Best Towns in the Swiss Alps
The Swiss Alps are filled with stunning towns and villages it can be overwhelming to try to figure out which ones to visit.I’ve spent a bunch of time exploring the Swiss Alps and have compiled a list of my favorite spots. I’ve also put together a few Swiss Alp itinerary options at the end of the post!
Best Towns:
- Adelboden
- Spiez
- Interlaken
- Grindelwald
- Lauterbrunnen
- Mürren
- Brienz
- Meiringen
- Lungern
- Ingenbohl
- Unterschächen
- Foroglio
- Cevio
- Zermatt
Swiss Alps Map
Adelboden
Bernese Oberland Region
Adelboden is hands down one of the most stunning places I’ve ever been to! It’s a small town nestled between stunning mountain ranges on all sides with endless options for exploring trails, sweeping vistas & waterfalls. Adelboden is not the easiest place to get to in Switzerland, but it is so worth it! See my full Adelboden travel guide for details on getting there & where to stay
Getting to Adelboden
Adelboden is easiest to reach by car, but it can also be reached via public transportation, it will just take a few transfers! You’ll need to catch the train to Spiez, then the train to Frutigen & from Frutigen grab the bus to Adelboden. It sounds like a lot, but the Swiss transport system is very effective.
Where to Stay in Adelboden
Cambrian Hotel
I stayed at the Cambrian Hotel and I cannot recommend it enough! It was one of my favorite hotels I’ve ever stayed at. It’s right across from the main bus station is downtown Adelboden, which made it super convenient. The entire stay was perfect!
Some of the highlights from the Cambrian were the incredible pool with insane mountain views (see picture) Plus, it was a great place to relax and cool down after a long day of hiking and exploring. The included breakfast was a buffet with tons of options, although for me the best part was getting to eat it out on the patio overlooking the mountains.
Best things to Do in Adelboden
Hike to the Giant Swing
The Giant Swing at the top of Tschentenalp was one of the coolest experiences I’ve ever had! And it’s super easy to get to once you’re in Adelboden. Check out my blog post with detailed instructions on how to get to the Giant Swing by hiking or by cable car!
Explore Engstligen Falls
From most of Adelboden you have a stunning (albeit faroff) view of Engstligen Falls, although they look far away, they’re actually only about a 90 minute walk/hike from downtown. You can use Google Maps for this one. It will guide you towards the roads (which have very few cars and are fine to walk on) but the trail is right nearby and is easy to spot from the road. The falls are massive and are pretty awesome to see up close. You can also take the local bus which will get you about a 10-15 minute walk from the falls if you’re not up for a longer trek!
Ski / Snowboard
If you’re in Adelboden in the winter it is perfect for skiers and snowboarders with tons of options, stunning vistas, and cozy bars and inns for an après ski after a long day on the slopes! I cannot wait to make it back there in the winter!
Spiez
Bernese Oberland Region
Spiez is a small, stunning lakeside town in the Alps. If you’re visiting Adelboden you’ll likely get there through Spiez, I recommend stopping to explore Spiez for a few houra or half day. The views from outside the train station over the lakes & moutains are absolutely stunning!
Interlaken
Bernese Oberland Region
Interlaken is a popular tourist destination in the Swiss Alps. It’s situated in a valley between two lakes and offers stunning views and accessibility to many of the other smaller towns in the Alps. It’s a great place to situate yourself for exploring nearby towns like Grndelwald, Lauterbrunnen, and Murren as it has a wider range of accomodation options and good public transport connections to all of the nearby towns.
Getting to Interlaken
Interlaken is well connected to all major Swiss cities by train, so there shouldn’t be a need to rent a car in this area, although if you want a little more freedom to explore on your own time, a car can be useful.
Where to Stay in Interlaken
The Hey Hotel
On my most recent trip I chose to stay at The Hey Hotel ($200 per night at the end of June) The Hey Hotel was one of the cheaper options I could find during peak tourist season. It’s very conveniently located, and the lobby + restaurant/bar area were really nice.
The rooms were super basic, but had great mountain views! I was barely in the room so I wasn’t looking for anything too fancy!
Victoria Jungfrau Grand Hotel
If you’re looking for a more high end Interlaken experience the Victoria Jungfrau Grand Hotel and Spa is a must-stay. This stunning hotel overlooks the main square of Interlaken.
This hotel is expensive – think $600-1000 a night in the winter and $1000+ in the summer. But if you’re looking to splurge you can’t go wrong. Also, if you’re a winter person (like me) it literally looks like a postcard in the winter!
Best Things to do in Interlaken
Hike or Take the Funicular to the Top of Harder Kulm
Harder Kulm is hands down the best view of Interlaken, Lake Thun and Brienne, and the panoramic Jungfrau that dominates the backdrop of the Interlaken skyline! Harder Kulm is Interlaken’s own local mountain that can be hiked or reached by funicular. The funicular and the bottom of the trail can both be reached on foot from downtown Interlaken, depending on where in the city you are staying it can be about a 20 minute walk.
The funicular runs every 30 minutes and it takes less than ten minutes to reach the top. It costs 40 Swiss Francs round trip (you can get 50% off if you have the Swiss Pass) The funicular is only open from Mid-April through November
Kayak on Lake Brienz
You can’t take a trip to Interlaken without visiting at least one of the two lakes that bookend either side of the city. Lake Brienz is the prettier of the two in my opinion, and is the perfect spot to rent kayaks and explore Interlaken by water! Or you can just grab a spot on the shoreline and swim in the chilly mountain water!
Watch the Paragliders land in Höhematte Park & the Höheweg
Höhematte Park, at the center of Interlaken, is a great area to wander and watch the paragliders land. I also recommend stopping by the infamous Victoria Jungfrau Hotel to grab a drink on the patio with perfect views of the paragliders landing! The Terrace at the Victoria Bar also offers unparalleled mountain views, but be warned the drinks can be pricy here!
Grindelwald
Bernese Oberland Region
Grindelwald is one of the Alps most popular towns. It offers some of the best mountain views and also provides access to Jungfrau and the epic First Cliff Walk. It’s easy to visit as a day trip from Interlaken, or you can choose to spend a day or two there, one thing to note is it’s insanely expensive!
Getting to Grindelwald
If you have a car Grindelwald is easy to drive to, otherwise it’s a 45 minute train ride from Interlaken!
Where to Stay in Grindelwald
I stayed here on my most recent trip to Grindelwald & it was such a stunning hotel. It’s on the pricy side, so definitely a splurge, but it was so worth it. The spa and hot tub with Alps views were unreal, as was the complimentary breakfast on the patio overlooking the stunning mountains!
Best Things to do in Grindelwald
Explore the Town
Downtown Grindelwald is mostly one main street that can be quickly explored. It’s dotted with restaurants and shops, many of which offer amazing views over the Alps in all directions
Head to the top of Europe – Jungfrau
Jungfrau is famous for being the highest accessible railway in Europe. It’s a stunning place and is covered in snow and ice 365 days a year. It’s so worth a day trip if you have the chance!
From Grindelwald hop on the Eiger Express gondola to Eiger Glacier station, from there hop on the Jungfrau railway to Jungfraujoch
All details and tickets can be found here.
Visit the First Cliff Walk
First Cliff Walk is one o the most popular attractions in Gridelwald, and it’s free, you’ll only need to pay for your Gondola ticket. The Cliff Walk is a narrow suspended walkway that wraps around First Mountain and offers stunnning views over the Bernese Oberland Region. There is also a suspended viewing platform you can visit.
To get there take the gondola from Gridelwald to FIrst, tickets can be found here.
While you’re up at First grab a drink or a meal with a view at Bergrestaurant!
Lauterbrunnen
Bernese Oberland Region
Lauterbrunnen is one of my favorite towns in the Swiss Alps. It really does feel like it’s out of a storybook with it’s massive waterfall and Alps backdrop. It can be reached via train from Interlaken in just 20 minutes.
You’ll only need a few hours to experience charming Lauterbrunnen, as it’s a small town. You can also visit Mürren while you’re there. See details below!
Best Things to do in Lauterbrunnen
- See the stunning Staubbach Falls
- Find the most instragrammable spot in Lauterbrunnen
Mürren
Bernese Oberland Region
Mürren is the definition of a fairytale town. This vehicle-free town is exactly what I pictured Switzerland being like before i had visited. It’s small and can be explored in a few hours. I recommend combining it with a trip to Lauterbrunnen.
Getting to Mürren
From Lauterbrunnen take the short gondola trip to Grütschalp, from there hop on the scenic train to Mürren. Details here!
Best Things to do in Mürren
After exploring the small town, make sure to grab a drink with a view at one of my favorite spots:
- Hotel Alpenruh
- Hotel Alpina
- Alpina Panorama hotel & Restaurant
Brienz
Bernese Oberland Region
Another great stop when you’re exploring the Bernese Oberland region of Switzerland is picturesque Brienz. This charming lakesdie town makes a great place to stop for a few hours or to spend a few relaxing days. If the weather is nice take a dip in the stunning blue Lake Brienz.
Meiringen
Bernese Oberland Region
Meiringen is one of the most beautiful valleys in the Bernese Oberland region of Switzerland. This valley is full of stunning watefalls & rivers, epic mountain views and charming little towns. Meiringen is a
Getting to Meiringen:
To visit Meiringen I’d recommend taking a car, but it is possible via train. It’s just easier to explore Meiringen with a car! It’s 45 minutes by car and a little over an hour by train.
Where to Stay:
Victoria – Alpine Boutique Hotel & Fine Dining
This one of my favorite hotels in this area. This is the perfect place to spend a few nights in Switzerland, and Meiringen is convenient for exploring nearby towns. Try their Michelin Star restaurant on site too!
Best Things to do in Meiringen
Simply driving through this valley is one of the best ways to see all the sites, it really is one of the most stunning areas of Swtizerland. Below are a few can’t miss spots!
See Reichenbachfall
A tall, free-fall waterfall located right in the heart of the valley. You can’t miss it!
Take in the views of the Alps and the Aare River
The impossibly blue Aare river separates the entire valley and is visible from most places. Make sure to pull over and take some pictures of the river with views towards the mountains.
Lungern
Lungern is a small lakeside town that’s a great stop if you’re on your way to the Alps from Zurich or Lucerne. The town is quite small, so you could also just stop by for the lakeside views. There’s a short hike around the lake that also brings you past a picturesque waterfall.
If you want to spend a night in Lungern on your way to Meiringen or Interlaken I stayed at the Hotel Kaiserstuhl am Lungernsee, a quaint chalet with lakeside views and a charming pub/restaurant downstairs. It was the perfect place to spend a night.
Ingenbohl
Schwyz Region
Ingenbohl is another charming lakeside town, similar to Brienz. It is located East of all of the towns noted above and is a good spot to visit if you’re interested in visiting a different region of the Alps. This area is less popular than the Bernese Oberland Region where all the towns above are located.
Unterschächen
Uri Canton
This is one of my favorite areas of Switzerland. This valley is so beyond stunning & this teeny little village is home to the most stunning waterfall, Stäuber. You’ll need to walk/hike a little to get to the view above. You can see full details here for getting to this spot.
Forgolio
Ticino Canton
Foroglio is a fairytale village deep in the Ticino region of Switzerland. This region is a bit of a drive from many of the other popular Alps towns, but it’s so worth spending a day or two exploring if you have time! Ticino is in southern Switzerland on the Italian border
Foroglio is a tiny village that can be explored in a short amount of time. There is a small restaurant at the entrance to the village with views of the epic waterfall if you want to stop to grab a drink or a bite!
Cevio
Ticino Canton
Cevio is another picturesque twon in Ticino, you’ll have to pass through here on your way to Forgolio and it’s worth stopping in a few spots to explore of grab some photos of the jawdropping scenery!
Zermatt
Valais Canton
Zermatt is one of the Alps most popular towns. The picuresque village sits in the shadow of the massive Matterhorn mountain. This popular spot comes with a crazy price tag and more crowds than some other areas in the Alps, but it is absolutely stunning and has some of the skiing in the world.
Zermatt is a car-free village, so it’s easiest to take public transport. It’s connected to all major cities via train, and takes 3.5 hours from Zurich. If you do arrive by car, you’ll need to park in nearby Täsch and catch the shuttle or train the rest of the way!
Swiss Alp Itineraries
I recommend renting a car for all of these itineraries
2 Day Swiss Alps Itinerary
Stay in Interlaken for this trip
- Day 1: Interlaken & Grindelwald
- Day 2: Lauterbrunnen & Mürren
3 Day Swiss Alps Itinerary
Stay in Interlaken for this trip
- Day 1: Meiringen & Interlaken
- Day 2: Grindelwald & Jungfrau
- Day 3: Lauterbrunnen & Mürren
5 Day Swiss Alps Itinerary
Stay in Interlaken 3 nights & Adelboden 1
- Day 1: Meiringen & Interlaken
- Day 2: Grindelwald & Jungfrau
- Day 3: Lauterbrunnen & Mürren
- Day 4: Spiez & Adelboden
- Day 5: Adelboden
7 Day Swiss Alps Itinerary
- Day 1: Meiringen & Interlaken
- Day 2: Grindelwald & Jungfrau
- Day 3: Lauterbrunnen & Mürren
- Day 4: Spiez & Adelboden
- Day 5: Adelboden
- Day 6-7: Zermatt
10 Day Swiss Alps Itinerary
- Day 1-2: Foroglio & Cevio
- Day 2: Unterschächen & Lungern
- Day 3: Meiringen & Interlaken
- Day 4: Grindelwald & Jungfrau
- Day 5: Lauterbrunnen & Mürren
- Day 6: Spiez & Adelboden
- Day 7: Spiez
- Day 8: Adelboden
- Day 9-10: Zermatt
