How to Spend One Day in Lauterbrunnen

Switzerland’s gorgeous Jungfrau region is absolutely packed with incredible things to do. Between adventure sports, world-class hiking, novelty train rides, and more, it’s easy to fill a week (or much more) in the area. But what should you do if you have just one day?

After multiple trips to the Jungfrau region, here’s my answer: spend that one day in and above the magical Lauterbrunnen Valley — a narrow cleft between steep, towering cliffs, featuring thousand-foot waterfalls, clanging cowbells, and nearby snow-capped mountains.

With one day, you have just enough time to get the best views of the valley and the mountains alike, capped off with an incredible walk along the waterfalls. Learn all about it in this post!

This is how to spend one day in Lauterbrunnen.

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One Day in Lauterbrunnen: The Basics

• 9 am: Train to Wengen for the best views over the Lauterbrunnen Valley
• 11 am: Return to Lauterbrunnen; take cable car up to Grütschalp railway station
• 12-2 pm: Hike from Grütschalp to Mürren
• 2:30 pm: Take cable cars down to Stechelberg (via Gimmelwald)
• 3-5 pm: Walk back to Lauterbrunnen through the valley (options to detour to Trümmelbach Falls and/or to hike up behind Staubbach Falls)

Where to stay

This itinerary assumes you’re staying in Lauterbrunnen overnight. (I recommend Hotel Staubbach, which has perfect views of Lauterbrunnen’s most picturesque waterfall, Staubbach Falls.) Lauterbrunnen is a relatively convenient and central place to stay, especially compared to some of the car-free villages in the region (including Wengen and Mürren).

However, because this route passes through both Wengen and Mürren, it works equally well if you’re staying in Wengen or Mürren (or even Gimmelwald): just start the route in that town instead. For example, if you stay in Mürren, you could start your day by taking the cable car down to Stechelberg, then walk through the valley, then take the train up to Wengen and back, then finish your day by walking back to Mürren from the Grütschalp station.

If you choose to stay elsewhere in the Jungfrau region — such as Interlaken or Grindelwald — you’ll need to build in some extra time to get from your lodging to your starting point for the day.

You can also do this route in reverse, so that you walk from Lauterbrunnen to Stechelberg, take the cable car up to Mürren, walk from Mürren to Grütschalp, then take the cable car down to Lauterbrunnen. However, I don’t recommend this, as the views are much better walking toward Mürren.

How much this itinerary costs

As of April 2025, tickets for the trains and cable cars required to complete this route start at about CHF 23.70 total per person, but the actual amount will depend on the dates and times you choose. (Check current prices and timetables for the train to Wengen and cable car to Grütschalp here, and for the cable car from Mürren to Stechelberg here.) If you have a Swiss Travel Pass, some of your tickets will be free or discounted.

Or, if you’re ambitious, you could save some money by hiking more portions of this route. It’s actually possible to hike this entire day rather than taking any trains and cable cars. However, adding more hikes — particularly if you opt for the uphill hikes — will also add a lot of time to an already busy day.

Accordingly, unless you’re very fit and fast, I don’t recommend adding hikes up to Wengen or Grütschalp to this particular itinerary. However, you might consider hiking down from Wengen to Lauterbrunnen, or from Mürren to Stechelberg — rather than taking the train or cable car, respectively — if you have the time and energy.

One more thing…

Some of the cable cars described below shut down for routine maintenance at certain times of the year (especially in the spring and fall). Be sure to check current schedules before setting off on this route.

How to Spend One Day in Lauterbrunnen

Here’s a detailed itinerary for one perfect day in Lauterbrunnen.

9 am: Train to Wengen

Start your day by walking to the Lauterbrunnen train station (labeled Bahnhof Lauterbrunnen in the map above).

On your way there, if you want, you can make a quick detour to one of the most famous views in Lauterbrunnen:

This spot is labelled “Staubbachfall Viewpoint” on Google Maps. You can get there two ways:

(1) On the main road through town, look for the two stone balls across from Hotel Schützen and walk down the small path beside them. The viewpoint is shortly down the hill.

(2) Take the main road past the church. At the sharp curve just down the hill from the church — right before you cross the bridge — is a small walking path leading directly away from the church. Follow that path up the hill for a minute or so to reach the viewpoint.

Try not to linger too long — you have an extremely picturesque day ahead of you, and this is just the beginning!

Once you reach the train station, buy a round-trip (return) ticket to Wengen. The 11-minute train to Wengen leaves Lauterbrunnen every 30 minutes.

TIP: For the best views, sit (or stand) on the right side of the train heading up to Wengen (and the left side when returning to Lauterbrunnen). The photo at the top of this post was actually taken from the train to Wengen! As the train climbs, the views over the valley become spectacular.

When you reach Wengen — which is a small, car-free village perched 1500 feet above Lauterbrunnen — walk a couple steps up the hill and take a left onto the main road. You’re heading for Wengen’s Evangelical Reformed church — “Evangelisch reformierte Kirche Wengen” on Google Maps — which is a 5-minute walk from the train station.

Look for the break in the hedge behind the church — visible in the bottom left of the photo below — and follow the steps down to the small viewing area (“Wengen Aussichtspunkt“), where you’ll find incredible views of the Lauterbrunnen Valley and some of the surrounding mountains.

If you arrive in the morning, you’ll get to see the first rays of light reaching over the mountains behind Wengen and stretching toward the valley. If you arrive later in the day, when the sun is high in the sky, you’ll see the valley bathed in light. It’s beautiful either way!

When you’re ready, head back to Wengen’s train station and return to Lauterbrunnen. If you choose to walk down instead, you’ll need about 45 minutes.

11 am: Cable car to Grütschalp

Back in Lauterbrunnen, look for the cable car station (Bergbahn) — it’s right across from the train station. Buy a one-way ticket to Grütschalp. You may need to wait in line; this is a popular trip.

TIP: Two doors down from the cable car station (toward town) is a Coop supermarket, where you can buy snacks and supplies for the rest of the day ahead. We bought a picnic lunch there to enjoy on the trail to Mürren.

Like the train to Wengen, the cable car to Grütschalp departs every 30 minutes. It’s a quick and scenic journey: you reach the top in about 4 minutes, and you’ll have beautiful views the whole way. Don’t worry too much about taking photos in the cable car, though; you’ll have even better views in a few minutes.

When you reach the Grütschalp station, most people will likely head for the train to Mürren. Yes, there is a scenic train you can choose to take if you’re short on time or need to reduce the amount of walking in this day: it runs every 30 minutes and will get you to Mürren quite quickly (the journey is only 4 kilometers!).

If you choose to walk, ignore the crowd and head for the walking path above the train tracks. If you like, there’s also a viewing platform beside the station where you can find your first good view of the mighty mountain trio of Eiger, Mönch, and Jungfrau. You’ll see a lot more of these majestic peaks over the next few hours!

12 pm: Hike from Grütschalp to Mürren

The walk to Mürren is short — just 4.3 kilometers, or 2.7 miles — and easy, with only minimal incline and a well-defined trail.

It’s also simply gorgeous.

Eiger, Mönch, and Jungfrau will be visible much of the way, and at times you’ll be able to look back at Wengen across the valley. Depending on the time of year, cowbells may fill the soundscape. And the scenic train will pass below you a few times — the walking trail basically hovers above or beside the train tracks for much of the journey.

Midway through your walk, you’ll pass the Winteregg railway station, where you can stop to eat at a restaurant with a terrace that I’m sure provides a lovely view.

If you pack a lunch, keep an eye out for a place to sit and eat. There are a number of benches along the trail, as well as other places to park yourself. We clambered up a big rock on the side of the trail and ate lunch with a view of both Eiger and the passing trains.

My family reached Mürren in about 1 hour and 45 minutes, which included an unhurried stop for lunch and lots of pauses for photos.

Take some time to look around Mürren, which is a typically charming Swiss town filled with scenic overlooks (though I personally think the best views are on the trail you just walked!).

2:30 pm: Gondola to Stechelberg

When you’re ready to leave Mürren, head for the cable car station, which is at the end of town. You need a ticket to Stechelberg. It’s a quick journey, but you’ll have to transfer gondolas in Gimmelwald. If the schedule is running normally, you should be able to walk off one gondola and right onto the other.

Alternatively, you can walk from Mürren to Gimmelwald — which takes about 30-35 minutes — then catch the gondola the rest of the way to Stechelberg. If you choose to walk the whole way from Mürren to Stechelberg, plan for about 90 minutes.

When you reach the Stechelberg cable car station, look to the left — right before the parking lot — for a small bridge across the stream. Cross the bridge, check out the view of Mürrenbach Falls (one of the most prominent waterfalls in the Lauterbrunnen Valley), then take the walking path to the right to head back toward Lauterbrunnen.

3 pm: Walk to Lauterbrunnen

The walking route is approximately 4.7 kilometers, or 2.9 miles, and will lead you back to Lauterbrunnen in about an hour if you don’t make any stops or pause for photos. It’s an easy and delightful walk through the valley, with impressive cliffs on either side of you, snow-capped mountains behind you (look for paragliders!), and a mountain river occasionally rushing beside you.

Lauterbrunnen Valley is also famous for its many waterfalls, and there are two related stops you can make on your way back to town, if so you choose:

Trümmelbach Falls

These super unique waterfalls — 10 distinct falls in total — are actually located inside one of the mountains flanking the Lauterbrunnen Valley. The falls drain the glacier runoff from Eiger, Mönch, and Jungfrau, and are extremely powerful.

Your visit to Trümmelbach Falls actually begins with a steep funicular ride that takes you up inside the mountain. You then walk back down to the valley via a series of walkways and steps, passing each of the 10 falls along the way. Be careful, as the walkways are often wet. It’s also often loud — again, waterfalls inside a mountain!

Check operating hours and current pricing here.

If you choose to detour to Trümmelbach Falls, follow this walking route on Google Maps.

Staubbach Falls

Staubbach Falls is the most famous waterfall in the Lauterbrunnen Valley. At nearly 1000 feet, or 300 meters, it’s truly striking, and it’s visible from nearly everywhere in the town of Lauterbrunnen.

As you walk back to Lauterbrunnen from Stechelberg, you will pass right by Staubbach Falls. If you like, you can actually climb a small hill and step behind the waterfall. It’s a quick hike — about 15 minutes — up some switchback stairs. At the top, you’ll stand right behind the water and enjoy great views of the town, valley, and some of the surrounding mountains.

Staubbach Falls is free to visit.

When you’re done visiting waterfalls, wander around the town of Lauterbrunnen with any remaining time and energy you may have! It’s a small town, but there are lots of charming corners to discover.

More Tips for One Day in Lauterbrunnen

Be sure to wear comfy shoes for lots of walking.

When I did this route with my family, we walked 13 miles, without a detour to Trümmelbach. I thought my shoes were broken in, but learned that they very much were not. Thankfully, I realized this quickly — by the time we left Wengen — so I could make a pit stop for bandaids and Neosporin at Lauterbrunnen’s supermarket before starting the hike to Mürren. Still, I would have enjoyed the day even more if my feet had been comfier. You don’t need fancy hiking boots for this day — sturdy sneakers will do.

Pack a picnic lunch.

I also noted this above, but you can buy food at the supermarket in Lauterbrunnen before taking the cable car up to Grütschalp, and find a spot to eat along the way to Mürren. There’s also a Coop supermarket in Mürren, in case you’d rather not carry food with you, or you can find a restaurant in Mürren if you prefer.

Bring plenty of water.

While none of the walking you’ll do this day is particularly strenuous — except, maybe, the stairs to Staubbach Falls — you’ll be walking a LOT and, if it’s sunny, you’ll be in the sun most of the time (wear sunscreen, too!). You may be able to find some water fountains in Mürren or elsewhere, but I wouldn’t necessarily count on it. (I filled my water bottle at a fountain below Staubbach Falls. I can’t necessarily recommend this, since it wasn’t clear whether the water in this particular fountain was actually supposed to be drinkable, but I didn’t get sick.)

Please take a reusable bottle with you rather than relying on single-use plastic bottles. I love to travel with water bottles that can be compressed, like this bottle that is capable of standing when full, but can be rolled up to almost nothing when empty. It also has a handy hook that I sometimes use to hang the bottle from my backpack when I’m accessing it often (or when my backpack is full!).

Relatedly…

Public restrooms are available in Mürren’s railway station.

It’s on your left as you arrive in town.

If You’d Like to See Even More…

If you’re willing to start your day earlier and spend more money on transportation, there are a few more things you could add to this day, including:

Take cable cars from Wengen to Grindelwald.

There are several ways to reach Grindelwald — another charming car-free village in the Jungfrau region — but efficiency is key on this busy day, and the quickest way to get there is to take a cable car up Männlichen (the mountain behind Wengen), and then another cable car from Männlichen to Grindelwald. Find current pricing for this experience here.

Eat at a revolving restaurant on Schilthorn.

Though it’s shorter than Eiger, Mönch, and Jungfrau, Schilthorn — located near Mürren — is still one of the highest mountains in the Jungfrau region. Made famous in the James Bond film On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, Schilthorn boasts beautiful views and a revolving restaurant called Piz Gloria (named after the fictional mountain in the movie). To get there, take a cable car from Mürren to Birg, and another from Birg to Schilthorn. See prices and timetables here.

Final Thoughts

Lauterbrunnen is one of my favorite travel destinations in the world. It’s no hidden gem, but that’s for a reason: Lauterbrunnen is exceptionally beautiful and easily accessible.

And I think this one-day Lauterbrunnen itinerary is the best way to experience the best of the Lauterbrunnen Valley in a short period of time.

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