Hiking in Switzerland can be expensive if you visit the most popular tourist destinations, like Zermatt and the Jungfrau Region. For example, a family of four can spend over CHF 300 to visit the Matterhorn Glacier Paradise in Zermatt. However, there are many more affordable hiking alternatives in these famous areas that are still amazingly beautiful and often more fun.
Jungfrau Region budget hikes
We went to the top of Jungfraujoch once and definitely enjoyed it, but we’ll probably never do it again because of the price. In summer 2021, a full fare adult return trip from Lauterbrunnen to Jungfraujoch is CHF 221.60. You can reduce this cost with travel passes and SBB half-fare cards, but it’s still expensive. The landscape is very beautiful and unique but the complex is crowded and touristy. Frankly, there are dozens of other Swiss hikes that we enjoyed much more than this experience. (See my post: Is the Jungfraujoch worth it?)
If you really want to be at the top of it all, we prefer the Schilthorn across the valley, which is half the price of the Jungfraujoch, but of course, still expensive at CHF 108/adult. The Schilthorn has great views of the famous Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau peaks, which you don’t get from the Jungfraujoch. It also has a fun cliff walk experience and there are good hiking options at varying difficulties.
More about visiting the Schilthorn and hiking from there
However, my top budget recommendation for the Jungfrau Region is the surprisingly affordable Mürren and the Allmendhubel Flower Park. In 2021, it’s only CHF 22.50/adult for a round trip to Mürren, then a little bit more for the short funicular ride to Allmendhübel. It has fantastic views of the same mountains you can see from the Schilthorn, plus a great playground and hikes suitable for children.
More about Mürren and the Flower Park
The most affordable hike in the Jungfrau region is the Mountain View trail from Grütschalp to Männlichen. I was shocked at how low the prices were (about CHF 21.20/adult) considering how wonderful the hike was. Plus it ends at the Allmendhubel Flower park shown above, so families will love it.
See details for the Murren Mountain View trail
A free option is to simply walk along the Lauterbrunnen valley, with mountain views and dozens of waterfalls falling down the cliffs on each side.
See info about the Lauterbrunnen valley walk
See also our full Family Guide to the Jungfrau region.
Zermatt budget hikes
Visiting Zermatt and seeing the Matterhorn is a bucket list item for many people. The most popular options are the Matterhorn Glacier Paradise (CHF 114.50/adult in summer 2021) and the Gornergrat railway (CHF 126/adult in summer 2021). We love the Gornergrat and think it’s worth the price, with fantastic views of the Matterhorn and the glaciers. Plus the Gornergrat area has good hiking options for families.
See more about hiking at Gornergrat
But if you need a more affordable option in this area, I recommend Rothorn-Sunegga, which has big playground with a view of the Matterhorn (a bit hidden by the clouds in my pic) and beautiful hiking options. In 2021, Zermatt-Sunnegga round trip is only CHF 27.50/adult, a bit more if you want to hike from a higher elevation down to Sunnegga. Current prices.
Read about Sunnegga from Mom In Zurich and my Rothorn-Sunnegga post for hiking options.
Lucerne budget hikes
Many tourists use Lucerne as a base, which is a great choice because not only is a beautiful city, but it is near many great mountain areas. The most popular mountains in this area are Mt. Pilatus and Mt. Rigi, both of which have fantastic panorama views. We love them both and have been many times. But we have Half-fare and Junior cards, which makes these trips more affordable (see budget tips here).
Note: If you are hiking in this area for several days, consider getting the Tell Pass, which covers trains, bus, boat and mountain transport over a huge area in central Switzerland for 2 to 10 days. It has the best value if you are using public transport and hiking every day during your visit. With the Tell Pass, the price of all these options evens out.
Mt. Pilatus costs CHF 72/adult, half price for kids 6 and over. We love the views and the short ridge hike at the top, but it feels more touristy and crowded than the other options. But it is also the closest to Lucerne, so if you are taking the train (only about CHF 9 return fare to Pilatus), the price difference for the total journey evens out a bit with the other options below.
More info about visiting Mt. Pilatus
Mt. Rigi also costs CHF 72/adult for a day pass. But children under 16 are free in summer when traveling with an adult, so that reduces the costs for a family. On Tuesdays in summer 2018, they offer a 40% discount, which is a fantastic deal. We like the family hiking options at Rigi better than at Pilatus. Traveling by train from Luzern to the base of Mt. Rigi costs about CHF 26 return fare, so consider that in your total costs.
More info about hiking at Mt. Rigi
I prefer taking visitors to Stoos, which has fantastic views over Lake Luzern and all the surrounding alps. With its new fancy funicular, it’s getting more popular with tourists, so I suspect the price might skyrocket soon. But for now, you are getting A+ views and hiking for a reasonable fee. Families with little kids will like the easy obstacle-free panorama trail at the top. Lots of longer, more challenging hikes for everyone else.
Cost 2018: Return trip Adult CHF 44, children 6-16 half price, SBB Half-fare accepted. Traveling by train from Lucerne to the base of Stoos costs about CHF 36, so also factor that into your costs.
More info about hiking at Stoos
The Swiss Path is one of the most affordable hikes in the area, which only requires short ferry or train rides to return to your starting point, costing only about CHF 10 to 15/adult depending on which section you hike.
More info about the Swiss Path
Note: All of these mountains near Luzern are adjacent to the lake. So many people combine a boat ride with the mountain transport, which is really fun but can sky rocket your costs. It’s much more affordable to take the train to the base of the mountain.
Engelberg budget hikes
We love the views from the top of Mt. Titlis, but it costs almost CHF 300 to take a family of four to the top. You can wander around on the snowy glacier, but there isn’t really any hiking at the top. It’s very beautiful and a special experience, especially if you haven’t seen snow before.
Kids will have more fun at Brunni on the other side of the valley, where you’ll find the a barefoot path around a little pond, a treasure hunt trail, and a huge playground with trampolines, slides, climbing structures and water play.
Cost: Return trip Adult CHF 44, children under 15 free with adult. SBB Half-fare and Junior cards accepted.
