Schilthorn & Mürren Small-Group Day Trip from Interlaken

From Interlaken through the Lauterbrunnen valley

The tour starts near Interlaken Ost station, where your guide meets the small group and takes care of all the tickets. The mountain railway runs up the Lütschine river to Lauterbrunnen in about 20 minutes, entering a deep U-shaped valley carved by glaciers, with grey limestone walls rising almost vertically and waterfalls pouring from the clifftops.

The best known is Staubbach Falls, dropping almost 300 m beside the village of Lauterbrunnen. Your guide explains how the valley was formed and how its farmers lived before tourism, while the group continues up toward Mürren. How to get to the Schilthorn from Interlaken involves several trains and cable cars, so travelling with a guide who handles every connection keeps the day smooth and stress-free.

Mürren, the car-free village on the cliff

Mürren sits at about 1,640 m on a sunny terrace above a sheer drop into the Lauterbrunnen valley, and no road reaches it: trains and cable cars are its only links. Its wooden chalets, small churches and flower-filled balconies face the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau directly across the valley, one of the finest mountain panoramas in Switzerland.

The group stops here for time to stroll and enjoy the views, either on the way up or on the way down depending on the day's plan. Below Mürren, the tiny farming hamlet of Gimmelwald clings to a ledge, and the newest cable car from Stechelberg in the valley, opened in 2024, climbs one of the steepest cable car routes in the world. Halal food is limited in Mürren, so we suggest bringing snacks.

Birg and the Thrill Walk

From Mürren the cable car rises to Birg, an intermediate station at 2,677 m perched on a rocky ridge. Here a steel walkway called the Thrill Walk clings to the cliff below the station, with sections of glass floor, a wire-net crawl tunnel and a tightrope-style passage, all secured with handrails and nets for an exciting but safe experience.

The viewing platform at Birg also gives a dramatic first look at the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau rising across the valley. Your guide tells you how much time you have and whether to stop on the way up or down. Children and adults alike enjoy the walkway, though anyone with a strong fear of heights may prefer the terrace.

The Schilthorn summit at 2,970 m

The final section brings you to the Schilthorn summit at 2,970 m, crowned by a round building with a revolving restaurant that turns a full circle in about 45 minutes, so you see the whole panorama while sitting at your table, at your own expense. Outside, a panoramic terrace wraps around the summit with views of the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau and, on very clear days, peaks as far as Mont Blanc.

An interactive exhibition inside tells the story of the summit and the construction of the cable car. Is the Schilthorn worth visiting? For a high summit with one of the closest views of the Jungfrau massif, many travellers find it a great alternative or complement to the Jungfraujoch. It is often cold and windy at the top, so warm clothes, sunglasses and sun cream are essential.

Best time to visit the Schilthorn and practical tips

The cable car runs all year except for short maintenance closures, usually in spring or late autumn, so check before your date. The best time to visit the Schilthorn is a clear morning: views are sharpest early in the day, before clouds build up around the peaks in the afternoon. Summer brings green meadows around Mürren, while winter covers the whole route in snow and the summit becomes part of a ski area.

The tour lasts about seven hours, enough to enjoy each stop without rushing. Your guide adapts the order of the stops to the weather and the crowds, and the guaranteed boarding on the Schilthorn cable car helps avoid long queues on busy days. At the end, the group returns by cable car and train to Interlaken.