Charming glimpses of the active Bernese pastoral culture, villages of Swiss perfection and high mountain passes beneath ice blue glaciers all conspire to make a route that epitomizes Swiss trekking and justify the fame of the mountain scenery of the Jungfrau region.
A traverse through Switzerland's most classic terrain, the Berner Oberland Traverse is a fabulous introduction to hiking the Alps for those with a good level of fitness. From chalet style inns and grand, old world hotels in such renowned destinations as Grindelwald, the carless villages of Wengen and Murren, the tiny settlement of Griesalp in the remote Kiental, the quiet resort village of Kandersteg and the alpine villages of Adelboden and Lenk in the pastoral Saanenland, this trek gives the hiker the opportunity to see the very heart of the Alps.
Itinerary
Day 1 Arrival Zurich Airport
Travel by rail to Wilderswil.
Day 2 Wilderswil - Grindelwald
You’ll ride a cog railway then hike along a ridge with unsurpassed views both over the Interlaken lakes and the Eiger, Monch and Jungfrau, the Wetterhorn and the remote Finsteraarhorn. Altitude gain: ca. 2500 ft. Distance: 9 miles.
Day 3 Grindelwald - Wengen
A most classic ramble lies before you today as you cross the Kleine Scheidegg, the saddle beneath the infamous Eiger Nordwand, and descend through forest along wooded trails to Wengen. Altitude gain: ca. 3500 ft. Distance: 9 miles.
Day 4 Wengen - Murren
You’ll enjoy a long ramble up the Lauterbrunnen valley and view the thundering falls and the vestiges of pastoral culture in this picture perfect valley before ascending a remote and beautiful valley to Murren, perched opposite Wengen. Altitude gain: ca. 3500 ft. Distance: 9 miles.
Day 5 Murren - Kiental
Today, you’ll cross the Sefinenfurke, with views back to the Eiger and ahead to tomorrow’s challenge, the even higher and more strenuous Hohturli, or high little door, the pass into the Kandertal. You’ll descend into the remote and lovely Kiental, a pastoral gem beneath the impressive walls of the Blumlisalp massif. Altitude gain: ca. 3500 ft. Distance: 8 miles.
Day 6 Kiental - Kandersteg
You’ll ascend to the Hohturli, right beneath glaciers tumbling from the region’s highest peaks. Your descent into green and pastoral Kandersteg offers views of peaks, glaciers and the Oeschinensee, a cobalt blue lake in an amphitheater of rock beneath the dramatic Blumisalp massif. Altitude gain: ca. 4500 ft. Distance: 9 miles.
