Lauterbrunnen City Guide
Things to Do in Lauterbrunnen: The Full List, From the Valley Floor to the Summits
This list of things to do in Lauterbrunnen covers a municipality of six villages inside one of the deepest valleys in the Alps, and almost every entry on it falls into a height band: the free valley floor, the two car-free ledge villages, the trails that connect them, and the two summits reached only by lift. This page groups everything that way, with the price and the practical line for each. For the tour and ticket comparison in full, see Lauterbrunnen tours and tickets and passes. For where everything sits, the Lauterbrunnen map, and for the trips further out, day trips off the Lauterbrunnen guide's homepage.
Quick answer The short list, split by how high you go
Most things to do in Lauterbrunnen split by altitude. On the free valley floor: Staubbach Falls, Trümmelbach Falls at US$21.90 (CHF 18), and the walk to Stechelberg. On the car-free ledges: Mürren, Gimmelwald, Wengen and Isenfluh, each reached only by lift or on foot. By lift to the top: the Schilthorn at US$139.70 (CHF 115) return and the Jungfraujoch from US$157.50 (CHF 129.60).
Key takeaways
- The valley floor costs nothing: Staubbach Falls and the walk toward Stechelberg need no ticket and no lift.
- For the lift-based sights, the Schilthorn cableway ticket and a Trümmelbach and Lauterbrunnen minibus from Interlaken are two of the most-booked ways in.
- Free but seasonal: the Mürren-Gimmelwald via ferrata runs only 1 June to 31 October, gear rental extra.
Every Thing to Do, Grouped by How High You Go
Everything on this list, sorted into the four bands that actually shape a Lauterbrunnen day: the free valley floor, the car-free ledge villages, the trails and via ferrata that link them, and the two summits reached only by lift. Prices are official adult figures where a source publishes one, and times are our own estimate for a visit, not an official figure.
On the Valley Floor (Free)
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Staubbach Falls
Waterfall Free20-40 min
A 297 m drop from a hanging valley directly over the village, visible from the streets below and the subject of Goethe's 1779 poem about the falls.
Tip: Best seen in the morning or evening light, when the spray catches the sun without a crowd of cars at the roadside.
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Trümmelbach Falls
Waterfall US$21.90 (CHF 18)1-1.5 h
Ten glacier waterfalls running inside the mountain, reached by a tunnel lift, the only glacier falls inside a mountain in Europe open to visitors.
Tip: Open early April to early November only, 09:00-17:00, extended hours in July and August. Children under 4 and dogs are not admitted.
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Stechelberg
Village Free to visit20-30 min
The end of the road and the Postbus route, and the valley-floor station for the big cableway up to Mürren and the Schilthorn.
Tip: Park here rather than drive further, since the road stops and every lift up the western side starts at this station.
Car-Free Ledge Villages
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Mürren
Village US$14.34 (CHF 11.80) cableway from Stechelberg2-4 h
A car-free village on a ledge about 850 m above the valley floor, the trailhead for the North Face Trail and the mid-station for the Schilthorn cableway.
Tip: Walk the village street for the Eiger view before continuing up the same line to the Schilthorn.
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Gimmelwald
Village By cableway from Stechelberg1-2 h
A village of around a hundred people, one stop below Mürren on the same cableway, home to the Mountain Hostel and the start of the via ferrata.
Tip: The cableway's first call on the way up, so it costs nothing extra to step off here before continuing to Mürren.
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Wengen
Village By rack train, no fare published2-4 h
A car-free village reached only by the Wengernalpbahn, the longest continuous rack railway in the world, and home to the Lauberhorn ski races each January.
Tip: No point-to-point fare is printed on any official page we could read, so check the SBB app or the station machines.
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Isenfluh
Village By Postbus, no fare published1-2 h
The smallest and quietest of the six municipality villages, a Postbus ride from Lauterbrunnen on the opposite slope from Wengen and Mürren.
Tip: The trailhead for the Sulwald cable car and its own quieter view up the valley.
Trails and the Via Ferrata
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Lauterbrunnen hikes
Trail hub Free to walk1 h to a full day
Every walking route in the valley, gathered on one page, from the flat valley-floor path to the high ridge trails above the ledge villages.
Tip: Start here before picking a single route, since the lifts do most of the climbing and most walks here run gently down.
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North Face Trail
Trail Free to walk1-2 h
A high path above Mürren that looks straight across the valley at the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau walls, named for the view rather than for climbing them.
Tip: Reached on foot from Mürren or the Allmendhubel funicular, no separate ticket beyond whichever lift gets you to the start.
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Mürren-Gimmelwald via ferrata
Via ferrata Free (gear rental extra)2-3 h
About 2.2 km of steel-cabled cliff path with roughly 400 m of height and a 90 m Nepal suspension bridge over the Mürrenbach gorge.
Tip: Open 1 June to 31 October only, and it is a real alpine climb, not attempted in rain or without a head for exposure.
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Allmendhubel
Funicular + flower trail US$19.44 (CHF 16) return1-2 h
A funicular from Mürren into a flower-meadow walking area, the cheapest lift-served viewpoint on this list.
Tip: Closed 19 October to 11 December 2026, so the meadow is walk-up only in that window.
The Summits by Lift
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The Schilthorn
Cable car summit US$139.70 (CHF 115) return from Stechelberg3-5 hbook-ahead tier 2 of 3
A four-stage cableway from Stechelberg to a summit topped by the revolving restaurant Piz Gloria, built for the 1969 Bond film On Her Majesty's Secret Service.
Tip: Ascents run at xx:25 and xx:55 past each hour, so time your arrival at Stechelberg around that clock.
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The Jungfraujoch
Rail summit From US$157.50 (CHF 129.60)A full daybook-ahead tier 3 of 3
Reached from Lauterbrunnen by the Wengernalpbahn to Kleine Scheidegg and then the Jungfrau Railway, opened in 1912 and running 9 km almost entirely in tunnel.
Tip: The advertised from-price is the lowest fare class. A seat reservation is US$12.15 (CHF 10) and strongly recommended, not mandatory.
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Kleine Scheidegg
Rail stop By rack train, no separate fare1-2 h
The junction stop on the rack line where the trains from Lauterbrunnen and Grindelwald meet before the final climb to the Jungfraujoch.
Tip: A cheaper half-day option than riding all the way to the Jungfraujoch, with the same close-up view of the Eiger's north wall.
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Männlichen
Ridge by gondola By gondola, no fare published2-4 h
A ridge reached by gondola from Wengen or Grindelwald, the start of the Royal Walk to Kleine Scheidegg with views across both valleys.
Tip: In late autumn the gondola's winter meeting point for some tours shifts down to Kleine Scheidegg, so check the season before you plan around it.
Adrenaline off the Ledges
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Paragliding from Mürren
Tandem flight from $230.001-2 hbook-ahead tier 1 of 3
A tandem paraglide off the ledge above Mürren, over the valley's cliffs and waterfalls, landing on the valley floor at Stechelberg.
Tip: Flights depend on wind and visibility, and the operator reschedules rather than cancels outright.
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Skydiving over Interlaken
Tandem skydive from $515.003.5 hbook-ahead tier 1 of 3
A tandem freefall of about 45 seconds from a small plane over the Bernese Oberland, the highest-priced adrenaline option that touches this valley.
Tip: Jumps depend on flying conditions and are rescheduled rather than cancelled in bad weather, so build a spare day into the trip.
Numbers match the list — tap a pin for the guide.
What People Book to Do This
If you book only a handful of things in the valley, these are the cards that cover the widest range of this list: a summit ticket, a flight off a ledge, and a hosted way onto the valley floor without driving yourself.
from $73.32
Schilthorn - Piz Gloria Ticket
This is the operator's own Stechelberg-Schilthorn return ticket sold through Viator, with the Bond World exhibit and Thrill Walk folded in, not a separate tour. Ascents run every hour at xx:25 and xx:55, so time your arrival at the valley station around that clock.
Check Availability
from $315.00
From Lauterbrunnen: Ticket to Jungfraujoch - Top of Europe
This is a train ticket, not a guided tour: you board at Lauterbrunnen and ride yourself to Jungfraujoch's ice palace and observation deck. Late arrivals still travel but lose the reserved seat on the Kleine Scheidegg to Jungfraujoch leg.
Check Availability
from $241.00
Mürren: Paragliding over Lauterbrunnen Cliffs and Waterfalls
A pilot straps you in at Mürren and you run a few steps off the launch field before the ground drops away over the valley's cliffs and waterfalls. The 20-minute flight lands at Stechelberg, not back in Mürren, so budget the bus or the walk back afterward.
Check Availability
from $302.00
Interlaken: 72 Waterfalls Valley & Lauterbrunnen E-Bike Tour
A guided e-bike loop from Interlaken along the river into the valley, with the Trümmelbach Falls entry fee already folded into the price. Riders who cannot handle a bicycle are turned away at the start, so this is not a beginner's first ride.
Check Availability
from $254.00
Interlaken: Lauterbrunnen + Trümmelbach Falls Tour
A door-to-door minibus with an English-speaking host instead of a fixed meeting point, built around an easy walk rather than a hike. The Trümmelbach Falls entry fee is not folded into the price, it is paid at the gate.
Check Availability
from $274.09
Hike Lauterbrunnen-Mürren Including Trümmelbach Falls Visit
From the listed $274.09, the operator adds $34.12 in mandatory extras, so budget for roughly $308 total before booking. The route itself is the valley's classic ridge walk to Mürren, with Trümmelbach Falls built into the day rather than left as a separate stop.
$274.09 plus $34.12 mandatory extras
Check AvailabilityPrices, ratings and details are the platform's own. Dollar figures are the listed prices. The platform bills in your account's currency.
Free Things to Do in Lauterbrunnen
Not everything worth doing here has a price tag, and the free list is longer than most first-time visitors expect.
Staubbach Falls is free to see from the village streets, and the flat valley-floor walk toward Stechelberg, under the walls that carry 72 waterfalls by the local count, costs nothing beyond your own legs. The Mürren-Gimmelwald via ferrata is free to use if you bring your own gear, open 1 June to 31 October, and every village street in Mürren, Gimmelwald, Wengen and Isenfluh costs nothing to walk once you have paid the lift or train fare to reach it. The one catch is the lifts themselves: nothing above the valley floor is reached without a ticket of some kind, even where the destination is free once you arrive.
What Goes Wrong on a Lauterbrunnen Day
Four mistakes account for most disappointed days in this valley, and each has a fix.
- Riding a summit lift into cloud. Check the tops before you buy, since the Schilthorn and Jungfraujoch both cost real money and a white-out at the top is the single most common regret here.
- Assuming the Stechelberg-Mürren cableway always runs. It closes for maintenance 19-30 October 2026 (a shuttle bus via Mürren covers the gap) and again 26 April-7 May 2027.
- Planning a via ferrata day outside 1 June to 31 October. The route is closed the rest of the year, and it is not a fallback for a rainy week either since wet rock rules it out entirely.
- Visiting Trümmelbach Falls between early November and early April. The falls are open only in that window, and the rest of the year they run as a trickle under ice.
How Many Days These Things to Do Actually Fill
Most visitors underestimate how much of a day one summit lift takes, and overestimate how much a car-free village adds beyond the walk down its one street. Here is an honest look at what each trip length realistically covers, with the fuller day plans linked.
What Fits Per Day
The lifts are the expensive part of any list here, and each one costs half a day by the time you have ridden up, looked around and come down.
| Trip Length | What You Cover |
|---|---|
| 1 day | The valley floor and one summit, or the valley floor with Trümmelbach if the tops are in cloud. |
| 2 days | The valley floor, both ledge villages and one summit, with a spare afternoon for the via ferrata in season. |
| 3 days | Both summits across two weather windows, plus a trail day and time for Wengen and the Lauberhorn side. |
Where to Go Next
The other pages that turn this list into a booked plan, starting from the Lauterbrunnen guide if you want the wider overview first.
Lauterbrunnen Tours
Every bookable tour and lift ticket compared side by side, with the DIY alternative to each one. Compare the tours.
Tickets and Passes
Every lift, entry and pass in one place, with the math on when a pass pays. See tickets.
Day Trips
Grindelwald, Interlaken and the rest of the neighbouring valleys. Plan a day out.
Lauterbrunnen Map
Everything on this list plotted in one place. Open the map.
Plan Your Trip
Getting here, staying, eating and the season switches. Start planning.
Things to Do in Lauterbrunnen: Questions
What are the best free things to do in Lauterbrunnen?
Staubbach Falls from the village streets and the flat valley-floor walk toward Stechelberg, under the 72 waterfalls of the local count, cost nothing. The Mürren-Gimmelwald via ferrata is also free to use with your own gear, open 1 June to 31 October.
How many days do you need to see the main things to do in Lauterbrunnen?
Two full days cover the valley floor, both ledge villages and one summit. A third day fits the second summit or the via ferrata in season. See how many days these things to do actually fill for the trip-length breakdown.
What things to do in Lauterbrunnen need no lift?
Staubbach Falls, the valley-floor walk toward Trümmelbach Falls and Stechelberg are all reached on foot from the village. Everything above the floor, including Mürren and Wengen, needs a train or a cableway.
What things to do in Lauterbrunnen are unique to this valley?
The Trümmelbach Falls tunnel lift into ten glacier waterfalls inside the mountain is the one sight with no equivalent nearby. The North Face Trail above Mürren, looking straight at the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau walls, is the other.
What can you do in Lauterbrunnen if the weather is bad?
Stay on the valley floor. Trümmelbach Falls runs inside the mountain regardless of the sky above, and Staubbach Falls is visible from the street in any weather. Save the Schilthorn and Jungfraujoch for a clear morning, since both are wasted money in cloud.
Is one summit enough, or should I do both the Schilthorn and Jungfraujoch?
One summit is enough for most first visits, and the choice between them is answered in full on Schilthorn or Jungfraujoch. Doing both needs at least two clear weather windows and two separate half or full days.
Lauterbrunnen Things to Do on Film
Three walkthroughs covering different slices of this list, filmed at ground level.
16 Things To Do In Lauterbrunnen Valley, Switzerland | Free Map!
A rundown of sixteen entries on this same list, filmed across the valley floor and the ledges.
Video: Aplins in the AlpsThe Ultimate Lauterbrunnen Itinerary: What to Do & See in 1 Day
How much of this list actually fits into a single day on the ground.
Video: The Traveling Swiss - Louis & AlexisLauterbrunnen Valley, Switzerland: Alpine Beauty
A wider look at the valley's geography that this list is grouped around.
Video: Rick Steves' EuropeVideos load from YouTube only when you press play.
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