Interlaken sits on a narrow strip of land between two lakes, and almost every visitor spends all three days looking up at mountains instead of out at water. That is a mistake with a price attached: the ferries on both Lake Thun and Lake Brienz are completely free with a Swiss Travel Pass, while the mountain you are queuing for is only half price at best. This three-day plan uses one big peak and two lakes, which is the right ratio.
Trip essentials
The three days at a glance
| Base | Interlaken — three nights, no hotel changes |
| Day 1 | Lake Thun by boat: Spiez and Thun castles |
| Day 2 | Schilthorn — 2,970 m, the best-value big mountain here |
| Day 3 | Lake Brienz: Brienz, the steam Rothorn railway and Giessbach falls |
| Swiss Travel Pass | Both lake ferries free; Schilthorn free to Mürren then 50% off |
| Pass to buy | 3-day pass, CHF 254 — or 4 days at CHF 309 if you arrive the night before |
| Reservations | None needed anywhere in this plan |
| Weather rule | Keep Day 2 movable — it is the only one that needs a clear sky |
Day 1 — Lake Thun
Morning
Interlaken West → Spiez by boat
Walk to the Interlaken West pier and board the Lake Thun ferry. It costs nothing with your pass and there is no reservation. Spiez arrives after about an hour — a castle on a headland above a curved harbour, vineyards behind it, and far fewer people than anywhere in Interlaken.
Afternoon
On to Thun, back by train
Continue by boat to Thun, 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 in twenty minutes rather than repeating the boat — also free, and it leaves the evening intact.
Add Harder Kulm if the evening is clear. The funicular from Interlaken climbs to a viewing platform that juts out over the town, with the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau lined up opposite. It is 50% off with your pass, takes ten minutes, and sunset from up there is the best free-ish hour of the trip.
Day 2 — Schilthorn
The big mountain day, and Schilthorn is the one to pick. Your pass carries you free all the way to Mürren, then halves the price of the only section you pay for. That makes a 2,970 m summit with a revolving restaurant cheaper than most half-day excursions in the region.
Going up
Train to Lauterbrunnen, cable car up the valley wall to Grütschalp, then the small train along the shelf to Mürren facing the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau. All free with the pass.
From Mürren, cable cars via Birg to the summit — half price, no booking.
Coming down
Break at Birg for the Thrill Walk, a walkway bolted to the outside of the cliff with a mesh floor and several hundred metres of air below. Free, fifteen minutes, and the best part of the day for many people.
Return via Stechelberg for a different valley view.
If the summit webcam shows cloud, switch: Grindelwald First is lower and clearer more often, and the walk to Bachalpsee is worth the day on its own. Jungfraujoch is the bigger occasion but only 25% off with a pass — save it for a trip with more days.
Day 3 — Lake Brienz
Morning
Interlaken Ost → Brienz by boat
The second lake, and a completely different colour — deeper and greener than Thun because it is more directly glacier-fed. The ferry stops at Giessbach, where a funicular climbs to a hotel beside a fourteen-stage waterfall. Both boat and funicular are covered by your pass.
Afternoon
Brienz, and choosing your add-on
Brienz is the wood-carving town. From the station you can take the Rothorn steam railway — the last regular steam rack railway in Switzerland, climbing to 2,244 m on original locomotives, 50% off with your pass. Or walk downhill to Ballenberg, an open-air museum of historic buildings from every canton. Both need about half a day; do one.
Return to Interlaken by train in twenty minutes, or take the boat back if the light is good.
What it costs
- 3-day Swiss Travel Pass: CHF 254, covering both lakes, all trains, buses and Interlaken town transport.
- Schilthorn: roughly CHF 85 with the pass discount, paid at Mürren.
- Optional: Harder Kulm and the Rothorn railway, both 50% off.
- Not needed: a single reservation, anywhere in this plan.
If you are arriving the evening before, the 4-day pass at CHF 309 covers your transfer in and is usually the better buy. Compare against a Half Fare Card if you are staying longer than a week.
Where to stay, and the one decision that matters
Interlaken keeps this plan simple: both lake piers, both stations, no hotel changes. Lauterbrunnen or Wengen put you closer to the mountains and in a far more dramatic valley, but add 30–40 minutes each way to both lake days.
For three days with two lake days in it, stay in Interlaken. For a week with more mountain time, move up the valley — the Jungfraujoch guide covers what that access is worth.
When three days here is not enough
Interlaken is a base rather than a destination, and everything that makes it worth visiting sits above it and depends on the sky.
- One clouded day removes a third of the trip. With three days there is no slack. If the high mountains are out on your only clear window, the plan does not recover. Keep one flexible day and decide it the night before rather than booking all three in advance.
- Do not try for both the Jungfrau region and the Schilthorn side properly. Each deserves its own day and the transfers between them eat the third. Choosing one and doing it well beats sampling both.
How this fits a longer trip
Interlaken sits on the Grand Train Tour, so this fits neatly into a bigger loop — the Lucerne–Interlaken Express arrives from one side and the GoldenPass Express leaves for Montreux on the other. Our 7-day itinerary shows how these three days slot into a full week.
Since so much of this plan is on water, read how boats and buses work with a Swiss Travel Pass before you go — the ferry coverage is the most under-used benefit the pass has.
3 days in Interlaken — common questions
Are the Lake Thun and Lake Brienz boats free with the Swiss Travel Pass?
Yes, both lake ferry networks are fully covered with no supplement and no reservation. It is the most under-used benefit of the pass in this region — most visitors spend three days on mountains that are only half price and never board a boat that is free.
Is 3 days enough for Interlaken?
Yes, if you accept one big mountain rather than three. This plan uses one summit day and two lake days, which is the right ratio for the time. Trying to fit Jungfraujoch, Schilthorn and Grindelwald First into three days leaves no room for the lakes or the weather.
Which Swiss Travel Pass should I buy for 3 days in Interlaken?
The 3-day pass at CHF 254 covers this plan completely. If you arrive the evening before, the 4-day pass at CHF 309 covers your transfer in as well and is usually the better value.
Schilthorn or Jungfraujoch for one mountain day?
Schilthorn, on a pass. It is free to Mürren then 50% off above, reaching 2,970 m, against Jungfraujoch’s 25% discount on a much more expensive ticket. Schilthorn also needs no reservation, so you can wait for a clear morning.
Do I need to book anything in advance for this itinerary?
No. Nothing in this three-day plan requires a reservation — not the boats, not the Schilthorn cable cars, not the Rothorn railway. That is what makes it easy to reshuffle around the weather.
Should I stay in Interlaken or Lauterbrunnen?
Interlaken for a three-day trip with two lake days — both piers and both stations are walkable and there are no hotel changes. Lauterbrunnen or Wengen suit longer stays focused on the mountains, at the cost of 30 to 40 minutes each way to the lakes.
Buy your Swiss Travel Pass
Both lakes free, half-price mountains and unlimited trains — instant e-ticket delivery.