Every multi-day hiker dreams of completing a journey through the European Alps. Unfortunately, fulfilling those dreams come at a cost, especially if your hiking destination is Bernese Oberland, Switzerland, which has been ranked the second most expensive country in Europe for consumer goods. But don’t be dismayed, hiking in paradise does come at a cost but maybe not as high as you think…
HOW MUCH DOES IT COST TO HIKE in bernese oberland, Switzerland?
Using actual costs as of April 2024, I’ve calculated that once you arrive in Switzerland, you can hike the Bernese Oberland Traverse from:
Solo in Dormitory: 510 CHF per person (~520 EUR)
Solo in Private Room: 610 CHF per person (~622 EUR)
Double in Private Rooms: 589 CHF per person (~600 EUR)
Camping: 323 CHF per person (~330 EUR)
This is based on a 6 day itinerary and 5 day camping itinerary, and what you can expect by planning your trip using our self-guided products. It includes costs for accommodation in huts/hotels, breakfast and dinner at the accommodation (where possible), picnic lunch and snacks of local delights, as you self-guide your way across one of the legendary trails of the world.
Bernese Oberland Traverse 6 Day Itinerary, as shown in our trip planning app.
This cost will vary depending on the number of days on the trail, and your accommodation, food, and transport preferences. So, how do you calculate how much it will cost for your trip? Here are a few sample itineraries using actual 2024 costs to help you out!
Before you go ahead and book your Bernese Oberland hiking trip, make sure to factor in any additional costs that may apply to you, such as flights to Switzerland/Europe, transport to/from the airport, transport along the trail (i.e. cable car, bus, train), new hiking gear, travel insurance, and beverages (non-alcoholic or alcoholic). More on these costs are below.
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Let’s break down the costs that go into hiking in bernese oberland
1. Preferred accommodation
There are 3 main accommodation types in Bernese Oberland which you can select;
Campgrounds: This includes campgrounds in villages along the trail. These full-service campgrounds typically offer hot showers, toilets, water, electricity, kitchen, and food.
Camping Eigernordwand in Grindelwald offers hot showers, laundry, wifi, kiosk and the local baker delivers freshly baked croissants and bread every morning.
Shared room (dorms): These rooms are offered by most mountain huts, but you will even find them in some villages too. Occasionally there is a sink in the room, however, showers and toilets are typically outside in common areas. The room sizes vary from 4 to 20 beds.
Blümlisalphütte - example of a mountain hut that only offers shared room (dormitory) accommodation
Private room: Usually this is a single, double, triple, or quad room that has a private bathroom and shower. These rooms are offered at most mountain huts and hotels along the trail.
Hotel Schwarenbach - example of a remote mountain hotel that offers private room accommodation
Use our trip planning app to easily find accommodation and accurately calculate daily hiking stats
2. Lunch
There are 3 options for lunch while hiking in the Bernese Oberland:
Make sure to pick up fresh cheese from the self-service vending machines along the route. The locations are listed in our app!
Make your own lunch: For 10 CHF you can pick up lunch at a supermarket or bakery in the villages along the trail, including drink, bread, meat, cheese & fruit or quiche, sandwich and coffee.
Takeaway picnic from accommodation: Most huts and berghotels allow you to purchase a packed lunch for ~12 CHF. These packed lunches are all a bit different but usually contain a sandwich, fruit, cheese, and something sweet.
Dine at a cafe/restaurant along the trail: Budget 20 CHF for something warm (e.g.: pasta, hearty soup & bread) and a piece of fruit pie or drink.
If you assume option 1 or 2, this cost is already included in the cost table above. However if you assume option 3, add 10 CHF per day to your own calculation.
3. Dinner
There are 2 options for dinner while hiking in the Bernese Oberland:
Rösti: A traditional Swiss dish made of potatoes and will satisfy any hikers hunger! (Can also be made without meat)
Make my own dinner (camping): 12 CHF estimated. This assumes you’ll be eating freeze-dried meals or picking up food for dinner at supermarkets to prepare if camping.
Dine at the accommodation: 20 CHF estimated. Most accommodations along the trail offer half board which includes a hearty 3-course dinner served family style. Where half board is available, the actual cost for the location has been used. Where the itinerary has a night at a location that does not offer half board, 25 CHF has been estimated based on a main meal al a carte choice (e.g: pasta, ragu, rösti).
These costs are already included in the cost table above. Option 1 for nights in a campground, option 2 for nights in a mountain hut or hotel.
4. Breakfast
There are 2 options for breakfast while hiking in the Bernese Oberland:
Swiss bakery delights
Make my own breakfast (camping): 7 CHF estimated. This assumes you’ll be bread/pastries, fruit, and coffee purchased at supermarkets.
Dine at the accommodation: Most accommodations along the trail offer include breakfast. If an itinerary doesn’t include breakfast, 7 CHF has been estimated based on a simple breakfast (e.g.: coffee and pastry).
These costs are already included in the cost table above. Option 1 for nights in a campground, option 2 for nights in a mountain hut.
Find restaurants, supermarkets and even self-service cheese vending machines in our trip planning app for the Bernese Oberland.
OTHER TRIP COSTS TO CONSIDER
While the cost table will provide you with the main cost to hike the Bernese Oberland Traverse, or sections of the Via Alpina Switzerland, there are some others that you may need to factor into your plan.
Swiss train connecting hikers from Grindelwald to Wengen up to Kleine Scheidegg
Flights to SWITZERLAND/Europe
This depends on where you’re coming from and what class you fly so I’ve not included it.
TransPORT to/from the airport
Given there are numerous airports and start locations on the trail, we’ve not built this into the cost table. Use sbb.ch to find local public transport schedules and prices.
Transportation along the trail
There are many options along the trail to take public transportation to skip ahead, such as cable cars, buses and trains. No estimate is provided as this may or may not apply to your itinerary.
New hiking gear
No estimate is provided as it depends on the situation of each hiker. We provide a gear list in the planning portal to help you do an inventory check.
Travel Insurance
No estimate is provided due to being based on location, age, and coverage/excess preferences
Beverages (alcoholic and non-alcoholic)
Hiking certainly makes you thirsty and sometimes at the end of a long day, you need something a little stronger than water. Alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages are not included in the cost estimates but are available for sale at all the mountain huts along the way. Expect to pay between EUR 3-7 for a glass of wine, bottle of beer from the region or aperol spritz.
ready to start planning your own bernese oberland adventure?
Everything you need to plan, book, prepare and navigate your Swiss hiking adventure.
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Access a trail expert to prepare an itinerary that meets your needs.
This package includes;
45 min consultation