Scenic Stay Guide

Switzerland had been on my list for years for its mountain views, scenic towns, and unforgettable train rides.

After planning this trip myself, I realized you don’t need a luxury budget or a complicated itinerary to experience the best parts of Switzerland.

This 3–4 day itinerary focuses on the most scenic places, simple logistics, and a few practical ways to keep the trip budget-friendly.

Trip at a Glance
  • Best for: scenic and active travelers
  • Length: 3 days
  • Budget: low-moderate
  • Best months: May-October
Why We Chose Interlaken as a Base

Day 1 – Arrive in Interlaken

My friends and I started our Switzerland trip in Interlaken. We chose Interlaken as our base because it’s centrally located and makes it easy to reach nearby towns by train. Interlaken offers all the beautiful mountain and lake views while still being a walkable city with all the necessities.

We actually stayed in an Airbnb in Riggenberg BE, where we had beautiful views of lake Brienzersee right outside the living room window. After checking into our stay, we decided to walk to the Aldi for groceries and hiking snacks for the next few days (we did not rent a car and relied solely on public transportation). This easy walk took us right along the lake and through what looked like a small farming town. We got to shop a little before we grabbed our groceries and walked back to our Airbnb. We spent the evening walking through the streets of Riggenberg, checking out different shops and restaurants.

Grindelwald First Cliff Walk & Hikes

Day 2 – Grindelwald

Our first full day was spent in Grindelwald. We started early and took a bus to the Interlaken train station. The train systems in Switzerland are extremely reliable and one of the best ways to get around. If I go back to Switzerland, I would consider renting a car for more freedom with my schedule, but the trains are a great option. The train ride from Interlaken to Grindelwald was about 30 minutes and it had some breathtaking views along the way. 

When we arrived in Grindelwald, we made our way to the gondola lift station to First. This was a big bucket list item for me. I had seen photos of the famous hikes at the top of First. We rode the Gondola to the top of the mountain which took about 25 minutes. This experience gave us 360 degree views of all the mountains surrounding us. 

Because we beat the crowds, we didn’t have to wait in line when we got to the famous lookout after exiting our gondola ride. I highly recommend starting the day early because we got all our photos taken without worry of any photobombers or being in other people’s way. The views from the lookout were incredible and are definitely fun for those who are thrill seeking as well. There’s a long bridge that you can walk out to that looks like it’s floating over the valley below.

Before starting our first hike, we stopped in the gift shop to get ponchos. It was pretty drizzly on top of the mountain which made it pretty chilly. I would recommend packing a good rain jacket and even a hat and gloves if the forecast looks rainy. The rain, however, did not stop us from enjoying the amazing views and fun hikes. We saw a ton of goats along our walk and had to look where we were stepping if we got off the trail at all (lots of cow poop)! We only ran into a couple people, so it was incredible being the only people (for the most part) on this hike. We could have gone further than what we did, but because of the rain, some rocks were slippery. We had a quick lunch that we packed at a good stopping point and headed back after that. On our way back to the lookout area, we hit a thick wall of fog, which made us even more thankful we got all our photos taken earlier!

We ended our time at the top of First with one more hike. We did the hike to Lake Bachalpsee. This one was a bit more tiring, but there were quite a few more people. This hike was almost entirely foggy. When we got to the lakes, the sky opened and the clouds slowly started to clear! We waited around here for a bit and explored while also enjoying the clearing views.

We decided to stop in the restaurant for some hot chocolate before heading back down on the gondola. We got back down to Grindelwald and walked the streets while stopping in some gift stores on our way back to the train. We decided to get dinner back in Interlaken, so we found a restaurant called Asllanis Corner. This is one of the best burgers I’ve had in my entire life- which could be because I was so hungry, but nonetheless I recommend trying it. 

Lauterbrunnen Valley Walk & Hidden Trails

Day 3 – Lauterbrunnen

On our last full day in Switzerland, I woke up to an incredible view of the sunrise out my window. We got our day started early again so as to do as much as possible! We headed to the train station again but this time bought tickets for Lauterbrunnen. This was also about a 30 minute train ride with similar incredible views to the day before. 

When hopping off the train in Lauterbrunnen, you’re met with canyons on either side of you with waterfalls flowing from them. We decided to walk the road that goes right through the town until we wanted to turn around. We saw more cows and goats and a few rainbows as the sun started to rise over the canyons. As we walked, we ran into a couple of quick hikes that took us behind some of the waterfalls. 

We ended up stumbling upon a 9 mile hike (we didn’t realize the length when we started it) that took us up along one of the canyons and gave us great views of Lauterbrunnen below. Along this hike, we walked through smaller mountain towns and saw more wildlife. One of my favorite scenes was a beautiful tree that stood alone on the mountain with goats grazing below it. The start of this hike was constantly uphill for the most part, but we eventually started our decline and ran right into the train station.

We took the train back to Interlaken and walked through downtown, looking in different shops and enjoying the sunny weather. We ended the night early because of a very early wakeup call the next day.

Traveling to Zurich

Our last day in Switzerland was a travel day to Zurich. I decided to include this part because of, again, how reliable the train system is in Switzerland. We had a 10am flight out of Zurich, but wanted to get to the airport a couple hours early. We got on the first train out of Interlaken and made it to Zurich without any hiccups. 

Budget Tips

A few things we paid attention to with the goal to keep this trip budget friendly:

  • Buy groceries and snacks instead of eating out every meal
  • Use trains and walking instead of renting a car
  • Stay just outside Interlaken for better prices + views
  • Focus on hikes instead of paid excursions

When booking through Airbnb, I looked for:

  • Mountain views
  • Walkable location
  • Kitchen access
  • Train/ bus access

If you’re planning a Switzerland trip, save this itinerary so you can come back to it while planning.

If you’re planning a Switzerland trip and care more about views than rushing through every stop, this route feels like the right balance of scenic and manageable.

With a little planning, it can feel incredible without needing to be a luxury trip.