Season 2024: June 6 - October 13

As a sole proprietor with a capacity of one tour per day, I can be fully booked far in advance.

Gelmer funicular tour from Interlaken

We depart from Interlaken by train around 9 AM. After a scenic half-hour journey, we change to a traditional Swiss PostBus. After a short ride on the bus, we reach the station of Handegg.

From there, we do a 15-minute walk that will bring us to the Base station of the Gelmerbahn. Along the way, we cross the Handegg suspension bridge, which leads over the Grimsel mountain pass road. There is also an alternative route available if you are not a fan of suspension bridges.

Now we are ready to board the Gelmer funicular. It's a one-of-a-kind funicular, with its open-air carriage, and with a gradient of 106°, it's one of the steepest funiculars in Europe.

After this thrilling ride, we'll be rewarded with the beautiful scenery of the Swiss Alps and Lake Gelmer. During the one-hour stop by Lake Gelmer, we will walk along the shore to good photo points.

There isn't a restaurant at Lake Gelm. We will have a half-hour stop in the morning where you can purchase snacks and sandwiches.

On the way back, we stop at the Aare Gorge. Take a 45-minute walk through this natural wonder, which was formed over thousands of years by the Aare Glacier. There are many photo points along the way.

If you like to have more time by the Lake Gelmer, a shorter tour duration, or less walking, we can skip the visit to the Aare Gorge.

Inclusions

- All required train tickets in first class and PostBus tickets (single class) for you and the guide

- Gelmerbahn funicular tickets & seat reservation

- Aare Gorge entry fees

- Meeting at any centrally located Hotels, Apartment, or Airbnb

- Return to any centrally located Hotel, Apartment, or Airbnb after the tour

- Fee for the private guide, who will stay at your disposal throughout the tour

- Car-free tour by train, mountain railway, and aerial cable car as per the tour description

- Photography by the guide (with your own camera or smartphone)

- A booklet with comprehensive information about Switzerland (one per party, for groups of four persons or larger are two printed copies included)

- Use of a mobile hotspot with unlimited data (Speed: 4G)

What is not included in the tour price?

- Your meals and drinks

- Any personal expenses

- Optional activities

- Travel insurance (participation at your own risk)

This itinerary is only an example. The schedule can vary due to various factors such as the season, the day of the week, construction work, service, and schedule changes.

The exact departure and return time depends on the pick-up/drop-off location.

9:00 a.m. - 9:10 a.m. at any centrally located Hotel or Apartment

9:33 a.m - 10:07 a.m. Interlaken - Meiringen

10:07 a.m. - 10:50 a.m. Coffee break and time to buy snacks for lunch

10:50 a.m. - 11:23 a.m. Meiringen - Handegg Gelmerbahn

12:12 p.m. - 12:24 p.m. Base Station Gelmerbahn - Lake Gelm

12:24 p.m. - 1:12 p.m. Visit Lake Gelm

1:12 p.m. - 1:24 p.m. Lake Gelm - Base Station Gelmerbahn

1:55 p.m. - 2:19 p.m. Handegg Gelmerbahn - Aare Schlucht Ost (Aare Gorge)

2:19 p.m. - 4:08 p.m. Visit the Aare Gorge

4:08 p.m. - 4:13 p.m. Aare Schlucht Ost (Aare Gorge) - Meiringen

4:22 p.m. - 4:55 p.m. Meiringen - Interlaken

5:15 p.m. - 5:30 p.m. at any centrally located Hotel or Apartment

Customization possibilities:

The stay at Lake Gelm can be extended by one hour (must be booked in advance).

You can skip the visit to the Aare Gorge.

You can spontaneously extend or shorten the visit to the Aare Gorge. We have a connection back to Interlaken every half hour.

Please regard that your lunch is not included in the tour price.

Picnic lunch on the trains

This tour we can only have a picnic lunch.

We will pass by convenience shops and sandwich outlets, where you can grab a bite.

The activity level is medium to high: train and PostBus rides, 15-minute walk to the Gelmerbahn on uneven surfaces, walk through the Aare Gorge (optional), 20-minute walk to the reservoir lake and back

I can meet you at any centrally located hotel in Interlaken.

Click here to see a map of the pick-up area

If you're staying outside of the pick-up area, we can meet at the train station of Interlaken Ost, Interlaken West, Spiez or Thun.

Weather forecast

Once a reliable weather forecast is available (usually one to three days before departure), I will send you a link to the forecast.

If there is bad weather forecasted, I will include my recommendations for our tour day.

I use the weather forecasts provided by the Federal Office of Meteorology and SRF (Swiss Radio and Television).

With the link below, you can check the weather forecast at any time by yourself. The forecast is available for the next five days.

Operability

There is little protection from weather on this tour, as the Gelmer funicular is open, and at Lake Gelm there is little shelter from weather. The tour will run in rain, however in case of severe weather, for example strong continous rain throughout the day, I have to cancel this tour. You will receive a full refund of the deposit in this case.

Your options in case of bad weather (tour specific)

all rates

This tour has a low flexibility, as the Gelmer Funicular seat reservations are non-refundable from the time of booking.

If not having perfect weather is a dealbreaker, you can cancel by forfeiting the deposit.