Visiting the Swiss Alps: Tickets, Lifts and How a Day Works

There is no gate to the Swiss Alps and no single ticket. What you pay for is the ride up: a railway, a cable car or a gondola, each with its own fare. Before you compare any Swiss Alps ticket prices, ask one question of every fare: does it take you up the mountain, or does it leave you in the valley with the lifts to buy yourself?

There is no gate: the tickets are railway fares

Every summit the tours reach has its own lift and its own price. Jungfrau Railways sells the Jungfraujoch from CHF 129.60, up through the Eiger Express cable car from Grindelwald and the cogwheel railway inside the Eiger and the Mönch. From 1 May to 31 October 2026 a seat reservation on the Eiger Express is compulsory, at CHF 10. The tour fares that go to the top carry reserved seats and priority boarding, so you do not book that seat yourself.

The Swiss Travel Pass takes half off the mountain railways to the Jungfraujoch, the Schilthorn and Titlis, and a Half Fare Card or the Jungfrau Travel Pass is accepted on the Jungfraujoch railway too. A pass does not reduce any tour fare, though. What each pass covers, peak by peak, is on the Swiss Travel Pass page. The sights at the top are on things to do in the Alps.

What the tour fares include, and what they leave out

The tours split cleanly on the lifts. The Jungfraujoch, Titlis and Schilthorn days carry them, and so do the First hike, the small-group rail days and the Milan Red Train days. The Grindelwald and Lauterbrunnen coach days give you free time in the villages instead, and any lift you take from there is yours to pay for. The valley walks put their gondola and train at CHF 25 to 28 a person, and the private driver-guide day leaves lift tickets to you as well.

Altitude, cold and what to pack

The Jungfraujoch station sits at 3,454 m, the highest railway station in Europe, and the top is under snow all year. You cannot rent clothes or shoes up there, so dress for the top when you leave the valley. The air is thinner too: Jungfrau Railways asks visitors to be fit and healthy, and to wear good shoes to get around safely.

• A warm jacket and a layer under it, even on a hot day in Interlaken.
• Shoes with a solid rubber sole for the snow on the Plateau and the Sphinx terrace.
• Sunglasses and sun cream: the light off the ice is strong.
• Water, and a snack for the early start on the long days from Zurich and Milan.
• Your passport on the Milan and four-countries days, which cross borders.

Altitude, age and fitness: check before you book

Quick answers on children, strollers and groups are in the FAQs. Children do well on the shorter days. Tandem flights start at 6 years old, and the private days can bring a child seat. The hikes ask for moderate fitness, and one hiker on the First trail found it near freezing at the top in June.

When the lifts stop: seasons, closures and hours

• 1 May to 31 October 2026. Eiger Express seat reservations are compulsory, at CHF 10. The tours that go to the Jungfraujoch carry them.
• 17 August to 11 December 2026. The Titlis day rides up on Titlis Connect while the revolving Rotair is closed, and building works keep the summit visit to about an hour.
• Early April to early November. Trümmelbach Falls, the glacier falls inside the mountain above Lauterbrunnen, open from 9:00 to 17:00, and from 8:30 to 18:00 in July and August. The exact dates are not fixed in advance.
• Late autumn. The mountain railways close lines for annual maintenance outside the main seasons, so check your lift's own timetable before you plan a day on your own.

Months, temperatures and snow are on the weather page, from the MeteoSwiss climate normals. Train times to Interlaken Ost and the valleys are on getting there.

Cloud, cancellations and changing the date

Every tour here refunds in full if you cancel at least 24 hours before the start, so you can watch the forecast and still change your mind. The Jungfraujoch, Titlis and Milan days carry no weather clause and run in cloud, and the attractions at the top are marked weather permitting. The hikes, the tandem flight, the e-bike day and the Schilthorn afternoon can be called off for weather, and then you get a new date or a full refund.

If the forecast is poor, move your summit day and do the valley first. A clear morning on the Jungfraujoch shows you the Aletsch Glacier, 22 km long; a cloudy one shows you the inside of a cloud.

Where to start, and help on the ground

Most Interlaken tours meet on the Höheweg, the town's main street, or at Interlaken Ost station. The map marks every meeting point. The tourist office, Interlaken Tourismus, is at Marktgasse 1. Until 4 October 2026 it opens Monday to Saturday from 9:00 to 16:00; from 5 October it opens weekdays 8:00 to 12:00 and 13:30 to 18:00, and Saturdays 9:00 to 16:00. It is closed on Sundays.

Frequently asked before you go