Geneva

Introduction

Switzerland has been on my bucket list for the longest time because I've only heard good things about the country and that it's incredibly beautiful. And when I visited, it didn't fail to deliver. The country has stunning views and nature, and everything is very peaceful. I wish I had more time here!

This article is going to be more about the Alps/Interlaken, since I didn't get the time to actually see Geneva itself - I just flew in/out of there. I was only here for ~3 days, but I would recommend more time so you could see more! I did feel like a little rushed, even though we made Interlaken our home base and did day trips from there.

Everything in Switzerland is pretty expensive, so I would be sure to save up before you go. Your biggest expenses will be your accommodation, transportation, and food. To save on accommodation, I would just recommend booking early and being flexible on the location. To save on food, I would bring your own food from home that you can make with just a microwave, protein bars, etc. - whatever you can make without a proper kitchen, and bring snacks. I think it's still worth eating out a few times, but if you can bring as much food as you can in a packable bag you'll save a lot of money.

For transportation, the easiest thing to do is to buy a Swiss Travel Pass, create an account to link your pass to your account, and then download the SBB app and have the QR code of your pass ready to show. It's valid pretty much anywhere in Switzerland (with a few exceptions). It's pricey, but it reduces your worries when it comes to paying for what transportation provider. With the Travel Pass, you can pretty hop on any ferry, bus, or train and be covered.

Finally, I definitely recommend paragliding while you're there! It's a little pricey as well, but it's well worth the experience. We did it based in Interlaken where there's a few pick-up points and they take you to the mountain where you jump off. We went with Paragliding Interlaken and it was a great experience! If you have a GoPro, I would recommend bringing that since they charge an obscene amount for pictures.

If i had more time, I would want to explore the area around Luzern and closer to Zurich, but that's for next time!

*** bolded = highly recommended

Nature

Lake Gelmersee - The ~2 hr hike around the lake is beautiful, but I would recommend doing it on a sunny day. You will be scrambling up rocks and walking close to a waterfall at some point, so I would recommend good shoes with traction!
Giessbach Waterfalls - We were on a time crunch so we were only able to see the falls from the Brienz-Giessbach See-Iseltwald ferry, which was still stunning. I would recommend getting off at the Giessbach See stop and exploring more of the waterfall!
Hohermatt Park - This is the park that’s in the center of Interlaken where you can see paragliders land and some cows chewing on some grass.

food

Tom Yum Kung - Not the best place, but the ambiance was nice.
sri manee Isaan Thai House - The chicken wings were good (smaller than I would have liked), and the pad nam prig pao was tasty. I liked their Thai tea w/ lime juice!
Brasserie 17-Happy Inn Lodge - The hostel/hostel we stayed at had a bar downstairs and I would recommend getting the ribs! The fondue was nice too, but had too much of a vodka aftertaste for me.
Hopplá Bistro - Best place we ate in Interlaken. We got the beef gulash and the rose duck breast, which was absolutely stellar. The house lemonade they offer is also good, with a great balance of fruit and lemon.

Attractions

Gelmerbahn - The funicular is cool even on a cloudy & rainy day. If you plan to hike around the lake, tell the ticket agent that your return time will be 2.5 hrs from when you get up since you have to give them a return time. Also, it’s a little further out from Interlaken and the buses run on a slightly infrequent schedule, so budget enough time to go!

Just passing by

Brienz - Very small town, not much to do but it’s nice to walk along the lake!
Iseltwald - Also a very small town, you can probably see everything in 30 minutes but it is very pretty - exactly like how you see it in pictures.

day trips

Lauterbrunnen
Lauterbrunnen is the picturesque place you’ve probably seen on TikToks and IG Reels. It’s more beautiful in real life and I would highly recommend making this as part of a day trip since it’s easy to get here from Interlaken. You can see everything in less than a day, but adjust this based on your timing.

I would recommend doing the plan I listed below in order, since you’ll just be making a loop to end up back at the train station. Walking from the train station to the Staubbach Falls Viewpoint to the falls itself will take you ~15min. Then, from the falls, you can take the bus to Schilthornbahn, which is where the cable car is that takes you to Gimmelwald. Once you get to the cable cars near Gimmelwald & Murren, it’s just a straight shot back to town on a train and a cable car!

Plan

Staubbachfall Viewpoint
Staubbach Falls
Trümmelbach Falls - You have to pay to go in, but if you’re staying in Interlaken and they gave you a transport discount card, you’ll get 10% off. The falls are very fascinating though.
Gimmelwald - we ate a snack & hot chocolate at the most adorable hostel on the top of the mountain and just took it all in. I would at least walk around here or in Murren, but Murren is a little bigger and has more established places to see/eat.
Mürren

Grindelwald
I would also recommend visiting Grindelwald for the exact same reason I listed above. Grindelwald itself is a little touristy, but the best part is when you go up the gondola to the mountain. This is also a very manageable day trip from Interlaken, with the possibility of having some time left over if you walk fast.

When you take the gondola from the base to the top of the mountain, there are a few stops the gondola makes. I would recommend just taking the gondola straight to First, since you’ll get to see the views from the gondola. You do have to pay extra since it’s not covered by the Swiss Travel Pass, but you can get 50% off if you do.

There are some paid activities that you can do as you go up the mountain. We did the mountain carts, and it’s just a tricycle that has no brakes. But, you bike from one of the gondola stops (Schrekfeld) to the stop below. It’s actually very exhilarating since the cart does go fast, and the view is incredible as you go down - I would recommend stopping here and there and taking pictures!

When you get off the gondola at Firstbahn, there’s really 3 things to do: the hike to Lake Bachalpsee, the First Cliff Walk (which is a glass bridge of some sorts that gives great views of the mountains), and the platform near the walk. I would recommend doing the walk first if it’s not too crowded, and then doing the hike. However, doing all 3 things is a must.

The hike to Lake Bachalpsee is not challenging (1 hr one way). There are some parts where it’s uphill, but it’s relatively flat and the path is well defined. When you see the lake, there’s a lower part and a “higher” part and it looks absolutely stunning. I recommend just sitting near the water and enjoying the mountain! It’s very peaceful. Once you make your way back to the gondola, just take it back to Grindelwald to end your day!