Aare Gorge (Aareschlucht): Day and Night Visit with Tickets, Hours and Tips

The Aare Gorge (Aareschlucht in German) is a 1,400-metre limestone canyon between Meiringen and Innertkirchen in the eastern Bernese Oberland, where the glacier-green Aare River squeezes through walls up to 200 metres high. Walkways bolted to the rock and short tunnels take you right through it in about 45 minutes. We visited twice on the same day, July 10, 2026: in the morning with our dog Miley, and again after dark, when the gorge is lit up on summer weekends. This guide covers 2026 prices, opening hours, the West and East entrances, the evening illumination, the train and parking, and what it is like with a dog.

Is the Aare Gorge worth it?

Yes. For CHF 13 you get one of the most impressive gorges in the Alps, an easy walk that almost anyone can manage, and a place that stays cool on the hottest summer day. If you are in the area on a Friday or Saturday in July or August, come back in the evening as well: the illuminated gorge is a completely different experience.

What makes the Aare Gorge special is the scale. In many Swiss gorges you look down into a narrow crack. Here you walk at the bottom, a few metres above a full-size river, and the rock walls rise vertically on both sides, in places so close together that only a strip of sky remains. The water is milky green from glacier silt and it is loud. The walkways are wide enough for two people to pass, solidly fenced and never exposed, so this is not a trip for adrenaline seekers, but for anyone who wants to see the raw power of water up close.

It also fits easily into a day. If you are collecting gorges and waterfalls on your trip, our overview of the best gorges and waterfalls in the Bernese Oberland compares the Aare Gorge with the others.

What is the Aare Gorge?

The Aare Gorge is a canyon that the Aare River has cut through a limestone ridge called the Kirchet, which blocks the Haslital valley between Meiringen and Innertkirchen. According to the operator it is 1,400 metres long and up to 200 metres deep, and in places only 1 to 2 metres wide.

The Kirchet is made of hard limestone that formed as sea deposits in the Cretaceous period, roughly 130 to 60 million years ago. Because this rock is compact and hardly fractured, the glaciers of the ice ages polished it but did not wear it away. Meltwater did the work instead. The operator explains that new gorges were cut in each warm period between the ice ages, and that besides today’s gorge there are five older ones, partly filled with moraine. One of them, the “Lautere Schlauche”, starts right next to the car park at the West entrance.

The gorge has been open to visitors since 1888. A concession to build a gallery and footpath through it was granted in 1887, and twelve local men financed the project. The information board at the East entrance sums up the numbers:

• Length: 1,400 metres
• Narrowest point: the “Kleine Enge”, about 1 metre wide
• Widest point: the “Grossen Runs”, about 40 metres wide
• Highest recorded water level: 5 metres
• Time the water needs to flow through: about 11 minutes, at roughly 2 metres per second

West or East entrance: where to start

Start at the West entrance in Meiringen. It has the big free car park, the ticket office, the main restaurant, a playground, and it is the only entrance open in early spring and during the evening illumination. The East entrance near Innertkirchen is smaller, with a bistro and terrace, and opens later in the season.

• West entrance (Meiringen): Aareschluchtstrasse 3, 3860 Meiringen. Open April 3 to November 1, 2026. Main restaurant with self-service, salad buffet and pastries, a large playground next to the terrace, and the kiosk where you can buy the Tatzelwurm picture book.
• East entrance (Innertkirchen): open May 9 to November 1, 2026. Bistro with a terrace and views of the mountains. Coaches drop off passengers here.

Because the two entrances open on different dates, you can only walk all the way through when both are open, from May 9. Before that you walk in from the West entrance and return the same way.

If you start at the West entrance and walk through, you have three ways back: the same way through the gorge (that is what we did, and the light is different in the other direction), the Zentralbahn train from the Aareschlucht Ost stop (included in your ticket), or a signposted hiking trail over the “Lammi” that takes about an hour.

Aare Gorge tickets and prices 2026

Admission to the Aare Gorge costs CHF 13 for adults from 16 in 2026 (about US$16) and CHF 8 for children aged 6 to 15 (about US$10). Children under 6 and dogs go free. You pay at the entrance; reservations are neither needed nor possible.

A few details that are easy to miss:

• The train back is included. According to the operator, the return trip on the Zentralbahn line between Meiringen and Innertkirchen, which runs parallel to the gorge, is included in the admission price.
• Groups: from 10 people, one person goes free.
• Guest cards: with a guest card from Jungfrau Region Tourism, Interlaken Tourism, Brienz Tourism or Obwalden Tourism you get 20 percent off.
• Season card: the official website lists CHF 26; the sign at the West till also shows CHF 16 for children.
• Day ticket, evening included: a sign at the West till says that tickets are day tickets, and the official price list shows no separate evening price. In the morning we asked at the till whether we could come back later with the same ticket. The answer was yes, and that is what we did for the evening illumination. Keep your ticket.

The Berner Oberland Pass gives you a discount on admission and free travel to the gorge by public transport, according to the pass website. The Swiss Travel Pass covers the train to Meiringen, but we found no official statement that it includes the gorge itself.

Opening hours and season 2026

In 2026 the Aare Gorge is open from April 3 to November 1 at the West entrance and from May 9 to November 1 at the East entrance. It opens daily at 08:30 and closes at 17:30, in high summer (June 13 to September 20) at 18:30. In winter the gorge is closed.

Best time of day: When we arrived at 09:30 there were only a few people in the gorge. By about 10:15 small groups were walking the boardwalks, and on our way back around 11:45 it was clearly busier. The early morning is also when the light is softest; around midday the sun reaches the river in the wider sections and the Schräybach waterfall lights up.

Weather: the Aare Gorge is an all-weather destination. On hot days it is pleasantly cool inside, and the operator points out that after rain the river carries more water and the gorge feels even more powerful.

The Aare Gorge at night: evening illumination

On Friday and Saturday evenings in July and August, the Aare Gorge is illuminated from 18:30 to 22:00. In 2026 that was from July 3 to August 29. In the evening you enter only from the West entrance and can walk as far as the large gravel and sand banks in the middle of the gorge; from there you return the same way. Your day ticket is valid: if you visited in the morning, you simply go back in.

We came back on Friday, July 10, at about 21:00, after a day at the lake, and for us this evening visit was the highlight of the whole day. Outside, the last light was fading over the Aare and the mountains behind Meiringen. Inside the gorge it was already almost dark, and that is when the lighting works best. Spotlights mounted on the walls throw warm light up the polished rock, so that the curves and potholes the water has carved stand out much more clearly than during the day.

A member of staff told us that the lighting was upgraded again for 2026, precisely because of the evening opening. You would hardly guess how few people know about it: in the evening there was practically nobody in the gorge, and for long stretches we had the walkways to ourselves.

A little further in, coloured lines of light play across the dark rock face, almost like strokes of paint. We did not find a description of this light installation on the official website, so we can only tell you what we saw: thin green, white and orange lines on the stone, right above the rushing water. The tunnels are lit as well, and the light at the end of each tunnel pulls you on.

Where the gorge opens up near the Schräybach waterfall, lamps light the waterfall and the cliff, and the sky above was still a deep blue. That is about where the evening route ends. On the way back it was completely dark, and the experience became even more intense: you hear the river much more than you see it.

Then came the moment we did not expect. Shortly before 22:00 we heard deep, long notes echoing through the rock: an alphorn player was standing in one of the tunnel-like passages and playing. In the narrow tunnel the sound filled everything, mixed with the roar of the river outside. We stopped, listened and filmed. These were wonderful moments.

Here is a short clip from our phone, first from the lit cliff near the Schräybach waterfall, where the alphorn was already audible, then in the tunnel with the player himself. Turn the sound on.

Closing time, little known: nobody really throws you out at 22:00. At the end the staff close the main entrance, and you simply leave through a side exit. We were among the very last in the gorge, almost completely alone, with the lights on the rock and the river roaring below. The atmosphere was magical.

Our tips for the evening:

• Come late. Before about 21:00 in July it is still light outside, and the illumination only comes into its own when it is dark. We entered at 21:00 and were out shortly after 22:00.
• Keep your ticket from the morning. The day ticket is valid for the evening too; we asked at the till.
• Bring a phone or camera that handles low light. The walkways themselves are lit, so you do not need a torch, but the photos are a challenge.
• Dress warmer than you think. The gorge is cool in the evening, even after a hot day.
• Check the dates for next year on aareschlucht.ch. The 2027 dates were not yet published when we wrote this in October 2026.

Getting there by train and car

By car you drive to the West entrance at Aareschluchtstrasse 3 in Meiringen, where parking is free. By public transport you take the train to Meiringen, which has direct hourly connections from Interlaken and Lucerne, and change to the small Zentralbahn train to Innertkirchen, which stops at Aareschlucht West and Aareschlucht Ost.

By train: the Meiringen to Innertkirchen line

The short railway between Meiringen and Innertkirchen was run for decades by the Meiringen-Innertkirchen-Bahn (MIB). Since January 1, 2021 it has been part of the Zentralbahn (zb). The line is about 5 kilometres long and has two stops for the gorge:

• Aareschlucht West: about 10 minutes on foot to the West entrance.
• Aareschlucht Ost: about 10 minutes to the East entrance, on a hiking path with steps.

Both walking times are the operator’s figures. There are no ticket machines on the line between Meiringen Alpbach and Innertkirchen; you buy your ticket on the train, in the SBB app or at the machine in Meiringen. Check the timetable on sbb.ch before you go.

By car and parking

• Navigation: “Aareschlucht West, Aareschluchtstrasse 3, 3860 Meiringen”. GPS 46.72005, 8.20461.
• Parking: free car park for cars and coaches at the West entrance, with two charging stations for electric cars (22 kW). When we left at 12:35 the car park was well filled, but there were still free spaces.
• East entrance: the operator only mentions a drop-off point for coaches at the East entrance, not a car park. If you come by car, park at the West entrance.
• Driving times: according to the operator, about 30 minutes from Interlaken or from Sarnen over the Brünig Pass.

We stayed in Brienz on Lake Brienz for the week, which is a good base: the drive along the lake to Meiringen is short, and it made it easy to come back for the evening illumination.

The walk through the gorge, highlight by highlight

The path through the Aare Gorge is 1 to 2 metres wide, partly asphalted, partly gravel, and inside the gorge it runs through tunnels and along a wooden boardwalk on steel girders. It is fenced the whole way. Numbered information boards in German and English explain the sights. This is the order you see them in from the West entrance.

The narrows

From the West entrance a broad path leads along the open river to the mouth of the gorge. After a few minutes the walls close in, and right at the start comes the most spectacular part: the narrowest section, where the rock is smooth and polished and the walkway clings to the wall or crosses on short footbridges. Look at the shapes in the rock: the round hollows and curved channels were scoured out by stones that the water swirled around. The board marked “Grosse Enge” explains these potholes and the mechanical erosion that formed them.

Tunnels

Several short tunnels lead through rock spurs that the walkway cannot pass. They are lit and wide enough to walk comfortably. The floor can be wet and a little slippery. In one of the tunnels Miley trotted ahead in the lamplight, quite happy to get out of the noise for a moment.

The Schräybach waterfall and the wide section

After the narrows the gorge suddenly opens up. A meadow and gravel banks line the river, and on the opposite side the Schräybach waterfall pours over the cliff into the Aare. The information board calls it a textbook case of chemical erosion: slightly acidic water seeping through the soil dissolves the limestone, and the waterfall slowly eats its way into the cliff. In the morning the wall was still in shadow; when we passed again at 11:54, the sun was shining straight into the spray.

Further on lies the widest point of the gorge, the “Grossen Runs”, about 40 metres across. Here large boulders lie in the river and the water churns white between them.

The Hasli eagle and the wartime cavern

In the second half, look across to the other side of the river: the “Hasliadler”, the eagle from the coat of arms of the Haslital, is carved into the rock face. According to the information board it still appears on the valley’s seal, banner and coat of arms.

A few minutes later you pass a door in the rock. Board number 11 tells the story: at the end of 1940 the army built a facility with two caverns into the Kirchet. The larger one was meant as a dormitory for 185 officers and soldiers, while offices and dining rooms were set up in a stationary train in the tunnel. The installations were never used and are still hidden in the cliff today.

Glacier mill and the East exit

Shortly before the end, board number 13 explains the glacier mills: round shafts that meltwater drilled into the rock under the glaciers of the ice ages. Then the gorge suddenly ends. You step out of the shade into the open Haslital, with a view up the valley towards Innertkirchen. After the cool, roaring gorge, this moment of light and quiet is one of the nicest of the whole walk. The East entrance has a kiosk and the bistro with its terrace.

Aare Gorge with a dog

The Aare Gorge is a good outing with a dog: dogs are welcome on a short leash and enter free of charge. Miley walked the whole gorge with us, there and back in the morning and again in the evening, and had no problems.

• Leash: the operator asks for a short leash. The walkways are wide enough, but people come towards you, and in the narrow sections you will want your dog close.
• Floors: the walkways are made of wooden planks, concrete and asphalt. We did not notice any see-through grating on the route, so even sensitive dogs should be fine.
• Noise: the river is very loud in the narrows. Miley was calm, but a nervous dog may need a moment. The tunnels are a welcome break from the noise.
• Temperature: inside the gorge it is much cooler than outside, which is ideal on a hot day. Bring water and a bowl.
• Train: on the Zentralbahn back to Meiringen the normal public transport rules for dogs apply, as the operator points out.
• Evening: the illumination is fine with a dog too. Miley walked with us in the dark without any problems.

More ideas for days out with a four-legged companion are in our guide to the Bernese Oberland with a dog.

With kids: the Tatzelwurm trail, strollers and wheelchairs

The Aare Gorge is very family-friendly. Children under 6 go free, there is a playground at the West entrance, and the Tatzelwurm theme trail turns the walk into a treasure hunt for children aged about 4 to 10.

The Tatzelwurm legend

The Tatzelwurm is a dragon-like creature from Alpine folklore, and the Aare Gorge has adopted it as its mascot. The operator tells this story: in spring 1935 a Berlin photographer named Balkin was looking for a nice subject near Meiringen and, according to his account, came across the Tatzelwurm. After a schnapps in the Hotel Bär, he described the animal as about 80 centimetres long, like a very thick snake with front legs, brown with light and dark spots, with a frightening whistle and stare. The landlord replied that the locals usually called it the “Stollenwurm”. The photographer sent his blurred picture to the Berliner Illustrierte Zeitung, and the Oberhasli and its Tatzelwurm made the headlines.

The Tatzi theme trail

Since 2021, five Tatzelwurm figures have been hiding along the path: the parents and their three children Titzi, Tetz and Tatzi. Each has a question for the children, which they answer on a competition card from the till. The trail takes about 1 to 1.5 hours one way through the whole gorge. Right at the start, a sign introduced “Papa Tatzelwurm” with a riddle about his favourite food.

Strollers and wheelchairs

From the West entrance to the main sights in the middle of the gorge, the path is accessible for small, light wheelchairs and narrow strollers. Beyond that there are steps. When the gorge is busy, the staff may restrict access with wheelchairs and strollers for safety reasons, so a quieter morning is the better choice.

Our day at the Aare Gorge

We spent the morning in the gorge, the afternoon at the lake and came back for the illumination in the evening. This is how July 10, 2026 went, a sunny, hot Friday with a blue sky.

• 09:30: arrival at the West entrance. Still quiet on the paths.
• 09:35 to 10:00: along the river to the mouth of the gorge, then the narrows and the first tunnels. Miley takes a break in a rock niche.
• 10:05: the Schräybach waterfall, still in shade, and the wide gravel section.
• 10:15 to 10:50: the boardwalk on the cliff, the Hasli eagle, the wartime cavern and the glacier mill. The first groups are now on the walkways.
• 11:10: the East exit and the view up the valley to Innertkirchen. A rest on the boardwalk and a look at the big information board.
• 11:40 to 12:20: back through the gorge. The midday sun now lights the Schräybach waterfall, and it is noticeably busier.
• 12:30: shop and restaurant at the West entrance, then off to the lake.
• 13:20 to 15:00: afternoon in Iseltwald on Lake Brienz, where Miley got to swim.
• 20:57: back at the West entrance at dusk.
• 21:05 to 21:45: illuminated gorge as far as the Schräybach waterfall, practically no other visitors.
• 21:49 to 21:53: an alphorn player in the tunnels on the way back.
• Around 22:00: the main entrance closes, and we walk out almost alone through a side exit.

Our verdict: if you can only come once, the morning is the classic visit. If you are here on a Friday or Saturday in July or August, do both. The gorge in the dark was the moment we still talk about.

Reichenbach Falls and Sherlock Holmes nearby

Meiringen has two more sights you can combine with the gorge: the Reichenbach Falls, where Sherlock Holmes fought Professor Moriarty in Arthur Conan Doyle’s story, and a small Sherlock Holmes Museum in the village centre.

• Reichenbach Falls: a funicular takes you up from Willigen near Meiringen in summer. The combo ticket with the Aare Gorge costs CHF 25 for adults (about US$30) and CHF 16 for children. The valley station has only a few parking spaces; the operator recommends the public car parks in Alpbach.
• Sherlock Holmes Museum: in the English Church in the centre of Meiringen, with a replica of the drawing room at 221b Baker Street.

We did not visit either ourselves on this trip. Instead we went to the Rosenlaui Glacier Gorge a few days earlier, which is above Meiringen in the Reichenbach valley: smaller, wilder and steeper than the Aare Gorge, and a great second gorge if you have the time.

Tips from our visit

• Arrive by 09:30. The first hour after opening was the quietest. Groups arrive later in the morning.
• Walk back through the gorge. The light and the views are different in the other direction, and the walk is short enough. The train is your option if you are tired or short of time.
• Bring a light jacket. Even on a hot July day the gorge is cool and damp in places.
• Wear shoes with grip. The path is easy, but wet in the tunnels and in the narrows.
• Read the boards. The numbered information boards are short and in English too. Without them you walk past the Hasli eagle and the wartime cavern.
• Plan the evening. If your trip falls on a Friday or Saturday in July or August, keep the evening free and come after 21:00. Your day ticket from the morning still gets you in.

Tours and tickets

If you have a car or travel by train, simply buy your ticket at the entrance; the gorge is cheap and reservations are not possible. If you would rather combine it with other sights in one organised day, or want a guided tour from Interlaken or Lucerne, these are the offers we would look at:

FAQ: Aare Gorge

How long does it take to walk through the Aare Gorge?

About 45 minutes one way for the 1,400 metres, according to the operator. With photos and the walk back through the gorge, plan about two hours. We needed about 2 hours 50 minutes with many stops.

How much does the Aare Gorge cost in 2026?

CHF 13 for adults from 16 (about US$16) and CHF 8 for children aged 6 to 15 (about US$10). Children under 6 and dogs are free. The return trip on the Zentralbahn train is included.

When is the Aare Gorge illuminated?

On Fridays and Saturdays in July and August, from 18:30 to 22:00. In 2026 the dates were July 3 to August 29. The evening route starts at the West entrance and ends at the large gravel banks in the middle of the gorge.

Can I go back in the evening with my day ticket?

Yes. We asked at the till in the morning: the ticket is a day ticket, so you can go back in later the same day, including for the evening illumination on Fridays and Saturdays in July and August. Keep your ticket.

Which entrance is better, West or East?

The West entrance in Meiringen: it has the free car park, the main restaurant, the longest season (April 3 to November 1, 2026; the gorge is closed in winter) and the evening illumination.

Can I bring my dog to the Aare Gorge?

Yes. Dogs are welcome on a short leash and enter free. The walkways have solid floors, and the cool air in the gorge is pleasant for dogs on hot days.

Check Aare Gorge tickets and tours →

The Aare Gorge is one of our favourite stops in the eastern part of the region. You will find more destinations in our Bernese Oberland travel guide, more gorges in our guide to gorges and waterfalls, and all regions on our Switzerland home page.