Both lakes are completely free with a Swiss Travel Pass — no supplement, no reservation, no discount to calculate. That already makes them the best-value half-day in the Bernese Oberland. But they are not interchangeable, and one fact decides most trips: Lake Brienz boats only run from April to December, while Lake Thun sails all year. If you are visiting in January, the choice has already been made for you.
The short answer
Lake Thun vs Lake Brienz, side by side
| Lake Thun | Lake Brienz | |
|---|---|---|
| Swiss Travel Pass | Free | Free |
| Season | Year-round | April to December only |
| Character | Bigger, open, castles and vineyards | Smaller, steeper, forest and waterfalls |
| Water colour | Deep blue | Intense turquoise-green — more glacial silt |
| Pier at Interlaken | Interlaken West | Interlaken Ost |
| Signature stop | Spiez — castle on a headland above a curved harbour | Giessbach — funicular to a hotel beside a 14-stage waterfall |
| Best for | A full day with towns and castles | A half day of pure scenery |
| Historic steamer | Paddle steamer in peak season | Paddle steamer in peak season |
The rule that settles it: if you have one afternoon and it is between May and September, take Brienz — it is shorter, greener and more dramatic, and the Giessbach stop is the single best thing on either lake. If you have a full day, or it is winter, take Thun. If you have two days, do both; they are on opposite sides of the same town and the piers are ten minutes apart.
Lake Thun — the bigger, busier one
From Interlaken West
What the route gives you
The boat runs west along a wide, open lake with the Niesen pyramid ahead and vineyards on the northern shore. It is a working lake with real towns on it, which is exactly why it suits a longer day — you can get off, spend two hours somewhere, and pick up a later boat.
Spiez
A castle on a headland above a curved harbour, with vineyards behind it. About an hour out of Interlaken and the stop most people wish they had allowed longer for.
Walk up from the pier in ten minutes. Trains back to Interlaken take twenty.
Thun
The town at the far end, where the old town sits on an island in the river and the castle keep has four corner towers you can climb.
Come back by train rather than repeating the boat — also free, and it saves you an hour and a half.
Lake Brienz — the prettier, shorter one
From Interlaken Ost
Why the water is a different colour
Brienz sits directly below the glaciers and takes more rock flour in its meltwater, which scatters light toward green. On a bright day it is closer to jade than to blue, and photographs of it routinely get accused of being edited.
The lake is narrower and the mountains come straight down to the water, so the whole crossing feels closer and steeper than Thun.
Giessbach
A pier where a funicular climbs to a grand hotel beside a waterfall that drops in fourteen stages through the forest. Paths run behind the falls.
Both the boat and the funicular are covered by your pass. Allow an hour and a half here — it is the highlight of either lake.
Brienz village
The wood-carving town at the far end, and the base of the steam Rothorn railway — the last regular steam rack railway in Switzerland, 50% off with a pass.
Ballenberg open-air museum is a short bus ride from here.
What your pass covers, exactly
- Both lakes in full — every scheduled sailing, no supplement, no reservation needed.
- The Giessbach funicular is included.
- Trains back from Thun or Brienz are included too, so you never have to sail both ways.
- Not included: the Brienz Rothorn steam railway is 50% off, not free, and any on-board meal is extra.
With a Half Fare Card instead you would pay half the boat fare each way — worth checking if the lakes are the only thing you are doing. See how boats and buses work with a Swiss Travel Pass for the full picture; the ferry coverage is the most under-used benefit the pass has.
Practical points
- Two different piers. Lake Thun boats leave from Interlaken West, Lake Brienz boats from Interlaken Ost. Both are a short walk from their respective stations — do not turn up at the wrong one.
- Sail one way, train back. The trains along both lakes take about twenty minutes and are free with your pass. Doing a round trip by boat wastes half a day.
- Sit outside. The upper decks are the point. On Brienz especially, the interior windows do not do the colour justice.
- Check the Brienz season before building a plan around it. Service typically starts in April and finishes in December.
When to take the train along the shore instead
Before choosing between the two lakes, it is worth asking whether the boat is the right way to see either.
- The railway follows much of the same water. You get a good deal of the same scenery in a fraction of the time, free with your pass and with no timetable to build the day around. On a tight itinerary that trade is usually the right one.
- Outside summer the sailings thin out. The comparison in this guide assumes both lakes are running a full timetable. In the shoulder and winter months the choice may be made for you, so check before deciding.
If you have the afternoon and the weather, take the boat — it is slower on purpose and that is the point. If you are trying to fit it around something else, take the train and keep the day.
How this fits the rest of your trip
Both lakes slot into our 3-day Interlaken itinerary as the low-cost days between mountain excursions — a good rhythm, because Schilthorn and Jungfraujoch are weather-dependent and the lakes are not. For the best evening light on the water, see our Lake Thun sunset spots guide.
Arriving from central Switzerland, the Lucerne–Interlaken Express runs along Lake Brienz for its final stretch — and if you liked these lakes, Lake Lucerne is the bigger, older cousin, with a fleet of paddle steamers and equally free with your pass.
Lake Thun and Lake Brienz questions
Are Lake Thun and Lake Brienz boats free with the Swiss Travel Pass?
Yes, both are fully covered with no supplement and no reservation required, along with the Giessbach funicular on Lake Brienz. It is the most under-used benefit of the pass in this region.
Which lake is more beautiful, Thun or Brienz?
Brienz, for most people. It is smaller and steeper, the mountains drop straight to the water, and the glacial silt turns it an intense turquoise-green. Lake Thun is larger and more open, with castles and towns — better for a full day, less striking in a photograph.
Do the Lake Brienz boats run in winter?
No. Lake Brienz operates roughly April to December, while Lake Thun sails year-round. If you are visiting between January and March, Lake Thun is the only option of the two.
Which pier do the boats leave from in Interlaken?
Lake Thun boats leave from Interlaken West and Lake Brienz boats from Interlaken Ost. Both piers are a short walk from their respective railway stations, so make sure you head to the right one.
What is the best stop on Lake Brienz?
Giessbach. A funicular climbs from the pier to a grand hotel beside a waterfall that drops in fourteen stages through forest, with paths running behind the falls. Both the boat and the funicular are covered by your pass — allow about ninety minutes.
Should I sail both ways?
No. Take the boat one way and the train back — the rail journey along either lake takes about twenty minutes and is also free with your pass. Sailing a round trip uses up half a day for the same scenery twice.
Both lakes free with a Swiss Travel Pass
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