Wengen in the Jungfrau Region: your excursion, travel and accommodation guide 

Wengen is car-free and can be reached by train from Lauterbrunnen only. The area can be explored by train, cableway, and on foot.

How to reach Wengen

You'll usually travel to Wengen from Interlaken. Take a train to Lauterbrunnen from the rail station Interlaken Ost, and then switch to the cogwheel train to Wengen for the beautiful ride up.

Please find all details Arno's travel guide Lauterbrunnen-Wengen.

How long does it take to reach Wengen?

A train trip from Interlaken Ost to Wengen takes just under 40 minutes: 20 minutes by train from Interlaken Ost to Lauterbrunnen, and less than 15 minutes by cogwheel from Lauterbrunnen.

You'll find all connections in the Swiss timetable.

How to get around in town

Wengen is small. You can get by on foot. There are no cars or buses. If you travel with lots of luggage, your hotel can usually arrange for a pick-up service.

It's easy to find your way. Directions to hotels and other tourist facilities are provided right across the train station.

How to travel from Wengen to other areas

From Wengen, there are trains back down to Lauterbrunnen and further up the mountain to Kleine Scheidegg and eventually Jungfraujoch.

From Lauterbrunnen, you can continue to Interlaken and other parts of the Bernese Oberland and Switzerland. From Kleine Scheidegg, you can take another train to reach Grindelwald.

There's also a cableway up to Männlichen. Several hiking routes start there, and there's a gondola down to Grindelwald.

In winter, many ski lifts make sure you can reach the more than 200 km of pistes in the Jungfrau Region.

Discounted local trips with the Guest Card

Hotels in Wengen provide a free Guest Card when you check in. The card provides various discounts on local attractions and cableways.

Rail passes for your stay in Wengen

In most cases, the discounts provided by your Guest Card aren't enough. An additional rail pass will help you save money. Your main options are:

• The Berner Oberland Pass, which is perfect if you want to travel west and east of Interlaken too.
• The Jungfrau Travel Pass, suitable if you'll be focusing on the Jungfrau Region only.
• The Swiss Travel Pass or Swiss Half Fare Card, which are often best if you'll also be making journeys in other parts of Switzerland.

Our rail pass-choosing guide helps you determine which pass is the best match for your plans.

I recommend visiting Wengen in these months: early January to mid March and early May to late October.

Wengen in spring: mid-March to June

Wengen's location in the mountains causes spring and summer to set in later than in lower Swiss areas. Its surroundings can be somewhat muddy and brown in March and April. The upside is that the village is pleasantly quiet, especially between the winter and summer operation of the Männlichen cableway.

In May, there can still be snow on the higher hiking routes, but valley trails are already available. The Männlichen cable car and the cogwheel train to Kleine Scheidegg will usually run without any maintenance closures from mid- to late May.

June is a brilliant month to stay in Wengen. It's less crowded than in July and August, there's normally still snow on the mountain tops, and nature looks fresh and green. Most outdoor activities are accessible, except maybe for the higher alpine hiking trails.

Wengen in summer: July to September

July and August are busy months in Wengen. Many tourists from abroad, but also the Swiss themselves, travel around the Jungfrau Region.

Wengen is a pleasant refuge if it's hot down in the valleys. This is the perfect time for high-altitude hiking, mountain biking and other outdoor activities.

The same holds true for September. It's usually quieter than in July and August, but weather can still be great. The first signs of autumn may appear by mid- or late September.

Wengen in autumn: October

I highly recommend Wengen in autumn, even though it's heading toward low season. The fall colors in the valley are stunning, it's relatively quiet, and fresh snow may already cover the mountain peaks above the Lauterbrunnen Valley.

Mountain transport mostly operates until mid-October. Hiking on mountain paths may no longer be possible.

Wengen in winter

Wengen is an excellent winter village. It’s not as high as Mürren on the other side of the valley, but you’ll still have good chances of snow in town. Snowfall is most likely in January, February and early March.

November and early December aren’t the best time to visit Wengen: snowfall isn’t likely yet and it’s low season. Not all mountain transportation is operational.

How warm does it get in Wengen?

July and August are the warmest months in Wengen. It can get 14°C to 20°C during daytime in the village. These are averages: lower and much higher temperatures occur as well.

How cold does it get in Wengen?

Even though Wengen is in the mountains, daytime temperatures in the coldest months January and February are usually above freezing point: 2°C to 6°C. Frost during the nights is common. 

Does it snow in Wengen?

Snow in Wengen during winter is likely but not guaranteed. Chances of snow are best from January to early March. 

Does it rain in Wengen?

Wengen is in the relatively moist climate zone of the northern Swiss Alps, so rain is common.

The wettest months are May to August. This doesn't mean you should expect days of rain in these months. Although this can happen, showers alternating with sunny spells are more common.

You can just as well experience clear blue skies and sunny summer weather for days or even weeks in a row. As in all of the Swiss Alps, weather around Wengen is changeable and hard to predict.

Must-sees near Wengen

If you're short on time in Wengen, I advise to consider at least this:

• A visit to Kleine Scheidegg and maybe Jungfraujoch should be on your list.
• The panoramic walk from Männlichen to Kleine Scheidegg can't be missed.
• Travel to Mürren and possibly Schilthorn on the opposite side of the valley.

Winter activities in Wengen

Snow activities are widely available in Wengen: there are groomed hiking trails, snowshoe tours, an ice rink for curling and skating and sledge runs. An interesting one is the "Fox Run": it’s next to the famous Lauberhorn ski run.

For more options, you can also visit the ski areas near Mürren and Grindelwald.

Bad-weather activities

Staying in Wengen means you are dependent on the weather, as nearly all activities are in the outdoors. A few suggestions for rainy days:

• Go shopping in Interlaken. Find more tips for rainy weather in my Interlaken guide.
• Visit the national capital Bern.
• Explore the town of Thun.
• Visit the Trümmelbach Falls down in the Lauterbrunnen Valley: they're in caves.