Grindelwald First Tickets

Grindelwald First tickets: prices, activities and the free extras

Grindelwald First tickets cost from CHF 72 for an adult return on the listing we link, with free cancellation. For that you get a gondola ride from Grindelwald village to First at 2,166 metres, the Cliff Walk along the rock face at the top, and the walk to the Bachalpsee lake, both of which cost nothing extra. The paid part is the activity park on the way down: the First Flyer, the First Glider, mountain carts and Trottibikes.

First is the mountain we suggest for the day after Jungfraujoch. It is lower, cheaper, less weather-sensitive and more active: instead of standing on a terrace looking at a glacier, you spend the day walking, riding and flying down the slope. The two work well together precisely because they are so different.

What Grindelwald First tickets cost in 2026

The return gondola is the only thing you need to buy to reach the top and see the main sights. Everything else on the mountain is either free or an optional activity paid separately. Compared with the from CHF 234 full fare to Jungfraujoch from Interlaken Ost, or from CHF 157 as a Swiss Travel Pass holder, First is a much smaller outlay for a full day.

The activity park: what is on it

The adventure activities are what make First different from every other viewpoint in the region. Each one is a way of getting part of the way back down the mountain, so they fit naturally into the return trip rather than being an add-on at the summit. They are not part of the return gondola listing we link, since the operator sells them separately at the top station or through its own booking point, so no price for them appears on this page.

• First Flyer. The zipline, and the activity most people pick if they only do one thing. It is one of the two that can be reserved ahead.
• First Glider. The other airborne ride, also bookable ahead. Same idea, a different sensation.
• Mountain Cart. Sold at the station only, so on a busy day the early arrivals get the carts.
• Trottibike. The mountain scooter, again sold on site only.
• Adventure Package. Bundles several activities together, worth asking about at the station if you plan to do two or more.

The practical rule: book the Flyer or the Glider ahead if you have fixed plans, because those are the two you can reserve. Carts and Trottibikes cannot be pre-booked, so on a busy day the earlier you reach the station, the better your chances.

What a day at First really costs

The return gondola is the one cost we can quote, and it is fixed whatever you do once you are up there. Three ways people spend the day:

• Walk only. The return gondola and nothing else, from CHF 72. The Cliff Walk and the Bachalpsee walk are included, and for many people that is a full and satisfying day.
• Walk plus one ride. Add the First Flyer or the First Glider, paid separately at the top station, for a day with one airborne highlight on top of the walking.
• The full descent. Add the Adventure Package to combine several activities into a longer day back down the slope.

Even with an activity or two on top, a day at First should stay well below the from CHF 234 full fare to Jungfraujoch from Interlaken Ost, though the gondola return is the only one of these figures we can quote. That is why Grindelwald First tickets work as the budget half of a two-mountain trip: the big excursion takes the lion's share, and First fills a whole second day for comparatively little.

The 2026 season

The summer season for the activity park and the Adventure Package runs from 13 April to 25 October 2026. Outside those dates the summer activities are not running, so check what is open before you plan a visit around the Flyer or the carts. The dates matter for the first and last weeks especially: a trip planned for early April or the end of October should be checked against the operator's own calendar before you buy anything. Late-season days can be good for walking, but daylight is shorter and the afternoons cool down early.

The Cliff Walk and the Bachalpsee, both free

The Cliff Walk is a walkway built out along the rock at the top station, and it is free once you have your return ticket. It is the best reason to go even if you have no interest in the activities: a few minutes on it gives you the sense of height that the gondola ride only hints at. On a busy summer day, go out early before the groups arrive.

The walk to the Bachalpsee lake starts from the top as well, and it costs nothing beyond the gondola ticket. It is a hike rather than a stroll, on a mountain path, so good shoes, water and a layer for the wind are the kit to bring. On a still day the lake reflects the peaks behind it, which is why it is one of the most photographed spots above Grindelwald. Allow time for the return, since the gondola back down is your only ticketed way off the mountain unless you use the activities.

First as your day-two mountain

Many visitors arrive in the Jungfrau region planning just one big excursion, then find they have a second free day. First is the obvious answer, for three reasons.

• It is cheaper. From CHF 72 for the return gondola, against from CHF 234 full fare or from CHF 122 as a Half Fare Card holder for the trip to the top of Europe.
• It is lower. At 2,166 metres, First sits below the 2,500 metre level from which altitude sickness becomes possible. Families with young children, and anyone who found Jungfraujoch hard going, will find First much easier.
• It is active. A cloudy day at Jungfraujoch loses you the view. A cloudy day at First still leaves you the walk, the Flyer and the carts.

The order matters too. If the forecast shows one clear day and one uncertain one, spend the clear day on Jungfraujoch, where the view is everything, and put First on the uncertain day. Grindelwald First tickets are also easier to buy at short notice, since the gondola ride itself has no fixed departure to reserve.

Getting there from Grindelwald

The First gondola starts in Grindelwald village. Grindelwald is also where the Eiger Express leaves for Jungfraujoch, from Grindelwald Terminal, so the same base serves both mountains. Our Grindelwald to Jungfraujoch guide covers the route up to the top of Europe, and the Eiger Express gets you there in about 45 minutes from the terminal.

From Interlaken Ost, the train to Grindelwald is the first leg. With a Swiss Travel Pass that leg is included, which is one more reason the pass pays off for a stay that covers several mountains.

How to plan a day at First, in four steps

1. Buy the return gondola. From CHF 72, with free cancellation. That covers the Cliff Walk and access to the Bachalpsee walk.
2. Pick your activities. Book the First Flyer or the Glider ahead if you want them, paid separately at the top station. Carts and Trottibikes are sold at the station only, so early arrival helps.
3. Go up early. Walk to the Bachalpsee and do the Cliff Walk while the morning is clear, before the carts sell out and the day groups arrive.
4. Ride down. Use the activities as your way back down the slope and finish in Grindelwald village.

Other mountains around the same trip

If you have a third day, or an arrival evening in Interlaken, Harder Kulm is the short, cheap option directly above the town: a ten minute funicular with returns from CHF 38, or from CHF 19 with a Half Fare Card or Swiss Travel Pass. It makes a good first evening before the big days in the mountains.

And for the main event, our Jungfraujoch ticket prices page sets out what the top of Europe costs from every starting point and with every pass, so you can see how Grindelwald First tickets and the trip to Jungfraujoch fit into one budget.