Itinerary 14 days Bernese Oberland and Valais
Swatchme is planning an exciting 14-day solo trip to Switzerland from September 16-30, focusing on experiences in Zurich, Luzern, the Bernese Oberland, and Valais. They’re seeking advice on whether to stay in Zurich upon arrival or head directly to Luzern, and are also interested in hiking safety tips and cultural experiences like local festivals and cheese-making tours.
- Consider heading straight to Luzern from Zurich for a smoother start to your trip.
- The Swiss Travel Pass is ideal for easy access to transportation around Switzerland, especially for your activities.
- Prioritize hiking routes like Mannlichen to Kleine Scheidegg, which are safe and offer beautiful views.
- Explore local festivals and the cheese-making process in the Emmental area to enrich your cultural experience.
AI-generated summary-
Hi Felicia –
I wrote
<<“The best thing to do is look a a Swiss map and see what fits around your dates. You don’t have to stay in Bern or Gruyeres. Bern is an easy day trip from luzern ,or interlaken…slightly longer from Wengen.
I like various places in the Emmental, and can give some guidance there….. when i have few moments.
Slowpoke”>>
When you go to Schüpfheim for the Alpabzug, the village will probably be full. The following are easily accessible by train from Schüpfheim
Here are three places that I stay at routinely, and have stayed at recently. All are first rate, and have their own character.
Gasthof Hirschen in Langnau
Gasthof Bären in Sumiswald…a grand old and famous inn:
http://www.baeren-sumiswald.ch/home/
and, recently discovered:
http://www.myswissalps.com/fo rum/topic/a-particularly-nice-small-inn-in-the-emmental
There are many other nice ones, which I may have linked to in this early thread about the Emmental:
http://www.myswissalps.com/fo rum/topic/langnau-in-may\
In fact, did. Here is the link:
emmental.ch/en/taste/r estaurants-traditional-inns/
Slowpoke
Hello again Slowpoke,
You are so generous to all of us here–thank you, as always, for sharing your wealth of information with us all. You have made planning my trip so much easier!
Here’s what I have thus far for my last minute itinerary. Please let me know your thoughts on it (I know you will!) . I had to laugh—you’re absolutely right I’m planning this trip two months too late!! BUT, it’s amazing and fun!!
I’ve placed an asterisk or used bold type for specific areas I could use your assistance. At present, I still have FOUR nights without hotel accommodations [Days 3,6,7,and 12]
Here’s what I have:
Day 1: Arrive Zurich; train to Luzern. Explore Olde Town, Chapel Bridge, Lion Monument
Day 2: Luzern. Mt. Titlis and/or Pilatus
Day 3: <undecided> Possible St. Moritz or Geneva?
Day 4: Wengen/Jungfrau region. Mannlichen to Kleine Scheidegg hike
Day 5: Wengen. Schynige Platte cogwhell train to summit. Lauterbrunnen/Grindelwald?
Day 6: <undecided after checkout in Wengen> Possibly Jungfraujoch? **What else might I have time for in Wengen? Any ideas for a reasonable next destination? Lake Brienze/Thun?
Day 7: <undecided>
Day 8: Zermatt. Matterhorn Glacier Paradise. Sunnegga.
Day 9: Zermatt. Saas Fee? Brig? Aletsch Glacier (Eggishorn)
Day 10: Zermatt. Gornergratbahn to KulmHotel and observatory overnight. (Stop at Riffelalp or Riffelberg on way up? or way back down?)
Day 11: Train to Luzern. Train to Emme Valley –Hasle. (check into guesthouse) Train to Emmentaler Schaukaserei. Rent eBike to explore idyllic Emme Valley/northeast Bern (Burgdorf/Langnau)
Day 12: Alpabzug in Schupfheim (early morning/afternoon). I cannot believe you remembered this was a priority on my trip!! **Suggestions for remainder of day/day trip? Next stop before Zurich? Montreux-Lausanne-Gruyeres?
Day 13: Zurich
Day 14: Early morning flight out
I am very comfortable taking trains all over Italy. I’m certain I will feel similarly about train travel in Switzerland. I really dislike rushing and trying to squeeze too many things into a vacation. There are a few “touristy” things I’d like to experience (as above); but, I have a strong desire to explore the small towns and interesting landscapes/architecture. Of course, great food is a given!
With the above itinerary, are there any places you would consider “must see’ that are missing from my plans?!
Thank you, again, Slowpoke–you are amazingly knowledgeable and so kind to share your experience with us.
I look forward to hearing from you again,
Felicia
Hi Again Slowpoke!
I meant to thank you, also, for the great weather app you suggested! You’re a wealth of wonderful information–so, Thank You!
So so fortunate to have found you and this forum!
<<“I am very comfortable taking trains all over Italy. I’m certain I will
feel similarly about train travel in Switzerland. I really dislike
rushing and trying to squeeze too many things into a vacation. There are
a few “touristy” things I’d like to experience (as above); but, I have a
strong desire to explore the small towns and interesting
landscapes/architecture. Of course, great food is a given!”>>
Swiss train stations do not have a column on the schedule board for how late the trains will be, an interesting feature found in Italy.
It is not needed in Switzerland.
St. Gall for architecture.
http://www.myswissalps.com/fo rum/topic/st-gall-aka-sankt-gallen-and-good-bratwurst
Also Scuol, Ftan, Guarda, Ardez. Less crowded than St. Moritz, less expensive.
<<“With the above itinerary, are there any places you would consider “must see’ that are missing from my plans?!”>>
Yes, most of the rest of Switzerland. For example, the Three lakes Region. Images attached
I’ll check your itinerary carefully tomorrow for anomalies. Here is one.
Day 3- if you are serious about those destinations, check the timetable and a map.
Slowpoke
Attachments:
Hello Felicia,
Picking up your questions in bold here some input.
Day 3: St. Moritz is a quite a long journey from Lucerne, Geneva is reached quicker. I’m sure you know the timetable to check this out:
– http://www.myswissalps.com/ti metable
– http://www.myswissalps.com/lu cerne
– http://www.myswissalps.com/st moritz
– http://www.myswissalps.com/ge nevaDay 6 and 7: There are lots of things to do in the Wengen area (Jungfrau Region), one which you haven’t planned yet and is very popular is Mount First from Grindelwald (perhaps including adventure package) or the Brienzer Rothorn or as you say Lake Brienz/Lake Thun
– http://www.jungfrau.ch/en-gb/grindelwaldfirst/
– http://www.myswissalps.com/br ienzerrothorn
– http://www.myswissalps.com/la kebrienz
– http://www.myswissalps.com/la kethunDay 8: You can either head towards western Switzerland again or consider exploring some of the area around Zurich. Another option is visiting the Rhine Falls close to Zurich. Use the timetable for detailed planning:
– http://www.myswissalps.com/zu rich
– http://www.myswissalps.com/la kezurich
– http://www.myswissalps.com/rh inefallsBest,
StephAlso see:
– http://www.myswissalps.com/ai rports/zurich
Hi Steph –
<<“You can either head towards western Switzerland again or consider
exploring some of the area around Zurich. Use the timetable for detailed planning:”>>
I use Hurden and Rapperswill for my first jet lag day if I am staying in Zürich.
And, Fribourg , down by the river, might be a good option in the Mittelland. It could work for Day 3.
Au Sauvage is a superb restaurant ( and hotel). It is close to a bus stop.
Slowpoke
Attachments:
Hello Slowpoke,
Your replies are always the best, thank you! So many incredibly helpful tips and suggestions.
Im leaning toward Fribourg in Day 3 now (thanks to you and Steph!) if I plan a stay in Fribourg on Day 3 (before heading to Wengen the next day), I believe I will have sufficient time to visit the Gruyeres cheese factory. Or…I could stay in Gruyeres and visit Fribourg the morning of Day 4 since a bus stops right in front of the hotel du Savage…thoughts on this?
Your photos are incredible! So many beautiful shots!
Thank you, once again, for all that you’ve done to help me on such short notice.
Much appreciated,
Felicia
Hi Slowpoke,
I reread my reply and see that auto correct created a new hotel in Fribourg! Haha savage!
Hello Steph,
Thank you ever so much for weighing in with some really wonderful ideas! I really appreciate your expert opinion.
Your idea of extending my stay in the Jungfrau region is very appealing! Presently, I have secured accommodation for just 2 nights in Wengen. Maybe I’ll extend my stay in Wengen by another night and move on to Brienze for the night of Day 7. What are your thoughts on this?
That way, I’d have a day and a half in and around Brienze and could take the Brienzer Rothorn steam train the morning of Day 8 (before heading to Zermatt)
I’m fairly certain your suggestion for “Day 8” in your reply is meant to be Day 12 or 13 in my original post above. I love the idea of the Rhein Falls and/or the towns Slowpoke suggested prior to my flight home early morning Day 14.
You have provided me with invaluable information and I’m so grateful.
I look forward to any additional thoughts you may have.
Thanks again,
Felicia
<<“toward Fribourg in Day 3 now (thanks to you and Steph!) if I plan a stay
in Fribourg on Day 3 (before heading to Wengen the next day), I believe
I will have sufficient time to visit the Gruyeres cheese factory.
Or…I could stay in Gruyeres and visit Fribourg the morning of Day 4
since a bus stops right in front of the hotel du Savage…thoughts on
this?”>>
<<“auto correct created a new hotel in Fribourg! Haha savage!”>>
Although Fribourg is mostly French-speaking, the Old Town ( die Altstadt) is nominally German speaking. Signs will be in German as well as French. Fribourg is not far from the language border, which is more or less just to the east of the city. the German name is Freiburg.
The hotel au Sauvage is thus also called “der Wilder Mann” in archaic grammar. Modern German would be der wilde Mann. Your auto correct might let that one pass.
<<“<<“toward Fribourg in Day 3 now (thanks to you and Steph!) if I plan a stay
in Fribourg on Day 3 (before heading to Wengen the next day), I believe
I will have sufficient time to visit the Gruyeres cheese factory.
Or…I could stay in Gruyeres and visit Fribourg the morning of Day 4
since a bus stops right in front of the hotel du Savage…thoughts on
this?”>>”>>
Fribourg to Gruyères takes just under an hour from main station to main station. Once per hour at xx04. Add about 15 minutes if you take the #4 bus from bus stop Fribourg, Eglise St. Jean.
There may be logistics issues with luggage.
Since the village of Gruyères is on a hill, and almost certainly car-free,
map.search.ch/?pos=572704,159160&z=10 24
you may ride a bus up, or walk, but you’ll likely want to leave your luggage somewhere if you pass through on your way to Wengen.. Unfortunately, Gruyères is a small station with neither lockers nor a left luggage office.
It seems that Fribourg has a left luggage office –
I can’t find lockers there.
There are ways to send luggage ahead by Swiss Rail. The basic service delivers the 2nd day after you hand in you luggage, but there are other services, too. I am unsure, but I believe that the “express” next day service has been discontinued.
http://www.myswissalps.com/tr ain/practical/luggage
and further links from that page to the SBB services.
If you wished to leave luggage in Fribourg, go to Gruyères…abour an hour…explore, then go back through Fribourg to pick up your luggage, it is possible but is a rather long journey with several changes. Once back at Fribourg, you’d then go to Bern ( about a 22 minute train ride) and get back on the standard route from Bern to Interlaken Ost to Lauterbrunnen to Wengen.
By the way, in the Oberland you will see the spelling “Brienz” instead of Brienze. It is German -speaking.
Slowpoke
<<“Day 11: Train to Luzern. Train to Emme Valley –Hasle. (check into
guesthouse) Train to Emmentaler Schaukaserei. Rent eBike to explore
idyllic Emme Valley/northeast Bern (Burgdorf/Langnau)”>>
You take a bus to Affoltern and get off at Affoltern, Dorf.
The bus leaves Hasle-Rüegsau station at xx02 and takes 15 minutes.
<<“Day 12: Alpabzug in Schupfheim (early morning/afternoon). I cannot believe you remembered this was a priority on my trip!! **Suggestions for remainder of day/day trip?”>>
Uncertain eyou will go by e-bike, but certainly not Burgdorf. if you go there, take the train.
When you have your bike, or by train and bus, you might like to explore in the area near Langnau which you mention.
Langnau it self is a commercial center for the farming communities in the area. However, there are some attractive parts near the church in the older part of the town, and I recall a nice small museum.
Trubschachen –
Nearby is Trubschachen, which has and interesting old in , the Bären, dating from the 1400’s, and a small museum and pottery shop.
And other stuff:
(only in German in their home-town link)
(The Bären shows on their home page)
The museum:
http://www.trubschachen.ch/ne ws-detail/news/heimatmuse um-trubschachen/,
and, a Swiss cookie factory – “Kambly.”
http://www.trubschachen.ch/un ser-dorf/aktuelles/archiv/ archiv-detail/news/kambly-erlebniswelt/
Not really suggesting a visit, but you’ll see the buildings and signs for Kambly, and their cookies are sold all over Switzerland.
Trub –
With bike or bus, I’d consider going up the valley about 2.5 km to Trub. I walk it occasionally, because it is an attractive stretch of road. It is a nice old village, worth a walk around ( or bike ride.)
map.search.ch/?pos=634247,198412&z=64
I have attached a photo taken from a ridge walk overlooking the village.
Slowpoke
Hi Felicia,
I think extending your stay in Wengen and/or spending a day and a half in the Brienz area are both fantastic options, you’ll have to do the deciding yourself I’m afraid! 🙂
Yes, you’re right, I did a typo on the days when referring to the Rhine Falls, sorry for that!
Happy planning and kind regards,
Steph
Hello again Steph,
I’ve decided to extend my stay in Wengen for another night (Day 6) since there is so much to see and do in the Jungfrau region–it’s all a bit overwhelming [and I’m planning this spontaneous vacation “two months late” as per Slowpoke!] I will travel on to Lake Brienze the following day (Day 7) and explore the beautiful Lake region.
I have most of the itinerary in place–I will be near Emmental until late afternoon on Saturday (Day 12) so working on where to stay (or travel on to) that afternoon/evening…I like your idea of heading back towards Zurich and possibly seeing the Rhein Falls (on Day 13) before heading to the airport on Day 14 (morning).
All of your suggestions are much appreciated–this trip would never have materialized without the assistance of the wonderful people like you here on this forum.
Gratefully,
Felicia
Hello again Slowpoke,
I cannot thank you enough for all of your help–you’ve truly been a lifesaver here!
I’ve decided on Fribourg for Day #3. What a lovely town! At your suggestion and after researching the town, I reserved a superior Junior Suite at the Hotel Au Sauvage–it has great reviews, as you said and the restaurant (again, as you said) is highly rated. I am particularly interested in several of the museums that I did not know were there–the Gutenberg Museum specifically as I absolutely love letterpress printing and old presses! The town itself appears so charming. Can’t wait to check it out.
I am still processing all of your other ideas/suggestions from yesterday! I have the night of Day 12 and all of Day 13 to plan yet. Steph posed a great idea to head either West again or perhaps to Rhein Falls before heading to Zurich before my return flight. (Day 12 I will be in Schupfheim so not sure which direction I want to go or where I want to stay that night. As always, any suggestions you may have are most welcome and much appreciated.
It’s late here and I must go to sleep but I wanted to thank you for your always helpful responses.
All the best,
Felicia
Hi Felicia-
A couple of miscellaneous comments-
1. Luzern. You will arrive just after the month-long Luzern Summer Festival ends on the 15th.
Luzern will be a little less crowded, by the time that you get there, but hangers-on for the days after the festival may help account for the scarcity of rooms.
2. Ostschweiz
You last day planned for the east of Switzerland –
You already know that I like St. Gall:
http://www.myswissalps.com/fo rum/topic/st-gall-aka-sankt-gallen-and-good-bratwurst
Stein-am-Rhein is a very attractive small town. Hordes of tourists, but it is calm before and after the tour buses arrive and depart. A walk up to the castle is strenuous, but on a clear day, very worthwhile.
This is an excellent trip report by a former moderator of the Forum:
http://www.myswissalps.com/fo rum/topic/stein-am-rhein-easy-day-trip-from-zurich
Contrary the opinions of many, I find the Rhine Falls to be not worth the trip.
Powerful….although September will have lower flows than the Spring (snow melt then). Not very tall.
If you have seen Niagara Falls, my guess is that you will not be impressed by the Rhine Falls.
I know await opposing opinions…my comments usually elicit a few. 😉
And, if you do go, your comments in a report after your trip will be much appreciated.
The Southeast –
The Engadine towns that I mentioned for architecture (Scuol, Ftan, Guarda) are almost certainly out of reach.
3.- Fribourg –
If you do not try to fit in Gruyères, visiting which would not be in keeping with your goal of avoiding a crowded itinerary, the logistics problems that I discussed disappear.
You have already discovered what an interesting town Fribourg is.
The area around the Gutenberg Museum is attractive, and the parks and walks near the site have good views of the valley. Possibly, the old town will be visible from there, but the angle may be wrong. I’d not be surprised if there were good views from the museum itself. It is not far from the Cathedral, too. I have not been there yet, and will try to fit it into my own upcoming visit to Fribourg.
The physical separation between the lower old town and the upper modern city is mitigated by the bus that I mentioned, and, also the famous funicular:
http://www.fribourgtourisme.c h/en/Z10937/funicular-of-fribourg
If you’d like the walk, the valley station of the funicular is about a 400-500 meter walk from the hotel, or two bus stops) and once you are up top, the walk to the Gutenberg Museum, (and cathedral) is about 2/3 of a km.
They are all on this map, just barely:
The bus stop by the hotel (Fribourg, Eglise-St.- Jean) shows at the lower right. The museum is at the top right.
The bus station for long distance buses, (gare routière) under one end of the main station is sort of an appendage at the north end of the station. However, you probably want the bus station Fribourg, Place Gare, for local buses. It is across the street in front of the station, if I recall correctly. Bus Number 4, for the old town, does stop at both of those places. The last station of the #4 line, down by the river is Fribourg, Auge-Sous Pont, which may show up on the bus sign as “Auge, ” when you are trying to figure out which direction to go from the main station.
Slowpoke
<<“(Day 12 I will be in Schupfheim so not sure which direction I want to go
or where I want to stay that night. As always, any suggestions you may
have are most welcome and much appreciated.”>>
Hi Felicia –
A couple of posts back I mentioned some other towns/villages in the Emmental. I have not thought much about the logistics, ( where will your luggage be?) but they are on or connected to the train line Trubschachen- Langnau – Hasle- Burgdorf, where you could connect to the main line to Zürich. Those might fit in your day after the Schaukäserei ( show dairy) at Affoltern, as a way to get to Hasle if you venture out in the afternoon.
Luggage –
Schüpfheim has a left luggage office, but with rather limited hours:
I think you will be there on a Saturday?… morning hours only.
Wolhusen has none.
You might consider shipping most of your luggage to Zürich before you go to the Emmental. Typically – 2 days by the cheapest method….look at timing with care, to be sure it would work.
However, Schüpfheim is well to to the south and east of those towns, and the route to Zürich from Schüpfheim normally would be to go north to Wolhusen, then east to Luzern ( all on the regional train, no change), then change at Luzern and and on to Zürich. Only change is the one at at Luzern.
Especially, when I am in an area such as the Emmental, with a complex set of trains and tracks and towns, I find that smartphone app from the SBB to be especially useful for decision making while traveling.
http://www.sbb.ch/en/timetabl e/mobile-apps/sbb-mobile.html
I prefer to do most of my planning on a large screen, but the app can show route options rather easily. Just remeber that the default mode for all the timetable variations is to pick the fastest route.
Happy travels- you have set a great itinerary with lots of variety…major Alpine tourist areas, countryside, less commonly visited cities such as Fribourg. A fair amount of one night stays,but, also some good longer multi-night stays. You’ll experince the travel system… a nice thing in itys own right.
And, I’m glad we were able to help. One of the benefits of this activity is that I learn new things for my own use. I had not spent enough time before looking at options in Fribourg, so I learned a lot that I had not known about the city.
Slowpoke
Hi Felicia,
I see that you added a day to your Jungfrau stay. I think you have planned some hikes, but i thought I would mention there are two spots higher up in the mountains where you can get a different view. They are both popular and might be a bit touristy, but seem (from YouTube videos) to offer awesome views.
The first is Jungfraujoch, also known as Top of Europe, which is above Kleine Scheidegg. You can play in snow in summer and see glaciers. And as an added bonus, to get there you take a train that goes up the inside of a mountain, which sounds like a crazy engineering accomplishment. As you might imagine, this ride is not cheap. People seem to justify it as a once in a lifetime experience. I believe you do get a discount with your swiss pass but not much.
The second viewpoint is the Schilthorn, which is above Murren. It seems heavily marketed as a James Bond filming location and has a revolving restaurant. I think this place is more for viewing mountains than glaciers. This one takes less time to get to and is less expensive. It’s covered all the way up with the Swiss Travel Pass (that you will have) so I think it will be free for you.
For either place, you want to go when the weather is clear. I think both places will let you know the weather up at the top before you go.
We would have had two days in Lauterbrunnen so I had planned one day up the Wengen side (to Mannlichen and Kleine Scheidegg) and the other day up the Murren side (and Schilthorn). Oh I forgot to mention earlier about the Mannlichen hike. I read that once you take the lift from Wengen to Mannlichen, before you start towards Kleine Scheidegg, walk a short distance in the other direction up a hill. That is supposed to be a good view as well.
This link has info on both as well as Murren and other things:
expertworldtravel.com/ things-do-murren-switzerland/
Have fun 🙂
Todd
Hi Todd-
<<“Oh I forgot to mention earlier about the Mannlichen hike. I read that once you take the lift from Wengen to Mannlichen, before you start towards Kleine Scheidegg, walk a short distance in the other direction up a hill. That is supposed to be a good view as well.”>>
You can see pictures to illustrate exactly these comments, and judge for yourself if it is a “good view” if you look at my post earlier in this thread on :
Aug 23, 2019 – 7:37 AM in reply to Swatchme.
I posted some images dealing with that point.
Slowpoke
Dear Slowpoke,
You are such a wealth of information! I feel like I should bring something back for you–then again, you’ve been there so very many times, what would I bring? haha THANK YOU. So much.
Here it is in it’s condensed version without any specific details:
Day 1 Arrive Zurich–>train to Luzern
Day 2 Luzern <head to Fribourg in the afternoon>
Day 3 Fribourg
Day 4 Fribourg <head to Wengen>
Day 5 Wengen
Day 6 Wengen
Day 7 Wengen <head to Lake Brienze>
Day 8 Lake Brienze <head to Zermatt>
Day 9 Zermatt
Day 10 Zermatt
Day 11 Zermatt <head to Hasle>
Day 12 Hasle <head to St. Gallen>
Day 13 St. Gallen <head to Zurich>
Day 14 Travel back home 🙁
Nothing like oversimplifying!! Just TWELVE days ago, I had absolutely no idea where I was going (except for Switzerland!) I may have begun planning two months too late; but, thanks to you, I have a plan!!! And I am beyond excited. Fear not, I will likely have more questions before I take off. In the meantime, however, please know just how much I appreciate all of your amazing suggestions.
Now…to fill in the details!
Does this itinerary look decent in your opinion?
Thanks again, Slowpoke. Your input is out of this world.
Felicia
PS–as per the town website, the funicular in Fribourg will be out of service for maintenance during the time I visit. Oh well!
Ah Hello again Todd,
So great to hear from you again! Thank you so much for your wonderful post. Duly noted. All of it! You sure you don’t want to come along?! I will most definitely have to post a trip report when I return.
As I just mentioned to Slowpoke, now is the time to put all of the finer details into place! It sure is wonderful to have the incredible experts in this forum!
I have truly gained so much from all of the research you’ve done. I sincerely hope you will visit one day soon…although western Canada is quite spectacular too! My family had a house in Ontario where we spent our summers. The Canadian Rockies, however…gorgeous!!
Thank you again, Todd, for all of your wonderful contributions! I am beyond excited!!!
Be well,
Felicia
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