An incredible trip awaits you if you are thinking of visiting Switzerland. Impressive mountains, charming villages, delicious food, and a host of other attractions make this magical country in the center of Europe famous. Many different kinds of tourists will find something to their liking in Switzerland. There is a wide range of activities available, from thrilling adventures to serene strolls in the park. Discover the top 20 best things to do in Switzerland in 2024 with our comprehensive guide.
20. The Furka Pass
I know many of you are thinking about taking trains throughout Switzerland, but one of the reasons we recommend driving a rental car or campervan is to experience things like the Furka Pass. The Furka Pass is one of the most impressive roads in the entire world, and the beauty you’ll see along the way is unbelievable. The zigzagging mountain pass is around 35 kilometers or 22 miles long, and you’ll pass grazing cows, thundering waterfalls, unbeatable views, and even the massive Rhone Glacier.
If you want the best viewpoint of the glacier, you’ll stop at the iconic Hotel Belvedere and walk one minute to see it. Passing by the Hotel Belvedere was one of the highlights during our time in Switzerland because, not only does this hotel look like something straight out of a movie, it was actually in a movie. The Hotel Belvedere was in the 1964 James Bond film Goldfinger.
James Bond is chasing Goldfinger along the winding roads of the Furka Pass. The drive takes about two hours, including stops, and one of our favorite parts was pulling our van up to the amazing viewpoint to have lunch as we relaxed, listening to cowbells and waterfalls fill up the valley below. To visit Furka Pass will be one of the best things to do in Switzerland.
19. Harder Kulm
Harder Kulm, also known as the top of Interlaken, gives you the most breathtaking views of the entire region. At the top, you see Lake Brienz, Lake Thun, and the iconic Eiger, Mönch, and Jungfrau mountain peaks. To get here, you can park at the Interlaken Ost train station and head on the 100-year-old vernacular all the way up to Interlaken’s tallest mountain, Harder Kulm.
The Panorama Restaurant, perched precariously on the mountainside, serves up authentic Swiss fare at its peak. For an even better vantage point, you may cross the Two Lakes Bridge. What’s fascinating is that the blues of the two lakes below are actually rather distinct from one another. You have the bright turquoise water of Lake Brienz on the left and the deep blue water of Lake Thun on the right.
From Harder Kulm, you can go on one of Switzerland’s most iconic peaks, the Hardergrat trail. This 15-mile hike will take you along the most spectacular ridgeline above Lake Brienz. It’s a really tough hike with 3,000 meters of incline and dangerous drop-offs, which lead to several deaths every year, so please be careful.
We really wanted to hike to some of the ridgeline to see the view, but it sadly started raining, so we turned back. We hope to return to tackle this formidable walk when the weather is less windy and wet. So I think I should visit Harder Kulm. It will be one of the best things to do in Switzerland.
18. Amazing Campsites
Switzerland is known for being one of the most expensive countries to visit in the world, but there are many ways to cut costs. One of those is by renting a camper van with a group of friends or even a rental car and tent camping all around Switzerland. We have traveled around Europe in our van, and the campsites in Switzerland were the most picturesque, spotless, and practical.
If you are wondering, the app we use to find campsites all over Europe is called Park4Night, so make sure to check that out before your trip. I just wanted to quickly highlight some of our favorite campsites in Switzerland. First, we stayed in Interlaken for two weeks at a campsite called Talacher AG, which was right across the street from Lake Brienz.
We would take daily walks along the lakeside pathways, swim in the azure waters, and use the complimentary picnic spots to have our picnics. The great thing about campsites is that they usually have showers, dishwashing stations, and tons of amenities, so their price and location are hard to beat. They also included a free bus pass for Interlaken, which was super handy because we could take the bus right outside the campsite to the train station in Interlaken.
From the train station in Interlaken, you can visit some of the most dreamy places in Switzerland, only 30 minutes away, like Grindelwald and Lauterbrunnen. Our other two favorite campsites around Lucerne will be the best things to do in Switzerland. One took place on a Swiss farm with breathtaking scenery and a herd of cows.
This one was a bit cheaper at $23 a night, and the next one was right on Lake Lucerne, which was so much fun because we could go swimming and hang out by the water during sunset. Another reason to stay at campsites in Switzerland is because most of them are run by the locals, and you even get to meet the most amazing people from around the world. So I think doing Amazing Campsites will be one of the best things to do in Switzerland.
17. Zurich
With a population of almost 400,000, the Swiss capital and biggest city, Zurich, is a popular tourist destination. If you’re going to head anywhere in this city, make sure to go to Zurich’s old town. Walking around these winding cobblestone streets with endless colorful buildings was a highlight for us.
If you’re visiting Switzerland in the summer, Zurich is the best city for water activities. Lake Zurich is a great place to swim and rent a boat, but if you really want to see Zurich, you must visit the many graves scattered about the city. A body is a traditional public bath, and it dates back to 2,000 years, when the Romans unveiled the first public baths in ancient Turicum.
Turicum is Zurich’s Latin name. With over 1,200 water fountains strategically placed across the city, Zurich clearly values water. The number of water fountains in this place is second to none on Earth.
We went to this awesome swimming spot on the Limmat River in the very heart of Zurich. This place was so cool because the 400-meter channel has a heavy current, so it’s similar to a lazy river. You can easily just float right on down.
There’s a 2-meter-high diving board and a rope swing to enhance your adventure, and I know what you’re thinking: how the heck do you get out of here if there’s such a heavy current? At the very end, you’ll come to a wall that will halt your progress. Fortunately, there are ladders that will let you climb out and return to your starting point.
The best part is that all of this is free, and you can even make an entire day out of it if you bring some food and drinks. We couldn’t believe a city this big would have water this clean to swim in, and it was just the perfect ending to our time in Zurich. So I think visiting Zurich would be one of the best things to do in Switzerland.
16. Grindelwald First
The Fierst is a mountain above one of the most beautiful Swiss villages, called Grindelwald. If you’re a family with adventurous kids and want to go somewhere with a little bit of everything, this is the spot for you.
From Interlaken, you can take a 35-minute train ride to Grindelwald and then take the gondola 25 minutes up to Grindelwald. At the top, there’s paragliding, ziplines, mountain biking, and even a cliff walk that will get your heart racing. We actually went up to the Fierst for one of the most breathtaking alpine lakes in Switzerland, called Behelpsi Lake.
To reach the lake, it only took one hour and was super easy, so it’s great for everyone. Even though we were unlucky with the weather (clouds), it was still amazing to witness snow-capped summits in June. Usually the views are much better than what you’re seeing, so make sure you go on a sunny day.
Next, we headed down to the cliff walk, and this ended up being better than expected. The weather cleared up a bit, so the views were getting more amazing around every corner. There’s a beautiful viewpoint right at the edge, but the line was way too long, so we opted out.
But one of my favorite things to do before we went back down was watch the paragliders run off the mountain towards the iconic Eiger North Face and the rest of the alpine peaks of the Jungfrau region. To visit Grindelwald First will be one of the best Things to do in switzerland.
15. Oeschinensee Lake
Only a 50-minute drive away from Interlaken lies the most beautiful alpine lake in all of Switzerland.
Oceanensee Lake is surrounded by massive snow-covered peaks, and in summer they melt into waterfalls that fill up the bright blue lake below. After driving here, you have two options: either head on a cable car to the top or hike for an hour up to the lake. The cable car is $36 for a round-trip ticket or $18 with the Swiss half card.
You should really get it if you’re traveling in Switzerland for more than four days because all transportation, like gondolas, trains, and boats, is available throughout Switzerland.
We decided to hike up, and it was a bit tough because of the incline, but it was 100 percent worth it. During the hike, you’re surrounded by breathtaking mountains with more waterfalls than you can count, and after one hour, we arrived at this alpine lake, and it did not disappoint.
Although it was cloudy, we couldn’t believe how massive the peaks were surrounding these blue waters, and after a quick beer and pretzels at the lodge, we decided to hike up another mile and a half to the backside of the lake, where you can find these really cool chalets with an unbelievable view. As we continued to venture farther from the populated regions, we encountered an abundance of mountain goats, and the scenery progressively improved. One of the best things to do in Switzerland is to visit Oeschinensee Lake.
14. Basel
One of the best things about Switzerland is being able to hop on a train and get to the most extraordinary places within one to two hours. One of my friends was visiting Basel, so we left our van at our campsite in Zurich and took a one-hour train ride to Basel for a day trip, and it did not disappoint. Sitting on the Rhine River, Basel is located where Germany, France, and Switzerland’s borders meet.
The first thing we did was visit the Old Town, which is one of the best preserved Old Towns in Europe, dating back to the 1400s. Some of the highlights of Old Town include Town Hall, which is this big red tower that is connected to Basel’s central square. But the highlight of Old Town for us was the Basel Cathedral with its red sandstone walls, colorful roof tiles, and twin towers.
We didn’t plan on visiting this cathedral at all, but our friend who lived here knew this was the best 360-degree view of Basel, so we had to go. It’s free to go inside, but if you want to climb up the 250-step staircase, you will have to pay around five dollars per person. This 800-year-old cathedral was gorgeous, with stained-glass windows and detailed Romanesque and Gothic architecture.
After walking up the narrow, winding stairs to the top of the tower, you have an unbeatable view of the Rhine River and the rest of Basel. Another fun thing we did was grab a couple beers and bring them to the banks of the Rhine to watch the locals swim and float down the river. It was so cool seeing all the locals take full advantage of the rivers, not only in Basel but all over Switzerland. Water is definitely king in this country. A visit to Basel will be one of the best things to do in Switzerland.
13. Paragliding Interlaken
Paragliding in Switzerland is high on everyone’s bucket list, and there’s no better place to do it than Interlaken. The cool thing about paragliding is that you can do it year-round, so I bet winter is just as magical. The price is steep, at around $210 per person for only about 20 minutes, but we still think it was worth it.
You’ll get picked up in Interlaken and drive 20 minutes up the mountain. After getting your safety speech, you start strapping into your pilot on the side of a hill. Once you’re in the air, it’s a very calm ride with stunning 360-degree views.
Your pilot will ask if you want to go wild, and of course we said yes. Suddenly, the pilot started twisting and turning, and it felt like a crazy rollercoaster. This really made the ride so much more fun. I think paragliding in Interlaken will be the best thing to do in Switzerland.
But we met a group of college kids, and let’s just say they had a little too much to drink the night before, and they threw up, spinning in the air. What’s funny is that this is actually very common, so the pilots usually have a doggie bag with them that you can puke in, which is kind of funny. One of my favorite parts was passing right over the city center of Interlaken and watching the bright blue river rushing right below your legs.
The entire experience from start to finish was only an hour and a half with 20 minutes of flight, so you still have plenty of your day left to explore. Make sure to book a sunny day with low winds. We got unlucky with clouds rolling in and high winds, but we did get lucky because they actually had to cancel the flights after us, so we were just happy we got to go at all.
12. Winter in Switzerland
One of the best things about Switzerland is that it’s a year-round destination, and some say it’s even more magical in the wintertime. Picture all of these charming cities, valleys, and mountains all covered in snow.
One of the best things to do during winter in Switzerland is ski because this country is home to some of Europe’s biggest resorts with panoramic cable cars, high-speed chairlifts, and scenic train rides connecting these mountains. You can visit the ski resort on top of the world in St.
Moritz, which has hosted the Winter Olympics twice, or head over to Grindelwald and ski down into mountain towns like Wengen. But a lot of you probably want to visit the most iconic of them all, Zermatt.
Zermatt really has it all. You have the Matterhorn towering over the village, which is one of the most famous mountains in the world. Zermatt also has a ban on cars, which makes for an awesome walkable village without noise and pollution.
Another unique thing about Zermatt is that it’s Europe’s only all-year-round ski resort where you can glide down the slopes 365 days a year. It even has Europe’s longest ski run, where you start by taking the highest cable car in the world up to Matterhorn Glacier Paradise. From up here, you can ski down 25 kilometers or 15 miles with a vertical drop of 2,300 meters all the way back down to Zermatt.
Another epic thing to do in winter is take a train ride, and the two most impressive trains are the Glacier Express and Bernina Express. The Glacier Express will bring you from Zermatt all the way to St. Moritz, and the Bernina Express will bring you from St. Moritz all the way to Toronto in Italy.
These trains will take you on a journey through the Alps as you pass by a winter wonderland, making it one of the most magical experiences you can have in your life. As a Swiss tourist, one of the best things to do is to visit Swizzerland in Winter.
11. Jungfraujoch, Top of Europe
Jungfraujoch, also known as the top of Europe, is not the highest mountain in Europe, although it is marketed by Switzerland’s tourism board. This year-round mountain destination gets the nickname Top of Europe because it’s the highest train station in Europe at 3,454 meters, which is still really impressive.
Immediately when you enter Switzerland, this experience will be pushed to you by all tour companies and tons of billboards as a must-do. This marketing brings massive crowds no matter what time of year, so the best thing you could do is go as early as possible. One huge tip for Switzerland before you go on any hike or book any experience is to look at the live webcams at the top of these mountains.
We use these cameras every single day because what you see at ground level can be totally different than at the top of the mountain. To get to the top, there are three different routes you can take, but the fastest starts in Grindelwald. First, we took a 30-minute train from Interlaken Ost to Grindelwald terminal.
Next, we took the first Eiger Express cable car at 8 a.m. sharp for 15 minutes up to Eiger Glacier, and then finally hopped on the Jungfrau train for 26 minutes all the way to the top of Europe.
The total time for us was around an hour and a half, and the ticket price per person was $250, which was the most impressive experience we had while in Switzerland and a little crazy of a price if you ask me.
Sadly, when we checked the live cams in the morning, everything was clear, but after getting to the top, this is what we saw: the mountain was covered in clouds the entire time we were up there.
On a sunny day, this is what it’s supposed to look like: awesome. We’ve heard it has spectacular 360-degree views, especially of the Aletsch Glacier, which is the largest glacier in the Alps, spanning 23 kilometers or 14 miles long. I think visiting Jungfraujoch would be the best thing to do in Switzerland.
For the amount of money we paid, the clouds were super disappointing, but something you have to get used to when traveling in Switzerland because some days you will be unlucky with the weather. Fortunately, there was a lot more to do at the top, like walking through the Ice Palace, which is a network of ice tunnels running right underneath the glacier. Kids would absolutely love this place, especially with all the different ice sculptures around.
Another reason to visit the top of Europe is because there’s snow up here 365 days a year, and that will be special for those of you who have never experienced snow in your life. We actually walked out to the Glacier Plateau to have a snowball fight and take some amazing photos. There’s also something called the Snow Fun Park that is open from mid-May to mid-October.
As an added bonus, you can go ziplining over a glacier in addition to skiing, sledding, and snow tubing. Of course, all this will cost extra money, so it can turn into an even more expensive day, so watch out. And lastly, you can’t leave the top of Europe without getting some famous Swiss chocolate from Lindt.
There’s a Lindt chocolate shop up here where you can find every flavor possible, which really makes for a great ending to your time up at Jungfraujoch.
10. Mountain Towns
Only a 30-minute drive from Interlaken, above the breathtaking fairytale town of Lauterbrunnen, are some of the most beautiful mountain towns in the world. Our favorites were Murren, Gimmelwald, and Wangen.
Murren is actually the starting point for the scariest hike in Europe that we’ll talk about later. But getting up to these towns is an experience in itself, with insane views all around you, either on a cable car or a cogwheel train. What blew my mind is that people were bringing their suitcases up to stay in hotels or chalets at the top of these mountains.
Even if we didn’t remain there due to our vehicle, I would still suggest it because the views were among the nicest we had in all of Switzerland during our 30-day trip. In addition to some of the finest beer you’ll ever taste, you can also get some delicious Swiss fondue up there. It was a crippling obsession for Ian.
We have not visited Germany yet, but the beer in Switzerland was by far our favorite beer out of any country in Europe so far. If you are a beer person, you need to try the Appenzeller beers. They were awesome. I think visiting mountain towns would be the best thing to do in Switzerland.
9. Grindelwald Canyon Swing
Interlaken is the adventure sports capital of the world, and I can tell you right now that it lives up to the hype. 30 minutes away from Interlaken is one of the craziest experiences you can have in your life.
The Grindelwald Canyon Swing is a 300-foot drop where you swing between narrow canyons; it feels like you’re going to hit them, and you’re right above a raging river. When we first got there, we couldn’t believe how wild the entire setup looked, but the tour guides let us know that no one has ever died doing it, which was great news.
The canyon swing costs $143 per person, but I promise you will never feel anything like that once you reach the top.
I 100% recommend it to anyone. From the bottom, the tour guides take you to the top in a van, and then you go on a brief hike until you reach the edge. Nothing is more terrifying than having to wait your turn while you watch everyone else jump into the abyss. I think visiting the Grindelwald Canyon Swing would be the best thing to do in Switzerland.
But once you finally get to jump, your body goes into complete shock, and it feels like you are falling forever. But really, after only a five-second free fall from 90 meters, you swing through the canyon with the biggest smile on your face.
8. Lake Brienz
The word interlaken literally means between two lakes because it sits right between Lake Thun and Lake Brienz. In my opinion, the more magical of the two lakes is Lake Brienz because of the color of the water. It has bright turquoise water that is surrounded by massive mountains on all sides, making it one of the most picturesque places in Switzerland.
We stayed at an amazing campsite in Interlaken with our van, and one of our favorite routines was walking on the trails along the lake, stopping at all these different viewpoints. Some of the nicest free picnic spots in Switzerland even come with firewood and a pit for grilling out. We met some locals at one of the picnic spots, and he taught us how to make a life-changing dessert.
First, you put a banana over the fire, and once it pops open, you put chocolate on top, which ends up melting into the most delicious snack. Throughout our time in Interlaken, we saw tons of people boating, paddleboarding, and swimming all around the lake, so there is tons to do. Another fun thing we did in Lake Brienz was pull up our van to a scenic pullout.
There are so many of them, and we made dinner one night. It’s amazing to swim right from your van and be able to take in those views for free. One of the best things to do in Switzerland is to visit Lake Brienz Lake.
7. Zermatt Glacier Paradise
We mentioned the Glacial Paradise cable car when we talked about skiing in Zermatt, but this experience is a great thing to do all year round. From the village of Zermatt, you can get on this cable car that will take you up to the highest mountain station in all of Europe. The ride is filled with astonishing views of Zermatt and the surrounding mountain peaks, including the famous Matterhorn.
After about 20 minutes, you’ll transfer on to an even bigger cable car that will take you over massive glaciers and up to the highest mountain station in Europe. If you’re lucky and it’s a clear day when you go, you’ll be able to see 38 mountains over 4,000 meters high in Switzerland, France, and Italy. You can even hop on another car to bring you down to Italy without having to ski or hike, which is just so incredible, especially to us Americans.
The thought of just taking a cable car to another country is mind-blowing. You’ll also walk through an ice palace that’s 15 meters under a glacier. This is a great spot for kids because there are just tons of different ice sculptures, and it seemed like all the little ones were having a blast.
For the lucky few who have never played in snow before, the fact that it is possible to do so all year round is an added bonus. It will be one of the best things to do in Switzerland.
6. Lucerne
Voted the most beautiful city in all of Switzerland, Lucerne is a must-visit, especially because it’s right next to some of the best hikes in Switzerland, including Stops Ridge, which we’ll talk about later.
We only did a day trip in the city but stayed around this area for a total of three days because there’s just so much to do. Immediately, when we arrived in Lucerne, we were shocked at how pretty the architecture was, with the colorful murals covering a ton of buildings. These murals describe the building by telling the story of the family that lived there, the type of business they do, or the history of the city itself.
One of the prettiest spots to see is the famous Chapel Bridge, which connects two sides of Lucerne over the raging river. This wooden bridge dates all the way back to 1333, and the way it is lined with flowers all along the way makes for the most beautiful photos. Another thing that Lucerne is known for is the food, and we can totally agree that it is awesome.
With tons of restaurants lining the river, the city may be one of the culinary capitals of Switzerland because, wow, their food was delicious. Another fun thing you can do is take a cruise on Lake Lucerne or go hiking on some of the most famous mountain hikes in Switzerland: Mount Pilatus and Mount Rigi. Visiting Lucerne is considered one of the best things to do in Switzerland.
5. Gornergrat Train
Located in Zermatt, this 125-year-old cogwheel train leads to some of the best viewpoints of the Matterhorn. We wanted to beat the crowd, so we got up bright and early and got on the first train ride at 7 a.m. to reach the best lake reflection at Riversee Lake. The views you get on the train ride up are worth it alone, and if you want to get to Riversee Lake, make sure to get off at the second-to-last stop called Rotenboden.
From there, you only have to walk for five minutes, and along the way, you get to see massive glaciers and snow-peaked mountains. When we got to Riversee Lake, we almost couldn’t believe our eyes. The reflection was out of this world.
Of course, we did get lucky with bright blue skies and no clouds, which makes for the best view of the Matterhorn, but sometimes you will get screwed with clouds, so I’m sorry about that.
Before booking your ticket, make sure to check the live webcams of the Matterhorn so you don’t waste all your money on terrible views, and like we did, make sure to get up early because usually in the morning the Matterhorn is not covered by clouds, and during the afternoon, that’s when the clouds do roll in. After enjoying our time at the lake, we walked in another five minutes to this unreal viewpoint of a glacier.
You really can’t beat this place, especially being able to hear the glaciers melt into raging rivers in the July sun. After hanging at the glacier, we took the train for 10 more minutes to the last stop, called Gornergrat, which has unbeatable 360-degree views of the surrounding area.
When we arrived at Gornergrat at about 9 a.m., it was as crowded as Disney World. We preferred Riversee Lake, where there were hardly any people, but what was fascinating was that we saw many mountain bikers who brought their bikes to the peak and rode them down the most amazing pathways.
That is definitely something we wish we could have done if we had more time in Zermatt, but all we had time for was a day trip. It will be one of the best things to do in Switzerland.
4. Lauterbrunnen
The fairytale town of Lauterbrunnen is one of those places that everyone should see in their lifetime.
Nothing beats the magical noise of 72 waterfalls pouring down the 1,000-foot rock walls of this valley. There are many viewpoints, but our favorite one had to be a two-minute walk from the parking lot because you are able to see the church and Switzerland’s highest free-falling waterfall all while seeing the entire valley, which was spectacular. This will be a very quick stop because Lauterbrunnen is a small town that you can walk to in 10 minutes. To visit Lauterbrunnen will be one of the best things to do in Switzerland.
3. Stoos Ridge
Only a 40-minute drive from Lucerne is one of the best day hikes in Switzerland, called Stoos Ridge. Once you park at the Stoosbahn, you will take the steepest funicular in the world, which is a 110% grade.
This was our first funicular in our lives, and it was crazy how you go right through the mountain. The views throughout the journey up were just spectacular. Once you get off the funicular in Stoos, you will have to walk for another 15 minutes to a chairlift to get up to Kleinstock, where the ridge hike will begin.
It was around $50 per person if you were using your Swiss half card, which is pretty expensive, but that does include one funicular ride up, two chairlifts, two in from the ridge, and then the funicular all the way back down to the parking lot. As soon as we got to the top, the clouds started rolling in, which was a bummer, but it did create a magical vibe as the clouds rolled over the ridge line.
After around 20 minutes, the sun started peeking its way through, and we couldn’t believe our eyes. I think visiting Stoos Ridge will be one of the best things to do in Switzerland.
We were walking along this endless ridge line filled with colorful wildflowers, cowbells in the distance, and epic viewpoints of ten bright blue lakes below. The one great thing about this hike is that we think anyone could do it, including families with kids. It definitely looks more dangerous than it actually is, and as long as you don’t visit when it’s raining, you will be completely safe.
This point-to-point hike is three miles long, and it took us a total of four hours from when we got onto the funicular until we ended at the mountain restaurant in front of Stock. Even though I think everyone could do this hike, it still had quite a bit of incline and could be hard on your knees, so make sure to bring hiking poles if you have them.
Towards the end, we ran into a bunch of grazing cows and even got some apple strudel and beers to finish off one of the best hikes we’ve done in our lives.
2. Schäfler Ridge Hike & Mountain Hut
Located in the Appenzell region, this is possibly the most well-rounded experience you can have in Switzerland. Starting in Wassauen, you’ll pack an overnight bag, leave your car behind, and head on the Eben Elb cable car.
The cost was thirteen dollars per trip for those using a Swiss half-card. There are two choices available to you as you exit. To start, take a 20-minute diversion to the right to see Switzerland’s oldest guesthouse.
National Geographic voted your guest house one of the world’s most beautiful places, but regrettably, we couldn’t miss the sunset, so we had to head left towards Schaeffler Mountain Hut. It’s about an hour and 20 minutes of hiking to the mountain hut, and the views along the way are hard to beat, especially because you can see the famous Själpsy lake below.
The main reason you’ll want to stay at the mountain hut is to avoid the crowds the following morning, as the cable car doesn’t operate until 7 a.m. Additionally, people must hike up, which means they won’t reach the ridge until 9 a.m. at the earliest. Therefore, we highly recommend staying overnight to avoid the crowds.
Once you arrive at the top, you’ll check in, take off your shoes, and drop your bags in your room. We booked a reservation last second on a Friday, so they didn’t have the room we wanted, which was a private room with a double bed. Instead, Ian booked a bed in a 10-person dorm for $53 per person, and I booked a private room with a single bed for $83.
So you can book ahead of time, but honestly, no matter what you book, you probably won’t get a great night’s sleep because the floors are creaky and the walls are thin. The mountain hut is very cool, though, with an amazing 360-degree view all around, and it even included a small breakfast the next day, so it’s obviously worth it. For dinner, we ordered two classic Swiss dishes: the Rösti and this Swiss style of macaroni that I cannot pronounce.
Once the sun started to set, we walked five minutes to the most epic viewpoint in all of Switzerland, which overlooked the entire Schaeffler ridgeline. The colors were mind-blowing, and being on the edge of the cliff made for the most exhilarating experience. The good news is that you can still enjoy the spot at sunset even if you don’t get a reservation at the mountain hut.
We met Adrian from Spain, and he came up for sunset, then hiked right down to Silsby Lake to get to his car, which took him about two and a half hours. Make sure to bring headlamps because it will be dark. The following morning, we woke up, ready to take on an eight-mile hike along the ridge down to another mountain hut for lunch and finally to Sepsis Lake.
We got super lucky with the weather because both days had blue skies, so make sure to pick the best weather. It’ll just enhance your experience. It seemed like the scenery along this trail was always improving as we continued our walk.
There were endless wildflowers, jagged peaks, and views of the entire valley below. We were exhausted after arriving at Mesmer Hut due to our unsatisfactory sleep at Schaeffler Hut. However, we were delighted to choose this route due to its breathtaking beauty. After indulging in a bratwurst and a beer at the hut, we embarked on a challenging descent through numerous switchbacks to reach Sepsis Lake.
The lake is worth a visit, even if you don’t plan on hiking Schaeffler Ridge.
You can go swimming or take boats out onto the pristine lake, which is surrounded by mountains on all sides. With a couple of wrong turns and stops along the way, it took us a total of nine hours to get back to our van, but no complaints because this is obviously one of our favorite things that we did. It will be one of the best things to do in Switzerland.
1. Mürren Via Ferrata: the best things to do in Switzerland
Right above the fairytale town of Lauterbrunnen is by far the scariest thing we have done in our lives. After taking two cable cars to Murren, you could rent your gear for $30 per person and go on this crazy Via Ferrata without a guide. Sadly, someone did fall to their death two days after filming this video so if it’s your first time doing a Via Ferrata, I highly recommend hiring a tour guide from Intersport, where we rented our gear.
If you don’t know what a via ferrata is, It’s like an obstacle course on the side of a mountain. You’ll go on tight ropes, suspension bridges and crazy steps on the side of a vertical rock wall.
This is the biggest adrenaline rush we have ever had and we’ve been skydiving, bungee jumping, swimming with sharks and Canyon swimming. During this 3-hour hike, there were a couple of times where it actually felt like we were going to die. The whole time, you’ll have to use your two clips to unhook and hook back to the steel cable line. We had to unhook and hook about 150 times so you kind of take it slow throughout this whole hike.
Physically, it’s not the hardest hike but definitely the most mentally challenging and if you’re afraid of heights, then you might poop your pants and go into complete shock because this is crazy. It will be one of the best things to do in Switzerland.
If you do end up going, please be careful and hire a tour guide Remember, your life is way more important than getting shots like this Don’t try to copycat me I am definitely an idiot
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