Village street in Grindelwald with chalets, church and the Eiger

Things to do in Grindelwald: the best experiences in summer and winter

Grindelwald sits at 1034 m right below the Eiger North Face and is the starting point for Grindelwald-First, the Männlichen and the Jungfraujoch. In summer, hikes such as to the Bachalpsee and adventures such as the First Cliff Walk draw visitors, in winter it's the ski slopes and, with the Big Pintenfritz, one of the longest sledge runs in Europe.

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By Ramon Stüdeli, who lives in Grindelwald and LucerneLast updated: 31 October 2026

At a glance

Altitude: 1034 m above sea level – jungfrau.ch
Getting there from Interlaken Ost: Bernese Oberland Railway, about 35 minutes to Grindelwald, about 30 minutes to Grindelwald Terminal – sbb.ch
Grindelwald-First: gondola to 2166 m in 25 minutes – jungfrau.ch
Eiger Express: Grindelwald Terminal – Eigergletscher in 15 minutes, 6,483 m long – jungfrau.ch
Jungfraujoch: about 45 minutes from Grindelwald Terminal – jungfrau.ch
Männlichen: gondola from Grindelwald Terminal in 19 minutes – interlaken.swiss
Winter tourism since 1864 – jungfrau.ch

Top experiences

Grindelwald-First – The gondola takes you via Bort and Schreckfeld to 2166 m in 25 minutes. Starting point for hiking and biking in summer and skiing in winter. Firstbahn ticket from CHF 38 (jungfrau.ch, as of 10/2026).
First cable car and Cliff Walk ticket
First Cliff Walk – A walkway leads 45 metres out into nothing along the rock face. Allow about 20 minutes, right by the First top station. Summer and winter.
Request through us: First Flyer & Cliff Walk On request
First Flyer, Glider, Mountain Cart and Trottibike – Down the valley at up to 84 km/h (Flyer) or 83 km/h (Glider), then by Mountain Cart from Schreckfeld to Bort and by Trottibike down to the village. Adventure Package from CHF 60 (as of 10/2026), available in summer, in 2027 from 12 April to 24 October (jungfrau.ch). Mountain Cart and Trottibike run in summer only, Flyer and Glider also in winter.
Request through us: First Flyer & Cliff Walk On request
Hike to the Bachalpsee – From First to the mountain lake at 2265 m in less than an hour, about 2 hours there and back. Free (apart from the cable car). Summer.
Request through us: Bachalpsee hike with guide On request
Eiger Trail – From Eigergletscher (2320 m) to Alpiglen (1616 m) right below the North Face, about 2 hours (jungfrau.ch). Free, summer.
Request through us: Eiger Trail with mountain guide On request
Männlichen and Royal Walk – Gondola from Grindelwald Terminal, at the top about 40 minutes to the summit. Summer and winter.
Jungfraujoch – Top of Europe – With the Eiger Express and the Jungfrau Railway to Europe's highest railway station at 3454 m. Summer and winter.
Jungfraujoch ticket
High-level hike Schynige Platte – First – About 6 hours via Faulhorn and Bachalpsee, for sure-footed mountain walkers. Summer.
Tandem paragliding – With local flight schools over Grindelwald or the Lauterbrunnen valley. Weather-dependent.
Request through us: Tandem paragliding from First · Winter tandem flight from First On request
Guided hikes and snowshoe tours – With local hiking guides or mountain guides away from the well-known paths. Summer or winter.
Request through us: Snowshoe tour Grosse Scheidegg On request
Bike tour First – Grindelwald – 15 km descent with 1100 metres of altitude difference (jungfrau.ch). Also bookable as an e-bike tour with local providers. Summer.
Photo shoot with the Eiger as backdrop – For example for marriage proposals or couple photos, with local photographers. All year.

When it rains

Indoor pool at the Grindelwald Sports Centre – Non-swimmer pool (10 m), swimming pool (17 m), slide with light effects, paddling pool. 50 % off with the guest card – jungfrauregion.swiss
Ice rink and curling – Ice rink open from July to the end of April, four curling rinks – myswitzerland.com
Jungfraujoch indoor attractions – Ice Palace, Alpine Sensation and 360° cinema don't depend on the weather (check visibility beforehand).
Trip to Interlaken – About 35 minutes by train, with the St. Beatus Caves or the indoor pool there.

With kids

Bort alpine playground – 700 m² playground at the First cable car's middle station – jungfrau.ch
Männlichen herdsman's playground – With an 8.5 m high wooden cow and a slide.
Bachalpsee – Well-made path from First, about 2 hours there and back.
Mountain Cart and Trottibike – Descents from Schreckfeld via Bort down to the village, about 30 minutes each. Summer only.
Pfingstegg – Summer toboggan run and Fly-Line. Note: closed until Wednesday, 5 May 2027 because the car park deck is being rebuilt (pfingstegg.ch).

In summer

Hiking season on First, at the Bachalpsee, on the Eiger Trail and on the Männlichen – Kleine Scheidegg panorama trail. The Adventure Package on First is available in 2027 from 12 April to 24 October. The Männlichen gondola runs in summer 2026 from 23 May to 25 October and in 2027 from 29 May to 24 October. The Pfingstegg also reopens from May 2027.

In winter

Ski areas First and Kleine Scheidegg–Männlichen, winter hiking, snowshoeing, cross-country skiing. The highlight is the Big Pintenfritz: 15 km from the Faulhorn (2680 m) towards Bussalp, over 1000 metres of descent. About 2.5 hours on foot from First to the start. Sledging ticket First–Faulhorn CHF 55, with Half Fare Card/GA and for children 6–15 CHF 29 (jungfrau.ch). In the evening, the floodlit Jungfrau Eiger Run by Night from Alpiglen to Brandegg (3.5 km) beckons. The World Snow Festival takes place from 18 to 24 January 2027.