Holidays in Kandersteg

Kandersteg is everything you expect from a pretty Swiss village with traditional wooden chalets, brightly coloured flower boxes, and a 16th Century church. Grab a morning coffee in one of the cafés before wandering the streets - look out for the stunning engraved façade of Landgasthof Ruedihus, a hotel and restaurant that is 250 years old, and the Ricola Herb garden. Then head out of the village to Blausee Nature Park and museum and experience the clear lake waters in a glass-bottom boat.

Exhilarating summer activities

For the bold, the Allmenalp Via Ferrata is a grade K4 climb on the outskirts of Kandersteg, which crosses a river and waterfalls, rewarding your hard work and courage with stunning views. Or take your bike up to the Sunnbüel by cable car - there's an exciting downhill trail that will get the adrenaline pumping. And don’t forget to have a go on the summer mountain toboggan or paragliding over the mountains. It doesn’t get much more wow factor than that!

Summer in Kandersteg is packed with fun for the whole family. Start with a thrilling ride down the 750-metre mountain coaster at Oeschinen, which is perfect for young adventurers with an adult or for older kids racing solo. Grab a giant donut at the Swisscom Nordic Arena and zoom down the ski jump slope in an exhilarating mountain tubing ride that even adults won't want to miss.

When it’s time to refuel, enjoy a BBQ lunch by a mountain river or in an alpine forest, with wood-stocked grills and group seating - just don’t forget the matches! Little ones can explore playgrounds from the hammock at Sunnbüel to the slide-filled Oeschiwald, with plenty of restaurant-side play areas too. On sunny days, cool off in the outdoor pool in the village centre, complete with slides, games, and a lawn for ball games and sunbathing.

Kandersteg and the surrounding area has a great network of buses and trains, plus a selection of mountain lifts, that make exploring the area really easy.

Lifts

There's three lifts from Kandersteg village up to different parts of the mountains.

• Oeschinen (normally open mid-May - mid-Oct)
• Allmenalp (normally open around 18 May - 20 Oct)
• Sunnbüel (normally open end-May - mid-Oct)

You can buy lift tickets individually, or purchase a Magic Blue Pass which includes one ascent and descent on each lift. Alternatively, you can pre-book a Bernese Oberland Pass and enjoy unlimited use of all three lifts, and many others in the local area - see the "Cards & Passes" tab for further details on how to add this to your holiday.

If you're keen to explore more of the local area, there are further walker's lifts in Adelboden too.

Subject to change.

Buses

Local buses are included on the Kandersteg Guest Card (given to you by your hotel), enabling you to travel between Kandersteg, Frutigen, Adelboden and Reichenbach, free of charge - timetables and route maps are available locally.

Trains

The Swiss transport system makes getting around an absolute pleasure, and in addition to the buses and lifts, there's also a great network of trains so you can explore more of the area. It's easy to visit Interlaken or the Jungfrau by train, and we recommend pre-booking a Bernese Oberland Pass which includes lots of the trains, buses and cable cars in the Bernese Oberland area so you can really make the most of this beautiful part of Switzerland.

The Swiss Half Fare Card is included in the price of your holiday and is sent to you as part of your rail transfer tickets. This card can be used around Switzerland for up to 50% discount on various modes of transport - so make sure you keep it with you. It also gives free travel to children from 6 to under 16 years old, accompanied by a parent with the Family Card.

Subject to change.

The Kandersteg Guest Card is provided by your hotel on arrival and gives you:

• Free public transport on most services in and around the village (between Kandersteg, Frutigen, Adelboden and Reichenbach)
• Discounts on local attractions, lifts, services and more

Subject to change.

The Bernese Oberland Pass is a great option for a Kandersteg holiday if you're wanting to use the local lifts more than once, or want to travel further afield. It includes:

• Free travel on Oeschinen, Sünnbuel and Allmenalp lifts in Kandersteg
• Free travel between Adelboden and Engstligenalp, Sillerenbühl and Tschentenalp
• Free travel Achseten - Elsigbach - Elsigenalp
• Free travel Mülenen - Niesen Kulm
• Boat trips on Lake Thun and Lake Brienz
• Free travel on the Montreux-Oberland-Bahn all the way to Montreux (seat reservations are strongly recommended - these are not included)
• Free travel on  Männlichen gondola (Grindelwald Terminus - Männlichen and Wengen - Männlichen)
• Free travel on the Grindelwald - Pfingstegg cable car
• Free travel Lauterbrunnen - Stechelberg/Gimmelwald - Mürren
• Free travel Lauterbrunnen - Grütschalp/Winteregg - Mürren
• Free travel Stechelberg - Mürren
• Free travel Mürren - Schilthorn
• Free travel on the Brienzer Rothornbahn
• Discounts at various partner locations and much more throughout the Bernese Oberland region...

Discounted travel on the following routes:

• Wilderswil - Schynige Platte (50% off)
• Interlaken - Harder Kulm (50% off)
• Grindelwald - First (50% off)
• Wengen - Kleine Scheidegg (25% off)*
• Grindelwald - Kleine Scheidegg (25% off)*
• Eiger Express from Grindelwald Terminus - Eigergletscher (25% off)*
• Eigergletscher - Jungfraujoch (25% off)*

* These routes are offered at 50 percent discount with your included Swiss Half Fare Card, so we always advise carrying both with you when travelling around so you can enjoy maximum discounts available to you.

Pass inclusions are subject to change. Pre-book prices include Swiss Half Fare Card discount. Please note that we act at all times as selling agent for the suppliers of travel passes.

Oeschinen Lake cable-car - UNESCO World Heritage Site

Take the cable-car from Kandersteg to this stunning lake for great walking and fabulous views. You can hire a rowing boat on the lake, or try the summer toboggan near the mountain lift station.

Sunnbüel cable-car

Enjoy a cable-car ride up to Sunnbüel - spectacual views down the Gastental remote valley, and lovely circular walks to mountain lakes of Arvenseeli or Daubensee along the famous Gemmi Pass.

Allmenalp cable-car

This ride brings you to fantastic scenery and views over the village. A lovely area for walkers and particularly good for spotting wildflowers.

The above three lifts can be bought as part of the Magic Blue Pass which includes one ascent and descent on each lift during your stay. For more rides, we recommend pre-booking a Bernese Oberland Pass.

Your Guest Card from your hotel includes the local Kandersteg bus, and the Adelboden-Frutigen-Kandersteg bus.

Subject to change.

Onward travel from Basel: the transfer from Basel to Kandersteg will be by train. The journey will take around two and a half hours and involves one or two changes of trains.

On arrival into Kandersteg station, there will be a hotel shuttle or taxi to take you to your hotel. 

For your return journey, you will travel back to Basel on Saturday morning by train. The journey takes around two hours and involves one or two changes of trains.