Our 5-Day Van Trip in Switzerland: An Itinerary
By Karlie Place | Edited by Kimberly Nappi
In early September, I spent 5 days on a van trip in Switzerland with friends and had the time of my life. We did so much in so little time—buckle up, because this itinerary is absolutely jam-packed. I need to start off with a massive shout-out to The Lovers Passport because truthfully, I did almost zero planning for this adventure. Giselle and Stephen, our friends and fellow adventure creators, went all out with the itinerary. Colin and I were lucky to be along for the ride!
Day 1: Arrival in Switzerland and Camper Van Pickup
We landed in Geneva, Switzerland and took a taxi to the Indie Campers lot to pick up the camper van we’d be using on the trip. I recommend getting an Uber instead, because our taxi ended up costing us over 44 francs for an 8-minute drive from the airport. Everyone told us that Switzerland was expensive, but this was kind of a shock to us all. Our friend—who landed 40 minutes after us—took an Uber to the same place for just 20 francs.
We had chosen Indie Campers for their availability during the high season, and they made the van pickup process pretty easy. The gentleman working at the shop gave us a helpful rundown on how to take care of the van, turn the gas and water on and off, and basically prevent the whole thing from blowing up. After that, we immediately headed north towards Zermatt, a popular resort town in the Swiss mountains with views of the Matterhorn.
Something really important to note for non-European travelers is that almost all campers, vans, and cars in Switzerland are manual—so be careful if you never learned how to drive stick! Bless Stephen's heart for doing about a hundred laps around the parking lot and watching a YouTube video on how to drive a manual van before navigating some of the steepest, curviest roads I’ve ever seen. This is definitely something to consider if you're thinking about going the van trip route.
We stopped at Migros, the iconic Swiss supermarket, and picked up about $200 USD worth of groceries, which fed 5 people for 5 days. After that, we finally made it to Zermatt. Known as one of the most beautiful towns in Switzerland, Zermatt also happens to be car-free. For this reason, we found a camping spot by the train station in a nearby city called Täsch. Your best bet is to reserve a spot at the campsite in advance, but we were able to pay the next morning when we showed up after dark.
Täsch Camping Spot
This parking spot was perfect for our camper van—it was just a 3-minute walk away from the train that would take us on a scenic, 12-minute ride to Zermatt. The site had showers, bathrooms, trash systems, and more. Granted, the Wifi was slow, but overall, the experience was quite nice. We made some pasta for dinner and went to sleep. It's in these moments when I’m most obsessed with my PJs from PJs from Cozy Earth —probably the comfiest thing I’ve ever put on my body.
Day 2: Mountain Views and Hikes Near Zermatt
Kirchbrücke Bridge
On the first full day of our Switzerland trip, we woke up before dawn in Täsch and took the first train to Zermatt in order to catch the sunrise at this prevalent Matterhorn viewpoint. The Kirchbrücke Bridge is a very well-known overlook that lights up at first sight of the sun.
Kirchbrücke Bridge at sunrise in September
5 Lakes Walk Hike
Getting to this hike can seem tricky, but it's actually very simple! The Sunnegga-Rothorn valley funicular station lies about a 10-minute walk from the Zermatt railway station. A tunnel leads deep into the mountain to the station. We took about a 5-minute ride through the mountain and up to Sunnegga. From there, we took a gondola lift (like a cable car) to Blauherd and the trailhead of 5 Lakes Trail. There are tons of awesome hikes in this area, but we just planned on viewing Stellisee Lake, which is a 20-minute walk from the Blauherd summit station. Stellisee is an alpine lake known for reflecting the Matterhorn on its glasslike surface! The other hikable lakes in the area are called Grindjisee, Grünsee, Moosjisee, and Leisee.
Snnegga Funicular Station View
After enjoying a morning at the lake and some awesome views, we hiked back down to the Sunnegga funicular station, where we stopped at the Buffet Bar restaurant for a much-needed lunch. I’m not kidding you, this was the best meal I ate the entire time I was in Switzerland. Rösti is an iconic Swiss dish, and it did not disappoint. We sat on the terrace and had a breathtaking view of the Matterhorn.
Zermatt Sunset Viewpoint
We went on a short uphill hike in the town of Zermatt in order to catch the sunset after a day of hiking, exploring, and relaxing at the campsite. Zermatt glows under the blue-hour tones of the Matterhorn, and the view was simply magical—I recommend bringing a tripod for some long-exposure shots.
Day 3: Surprises, A Swiss Train Photoshoot, and the Magical Alps
Riffelsee Lake
Another day, another sunrise over a reflective lake on the itinerary. This ended up being a very special hike…but I’ll get to that. It took us two train rides and a 10-minute walk to complete the journey to the top. We boarded our first train in Täsch, which dropped us off in Zermatt. Once in Zermatt, we hopped on another train called the Gornergrat Bahn, which took us on about a 25-minute train ride up to Rotenboden with absolutely insane views of the Alps. Since we had taken the first train of the day, it was just us hiking to Riffelsee Lake.
This is the morning that Stephen proposed to Giselle, and it was absolutely unforgettable. Seeing him get down on one knee and watching Giselle's pure surprise—silhouetted by the Matterhorn—brought all of us to tears.
You can actually see the exact angle of the Matterhorn that is part of the Toblerone logo from this viewpoint. Don’t forget to buy one in town and enjoy it as a treat at the end of your hike.
Gornergrat Bahn: An Iconic Swiss Train
During the ride back to Zermatt on the Gornergrat Bahn, we realized the train’s windows were open. With a whole train car to ourselves, we were able to create some of the most spectacular photos hanging out of the train window. I will never forget this day. Please use caution if you should choose to pop out of the windows like us—we always had our friends looking ahead of us so that no one was in danger of hitting posts or tree branches.
Lunch in Zermatt at the Petit Royal
After our morning adventure at Riffelsee Lake, we headed into Zermatt on foot in search of some food. By chance, we walked into Petit Royal, which ended up being the perfect place to get an authentic Swiss hot chocolate. With a variety of chocolatey delights on the menu, I ordered a classic hot chocolate with whipped cream and a homemade focaccia sandwich.
Midday at Lake Blausee
Lake Blausee wasn’t a hike—more like a clear lake and beautiful park tucked between the mountains. There was an entry fee of $10, which also came with a ticket for a 15-minute glass-bottom boat ride. I loved how the surrounding forest looked like it was from a fairytale and that the water was clear enough to see fish swimming around. Lake Blausee had a cafe, restaurant, and bistro, where we spent about 45 minutes before getting on our way.
Boat ride on Lake Blausee
Sunset Hike at Lake Oeschinen
Less than a 20-minute drive from Lake Blausee was Lake Oeschienen. We parked the van and took a cable car from the Kandersteg resort village up to the trailhead around Lake Oeschinen. Upon arrival, you’ll see a superb mountain lake and a breathtaking view of the Bernese Alps. We followed the Panoramic Viewpoint hike and stopped here for photos!
We hiked up to the viewpoint about a quarter of the way around the panoramic hike for sunset and caught some incredible glowing views of the mountains before heading back down. Since the Kandersteg lift closes before dark, we had to hike the complete trail back to town. It was definitely worth the hike, but you’ll need a headlamp and good shoes to make it down comfortably in the dark. We got caught up on the end portion of the trail at a point where we weren’t sure if we should head straight into the trees or take a left that looked like it could have led to someone’s cabin…we took the left downhill, and that (fortunately) turned out to be the correct path.
Camping Rendez-vous in Kandersteg
After our hike down from the Lake Oeschinen trip we hopped in the van and headed about 10 minutes away. We camped at this site in Kandersteg for the night. The most eventful part? An angry local worker knocked on our door and demanded payment since we’d arrived after dark, even though it was almost 1 a.m. (we intended on paying in the morning). We all made some fajitas and passed out after one of the longest days ever.
Day 4: Lauterbrunnen and Harder Kulm
Lauterbrunnen Church & Waterfall Viewpoint
We woke up and drove to the village of Lauterbrunnen, where we parked in town and walked to the incredible views that so many of us know from Instagram. To our surprise, there was no one else around besides some local bikers and people headed to work. We took some pictures and decided to come back later, when the sun would be hitting the canyon and the waterfall. The name ‘Lauter Brunnen’ means ‘many fountains. There are 72 waterfalls in the Lauterbrunnen Valley, the most famous being the Staubbach Falls. Plunging almost 300 meters from an overhanging rock face, they are one of the highest free-falling waterfalls in Europe.
Jungfrau Alpine Lodge Campsite
Our campsite for this leg of the van journey was Jungfrau Alpine Lodge, which had the fanciest camp showers I’ve ever seen. Each stall was very clean with a little dry, a walk-in area, and a designated shower. I still recommend bringing shower shoes though. If youre looking for a versatile pair, I love these $10 birk-style ones from Target. They also had complete facilities to dump black and gray water from the van, as well as refill our freshwater tanks. The Wifi worked best here out of any campsite we’ve been to as of yet. It was also a very convenient distance from Lauterbrunnen; we even ended up walking into town later that day.
Harder Kulm Viewpoint: Top of Interlaken
At this point, we picked up two friends who had just flown into Switzerland from Ireland. This meant 7 people in one camper van…pure craziness. For our first excursion together, we parked the van at this lot and walked over to the base of the hike.
We headed up to the Harder Kulm viewing platform to see a gorgeous overlook of Lauterbrunnen. The bright-red vertical railcar had stunning views of the canyon all the way up. We all distracted the conductor as Colin stuck his 360 Camera. out the roof of the railcar. Known for the crazy blue rivers that run through the village, we were able to see all of them, plus the lakes, from this point. There’s a metal jetty that allows you to walk out and over the cliff’s edge that we had fun taking photos and videos on, too.
After admiring the view, we committed to a brief 30-minute hike at the top of the viewpoint before deciding to stop and drink some cider on a bench under a canopy of trees—priorities. There weren’t as many good views along this trail, so we decided to turn around and head back to town in search of cheese fondue before the rain came in.
Day 5: One Last Hike, A Swinging Adventure, and Final Thoughts on Switzerland
Grauseewli Lake
This was an incredible way to spend our last morning in Switzerland. We parked our van at the base of Stechelberg and boarded the first of 3 gondolas through Swiss mountain villages. The first gondola took us to Gimmelwald, the second to Mürren, and the last to Birg. Each leg of this trip was more stunning than the last and completely worth the gondola fee. At the top, we had some croissants and tea as we waited for the fog to disperse. The Birg Chalet is actually a very cool structure, and you can find glass-bottom walkways around the perimeter overlooking the view. “2677 meters above sea level and about 1000m above the village of Mürren, it is the ideal starting point for hikes and the center of the skiing area for all levels.” From there, it was a relatively easy hike over to Grauseewli Lake. We were the only group of travelers at this early hour, and it was an emotional end to our final hike of the trip.
Interlaken Canyon Swing
As a last hurrah, we all decided to indulge in one of the many adventures available in Interlaken. The Canyon Swing is not an activity for the faint-hearted. You essentially “stand on a platform 90 meters above the abyss and look into the deep glacier gorge. If you then dare to jump and commute through the narrow gorge at 120 km/h, then the thrill is pure!” I jumped first out of our group of 7 and I’ve never felt more alive in my life. The staff at Outdoor Interlaken was kind and knowledgeable and had me feeling as confident as one can be before jumping off a cliff.
If adventure is your thing, I highly recommend watching this incredible YouTube video by adventure creators Kara and Nate, where they sample 5 different (insane) activities offered in the area.
You can find a video of all our reactions to the Canyon Swing here!
Sunset Exploring Lucerne
To close out this incredible journey with friends, we arrived in the beautiful city of Lucerne for sunset and dinner. The city is gorgeous in general, but not to be missed are the historic Kapellbrücke (Chapel Bridge), Lake Lucerne, and—if I had more time—Mount Pilatus.
We flew out of Zurich the next morning. Since the rest of the crew was staying for a few days we were not with them upon the return of the camper van. Depending on if you used bathroom plumbing or not, it can be a hefty chore to clean out the black water tank. We opted to not use the toilet or the shower in the van so it would be easy to return. With minimal facilities to clean up.
We tried our best to squeeze as much as we could on the itinerary for this Switzerland trip, and it definitely shows. The Swiss Alps are a beautiful place to visit, and traveling around by van is the best way to see them. We had the freedom to come and go as we pleased, stopping whenever we wanted to enjoy nature and its breathtaking views. I hope you’ll use this itinerary to plan your own van trip in Switzerland!
Relive the trip through my Switzerland IG Highlight.