Tips about Wengen and the Jungfrau region by Kim

A very very well put together guide. Thank-you

Thank you Kim for such a comprehensive guide.

Hi Kim,

Your report is so much useful than any travel books. Thank you so much for your sharing!!

I shall spend 6 days in Jungfrau region, here is my plan, would you please have a look and give me some comments and suggestions? I shall travel with my 8 years old son, just two of us. We are not a professional hikers so easy hike is better for us. After reading your report, I have booked Hotel Belleuve in Wengen, still waiting reply from Hotel Alpenruh, Murren. I actually booked Hotel Alpina in Murren, is this also a good pick?

Day 2: Schilthorn / Hiking: Grutschalp > Winteregg > Murren > Gimmelwald > Stechelberg / Trummelbach Falls [Stay: Murren] (Swiss Pass Flex)

Day 3: Hiking: First > Bachalpsee > First / Toboggan at Pfingstegg / Alpenspielplatz Bort (kid’s playground) [Stay: Grindelwald] (Swiss Pass Flex)

Day 4: Blausee > Toboggan at Kandersteg > Oeschinensee (optional) > Cruise on Lake Thun: Spiez to Thun (visit Oberfohen) > Bus to Schloss Hunegg and Schloss Schadau [Stay: Grindelwald] (Swiss Pass Flex)

Day 5: Jungfraujoch / Hiking: Männlichen Summit > Kleine Scheidegg [Stay: Wengen] (Half Fare Card)

Day 6: Harder Kulm > Schynige Platte > Staubbach Fall [Stay: Wengen] (Swiss Pass Flex)

Day 7: Wengen > Gruyere (Golden Pass) [Stay: Gruyere] (Swiss Pass Flex)

Hello Cecily,

You are moving around way too much to really see much of anything. With 6 nights in the region you should pick maximum of two bases and better to pick only one. Every time you change a base you lose a day with all of the logistics. You are proposing 4 bases in 6 nights. You will spend your time in the region watching it go by out of the train window, much like watching it on television (which would be more relaxing!) Also, two nights in one base = one day in that base.

If this was my vacation I would pick one base and do outings from that base. Wengen is my top pick. You can do most of the outings you propose from Wengen. Except Kandersteg is really too far and not worth the effort for a day trip. And Luzern is 3 hours away. I would skip Luzern for this trip. You can visit Meiringen and the falls from Wengen then perhaps take the bus ride up and over the Grosse Scheidegg and back to Grindelwald then return to Wengen via train. The bus ride is like an amusement park ride! Your 8 year old will love it.

Hi Kim-

<<"If this was my vacation I would pick one base and do outings from that base. Wengen is my top pick. You can do most of the outings you propose from Wengen.">>

I agree...but some people like to ride trains. ;-)

You are certainly correct that there is enough to do around the Jungfrau, not to mention Brienz.

I don't know if Cecily is arriving at or departing from Zürich, but if she is, she might find it convenient to stop at Luzern for a night on the way in or out.

Slowpoke

Thanks Kim for your advices!!

Actually we shall be coming from Austria in end of July, our trip in Swiss will be 22 days. My plan is 3 days in Luzern for visiting Rigi, Piltaus and Titlis, then take a train to Jungfrau for 6 days, then Gruyere, Montreux: Chateau de Chillon, Saas Fee, Zermatt, Lugano, Bernina Express, Arosa, Maienfeld, Appenzell, Rhine Falls, Stein am Rhein then back to Zurich flying back home. Hence, on Day 1 here, we shall take morning Golden Pass Line to Lungern...then so on. I understand my plan is very tight, and the weather may vary from time to time, so Kandersteg will be optional choice, all depends on weather and time. So 3 nights in Wengen and 3 nights in Murren is alright? Murren is not so convenient, is this good for staying 3 nights? Too bad Hotel Alpina can't offer 3 nights for me, and Hotel Alpenruh still not reply yet.

Hi Cecily,

I would not recommend changing from Wengen to Mürren. The villages are very close (you can see one from the other) and it is not worth all the hassle to change a base. You can easily do what you want in the Jungfrau area from either as a base.

Dear Kim

Thank you for your advices! I decided to stay in Wengen for 6 nights. I have post my questions on new thread, would you please give comments and suggestion? Appreciate your help!!

www.myswissalps.com/fo rum/topic/comments-on-65-days-itinerary-in-jungfrau

Indeed lots of work into these three documents really appreciate it Kim.

Hi Kim,

I just wanted to say a BIG THANK YOU for sharing your little guidebook on Wengen. It is beyond amazing. I am referring to it constantly while planning my first trip to Switzerland. It's partly because of you that I chose to stay in Wengen instead of Murren :p I know that my trip will be a better one because of your guidebook, so thank you once again!

Thanks for this comprehensive document. We will be staying in Wilderswil for 8 days this fall and I have culled a lot of useful information from your document that will allow me to plan where to hike, excursions etc.

Kim, thank you so much! This will prove invaluable as I do research for next summer's trip! My husband and I went to Murren last July for our honeymoon and fell in love with the area (the trip also included a few spots in Austria, with Munich as our anchor airport). Our favorite challenging hike was from Murren up to Birg. We are looking to return to Switzerland in late June 2018 (we'll only have 1 week this time) for more beautiful hikes and quaint alpine towns. Our big mistake last summer was renting a car for the duration of our trip...which resulted in us not only spending countless hours stuck in traffic on the autobahns, but also wasting money as the car sat in the Lauterbrunnen car park for 5 days. The area is so beautiful that I'd like to think that we'd see the Wengen side with fresh eyes, despite having recently been in Murren. The Jungfrau Region has spoiled us! Zermatt is moving further down the priority list. I will need to look into how much of a pain it would be to take trains from Geneva or Zurich airports -- looks like there are several transfers. But, thanks to all this information, I should be set. Thanks again!

Hi Mara,

There are several changes from either Geneva or Zurich airport but they are very simple. There are instructions in the document you downloaded for getting from Zurich airport to Wengen.

Yes, a car is a useless piece of sculpture in the region!

Kim - We have just returned from Switzerland (& Munich) yesterday!! I have just downloaded your 3 documents, though I haven't yet read them. We stayed in Wengen & explored the Jungfrau region from there - & really love Wengen & the whole region. Thank you for the hours you have spent putting this information together!!!

Hi Kim,

I really appreciate your PDF on Wengen. I can't thank you enough for the information/ confidence you have given me to book a trip to Wengen. I have found 2 chalets near the Bellevue Hotel. How would you rate the location? Is it easy to go to the rail station, grocery and hikes? Any other tips you could give me for booking a chalet would be appreciated.

Hi Monica-

I recall that KIm books a chalet near the Bellevue...a comment in her report, perhaps. Check this thread for some comments about the Bellevue and that location:

www.myswissalps.com/fo rum/topic/best-basecamp-for-wildflowers-in-late-june

It is a 5-10 minute easy walk to the rail station, grocery stores, etc., from near the Bellevue.

Slowpoke

The views from around the Bellevue are the best in the village. Highly recommended

We have rented Chalet Mutzli, which is directly next door to Bellevue, 10 times. www.chaletmutzli.com. Quaint and charming. Small kitchen and bathroom have recently been remodeled. Only drawbacks are no internet and no washing machine. You can solve the internet problem with a hotspot set up (see Arno's posts elsewhere on this forum) and there is a small public laundry in the village.

Thank you. This is very helpful.

Kim,

I am still planning, but these documents are fantastic. They are so practical. Thank you!

This a fabulous document Kim! Chantal alerted me to it - I am only a few days old on this site (it is a wonderful resource!) and planning our first trip to Switzerland - we are Australians (about your age but not as active). I have put Wengen on our itinerary! We will be there in September 2018. See you there?