Visiting the Jungfraujoch

The Jungfraujoch is a railway station on a glacier saddle at 3,454 metres, the highest in Europe. You reach it only by mountain railway, whatever you book. So before you choose a Switzerland Jungfraujoch tour, three things decide your day: whether the fare takes you all the way up, whether the ticket is in it, and who is with you at the top.

The day at 3,454 metres

Every way up starts in Interlaken, most often at Interlaken Ost station. From there you take one of two routes. The first runs to Grindelwald Terminal and up by the Eiger Express gondola. The second runs to Lauterbrunnen and climbs the cogwheel line through Wengen to Kleine Scheidegg. Both end on the same last railway from Eigergletscher, which runs mostly in a tunnel through the Eiger and the Mönch. Many tours go up one way and come down the other, and the routes page sets them side by side.

From Zurich or Lucerne, add the ride to Interlaken each way. A coach day from Zurich takes 11.5 to 12 hours; a train ride to Interlaken Ost takes about 2 hours 4 to 2 hours 15. How to get there has the trains from every city.

What the ticket covers at the top

A ticket to the Jungfraujoch is a return railway fare, and the summit's own sights are open to anyone who arrives on it. Once you are up, you walk the circuit at your own pace or with your guide. Here is what you can see, and how long to allow:

• The Sphinx Observatory lift and its terrace, at 3,571 metres, with the Aletsch Glacier below it.
• The Ice Palace, halls carved into the glacier by mountain guides in the 1930s.
• Alpine Sensation, a lit walkway through the railway's history.
• The Plateau, an outdoor terrace on the snow, open all year.
• The Snow Fun Park in summer, which costs extra on the railway's own ticket.

What each fare costs, from each starting station, is on the tickets and prices page. What each sight is like, and a plan for two hours or three, is in things to do at the top.

Altitude, and who should not go up

The train climbs from the valley floor to 3,454 metres in a morning, much faster than you would climb on foot. Some visitors feel short of breath or light-headed at the top. Move slowly, drink water, and head down if you feel unwell.

• Babies under 2: the railway advises against the trip.
• Pregnancy: not from the seventh month, or in a high-risk pregnancy.
• Heart or serious medical conditions: several tours exclude you, so ask first.
• Everyone else: go slowly at the top and drink water.

What to wear on a July day in the snow

It is winter at the top in every month. The Plateau is snow-covered all year, the wind bites on the Sphinx terrace, and nothing is for hire up there. Travellers who arrived in summer clothes say so in their reviews. Pack for it even on a warm morning in the valley.

• A warm, windproof jacket, and a hat and gloves outside summer.
• Rubber-soled shoes with grip: the Plateau is packed snow.
• Sunglasses and sun cream: the glare off the glacier is strong.
• Water and a snack for a long day, especially on a coach tour.
• Layers you can take off again in the valleys.

When the cloud comes in

The mountain makes its own weather. On a cloudy day the trains still run, and the Ice Palace and Alpine Sensation are indoors, but the Sphinx terrace can be a whiteout with no view at all. Travellers who went up in cloud call it the one real gamble of the trip, and the FAQs cover what the tours do about it.

What to do about it: book a tour with free cancellation, check the summit webcam and the forecast the day before, and cancel at least 24 hours ahead if it looks bad. Months, cloud and sunshine are on the weather page, from MeteoSwiss averages.

Eating at the top

No tour here includes lunch, so plan for it. The station complex has four restaurants and a Lindt chocolate shop, and the self-service counter is the quickest if your time at the top is short. Travellers on a budget bring their own food from the valley.

Tours or your own ticket

You can go up with nothing but a railway ticket, and in Interlaken that costs about the same as a guided day. The difference is who sorts out the changes, and who is with you at the top. Some coach days hand you the tickets and leave the summit to you. Others keep a guide with you from the valley to the Sphinx and back.

If you have a Swiss Travel Pass or a Half Fare Card, you pay a reduced fare for the mountain section rather than riding free; the tickets page explains it. Here is how each tour answers those questions:

Frequently asked before you go