Bernese Oberland Itinerary: Our 7 Days with a Car, from Brienz

Seven days are enough to see the best of the Bernese Oberland with a car: the Lauterbrunnen Valley, the Schilthorn, the Oeschinensee, the Brienzer Rothorn, two gorges and Lake Brienz, without driving more than an hour on any day. This is the exact route we drove from July 4 to 11, 2026, from a holiday flat in Brienz, with our dog Miley in the back. For each day you get the drive time, what we paid, which tickets to book ahead and what we would change. All prices are 2026 prices from the official operators, as of October 2026. If you want the overview of the region first, start with our Bernese Oberland guide.

How many days do you need in the Bernese Oberland?

Plan at least three full days for the highlights and a full week if you want the big viewpoints, the lakes and the gorges without rushing. Seven days also give you room to move the summit days to the clearest mornings, which matters more than any other planning decision in the Alps.

Our week had six full excursion days between the arrival on a Saturday afternoon and the departure the next Saturday. That turned out to be the right length. Every day had one main goal and one smaller stop, and we were back at the flat in the early evening on most days. The only thing we would change is the order, because we did the Schilthorn, the most weather-dependent trip, on day 6 and had no reserve left if it had rained.

• 3 days: Lauterbrunnen Valley, Schilthorn with Mürren, and one lake day.
• 5 days: add the Oeschinensee and the Aare Gorge.
• 7 days: add the Brienzer Rothorn, the Rosenlaui Valley and a free half day.

We describe the shorter versions in detail further down. What we left out on purpose: the Jungfraujoch, Grindelwald and Harder Kulm. With a dog and one week, we chose the Schilthorn for the classic view of Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau. We only write about places we have been to.

Why we based ourselves in Brienz

Brienz worked as a base because it is quiet, on the lake, and every place on this route was between 15 minutes and an hour away by car. You pay for that with a longer drive to the Lauterbrunnen Valley than from Interlaken, about 20 extra minutes each way.

We rented a holiday flat on the slope above the village with its own parking space, which saved us the daily search for a space. The Aare Gorge and Meiringen were 15 minutes away, Iseltwald about 20, the Lauterbrunnen Valley 40 to 50, Kandersteg and Sörenberg about an hour. In the evenings we had the old wooden village of Brienz and two quiet beaches on the lake almost to ourselves. Without a car, Interlaken is the better base, because every train starts there. Our guide on where to stay in the Bernese Oberland compares Brienz, Lauterbrunnen and Interlaken in detail.

A holiday flat for two in Brienz typically costs roughly CHF 120 to 250 per night in July (about US$145 to 303), and summer double rooms in the region start at around CHF 150. Book early for July and August.

Day 1: Arrival over the Brünig Pass and an evening in Brienz

Day 1 is for arriving, shopping and a first evening walk through Brienz. If you come from the north by car like we did, take the route over the Brünig Pass: it brings you straight down to Brienz and passes Lake Lungern, one of the most beautiful viewpoints of the whole trip.

We drove from southern Germany on Saturday, July 4. The motorway runs via Lucerne towards the Brünig, and above Lungern a lay-by gives you the view below: a turquoise lake in a green valley, with the village at its end. We stopped there at 13:37 and stood for ten minutes. You need the Swiss motorway vignette for the motorway part; everything about the vignette, speed limits and parking is in our guide to driving in Switzerland.

In the late afternoon we did the shopping for the first days. Most supermarkets close early on Saturday and stay closed on Sunday, so buy what you need for the Sunday before you arrive. At 18:40 we started our first walk in the upper village of Brienz, went down the Brunngasse with its flower balconies and reached the promenade at 19:15. At 19:28 the sun disappeared behind the ridge above the church. That one hour is the best introduction to the village there is.

Cost on day 1: nothing apart from fuel and shopping. Tip: arrive in daylight. The Brünig road and the view over Lake Lungern are part of the trip.

Day 2: Rosenlaui Glacier Gorge and the Rosenlaui Valley

Day 2 takes you into the Rosenlaui Valley above Meiringen: a narrow glacier gorge in the morning and a picnic below the Wellhorn in the afternoon. It is about 40 minutes from Brienz, one of the quietest days of the week, and the ideal first day while you get used to the mountain roads.

We left Brienz at about 9:30 on Sunday, July 5, drove through Meiringen towards Willigen and reached the pay station on the valley road at 9:56. The road is called a toll road, but technically you buy a parking ticket for the whole valley: CHF 8 per day, CHF 4 from 12:00. Beyond the pay station the road is only about 3 metres wide, and the PostBus always has priority.

At 10:27 we were at the gorge entrance. The walk through the Rosenlaui Glacier Gorge took us almost two hours with photo stops, through tunnels, past waterfalls and up more than 200 steps. Admission is CHF 12 for adults (about US$15) and dogs go free. Afterwards we had a picnic on the meadows by the Reichenbach with the Wellhorn and the Rosenlaui Glacier in front of us, walked up to the historic Hotel Rosenlaui and bought cheese at a self-service hut on the way down.

• Drive: about 40 minutes from Brienz, 23 km.
• Costs: gorge CHF 12 per adult, valley parking CHF 8 per car.
• Time: a full day if you include the valley, half a day for the gorge alone.
• Combine with: the Reichenbach Falls on the way up, or the Aare Gorge if you skip the valley walk.

Back towards Brienz we drove along the lake in the evening light. If you only have half a day here, do the gorge in the morning and stop at the meadows below Rosenlaui for the Wellhorn view.

Day 3: Lauterbrunnen Valley with Trümmelbach and Staubbach Falls

Day 3 belongs to the Lauterbrunnen Valley: the Trümmelbach Falls inside the mountain at opening time, then Lauterbrunnen village and the free Staubbach Falls. Start at the far end of the valley and work back towards the village, because the tour buses move the other way.

On Monday, July 6, we left Brienz at 8:50 and parked at the small car park of the Trümmelbach Falls at 9:20. It is free, but limited to two hours and only for visitors. Inside, a tunnel lift takes you into the middle of ten glacier waterfalls that thunder through the rock. Admission is CHF 18 (about US$22), tickets are only sold on site, and dogs are not allowed, so one of us stayed outside with Miley at times. Everything about the route through the gorge is in our Trümmelbach Falls guide.

At 11:44 we parked in the Parkhaus Lauterbrunnen below the station (974 spaces, CHF 18 for 8 hours). We spent the afternoon in the village, in the church, at the fountain where Miley cooled off and on the short path up to the gallery of the Staubbach Falls. That costs nothing. After the gallery we walked half an hour along the meadows on the valley floor, where it was much quieter than on the main street. Our guide to the Lauterbrunnen Valley shows how all these places fit together.

In the evening, back in Brienz, we drove to the gravel beach at Wycheley at the eastern end of Lake Brienz and arrived at 18:25. Apart from two or three walkers nobody was there. Miley swam, and we sat on the stones until the sun went down the lake. Details on this spot are in our Lake Brienz guide.

• Drive: about 45 minutes from Brienz via Interlaken.
• Costs: Trümmelbach CHF 18 per adult, Parkhaus Lauterbrunnen up to CHF 18, Wycheley summer car park paid.
• Book ahead: nothing. Arrive at the Trümmelbach Falls at opening time (8:30 in July and August).

Day 4: Oeschinensee and Spiez on the way back

Day 4 is the longest drive of the week and the best lake day: the turquoise Oeschinensee above Kandersteg, reached by gondola and a 25 to 35 minute walk, and a stop in Spiez on Lake Thun on the way back. Book the gondola online with a time slot the evening before; in summer it is mandatory.

On Tuesday, July 7, we drove along Lake Thun and up the Kander Valley and reached the valley station in Kandersteg at about 10:00. The car parks P1 to P3 at the gondola fill up from around 11:00 in summer, so arrive earlier than we did. At 10:20 there was a queue at the ticket machines. The return trip costs CHF 40 for adults from June 15 to September 21 (about US$48) and CHF 8 for a dog. Important for pass holders: since January 2026 the Berner Oberland Pass is no longer valid on this gondola. The Swiss Travel Pass and the Half Fare Card still give 50 percent off.

We took the panorama path via Läger down to the lake, swam between 13:20 and 14:05, walked part of the trail above the north shore and took the gondola down at 16:54. From midday the beaches near the restaurant were full; five minutes further along the north shore it was quiet. All details, from the time slot rules to the rowing boats, are in our Oeschinensee guide.

Spiez is only half an hour from Kandersteg and on the way back. We arrived at 17:55, just as the castle museum closed, and spent 50 minutes in the free castle park, on the terraces above the bay and at the Walenrain meadow, where Miley swam in the dog area. If you want to see the museum, plan to arrive before 17:00. Our Spiez guide has opening hours and parking.

• Drive: about an hour from Brienz to Kandersteg, 30 minutes from Kandersteg to Spiez, then about 40 minutes back to Brienz.
• Costs: gondola CHF 40 per adult, dog CHF 8, parking at the valley station (reduced with a gondola ticket, rates only at the machine), parking meter in Spiez.
• Book ahead: the gondola time slot.

Day 5: Brienzer Rothorn from Sörenberg

Day 5 is the Brienzer Rothorn, the 2,350-metre mountain above Lake Brienz. With a car, the cable car from Sörenberg is the smarter way up: CHF 59 return instead of CHF 98 for the steam train from Brienz, seven minutes instead of an hour, and a drive over one of the prettiest little pass roads in the region.

On Wednesday, July 8, we left Brienz at about 9:15, crossed the Brünig to Giswil and took the Panorama road over the Glaubenbielen Pass to Sörenberg. With photo stops it took us about an hour. At 10:18 we parked at the Schönenboden car park (CHF 2 per hour, CHF 5 for the day, you enter your licence plate at the machine), bought tickets at the counter without any queue and were at the top at 10:40.

We spent six hours up there: the summit platform, the rock tunnel, the wooden cow by the railway station, the ridge path to the summit cross and, by pure luck, around 40 alphorn players at 16:07. Watching the red steam trains climb the last bends below us was the highlight for us. Clouds built up at about 14:00, so the morning is the time for the glacier view. Both ways up, with prices and our verdict, are compared in our Brienzer Rothorn guide.

• Drive: about an hour over the Brünig and the Glaubenbielen Panorama road (closed in winter).
• Costs: cable car CHF 59 per adult, dog CHF 12 return, parking CHF 5.
• Book ahead: nothing for the cable car. For the steam train from Brienz, book online with seat guarantee.
• With the Berner Oberland Pass: both the cable car and the steam train are free.

Day 6: Schilthorn, Birg, Grauseeli and an evening in Mürren

Day 6 is the big mountain day: the Schilthorn at 2,970 metres, with the best view of Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau in the region, the free cliff walks at Birg, a hike to the little Grauseeli lake and an evening in the car-free village of Mürren. The round trip from Stechelberg costs CHF 115 (about US$139). Go only on a clear day, and go early.

On Thursday, July 9, we drove through Lauterbrunnen at 9:49, past the Staubbach wall in the morning sun, and reached the Schilthornbahn valley station in Stechelberg at about 10:00. The hall was already busy. Since December 2024 the steepest cable car in the world takes you from Stechelberg to Mürren in four minutes; from there you continue via Birg to the summit.

At 10:40 we had a clear view from the summit, at 10:55 the Eiger disappeared in cloud and at 13:00 everything was clear again. In the afternoon we got off at Birg, walked down to the Grauseeli in about 25 minutes and stayed more than an hour by the water while a handful of hikers came by. At 17:30 we took one of the last, completely full cable cars down to Mürren. Prices, timetable and our day hour by hour are in our Schilthorn guide.

Mürren in the evening was the most peaceful hour of the week. Between 17:50 and 19:20 we walked from one end of the village to the other, met a cat with a red neckerchief in the middle of the lane and had dinner on a terrace above the valley. Then the direct cable car took us down to Stechelberg in golden light. Our Mürren guide describes the evening and covers Gimmelwald below the village.

• Drive: 45 to 50 minutes from Brienz to Stechelberg.
• Costs: Schilthorn CHF 115 per adult, dogs free, parking at the Schilthornbahn (jungfrau.ch lists CHF 8 for 8 hours, check the machine).
• Book ahead: not necessary. Check the webcam on schilthorn.ch before you drive.

Day 7: Aare Gorge, Iseltwald and the Aare Gorge by night

Day 7 is an easy day close to Brienz: the Aare Gorge near Meiringen in the morning, the turquoise bay of Iseltwald in the afternoon, a swim at Wycheley and, if it is a Friday or Saturday in July or August, the illuminated Aare Gorge after dark. Your morning ticket for the gorge is also valid in the evening.

On Friday, July 10, we were at the West entrance of the Aare Gorge at 9:30, when there were only a few people on the walkways. The gorge is 1,400 metres long and up to 200 metres deep, admission costs CHF 13 (about US$16) and dogs walk free on a short leash. We walked through and back, which took almost three hours with all our stops, and asked at the till whether we could come back in the evening with the same ticket. The answer was yes.

At 13:20 we parked in Iseltwald, where the car park was almost full. We watched the queue at the pier from the series Crash Landing on You, which costs CHF 5 to step onto, took the same view from the shore for free, saw the paddle steamer Lötschberg arrive at 14:50 and let Miley swim with the castle peninsula in the background. Our Iseltwald guide explains the pier, parking and the boats.

After a second evening at Wycheley we drove back to Meiringen. At 21:00 we entered the gorge again. Spotlights lit up the polished rock, coloured lines of light played on the walls, and shortly before 22:00 an alphorn player stood in one of the tunnels and played. There was practically nobody else in the gorge. For us it was the best evening of the whole week.

• Drive: 15 minutes to the Aare Gorge, about 20 to Iseltwald.
• Costs: Aare Gorge CHF 13 per adult (free parking at the West entrance), Iseltwald car park at the machine, pier CHF 5 if you step onto it.
• Evening illumination 2026: Fridays and Saturdays from July 3 to August 29, 18:30 to 22:00.

On Saturday, July 11, we packed up and drove home. The trip meter read 1,327.7 km when we arrived, for the whole trip there and back.

What the week cost

The tickets on our route came to CHF 257 per adult (about US$311): Rosenlaui CHF 12, Trümmelbach CHF 18, Oeschinensee CHF 40, Rothorn cable car CHF 59, Schilthorn CHF 115 and Aare Gorge CHF 13. Parking cost CHF 39 at the car parks with a known price, plus a few machines in Kandersteg, Spiez, Iseltwald and at Wycheley; plan CHF 60 to 80 for such a week. The dog cost CHF 20 in tickets.

The CHF 39 are Rosenlaui (CHF 8), Lauterbrunnen (CHF 18), Sörenberg (CHF 5) and Stechelberg (CHF 8); several other car parks only show their prices at the machine. Would a pass have saved money? Not with a car: the Berner Oberland Pass for six days costs CHF 350 and would have covered only the Rothorn and the Schilthorn, worth CHF 174. Without a car the picture changes. We did the full calculation in our guide to the Berner Oberland Pass, and what the whole week cost including food is in our guide how expensive is Switzerland.

The order we would choose next time

Next time we would put the Schilthorn on the first clear morning of the week and start every mountain day at least an hour earlier. The rest of the route worked exactly as it was.

1. Check the forecast on day 1. Put the Schilthorn and the Rothorn on the two clearest mornings, whatever their position in the week.
2. Keep the gorges flexible. The Aare Gorge, Rosenlaui and the Trümmelbach Falls work in light rain and are perfect for cloudy days.
3. Be at the valley stations by 8:30. We arrived at around 10:00 on most days. At the Schilthorn the hall was full, at the Oeschinensee there was a queue at the machines.
4. Plan the evenings. Mürren after 17:30, the Brunngasse after 18:00, Wycheley at sunset and the Aare Gorge after 21:00 were the best hours of the week, and they cost almost nothing.

A reserve day would also have been useful. With six excursion days, we had none. If you have eight days, keep one completely free.

Shorter versions: 3 and 5 days in the Bernese Oberland

For three days, do the Lauterbrunnen Valley, the Schilthorn with Mürren and one lake day around Brienz and Iseltwald. For five days, add the Oeschinensee with Spiez and a gorge day with the Aare Gorge and Rosenlaui.

3 days

• Day 1: Trümmelbach Falls at 8:30, Lauterbrunnen and Staubbach Falls, evening walk on the valley floor.
• Day 2: Schilthorn with the first cable cars, Birg and the Grauseeli, evening in Mürren.
• Day 3: Aare Gorge in the morning, Iseltwald in the afternoon, Brienz in the evening.

5 days

• Days 1 to 3: as above.
• Day 4: Oeschinensee with an early time slot, Spiez on the way back.
• Day 5: Rosenlaui Glacier Gorge and valley, or the Brienzer Rothorn if the weather is clear.

With three days, base yourself in Lauterbrunnen or Interlaken rather than Brienz, because two of the three days are in the Lauterbrunnen Valley.

The same route without a car

You can do almost all of this itinerary by public transport, but every day takes longer, and Interlaken is then the better base. The Rosenlaui Valley is served by PostBus 164 from Meiringen, the Oeschinensee by train to Kandersteg, and the Rothorn by the steam train from Brienz instead of the cable car from Sörenberg.

• Lauterbrunnen Valley: train from Interlaken Ost to Lauterbrunnen in about 22 minutes, PostBus 141 to Trümmelbach and Stechelberg.
• Oeschinensee: train via Spiez to Kandersteg, then the local bus or 10 to 15 minutes on foot to the valley station.
• Rosenlaui: train to Meiringen, PostBus 164 in 32 minutes to the gorge, eight buses a day in high summer.
• Brienzer Rothorn: steam train from Brienz, CHF 98 return, about an hour each way.
• Aare Gorge and Iseltwald: train to Meiringen and the Zentralbahn to Aareschlucht West; BLS boat or PostBus 103 to Iseltwald.

Without a car, a regional pass is worth checking. For our route by train and bus, the six-day Berner Oberland Pass would have saved about CHF 140 per adult; the details are in our Bernese Oberland Pass calculation. Many travellers also combine trains for most days with a rental car for one or two days in the Haslital and the Kander Valley.

Bad weather plan

On rainy or cloudy days, swap the summits for the gorges and waterfalls. The Trümmelbach Falls, the Aare Gorge and the Rosenlaui Glacier Gorge are mostly inside the rock or under overhangs, and they carry even more water after rain.

• Low cloud: skip the Schilthorn and the Rothorn. You would pay CHF 115 or CHF 59 to stand in fog.
• Light rain: Trümmelbach Falls, Aare Gorge, Rosenlaui. Wear shoes with grip and a rain jacket.
• Thunderstorms: in July they built up after midday on several days. Do mountain trips in the morning and get off the lakes and high trails when the sky turns grey.
• Indoor options: the Swiss Woodcarving Museum in Brienz, the castle museum in Spiez, Spy World on the Schilthorn.

What July weather was really like for us, with crowds and temperatures, is in our guide to the Bernese Oberland in July.

The itinerary with a dog

Every day of this itinerary works with a dog except the Trümmelbach Falls, where dogs are not allowed. Miley rode the Schilthorn cable cars for free, paid CHF 8 on the Oeschinensee gondola and CHF 12 on the Rothorn cable car, and walked through both the Aare Gorge and the Rosenlaui Glacier Gorge for free.

• Swims: Wycheley, Iseltwald, the Oeschinensee, the Grauseeli below Birg, the Reichenbach in the Rosenlaui Valley and the dog area of the Walenrain meadow in Spiez.
• Grating floors: the Skyline Walk at Birg and the rock tunnel on the Rothorn. Miley did not mind, some dogs do.
• Cows: on the trails at the Oeschinensee and on the Rothorn ridge you walk past grazing cattle. Keep the leash short.
• Heat: on hot days, plan the gorges for the middle of the day. They stay cool.

Our tips for each place, from dog tickets to the best swimming spots, are collected in our guide to the Bernese Oberland with a dog.

Practical tips for the week

A few things made the week easier: the motorway vignette before the border, coins and a card for parking machines, groceries from the supermarket for picnics, and the SBB Mobile app for timetables even if you drive.

• Vignette: CHF 40 for 2026, best as an e-vignette on the official federal portal. Fine without one: CHF 200.
• Parking: several machines only take Swiss coins or need your licence plate. Take a card and a few coins.
• Mobile data: Switzerland is not part of the EU roaming zone. Check your plan or use an eSIM.
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• Food: Coop and Migros for picnic lunches; mountain restaurants are good but expensive.
• Shops on Sunday: mostly closed, except at large stations such as Interlaken Ost.
• Clothes: a jacket for every summit day. On the Schilthorn it is about 13 degrees colder than in the valley.

All places from this itinerary are also on our interactive Bernese Oberland map, so you can check distances before you swap days.

Planning your trip? Our good-to-know guides cover eSIM and mobile data in Switzerland, how to get from Zurich Airport to Interlaken, whether the Swiss Travel Pass is worth it and luggage storage, plus everything else in good to know before you go.

FAQ: Bernese Oberland itinerary

Is 7 days in the Bernese Oberland too much?

No. A week lets you see the Lauterbrunnen Valley, two summits, two lakes and two gorges without rushing, and you can move the mountain days to the clearest mornings. We would not want fewer than six full days for this route.

Do you need a car for this itinerary?

No, but it saves time. A car helps most for the Rosenlaui Valley, Kandersteg and Sörenberg. Without a car, base yourself in Interlaken and take the steam train up the Rothorn instead of the cable car from Sörenberg.

What does a week in the Bernese Oberland cost?

Our tickets cost CHF 257 per adult for the week, plus CHF 60 to 80 for parking, the CHF 40 vignette, fuel, food and accommodation. A holiday flat for two in Brienz typically costs CHF 120 to 250 per night in July.

Which day was the best?

The Schilthorn day with the Grauseeli and the evening in Mürren, closely followed by the Aare Gorge by night. For a single day with the biggest view, choose the Schilthorn on a clear morning.

Is Brienz a good base for a Bernese Oberland itinerary?

With a car, yes: quiet, on the lake, 15 minutes to an hour from every place on this route. Without a car, Interlaken or Lauterbrunnen is more practical.

Should I add the Jungfraujoch?

If you want to stand in the glacier world itself, yes, and it needs a full day. For the view of Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau we chose the Schilthorn, and we have not been up the Jungfraujoch ourselves.

Check tickets for the Oeschinensee gondola →

This itinerary is one part of our Bernese Oberland travel guide, where you find every place with its own detailed guide. For the region’s lakes, the gorges and our other trips, start on the Swiss Detours home page.