Highlights:

• Eiger, Monch and Jungfrau mountains

• Grindelwald and Lauterbrunnen valleys

• Waterfalls, lakes and rivers

• Mountain villages of Wengen and Murren

Brief:

⏱ Duration: 4 - 8 days (many options available)
🗺 Distance: 20 - 85 km
⛰ Difficulty: All standards available
🗓 Best Time: June - September
🛏 Accomm: Inns/Hotels/Mountain huts

Bernese Oberland Trails Overview

The Bernese Oberland is the highest region of the Swiss canton of Bern. It’s located in the south of central Switzerland. Travellers know the area well due to the presence of Interlaken and its picturesque twin lakes of Lake Thun and Lake Brienz.

For hikers, the region is revered as one of the best walking spots on the planet. Numerous lush valleys, deep gorges and rocky ravines are ringed by spectacular snow-capped mountains. Cliff faces, waterfalls and rushing rivers add to the overall dramatic effect.

The mountains include the iconic trio of the Eiger, Monch and Jungfrau, as well as several others in the 4,000m+ bracket. The most well-known of the valleys are Lauterbrunnental and the wide, sprawling valley that houses Grindelwald. Mountain villages, such as Wengen and Murren, nestle into plateaus above the valleys and serve as great walk bases or overnight spots on multi-day walks.

There’s a myriad of multi-day walk options in this region. The Via Alpina passes through the region and some walkers choose to follow it for a few days.

For those wanting to focus on the Grindelwald and Lauterbrunnen valleys and the mountains that soar above them, there are several exhilarating circuit walks available. The walk duration of these walks can be varied between three and eight days. And as always in Switzerland, there are mountain transport options that allow the difficulty level to be calibrated.

One 4/5 day high-level circuit walk up above the Grindelwald and Lauterbrunnen valleys is shown on the map above. A similar walk, but a bit shorter is described in our Blog page, reached through the button below.

Assistance and further information:

• For assistance in undertaking any of the Bernese Oberland trails, click the button below.

• For a Walk Travel Advisory Blog description of a 3/4 day high-level circuit walk up above the Grindelwald and Lauterbrunnen valleys, click the button below.

• For information on other walks in Switzerland, click the button below.