2026-05-13 - 8 min read
Two Weeks Hiking Switzerland: Interlaken, Zermatt, and the Big Alpine Days Between
A field-note style starter post for a two-week Switzerland hiking trip, built around the Bernese Oberland and Zermatt with enough weather-buffer space to keep the trip sane.
This Switzerland trip works because it does not try to see the whole country. The good version is narrower: spend a week around Interlaken, move slowly through the valleys and ridge trails, then finish with a week in Zermatt where almost every clear morning feels like it should be protected.
The rhythm I would keep is simple: hike hard on clear days, use bad weather for trains, lakes, cafes, laundry, and mountain-view recovery, and never stack the longest trails back to back. Switzerland rewards ambition, but it rewards flexibility more.
The shape of the trip
I would split the two weeks almost evenly: seven nights in the Interlaken region and six nights in Zermatt, with the final night positioned wherever the departure airport makes sense. That gives the trip enough structure to avoid constant packing, but enough movement to feel like two distinct chapters.
Interlaken is the practical base. You can reach Lauterbrunnen, Wengen, Murren, Grindelwald, Lake Brienz, Lake Thun, Schynige Platte, and harder day hikes without rebuilding your whole plan every morning. Zermatt is less of a hub and more of a commitment. Once you are there, stay put and let the Matterhorn mornings come to you.
Week 1: Interlaken, valleys, and ridge walks
The Interlaken week should start gently. A first full day on Harder Kulm, Lake Brienz, or a valley walk gives your legs a chance to catch up with the altitude and the travel day. After that, I would build around Lauterbrunnen, Wengen, Murren, Grindelwald First, Bachalpsee, and one bigger ridge or lake day if the weather opens.
The biggest mistake is treating every cable car like a shortcut to squeeze in more. The better move is choosing one mountain zone per day and letting the rest of the day breathe. The walks are more memorable when lunch, train platforms, and post-hike swims are not all on a stopwatch.
Week 2: Zermatt and the Matterhorn weather lottery
Zermatt changes the trip from valley-hopping to mountain-watching. I would plan a few clear-sky priorities: Gornergrat and Riffelsee, the Five Lakes Walk, a Matterhorn Glacier Trail day, and one longer high-route day if legs and weather cooperate.
This is also where a buffer day becomes a feature instead of a compromise. If the Matterhorn is socked in, wander the village, ride partway up for lunch, visit the mountaineering museum, or save the legs for tomorrow. A cloudy day in Zermatt is not a failed day. It is the cost of getting one absurdly good morning.
What I would change next time
I would protect rest more aggressively. The Swiss rail system makes ambitious plans feel easy on paper, but the trip feels better when every third or fourth day has a softer landing. I would also book flexible mountain days instead of assigning the prettiest viewpoints to fixed dates months in advance.
For the story version of this post, this is where the personal details matter: the trail that was harder than expected, the meal after the longest descent, the cloudy morning that still worked, and the one view worth getting up early for.
A two-week hiking route to recreate in TripGuru
Day 1 - Interlaken
Arrive and settle in Interlaken
Keep the arrival day low pressure: check in, walk along the Aare, pick up trail snacks, and make an early night of it.
Day 2 - Interlaken
Harder Kulm and Lake Brienz
A gentle first hiking day with a viewpoint, a lake boat or shoreline walk, and a weather read for the week ahead.
Day 3 - Lauterbrunnen
Lauterbrunnen valley and Wengen
Waterfalls, valley paths, and a climb or train ride up to Wengen for balcony views over the valley.
Day 4 - Grindelwald
Grindelwald First to Bachalpsee
A classic high-alpine day: ride up to First, walk to Bachalpsee, and linger if the Eiger views are clear.
Day 5 - Murren
Murren, Gimmelwald, and a slower valley day
Use this as a recovery day with village paths, cable cars, and a long lunch with mountain views.
Day 6 - Bernese Oberland
Big hike or Oeschinensee side trip
Pick the day based on weather: a longer ridge walk near Schynige Platte or a train side trip to Kandersteg and Oeschinensee.
Day 7 - Interlaken
Weather buffer and lake recovery
Leave this day open for the hike you had to move, a swim, a boat ride, or a completely justified pastry crawl.
Day 8 - Zermatt
Train to Zermatt
Travel day through the valleys, check into Zermatt, and take an evening walk for first Matterhorn views.
Day 9 - Zermatt
Five Lakes Walk
Start the Zermatt hiking chapter with the Five Lakes Walk, one of the best mixes of views and manageable effort.
Day 10 - Zermatt
Gornergrat and Riffelsee
Take the Gornergrat railway early, then walk around Riffelsee when reflections and clouds are playing nicely.
Day 11 - Zermatt
Matterhorn Glacier Trail
A rockier, higher-feeling trail day with glacier views and a very different texture from the grassy Bernese Oberland hikes.
Day 12 - Zermatt
Long high route or village recovery
If the forecast and legs agree, choose a longer high route. If not, keep it local and enjoy not being in a hurry.
Day 13 - Zermatt
Final clear-sky chase
Use the last full day as a weather make-up day for whichever Zermatt hike deserved better conditions.
Day 14 - Zermatt to Zurich or Geneva
Departure by rail
Leave Zermatt by train, with enough buffer to make the airport transfer feel boring in the best possible way.