Top 8 Interlaken, Switzerland Adventure Activities

Interlaken, Switzerland is a mecca for adventure activities in Europe. Visit and you’ll be inundated with adrenaline-pumping fun you 100% NEED to take part in. I’m a sucker for once-in-a-lifetime kind of things, so make sure you check out these top Interlaken adventure activities!

1| Paragliding

Go soaring through the sky on this paragliding adventure. This was possibly my favorite thing to do in Interlaken, and was an amazing way to start my time there. You get a bird’s eye view of Interlaken, Thun, and Brienz. Plus, if you go in the morning, it’s the best way to begin your day, and you still have plenty of time for activities afterward!

Top 8 Interlaken adventure activities; best things to do in Interlaken, Switzerland; where to stay in Interlaken

2| Jungfraujoch

Take the cogwheel train from Grindelwald to Jungfraujoch aka the top of Europe! You’ll get to enjoy breathtaking views of the Swiss Alps. Some insider tips for you: the best weather is often in the morning, but can change a lot throughout the day. It’s a good idea to dress in layers.

Top 8 Interlaken adventure activities; best things to do in Interlaken, Switzerland; where to stay in Interlaken

3| Canyoning

Turns out canyoning is insanely fun (I recently just went in Porto, Portugal!) Here in Switzerland, you’ll get to explore Grimsel Gorge via rappelling and cliff jumping. And trust me when I say that if I can survive canyoning, so can you. I’m not the most graceful, but would do it again in a heartbeat.

Top 8 Interlaken adventure activities; best things to do in Interlaken, Switzerland; where to stay in Interlaken

4| Bungee Jumping

Ok, so bungee jumping is still on my bucket list and I was dying to do it in Switzerland…but alas, I ran out of time. However, I did make some awesome friends through paraglding that did the jump from the Stockhorn Gondola and said it was about the coolest thing in the world. The scenery alone is just insane.

Top 8 Interlaken adventure activities; best things to do in Interlaken, Switzerland; where to stay in Interlaken

5| Sledging in the Swiss Alps

So sledging is definitely a winter activity, as you’ve probably guessed. Not only do you get your adrenaline pumping flying down the Swiss Alps, but you get the beautiful snowy views. You can probably sense a theme here…adrenaline + pretty views = top Interlaken adventure activities (at least for an adrenaline/ pretty picture lover like myself.) Also, the perks of this tour are that you can go at dusk AND you get cheese fondue. Honestly, I’d do it for the cheese alone. I’m a little obsessed with Swiss cheese, and possibly still in withdrawal from missing it so much.

Top 8 Interlaken adventure activities; best things to do in Interlaken, Switzerland; where to stay in Interlaken

6| Snowshoe Trekking

One of the top Interlaken adventure activities has to be snowshoe trekking …yes, another winter activity, but I felt bad only including all of the summer activities on here. I mean, what if you came in the dead of winter and then were disappointed by the list? So here you go…with snowshoe trekking, you can escape the tourists and go where no man has gone before! Only a slight exaggeration…people have definitely been there before, but probably not too many, so you’ll be able to enjoy nature in peace. Plus, plenty of photo ops without any pesky tourists photo bombing in the background!

Top 8 Interlaken adventure activities; best things to do in Interlaken, Switzerland; where to stay in Interlaken

7| White Water Rafting

Next up is white water rafting! It’ll definitely be a chilly experience (no fear, you have a wetsuit), but white water rafting is such a fun time. Raft down the Lütschine River and brave the wild rapids of the Swiss Alps!

Top 8 Interlaken adventure activities; best things to do in Interlaken, Switzerland; where to stay in Interlaken

8| Skydiving

A list of top Interlaken adventures would not be complete without skydiving!! In this experience, take a helicopter up, and get a panoramic view of the expansive glaciers and Jungfraujoch. Just as you’re getting comfortable in the helicopter, parachute out and land on Grindelwald Glacier! If that’s not a scenic landing spot, I don’t know what is!

Top 8 Interlaken adventure activities; best things to do in Interlaken, Switzerland; where to stay in Interlaken

Once you’ve worn yourself out from all of these Interlaken adventure activities, make sure to check out Lucerne, Switzerland…it was honestly the cutest little town. At one point, I looked around and decided I had been transported to the middle of a postcard, it was just that adorable. If you’re short on time in Switzerland, I also put together a shiny little 3 day Switzerland itinerary for you to enjoy!

Top 8 Interlaken adventure activities; best things to do in Interlaken, Switzerland; where to stay in Interlaken

Flights to Switzerland

I’d recommend searching through eDreams.net. They scan tons of different travel discount sites and feature special flight deals. Fly into Zurich, and Interlaken is an easy train ride away! I loved the Swiss trains—they’re so clean, comfy, and best of all, on schedule!

Where to Stay in Interlaken

Local Stay: Heidi’s Hideaway boasts breathtaking views of Jungfrau from its rooftop patio. Whether you opt to visit in the summer and sunbathe surrounded by the majestic Swiss Alps or during the winter when you can enjoy a spiked hot chocolate, this penthouse palace cannot be beat.

Heidi's Hideaway Plum Guide stay
Image via Plum Guide

Luxury Stay: Victoria Jungfrau Grand Hotel & Spa has one of the top rate locations in Interlaken, offers a gourmet dining experience, and best of all, a relaxing spa. For rooms with an even better view of Jungfrau, head up past Interlaken to Wengen, and make Hotel Wengener Hof your base. Wengen is car-free and reachable only by train (also it’s such a cute little town.) If you’re planning to spend most of your time in and around Wengen, it’s a great place to stay. Since I was trying to do as many adventure activities as possible and most leave from Interlaken, I opted to stay in town.

Mid-Range Stay: A top recommendation for a reasonably priced stay in Interlaken is Hotel Beausite…this boutique style hotel is rated the best value for your money in Interlaken!

Budget Stay:  I personally opted to stay at Balmer’s Hostel, and thought the location was great, and the hostel had everything I needed (for a good price…hard to find in Switzerland.) Unluckily, I happened to be the only English speaker there at the time, since a group of 40 Germans was staying at the hostel, but turns out that’s pretty abnormal. In any case, I can’t recommend based on the social atmosphere, but they did have an outdoor beer garden that you can chill and order a drink after a long day of adventuring…even though I didn’t speak German, I had a lovely time. If you’re traveling with family or friends, my favorite option is a VRBO vacation rental.

Top 8 Interlaken adventure activities; best things to do in Interlaken, Switzerland; where to stay in Interlaken

And there you have it, top Interlaken adventure activities! Have you been to Switzerland? What was your favorite thing to do?

P.S. This post contains affiliate links. If you click on one and make a purchase, I might make a little extra spending money, at no extra cost to you. As always, all opinions are my own.

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14 Comments

  1. Hey Melissa,

    Love Switzerland! Only been to Lugano so far, but it was stunning. Just need to find some way to come up with the funds for my next trip there – last time I could only afford McDonalds and it was the most expensive McDonalds I’ve heard!

  2. Ahhh! I’ve seriously been looking into almost everything in this post for a trip to Switzerland next summer, including staying at Balmer’s! I’ve seen they have a hammock room and an outdoor tent area for even cheaper options. However, I’ll be traveling with my (almost) 14-year-old son so I wasn’t sure if it may be too much of a party environment or not. Also, Interlaken sounds like an adrenaline junkie’s dream!

    1. Haha that’s so funny! As far as the party atmosphere, you can mostly avoid since the club is downstairs. However, if you end up in a room with a bunch of people out late, you might be out of luck

  3. Wow! So many outdoor activities. Like others have said, Interlaken was one of those places for school exchanges when we were teenagers. We didn’t go, but didn’t realise there was all this to do there.

  4. Some of these activities would be definitely “nos” for me. Don’t do heights! But sign me up for the cog railway, sledding, and whitewater rafting!

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