Swiss Alps Tours
Swiss Alps Tours › Things to DoUpdated 2026-09-26

Things to Do in the Swiss Alps: Summits, Waterfalls and Railways

Hours, prices and access verified by the Swiss Alps Tours team — last checked 2026-09-26.

You do not see the Swiss Alps in one place. You ride up to a summit, walk a valley floor under the waterfalls, or sit on a train over a pass. Before you pick a Swiss Alps bike tour, match the sight you want to the fare that takes you there. Some fares carry the lift to the top, and some leave you in the village below.

The Jungfraujoch: Europe's highest railway station

The Jungfraujoch is the saddle between the Mönch and the Jungfrau, and the railway station at 3,454 m is the highest in Europe. The Jungfrau Railway has run up through the Eiger and the Mönch since 1912. Today you reach it faster from Grindelwald Terminal: the Eiger Express tricable gondola climbs to the Eiger Glacier station, and the cogwheel train does the rest. Jungfrau Railways puts the whole ride from Grindelwald at about 45 minutes.

At the top you walk through the Ice Palace, a tour of about 15 minutes past ice sculptures. The Sphinx terrace stands higher still, at 3,571 m. From there you look down on the Aletsch Glacier, the longest glacier in the Alps: 22 km long, 900 m thick and about 12 billion tonnes of ice. On the other side, on a clear day, the view runs over the Swiss Plateau as far as France. The area belongs to the UNESCO World Heritage site Swiss Alps Jungfrau-Aletsch.

Station3,454 m
Sphinx terrace3,571 m
Official fareFrom CHF 129.60 return
Snow and ice365 days a year

The tours that go up carry the gondola and the train, with reserved seats. The Interlaken days take about seven hours. The Zurich day takes twelve, because of the drive each way.

Lauterbrunnen: the falls on the valley floor and inside the rock

Lauterbrunnen sits on the flat floor of a deep valley, under walls of rock. Jungfrau Railways calls it the valley of 72 waterfalls, and the local tourist office counts 71. Right behind the village, Staubbach Falls drops 297 m, the highest free-falling waterfall in Switzerland by the tourist office's measure. Jungfrau Railways rounds it to 300 m. Every day that stops in Lauterbrunnen shows it to you.

Trümmelbach Falls is different: ten glacier waterfalls inside the mountain, reached by a tunnel lift. It drains the Eiger, the Mönch and the Jungfrau, up to 20,000 litres a second from 24 square km of snow and ice. It opens from the beginning of April until early November, 9:00 to 17:00, and 8:30 to 18:00 in July and August. Adults pay CHF 18 and children aged 6 to 15 pay CHF 8. The bus from Lauterbrunnen stops at the entrance, about 3 km up the valley.

The e-bike day puts that entry fee in the fare. The valley hike and the valley walk visit the falls too, but they leave the lifts up to Mürren to you, at CHF 25 to 28.

A valley village and a river below a free-falling waterfall off a limestone wall
A valley village and a river below a free-falling waterfall off a limestone wall

Grindelwald First: the Cliff Walk and the Bachalpsee

First is Grindelwald's own mountain, at 2,166 m. The six-seater gondola takes 25 minutes from the village, with stops at Bort and Schreckfeld. At the top station the First Cliff Walk by Tissot hangs off the rock face. From there a well-kept trail reaches the Bachalpsee in about an hour.

On the way down you can ride the First Flyer zip line at up to 84 km/h. The First Glider, the Mountain Cart and the Trottibike scooter are other ways down. The gondola ticket starts at CHF 38. The guided First hike carries the gondola in its fare.

Mürren and the Schilthorn: Piz Gloria at 2,970 m

Mürren sits on a shelf above the Lauterbrunnen valley at 1,638 m, and no public road reaches it. From Stechelberg, the new cable car climbs to Mürren at a gradient of 159.4%. The Schilthorn cableway calls it the steepest in the world. From Mürren, more cable cars continue via Birg, at 2,677 m, where the Thrill Walk clings to the cliff.

At the top, Piz Gloria stands at 2,970 m with a 360-degree revolving restaurant and a view platform. The Schilthorn afternoon tour from Interlaken carries every cable car from Stechelberg to the summit and back.

Mount Titlis above Engelberg

Titlis rises above Engelberg, in Central Switzerland. The top station stands at 3,020 m, and the return fare from Engelberg is CHF 102. The last stage, the Rotair, is shut from 17 August to 11 December 2026. Until then you go up in the Titlis Connect instead. Building works on a new summit tower also limit the time at the top: the Zurich day allows about an hour.

That day carries the Ice Flyer chairlift, the Titlis Cliff Walk and the Glacier Cave, weather permitting. The TITLIS Horizon deck costs CHF 18 extra, paid on the spot.

The Bernina line: St. Moritz to Tirano

The Albula and Bernina lines of the Rhaetian Railway have been a UNESCO World Heritage site since July 2008. The line climbs over the Bernina Pass, past the Palü Glacier, then winds down to Tirano in Italy over the Brusio circular viaduct. Rhaetian Railway gives about 2 hours 15 minutes from St. Moritz to Tirano, and the regular train takes 2 hours 12.

The Milan days ride those regular red trains, not the reservation-only Bernina Express, so seats on board cannot be reserved. You get about an hour in St. Moritz and 45 minutes in Tirano.

A red train crossing a tall curved stone viaduct above a wooded gorge
A red train crossing a tall curved stone viaduct above a wooded gorge

Every sight, and which fares take you there

Use this table to check a fare before you book. If a sight is not in the fare you want, you can still reach it on the public lifts on a free afternoon.

SightHeightHow you get upFares that include it
Jungfraujoch3,454 m station; Sphinx 3,571 mEiger Express gondola, then the Jungfrau RailwayThe Jungfraujoch days from Interlaken and Zurich
Staubbach Falls297 m dropOn foot from Lauterbrunnen stationEvery day that stops in Lauterbrunnen
Trümmelbach FallsInside the rock, by tunnel liftBus from LauterbrunnenThe valley hike, the valley walk and the e-bike day
Grindelwald First2,166 m25-minute gondola from GrindelwaldThe First and Bachalpsee hike
Schilthorn2,970 mCable cars from Stechelberg via Mürren and BirgThe Schilthorn afternoon from Interlaken
Mount Titlis3,020 m stationCable cars from Engelberg via TrübseeThe Titlis and Lucerne day from Zurich
Bernina lineOver the Bernina PassRegular red train, St. Moritz to TiranoThe Red Train days from Milan

Want the summit in the fare?

The Jungfraujoch day from Zurich carries the Eiger Express, the cogwheel train and reserved seats, with a guide from the coach to the top.

Check availabilityCompare every tour

Things-to-do questions

How high is the Jungfraujoch?
The station stands at 3,454 m, the highest railway station in Europe. The Sphinx terrace above it is at 3,571 m.
Can you go inside Trümmelbach Falls?
Yes. A tunnel lift takes you up inside the mountain to ten glacier waterfalls. The falls open from the beginning of April until early November, and adults pay CHF 18.
How long does it take to walk from First to the Bachalpsee?
Jungfrau Railways gives about an hour on a well-kept trail. Allow two hours or more for the walk there and back with a stop at the lake.
Is the Titlis revolving cable car running?
Not until 11 December 2026. Engelberg-Titlis closes the Rotair from 17 August, and the tours ride the Titlis Connect instead.
Is the Bernina Red Train the same as the Bernina Express?
No. The Milan days ride the regular red trains of the Rhaetian Railway on the same line. The Bernina Express is a separate panoramic train with its own seat reservation.

Where these facts come from

Tours to the other sights above the valleys

Next: see where each sight sits on the Swiss Alps map, check the season on the weather page, or compare every tour on Swiss Alps Tours.