Trift Glacier & Suspension Bridge Hike

This hike has two special attractions, a long pedestrian suspension bridge and close up glacier view. After hiking up a steep, but short, mountain trail, you can test your nerves on the Triftbrücke, 100 meters high and 170 meters long with a view of the Trift glacier and lake.

The hike is tough, straight uphill on a super rocky trail, but it’s so beautiful and the suspension bridge so fun, that it’s worth the effort. We took our 4 year old, who we carried about half the time. We saw lots of other little kids hiking the trail, faster and happier than our crew. It convinced me that my little kids can do more than I think they can.

You should book tickets for this gondola online before you go, as they can sell out. Info below.

Location

This hike is accessed by the Triftbahn located in the Berner Oberland, southeast of Interlaken.

Area overview

Here is the summer hiking map for this area. The trail starts at the top of the Triftbahn gondola and goes up a rocky mountain path to the Triftbrücke, the suspension bridge overlooking the glacier and lake. There is a hut above the lake if you want to have lunch up there. Otherwise bring a picnic.

Hiking map

Here’s a detailed trail map from the gondola to the bridge. It is about 2.6 km each way, took us about 1hr30 each way with little kids.

Trail to Windegg Hut

If you are hiking to the hut, there are two trails from the bridge, as shown on this map posted near the bridge. The more difficult one, called the “Ketteliweg” starts directly from the bridge. It is exposed and has some scrambling and metal rungs.

The safer version, called the “Familienweg,” starts a few minutes back down the trail towards the cable car. This trail is similar to what you just came up, a rocky mountain path. For most hikers, I suggest this trail, which is much safer. My trail map below shows the safer loop to the hut using the Familienweg.

See Windegg Hut map on Komoot.

Skip cable car 

If you don’t want to take the cable car or you can’t get tickets, it is possible to hike up/down instead of taking the cable car. There are two trails, one on each side of the gorge. The trail on the east side of the gorge is rated T2, which is safer than west side trail which is rated T3. The T2 trail is about 5 km from the valley to the upper cable car station, gaining about 490m elevation (see trail map). Then you would start the above trail to the bridge.

I haven’t done either trail, so I can’t give any advice on the conditions or safety of these trails. 

How to get there

By car: Drive through Meiringen to Innerkirchen. Turn on Sustenstrasse, which leads over the Susten pass. Drive just past Gadmen. The Triftbahn is on your right with a little parking lot. You can’t miss it. Parking GPS: 46°43’15.4″N 8°19’06.0″E

By transit: This is a long way from Zurich, but just over an hour from Interlaken or 2hr from Bern or Luzern. Take a train to Innertkirchen, then a bus to Nessental, Triftbahn. The cable car station is adjacent to the bus stop.

Ticket prices

The small cable car fits 8 people and runs every 12 minutes. You should buy tickets in advance here. If you are a big group, you might have to split between multiple cars. 

In 2023, tix cost CHF 26/adult, CHF 13/child 6-16, under 6 free. No discounts for any Swiss travel cards.

When buying your return ticket, you select a fixed Up time and Down time. I would give yourself at least 4 hours at the top. You must pick up your tix 15 mins before your Up time or you forfeit the tix. If you miss your Down time, ask if there are any open Down times left. If not, you are out of luck and must hike down.

If you are waiting for your Up time, there’s not much to do while you wait. There’s a little kiosk with some snacks.

Looking down at the cable car station.

Photo story of the trail

There is a restaurant at the top of the cable car, but after that, nothing. So bring a picnic. You start the hike here by crossing the river, then heading up, up, up.

No strollers here. Hiking sticks are a good idea. Little kids will need a lot of help. My seven year old was pretty self-sufficient. But I had to hold my 4 yr old’s hand most of the time and help him over large rocks and tricky spots. We carried him half the time too; he got really tired. But as I said above, I saw lots of little 4 to 6 year olds hiking, strong and fast. Maybe I needed more lollipops.

Before you reach the bridge, you’ll pass this sign pointing to the hut. If you want to hike up to the hut on the safer trail, you’ll come back here after visiting the glacier and bridge. 

The kids had fun on this very rocky trail.

You can see the bridge from the trail as you approach.

Arriving at Trift Glacier

Here’s the last bit of the trail leading to the bridge and glacier view. With kids, it took us about 1hr30 to get to the top. 

When you reach the bridge, you’ll get a view of the lake and glacier.

You get a better view of the lake from the other side of the bridge. Here’s what the glacier looked like in 2023, with the ice perched on the top of the rocks and a big waterfall flowing the ice. 

The glacier had receded a lot since our last visit in 2011, when it looked like this.

Suspension bridge

The bridge stretches across the gorge cut by the glacier. The bridge itself is safe even if it seems scary.

Some of our kids loved the bridge, others not so much.

There are rocky areas on both sides of the bridge where you can wander around and lounge. But there are cliffs without barriers, so it’s important to keep little kids close.

Looking back across the bridge from the other side.

Walk a little below the bridge for the best spot to get pics of your family and friends crossing the bridge. 

When we visited with the kids, we spent 30 mins or so at the top, then had to head back down to make our return time. It took us about the same 1hr30 to get down, easier than going up but still tricky with all the rocks. Even though, and perhaps because, we had to work hard, we all loved this outing.

Lunch at Windegg hut

On our most recent visit, we hiked to the Windegghut for lunch. We hiked up the Familienweg trail, which is safer. As you hike back down to the cable car, fork left at the Windegghütte Familienweg sign.

It’s a steep climb but safe, about the same difficulty as the trail you just came up.

From the bridge, it took us about 30 mins to get to the hut. The sign says 50 mins.

The hut has a beautiful setting.

Menu at the hut with typical Swiss mountain food. When we were there, we could pay with card or cash. But best to bring cash just in case.

Lots of outdoor seating with a view.

We had the local cheese and sausage.

Indoor seating if it’s a cold day.

 It took us about 1 hour from the hut to get to the cable car.

The trail down from the hut is very steep and had some slippery rocks. Be very careful on this part.

At the cable car station (before you ride down), there is a little kiosk selling drinks and snacks. It was closed when we arrived early in the morning, but was open by lunch time. 

If you are taking the bus home, the bus stop for direction Innerkirchen is at the parking lot across the street, not directly in front of the cable car station.