From the Jungfrau to the Matterhorn

Zurich’s old town and the lake and Limmat river baths, the train up to the Jungfraujoch at 3,454 m, the Lauterbrunnen valley and Grindelwald from Interlaken, and Zermatt, the village closed to private cars, with the Gornergrat facing the Matterhorn.

Day by day Open the itinerary in the app

Zurich → Interlaken → Zermatt · 7–10 days

The route on the map, in the itinerary’s order.

SwitzerlandZurich
Days
1–2
When
Jun–Sep
Per person/day
Average 250–400 CHFMid-range · per person/day
Cost scope
Per person per day: accommodation, meals, urban transport, visits and a small allowance for extras. Flights excluded; larger purchases vary. Editorial estimate, not a quote.
SwitzerlandInterlaken
Days
3–5
When
Jun–Sep
Per person/day
Average 254 CHFMid-range · per person/day
Cost scope
Per person per day: accommodation, meals, urban transport, visits and a small allowance for extras. Flights excluded; larger purchases vary. Editorial estimate, not a quote.
SwitzerlandZermatt
Days
3
When
Jul–Sep
Per person/day
Average 242 CHFMid-range · per person/day
Cost scope
Per person per day: accommodation, meals, urban transport, visits and a small allowance for extras. Flights excluded; larger purchases vary. Editorial estimate, not a quote.

Who it is for

For a first trip to Switzerland made by train, with three bases and the mountains of the Bernese Oberland and the Valais.

Not for anyone on a tight budget: in Zurich, travelling cheaply starts at 120 to 180 francs a day, and every mountain ascent has its own ticket.

The strategy

Zurich comes first, with a railway station under the airport terminal and the centre 10 to 13 minutes away. For Interlaken, the train takes about 2 hours from the Hauptbahnhof. From Interlaken to Zermatt, the train runs via Spiez to Visp, where you change to the Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn; allow about two and a half hours and plan the connection on the SBB journey planner. In Interlaken, pick the clearest day for the Jungfraujoch, and in Zermatt do the same for the Gornergrat, because in fog neither ascent is worth the fare. Work out the Swiss Travel Pass against the journeys and ascents you will actually make. The trip home is by train to Zurich or Geneva airport. July to September is when all three stops have their mountain railways and trails open.

What you will see

Fraumünster, Zurich. What's left of the abbey founded in 853 that once ran the city; today's tower dates from 1732 and the cloister has frescoes by Paul Bodmer.
Jungfraujoch, Interlaken. The saddle between the Jungfrau and the Mönch, with the railway station at 3,454 m, the highest in Europe.
Matterhorn / Cervino, Zermatt. The Matterhorn, at 4,478 m, is the pyramid-shaped mountain that identifies Zermatt.