I once when asked told a Swiss person that the Lauterbrunnen valley is without a doubt my favourite landscape in Switzerland and he quite literally had a visceral reaction saying ‘ugh no, way too touristy’. Essentially, what a basic, unoriginal answer to give.
However, I am a firm believer that places are touristy for a reason and if you can get away from the crowds then Lauterbrunnen is hands down the most breathtaking, awe-inspiring, magnificent valley I have ever had to pleasure to lay my eyes on. And I have now laid eyes on this dramatic valley in every season over the years and each time she shines like the mighty queen that she is.
Detailed below are the itineraries, hikes, accomodation and crucial details on what made each trip epic, but also budget friendly (some major adjustments to your normal holiday spending may need to be made in Switzerland but the packed lunch life is worth it for the views).
Budget Swiss Travel 101
- Rent a car! The roads in Switzerland are quiet, impeccably maintained and usually come with a gorgeous view along the way. The trains here are a true marvel of punctuality and comfort, but as a tourist a very expensive way to get around. I have always used Alamo and only had a positive experience.
- Budget accomodation: A great way to keep costs down when travelling in Switzerland is to book hostels. As with most things, Switzerland does hostels very well and they are clean, comfortable and you can book private rooms to avoid dealing with a shared bunk bed hangout situation.
- Limit eating out to one meal a day, and use supermarkets such as Aldi, Lidl or Migros to supplement other meal requirements and picnic along the way.
Winter 1.5 Day Itinerary
Day 1
- Lauterbrunnen Viewpoint
- Lauterbrunnen Valley Path
Drove into the valley, lost mind briefly at dramatic landscape and picture-postcard scenes and then parked up at budget friendly accomodation of choice for the night: Lauterbrunnen Backpackers 18-35’s
As an avid seeker of instagram famous view points the first stop was to locate the famous view point in front of the church with the valley in the background. The spot itself is actually a little underwhelming, simply a bench with a queue of people waiting patiently to get ‘the shot’. There are far better view points experienced on the hikes detailed below in the spring edition. Either way still a great photo oppurtunity and we had the gorgeous background of the sun shining through the valley whilst we were in the shadows.
Valley hike: Since we were limited on daylight hours in winter we took the easiest hike available on the menu in the area which is to walk the path all the way down through the Lauterbrunnen Valley to Stechelberg and back. It is very clearly signposted and takes approximately 3 hours there and back (longer if you inevitably stop repeatedly along the way to take photos of the rural chalets and bond with the local teenage cows and cats)
For dinner we found a restaurant at a nearby campsite which served up typical swiss cheese based cuisine, with cute outdoor chalet vibes framed with heaters – Restaurant Weidstübli
Day 2 (half day)
- Train to Wengen
- Viewpoint in Wengen
Lauterbrunnen is a valley to be admired from all the angles, including climbing up both sides of the valley. Wengen is one option, an easy train ride up from Lauterbrunnen town and the alternative is Murren / Gimmelwald further down the valley. This trip Wengen was the chosen vantage point, for details on the alternative see Summer / Spring itineraries.
The train journey up to Wengen is pretty spectacular, and Switzerland knows it thus kindly treats passengers to glass ceilings as well as windows. Make sure to sit on the left hand side of the train for epic valley views as it winds up the mountain.
Wengen is a cute town to walk around (especially since it is car free) but the main highlight for those short on time is the viewpoint at the church for the birdseye view and photoshoot of the valley. Find details for a hike around the Wengen area in the Spring 2023 visit.
Summer 1 Day Itinerary
- Staubbachfall Waterfall
- Trümmelbach Falls
- Schilthornbahn – Murren – Gimmelwald
- Lunch at Mountain Hostel in Gimmelwald
My best friend was visiting me in Switzerland for the first time, so of course Lauterbrunnen was on the itinerary as part of our 10 day Tour de Swiss.
First stop and first waterfall of the day was the Staubbachfall waterfall just outside of the town. Its pretty crowded, given its the easiest short hike to do from the main town but nethertheless good views from in front and behind the falls!
Next stop by car was the famous Truemmelbach falls – Europe’s largest underground waterfalls! By underground, I mean more under the mountain, but regardless this is a must-see in Lauterbrunnen. Nothing makes you feel as tiny and insignificant compared to mother nature as being immersed in a series of waterfalls churning up to 20,000 litres a second of melted glacier. Its loud, wet impressive and offers fantastic views of the valley as you descend down from the exit.
We then parked up at Schilthornbahn and took the cable car to Murren and explored the village (picteresque for sure, however there was a LOT of building work going on – luckily the cranes and building sites can be strategically omitted from instagram photoshoots). The highlight of visiting this side of the valley was the hike down to Gimmelwald: absolutely beautiful views of the alps and we ended up enjoying lunch at the Mountain view hostel garden overlooking the valley in the much quieter, less chaotic Gimmelwald.
Spring 2 Day Itinerary
The spring edition of visiting the Lauterbrunnen valley with my parents came with beautiful weather and a 6 hour hike through the valley and then all the way along the ridge of the valley from Murren followed by a SPECTACULAR descent into the valley from the opposite end. If you only visit Lauterbrunnen once this hike is a must.
Day 1
- Lauterbrunnen – Schilthornbahn – Murren – Lauterbrunnen Hike
Checked into our hostel room at Camping Jungfrau and the receptionist kindly recommended the initial hiking route: taking the cable car up from Lauterbrunnen and then walking along the ridge to Murren. My Dad, the true hiking enthusiast that he is, took this route as inspiration to extend and create his own version using the MapsMe app which was much longer and involved hiking the valley path to Schilthornbahn, taking the cable car up to Murren, then venturing across the complete ridge and descending down into Lauterbrunnen at the opposite end. Great decision all round, and to this day my favourite hike I have done in Switzerland!
The route was essentially a loop in the end: Hike from the campsite through the valley as in previous visits then get the cable car up to Murren. We stopped for a coffee and snack in Murren before joining the trail that follows the railway track that lines the edge of the valley. The route then took us through forests, a scenic lunch stop at Restaurant Winteregg and non-stop breathtaking views of the alps and the lauterbrunnen valley in the long winding descent at the end:
A hearty dinner was much needed after about 6 hours of walking – the chosen spot was Restaurant Weidstübli at the campsite we were staying at, the same one I visited in 2019. Vibes were still rustic and cute, and food quality and price was still reasonable (for Swiss price standards).
Day 2
Lauterbrunnen – Wengen – Lauterbrunnen Hike
For our second day in Lauterbrunnen Dad was armed and ready with a new MapsMe route but this time on the Wengen side of the valley. After taking the scenic train ride up and posing for the infamous photo by the church we followed a trail that took us through a series of gorgeous swiss chalets including a farm where we bonded with a baby lamb and tribe of donkeys. After running out of path above Wengen we turned back and followed the ‘wanderweg’ signs for a trail that descended through some forest and down into Lauterbrunnen, indulging in spectacular valley views but today from the opposite side.
Autumn 1 Day Itinerary
- Trümmelbach Falls
- Lauterbrunnen Valley Path (to Stechelberg and back)
The parents were back in town visiting and having exhausted Grindelwald the previous day and intermittent rain forecast we decided to return to my beloved Lauterbrunnen and see it in the Autumn colours. We arrived in heavy rain and low cloud but after waiting 15 minutes in the car for the rain to pass suddenly the clouds cleared and the sun broke through unveiling the valley looking gorgeous as ever with clouds ominously lining each side and red and orange leaves on the trees.
With only one day and on-and-off rain adding a layer of unpredictability to our hiking plans we kept it simple: Trümmelbach Falls followed by the valley path all the way to Stechelberg and back. This was probably the worst weather I had done the valley path in but by no means was it less picturesque – different weather conditions and a different season and colours almost made it feel like doing the hike for the first time again:
