Mountains, Monks & Monarchs: A Self-Guided Interlaken Tour

Duration40m - 1h 20m

Free cancellationFull refund up to 24 hours before

Instant confirmationYour booking is confirmed right away

TicketMobile or paper ticket accepted

LanguagesEnglish

Private tourOnly your group will participate

Overview

Interlaken sits on a glacial plain between two lakes of different colours, framed by some of the most dramatic peaks in the Alps. On this self-guided walking tour, you'll follow the area's history from a medieval monastery that once controlled 24 mountain valley churches to a grand boulevard that turned a quiet Swiss town into a 19th-century tourist destination.

Starting near Interlaken West Station, you'll cross the Aare River into Unterseen's medieval old town. Back in Interlaken, follow the Höheweg past the Victoria Jungfrau Grand Hotel — a reminder of the era when Queen Victoria's 1868 Swiss holiday inspired a generation of wealthy British travellers — before ending at the Japanese Garden beside the Hotel Interlaken.

This tour packs centuries of Alpine history into a single walk — bring good shoes, a curiosity for unexpected stories, and perhaps an appetite for chocolate.

What's included

Lifetime access to this tour in English before your booking date and after it
Offline access to audio, maps, and geodata
Flexibility to explore at your own pace with a self-guided GPS tour
App for Android and iOS
Directions to the starting point so that when you’re in the right place, the tour will start

Smartphone and headphones
Transportation
Food and drink
Personal expenses for admission fees not included during the tour

What to expect

Tourismuseum Interlaken
Pass by

Pass by TOURISMUSEUM, Switzerland's first and only museum dedicated exclusively to the history of tourism, opened in 1980. Housed in the old parsonage in Unterseen's old town, admission is not included in this tour.
Pass by

Pass by Schloss Unterseen, built between 1654 and 1656 in the heart of Unterseen's fortified old town. Take in this historic castle, a lasting reminder of the town's medieval origins.
Casino Interlaken
Pass by

Stop at the Congress Kursaal casino, which once offered guests whey cures alongside small-stakes gambling. Take in this quirky piece of Interlaken's tourism history, blending health treatments with modest games of chance.
Pass by

Visit the Unterseen Stadthaus, once a merchant hall where goods arrived by land and water to be weighed, measured, and sold. Take in this historic building, now home to a restaurant along the banks of the Aare.
Japanese Garden Interlaken
Pass by

Finish at the Japanese Garden, a gift from sister city Ōtsu. Take in this peaceful space, the fitting conclusion to your walk through Interlaken's layered history.
Pass by

Discover why the Reformed Church Unterseen's late-Gothic tower survived when nearly everything else in town burned in 1470. Take in this striking landmark, one of the few structures to withstand the catastrophic fire.
Pass by

Pass by Woodpecker, a family-run wood carving workshop and shop on Marktgasse. Admire the intricate hand-carved sculptures, clocks, and ornaments crafted on site by local artisans.
Pass by

Pass by the Victoria Jungfrau Grand Hotel, which still recalls the era when Queen Victoria's 1868 Swiss holiday inspired a generation of wealthy British travelers. Take in this grand landmark along the Höheweg, a lasting symbol of Interlaken's 19th-century tourism boom.
Pass by

Pass by Vanini Swiss Chocolate, a Swiss chocolatier tracing its roots back to 1871. Discover an appetite for handcrafted pralines, gelato, and chocolate specialities along the Höheweg.
Monastery and Interlaken Castle
Pass by

Pass the former grounds of the Inter Lacus monastery, the institution that gave Interlaken its name. Explore the grounds of the former Augustinian monastery, whose nuns once owned the land surrounding the Jungfrau.

Meeting and pickup

Meeting point

This tour starts at Interlacken Introduction / Across from Bahnhof OST. Before arrival, please install the mobile app and use the code provided on your confirmation ticket. Detailed starting point instructions are available after downloading.

End point

Tour ends at LOCATION 41 Japanese Garden / Japanischer Garten

Additional information

Wheelchair accessible
Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
Service animals allowed
Public transportation options are available nearby
Transportation options are wheelchair accessible
All areas and surfaces are wheelchair accessible
Suitable for all physical fitness levels

Cancellation policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

From

$11.99 per person

Check availability & book

Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the experience starts
Instant confirmation
You'll choose your date and travelers and pay on viator.com. Prices vary by date, group size and option.

Operated by VoiceMap Audio Tours · Booked through Viator

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