Lake Thun by boat: what the scheduled service actually is

In short

There is no excursion boat on Lake Thun, there is a scheduled service. It stops often, it is slow and it follows a timetable — three properties that make it the right vessel for the half day it is built for.

Quick Facts

Elevation: 558 m (lake level)
Getting There: 5 min from Interlaken Ost to the pier Journey time checked 15 September 2026
Duration: 2–4 hrs
Price: CHF 83 Checked with the operator 14 October 2026
Season: Year-round, thinner timetable in winter
Best for: Half days, rainy weather, families

Chapter 01

A scheduled boat, not a cruise

The boats on Lake Thun are scheduled public transport: they run to a timetable, call at many piers and are slow. That is not a limitation, it is the purpose. You see the shoreline, the castles and the mountains behind them from an angle and at a pace no train gives you — and you can step off wherever you like.

The paddle steamer Blümlisalp under way on Lake Thun, passengers on the upper deck, mountains behind — The Blümlisalp under way on Lake Thun — a scheduled boat with a timetable, not a booked excursion. Swissoptimist / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

If what you want is a short narrated circuit, this is the wrong vessel. For half a day it is among the best things to do here; for a quick hour it is not.

Chapter 02

To the pier, not the station

5 minutes from Interlaken Ost to the Interlaken West pier: three to four minutes by train plus the short walk down from the station. The figure measures the pier. An earlier figure of four minutes measured the station — cleanly measured, and an answer to a different question.

The steamer Blümlisalp at the pier in evening light, low sun over Lake Thun — You board at the pier, not at the station — here in evening light. Lauretta3654 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Chapter 03

What the day ticket costs — and why it covers two lakes

The operator sells no day ticket for Lake Thun alone. The card that applies here is listed as «Tageskarte Thuner- und Brienzersee» and costs CHF 83 in 2nd class at the standard fare — CHF 41.50 with a Half Fare Card, CHF 125 in 1st class. Sail only on Lake Thun and you still pay the two-lake price; the cheaper CHF 75 card in the same range works the other way round and is valid on Lake Brienz alone. Checked row by row in the bls-schiff.ch fare table on 14 October 2026.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does a boat trip on Lake Thun cost?

The day ticket costs CHF 83 and the operator calls it «Tageskarte Thuner- und Brienzersee» — there is no Lake-Thun-only card, it always covers both lakes. With a Half Fare Card it is CHF 41.50, in 1st class CHF 125. Checked row by row in the bls-schiff.ch fare table on 14 October 2026.

How do you get to the boat pier?

5 minutes from Interlaken Ost to the Interlaken West pier — three to four minutes by train plus the short walk down from the station. The figure deliberately measures the pier, not the station; an earlier figure of four minutes measured the station and answered a different question.

Is the boat worth it?

If you know what you are booking, yes. These are scheduled public-transport boats: they run to a timetable, stop frequently and are slow. That is the point — you see the shore, the castles and the mountains behind them from the water, at a pace no train offers, and you get off where you like. If you expect a quick narrated cruise, this is the wrong boat.

Is the boat covered by the Swiss Travel Pass?

The scheduled boats on Lake Thun and Lake Brienz are part of the public transport network, so travelcards apply. Because conditions differ by card and route, and because this page could not verify the operator tariff at source, no blanket promise is made here — check the coverage with the operator before you travel.