Compared to when I lived in Europe and visited Switzerland on a handful of locations, our summer trip to Europe seemed much more affordable: The food, the lodging and the transportation were all comparable to what you’d pay for a vacation anywhere really. What was not cheap in the slightest? A trip up Jungfraujoch, dubbed “the Top of Europe.” But was it worth it? Absolutely, a million times yes.
When we planned a summer trip to Switzerland with our niece, we did so on a moderate budget. We mostly stayed in two- or three-bedroom vacation rentals in the Alps that ran us about $100 per person a night, and we didn’t splash out on too many big experiences—we had a car, so sightseeing was easy to do for free. But when it came to Jungfraujoch, we were all unanimously in agreement that it was worth making a splurge to visit the highest point in Europe.
How to get to Jungfraujoch
When we booked our Switzerland vacation, spending three nights in the Alps was a top priority around which we planned our itinerary. We flew into Milan, spent a few days in Lake Como, took a bus to a ferry to a train to Lugano, picked up a rental car and drove to Grindelwald.
You can also fly into Zurich and drive the opposite direction—or take the train to Grindelwald from many different cities in Switzerland.
At 3,454 meters above sea—or 11,332 feet—Jungfraujoch is up there in the clouds and the highest railway station in Europe. Even if you leave Grindelwald on a seemingly rainy or overcast day, you may very well get up to Jungfraujoch to find the sun out, as was the case with us.
Since we were staying in Grindelwald, we drove 10 minutes from our rental to Grindelwald Terminal, where we were able to easily park in the covered parking garage, then walk to the departure point for the gondola. Parking in downtown Grindelwald is tough, so I highly recommend you use the garage, which only cost us about $7 to park in for the duration of the day.
We had already booked our gondola times, so arrived at the terminal, collected our tickets at the kiosk and boarded the first mode of transportation to get us up the mountain.
The Eiger Express gondola was the first part of ythe journey: It took us from Grindelwald up to Eigergletscher station at 7,610 feet (or 2,320 meter). It’s also incredibly scenic, so now is the time to sit back and enjoy the views. The trip is just 15 minutes to the next stop, where you’ll disembark and board a train.
Though the gondola seats 26 people, they run so regularly they’re rarely full. The gondola system can transport 2,600 people in a single hour, so it’s not surprising the three of us only had to share our car with a couple others—plenty of room to spread out.
The Eiger Express cable cars turn around at Eigergletscher station, so if you plan to go all the way to the top, be sure you disembark here.
At Eigergletscher, I recommend walking around before going to the top. There are so many excellent views within a five-minute walk of the station.
You’ll wait for an old-fashioned cogwheel train to take you the last leg of the trip up to Jungfraujoch. This part of the journey was very crowded, so I recommend grabbing the first set of seats you can find. The train makes a brief five-minute stop at the Eismeer station where you’re welcome to get out and take in the view.
The Jungfrau Railway from Eiger Station to the Top of Europe takes around 35 minutes. It’s a pretty steep incline, so you’ll be sitting in your seat for this part of the journey, but the ride is pleasant.
To get back down, we took an alternate route, a train back to Grindelwald from Kleine Scheidegg, to see as much of the area as we could. I recommend doing this. The round-trip cable car/train ticket is the same no matter which route back you choose to take.
What to do once you get up Jungfraujoch
Though many of the trails are only open seasonally, Jungfraujoch is open 365 days a year, so you can go up in spring, summer, winter or fall. Our visit took place in July with balmy weather, though it was still obviously very cold at 11,332 feet no matter when you go. Be sure and pack a jacket.
Once we got to the Top of Europe, we took the underground tunnel out to the observation deck, where you can see the surrounding peaks, as well as Aletsch Glacier. There are plenty of other tourist attractions like an ice palace and snow fun park at the top, but we stuck with absorbing the views as that’s ultimately why we were there.
Looking to make it an even lengthier experience? You might taking the gondola to Mount First and doing the glacier canyon walk.
Once we’d had our fill and a bite to eat, we took the train back to Eigergletscher and strolled the Jungfrau Eiger Walk down to Kleine Scheidegg. From Kleine Scheidegg, we had a couple beers then took a scenic train Grindelwald-Grund down the valley and back to Grindelwald where our car was parked.
Interlaken-Ost to Kleine Scheidegg is about an hour and 15 minutes, whereas our journey from Kleine Scheidegg to Grindelwald took about 30 minutes.
Hiking the Eiger Trail to Kleine Scheidegg
After coming back from the top of Jungfraujoch, we hit the trail from Eiger Station down to Kleine Scheidegg to get our fill of scenery. This point-to-point walk is just 2 kilometers or 1.5 miles and is relatively easy.
The mostly downhill walk also gives you access to views like these of the Lauterbrunnen Valley and greater Bernese Oberland region.
It feels so very Sound of Music, and we met a couple from India and a family from Germany who were doing the trek, as well, and wound up walking with them for much of the hike. If you’re ambitious, you can also hike about 6.5 miles from Grindelwald up to Kleine Scheidegg, but we’re a bit lazier than that on our vacations so we took the literal easy route.
At the end of Eiger Trail is Kleine Scheidegg, a quaint little train station with a beer garden and a restaurant. Trains for Grindelwald come every 45 minutes or so. We sat outside with our new friends and had a couple weisse beers before we journeyed back down to the bottom of the mountain.
What it costs to do Jungfraujoch
The cost of Jungfraujoch is dependent on your departure point. Many people will start the journey from Interlaken, Lauterbrunnen or Wengen and end back where they started.
Our round-trip ticket from Grindelwald to Jungfraujoch was 222 CHF or $250 per person. While, yes, it’s a steep price for a relatively short journey, it does include the entire experience up top and is totally worth the splurge.
If you have the Swiss Travel Pass, Eurail or Interrail pass, it will reduce your fare by roughly $60. Children under 6 ride for free, and juniors ages 6 through 15 ride for just 20 CHF (or $22) apiece. These prices were accurate at the time of publication, though exchange rates are always fluctuating.
Some frequently asked questions about Jungfraujoch
If you’re headed up the mountain, you may have some questions that I hopefully can answer.
Will I get altitude sickness?
None of us got altitude sickness; however, at the top of Jungfraujoch, we all noticed how winded we were walking a flight of stairs. Be sure and adequately hydrate and pack an inhaler if you’re someone affected by extreme altitude.
Will I see cows?
Yes, absolutely you will see cows on your way to Jungfraujoch and back down to Kleine Scheidegg. They’re everywhere and completely ignore tourists but make for great photo opps.
Should I take the train back down?
If you’re a hiker, there are a lot of great hiking trails down from Jungfraujoch. Due to time constraints and weather, we decided to take the gondola up and the train back down, instead of walking. If you want to hike, this post is helpful with letting you know what to expect on the various trails.
Is there food at the top of Jungfraujoch?
There are a handful of separate restaurants at the top of Jungfraujoch, most of them self-service. We chose the Indian buffet, Bollywood, which was delicious and not as crowded as the other restaurants and offered excellent views. There are two to three restaurant options at each of the other stations in Grindelwald and Kleine Scheidegg, as well.
How long does Jungfraujoch take?
This is entirely dependent on the traveler. We didn’t plan to do any major hikes, which significantly reduced our time in Jungfraujoch; however, even with taking the train up to the Eigergletscher station, walking down to Kleine Scheidegg, and then taking the train back to the bottom, we probably spent six hours total doing the full experience.
Any questions about going to the top of Jungfraujoch, Switzerland? No matter how you choose to do it, I guarantee you will not be disappointed!
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