July 22, 2024
Interlaken, Switzerland
Budget & Solo Travel Friendly 3-Day Itinerary
Interlaken, Switzerland is a scene from the movie. The town is centrally located between Lake Thun and Lake Brienz. It’s the perfect place to base yourself for a few days in Switzerland. Here is a 3 day guide to Interlaken from a solo and budget traveler which includes everything you’ll need to do it all.
Day 1 — Explore Interlaken Town
The first day in Interlaken should be spent exploring the town, hiking to experience the stunning views, and relaxing by the river.
Hike Harder Kulm
After arriving, drop your bags, grab a cheap meal at the local grocery store Migros, and head to Harder Kulm. Harder Kulm is where you’ll find stunning views of the town and surrounding mountains, Eiger, Monch, and Jungfrau. You can also see the two lakes Lake Thun and Lake Brienz.
There are two options to get to the top of Harder Kulm, one is free and the other is not.
The free way to reach the top is by hiking. The trail head is on the North side of the river Aare and begins at the base of the funicular way. There are signs pointing in the right direction the whole way up the trail. In addition, you can download the route on Maps.Me or AllTrails, which I would recommend doing. The hike is moderately challenging but the views make it worth it. In total the hike is 5.1 miles with a 773 meter elevation and takes between 3 and 4 hours to complete. At the top, there is a restaurant and platform to take photos!
The second way is to take the funicular up from the Harderbahn Valley Station. You can purchase your ticket at the station which costs between $35-40 USD. However, this price will vary depending if you have a Swiss Pass or a Eurail Pass because they sometimes offer discounts with those passes. The schedule differs based on the season, but April through November it runs every 30 minutes. A schedule will be posted at the station as well.
Explore the Town
After your hike, spend the rest of your day exploring the beautiful town. Make sure you window shop along Hohweg Street, stroll through the Old Town Center, admire the architecture at the Interlaken Monastery and Abbey, and hang out by the river. Another fun thing is to watch the paragliders from Hohematte Park. The town is simply stunning and you can easily get lost in the streets!
Dinner Picnic along River Aare
After a full day of exploring, end your day at the Aare River with a picnic. Grab some grocery store food at Migros or Aldi (the cheapest grocery stores around) and head to the river. There are a few benches to sit at or you can find a place near the river.
Day 2 — Day Trip to Lauterbrunnen
Lauterbrunnen is a quick train ride away and absolutely stunning. Lauterbrunnen is famous for its waterfalls, hikes, rolling green hills, and charming town. There are plenty of hikes, 72 waterfalls, and a picturesque town to explore to make a memorable day two!
Stop #1: Staubbach Falls
Staubbach Falls is one of the first things you’ll notice when you arrive. You can hike into the waterfall and get an amazing view of Lauterbrunnen.
There is a short trail that leads to a little cove that’s carved into the cliff and brings you behind the waterfall. It’s a narrow path and .6 miles long. The hike is moderate and will take about 20-30 minutes to complete. It’s the perfect way to start your day in Interlaken.
Stop #2: Explore the Village
Lauterbrunnen is small enough to discover on foot. Check out the church, window shop on the main street, get an epic photo from the ‘view Wasserfall’ (pinned on google maps), and cross the bridge and wander along the Lauterbrunnen Valley Trail.
Stop #3: Lunch at BASE Cafe
It’s no secret that Switzerland is expensive and eating out quickly adds up. However, if you really search there are affordable places to eat like BASE Cafe. They have sandwiches, coffee, and treats for an affordable price. BASE Cafe is the perfect place to have lunch while exploring Lauterbrunnen.
Optional Stop #4: Hike to Trummelbach Falls
Trummelbach Falls is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and consists of 10 waterfalls thundering inside a mountain.
If your legs are still feeling alive, Trummelbach Falls is another great hike. It’s accessible by either stairway or elevator or do a little bit of both. Either way, be ready to hike a little bit and it can be slippery! The hike can take anywhere between 1 to 3 hours depending on how much you stop and take photos.
Stop #5: Hang out by Lutschine River
After Trummelbach Falls or lunch at BASE Cafe, head back into the town and find a spot along the Lutschine River to relax. Crack open your book, take a nap, go for a swim, or just enjoy the views before heading back to Interlaken.
How to get to Lauterbrunnen from Interlaken:
You can catch a direct train from Interlaken Ost to Bahnhof Lauterbrunnen. There are 32 trains each day and it takes about 30 minutes. You can get your roundtrip ticket at the station and it costs about $20 USD. This price may vary depending if you have a Swiss or Eurail Pass. The schedule is posted at the station or you can google it.
Day 3 — Rosenlaui Hike & Thunersee Lake
If you’re going to do one hike in Interlaken, let this be it. This hike isn’t tracked well on AllTrails, so the exact directions I followed to reach the waterfall are:
From Interlaken, take a 30 minute train ride to Meiringen. The trains runs back and forth every 30 minutes and the schedule will be posted at the station. Once you’ve arrived plug ‘Gletscherschlucht Rosenlaui’ into Google Maps and start walking. You will pass through stunning valleys, forests, and end up by a river that will lead up to the waterfall. The hike took my friends and I about 4 hours to reach and was absolutely stunning. There is a bus that runs between Rosenlaui and Meiringen that you can grab for the way down, but it costs about 5 CHF. After the hike, catch the same train back to Interlaken.
This will take up most of your day, so once you’re back in Interlaken I recommend relaxing at Thunersee Lake for a sunset swim. Take the bus from Interlaken to ‘Neuhaus Swimming Steps’ (pinned on google maps) where you’ll find a beach, swimming dock, volleyball nets, and other water activities.
- TIP: There is one grocery store or a few restaurants around Meiringen for lunch. I would be prepared with plenty of snacks and water for the hike.
- TIP: Use google maps to figure out your bus route. There are a few main bus stops in Interlaken that will bring you to Neuhaus Swimming Steps. The swimming spot is in Untersen, Switzerland and easy to find.
Transportation
Plane
The closest airport is Bern, which is 31 miles away. You can take a direct train from Bern to Interlaken which runs 27 times per day. Another option is to fly into Zurich (ZRH) and take a direct train to Interlaken which runs about 7 times per day.
Train
Interlaken is centrally located in Switzerland making it well connected. You can grab a train from neighboring counties. Find your best route and tickets beforehand on SBB or Trainline.
Bus
If you’re wanting to save money and don’t mind a bus ride, FlixBus is your best option for getting to Interlaken.
Transportation in Interlaken
Interlaken is well connected by train and bus. Trains run daily through Interlaken to all of the nearby towns and bigger cities if you’re looking to take day trips. There are local buses that connect to the neighboring towns as well. You can find the bus and train schedule posted at the train station or google maps, SBB, or Trainline.
Where to Stay
Interlaken is a great place to base yourself for a few days as there are so many day trips to take within an hour or two. Accommodation is indeed expensive, but you can find places without breaking the bank.
Solo / Budget Traveler:
- Happy Lodge Inn
- Balmers Hostel
- Alp Lodge
Mid-Range Travel:
- Hotel Regina Beatenberg
- Hotel Tell and Apartments
- Seehotel Bonigen
Where to Eat
In all honesty, I never ate out while in Interlaken, so I have no recommendations. However, Migros and Aldi are the cheapest grocery stores. Migros has quick pre-made/deli meals and everything you need including coffee machines.
Favorite Coffee Shops
One thing I will always budget for is a good cup of coffee! If you’re a coffee lover like me, here’s a list of my favorite coffee shops.
- Velo Cafe
- Spatz – Gastro & So
- BASE Cafe (Lauterbrunnen)
Tips
- There are two train stations in Interlaken; Interlaken Ost and Interlaken West. Interlaken West is closer to the town. Keep this in mind when booking tickets!
- Most accommodations have discounts for buses and some activities. When you check in, ask what they have to offer.
- If you’re a coffee addict like me, go to Migros and you’ll find a fresh coffee machine for $2-$3 USD.
FAQ
Q: What is the language and currency in Switzerland?
A: Switzerland has four official languages; German, French, Italian, and Romansh. In addition, most people know English. Switzerland’s national currency is the Swiss Frank (CHF) although some places take Euros.
Q: Does Eurail work in Switzerland?
A: For those who don’t know, Eurail is a rail pass that gives you access to most trains across Europe. The pass does include most destinations in Switzerland, although make sure you check your pass before hopping on the train!
Q: Should I be scared of the expense of Switzerland?
A: No! There are ways to get around the expense of Switzerland like cooking your own foods, getting coffee from the grocery store rather than a coffee shop, staying at hostels, and using public transportation. Activities are the major expense however most of them are once in a lifetime experiences making it worth your money.
You’re all set for your trip to Interlaken!
Have the best time and make sure you do one thing that makes you say “I love my life” each day!
– G
