Discover Bernese Oberland Trail Running Guided
This level 1 trail running tour of Switzerland’s scenic Bernese Oberland traverses some of the most famous mountain terrain in the world. We’ll take plenty of breaks, support each other along the trail and the stoke factor will be high. An important feature of our level 1 tours is that they have a higher ratio of guides to guests. We’ll run about 4 – 8 miles each day, and make the most of Swiss mountain trains and gondolas. There will be plenty of time for photographs, to enjoy the scenery, and sample great food and drink en route. And if you want a break, you can take a rest day on any of the days during the trip.
If you’d like a bit more distance and vertical each day, please see our Classic Berner Oberland Tour. To make sure you are on a trip suitable to your interests and abilities, please always check to see which tour level is best for you.
On this sampler tour, we’ll trail run over historic Grosse Scheidegg pass, then cruise smooth single track through high alp pastures with striking views of the Eiger’s famous North Face. In the alps villages of Wengen and Mürren, we’ll take in working alp farms and stop at mountain restaurants. We’ll run alongside waterfalls in the Lauterbrunnen valley, just beneath the Jungfrau, one of the most photographed mountains in the world.
Our typical day starts with a continental buffet breakfast of fresh baked breads, local cheeses, cereal, fruit, coffee and juice. Once on the trail, we’ll ease into a steady pace and take advantage of mountain trams and railways. Most days, there are options for either a shorter or a more ambitious route. Each morning, we’ll offer a variety of trail nutrition from which you can choose to keep you fueled during the day. Almost all of our runs will include stops at mountain huts or alp farms, where we can sample local cheeses, röstis, or a fruit tarte.
You will have your bags every night. In the evenings, we’ll enjoy dinner together at our hotel. These are multi-course meals featuring local Swiss specialties, and will be hearty, filling, well-earned and delicious. We will leave one night in Grindelwald unscheduled, so you will have a chance to explore to your heart’s content.
Learn more about our Level 1 tours:
Lead photos: Sam Hill
Make it privately guided
Prefer to go guided with your own group? Inquire here.
Go self-guided
Run on your own schedule, without a guide, and let us take care of the logistics! See details here.
Itinerary
Day 1 - Schwarzwaldalp
Travel by train and then Swiss Post bus to Schwarzwaldalp Inn. We’ll meet before dinner to discuss the week ahead and get to know each other.
Arrive in Switzerland, and travel by train and then Swiss Post bus to Chalet Schwarzwaldalp, a remote mountain hotel high in a lush Swiss valley. Waterfalls and imposing mountains watch over this friendly, rustic inn with shared rooms. We’ll meet before dinner to discuss the week ahead and get to know each other.
Day 2 - Grindelwald
We’ll fast hike up to the historic Grosse Scheidegg pass for our first views of the Eiger and of the Grindelwald valley. From here, we traverse the upper reaches of the valley to the gondola station of First, with an optional out-and-back jog to Bachsee Lake.
After a hearty breakfast, we’ll run and fast hike up to the historic Grosse Scheidegg pass for our first views of the Eiger and of the Grindelwald valley. With 10,000 vertical feet separating the valley from the peak, Grindelwald sits at the base of one of the most impressive vertical mountain walls in the world, the Eiger North Face. From the pass, we’ll traverse the upper reaches of the valley to reach the gondola station of First. There’s an optional out-and-back to Bachsee Lake before taking the gondola down to Grindelwald and our lovely hotel in town.
Day 3 - Grindelwald
Today we’ll visit the Gletscherschlucht, or glacier gorge, just above Grindelwald. Forested single track takes us to a viewing point into this deep gorge. Dinner will be on your own tonight, giving you a chance to explore the town.
Today we’ll visit the Gletscherschlucht, or glacier gorge, just above Grindelwald. Forested single track takes us to a viewing point into this deep gorge. There are two restaurants en route where we can stop for a break, and there’s the chance to use a gondola to eliminate the descent. Dinner will be on your own tonight, giving you a chance to roam the town and explore at your leisure.
Day 4 - Wengen
We’ll leave Grindelwald, and run to the quaint car-free mountain village of Wengen via the Kleine Scheidegg pass, literally under the Eiger North Face. We’ll use gondolas or trains to shorten both climbing and descending.
We’ll leave Grindelwald, and run to the quaint car-free mountain village of Wengen via the Kleine Scheidegg pass, literally under the Eiger North Face. We have various route options, including the stunning “Panorama Weg” from the panoramic summit of Mannlichen. We’ll use gondolas or trains for much of the uphill and, if we want, for our descent to Wengen.
Day 5 - Mürren
We’ll take the train down to the glacier-carved and steep-walled Lauterbrunnen valley, and then run alongside the river beneath 10 glacier-fed waterfalls to the quiet hamlet of Stechelberg. From here, we’ll fast hike up through forest into the beautiful Sefinental valley and then through alpine meadows up to Mürren.
Today features a journey through one of the most dramatic valleys in the Alps. Starting high in Wengen, we’ll take the train down to the glacier-carved and steep-walled Lauterbrunnen valley, and then run alongside the river, beneath 10 glacier-fed waterfalls, including the famous Trümmelbach Falls. We’ll stop for coffee in the quiet hamlet of Stechelberg at the end of the valley, as we watch paragliders descend from the cliffs. From here, we’ll fast hike up through forest into the beautiful Sefinental valley and then through meadows up to Gimmelwald. Here, we can jump on the cable car to skip the last 300m of ascent to our comfortable three-star hotel in Mürren. We’ll have the option to reduce the climbing by taking a second cable car from Stechelberg.
Day 6 - Mürren
We’ll enjoy our perch high above the Lauterbrunnen valley, in the car-free mountain town of Mürren. The trail running possibilities here are excellent, including runs through high pastures with views of the Jungfrau mountain. Or, you might choose to simply relax for the day with Mürren’s unparalleled cliffside views.
We’ll take a day to enjoy our perch high above the Lauterbrunnen valley, in the car-free mountain town of Mürren. The trail running possibilities here are excellent, and we’ll enjoy a run through high pastures with views of the Jungfrau, the most photographed mountain in the Alps! We can stop for a coffee at the botanical gardens at Allmendhubel. Or, you might choose to simply relax for the day with Mürren’s unparalleled cliffside views of the surrounding mountains. In the evening, we’ll enjoy a final celebratory dinner together.
Day 7 - Depart from Mürren
Today we say good-bye to the Bernese Oberland and depart for our post-tour destinations.
Today we say good-bye to the Bernese Oberland and depart for our post-tour destinations.
What's Included
- Daily guided trail runs with a licensed International Mountain Leader
- 6 nights accomodation – 5 nights in 3* or 4* hotels, 1 night in a well-appointed mountain inn
- Welcome briefing and drinks on first night
- All breakfasts, packed/light lunches and trail nutrition, and 5 multi-course dinners
- All transfers to and from trailheads that are included on our planned itinerary
- Luggage transfers (luggage available every night)
- Run the Alps’ Guide to Trail Running in the Alps, which contains 80+ pages of information about where you’ll be running, what to pack, how to train, and plenty of other insider information from Run the Alps staff and guides
- A day of professional photography on the trails, with images provided to you license-free
- An in-country welcome pack – includes trail nutrition and a Run the Alps T-shirt (Note: You can choose to opt out of the T-shirt during registration; if you do, we’ll automatically donate the equivalent to one of our 1% for the Planet partners instead.)
- Personalized support before and during your tour
- 20% discount code for the Run the Alps store
- Contribution to our Net Positive initiatives
What's Not Included
- Flights / transportation to and from the tour
- Transport to and from trailheads if you shorten a run
- Drinks with dinners
- One dinner in Grindelwald (recommendations provided)
- Any additional nutrition and drinks while on the trail
- Extra charges made at accommodations such as room service or laundry
- Tips for guides
- Trip insurance
Arrival
Plan to arrive the day your tour starts, at the latest. Flights from the US usually depart the day before. The closest airport is Zurich, which is a little over three hours away by train and bus. Geneva is four hours, forty-five minutes away. There are train stations in each airport, making for convenient transport to the region. Your tour package will include detailed information about traveling on the Swiss rail system to the start of the tour in Schwarzwaldalp.
Departure
Plan to depart late morning after your tour ends on June 28 at the earliest. The closest airports from our finishing point are Zurich, then Geneva. Plan for one night at a hotel in your departure city if you have a morning flight. We can assist you with hotel information, and Zurich and Geneva city information.
Good To Know
- Want to extend your trip with more running? We can help provide self-guided run descriptions for nearby regions of the Alps, and/or trail race options.
- Concerned about being ready? We’re here to help. Check out our Alps Training Resources or get in touch if you’d like to be put in touch with a coach.
- Can a non-running partner join me on this tour? Yes–read how hiking and sightseeing companions can come too.
- Celebrating a special occasion? Each year we get a number of guests who are celebrating a birthday, anniversary or retirement with a Run the Alps trip. If this is you, let us know!
- Alumni Discount: We love welcoming our alumni back to the Alps and offer a 10% discount on all standard Run the Alps trips. Simply check the Alumni box on the registration form and we’ll apply the discount when we invoice you.
- Tour Balance: Your tour balance is due 90 days before your tour starts. We will send you an invoice about a month before that due date. However, you can pay your balance at any time. If you’d like the simplicity of paying in full sooner, or would like to pay in installments, please contact us.
- Tour Grants Program: Run the Alps is committed to making our trips more inclusive. If you’d like to join this trip, but don’t think you can afford it, please check out our Tour Grants Program.
- Trip Insurance: Life can sometimes throw us a curveball and wreak havoc upon the best laid plans, which is why Run the Alps requires trip insurance. Learn more here.
- Terms and Conditions: You can read up on them here.
Regional map
Interactive map with 7 point(s): Schwarzwaldalp: Tour start point; ; ; ; ; ; Mürren: Tour finish point.
Guides for this Tour
What our guests had to say
Best Trip Ever (again)!
Want to know more?
Every Trail Runner’s Biggest Fear: Keeping Up With the Group
Read more →
5 Tips for Trail Running in the Alps
Read more →
