The most luxurious version of the TMB around - upscale hotels, private transfers, and world-class guided daily hikes of unequaled...
Guided Deluxe Bernese Oberland Traverse
Guided Deluxe Bernese Oberland Traverse
- Guided Group,
- Inn-To-Inn,
- Moderate to Challenging,
The Bernese Oberland is our home away from home in Switzerland. Explore the heart of the Alps in style.
While our classic route is also fantastic, we absolutely love this deluxe version of our itinerary. This tour is a luxurious collection of unbeatable alpine scenery, deluxe hotels, and quiet, dreamy trails. We’ll stay in 4-star hotels everynight, hiking through some of the most unforgettable valleys in the Alps… you’re going to love it!
This is still an adventurous trip. We hike to 4 different locations over 8 nights, crossing passes, and hiking up to high ridges and huts. At night, we’ll be relaxing in the finest hotels in idyllic alpine villages. Extra nights at 3 stops allow us to explore hidden corners where you find the magic in this region.
This trip is guaranteed to run. Sign up, book your flight, and you are going. Our guides will make sure every detail is taken care of. As with all of our deluxe tours, you’ll have your luggage every night, so you can hike all day, and relax in comfort each night. Bliss!
Days 1-3
Grindelwald to Wengen
Wake, walk to your balcony and stare. You never imagined it was so big! Spend 2 days under Eiger-dominated views of Grindelwald, then hike along the Eiger North Face to car-free Wengen. Stunning.
Days 4-6
Lauterbrunnen and Murren
The waterfall-filled Lauterbrunnen valley is full of surprises. Most of all, a peaceful, car-free village clinging to the cliff tops. Murren awaits, and it’s a paradise for hikers.
Days 7-9
Murren to Kandersteg
Now head to the quiet side of the Bernese Oberland. Travel by train to the Kandertal, home to the stunningly blue Oeschinensee lake. Enjoy a luxurious finish with 2 nights in a 4-star hotel.
Included
Your tour will be led by an experienced Alpinehikers guide, with guided hikes daily. All transfers to and from trailheads are included. You’ll stay 8 nights in 4-star village hotels. All breakfasts, picnic lunches, and dinners are included. Luggage transfers to all hotels are also part of your tour, as well as a 1st class 3 day Swiss rail pass for arrival and departure.
Day 1
arrive in Grindelwald
Arrive in Switzerland, and transfer by train to the Grindelwald, at the base of the famous Eiger North Face. It’s a scenic trip, passing through farms and along lakes as the mountain giants of the Bernese Oberland get closer and closer.
Although it’s the largest mountain village in the region, Grindelwald is still quite small. After checking into our deluxe 4-star hotel, you might enjoy a stroll through the village or a drink in the views from a scenic restaurant terrace. In the late afternoon, you’ll meet your guide and the rest of your group to start the Deluxe Bernese Oberland tour.
Arrival: Zürich or Geneva. Plan to arrive by the day your tour starts. There is a train station in both the Zürich and Geneva airports, with hourly departures for this region. Travel time, 3 hrs (Zürich) or 4 hrs (Geneva)
- Dinner
Day 2
Grindelwald, Hike to Bachsee lake
After a hearty breakfast, we’ll take a short bus ride up to the Grosse Scheidegg pass and enjoy sweeping views of the Eiger, Wetterhorn and Schreckhorn mountains and of the Grindelwald valley.
With 10,000 vertical feet separating valley from peak, Grindelwald sits at the base of one of the most impressive vertical mountain walls in the world. Perhaps we’ll detour via the postcard-perfect Bachsee lake before winding back down to Grindelwald.
HIKE: 6-8 hours, 10 miles; Elevation: 2750 ft up, 2390 ft down
- Breakfast
- Lunch
- Dinner
Day 3
hike the Kleine Scheidegg pass to Wengen
Today we’ll start with a short train ride out of Grindewald to a mellow mountain inn near the top of tree line. Our morning today is dominated by great close-up views of the Eiger North Face – perhaps the most notorious mountain wall in the Swiss Alps.
We’ll hike up to the famous Kleine Scheidegg pass under the Eiger North Face, where the Mönch and Jungfrau mountains also come into view. After a break for lunch, we’ll descend on quiet side-trails with incredible waterfall and glacier views to the car-free village of Wengen for a restful night.
HIKE: 6-8 hours, 10 miles; Elevation: 1720 ft up, 2840 ft down
- Breakfast
- Lunch
- Dinner
Day 4
hike through the Lauterbrunnen valley to Mürren
Our trail from Wengen starts downhill to Lauterbrunnen and then leads past countless waterfalls along the lush Lauterbrunnen valley floor. After a break for lunch, we’ll hike up a steep trail through a quiet, wooded valley into one of the most spectacular corners of the Alps.
Our trail winds up through sleepy Gimmelwald to Mürren, a postcard-perfect car-free village perched on the edge of a cliff with unparalleled views of the surrounding mountains. Stay in the newly renovated 4-star Palace Hotel.
HIKE: 5-7 hours, 11 miles; Elevation: 3600 ft up, 2590 ft down
- Breakfast
- Lunch
- Dinner
Day 5
Mürren, hike to Lobhorn hut and Sulsee lake
There are numerous dayhike possibilities around Mürren. One beautiful trail leads up to the Lobhorn hut and nearby Sulsee mountain lake, for superb all-around views. Shorter hikes traverse the meadows above town, with numerous mountain inns along the way inviting you to stop and linger.
Or feel free to just unwind in one of the most scenic and relaxing villages in the Alps. Relax at the pool and spa, or the Schilthorn cable car makes a memorable daytrip to a scenic peak.
HIKE: 5-7 hours, 8-10 miles; Elevation: 1850 ft up, 1850 ft down
- Breakfast
- Lunch
- Dinner
Day 6
Mürren, hike to Rostock hut
Today’s trail leads up and back into the deep recesses of the Sefinen Valley. A steep climb is followed by a long, flatter stretch along a sunny, south-facing trail to the Rotstock hut, where you can stop for drinks and perhaps an early lunch. Crane your neck to see the revolving restaurant atop the Schilthorn high above you.
If you’d like a big day today, the trail continues, leading you up to the quiet recesses of the rocky Sefinenfurke pass. Return to Rotstock and then veer off across a minor ridge to vary the descent back to Murren.
HIKE: 6-8 hours, 10 miles; Elevation: 3200 ft up, 3200 ft down
- Breakfast
- Lunch
- Dinner
Day 7
Kandersteg, hike to Oeschinensee lake
We’ll hop on the train for the beautiful journey to Kandersteg today, a quick trip that takes just over 2 hrs. We’ll drop our bags at the hotel and then head off on a hike! The best hiking destination in Kandersteg is the jewel-like Oeschinen Lake – an emerald-green lake surrounded by cliffs which has to be seen to be believed.
You can either relax at the lake, or take a bigger hike high above the lake for perfect birds-eye views. Return to Kandersteg, where we stay in a deluxe 4-star hotel on the edge of town.
HIKE: 7-9 hours, 10 miles; Elevation: 4590 ft up, 5350 ft down
- Breakfast
- Lunch
- Dinner
Day 8
explore the Gasterntal valley from Kandersteg
For our grand finale, we’ll head up on a quiet path leading south to the hidden Gasterntal valley. The power of the Kander river is impressive as you climb through anarrow gorge and emerge into this picture-perfect hideaway.
The Gasterntal is a small, U-shaped valley, carpeted with wildflowers and guarded by rugged cliffs. Waterfalls bursting from the sides of the cliffs cascade down to the valley floor. We’ll stop at a mountain inn for lunch and explore the back of the valley before returning by van to Kandersteg for our final celebratory dinner.
HIKE: 5-7 hours, 10 miles; Elevation: 1840 ft up, 630 ft down
- Breakfast
- Lunch
- Dinner
Day 9
depart
Today we say good-bye to the Bernese Oberland and depart for our post-tour destinations. Your 1st class pass will get you anywhere in Switzerland.
Departure: Zürich or Geneva. It is 2:30 hrs from Kandersteg to Zürich, 3:30 hrs to Geneva by train. Trains start at 6 am if you need an early start, and leave hourly throughout the day.
- Breakfast