The capital of Switzerland, Bern, is an underrated tourist destination. It is incredibly beautiful and is perfect for relaxing in the midst of mountains and clear-blue waters. However, if you are in the city for more than 24 hours, it can become quite mundane and it is certainly not for everyone. With that in mind, I thought that I would write a quick guide on different day trips from Bern which you could take.
Here are my top 7 choices with you guys in mind. I hope that you enjoy reading about them.
Day Trips from Bern | Your Quick Guide
Top Tips for Travelling in Switzerland
I’ve built the following trips with the assumption that you’ll be travelling by train. Whilst car rental is definitely a possibility, Bern is super well-connected and you won’t find it hard to move about by train.
What I would say though is that Switzerland is expensive and you should expect to pay significantly more than you would in the UK for train travel. With this in mind, I’d recommend looking at the Swiss Travel Pass. This covers you for all public transport (including ferries!) whilst you are in the country and you can set this for a variable time limit. If you are planning on various day trips from Bern, I would 100% look into this option. I promise it will save you money.
1. Thun & Lake Thun
Travel time: ~30 minutes by train
Thun is a a really short train journey from Bern. You probably haven’t heard of it before; it is a small, historic town set amongst the Swiss Alps. I can promise you though that it will be one of the most scenic places you have ever visited. You’ll see covered bridges all covered in flowers, the classic Swiss-style chalets and the bluest rivers you can imagine. All of this is against the backdrop of snow-tipped mountains and Lake Thun.
Our day trip to Thun also included a ferry across the lake towards Interlaken and you can combine these two options in one day if you wish. Alternatively, you can do both towns separately to make the most out of it.
2. Interlaken
Travel time: ~50 minutes by train
As the name suggests, you’ll find Interlaken between two lakes; Lake Thun and Lake Brienz. As a disclaimer though, the town is super touristy and prices do reflect this. However, it is not a surprise given how much there is to do here. Around the town there are plenty of hiking trails to explore and, with the location, you can try your hand at various watersports on the lake. For the best views of the scenery and the surrounding Jungfrau region, I’d recommend taking the funicular up to Harder Kulm.
As I said above, to get here I’d recommend catching the ferry over from Thun. If you want to spend an entire day here, trains run regularly here from Bern. You have the option of. either a regional (slower) or the inter-city trains. For the latter, unlike other European countries, you won’t need to book seats in advance. Just hop on and present your ticket.
3. Gruyères
Travel time: ~1 hour 30 minutes by train
The town of Gruyères is a bit further from Bern than the likes of Interlaken or Thun, however it is the ultimate place for cheese lovers. As the name suggests, the town is the birthplace of the legendary Swiss Gruyère cheese. If you fancied a Swiss fondue, I would argue that this is as good a place as any to try it! It pairs perfectly with the local white wine…
Aside from cheese, the town is classically medieval and has a similar vibe to Thun in many ways. Once again you have a gorgeous mountainous backdrop and a castle to explore. You can also find the HR Giger Museum here, which is allegedly a very surreal experience.
4. Murten (Morat)
Travel time: ~30 minutes by train
Morat is another lakeside gem in Switzerland and is easily accessible by train from Bern. This town is known best for its medieval history; it has some incredibly well-preserved walls here to explore. If you are into your history, this is a great option for you.
Once again though the town has a laid-back vibe and has some amazing lakeside views. It is the perfect location for relaxing by the shores with a local coffee in hand, or even renting a paddleboat!
5. Emmental Valley
Travel time: ~40 minutes by car or 1 hour by public transport
If you are after some of the best views in Switzerland, head to the Emmental valley. If all you want from Switzerland are the classic rolling green hills with the traditional chalets dotted amongst them, then this is the place for you.
As a disclaimer, there isn’t a lot here to explore (aside from hiking), but it is the birthplace of the famous Emmental cheese (as you may have guessed!). Given the location, I would also recommend taking a tour here if you can. Another option is just to visit the Emmental Cheese Dairy, which is about an hour by public transport. To get here, take the S4 train to Hasle-Rüegsau, and then (at the station) take the 471 bus to Affoltern im Emmental. The Dairy is then directly in front of you.
6. Lauterbrunnen & the Jungfrau Region
Travel time: ~1 hour 20 minutes by train
If you enjoyed Interlaken, then why not head back here to explore the nearby region of Lauterbrunnen? The village of Lauterbrunnen is only a short train journey away from Interlaken – or 90 minutes or so from Thun. Nearby you have some truly breath-taking hikes where you can explore the famous 72 waterfalls found around here.
Staubbach Falls are arguably the most famous of the lot (thanks to Sherlock Holmes!) and the hike here takes you through the rolling green hills up amongst the Jungfrau peaks. There are plenty of these hikes to choose from too. Whilst I’ve classified Lauterbrunnen as one of my day trips from Bern, you could easily stay here for a few days to really explore it.
7. Fribourg and Île d’Ogoz
Travel time: ~25 minutes by train
The city of Fribourg is just under half an hour from Bern and makes for an excellent day trip. It is perhaps best known for being on the border between the French and German-speaking regions of the country, but it is also rich in history and has plenty to explore. In the city, you have the famous St. Nicholas Cathedral, plenty of shops in the Fribourg Centre and the historic bridges.
Nearby the city though are a few lakes. Île d’Ogoz can be found in the heart of Lac de la Gruyère. The small island has a ruined castle and an old church on it, and can actually be walked to for a few weeks each year. If you are around in the late Spring and enjoy hiking, then definitely consider this great option.
Final Thoughts | Day Trips from Bern
There are so many day trips from Bern to choose from and these are just my top 7. If you are planning to spend just 24 hours in Bern, definitely consider extending the time to pack in as many of these as possible. It really is the ultimate base to explore the Swiss countryside.
