Visiting the Jungfraujoch + Two Short Hikes in the Jungfrau/Grindelwald Region (2 Day Itinerary)
We recently spent the weekend in the Jungfrau region where we took the train up to the highest train station in the world at the Jungfraujoch and went on two short hikes – one a loop hike from Grindlewald First to the Bachalpsee, and one from Kleine Scheidegg to Alpiglen. The Jungfraujoch is one of the most visited and most expensive tourist attractions in Switzerland and I was excited to get a chance to see it myself. The views from the Jungfraujoch are amazing, but I would only recommend going up there if you can get discounted tickets. (We only went because my son got free passes from work.) The two short hikes we went on were very beautiful and I recommend them. This was a two day itinerary and we stayed overnight in Interlaken.
Detail SummaryWhere: | Visit to Jungfraujoch – Top of Europe (Highest Train Station and Glacier Viewpoint) Hike from Grindelwald First to Bachalpsee Hike from Kleine Scheidegg to Alpiglen Canton Bern , Switzerland |
Train/Bus: | Zürich HB -> Interlaken – 2 hrs Zürich HB -> Grindelwald – 2 hrs 37 mins Interlaken -> Grindelwald – 35 mins |
Car: | Zürich -> Interlaken – 1 hr 45 mins Zürich -> Grindelwald – 2 hrs 10 mins Parking available at train stations or perhaps at your hotel. |
What: | Visit to Jungfraujoch Train Station and Viewpoint Hike from Grindelwald First to Bachalpsee Yellow trail markers to Bachalpsee Hike from Kleine Scheidegg to Alpiglen Yellow trail markers to Alpiglen |
Skill: | Jungfraujoch – Top of Europe – Easy viewpoint – no hike Grindelwald First to Bachalpsee Easy – About 1 hr 30 min Length 6 km, Ascent 214 m, Descent 214 m Hike from Kleine Scheidegg to Alpiglen Easy – About 1 hr 10 min Length 5 km, Ascent |
Cost 2023 | Grindelwald -> Jungfraujoch Adult round trip – 190 CHF + Seat reservation (recommended) 10 CHF Grindelwald -> Grindelwald First Adult round Trip – 64 CHF Grindelwald -> Kleine Scheidegg Adult one way – 36 CHF Alpiglen -> Grindelwald Adult one way – 17 CHF Eiger Trail Ticket -Grindelwald Grund – Eigergletscher and from Alpiglen back to Grindelwald Grund Adult – 51 CHF Discounts available with SBB GA/Half-price card on all routes. Discount on Eigergletscher or Kleine Scheidegg to Jungfraujoch with Jungfrau Travel Card. All other routes included in Jungfrau Travel Card. |
Getting There
This was a two day itinerary and we stayed overnight in Interlaken because it is cheaper than staying in Grindelwald. Also, I waited too long to find book a good hotel so basically took what I could find. Anyway, we stayed near the train station in Interlaken West. We arrived on Saturday morning and after dropping off our luggage we headed up to Grindelwald and to the first hike of the weekend – Grindelwald First to the Bachalpsee lake.
The Trail – Grindelwald First to Bachalpsee
After taking the train up to the Grindelwald and getting off at the last stop, we walked through town for about 10 minutes until we got to the Grindelwald First Gondola valley station. It was cloudy and raining and after looking at the webcam for the top where it was snowing, we debated going up. As the gondola was already paid for and we our raincoats on, we decided to go up and at least take a look. But with the rain/snow, we decided against paying extra do any of the amusements (zipline, flyer, scooters, mountain carts) available here. After taking the gondola up, we got a coffee at the restaurant. While we drank our coffee it cleared up just a bit, and we decided hike out to the Bachalpsee and back (about 6k). After finding the sign for the Bachalpsee, we were on our way.
When we reached the Bachalpsee, I had my son take my picture in front of the lake. I would love to come back here on a better day, but this was still nice. After reaching the lake we turned around hiked back the way we came.
Just before we reached the gondola station, we took the short detour onto the cliff walkway (the metal walkway you see in the two pictures above). Again, I would love to come back on a better day when we can actually see the views, but it was still a fun little hike.
Visit to the Jungfraujoch
The next day, the weather was perfect and we headed up to the Jungfraujoch. From Interlaken West, we took the train up to Grindelwald Terminal station (the second to last station) where we transferred to the Eiger Express gondola which we took up to Eigergletscher. There, we transferred to Jungfraubahn train that took us to the top. The train is in a tunnel from here to the top but on the way up, the train makes a 5 minute stop at the Eismeer viewpoint (the train does not make the same stop on the way down) and it is just enough time to run out and snap a picture of the view. The glacial ice here is wild.
After getting back on the train, we continued our way to the top where we got off the train and followed the signs for the tour until we reached the Sphinx Observatory viewing deck. The panoramic views from here are stunning! Particular the view of the glacier!
We continued on the tour past some ice sculptures and history dioramas and on to the outside plateau where we could look back at the observatory. (And see more panorama views). Lots of people wait in line to take their picture by the Swiss flag here, but we didn’t do that.
We had considered hiking out to Mönchsjochhütte mountain hut, but the trail was closed for safety reasons, so we just went back inside and snagged a table at the Crystal restaurant for lunch. Good, with big window views, but like everything here, not cheap. I would recommend getting a reservation if you want to eat there. We were lucky to get a table. After lunch, we went back to the train station and started the trip down. Our original plan had been to get off at the Eigergletscher station and hike the Eiger Trail back to Alpiglen but as it had snowed the night before not everyone felt comfortable doing that trail. We got a good look at it on the way up. You can sort of see the trail in the picture below.
Instead, we decided to stay on the train until Kleine Scheidegg. (We had a train pass that was flexible enough for us to do that, not all tickets will allow you to do this.)
The Trail – Kleine Scheidegg to Alpiglen
When we got off the train at Kleine Scheidegg, we first admired the views. When we saw that there was a nice sunny trail heading to Alpiglen, we decided that was the trail we wanted to hike. (This trail is actually a small section of Route 1 – Via Alpina stage 11).
The views of the northface of the Eiger here were truly mesmerizing!
This was a fairly easy walk with simply glorious mountain views the entire way. I think we made the right choice to do the lower trail in the sunshine.
When we reached Alpiglen, we purchased some alp cheese and made our way to the train station.
From there, we took the train back down to Grindelwald and were on our way back to Zürich. This was a super nice weekend with amazing views! I will definitely come back to do some of the more challenging hikes in the region.
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