[Removed user]

2 December 2018 at 7:27:34 #819073

Hi everyone

We (My wife and I) are planning a day trip to Interlaken on 23 December 2018 from Wengen.

I am thinking to start our day early in the morning 8.30am by travelling from Wengen to Thun (via train?)

Thereafter, we will be taking a cruise from Thun to Interlaken at 11.40am.

Probably we will arrive at Interlaken at 13.40pm (based on the ship schedule).

We will be looking around Interlaken for the rest of the day (to explore and celebrate Christmas). Thereafter, we will travel back to Wengen.

Do you think our itinerary make sense? If not, are there any other places of interest we could add them in on the same day (e.g. easy winter hiking)?

I tried looking at Brienz but they are all closed; even the castles nearly Lake Thun (We will miss Castle Thun as it opens at 1pm and closes at 4pm).

Many thanks.

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[Peterli]

2 December 2018 at 16:49:00 #899795

Hej,

Is there a cruise from Thun to Interlaken that happens later in the day ? If so, why not make your visit to the castle in Thun and then take a later cruise to Interlaken ?

[Arno]

2 December 2018 at 16:53:28 #899796

Peterli’s suggestion is a good one as there might not be much to see and do in Interlaken. Harder Kulm is a good viewing point but will be closed, and other than that there’s not much to see in Interlaken. If you like shopping you can walk from Interlaken West to Ost on your way back to explore all the shops. More about Interlaken can be found here: http://www.myswissalps.com/in terlaken.

[Peterli]

2 December 2018 at 20:13:18 #899797

Hello,

I was thinking of Harder Kulm but when I realized it would be closed I made my previous suggestion. I’ve done some more digging and found an additional activity that you might like. Do you like to ice skate or would you like to try ice skating ? From the 15th of this month through to near the end of February, you could go to the Top of Europe ICE MAGIC event. And there is more than just ice skating. The site is pretty easy to get to, being situated between the two Interlaken train stations. You could do this after your visit to the castle in Thun and your lake cruise, and later get yourselves back up to Wengen.

[Removed user]

3 December 2018 at 7:46:42 #899798

Hi Peterli and Arno

Many thanks for the help. However, when i look at the cruise schedule, there is only a boat trip available from Thun to Interlaken at 11.40am. If we are talking about from Interlaken to Thun, then it starts at 2.10pm. In other words, I would still miss castle Thun which the opening hours is from 1pm to 4pm.

In that sense, do you have any other recommendations? Our 5days 4 nights trip in Wengen does not include Schilthorn as we will be exploring Jungfraujoch. Thinking to travel to Interlaken and Lake Thun to have more different variety of sceneries. Thanks so much for the help.

[Removed user]

3 December 2018 at 8:07:46 #899799

Hi Peterli and Arno

I just realise the Christmas Market in Interlaken ends on 16 December 2018 but the Christmas shopping ends on 23 December 2018. So I am not sure if it is still worth the trip to Interlaken and Thun on 23 December 2018.

FYI – This is my schedule for the other two days:

Wengen (24 December 2018)

MANNLICHEN/LAUTERBRUNNEN

0830 — Breakfast at Hotel

1100 — Aerial Cable Car in Wengen Village to go up to Männlichen

1115 — Walk about Männlichen Area

1145 — Took Hike Route 33 to Kleine Scheidegg

1420— Walked around Kleine Scheidegg Souvenir Shops

1430 — Train to Lauterbrunnen

1535 — Arrived in Lauterbrunnen Village / Explore and lunch

1640 — Bus to Trümmelbach Falls/ Explore

1745— Bus back to Lauterbrunnen Village / Train back to Wengen

1900 — Rest & Dinner in Hotel

Wengen (25 December 2018)

JUNGFRAUJOCH / GRINDELWALD

0830 — Breakfast at Hotel

1020 — Take train (Wengen(R)->Kleine Scheidegg(R)->Jungfraujoch) to Jungfraujoch

1205— Jungfraujoch Railway Station / Sphinx Observatory at Aletsch glacier

1230— Experience Snow at Jungfraujoch Top of Europe / Snow-Slide down the slope

1355— Walk in Alpine Sensation Gallery displaying history of Jungfrau Tourism and Railway

1405 — Jungfraujoch Ice Palace

1435 — Lunch in Restaurant Aletsch Self-Service

1700— Train to Grindelwald Village

1800 — Walkabout in Grindelwald

1900 — Dinner in Grindelwald Village

2040 — Train Stop at /Wait For Transfer Back to Wengen

2140— Arrived Wengen Hotel / Rest

[Peterli]

3 December 2018 at 9:05:37 #899800

Hi Jeremy,

So there is no cruise from Thun to Interlaken later in the day. So, my next idea is to do the cruise in the opposite direction, Interlaken to Thun, hopefully arriving at a time when the castle is open, and then taking the train from Thun back to Interlaken. Does that work ?

As for your other two days, it looks like you have researched this very carefully and far be it for me to question this. There are people who feel that the Jungfraujoch is very over-rated and crowded and expensive and I tend to agree. However, it is something that many tourists want to do, and I did it as well, many years ago, with a group of 21 school students. We did it on a perfectly clear Summer day and even then we were glad to have brought jackets to wear up there. I can only imagine what it will be like up there in late December, but I am sure you will be properly dressed. Be sure to check the weather as it would be a real bummer to get up there and find that it is completely clouded over. That’s a whole lot of CHF for not too much.

Just checking one thing, on the 25th, after dinner in Grindelwald, you are going back to Wengen via Zweilütschinen and Lauterbrunnen, correct ?

Also, if you are interested, you can find a Christmas Eve church service in Wengen.