Switzerland
Who doesn't have Switzerland on their list, right? It has definitely been on mine for a while and after looking at a few things on social media around Grindelwald, reels of it started appearing all over the place, which I decided to take as a sign that it was time to go! I managed to find some time to squeeze in a 5-day adventure and convinced by friend to join me. We packed the itinerary and hit the road, hiring a car and travelling from Geneva to Zurich, ticking off lakes, waterfalls, alpine hikes, and just the right amount of chocolate.
Day 1 – Geneva: Fountains, Clocks & Lakeside Wandering
After a smooth car hire pick-up, we headed to check in to our hotel for the night: N’vY Manotel. It’s in the Paquis district, right by the lake and close to the city centre – which was perfect for our flying visit.
We had booked lunch at Bayview Restaurant, which would have been my first Michelin star restaurant experience, but we were ten minutes late getting there and they refused to let us in! We decided to just wander around the city and see what we could find and ended up with some great sushi, so all was not lost.
With only the afternoon to explore, we hit the main sightseeing spots. First stop was the Jet d’Eau, Geneva’s famous fountain that shoots water 140 metres into the sky. It’s hard to miss and we could see it whenever we were in sight of the lake. From there, we wandered through Jardin Anglais to see the Flower Clock, however, we struggled to find it. Turns out, they have taken it down whilst getting ready for a new display related to the women's football, so did not quite get the site expected.
We then made our way into the Old Town, where we planned to climb to the top of St. Pierre Cathedral, however, it was closed so could not go in. A quick walk through Parc des Bastions brought us to the Reformation Wall, which is a monument carved into the stone, and we finished our mini tour with a drive-by stop at the Palais des Nations, snapping a shot of the huge “Broken Chair” sculpture just outside. Funny story with this, we were looking for it and couldn't find it - somehow, we had ended up walking straight past it!
We went for tea and knew we had to have traditional fondue! It was good - can never have enough cheese! To round the day off, we strolled the Lake Geneva promenade. I naively didn't realise how big it was, it's huge.
Generally, I was not overly impressed with Geneva. I feel nothing made it stand out as a city but to be fair it rained the whole day which definitely effected it.
Day 2 – Oeschinensee Hike & Arrival in Grindelwald
Day two did not go quite as planned. We got up pretty early to hit the road and head towards the Bernese Oberland area. The drive itself was stunning - as soon as the mountains came into view I felt better about Switzerland. I have learnt on my last few trips that I am definitely better suited to mountains than cities!
By 9am, we had reached the Kandersteg gondola station and were planning on making our way up the mountain to Oeschinensee. If the name Oeschinensee doesn't sound familiar to you, the views of the lake will be! It is pretty iconic and heavily associated with hiking in Switzerland, so likely to be one you have seen. This hike was essentially what I planned my whole trip on but, unfortunately, not one that happened! As soon as we got to the car park something felt off and, after looking around and trying to get tickets for the gondola, we found out that it was closed and we could not get up the mountain without making it a full day hike from bottom to top, instead of the 2-3 hour hike that we had planned in. It just wasn't reasonable to do this - we weren't fully prepared, we didn't have a route planned or enough food packed. It just wasn't able to happen! I am so gutted about this as it was probably the thing I was most looking forward to. I feel the Swiss are very laid back in their approach to making you aware when things are going to be closed and we had a few issues with it throughout our trip (online did not say it was closed!) but, essentially, my recommendation would be to not go there until May onwards if looking to do things like hikes and take gondolas. Most don't open until the first week of May!
With our plans out the window we grabbed breakfast in Kandersteg village, which was an absolutely gorgeous and super chilled place, then got back in the car and drove the rest of the way to Grindelwald. This place is another bucket-list destination and it was so good to see it in person!
We had booked the Alpinhotel Bort, which is above the village of Grindelwald and accessible at that time of year by gondola. We went up, checked in and dumped our stuff, then continued on up to Grindelwald First, which is a mountain station known for its adventure activities. First up was the viewpoint, followed by the Cliff Walk, which is a metal pathway that hugs the cliffside, complete with a glass-bottom viewing platform that’s not for the faint-hearted. The views from up there are breathtaking – endless peaks, valleys, and white all around. It was a little slippy so be prepared for that!
After exploring the mountain, we headed back down in the gondola to the hotel, where we had tea at the hotel restaurant, followed by a film in bed. It is worth noting that at this time of year (April) the gondola up to the first is only available until 4pm, then it shuts off. Worth noting if booking the Alpinhotel Bort, as you are pretty stuck up there. Another note, the gondolas are the most expensive things I paid for whilst in Switzerland! Essentially, you are looking at £20 per stop. To get from Grindelwald village, to our hotel, to the First and back again cost me £60, for a ten-minute journey!
Day 3 – Grindelwald & Gorges
Originally, I had booked to do the Grindelwald Canyon Swing but my friend has decided not to and then gave me doubts. Partly because we didn't have a lot of time on this time and she would have to wait around for me for half a day without the car, so it felt mean leaving her and partly because I was petrified! The morning of the Swing, it was snowing so I emailed them to ask if it would go ahead and they immediately refunded me, so they basically made the choice for me. Instead, we decided to walk down the mountain into the village (took us around an hour and was very steep), get the car and drove to Aare Gorge (Aareschlucht) to visit the gorge there. It was a relatively small entrance fee (converts to around £10) and worth it, as it is such an interesting place. You can walk through a series of tunnels and platforms carved into a dramatic ravine, with glacial water crashing through below. Very cool (literally) and worth the hour(ish)-long wander.
After this, we drove to Brienz and has some food in a cafe overlooking the lake. The lake is pretty gorgeous, with super blue water. Walking along the edge of this was very peaceful.
To end the day, we decided to go to a supermarket and get some 'picky bits' for tea and, because we knew we would miss the last gondola up and as we were feeling energetic, decided to walk back up the mountain to the hotel instead. It was a stunning hike but wow, tough! One of the steepest walks I have done and lots of stops, but there are benches all along the way so being able to stop, take a minute and look at the mountains was amazing.
Day 4 – Waterfalls, Villages & Views in Lauterbrunnen
We left Grindelwald bright and early, driving just 20 minutes to Lauterbrunnen, a dreamy valley straight out of a storybook. First up was checking into hotel Staubbach, which was a very old fashioned and very Swiss hotel, but which gaves us great views of the waterfall from our room.
We then went on a walk around the village. It really is the most picturesque place! The sun had shown itself by then and it made it even more magical. We walked to see Staubbach Falls, a huge waterfall that plunges from the cliffs just behind the village. You can actually walk behind it in summer, but this was not something we were able to do. From here, we kept walking until we got to Trümmelbach Falls, a series of glacial waterfalls hidden inside the mountain. They are twisting torrents of water that you reach via tunnels and lifts. It’s pretty loud, quite dramatic, but quite unlike anything else. A great experience!
Day 5 – Zurich: Lakeside Walks & Sweet Endings
On our final day, we headed to Zurich, Switzerland’s biggest city, and found somewhere to park the car for the day, then headed off to explore the city. We started in the Altstadt (Old Town), full of colourful buildings, narrow alleyways and tucked-away shops. Then wandered down Bahnhofstrasse, Zurich’s famous luxury shopping street.
The Lake Zurich Promenade was buzzing with life – paddle boarders on the water, couples walking their dogs, and plenty of locals soaking up the sun. There was a lot going on and it was very busy, but turns out it was the Sechselauten parade, a festival which signifies the end of winter and the beginning of summer. It was unexpected but fun to see.
To finish off the trip, we made a stop at the Lindt Chocolate Museum, which was part sweet treat, part souvenir haul. There’s plenty of tasting opportunities too, naturally, and was a really good visit for only £15.
Final Thoughts
Switzerland really is a dream destination – clean, calm, and with an ever-changing backdrop of jaw-dropping scenery. Whether you’re here for the lakes, the hikes, the waterfalls or the fondue (no judgement), you’ll find something that sticks with you. Every day felt like a highlight, and even though we packed loads in, it still somehow felt relaxed. For me, the mountains and villages were a league above the cities and if I ever go back, this is where I will spend my time. One day I hope to do the hike to the Oeschinensee lake!
This featured blog entry was written by LaurenF3 from the blog The Bucket List Traveller.
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