Overview
An eight day, self-guided Swiss adventure, hiking the Via Alpina between Meiringen and Lenk in the heart of the Bernese Oberland. The Via Alpina takes you on a route that is enveloped by the Alpine greats of Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau. Spend a week walking up to exquisite elevations like Blüemlisalp or Grosse Scheidegg, the latter proffering views of the great peaks. Or ease your way up to the high points by taking a cable car up to Allmenalp and hike the highlands to Bonderchrinde. It’s all a panorama of Bernese beauty and to add to its wonders, it’s also accessible by rail. Stay in a mix of locally-owned and traditional hotels, with luggage transfers.
- Adelboden
- Reichenbachfall
- Sefinenfurgge Pass
- Kandersteg
- Blüemlisalp
- Wengen
Itinerary
Day 1: Arrival in Meiringen
Arrive in Meiringen, an alpine town located in the Swiss canton of Bern. Meiringen lies at the foot of several mountain passes and is famous for the nearby Reichenbachfall, a waterfall that was used as the setting for the final showdown between Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes and his nemesis Professor Moriarty in his series of short stories.
- Accommodation: Parkhotel du Sauvage or similar in Meiringen
Day 2: Meiringen – Grindelwald | 15km
Take the bus to Rosenlaui (payable locally), where today’s walk starts. Follow the route up to Grosse Scheidegg mountain pass and take in views of the surrounding icons, namely the Eiger (3,967m), Mönch (4,110m) and Jungfrau (4,158m). Begin your descent towards Grindelwald, a village dominated by the mountainscape of the Eiger’s north face and Wetterhorn.
- Walking for the day: 15km, 4-5h, ↑615m ↓920m
- Accommodation: Hotel Kirchbühl or similar in Grindelwald
Day 3: Grindelwald – Wengen | 16km
Today’s route begins with an ascent to Kleine Scheidegg mountain pass (2,061m), located beneath the Eiger and Lauberhorn. Follow winding paths to the glacial waterfalls, Trümmelbachfälle, before continuing across the valley to Lauterbrunnen. End your day of walking in the car-free resort of Wengen, an alpine village located at 1,274m at the foot of Jungfrau.
- Walking for the day: 16km, 5.5h, ↑1,095m ↓856m
- Accommodation: Hotel Regina or similar in Wengen
Day 4: Wengen – Pochtenalp/Griesalp | 17km
Start the day with an early morning cable car ride to Mürren and begin today’s walk. Head towards Sefinenfurgge Pass, where there is often still snow on the ground in early summer. Follow the trail to your accommodation in Pochtenalp, surrounded by alpine pastures and meadowland. Depending on availability, your accommodation will be in nearby Griesalp.
- Walking for the day: 17km, 7h, ↑995m ↓1,225m
- Accommodation: Hotel Waldrand or similar in Pochtenalp
Day 5: Pochtenalp/Griesalp – Kandersteg | 17km
The ascent to Blüemlisalp is arguably the most spectacular leg of this hiking tour. After a long and steep walk up to 2,843m, take a break for lunch in the mountain restaurant at Blüemlisalphütte. From here, the trails heads over Hohtürli Pass (2,778m) and along glacial moraines to Oeschinensee, a turquoise lake that’s part of the Swiss Alps Jungfrau-Aletsch UNESCO World Heritage Site. From here, Kandersteg is only a short walk away, or alternatively, there is a quick option to take the cable car down to the valley (payable locally).
- Walking for the day: 17km, 7h, ↑1,475m ↓1,715m
- Accommodation: Hotel Blümlisalp or similar in Kandersteg
Day 6: Kandersteg – Adelboden | 12km
Take the cable car up to Allmenalp (payable locally) and start today’s walk up to Bunderspitz for breath-taking views of the surrounding peaks. From here, follow the trail down into the valley towards the alpine village of Adelboden, located at the foot of Wildstrubel.
- Walking for the day: 12km, 5.5h, ↑975m ↓1,460m
- Accommodation: Adler Adelboden or similar in Adelboden
Day 7: Adelboden – Lenk | 14km
From Adelboden, walk towards Hahnenmoos Pass (1,950m), located between Regenboldshorn and Albristhorn. Continue on the trail, beginning your descent with a view of Wildstrubel and the surrounding peaks. Head into Simmental Valley, and arrive in the village of Lenk, where you spend your final night in Bernese Oberland.
- Walking for the day: 14km, 4h, ↑650m ↓930m
- Accommodation: Sporthotel Wildstrubel or similar in Lenk
Day 8: Departure
Departure after breakfast, or extend your stay with an extra night in Lenk.
What to expect
Accommodation
Accommodation on this tour includes a mix of mostly small, locally-owned hotels, B&Bs and traditional guesthouses. They have been carefully selected based on a variety of criteria including their location, warm hospitality, fine local food or commitment to responsible tourism. All rooms have en-suite or private bathrooms. Please note that twin rooms cannot always be guaranteed. In such cases, the room will feature a double bed with individual bedding.
Click to view default hotels
- Parkhotel du Sauvage (Meiringen)
- Hotel Kirchbühl (Grindelwald)
- Hotel Regina (Wengen)
- Hotel Waldrand (Pochtenalp)
- Hotel Blümlisalp (Kandersteg)
- Adler Adelboden (Adelboden)
- Sporthotel Wildstrubel (Lenk)
Accommodation is subject to availability. In the event of a particular hotel or guesthouse being fully booked for your chosen dates, we will replace it with a hotel of equal value and quality level. We will provide exact accommodation details to you upon booking confirmation.
Click to view upgraded hotels
- Victoria Meiringen (Meiringen)
- Hotel Kirchbühl (Grindelwald)
- Hotel Regina (Wengen)
- Hotel Berghaus (Griesalp)
- Belle Epoque Hotel Victoria (Kandersteg)
- Bellevue Parkhotel & Spa (Adelboden)
- Hotel Kreuz (Lenk)
Accommodation is subject to availability. In the event of a particular hotel or guesthouse being fully booked for your chosen dates, we will replace it with a hotel of equal value and quality level. We will provide exact accommodation details to you upon booking confirmation.
Meals
Breakfast is included on all days and one dinner on day four. When no restaurant location is available en route, lunches and snacks can either be bought from local shops or packed lunches can be pre-ordered from your hotel the night before. Dinner is available either at the accommodation or from restaurants in the local area.
Difficulty and terrain
This tour is graded moderate to strenuous, with daily walking distances ranging between 11.5-21.5km. You need to be in good physical condition for this walking tour and have experience in mountain hiking, and it’s not suitable for anyone suffering from vertigo. Some sections of the tour can be cut short in the case of bad weather using local transport (read more about difficulty grades).
We strongly advise you to only follow marked trails and never try to shorten the path through unknown and unmarked terrain. We will provide you with detailed route notes and maps and you can call our 24/7 local assistance phone number anytime. More detailed information on route navigation will be included in your holiday information pack.
When to go
This trip is available from the end of June until mid-September. The flexibility of self-guided holidays means that there are no fixed dates, meaning you can start your trip on any date during the season. Please note that availability may be limited during big events such as Eiger Ultra Trail.
Depending on location and altitude, temperatures vary. During the summer months, the average maximum temperatures of the region range from 19-24C. However, at high altitudes, temperatures can be much cooler and some parts of the route may have snowfall. In the mountains, rapid weather changes are possible during the day and summer thunderstorms are relatively common. For more information, see our blog on the Best time to go to Switzerland.
Getting there
Click to view travel options
By plane
Our recommended airports for this tour are Bern Airport (BRN) and Zurich Airport (ZRH).
By train or bus
- If you are able to travel to Switzerland without flying, this holiday is reachable by rail with train stations in Meiringen and Lenk. For more details, see the national rail operator SBB or use the Omio planner above.
Arrival in Meiringen:
- From Zurich Airport: take the train to Meiringen (2h 30mins, changing at Zurich Hbf and Lucerne). For more information, see SBB or use the Omio planner above
- From Bern Airport: take the line 160 bus to Rubigen (20mins, see Bernmobil), from there take the train to Meiringen (1h 35mins, changing at Thun and Interlaken Ost)
- Parking: parking is available close to the accommodation in Meiringen (approximately CHF20 per week). Return travel from Lenk to Meiringen by train takes approximately three hours
Departure from Lenk:
- To Zurich Airport: take the train from Lenk (3h, changing in Zweisimmen and Spiez). For more information, see BLS and SBB or use the Omio planner above
- To Bern Airport: take the train from Lenk to Belp (2h 15mins, changing in Zweisimmen, Spiez and Thun), see BLS and SBB. From Belp, take the line 160 bus to the airport (10mins, see Bernmobil)
Inclusions
Included
- 7 nights accommodation
- 6 breakfasts
- 1 dinner on day four
- Luggage transfers on all walking days (one piece per person, up to 20kg)
- Cable car ride Lauterbrunnen – Grütschalp – Mürren
- Detailed digital tour materials, including route notes and access to Navigation app
- SwitzerlandMobility-Plus subscription for one year
- 24/7 phone assistance by our local office/representative
Excluded
- Airfare and connecting land transfers
- Lunches, dinners, drinks and snacks
- Travel insurance (required – get a quote online)
- Cable car tickets and other local transportation
- Personal expenses
- Local tourist taxes and entry fees (payable locally)
- Any items not explicitly listed as included
- eSIM data for international travel (get an eSIM)
Options, extras and supplements
- If you’re travelling in a group, a supplement applies to group members who would like to have a room of their own
- This holiday is available for solo travellers; a supplement will be charged as accommodation and luggage transfer costs are not shared (we never mix and match – solo travellers will be accommodated in single rooms)
- Accommodation upgrade
- Printed travel documents available upon request at the time of the booking
