Jungfraujoch, also known as “Top of Europe”, is the highest train station in Europe. It is located nothing more and nothing less than at 3,454 meters above sea level. Climbing the Jungfrau is one of the most popular mountain excursions from Interlaken. It is one of the places essential things to see in Switzerland. We tell you how to get to Jungfraujoch from Interlaken, how much does the excursion cost and everything you can do at the top of the mountain. Take note!
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Contents of this article
1. HOW TO GET TO JUNGFRAUJOCH FROM INTERLAKEN
Get to the top of Jungfraujoch is an unforgettable experience. It takes a couple of hours to get there from Interlaken with two transfers. It may seem like a bummer, but You only have to wait 10 minutes between one train and another. You won’t even feel it! Just enough to change trains without rushing.
We tell you how to get from Interlaken to Jungfraujoch, the highest railway station in Europe. The good news is that this high mountain train does run all year round, unlike other trains in Switzerland.
1.1. Interlaken East has Lauterbrunnen / Grindelwald
If you leave Interlaken you have two ways to get to the top of Jungfrau. You can go to Lauterbrunnen or Grindelwaldsince trains leave from both towns to Kleine Scheidegg, the station that will take you to the top.
Both Lauterbrunnen and Grindelwald are towns worth visiting. So it’s not a bad idea to take a look before climbing the Jungfraujoch. You can see the other town when you go down. It’s a great idea! This is how you spend a super complete day of excursion 😉 The journey to get to Jungfraujoch from Interlaken takes exactly the same, whether you stop in Lauterbrunnen and Grindelwald. We are talking about a journey of about two hours in total.
The first train leaves Interlaken Ost at 6:35 a.m. (whether you go to Lauterbrunnen or Grindelwald). There are departures every half hour. Our itinerary began with a good breakfast first thing in the morning. at the Metropole Hotel, then we took the 8:05 a.m. train towards Lauterbrunnen. The journey takes about 20 minutes. If you choose to go to Grindelwald, the trip takes about half an hour. You can check the detailed schedules in the SBB Mobile app.
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1.2. Lauterbrunnen / Grindelwald a Kleine Scheidegg
The next leg of the trip will take you to Kleine Scheidegg. The train from Lauterbrunnen takes 50 minutes and from Grindelwald half an hour.. From either station the schedules are set up so that there are about 10 minutes for the train change.
1.3. Kleine Scheidegg a Jungfraujoch
When you reach Kleine Scheidegg there will only be one more train left to reach the top 😉 At the station you will see indications for groups, individual tourists with a seat reservation or without a reservation. From May to September it is possible to reserve a seat to secure a specific train.
When planning your visit, keep in mind that mid-morning trains may fill up in July and August. So If you don’t want to wait you can reserve your seat online. Don’t be scared if you didn’t reserve your seat, the worst that can happen is that you have to stand or wait for the next train.
You are already very close! The last leg of the trip to reach the top of Jungfrau lasts 35 minutes. Does a stop at the beginning of the trip in Eigergletscherthis is a starting point for several hiking routes, if you dare. From this point, the train enters a tunnelso it is not a scenic tour.
We recommend sitting on the right side of the carriage so you can admire the views of the outer part of the route. Before reaching the final station, the train stops for five minutes at the Eismeer station (“sea of ice”), 3,160 meters above sea level. From there there is a incredible view of a glacier. It is very impressive to see the enormous size of the cracks and the bluish color of the ice blocks. It looks like a movie set!
To descend, do not forget that the last train Jungfraujoch to Kleine Scheidegg departs at 18:43 from May to September and at 16:43 during the rest of the year. Pay close attention to the train schedule to get off!
2. HOW MUCH DOES IT COST TO GET TO JUNGFRAUJOCH FROM INTERLAKEN
We must admit that Jungfraujoch is an expensive excursion, it is common in the mountains of Switzerland. Even so, prices vary depending on the season of the year. If you have the Swiss Travel Pass, you can travel for free to Lauterbrunnen and Grindelwald. From there, you will have a 25% discount on the usual price. It’s a relief!
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Interlaken East – Jungfraujoch – Interlaken East
- June August: 249,80 CHF
- September – May: 223,80 CHF
Lauterbrunnen – Jungfraujoch – Lauterbrunnen
The price is the same if you want to stop in Grindelwald on the way back. as we have recommended before. Of course, you will have to specify it when purchasing the ticket.
- June August: 239,60 CHF
- September – May: 213,60 CHF
Grindelwald – Jungfraujoch – Grindelwald
- June August: 227 CHF
- September – May: 201 CHF
3. WHAT TO SEE AND WHAT TO DO IN JUNGFRAUJOCH
Now that you know the information to prepare the details of your excursion to Jungfraujochwe leave you a few recommendations what to do in Jungfraujoch. You will have a wonderful time!
3.1. Sphinx Observation Deck
Since you are 3,571 meters above sea level, you must find the perfect spot to enjoy the views. The Sphinx Observation Deck is the best option, without a doubt. It’s the Jungfraujoch star! It bears the same name as the peak where the viewpoint is located.
To get there you have to take a elevator that will take you up to more than 100 meters in 25 seconds. The observatory is an important scientific center with several laboratories, a meteorological station, an astronomical dome with a telescope and two terraces to carry out experiments. Besides, There is an outside viewpoint to contemplate an incredible landscape full of snow-capped peaks and the Aletsch glacier.
Cross your fingers for good weather on the day of your visit. We were not so lucky with the weather and only saw fog.. The sky was completely clear in Interlaken and even in Kleine Scheidegg. The clouds played tricks on us because They covered all the peaks of the mountains and did not let us enjoy the view. We had to settle for the webcam views.
How about altitude sickness?
Altitude sickness is a factor that you should consider when climbing. There are people who may notice some discomfort when passing 2,500 meters in altitude due to lack of oxygen.. Some of the symptoms of altitude sickness that you should watch out for are: headache, fatigue, or weakness. Luckily, we did not experience any discomfort. But It is advisable to keep this in mind when climbing the Jungfraujoch.
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3.2. Jungfrau Panorama
It’s time to tour inside the Jungfraujoch complex. We start with a room full of screens that project images of the views from the viewpoint, people descending the ski slopes or beautiful aerial images of a glacier. The idea is that you can have a 360º view. If the weather doesn’t cooperate during your visit, this place will give you an idea of the panorama regardless of the weather. It consoled us a little, although the truth is that we would have changed the movie for the real views 🙁
3.3. Alpine Sensation
After this panoramic room there is a long corridor that reviews how the construction of the road that reaches Jungfraujoch was. It’s amazing! The railway began operating in 1912, but the creation of the infrastructure was long and expensive. The works began 16 years earlier, in 1896. It seems impossible that at that time they could achieve that mega work!
In Alpine Sensation you can learn in detail the effort of the miners and the mountaineers who tried to climb to the top are remembered, but lost their lives along the way. There are several figures and informative signs that you can see as you move along a conveyor belt. It’s very interesting!
3.4. Ice Palace
This is the coolest part of the interior of the complex. It is an ice tunnel that takes you to a large room with ice sculptures. Penguins, eagles, bears and even the Jungfraujoch logo These are some of the figures sculpted at -3ºC. It’s surreal! The ice tunnel is beautiful, but walk very carefully because the floor is also made of ice. Don’t end up on the ground from your excitement! Us we saw a few people fall.
3.5. Lindt Swiss Chocolate Heaven
In one of the most touristy places in Switzerland, chocolate couldn’t be missing! There is a small interactive exhibition that tells how Rodolphe Lindt, the creator of the famous brand, obtained the formula for a creamy chocolate. There is also a store where you can buy all kinds of Lindt products. You can’t leave Switzerland without eating chocolate and this time it will be at more than 3,000 meters above sea level!
3.6. Shops and restaurants in Jungfraujoch
In addition to the chocolate shop, At the top you can buy all kinds of souvenirs, knives, watches… As a curiosity, the tallest watch store in the world is in Jungfraujoch. If you buy a watch there they even give you a diploma. It’s quite an experience! There are also several restaurants where to recharge your batteries in the heights.
3.7. Snow Fun Park
Back outside, you can also enjoy a fun snow adventure park. This place works from May to mid-October. You can ski or snowboard, go sledding, go down a slide or zip line over the snow. To access all these activities you must pay an additional cost per person per day.
3.8. Hike up to Mönchsjoch shelter
Did you know that you can stay sleep in Jungfraujoch? This is possible from mid-March to mid-October. And not just anywhere, but in the highest mountain refuge in the country, at 3,650 meters. To get there you have to walk about 45 minutes from Jungfraujoch station, where you can spend the night. Being able to experience the sunset and sunrise in an environment like this must be phenomenal! Or if you prefer you can simply stop to eat something at the shelter.
Reserve your bed at the shelter
4. IS IT WORTH TAKING THE TRIP TO JUNGFRAUJOCH FROM INTERLAKEN?
Being more than 3,000 meters above sea level is not an everyday thing. Ir a Jungfraujoch It’s a fantastic experience. We recommend you plan this visit with some flexibility because the weather can play tricks on you. Before buying tickets, check the weather forecast frequently for you to choose a good day. Having flexibility will allow you to change the day of the visit without problem, in case the weather is not favorable. So you won’t go in vain!
We couldn’t see anything but clouds from the viewpoint nor could we enjoy the snow area because there was a lot of fog. And it made us very angry, because in the photo the views look spectacular. Yes indeed, The interior area is super interesting and we liked it more than the Matterhorn Glacier ParadiseFor example.
Make sure the weather conditions allow you to enjoy the scenery above. Otherwise, for the price it has, We don’t think it’s worth going up just to see the Jungfraujoch complex..
If you are going on an excursion to the Jungfraujoch, we recommend being flexible with the dates.. There are tons of things to do in and around Interlaken, so you’ll have plenty of places and activities to keep you entertained while the weather warms up. So you can choose the clearest day to climb Jungfraujoch.
Source: https://lostraveleros.com/jungfraujoch-desde-interlaken/
