher passes that reward the climb with sweeping views. The paths are well maintained and clearly signed, as is typical across the Swiss trail network, though the terrain is genuinely alpine, with some sustained climbs and descents on rockier ground. A couple of days include the option to shorten the walking with a chairlift or gondola. The trip suits walkers who are already fit and used to full days on varied mountain terrain.

Each morning it will be up to you to place your luggage at the designated luggage pick-up point within the hotel by 9.00 am. This generally will be at reception or where you pick up your luggage the night before. There is a strict limit of one suitcase with a maximum weight of 20 kg.

You must hold adequate travel insurance for your trip, including cover for personal liability and accidental injury and illness. For all trips involving international travel, your policy must also include emergency medical treatment, evacuation and repatriation cover. We strongly recommend your policy also covers trip cancellation and curtailment, and loss of or damage to luggage.

A cancellation fee usually applies if you cancel after your booking is confirmed. Travel insurance with cancellation cover will generally cover this fee, so it's worth arranging your policy at the time of booking.

Full insurance requirements are set out in our booking terms and conditions.

For over 30 years, we have taken pride in providing seamlessly organised walking holidays, but we know you’ll have many more questions even with that in mind. You will receive a detailed information pack and itinerary approximately six weeks before departure outlining all the fine details and much more.

If you have any questions, feel free to ask one of our destination consultants, or if you have specific track-related questions if we can't answer them, we can also ask our staff who have walked the track. You can contact us via our contact form, email us at info@auswalk.com.au, or call us on +61 3 9597 9767.

Dates & Pricing

Choose Your Departure

Select a fixed group departure - places are limited

Prices shown are per person, twin/double share basis.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Across the walks, you'll stay in a mix of three-star hotels, family-run guesthouses and simple mountain hotels, all with private ensuite rooms. The standard is consistently comfortable — Swiss hospitality rarely disappoints. Most itineraries include breakfast daily and several dinners.

Coverage is generally good by alpine standards — Switzerland's infrastructure is world-class — but signal can drop in more remote valleys and high passes. A downloaded offline map is a sensible backup, and the smartphone app included with your travel packet works without data.

A daypack in the 25–30L range is ideal. Pack two to three litres of water, snacks, a waterproof jacket with hood, warm mid-layers, sun protection (the alpine sun is strong at altitude), a headtorch, your walk notes and map, and any personal medication. Walking poles are worth considering — the high-pass itineraries involve significant ascent and descent.

Layers are essential. Conditions in the Swiss Alps can shift from warm sunshine to cold wind and rain within an hour, especially at altitude. A quality waterproof jacket is non-negotiable. Waterproof hiking boots with ankle support are strongly recommended for the higher-graded routes. For the Tour du Mont Blanc and Haute Route, warm gloves and a hat are worth packing even in July.

The Switzerland walks are rated challenging to strenuous. The Tour du Mont Blanc and Haute Route both involve daily ascents and descents of 800 to 1,200 metres or more, and several days exceed 20km. A solid base of fitness and regular hill walking in the months before you leave will make a real difference to how much you enjoy it. The Via Francigena itinerary is rated moderate and suits a wider range of walkers.

Switzerland uses the Swiss Franc (CHF). It is one of the more expensive countries in Europe — budget accordingly for lunches, drinks and any activities not included in your package. Credit cards are widely accepted, but having some cash on hand is useful in smaller mountain villages. Tipping is not expected in Switzerland but rounding up the bill is common practice.

Yes, and it's a condition of booking. Your policy must cover injury, trip cancellation, luggage loss and medical evacuation. Mountain rescue in Switzerland is excellent but chargeable — a helicopter evacuation from a high pass can cost several thousand francs. Never pack your passport in your main luggage.

Want to Know More?

The Swiss Alps experience

Wonder
Walk the eastern section of the Walkers Haute Route from Arolla to Zermatt, finishing in the shadow of the Matterhorn
Cross the Col de Riedmatten, the highest section of the route with commanding views over the Pennine Alps
The Matterhorn's distinctive pyramid appears on the final descent into Zermatt, one of the great walk finishes
Wellness
Switzerland's 50,000 kilometres of meticulously maintained trails make this one of the world's great walking destinations
Mountain huts and valley inns provide warm food and comfortable beds at the end of every challenging day
The Haute Route's stages are achievable for experienced walkers seeking a serious but non-technical challenge
Nature
More than fifty peaks above 4,000 metres, including the Matterhorn, Monte Rosa, and the Dom, line the horizon
Glacial lakes, alpine meadows, and towering waterfalls mark each day of this classic alpine traverse
Chamois, marmots, and ibex are commonly encountered on the high sections of the Haute Route