What the Swiss Travel Pass takes off the Grindelwald First gondola
You get 50% off the return gondola. There's no reservation to make and nothing to book ahead, so you turn up at the station in Grindelwald village, show the pass, and pay the reduced fare.
Here's what that looks like across the year.
| Season | Full return fare | With the Swiss Travel Pass |
|---|---|---|
| June to August | CHF 76 | CHF 38 |
| September to May | CHF 72 | CHF 36 |
Saving CHF 38 in high summer is a lot for one gondola, mostly because the headline price is high to begin with. What the pass is worth on every other summit is on the mountain coverage page.
The Cliff Walk is free with your gondola ticket
The Cliff Walk is 45m of metal grated walkway bolted along the rock face, ending at a viewing platform, and it's included in every gondola ticket, so once you've paid your CHF 38 you don't pay again. It takes 15 to 30 minutes depending on how long you stand there taking photos, and it's open year round when the weather allows.
The grating is the practical bit worth knowing: heels go through it, so wear something flat.
The zip lines and mountain carts are discounted, not full price
This is the part most people get wrong. The First Flyer, First Glider, mountain carts and Trottibikes aren't included in the gondola ticket, but the Swiss Travel Pass and the Half Fare Card knock money off them too, so you're not paying the rack rate. The individual discounted prices aren't confirmed, so ask at the counter when you buy the gondola ticket.
- First Flyer: 800m of zip line down to Schreckfeld at up to 84km/h, about 20 minutes all in.
- Mountain carts: Schreckfeld down to Bort, about 20 minutes, then roughly 25 minutes in the gondola from Bort to the village.
The Flyer and the Glider usually run mid June to October. They sometimes run in winter, but that depends on snow and wind, so don't build a February trip around them.
Swiss Travel Pass or Jungfrau Travel Pass for Grindelwald First
If you're deciding between passes and First is high on your list, the difference here is total rather than marginal.
| Pass | Grindelwald First gondola |
|---|---|
| Swiss Travel Pass | 50%, so CHF 38 in high summer |
| Jungfrau Travel Pass | Covered in full, nothing to pay |
| Berner Oberland Pass | 50%, identical to the Swiss Travel Pass |
So the Berner Oberland Pass brings nothing extra to this particular mountain, and the sums are laid out in Swiss Travel Pass vs Berner Oberland Pass. If you're spending a week riding cableways around Grindelwald and Wengen, run the numbers in Swiss Travel Pass vs Jungfrau Travel Pass before you buy.
Getting to Grindelwald First from Zurich and from the village
The gondola station is in Grindelwald itself, a walk from Grindelwald railway station, and the train journey from Zurich takes about 2 hours 30 minutes via Interlaken Ost. Both legs of the train are fully covered by the pass, so the CHF 38 is your only spend on getting to 2,168m.
- Train to Interlaken Ost, then the branch line up to Grindelwald.
- Walk to the First gondola station and buy the discounted return.
- Ride 25 minutes to the top, through Bort and Schreckfeld.
- Break the journey at either of those stops on the way down if you want the carts or the picnic area.
One rule catches people. A standard ticket is one journey up and one down. You can break at Bort and Schreckfeld, but you can't repeat a stretch, so no riding back up for a second run at the carts on the same ticket.
When Grindelwald First is open and when it's shut
First runs early January to late October, then reopens early December and runs to the end of the month, which leaves roughly November into early December closed for maintenance. Gondolas start around 8am, and the last descent is about 5.30pm in season and earlier in late autumn, so check before you commit to a long hike.
Pack a layer you'd otherwise think unnecessary. It runs 10 to 15C cooler at 2,168m than down in the village, which in July is the difference between shorts weather and wanting a jacket.
Walks from First: Bachalpsee, Faulhorn and Schynige Platte
The walking is the real reason to come, and the options split cleanly by how much of your day you want to give it.
- Bachalpsee: about an hour each way, 1.5 to 2 hours return, easy. The lake everyone photographs.
- Faulhorn hut: a harder climb, on a ridge one guide calls one of the great alpine ridge walks.
- Faulhorn to Schynige Platte: 3 to 4 hours on its own, strenuous.
- First to Schynige Platte: 16.5km, six hours minimum and realistically eight with breaks.
If you do the full traverse to Schynige Platte you aren't coming back down the First gondola, so half of a return goes unused.
Food at First and Bort
Three places to stop, spread over two stations.
- The Berggasthaus at First, at the top.
- A restaurant at Bort, partway down.
- A picnic area, also at Bort.
That's the extent of it, and it's also the extent of your indoor shelter if the weather turns.
What catches people out at Grindelwald First
The main surprise is a pleasant one. Everyone assumes the adventure activities are full price with a pass and they're not, so a First Flyer plus mountain cart day costs less than you would expect. Then there's winter, when the plateau turns into a ski area with 45km of pistes and the world's longest sledging run, which is a different trip entirely from the summer one.
The less pleasant catches are the November to early December closure, the no repeating a stretch rule on standard tickets, and the Flyer and Glider being a mid June to October proposition. If you're planning a run of mountains, the other two within reach of Grindelwald are Jungfraujoch and Pfingstegg.
FAQ
How much is Grindelwald First with the Swiss Travel Pass?
CHF 38 return from June to August and CHF 36 from September to May, against full fares of CHF 76 and CHF 72. It's a straight 50% discount, applied when you buy at the station in Grindelwald.
Is the Cliff Walk included in the Grindelwald First ticket?
Yes, the Cliff Walk is free with every gondola ticket, including the discounted one. It's 45m of grated walkway to a viewing platform, takes 15 to 30 minutes, and is open year round when the weather allows. Don't wear heels.
Does the Swiss Travel Pass cover the First Flyer and the mountain carts?
Not in full, but they're discounted rather than full price with both the Swiss Travel Pass and the Half Fare Card. The exact reduced prices aren't confirmed, so ask when you buy your gondola ticket.
Do I need to reserve Grindelwald First in advance?
No reservation is recorded for the gondola, and there's no reservation fee. Turn up at the bottom station, which runs from about 8am with the last descent around 5.30pm in season.
When is Grindelwald First closed?
It runs early January to late October and then early December to late December, so the closure is roughly November into early December. The First Flyer and First Glider generally only operate mid June to October, with occasional winter running depending on snow and wind.
How long is the walk from First to Bachalpsee?
About an hour each way, so 1.5 to 2 hours return, and it's rated easy. It's the walk to do if you've only got a half day at the top.
Which pass is best for Grindelwald First?
The Jungfrau Travel Pass, because it covers the gondola in full rather than halving it. The Swiss Travel Pass and the Berner Oberland Pass both give 50% and are identical here.
