Winter Hiking in Grindelwald 2026/27: Every Winter Trail with Length, Time, Lift and Altitude

By Ramon Stüdeli, who lives in Grindelwald and LucerneLast updated: 1 November 2026

Quick answer: From Grindelwald you can reach seven winter hikes by gondola, cog railway or bus. The best known is Männlichen–Kleine Scheidegg (about 6 km, 2 hrs 45 min according to jungfrau.ch) right below the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau. The lifts are covered by the Winter Hiking and Sledding Pass from CHF 61 per day (as of October 2026).

Key facts at a glance

Network: According to the Jungfrau Railways brochure, the Jungfrau Region has about 100 km of winter hiking trails.
Season 2026/27: Kleine Scheidegg 21.11.2026–25.04.2027, Männlichen 12.12.2026–04.04.2027, Grindelwald-First 19.12.2026–29.03.2027 (jungfrau.ch, subject to change). Whether a trail is open depends on the snow.
Pass: Winter Hiking and Sledding Pass 1 day CHF 61, CHF 64 on peak dates, kids 6–15 CHF 30, valid 21.11.2026–25.04.2027 (jungfrau.ch, as of October 2026). The Jungfraujoch is not included.
Signposts: In Switzerland, winter hiking trails have pink signposts and are groomed as soon as there is enough snow (guideline by FEDRO, Swiss Hiking Federation and SwitzerlandMobility).
Footwear: Sturdy, waterproof winter boots with good tread are enough on groomed trails. You only need snowshoes on snowshoe trails.
Own responsibility: According to jungfrau.ch, you use the trails at your own responsibility, and the trail status shown is a recommendation.

All winter hiking trails from Grindelwald compared

Winter trail	Start → finish	Length	Time	Altitude	Lift or bus	Best for
Royal Walk Männlichen (No. 60)	Männlichen top station → Männlichen summit → back	1.8 km	about 40 min	2221–2341 m	gondola Grindelwald Terminal–Männlichen	short, fine with kids
Männlichen–Kleine Scheidegg (No. 63)	Männlichen → Gummi → Bustiglen → Kleine Scheidegg	about 6 km	about 2 hrs 45 min	2222 → 2061 m	up by Männlichen gondola, back by Wengernalp Railway from Kleine Scheidegg	easy, Eiger views
Kleine Scheidegg–Fallboden (No. 65)	loop from Kleine Scheidegg	1.8 km	about 45 min	from 2061 m, 93 m up and down	Wengernalp Railway from Grindelwald	short, no gondola needed
Sunny winter tour First–Waldspitz–Bort (No. 51)	First → Waldspitz → Bort	9 km	about 3 hrs	2275 → 1530 m	up by First gondola, back by gondola from Bort	long, mostly downhill
Bussalp–Rasthysi–Bort (No. 56)	Bussalp → Rasthysi → Bort	6.8 km	about 2 hrs	1798 → 1565 m	up by bus 126, back by gondola from Bort	medium, little climbing
Faulhorn winter hike (No. 50)	First → Faulhorn → Bussalp	10.1 km	about 4 hrs	2166 → 2678 → 1797 m	up by First gondola, back by bus 126 from Bussalp	for fit hikers, 558 m of ascent
Around the Lauberhorn	Männlichen → Wengen	12.55 km	about 4 hrs 25 min	2230 → 1274 m	up by Männlichen gondola, back by train from Wengen	medium, long descent

Sources: times and altitudes from jungfrau.ch (winter hiking, as of October 2026). Lengths, numbers and ascent from the Info Guide Winter 2024/25 by Grindelwald Tourism. We did not find a newer edition with lengths online. Around the Lauberhorn from interlaken.swiss. For Männlichen–Kleine Scheidegg, interlaken.swiss gives 5.59 km and 2 to 2.5 hrs, for First–Waldspitz–Bort the Info Guide gives 2 hrs 30 min.

Männlichen–Kleine Scheidegg: the classic below the Eiger

The gondola takes you from Grindelwald Terminal to Männlichen in 19 minutes (interlaken.swiss). The trail passes the foot of the Tschuggen and runs through Swiss stone pine forest toward Kleine Scheidegg, with views of the Eiger North Face (jungfrau.ch). According to interlaken.swiss, it is mostly a gentle descent on wide, groomed paths, with a climb of about 30 minutes near the end. You return to Grindelwald on the Wengernalp Railway from Kleine Scheidegg.

Tip: Short on time? Do the Royal Walk to the summit with the crown first. According to jungfrau.ch, it takes about 40 minutes.

First: two trails for two levels

First–Waldspitz–Bort: From the First top station, the trail leads via the Waldspitz mountain inn to Bort. According to jungfrau.ch, you can travel light, because there are three restaurants on the way (First, Waldspitz, Bort). From Bort, you ride the gondola down to the valley.
Faulhorn: From First, you climb to the Faulhorn (2678 m) and walk down to Bussalp. According to the Info Guide, that is 558 m of ascent and 919 m of descent. The Big Pintenfritz sled run also starts at the Faulhorn, see our page Sledding in Grindelwald.

After its maintenance break, the First gondola runs again from 28.11.2026, and the Grindelwald-First area opens on 19.12.2026 according to jungfrau.ch.

Bussalp: quiet and sunny

Bus 126 takes you from Grindelwald station to Bussalp in about 35 minutes. From there, the winter trail leads via Rasthysi to Bort, 6.8 km with 141 m of ascent according to the Info Guide. Bus 126 is not free with the guest card, GrindelwaldBus publishes timetables and fares.

Passes and prices

Winter Hiking and Sledding Pass	Adults	Peak dates	Youth 16–19	Kids 6–15
1 day	CHF 61	CHF 64	CHF 44	CHF 30
2 days	CHF 120	CHF 126	CHF 87	CHF 58
3 days	CHF 176	CHF 185	CHF 130	CHF 83
7 days	CHF 296	CHF 311	CHF 226	CHF 141

Source: jungfrau.ch, as of October 2026, valid 21.11.2026–25.04.2027. Peak dates are 19.12.2026–03.01.2027 and 30.01.–28.02.2027. You pay bus 126 to Bussalp and the Jungfraujoch separately.

Book matching experiences

Prefer company in the snow? We arrange suitable offers from local partners, for example a guided snowshoe tour or night sledding with fondue. Send us a WhatsApp message or a request, and we confirm availability and price with the partner before you book.

Ask on WhatsApp

Winter hiking or snowshoeing?

	Winter hiking trail	Snowshoe trail
Signposts	pink signposts	pink signposts
Groomed	yes, as soon as there is enough snow	no
Gear	winter boots with tread, poles recommended	snowshoes and poles
Example from Grindelwald	Männlichen–Kleine Scheidegg	Holenstein–Brandegg

Source: guideline on winter hiking trails and snowshoe routes by FEDRO, Swiss Hiking Federation and SwitzerlandMobility (2020). All trails with length and time are on our page Snowshoeing in Grindelwald. For a guided option, see the Snowshoe Tour Grosse Scheidegg.

Gear and safety

Boots: interlaken.swiss recommends sturdy, waterproof boots with good tread, warm clothing and sun protection.
Stay on the trail: Winter hiking trails are groomed, the terrain next to them is not. Respect closures on site.
Check the status: In the morning, check on jungfrau.ch which trails are open. The information is a recommendation.
Start early: In December and January it gets dark early. Plan for the last lift down to the valley.
Emergency: ambulance 144, Rega 1414.

Keep reading

FAQ

What winter hiking trails are there in Grindelwald?

From Grindelwald you can reach the Royal Walk at Männlichen, Männlichen–Kleine Scheidegg, the Kleine Scheidegg–Fallboden loop, First–Waldspitz–Bort, Bussalp–Rasthysi–Bort, the Faulhorn winter hike and the trail around the Lauberhorn to Wengen.

How long is the winter hike from Männlichen to Kleine Scheidegg?

About 2 hrs 45 min according to jungfrau.ch, 2 to 2.5 hrs according to interlaken.swiss. The trail is about 6 km long and goes from 2222 to 2061 m.

How much is the Winter Hiking and Sledding Pass?

1 day CHF 61, CHF 64 on peak dates, kids 6–15 CHF 30. Valid 21.11.2026–25.04.2027 (jungfrau.ch, as of October 2026).

Which winter hike is good for kids?

Short options are the Royal Walk at Männlichen (1.8 km, about 40 min) and the Kleine Scheidegg–Fallboden loop (1.8 km, about 45 min). More ideas on Grindelwald with kids.

Do I need snowshoes for winter hiking?

No. Winter hiking trails are groomed, and winter boots with good tread are enough. You need snowshoes on snowshoe trails, which are not groomed.

When do the winter hiking trails in Grindelwald open?

That depends on the snow. According to jungfrau.ch, the lifts run to Kleine Scheidegg from 21.11.2026, to Männlichen from 12.12.2026 and in the First area from 19.12.2026 (First gondola from 28.11.2026).

Is the Jungfraujoch included in the Winter Hiking and Sledding Pass?

No. According to jungfrau.ch, holders of a pass for 3 days or more can buy the «Top Ticket» connection ticket to the Jungfraujoch for CHF 63.

Can I go up to First and Männlichen in winter without skiing?

Yes. With the Winter Hiking and Sledding Pass, you ride the lifts your pass covers as a pedestrian. What else you can do without skis is on Grindelwald in winter.

Questions? We help on WhatsApp

No obligation. We'll get back to you by email or WhatsApp and recommend a suitable local provider.

Ask on WhatsApp

Places

Experiences on request

Snowshoe tour Grosse Scheidegg On request
Night sledging with fondue On request
Bussalp sledging day On request

About the author

Ramon Stüdeli is the owner of Grindelwald Experiences. He lives in Grindelwald and Lucerne, brings broad experience from tourism and other industries and has traveled to more than 60 countries.