How to Visit the Jungfraujoch: Trains, Fares and Timing (2026)
The short answer. Take the train to Interlaken Ost, then either the Eiger Express gondola from Grindelwald Terminal or the cogwheel railway through Wengen, and finish on the Jungfrau Railway to the station at 3,454 metres. Via the gondola it takes 1 hour 30 minutes each way from Interlaken Ost. Return fares start at CHF 129.60, and from May to October you also need a CHF 10 seat reservation. Go early, go on a clear day, and dress for winter whatever the month.
Most first visits to the Jungfraujoch go wrong in one of three places: the fare, the seat reservation, or the weather at the top. Get those right and the rest of the day looks after itself. If you would rather have someone else handle all three, a Switzerland Jungfraujoch tour with a guide does exactly that. Here are the quick facts first, then each choice in the order you will face it.
| Quick facts | What you need to know |
|---|---|
| The station | 3,454 metres, inside the rock below the Sphinx |
| Who runs it | Jungfrau Railways, Harderstrasse 14, Interlaken |
| Return fare | From CHF 129.60, depending on where you start and your travel cards |
| Seat reservation | CHF 10, compulsory from 1 May to 31 October 2026 |
| Fastest way up | 1 hour 30 minutes from Interlaken Ost via the Eiger Express |
| First trains | 07:04 and 07:34 from Interlaken Ost, arriving 08:41 and 09:11 |
| At the top | Snow and ice 365 days a year |
Tickets: what the fare covers, and the seat you must reserve
Jungfrau Railways sells the Jungfraujoch as a return from wherever you start, and its fares begin at CHF 129.60. Your price depends on the station you set off from and the cards you hold, so use the fare calculator on jungfrau.ch before you buy. The fare includes the summit itself: the signed circuit through the ice and out onto the terrace. Webshop tickets can be cancelled free until 23:59 the day before you travel.
From 1 May to 31 October 2026 every passenger on the last section, from Kleine Scheidegg or Eigergletscher to the top, needs a CHF 10 seat reservation, children included. Without one you can wait at the change for a train with room.
Children up to 5 ride free. Children aged 6 to 15 pay CHF 20, or ride free with a Junior Card or Children's Travelpass, sold for CHF 30 per child at any SBB station. The Unlimited Jungfrau Summer Pass, CHF 549 for an adult, includes as many rides to the top as you like between 3 April and 29 November 2026.
Getting to Interlaken Ost
Every way up starts at Interlaken Ost. These are direct train times on SBB's timetable for a Tuesday in October:
- From Zurich: 1 hour 57 minutes on the direct train.
- From Lucerne: 1 hour 48 minutes, direct.
- From Bern: just under an hour.
From Interlaken Ost the Bernese Oberland Railway splits: one branch climbs to Grindelwald Terminal for the gondola, the other to Lauterbrunnen for the cogwheel line. How to get there covers trains from Geneva and Basel, parking and the car-free villages.
The two routes up
Both routes finish on the same train, the Jungfrau Railway, which runs every 30 minutes through the Eiger and the Mönch to the top. What differs is how you reach it.
| Route | From the valley | Time each way | Allow for the day |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eiger Express | Grindelwald Terminal, gondola to Eigergletscher | 45 minutes | 3.5 to 4.5 hours |
| Wengernalp railway | Lauterbrunnen or Grindelwald, via the col below the Eiger | 1 hour 26 from Grindelwald | 5 to 6 hours |
The gondola is faster, and the route from Interlaken Ost through Grindelwald Terminal is barrier-free all the way to the top. The cogwheel line is slower and older, and the guided days often go up one way and come down the other. The routes page walks through both, station by station.
What to wear, and what the altitude does
Jungfrau Railways expects frost at the top in summer and in winter, and recommends the "onion principle": layers you can add or shed. Bring a warm jacket, closed shoes with a grip, gloves, a hat and sunglasses. There is a real risk of snow blindness on the glacier without them, even on a grey day. There is nowhere to rent clothes at the top.
At 3,454 metres each person loses around 200 ml of fluid an hour just by breathing, so drink more than you think you need. The railway advises against the trip from the seventh month of pregnancy and for children under 2. The visitor guide lists the full medical advice.
How long to allow
| How you go | Time for the whole day |
|---|---|
| Your own train via the Eiger Express | 3.5 to 4.5 hours from Grindelwald Terminal |
| Your own train via the cogwheel line | 5 to 6 hours |
| The railway's return from Interlaken Ost | 6 to 8 hours |
| Guided day from Interlaken | 7 hours |
| Guided day from Lucerne | 9.5 to 10 hours |
| Guided day from Zurich | 11.5 to 12 hours |
Plan for at least two hours at the top. That covers the circuit and a meal, and a little time on the snow. For what fills those hours, read the Jungfraujoch level by level.
When to go: the hour and the month
Go early. The Good Morning Ticket takes 20% off the first two trains of the day, from 1 May to 31 October 2026. They leave Interlaken Ost at 07:04 and 07:34 and reach the top at 08:41 and 09:11, and you must be on your way down by 13:17. It cannot be combined with a Half Fare Card, a GA or a Swiss Travel Pass.
On MeteoSwiss's 1991-2020 averages for the station, August is the warmest month at a mean of 0.6 °C, and February the coldest at −13.3 °C. August and July are also the sunniest, with about 183 and 181 hours of sun; December gets about 101. The weather page has every month.
Tours to the top, and who each one suits
| Way to go | Price per person | Suits |
|---|---|---|
| Guided day from Zurich | $319 | A Zurich base and a guide at the top |
| Guided day from Lucerne, cogwheel up | $344 | The most time on the summit |
| Guided day from Interlaken | $313 | Staying in the Oberland, wanting a guide |
| The railway's own return ticket | $327 | Your own pace, no group |
| Private day with a driver-guide | $919 to $937 | Families and small groups |
From Zurich, the Best of Switzerland day keeps a guide with you at the top for at least two hours. From Lucerne, the Gray Line day goes up by cogwheel and gives you about three hours. Already in Interlaken? The railway's own return is the ticket with no group, and the guided day from Interlaken is the same trains with someone to lead them.
What to add on the way down
The valleys are part of the day. On the cogwheel route you pass Kleine Scheidegg, at 2,061 metres, right under the Eiger's north face. Below Wengen, Lauterbrunnen has the Staubbach Falls, and further up the valley the Trümmelbach Falls thunder inside the mountain. The Jungfrau Region page has their seasons and prices.
Where these facts come from
- Jungfrau Railways: prices and tickets
- Jungfrau Railways: the Good Morning Ticket and its first two connections
- Jungfrau Railways: frequently asked questions (fares, children, seat reservations, medical advice, accessibility)
- Jungfrau Railways: Jungfraujoch – Top of Europe
- Jungfrau Railways: the Jungfrau Travel Pass
- Jungfrau Railways: the Unlimited Jungfrau Summer Pass
- MeteoSwiss: homogeneous monthly series, station Jungfraujoch (JUN)
- SBB timetable via transport.opendata.ch (journeys on Tuesday 6 October 2026)
Days that handle the trains for you
From Interlaken: Guided Tour to Jungfraujoch - Top of Europe
Seven hours from Interlaken with a guide, the gondola up and at least 2 hours on the summit.
From $313 per person
Check Availability
Jungfraujoch: Roundtrip to the Top of Europe by Train
The railway's own return from Interlaken Ost: no guide, no group, and 3 hours at the top before your booked train down.
From $327 per person
Check Availability
From Lucerne: Day Trip to Jungfraujoch – Top of Europe
From the Lucerne coach park, with a guide, the Eiger Express up and at least 2 hours on the summit.
From $313 per person
Check AvailabilityNext: see what is waiting at the top in the Jungfraujoch level by level. Every guided day, private day and railway ticket to the top sits side by side on Jungfraujoch Tours.