2.5 days in Switzerland
Too little time, I know, I know, but nevertheless we had a great time and definitely would love to go back again one day!
SOME QUICK INFO:
Flight: CEB - ZRH (Emirates)
Date: Late March 2024
Hotel: Hotel Interlaken - Family room with bunk beds (comfortably fit my 5’2” self)
5% KLOOK discount code for select hotels and activities: KATRINAGEMKLOOK
Day 0.5
ARRIVAL
We landed in Zurich a little past noon time and drove to Interlaken. The ride was approx. 3 hours with a rest stop in between. It was a beautiful day, and surprisingly sunny for early spring that even the hotel receptionist said we brought the sun with us :)) Coming from a tropical climate though and writing this during a very humid summer day, I miss the cooler temps.
Side note: my mom had hired a driver for this trip, so I am unable to give tips for the Swiss passes/trains/buses.
Hotel Interlaken is situated on the main road and is close to Interlaken Ost. Behind it is the church, but tbh the bell didn’t bother us. Breakfast was decent as well.
After settling down a bit, we head off to Lauterbrunen. 20 minutes later, we were looking up at the famous falls. I wanted to walk around a bit and find another angle, but the smell of fertilizer was a bit too much (later I found out that they spray? fertilizer during the spring).
For our first meal in Switzerland, we got steak and of course, fondue. Our driver recommended Laterne which is a bit outside central Interlaken. They had several options and if I recall right, we got the classic one with wine. I personally liked the bitter wine + cheese combo, but my companions found it a bit too strong.
Day 1
JUNGFRAUJOCH
To fight off jetlag, we booked tickets for Jungfraujoch. We weren’t so lucky that day though because there was no visibility but since we had booked ahead, off we went. Best to check the webcam if you want to be sure, but even still, I read that the weather could flip throughout the day (especially during shoulder season).
We decided to take the cable car (Eiger Express) from Grindelwald, and it was surprisingly a very smooth ride! The cable car stops at Eigergletscher where you transfer to a train that takes you up to Jungfrau. Once on the train, it makes a stop at Eismeer for a few minutes so you can get off and see the view point before continuing up.
Once up at Jungfraujoch, we just followed the signs that mark the start of the tour. Key points were The Ice Palace - Glacier Plateau.
Tbh, even if there wasn’t visibility that day, it was still somewhat fun to look back to especially when we were trying to get photos at the Glacier Plateau at -8C haha
We headed back down to warm up with some hot chocolate at the cafeteria style restaurant, before continuing back to Grindelwald via train instead of the cable car. The train route stops at Kleine Scheidegg where you transfer to another train heading to Grindelwald.
We were hungry at this point and our Google Map pick happened to be a restaurant in a hotel that’s a little out of the way, and which we found out had a limited lunch menu (the photos were of the dinner menu I guess). The salad and burgers were delicious though!
After eating, we head off to Iseltwald on Lake Brienz to see the Crash Landing On You (CLOY) location. I love lake towns/sides and the blue/turqoise color was so beautiful. There is a 5chf entrance fee to get on the dock and yes, they accept card now (one person at a time).
We got there an hour before sunset and got some of my favorite shots of the trip!
For dinner, we ate at La Terrasse Brasserie at the Victoria-Jungfrau Hotel.
Day 2
PARAGLIDING - LAKE THUN
5% discount code for Paragliding Interlaken via Klook: KATRINAGEMKLOOK
I hadn’t booked paragliding in advance because I wasn’t sure if I wanted to do it. But after seeing paragliders over Interlaken since arriving, I was feeling a little FOMO. But also, I just knew I’d regret not doing it. So the night before, I booked my slot with Paragliding Interlaken - their office also happens to be like a 2 minute walk from the hotel. There were still slots available since it wasn’t peak season just yet but I recommend booking in advance or at least have a few days buffer in case the weather is bad (they do postpone or refund if so).
I walked in, got my photo/video voucher (additional 40chf but of course I had to get it!), and changed into boots (which they provide for free), because the receptionist saw my white sneakers and suggested I change to boots because the landing area can be muddy. You get grouped into around 6-8 people in a shuttle and pickup the pilots at the landing area, Hohematte, the park just infront of the Victoria-Jungfrau hotel, before heading up to the mountain.
In the shuttle, you get to randomly pick your tandem pilot. About 15 minutes later, we arrived at the mountain, cut through a tiny bit of woodland to get to the incline/slope. The pilots line up the chutes and strap you up, and the next thing you know, you’re lining up for your turn! Your pilot will guide you/tell you what to do and expect throughout.
This is the tricky part because you gotta run together until the wind takes care of things haha But once you’re up there, it’s such an amazing feeling. The feeling of freedom and the view over Interlaken (!!!) put any fears at the back of my mind. Your pilot will also ask if you want to do any tricks. I was a bit hesitant because I dislike that dropping feeling but of course I still wanted to try. I wish we did one more hahah but I did get a little dizzy so if you have motion sickness, just let them know your limits and they’ll respect it.
The gliding took about 15-20 minutes before landing. Tbh, the landing was what I worried most, but it was literal 2-3 steps. Overall, I felt safe and would recommend this activity!
And if you’d like to go too, I have a 5% discount code via Klook for Paragliding Interlaken with code KATRINAGEMKLOOK
Some tips:
- Gloves especially during the colder seasons - you can bring your own or they also offer to provide for free
- Vaseline for your lips (especially if you have dry chapped lips like me D:)
- Have funn
Later in the afternoon, we went for a little stroll of the center before heading to Thun. Our driver suggested a view point at the church, Stadkirche Thun , which was very nice! The mountains, the lake, and the old town look of Thun was very idyllic and peaceful.
Our last stop was another CLOY location - Sigriswil Panoramic Bridge. To be honest, I wasn’t expecting much here. But we lucked out with a beautiful sunset and it turned out to be another favorite moment. Local residents do use the bridge to cross and do some exercise so just be mindful when taking pics too :)
Thanks for reading!
