10 days – Zurich, Appenzell, Jungfrau region
A traveler, ERainbow, is planning an ambitious 9-day trip to Switzerland, covering cities like Zurich, Lucerne, and Wengen, with activities including hiking and paragliding. They seek advice on fitting in the Lauterbrunnen Valley hike and the feasibility of their packed itinerary, especially concerning cable car and train options. The traveler plans to get the Swiss Travel Pass to allow flexibility in their plans.
- Use lockers at the Lucerne train station to drop off luggage before heading to Titlis.
- If hiking from Wasserauen to Seealpsee, consider taking the cable car up to conserve energy, as parts of the trail can be steep.
- The Swiss Travel Pass offers flexible travel options – consider using it to adjust your plans based on energy levels while hiking.
- It’s advisable to include rest days in your itinerary to fully enjoy the scenery and avoid overexertion.
AI-generated summary-
Hi everyone,
I’m back after planning a bit more on the trip. My old thread was closed so I started a new one
Is this doable or am I being too ambitious ?
Day 1: Zurich > Appenzell
Day 2 : Appenzell – Wasserauen – Seealpsee Lake – Aescher – Wildkirchi Church – Wildkirchi Caves – Ebenalp
Day 3 – leave Early to Lucerne (plan to arrive before noon), drop off luggage (locker at train station?). Go to Titlis
Day 4 – Mount Rigi via Arth-Goldau. Get off at Rigi Klösterli to hike to Kulm (90mins). Leave Rigi by 2pm to Vitznau to continue with boat tour to Fluelen; then train back to Lucerne
Day 5 – explore Lucerne Old Town before leaving for Wengen around 3pm. Basing at Wengen for BO.
Option 1:
Day 6 – Interlaken Paragliding + either Lauterbrunne Valley hike or trip to Lake Brienz
Day 7 – Grindelwald (First, Cliff Walk, Bachalpsee)
WouLd I have time to also hike Kleine Scheidegg to Mannlichen on this day? or to Pfungstegg instead?
Day 8 – Wengen > Schilthorn via Grutschalp; Birg Thrill walk
Option 2:
Day 6 – Interlaken, trip to Lake Brienz + Lauterbrunne Valley hike
Day 7 – Grindelwald (Paraglide, First, Cliff Walk, Bachalpsee)WouLd I have time to also hike Kleine Scheidegg to Mannlichen on this day?
Day 8 – Wengen > Schilthorn via Grutschalp; Birg Thrill walk (+ Lauterbrunne hike?)Day 9 Wengen > Zurich
I would like to do Lauterbrunne Valley hike (Lauterbrunne waterfalls, Lauterbrunne – Stechelberg; Gimmerlwald to Murren), but not sure how best to fit it in…. would it be too much to do on Schilthorn day? should I do it after paragliding in Interlaken?
I wanted to do Schynige PLatte, but it’s not open until July correct?
I think I will be getting the Swiss Travel Pass with promotion (8day = 10day)
THANKS!
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Hi ERainbow,
I have not been to the Appenzell region, and can not comment on that. But from day 3 onward, yes, you can find lockers on both ends of the Lucerne station and head to Titlis. If enough time, perhaps think about stopping at Stanserhorn on the way back from Engelberg, as the train goes right through the village of Stans. (Stanserhorn should be covered by the STP, depending on this year’s validity). On day 4, all sounds good, but you may still have some daylight left to explore Lucerne. If so, perhaps leave a little earlier to head down to Wengen.
A few things about Wengen: Wengen sits on a cliff overlooking the Lauterbrunnen valley. (A 13 minute train will get you from Wengen to the Lauterbrunnen station.) The Mannlichen mountain (and Tschuggen) basically separates Wengen from Grindelwald. You can get to Grindelwald from Wengen in a few different ways. Train. Cable car to Manlichen, and cable car to Grindelwald. Or hike to Kleine Scheidegg from Manlichen. That hike is better than the reverse, as the Eiger is in front of you the whole time, and it’s slightly more downhill than the reverse. It’s about an hour and a half (toward Kleine Scheidegg) depending on photo stops, rests, etc. Once in K.S. you can train to G-wald and go to First, or hike down. Lots of options there.
On day 8, you can easily combine the Grutschalp to Murren, Schilthorn and Birg. From Murren either hike, or take the cable car down to Stechelberg via Gimmwald. From there you can hike back to Lauterbrunnen, or take the bus, or a combo of both. This could basically be done in one big loop back to Lauterbrunnen. Easily done in one day from Wengen. On day 6, depending on how long paragliding takes, you can easily venture out to a boat ride on either of the two lakes. I hope this helps you plan things in some way. Have a great trip.
Regards,
Danielsan
Hi ERainbow,
Your itinerary is doable. On Day 2, I would recommend taking the cable car from Wasserauen to Ebenalp then hike down to Seealpsee. The trail is a little steep in some parts. If you prefer an easier option, you can take the cable car down back to Wasserauen then follow the path to Seealpsee.
Both option 1 and option 2 are doable but I prefer the 1st one. I think it’s possible to combine Grindelwald First and Männlichen in one day, although I would recommend to stick to one hike a day you can relax and enjoy your day.
And yes, the cogwheel train to Schynige Platte starts operation only in July.
Have a great trip!
Regards,
Anna
THANK YOU SO MUCH!! It’s really helpful !!
Anna, with that suggestion, do you mean doing the hike in reverse as it will be downhill? Thanks for the recommendation, I wasn’t sure about how steep it would be. I’ve some people say it’s really steep, but some say kids can do it with more stops and breaks…
If I do the cable car option, it would cut down the time I will be hiking… then I’m wondering if I should do another “walk” in Appenzell or just head to Lucerne a day earlier! (given I can make changes to my reservation…)
DanielSan, Thanks for the tips on K.S. I planned to do K.S after First in case I spend too much time on First and no time for the hike… knowing it’s doable and the view is better I will do the hike first!
and yes, that’s the plan.. if I get to see Lucerne on day 3 &4, I will leave earlier for Wengen. I feel like I don’t have time in Wengen with the current plan..
Day 6: Interlaken paragliding (trying to book for 10-12pm) + Lake Brienz area (either explore the area or boar trip)
Day 7: Cable car to Mannlichen; hike to K.S. Train to Grindelwald and First (First Glider, Cliff Walk) if time and energy allow, hike to Bachalpsee
will the First Glider & Cliff walk be really busy beginning of June?
Day 8: Wengen > Murren by train via Grutschap; Birg (Thrill walk, Skyline walk) > Schilthorn (lunch time!).
Schilthorn > Murren, hike to Gimmelwald; then cable car to Stechelberg, and hike to Lauterbrunnen (stop for Trummelbach Falls, Staubbach Fall)
Day 9: Morning in Wengen, leave for Zurich around 1 or 2pm.
Hi ERainbow,
Yes, if you start from Ebenalp you’ll be walking downhill towards Seealpsee. I did the trail with my kids (aged below 12 then) – doable but like I said some parts can be a bit of a challenge. The views at Seealpsee is amazing. You might want to spend a bit of time there. There’s a restaurant next to the lake and you can rent boats to go around the lake.
Regards,
Anna
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You need to be fully prepared for the Ebenalp day. You could be very tired afterwards which would make Despite my wife and I being seasoned hikers, we completely underestimated how challenging it would be. We went up to Ebenalp on the cable car and walked down to Seealpsee then Wasserauen. It took longer than we thought so we missed the last trains and had to use the evening bus instead! It is very steep and my wife still has trouble with her legs to this day following the strains put on her that day. I think uphill puts less strain on your limbs.
In general I think you are trying to do too much – I can’t see much in the way of ‘rest days’ which is (a) not great for your health and (b) preventing you from taking things in a relaxed way and actually enjoying the views etc
Hi 1960man,
I know I have a lot on the plan right now. TBH, I likely will drop some as I go and depends on how I feel when I’m there.
That’s why I probably will go with the Swiss Travel Pass, that way I have more flexibility: take cable car from Wasserauen to Ebenalp or skip the Stechelberg – Lauterbrunnen hike and just bus to Trümmelbach…
Thanks for the reminder 🙂 I do want this trip to be “relaxing” but at the same time want to see as much as I can… the usually torn between the 2!
-E
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