Jungfraujoch “Top of Europe” – How to Visit

The Jungfraujoch (aka “Top of Europe”) is the highest viewpoint in Europe accessible by train, located at an impressive 3,454m (11,332 ft).

From various lookouts, you’ll get sweeping views of towering peaks and the mighty Aletsch Glacier, the longest glacier in the Alps, stretching over 20 km.

This viewpoint is one the most popular tourist destinations in Switzerland.

The visitor center offers a variety of indoor and outdoor observation decks, where you can admire the tall peaks and the Aletsch glacier, the longest in the alps, over 20 km long.

You can also explore the “Ice Palace,” a tunnel cut through the glacier, walk across the snowy Glacier Plateau, sled or ski at the Snow Fun Park, and even hike to a mountain hut for lunch. You’ll also find restaurants and gift shops to round out your visit.

Although the Jungfraujoch is a special and spectacular place, it’s expensive, often crowded, and not right for everyone.

So—is it worth it for you?

In this guide, I’ll walk you through everything you need to know:

• How to buy tickets
• Tips to save money
• Step-by-step itinerary
• What to do at the top

And—most importantly—how to decide if it’s the right choice for your trip

Let’s get started!

NEW: Seat reservations for the Jungfraubahn are now required from May to August. Reserve here.

Location:	Jungfrau Region, Switzerland
Car:	Grindelwald Terminal parking (Grundstrasse 54, 3818 Grindelwald) From Interlaken 30 mins, from Lucerne 1hr30+, from Zürich 2hr+
Train:	Grindelwald Terminal train station From Interlaken 30 mins, from Zürich or Lucerne 2hr30
Open:	year round
Price 2025:	Return trip from Grindelwald around CHF 227/adult Discounts for travel passes and children (details below)
Services:	restaurants, gear rental, gift shops, WC, partially stroller/wheelchair accessible
Hiking:	no hiking here except snow hike to mountain hut
More info:	www.jungfrau.ch • webcam

First, is the Jungfraujoch worth it?

Yes and no. The Jungfraujoch is a spectacular viewpoint and popular for good reason. It’s one of the few places you can see the beautiful Aletsch glacier, the longest in the alps.

The whole visitor center is well designed, making it easy for people of all ages and abilities to enjoy high mountain views without much effort.

However, the Jungfraujoch journey is very expensive! It’s twice as much as visiting the next highest priced mountain in Switzerland. It’s also a tourist attraction, so it is often crowded with lots of big tour groups. There’s also not much to do besides look at the pretty views, so not the best choice for active travelers.

Reasons to go:

• you enjoy sightseeing more than hiking
• you want to see snow
• budget is not an issue

Don’t go if:

• your budget is limited
• you don’t like crowds
• you prefer hiking to sightseeing

I do not consider the Jungfraujoch a “must see”. There are many other beautiful mountain viewpoint that are a fraction of the price and much less crowded.

Overview of Jungfraujoch “Top of Europe”

This map shows the important elements of the Jungfraujoch excursion.

Here is the typical flow to the day.

1. Train to Grindelwald Terminal (32 mins from Interlaken).

2. Ride Eiger Express cable car up to Eigergletscher (20 mins).

3. Transfer to the red Jungfraubahn mountain train. Ride up to Jungfraujoch (26 mins).

4. Enjoy the “Discovery Tour” to various viewpoints (1-2 hours).

5. At designated time, board Jungfraubahn train for return journey.

6. Ride train back to Eigergletscher, then Eiger Express cable car back to Grindelwald.

Note: If you are staying in Wengen, Lauterbrunnen or Mürren, you can ride the mountain train to Kleine Scheidegg instead of starting your day in Grindelwald.

Activities at “Top of Europe”

At the top of the Jungfraujoch, you will see this map that directs you to the various activities. 

Follow the loop in the suggested order.

1. Sphinx Terrace – elevator to highest viewpoint with outdoor observation deck

2. Snow Fun Park – sledding, a small ski hill, and a zipline. You can rent the equipment on-site. (May to Oct only, extra fee)

3. Mönchs Hut – snow hike to mountain hut for lunch, 90 mins round trip (Apr to Oct only)

4. Alpine Sensation – multimedia presentation of the history of Jungfrau Railway construction

5. Ice Palace – walk through tunnel cut through glacier ice

6. Glacier Plateau – walk on glacier snow and closer view of famous peaks

7. Gift shops & restaurants

More details about each activity below.

How to get there

The Jungfraujoch is in the Jungfrau Region, south of Interlaken (see on Google maps).

From Grindelwald

The easiest and fastest way to reach the Jungfraujoch is with the Eiger Express cable car, which starts at from Grindelwald Terminal station. Then change to the cogwheel train that makes the remaining journey to Jungfraujoch. 

By car:

Drive to Grindelwald and park in the parking garage next to the Grindelwald Terminal parking – Grundstrasse 54, 3818 Grindelwald. The garage is connected by a pedestrian bridge to the Eiger Express cable car station.

By public transportation:

From the Interlaken, Ost train station, ride the train to the Grindelwald Terminal stop. Short walk through the station to the Eiger Express cable car. 

Ride the Eiger Express

At Grindelwald Terminal, you can board the Eiger Express cable car. If you haven’t bought Jungfraujoch tickets yet, you can do this at the Eiger Express ticket counter (more about tickets below).

After a 15 minute ride, you will deboard at Eigergletscher and transfer to the cogwheel mountain train that will take you the rest of the way to Jungfraujoch. Retrace the same steps for your return journey.

Optional return trip:

If you want to see something different on your way back down, you can ride the mountain train down the Wengen side to Lauterbrunnen, instead of riding the Eiger Express back to Grindelwald.

To do this, on your way back down, ride from Jungfraujoch to Kleine Scheidegg. Change to the yellow train going to Lauterbrunnen. Then change trains and ride back to Lauterbrunnen or wherever your final destination is.

Make sure your ticket allows you to travel this route on your return trip.

From Lauterbrunnen

If you are staying in Lauterbrunnen, Wengen or Mürren, you can instead ride the Wengernalp mountain train up to the Kleine Scheidegg station. Then change trains to the red mountain train going up to Jungfraujoch. 

This train is much slower than the Eiger Express. But it saves you the time of travelling to Grindelwald before starting the journey up the mountain.

💡Guided Tour from major cities

If you want to visit Jungfraujoch from Zürich, Lucerne, or other major cities, many companies offer tours that include travel to and from the Jungfrau Region.

This can be more convenient way to do this day trip than booking all the elements separately. Book this tour from Zürich below.

Tickets & Seat Reservations

NEW: Seat reservations for the Jungfraubahn are required from May to August. Reserve here.

The Jungfraujoch ticket price depends on where you start your journey and when you are visiting. The most expensive prices are June through August. It is less expensive during spring, fall and winter. 

Sample prices & discounts

Most travel passes gives some sort of discount on the Jungfraujoch ticket. This table shows sample 2025 prices for a return ticket, with seat reservation, from Grindelwald Terminal to Jungfraujoch.

Discount	Return Ticket + Reservation
No discount	CHF 238
Swiss Travel Pass / Berner Oberland Pass	CHF 181.20
Swiss Half Fare Card	CHF 114
GA	CHF 121
Jungfrau Travel Pass	CHF 85.20
Berner Oberland Pass	CHF 181.20
Eurail / Interrail Pass	CHF 176.80

Prices and discounts may change without notice. See current Jungfraujoch prices.

SBB RailAway sometimes has discount offers. 

Children tickets

Children aged 6 to 15 ride free with a SBB Junior card , Swiss Family Card (with a parent with valid Swiss Travel Pass), children’s Jungfrau Travel Pass or Berner Oberland Pass. Otherwise they pay CHF 20 for the ticket.

Children under 6 ride free.

All children require a seat reservation from May to Aug, which costs CHF 10/person.

Seat reservations

Seat reservations are required from May to August, optional the rest of the year. The reservation applies specifically to the red mountain train between Kleine Scheidegg / Eigergletscher and Jungfraujoch. The seat reservation costs CHF 10/person.

Usually you book the ticket and seat reservations together. If you already have a ticket but no seat reservation, you can book just the reservation on Jungfrau.ch for CHF 10.

The seat reservation gives you a guaranteed seat on the selected train connection, but it does not assign a specific numbered seat. So the seat reservation does not ensure your group all sits altogether.

When you board the Jungfraubahn train, those with a seat reservation enter through the priority boarding line, getting on the train before those without a reservation.

How to buy tickets

You can book tickets and seat reservations on Jungfrau.ch. During the booking process, you choose your starting point and time of departure. 

You also indicate how long you intend to stay at the top, so it can also reserve a spot for your departure. We find that 1.5 to 2 hours is usually plenty unless you plan to eat lunch up there.

Don’t stress if you miss your reservation on the way down. You can usually just get on the next train that has space.

The system will calculate which Jungfraubahn train to reserve for you and will display the schedule for review. 

Tips for planning your day

Sample timeline

The Jungfrau trains are open all year round. Since this is a long trip, best to start out early. Check the current schedule as the timeline may change.

Via Grindelwald Terminal:

1. Interlaken Ost to Grindelwald Terminal 8:04 to 8:33
2. Eiger Express to Eigergletscher 8:40 to 9:00
3. Mountain train to Jungfraujoch 9:15 to 9:41
4. Visit Jungfraujoch 90 mins.
5. Depart Jungfraujoch at 11:17.
6. Arrive Eigergletscher 11:41.
7. Eiger Express down to Grindelwald Terminal, arrive 12:11

Check the weather

Before buying your ticket, check the Jungfrau webcams. There is no reason to go up unless you have a clear view. We were advised to go early in the day, as clouds often move it after noon. But check the weather forecast, particularly the cloud and precipitation weather animations on Search.ch.

Weather can change quickly in the mountains and you don’t want the clouds settling in during the 2 hours it takes you to get from Lauterbrunnen to the Jungfraujoch.

The morning we wanted to go up, the clouds were obscuring the Jungfrau. So instead we did a hike from Männlichen to Kleine Scheidegg instead. When we got to Kleine Scheidegg, we checked the webcams again and the clouds had cleared. So we bought ticket to ride the rest of the way up to the Jungfraujoch and it all worked out. Be flexible.

What to bring

Even though you won’t be hiking, bring winter jackets, sturdy shoes and sunglasses. Even in summer, it can be cold at the top. You will be walking on snow and ice (inside the ice palace), which can be slippery and wet. Little kids will need assistance walking.

Bring sunglasses, for kids too, as the reflection off the snow and ice can be blinding at the top. We were not prepared and our poor two year old couldn’t bear to open his eyes outside unless he borrowed my sunglasses.

I’d leave stroller at home or at the station as there are stairs, snow and ice to navigate. I suggest you just carry little kids as necessary. If you have a baby backpack, take extra care walking on the ice so you don’t slip.

Photo story of Jungfraujoch

Riding Eiger Express

Here is the large cabin for the Eiger Express cable car. There are many cabins running on the continuously circulating cable. Wheelchair users should alert the staff so they can assist you with boarding.

The view from the Eiger Express as you ride up the mountain

Mountain train

The cable car drops you at the Eigergletscher station. Transfer to the Jungfraubahn train here.

The “seat reservation” does not give you a specific seat, just a boarding timeslot. So sit wherever you like. You will be in a tunnel for most of the journey, so it doesn’t really matter where you sit.

On the way up, the train will stop for a few minutes at the Eismeer station, so you can get a view of the glacier through these windows. There is a toilet here but you will have to hurry.

Arriving at the “Top of Europe” station

It takes about 25 mins to reach the Jungfraujoch train station, which is deep inside the mountain. Exit the train and follow signs to the Discovery Tour.

You start by walking down a long tunnel. You’ll see a sign like this showing the recommended “Discovery Tour” through the complex.

1. 360 Cinema

First stop is the cinema room, which has videos of this area playing on screen circling around the room. It’s pretty cool for a few minutes.

2. Sphinx Observatory

After you leave that room, you’ll see the elevator up to Sphinx Observatory. The lift takes you up to this viewing platform shown here. You’ll ride back down later to continue the tour.

For some perspective, you can see the Sphinx Observatory on the top of the peak. On the lower level, you see the exit to the Glacier Plateau and restaurant windows.

From the deck, you can look down to Kleine Scheidegg on the green hills below.

This drone pic (not mine) shows an overview of the whole Sphinx Observatory complex.

Lots of people are taking selfies up here, but the railings make this a little hard to get a nice view. I prefer portraits on the plateau, which I talk about later in this post.

Sunglasses necessary, it gets so bright up here! (my family way back in 2005).

There are also lots of indoor areas with benches where you can enjoy the view and stay warm. It was -11C when I was there one time in December, so absolutely freezing!!!

There is a walkway around the building so you can enjoy views from the outside. I was there in winter so some of the walkway was closed due to snow.

3. Snow Fun Park

In summer season (May through October), you can exit the complex and visit the “Snow Fun Park” on the glacier. The snow activities are primarily a novelty for people who haven’t seen snow before, the case for many tourists visiting here.

It has sledding, a little ski hill and zipline, all for an extra fee. The website says the rental equipment is included in the ticket prices and apparently, you can also rent snow clothes there. See the Snow Park page for more details.

image from Jungfrau website

4. Mönchsjoch hut

You can also hike out to the Mönchjoch hut, about 45 mins each way. You could each lunch there and even stay overnight, reservations a must. It’s open from late March through October. See website for details.

image from Jungfrau website

5. Alpine Sensation

Back in the complex, you continue the tour through the tunnels, entering the Alpine Sensation area, , which tells the history of the Jungfraujoch tunnel, train and complex through a multimedia tour.

There are a lot of silly photo opps, do all of them! I loved this life-styled snow globe with music and moving parts.

There are moving sidewalks carrying you through the tunnel with murals and educational info.

This section is a tribute to workers who died building the tunnel and Jungfraujoch station.

6. Ice Palace

At the end of the Alpine Sensation tour, you enter the Ice Palace, a series of tunnels carved into the glacier with lots of ice sculptures. There are stairs but they have also added wheelchair access down to the ice.

It’s very slippery, so walk slowly and use your hand rails. It’s cold inside, you’ll definitely need your jackets.

This area changes as the glacial ice moves and sculptures melt. Here are some pics from our visit in 2006.

And again in Dec 2019.

7. Glaicer Plateau

After exiting the ice palace, you climb some stairs (or take a lift) to access the Plateau, a viewing area on the glacier snow. When you exit the complex, you have to walk up a slope of snow, which can be very slippery. We saw so many people fall down on this part.

The Plateau is a big snowy area you can walk around. Everyone likes to take their pic with this flag.

From the plateau, you can get an impressive Aletsch glacier and surrounding mountain peaks. The area is roped off as shown below, but it’s not much a barrier. There wasn’t an immediate drop-off on the other side of the ropes, but when my kids were little, I was a little nervous they would duck under the ropes and run off.

Lots of mountain views up here. If you are there in winter, the peaks are usually fully covered with snow. This can change depending on the season. 

Where to eat

I enjoyed Restaurant Crystal, which has lots of big windows so you can enjoy the view while you eat. Best to make a reservation +41338287888  E-Mail

I had the hearty fall special with venison, mushroom sauce, chestnuts, berry sauce, spatzel, etc. So delicious! Dessert was even better with creme catalan, pear sorbet, figs and berry compote.

Swiss restaurant prices are always high, but I was delighted that these prices were the same as I’d see at any mountain restaurant, not extra because we were at this tourist hub.

There is a kiosk for drinks and snacks right near where you exit and board the train.

On our first visit, we ate at the self-service buffet, which has Swiss food and Indian dishes. At peak hours, it can be very crowded and hard to find a seat. Also this restaurant is often partially or fully reserved for large tour groups.

I didn’t see any picnic areas, but there are plenty of benches inside where you could sit and eat a sandwich.

I hope you have fun!

Jungfraujoch tours

Video of Jungfraujoch

Video from our visit in Dec 2019.