Lauterbrunnen is a valley floor barely a few hundred metres wide with rock walls on both sides and the Staubbach Falls dropping 297 metres off the western cliff — the highest free-falling waterfall in Switzerland. It is 22 minutes by train from Interlaken Ost with no change. Everything below carries the fare in Swiss francs as the operator states it, the travel time from Lauterbrunnen station, and where something does not justify what it costs, that is written down too.
Quick Facts
The valley at a glance
Six things worth doing, side by side. Two of them are free, one is the single best paid thing here, and one costs more than a day at the Jungfraujoch.
| Destination | From Lauterbrunnen station | Price | Time needed | Season | With kids |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Staubbach Falls | 10 min On foot | Free | 45 min | Year-round | Yes |
| Trümmelbach Falls | 7 min Bus | CHF 18 | 1–1.5 hrs | April–November | Yes |
| Wengen (car-free village) | 11 min Train | Not verified | Half day | Year-round | Yes |
| Mürren via Grütschalp | 21 min Cable car | Not verified | Half day | Year-round | Yes |
| Schilthorn — Piz Gloria | 60 min Cable car | CHF 115 return | Full day | Year-round | Yes |
Adult prices, as of the date at the foot of this page. Cableway and boat fares vary by route, travelcard and guest card.
Two fares are marked as unverified on purpose. Neither Jungfraubahnen nor the local operator publishes a plain single fare for Lauterbrunnen – Wengen or Lauterbrunnen – Mürren in a form we could quote with confidence, and inventing a plausible figure would destroy the one thing this table has that the competing guides do not.
The two waterfalls
Staubbach Falls — free, and ten minutes from the station
The Staubbach drops 297 metres in a single free fall from the cliff above the village, which makes it the highest free-falling waterfall in the country. It is visible from the station platform, and the walk to its foot takes about ten minutes along the valley road.
A gallery hewn into the rock leads up behind the curtain of water. It is seasonal — closed through winter and in poor conditions — so check before you plan the day around it. The fall carries by far the most water from May to July, when the snowmelt is running; by late summer it can thin to a drifting veil, which is where its name comes from. That is worth knowing before travelling in September expecting the postcard.
Trümmelbach Falls — the one paid thing to do
If you do one thing here that costs money, make it this. The Trümmelbach is not a waterfall you look at from outside: ten glacier waterfalls run inside the mountain, and a tunnel lift built into the rock takes you up to walkways alongside them. The operator states the stream drains the glacier faces of the Eiger (3,970 m), Mönch (4,099 m) and Jungfrau (4,158 m) — a catchment of 24 km², up to half of it under snow and ice — at up to 20,000 litres a second.
- Admission: CHF 18 adults, CHF 8 children aged 6–15. No group rates. Checked with the operator on 28 July 2026.
- Season and hours: early April to early November, daily 9:00–17:00; in July and August 8:30–18:00.
- Getting there: Postbus from Lauterbrunnen station to the "Trümmelbachfälle" stop, 7 minutes. By car it is about 3 km beyond the village.
- Not admitted: babies and children under 4, and dogs — the operator excludes them for safety reasons. Worth knowing before you travel out with a pushchair.
Allow an hour to an hour and a half. It is cold and wet inside whatever the weather outside is doing, which also makes it the obvious choice on a rainy day.
The villages above the valley
The valley floor is a short visit. What turns Lauterbrunnen into a full day is what sits on the terraces above it — and both of those villages are genuinely car-free, unlike Lauterbrunnen itself.
- Wengen — 11 minutes by cog railway from Lauterbrunnen. The larger of the two, at 1,274 m, facing the Jungfrau across the valley, and the starting point for the Männlichen cable car.
- Mürren — 21 minutes, first the cable car to Grütschalp, then the panorama railway along the terrace. Smaller, higher, quieter, and the ride itself is half the reason to go.
- Gimmelwald — below Mürren, reachable by cable car. A hamlet rather than a resort, which is precisely its appeal.
Insider Tip
Take the Grütschalp cable car up and the train along to Mürren, then walk back down to Lauterbrunnen instead of riding. The path drops through the terrace forest with the valley opening below you the whole way — and it costs nothing beyond the single ride up. The rides are frequent enough that you can decide at the top, depending on how your legs feel.
Schilthorn — is Piz Gloria worth it?
The 2,970-metre summit with the revolving restaurant of On Her Majesty's Secret Service is the expensive option in this valley, and the figure deserves stating plainly: CHF 115 return from Lauterbrunnen via Grütschalp, according to Schilthornbahn's own tariff (checked 28 July 2026, valid to 12 December 2026). From Interlaken it is CHF 135.20.
That is more than the discounted entry to the Jungfraujoch, for a lower summit. It is worth the money if the revolving restaurant and the full 360° panorama are what you came for. If you mainly want altitude and a view, Birg one stage below, or simply Mürren, deliver a great deal of it for a fraction. Reductions are steep and worth checking: Half Fare brings it to CHF 57.50, GA and Swiss Travel Pass to CHF 45.70, and the Berner Oberland Pass covers it entirely.
If you only have two hours
A very common case — Lauterbrunnen is often a stop between trains rather than a destination. Two hours is enough for the free half of the valley and nothing more:
- Walk up the valley road to the foot of the Staubbach Falls (10 minutes each way).
- Climb the gallery behind the fall, if the season allows.
- Return along the Weisse Lütschine through the village.
What does not fit in two hours: the Trümmelbach Falls, which need the bus each way plus an hour inside, and anything above the valley. Trying to add either is how people end up running for a train.
What costs nothing
More than in most of this region. The Staubbach Falls and the path to their foot, the valley-floor walk, the village, and — through the summer — the base jumpers. The cliffs here are among the busiest jumping sites in the world, and on a fine day you can watch canopies opening against the rock wall from a bench on the valley floor without paying anything or booking anything.
When to come
- May to July — the waterfalls carry the most water. This is the valley at its best and also its busiest.
- September and October — quieter and clear, but the Staubbach can be thin. The Trümmelbach runs to early November.
- Winter — the Trümmelbach is closed, the Staubbach gallery too. Wengen and Mürren carry the season instead, as ski villages.
Whatever the month, go early. The valley is full of coaches from Interlaken by mid-morning, and the road to the Staubbach is narrow.
About those "72 waterfalls"
The figure appears in nearly every article about this valley, including ours. It is the region's own count and it includes a great many thin seasonal streams off the walls. Named ones are far fewer — Staubbach, Trümmelbach, Mürrenbach, Buchenbach, Mattenbach — and precisely two are set up to be visited. Worth knowing before you arrive expecting seventy-two of anything.
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Back to overview: All things to do in Interlaken
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Lauterbrunnen worth visiting?
Yes, and it needs less time than most guides suggest. The valley floor with the Staubbach Falls is a genuine sight and reachable in 22 minutes from Interlaken Ost without changing trains. What it is not is a full-day destination in itself: the village has one main street. The day gets filled by what sits above it — Wengen, Mürren, the Schilthorn — or by a hike.
How do you spend 2 hours in Lauterbrunnen?
Walk from the station up the valley to the foot of the Staubbach Falls — about ten minutes each way — climb the gallery behind the fall if it is open, and walk back along the Weisse Lütschine. That is the whole of the free valley-floor circuit and it fits in two hours with time for a coffee. The Trümmelbach Falls do not fit: the bus, the tunnel lift and the walkways need an hour and a half on their own.
What should you not miss in Lauterbrunnen?
The Trümmelbach Falls, if you only do one paid thing. Ten glacier waterfalls run inside the mountain, carrying up to 20,000 litres a second from the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau, and a tunnel lift takes you into the rock to see them. CHF 18 for adults, CHF 8 for children aged 6 to 15 — checked with the operator on 28 July 2026.
Which is better, Grindelwald or Lauterbrunnen?
Grindelwald is the bigger place with more hotels, more shops and direct access to First and the Eiger Express. Lauterbrunnen is smaller, quieter and more dramatic — the valley walls are what people come for. For a base of several nights with varied excursions, Grindelwald. For the scenery itself and for reaching Wengen, Mürren and the Schilthorn, Lauterbrunnen. Both are around 22 to 36 minutes from Interlaken Ost.
Is Lauterbrunnen car-free?
No — this is a common mix-up. Lauterbrunnen village has a road, parking and a large car park at the station. The car-free villages are Wengen and Mürren above the valley, which is exactly why people park in Lauterbrunnen and take the train or cable car up.
Is the Schilthorn worth CHF 115?
That is the return fare from Lauterbrunnen via Grütschalp, checked with Schilthornbahn on 28 July 2026, and it is real money — more than the discounted entry fare to the Jungfraujoch. It is worth it if the revolving restaurant and the 360° panorama are the point of your day. If you mainly want height and a view, Mürren and Birg cost a fraction. A Swiss Travel Pass brings it to CHF 45.70; the Berner Oberland Pass covers it entirely.
What can you do in Lauterbrunnen for free?
The Staubbach Falls and the path to their foot, the valley-floor walk along the Weisse Lütschine, the village itself, and watching the base jumpers who use the cliffs through the summer. That is a comfortable half day without a ticket of any kind.