We had some guests visiting who wanted to get up close to a glacier, so we decided to visit the Titlis peak. The glacier and mountain views are spectacular! And while the glacier cave and the cliff walk are really touristy, they are also kinda cool and we had a lot of fun visiting them. Throwing a snowball in August is always a treat. On the way back down, we stopped at Trübsee lake where we had lunch and did the short waterfall loop trail. If you are in Zürich and want a glacier ice experience and still want to be back home for dinner, this itinerary is perfect!
Detail Summary
| Where: | Visit to Titlis Peak + Hiking Trübsee Waterfall Loop Canton Obwalden , Switzerland |
| Train/Bus: | Zürich HB -> Engleberg, Titlisbahn – 2 hr 30 min Note: There is a bus between the Engelberg train station and the Titlisbahn, but the walk is only 800 m or so and can be faster than taking the bus. |
| Car: | Gerschnistrasse 12, 6390 Engelberg Zürich -> Engleberg, Titlisbahn – 1 hr 20 min There is a paid parking lot at the Titlis Bergbahnen. |
| What: | Trail Map: Trübsee Waterfall + Alpstubli Restaurant Loop (SwissMobility) |
| Skill: | Trail Stats: Easy – About 1 hrs Length 3.5 km |
| Cost 2025 | Round Trip to Titlis Peak from Engelberg Adult: 102 CHF 50% discount for SBB GA/Halbtax and SwissPass Ice Flyer (chairlift ride over the glacier) Adult: 12 CHF No discounts. |
Additional Info
| Titlis Titlis Webcam Rotair gondola Engleberg Tourism Trübsee Waterfall + Alpstubli Restaurant Loop (SwissMobility) Alpstubli self-service restaurant Chas-im-Kloster – Cheese Shop in Engelberg |
Visiting the Titlis Peak
After getting to the Engelberg train station, we walked to the Titlis cablecar valley station. There, we bought our tickets to the top and got on the cable car. When going to the top, you pass by the Trübsee station and then get out at the Stand station. There, you transfer to the Rotair gondola to the peak. The Rotair gondola slowly rotates (hence the name) as it travels up to the peak.
The first thing we did at the top, was head into the Ice Cave, a tourist path carved through the glacier ice. Entrance to the Ice Cave is included in the price of the gondola. Along the way are some fun items (cow bell, the Ice Age squirrel) frozen into the ice and an ice throne that my brother-in-law couldn’t resist posing in.
After leaving the Ice Cave, we went outside and up to the suspension bridge. Like the Ice Cave, entrance to the suspension bridge is included in the price of the gondola. The bridge is a bit wobbly but not scary. And the views are amazing!
The next stop was the Ice Flyer. For an extra 12 CHF per adult you can take a chairlift over the glacier. On the other side, we hopped off, admired the views and the knife(?)-wielding snow bear someone had made. I also snapped a photo of a snowball midair that my brother-in-law threw my way.
After riding the Ice Flyer chairlift back up to the peak, we walked along the outdoor path back to the main building. Right now, there is a lot of construction going on, but the views are still wonderful.
With our peak tour complete, we got back on the Rotair gondola and went down to the Stand station where we transferred back to the regular gondola. Then, instead of going all the way down to Engelberg, we stopped and got off at the Trübsee station. You can see the lake and the station in the picture below.
Hiking the Trübsee Waterfall Loop Trail
After getting off at the Trübsee station, we walked down to the lake. From there, we walked along the lake shore to the Alpstubli self-service restaurant on the other side. The food was only ok but the lake views were very lovely.
After lunch, we hiked the loop up to the lower part of the waterfall.
Overall this loop was about 3.5 km, not a real hike, but a nice walk, with cute cows, a pretty waterfall, and not too much for the non-hikers I was with. There is no chance you will get lost either as you can see the waterfall from the gondola station and from the lake shore.
After finishing our walk, we took the gondola back down to Engelberg and did a little cheese shopping before catching the train home. I didn’t take any pictures of the cheese shop, Chas-im-Kloster, but it was very nice.
Overall, we had a great day. We got up close to a glacier. Played in a bit of snow in August. Enjoyed some stunning views. Had a relaxing lunch at a mountain restaurant. And bought some excellent fondue for dinner that evening. All very fun! And despite there being no big hike in this itinerary, we still got our steps in. With the walking we did to get and change trains and all the sight seeing, we ended up at 16,000 steps for the day.
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