Guide · The classic walk

Lauterbrunnen to Mürren hike from Grütschalp

The Lauterbrunnen to Mürren hike most people mean starts at the top of a short cable car and follows a broad path along the valley rim to a car-free village. Here is the route, how long it takes, and what the guided version adds.

Check availabilityfrom $273 · no cancellation fee

Editorial team, lauterbrunnenvalleyhiking.comUpdated October 20, 2026Reading time about 6 minutes43 sources

The matching tour Guided hike Grütschalp to Mürren with Trümmelbach Falls 5.0 (1 review) 6 hoursTrümmelbach Falls entry includedPick-up at Interlaken Ost from$273per person Check availabilityCancel for free until 24 hrs ahead

Quick answer

01The route: Cable car from Lauterbrunnen to Grütschalp, then on foot via Winteregg to Mürren.¹ ²
02Walking time: About 1 hour 15 minutes uphill to Mürren, about 1 hour the other way.³
03The path: A broad gravel path that climbs steadily to the forest edge, then runs through mountain forest.⁴
04Guided: A 6-hour guided version with Trümmelbach Falls starts from $273, for up to 8 people.
05Season: Jungfraubahnen lists the walk as open all year, except during maintenance.⁵

Where the walk starts and ends

The Lauterbrunnen to Mürren hike in its classic form never touches the valley floor on foot. You ride up from Lauterbrunnen to Grütschalp, the top of the aerial cableway at 1486 m, and walk south along the western rim of the valley to Mürren.⁶ ¹ The little railway of the Lauterbrunnen-Mürren line follows the same terrace, so you can always shorten the day at its middle station.

That middle station is Winteregg, at 1578 m, where the trains pass each other on the single track.⁷ ⁸ Mürren sits at the far end of the line on a sunny terrace high above the valley, and Schilthornbahn gives the village an altitude of 1638 m.⁹ The walk therefore gains only modest height, which is why it suits such a wide range of walkers.

Jungfraubahnen describes the hike as possible from either side and sells it with the return journey by train included.¹⁰ Walking towards Mürren keeps the big mountains ahead and to the left the whole way. Going the other direction is quicker, but you spend more time looking back over your shoulder at the view you came for.

Step by step

From the valley floor to Mürren

Start

Lauterbrunnen BLM

The cable car leaves next to the railway station.¹
4 min

Up to Grütschalp

686 metres of height in one ride, to 1486 m.¹¹ ⁶
On foot

Through the forest

A broad gravel path climbs steadily to the forest edge.⁴
Halfway

Winteregg

The railway's middle station at 1578 m, an easy exit.⁷
About 1 h 15

Mürren

Arrival in the car-free village above the valley.³ ¹²

The cable car up and the little railway

The day begins at the BLM valley station next to Lauterbrunnen railway station. The cable car from Lauterbrunnen to Grütschalp needs only 4 minutes to climb 686 metres, which makes it one of the fastest ways out of the valley.¹¹ The cabin carries up to 135 people, and the ride is steep enough that the village shrinks to a model beneath you within a minute.¹³

At the top you step out at Grütschalp, where a small bistro faces the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau.⁶ From here the narrow-gauge railway runs to Mürren. Jungfraubahnen gives its length as four kilometres, its steepest gradient as five percent and the ride as 11 minutes, which makes it the shortest railway line in the Jungfrau Region.⁸ ¹⁴

This matters for planning. If the weather turns, if someone in the group tires, or if you simply want more time in Mürren, the train is always a few minutes away. It also means the walk never commits you: you can ride one way and walk the other, or break the route at Winteregg and finish by rail.

Heights on the way

Altitude of each stop, in metres

Heights from Lauterbrunnen Tourism, Jungfraubahnen and Schilthornbahn; most of the climb is done by the cable car.¹⁵ ⁶ ⁷ ⁹ ¹⁶

Ways to do it

Walk, ride or join the guide

	Walk both ways	Walk one way	Guided hike
Walking time	1 h 15 up, 1 h back	About 1 h 15	3 hours listed
Transport	Cable car only	Cable car and train	Fares extra
Guide	None	None	English
Extras	None	None	Trümmelbach entry

Walking times from Jungfraubahnen; the guided column follows the listing's itinerary and inclusions.³

Three guided options

Mürren with someone who knows the way

Hike Lauterbrunnen-Mürren with Trümmelbach Waterfalls Visit

This site's hike

Hike and Trümmelbach

Local Guide CH

Time: 6 hours
Group: Up to 8
Price: from $273

See the tour

Lauterbrunnen-Mürren: Swiss Alps Tour from Interlaken

Cable car up

Mürren village day

From Interlaken

Time: 7 hours
Group: Up to 14
Price: from $317

See the tour

Your own guide

Private walk

With Gimmelwald

Time: 3.5 hours
Group: Private
Price: from $105

See the tour

Decision helper

Which way to Mürren suits you?

Pick the sentence that sounds most like you

I want the easiest scenic walk I want company and the falls too I only want to see Mürren I want a real climb I travel with children under 12

Grütschalp to Mürren

A broad path, about 1 hour 15 minutes, train alongside.³ ⁴

The guided hike

6 hours with Trümmelbach entry included, up to 8 people.

Cable car and train

The railway takes 11 minutes from Grütschalp.⁸

Mountain View Trail

On to the Allmendhubel at 1907 m on a mountain path.¹⁶

Walk on your own

The guided listing is not for children under 12.

From the Grütschalp cable car station, a broad gravel path leads in a steady slope to the edge of the forest and continues through a magnificent mountain forest.

JungfraubahnenSource 4

What you see along the path

From the cable car station a broad gravel path rises in a steady slope to the edge of the forest and then runs on through mountain forest.⁴ It is not a narrow ledge. Two people can walk side by side on most of it, and the gradient is gentle enough to talk while you climb. The forest sections are shaded, which you will be grateful for on a hot afternoon.

Where the trees open onto alpine pasture, the views arrive all at once. Jungfraubahnen describes the gate to the pastures as the point where the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau line up across the valley, with the long settlement of Wengen spread at the foot of the Männlichen chain to the east.¹⁷ On a clear day the whole skyline is visible for most of the remaining distance.

Look down as well as across. The far side of the valley is a wall of grey rock streaked with falling water, and the floor of the valley lies far below the path. Cows graze on the open meadows in summer, and the bells carry a long way in the still air. Take your time on the open stretches; they are the reason this walk is so loved.

Map

The Lauterbrunnen Valley from Grütschalp to Stechelberg

The valley floor, its two terraces and the summits above it, then the wider region with Interlaken, Grindelwald and the Jungfraujoch.

Map of the Lauterbrunnen Valley with Lauterbrunnen, Wengen, Mürren, Gimmelwald, Stechelberg, the falls and the Schilthorn — The valley

Map of the region from Interlaken Ost to Grindelwald and the Jungfraujoch — The region

1
Lauterbrunnen
The village sits at 795 m in a trough-shaped valley; from its station the cogwheel trains climb to Wengen and a cable car rises towards Mürren.¹⁵ ¹⁸
In Google Maps ↗
2
Staubbach Falls
Lauterbrunnen's landmark drops about 297 metres right beside the village; the path to its foot is open in summer only.¹⁹ ²⁰
In Google Maps ↗
3
Trümmelbach Falls
Ten glacier falls inside the mountain, reached by a tunnel lift, about 3 km beyond the village; bus 141 stops at the entrance.²¹ ²² ²³
In Google Maps ↗
4
Stechelberg
End of the valley road and valley station of the cable car to Mürren, which climbs 775 metres in about 4 minutes.²⁴
In Google Maps ↗
5
Grütschalp
Top of the 4-minute cable car from Lauterbrunnen, at 1486 m, and start of the walk to Mürren.¹¹ ⁶
In Google Maps ↗
6
Winteregg
Middle station of the little railway to Mürren, at 1578 m, where the trains pass each other.⁷ ⁸
In Google Maps ↗
7
Mürren
Car-free village on a terrace high above the valley; Schilthornbahn gives it 1638 m.⁹ ¹²
In Google Maps ↗
8
Gimmelwald
Car-free hamlet at 1,367 metres between Stechelberg and Mürren, the start of walks into the Sefinental.²⁵
In Google Maps ↗
9
Wengen
Car-free village at 1,274 metres on the sunny side, reached by the Wengernalp Railway from Lauterbrunnen.²⁶
In Google Maps ↗
10
Kleine Scheidegg
Pass at 2061 m where the Wengernalp Railway meets the Jungfrau Railway, below the Eiger North Face.²⁷ ²⁸
In Google Maps ↗
11
Männlichen
Top of the cable car from Wengen and start of the Panorama Trail to Kleine Scheidegg, 4.5 km.²⁹ ³⁰
In Google Maps ↗
12
Schilthorn
Summit at 2,970 metres with the revolving restaurant Piz Gloria, by cable car from Stechelberg via Mürren and Birg.³¹ ³²
In Google Maps ↗
13
Interlaken Ost
Where the Berner Oberland Bahn starts: Lauterbrunnen is 24 minutes away from platform 2A.³³
In Google Maps ↗
14
Zweilütschinen
The junction where the BOB train splits: the front runs on to Lauterbrunnen, the rear to Grindelwald.³³ ³⁴
In Google Maps ↗
15
Grindelwald
Village at 1,050 metres at the foot of the Eiger, around 30 minutes from Interlaken Ost by train.³⁵ ³⁶ ³⁷
In Google Maps ↗
16
Jungfraujoch
Europe's highest railway station at 3,454 metres, reached by the Jungfrau Railway from Kleine Scheidegg.³⁸ ²⁸
In Google Maps ↗

Open the map in Google Maps

Checklist

Packed for the balcony path

Bring

Hiking shoes with grip
A warm layer and a rain jacket
Water and a snack
Sun cream and sunglasses

Before you go

Check the cable car is running
Money for the cable car and train
Read the guided listing's current notice

Cost calculator

Price a guided Mürren day for your group

Enter how many are coming to compare the guided options.

Hike and Trümmelbach6 hoursfrom $273 Mürren village day7 hoursfrom $317 Private walk3.5 hoursfrom $105

People 2

Total from$545

each from $273

Check availabilityfree cancellation

Group totals here multiply the lowest per-person price GetYourGuide quotes for each valley outing by the number in your party, converted at the European Central Bank's daily rate; the booking step shows the binding amount.

Video

Hiking in Switzerland - Grütschalp - Mürren - swiss alps 4K

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How long it takes and how hard it is

Jungfraubahnen times the walk at about 1 hour 15 minutes from Grütschalp to Mürren, which is the uphill direction, and about 1 hour from Mürren down to Grütschalp.³ Those are walking times only. Add stops for photographs, a drink at a mountain restaurant and the cable car and train connections, and a relaxed outing fills half a day.

The path is a broad gravel track rather than a rough mountain trail.⁴ Swiss signposts tell you what to expect: yellow markers mean an ordinary hiking trail that makes no great demands, while a white-red-white tip marks a mountain trail that needs sure feet, stamina and sometimes a head for heights.³⁹ ⁴⁰ Check the signs at Grütschalp before you set off.

Fitness still matters for longer variants. The Mountain View Trail branches off this route after about 500 m and climbs over pastures to the Allmendhubel at 1907 m, which turns an easy walk into a proper mountain hike.¹⁶ If that appeals, read the ranked list of valley hikes on this site before you choose.

The guided hike with Trümmelbach Falls

If you would rather not handle the connections yourself, the guided Lauterbrunnen to Mürren hike sold through this site combines this walk with a visit to Trümmelbach Falls. Expect 6 hours in all, an English-speaking guide and no more than 8 walkers, with prices from $273. Only one guest has reviewed it so far, giving 5.0, so it is a new listing rather than a proven favourite.

Its itinerary starts at Interlaken Ost with a 30-minute drive, gives 3 hours to the hiking section at Mürren, then a 1-hour visit, and returns by car to Interlaken Ost. Pick-up and drop-off at Interlaken Ost are included, and guests staying in Lauterbrunnen can meet the guide at the station in front of the Grütschalp gondola entrance.

Read the fine print on transport. Trümmelbach entry, the guide and hiking poles are included, but public transport, the gondola to Grütschalp, the gondola from Mürren down to Stechelberg and the bus on to Trümmelbach are not; the listing prints CHF 24.20 per person beside that last item. Budget for those fares on the day.

The 2026 cable car works

In 2026 the Lauterbrunnen to Grütschalp cableway was modernised after 20 years of service, and the new lightweight cabin now takes 135 people instead of 100.⁴¹ Jungfraubahnen announced that the line would reopen on 11 July 2026 at 6:06 a.m., restoring the route from Lauterbrunnen to Mürren by cable car and railway.⁴²

The guided listing adjusted its plan for the works: from 13 April to 10 July 2026 its hike started and ended in Mürren instead of Grütschalp. With the cable car running again, the classic line from Grütschalp is back, but any future maintenance can change the plan in the same way, so read the current notice on a listing before you book.

Mürren also has a second way in. The second way up runs from Stechelberg at the head of the valley, where a cableway climbs to Mürren; Lauterbrunnen Tourism names both routes as the ways to reach the village.¹ If one line is closed, the other usually keeps the day possible, though the walk from Grütschalp then becomes a there-and-back.

Tips for a good day on the path

Start early in summer. The forest is cool in the morning. Clouds often build over the peaks in the afternoon, so the clearest views tend to come first. If the forecast shows thunderstorms, walk in the morning and be in Mürren before they arrive.

Wear proper shoes even though the path is wide. The guided listing asks its guests to bring hiking shoes, and Wengen Tourism's list of basic equipment adds layered clothing, rain and sun protection, water, food and a small first-aid kit.⁴³ Mountain weather changes quickly at this height, and a light jacket earns its place in the bag.

Leave time for Mürren at the end. The village is car-free, so the main street belongs to walkers, and its terraces face the same snowy peaks you have been watching all morning.¹² From there you can ride the cableway down towards Stechelberg and the Trümmelbach Falls, or take the train back to Grütschalp and the cable car to Lauterbrunnen.

Your day above the valley