I had the opportunity to travel to Interlaken last summer (2025) for work & after spending 3 weeks exploring the surrounding area of Interlaken it quickly became one of my new favorite destinations.
It has the waterfront feel as it is situated right in between Lake Thun & Lake Brienz. Perfect for water activities, outdoor hikes, paragliding & day trips.
Interlaken is the ideal location for exploring a variety of areas including Thun, Brienz, Lucerne, Bern, Gimmelwald, Murren, Grindelwald, & Lauterbrunnen. All accessible by bus or train within 2 hours.
Victoria Jungfrau Grand Hotel & Spa
This hotel is stunning. In my opinion, the nicest hotel in Interlaken & probably the most expensive as well, but you definitely get what you pay for.
Spa access for all guests regardless if you are receiving a service. Sauna, steam rooms, outdoor pool, indoor pool, indoor/outdoor hot tub.
The hotel also features a gelato stand out front, a delicious Italian restaurant, & a cafe facing the front lawn.
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Interlaken Activities
Paragliding — Don’t skip this.
The views are unbelievable in Interlaken. You could also do this near Murren or Grindelwald; however, I truly think it would be the best landscape to do it in Interlaken. There are several great companies to choose from:
- Paragliding Interlaken (Red stand outside the hotel – walk out of the hotel & go right past hooters)
- Sky Wings Paragliding
- Swiss Alps Paragliding Interlaken
- AlpinAir Paragliding
We decided to go with paragliding Interlaken based on flight times & proximity to our hotel, but they all had great reviews and similar pricing!
We paid about $300 per person (239 CHF) for the normal ride time which I believe is 20 minutes.
Paddle Boarding
The perfect afternoon activity near Interlaken. You can either go on Lake Thun or Lake Brienz. I wouldn’t say one is prettier than the other; however, if you do Lake Brienz I would go to Iseltwald to get your board. (Don’t go to the closest access to Interlaken as it is the busiest)
- Lake Brienz: take the bus to Iseltwald. Rent the board from “outdoor and wassersport BO.” After paddle boarding I stopped at Restaurant Chalet du Lac for a drink by the water.
(Views of a castle from Lake Brienz)
- Lake Thun: access through Neuhaus and rent your board from mountainsurf. You can walk here from Interlaken – it’s about 2.2 miles or take the bus.
Bike Rentals
There are so many great bike paths near Interlaken to explore. I’d highly recommend renting bikes & heading over to Brienz for the day. Along the way you should stop at Giessbach Falls. There are trails to hike here, but I just took a break instead.
- Yellow Velo: The guys who work here are so nice! Loved my experience. All day e-bike rental around 60 CHF. They offer a variety of different times / prices.
- Flying Wheels Electric Bike Tours: The most popular place to rent bikes. They sometimes sell out.
Harder Kulm Panorama Restaurant
The hike to Harder Kulm is well worth the view if you have the time and want to avoid taking the gondola both ways. I decided to hike the way up and take the gondola back down. On the way up I would say it was about 2 miles, but it is pretty difficult. The incline is steep and if it rained recently, it would be muddy.
On All Trails, I would recommend the Harder Kulm Loop. It is 5.3 miles in total with 2,539 ft elevation gain. Estimated to take about 4-5 hours. To make this more enjoyable, I would just make it a day trip. Hike up for 2 hours, stop for lunch and have a few drinks at the restaurant at the top, then of course finish the loop & hike back down. Or if you’ve had enough, just take the gondola down. You can purchase a one way ticket down at the top!
Dinner Eats
Sapori
This is the Italian place inside Victoria Jungfrau hotel. Delicious pizza!
La Tapberne
Swiss food isn’t my favorite; however, I ordered the pork belly here & it was actually pretty good. This place is off the beaten path, so if you’re wanting a quieter evening across town this is a good option.
II Buongustaio
Very small little pizza place. I would recommend grabbing take out and sitting along side the river with a blanket & bottle of wine!
Gasthof Hirschen – Classic swiss food!
Taste of India – The best indian restaurant in town!
Ristorante Citta Vecchia
This place was highly recommended by the locals! Great italian food & always a popular spot. I would try to get a reservation.
Grand Cafe Restaurant Schuh
Great location, right next to the park. There are some kids around playing in the park, but it is a nice vibe to sit outside! I had a huge spritz & the Veal with mushroom cream sauce (yum!)
Little Thai
Delicious thai food!! You wouldn’t expect Switzerland to have incredible Thai food; however, this was great. Try the Thai Iced Tea!
Drinks/Small Bites
Velo Cafe
This is a great healthy lunch or brunch spot! Coffee was good & food felt refreshing (bowls, salads, etc).
Aarburg Cafe
Chocolate Wasted
Great for a quick snack. The strawberries with choclate sauce drizzled over it is amazing! Also, they have a real espresso coffee machine, not all cafe’s here do.
Spatz
This might be my favorite place in Interlaken! The best place to grab a coffee by the river or have a cocktail. They serve small snacks too. I love this place.
Hotel Regina (Murren)
The view below is in Murren at this hotel’s outdoor patio cafe. The drink was good, food just ok, but amazing view.
Day Trips
Thun
Gimmelwald
Jungfrau
As pretty as this picture looks, skip it and go to Colorado next year.
Tourist nightmare. It takes forever just to get there (2 hours of bus, train, incline train, gondola.) Truly would recommend skipping this. Multiple people threw up from altitude sickness.
If you’re going to do it. Go early, know what to do ahead of time (plan on the zip line & outdoor bar & only do that.) Skip the discovery tour. Pack snacks!
Surrounding Cities
Bern
Lucerne
Trasnportation/App
SBB Mobile
This is the only method of transportation you really need. It includes train schedules, bus schedules & gondalas.
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