Fun Family Activities in the Jungfrau Region
Most people know the Jungfrau Region for its famous mountain excursions, but many other things to do in Switzerland with kids can also be found in this area.
Trips to the summit of Jungfraujoch or Schilthorn are also, of course, suitable for kids. What child doesn’t enjoy a train or cable car ride?
There are lots of other activities on offer in this area that are also great fun for families.
Options range from skiing and sledging in winter to tobogganing, following a dwarf trail, zip lining or carting in summer.
Then there’s Trotti Bikes, marble runs, mini golf, a giant spider web suspended over a glacial gorge and more.
If you’re planning to visit Switzerland’s Jungfrau Region as a family, then don’t miss this guide to family activities in the area.
From exploring the villages to discovering mountain-top playgrounds, taking summer toboggan rides or conquering the climbing walls at an indoor centre, there’s lots to do here when you have kids in tow during all four seasons.
Read on so you can plan your family adventures in the Jungfrau Region, Switzerland.
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What's in this Article
Where is the Jungfrau Region and what are the main villages?
There are five main villages in the Jungfrau region. These are Grindelwald, Lauterbrunnen, Mürren, Wengen and the Haslital. The region is within the Bernese Oberland in central Switzerland.
As Switzerland is a compact country, it’s easy to visit all five villages when travelling by car or train. Mürren and Wengen are car free, making it even simpler to get around each on foot.
The villages are fairly close together, so it’s easy to visit all of them during your stay in the area if you want to.
🇨🇭Not sure where to base yourself in the Jungfrau Region? Our Jungfrau Region Travel Guide will help.
How to get around the Jungfrau Region
It’s often easiest to use public transport. There are frequent services, and these have been planned to offer perfectly timed connections between the different modes of transport such as trains, buses, funiculars and cable cars.
Kids travel free
Kids aged 6 to 15 years (inclusive) travel free when accompanying adults hold a Swiss Travel Pass.
If their parents hold one of the regional transport passes instead, a Junior Card can be purchased for each child. This costs just CHF 30 and provides free travel on the public transport system. Most mountain railways, cable cars and funiculars in the region are included.
Children under 6 years old always travel for free in Switzerland.
Fun things to do for kids in the Jungfrau Region
Playgrounds
Mount Männlichen
The playground on Mount Männlichen is actually at the top of the mountain. This is accessible by cable car from both Grindelwald and Wengen, and you can visit Mount Mannlichen during summer or winter.
In summer hiking is popular here, and during winter families can enjoy skiing or sledging.
At the summit there’s a playground with a huge wooden cow. It’s tall, so kids can have great fun climbing up the cow before sliding down it again. There’s also a viewing platform on top of the cow.
As for the parents, they can enjoy a drink or snack at the restaurant by the park as the kids play. The whole family will also appreciate the mountain panoramas visible from Royal Walk Mannlichen, a viewing platform shaped like a crown.
Männlichen can be accessed all year round except from late October to mid-December.
> Click here to buy your Mannlichen cable car tickets
Allmendhubel
There’s another kids’ playground at Allmendhubel, which is positioned above Murren. You can hike up here, or take a funicular ride that will get you there in just a few minutes. A restaurant at the summit also allows everyone to sample Swiss dishes made with local ingredients.
By the restaurant you’ll find the Flower Park. Here kids and adults can learn all about the summer alpine flowers that bloom here via interactive displays. There is also flower-shaped wooden play equipment in the playground.
The Allmendhubel funicular is closed from early April to early June and again for six weeks from mid-October.
> Click here to buy your tickets for the Allmendhubel funicular
Grindelwald
You’ll also find a great playground in the centre of Grindelwald and another at Bort, one of the intermediate stations between Grindelwald and First.
Marble runs
Taking to the marble runs is a really fun activity for families. A marble run is, in essence, a small wooden ball that participants roll down a purpose-built run. These runs are typically made from wood by local craftsmen.
The marble run usually follows a hiking trail, so kids can roll the little marbles at each step or every stage en route.
Seeing where the ball goes is fun because it goes through tunnels, under bridges or even through water courses between the trees.
One of the most popular marble runs can be found on the Hasliberg, within the Haslital. It is best visited from May to October.
Rodelbahns (summer toboggans)
Taking a summer toboggan run is a little like sledging except the runs are fixed, and you travel along them on small sledges. Hurtling down the run is safe as you’re fixed to it as the toboggan has a wheel, even though you may reach speeds of up to 40 kilometres per hour.
Locally the summer toboggan runs are known as Rodelbahns.
The fixed run also takes care of steering. You can ride a toboggan alone, or with a sibling or parent. Brakes mean you can also slow down the ride when you want to.
Pfingstegg mountain in the Jungfrau region is close to Grindelwald, and you can reach the cable car station by car or by bus. After that, you can take a cable car ride up to the summit of Pfingstegg.
The Rodelbahn then begins right by the station, and you can come up the mountain again by cable car.
Like the cable car that takes you to the summit, the Pfingstegg rodelbahn is open from May to October.
Flylines and Ziplines
Pfingstegg flyline
Also on Pfingstegg is a flyline, and this is another great family activity. It’s like a more laid-back form of ziplining.
Flylining involves flying through the forest like a bird. It’s easy to get the hang of, and you’ll see trees, streams and rock faces en route.
It’s very safe, and the slower pace means you don’t have to be overly brave before giving it a go.
Operating dates are the same as the rodelbahn.
First Flyer
There’s also a zipline at the top of Mount First, aka the ‘Top of Adventure’. You can travel by cable way to the summit, and take various stages while heading back down towards Grindelwald. There are different activities at each stage, as well as restaurants.
If you want to do the activities en route, then you should start on the top.
The First Flyer is a popular, easygoing zipline that stretches for 800 metres from First summit to Schreckfeld, one of the intermediate stops on the way down to Grindelwald.
Although you can reach speeds of up to 84 kilometres per hour, the ride is extremely safe as you are strapped into a stable harness.
A weight requirement of between 35 kg and 125 kg applies to the First Flyer.
🇨🇭Plan your visit to the Jungfrau Region with our 3-day Jungfrau Region itinerary.
First Glider
At Schreckfeld, you can ride on the First Glider and glide along like a bird.
The ride involves being attached to a large flying eagle. Then you’re pulled back before being released, to ‘fly’ down the mountain at speed – whilst attached to a cable, of course!
Kids do need to be at least 130 cm tall to ride the First Glider, and at least 10 years old. Up to four can travel together, making it a great family activity.
Both the First Flyer and the First Glider operate from mid-December until late October.
Mountain carts
If your kids love playing Mario Kart at home, then they’ll love taking a ride on a real-life mountain cart!
Starting at the Schreckfeld intermediate station on Mt. First, you can travel quickly or more slowly down the mountainside in these carts, all the way to Bort, following the track provided for this purpose.
Hydraulic brakes help to control the speed of the mountain carts, and wide-set wheels and a low centre of gravity help with stability. Helmets are included with mountain cart hire and instruction to help you get the hang of controlling the cart.
The track can be rough and slippery in places so some caution is recommended.
A minimum height limit of 135 cm applies and rental is available from the beginning of May until the end of October.
Trotti bikes and monster scooters
Mount First
At Bort, the last stop on the way down Mount First, you’ll find the rental station for Trotti bikes. This is a fun activity to do alone or as a family.
On busy days you may need to wait here for a while before a bike becomes available, but with the panoramic views that’s hardly a problem.
Trotti bikes are like scooters with thicker tyres, brakes and suspension and they can be ridden from Bort down to Grindelwald on a paved (car-free) road.
Again, you can choose to go as fast or as slow as you wish and helmets are provided.
There’s a minimum height requirement of 125 cm for Trottibike hire, which is available from the start of May until the end of October.
🇨🇭 Read more about all the things to do at Grindelwald First here.
Hasliberg
On Hasliberg there are Monster scooters instead of Trotti Bikes. The tyres on these are thicker and bigger which means you can also drive down via gravel tracks as well as the pathway.
There are two routes to choose from: Mägisalp to Bidmi or Käserstatt to Lischen. The top stations for both routes can be easily reached from Meiringen.
Helmets are provided free of charge and children should be able to ride a bike.
Monster Trottis can be hired during the summer months when the cable cars are operating.
Sulwald
Trotti bikes can also be rented to ride from Sulwald to Isenfluh, near Lauterbrunnen.
The Mount First Cliff Walk
If you’re visiting Mount First, then experiencing the First Cliff Walk is always recommended.
This steel walkway clings to the cliff face and brings you to a 45-metre-long viewing platform with a grass floor.
It can be a bit challenging for those with a fear of heights but the views are stunning, it’s free and is suitable for all the family.
The First Cliff Walk is open year round except for six weeks from late October to mid-December when the cable car is closed for maintenance.
> Click here to buy your Mt. First cable car tickets
Giant spider web
Amongst the many things to do in Grindelwald with kids is the giant spider web at Grindelwald Glacier Gorge.
The Glacier Gorge comprises a 1 kilometre-long pathway through rock galleries and tunnels and visitors can climb on the spider web, a net that’s suspended seven metres above glacial Lutschine River, which runs through the gorge.
It’s an amazing adventure, and ideal for kids and adults alike.
The Grindelwald Canyon Walk, which is open daily from late May to late October and it’s a perfect activity to enjoy on a rainy day in Grindelwald.
> Click here to buy your tickets to Grindelwald Glacier Canyon
Mini golf
Mini golf is always a favourite family vacation activity and there’s plenty of opportunity to enjoy a game in the Jungfrau Region.
In Grindelwald there’s a mini golf course in the village centre which is open between April and October.
In Wengen, there’s also a course called Lauberhorn Crazy Golf. This is a mini golf course set up like the Lauberhorn downhill race, an international event that occurs in Wengen every January.
The mini golf course comprises different sections and runs that resemble various stages of the famous race. Ask at the Tourist Office for details.
There’s also a mini golf course at the sports centre in Lauterbrunnen.
Dwarf trail
Another fun activity for kids in the Jungfrau Region is to follow the Dwarf Trail.
The Haslital has a long folklore tradition telling tales of dwarfs living in the area. The oldest dwarf in the Haslital is called Muggestutz, and the trail tells his story.
There are two different trails to follow, and each takes an hour or two via easy hiking routes. If you like, you can follow a section rather than completing an entire trail.
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Child-friendly activities for rainy days in the Jungfrau Region
If you visit the Jungfrau Region and it’s raining, the good news is that there are still plenty of indoor activities to take part in as a family.
Glacier Gorge
If the rain is light, then you can still enjoy a visit to the Glacier Gorge in Grindelwald which we mentioned above.
The trees and rock faces provide some cover so you won’t get very wet at all if visiting when there’s just a bit of light rain.
> Click here to buy your Glacier Gorge admission ticket
Indoor rope parks and climbing halls
Grindelwald Rope Park
There is an indoor rope park in Grindelwald you can visit. Here kids can learn more about climbing techniques, or just have fun using the ropes.
Mountain conditions are recreated in this indoor rope park, so it’s an ideal alternative for wet weather.
Meiringen Climbing Hall
In Meiringen there is also an indoor climbing hall. Advanced climbers can complete the more challenging courses, while child and adult beginners can tackle the simpler climbing walls.
Explore the villages
Exploring the villages of the area is always a fun thing to do in the rain. You can spend time inside the local cheese, pastry or craft shops and stop at a local cafe for refreshments.
The five main villages are Meiringen (in the Haslital), Grindelwald, Mürren, Lauterbrunnen and Wengen. Other places such as Gimmelwald, Stechelberg, Wilderswil and Isenfluh are also worth exploring.
All offer incredible scenery, including mountains and Swiss chalets.
Family-friendly winter activities in the Jungfrau Region
Skiing and sledging
The Jungfrau region is of course a big winter sports destination. As such, the region offers plenty of ski schools, ski instructors for all ages and ski shops for equipment hire.
Families can also enjoy sledging on the mountains. There are lots of different runs to try out, even during hours of darkness.
Sledging at night is a magical experience, and has an otherworldly feel. Sledging during the day is also not to be missed.
> Click here to book your sledding experience
Final Thoughts
The Jungfrau Region is a year round destination for families, and there’s lots to do here no matter what time of the year you visit.
In summer, kids and adults can share experiences such as toboggan runs, following the dwarf trail or taking a ride on the First Glider, while in winter there’s so much more to do than just skiing.
Whether you decide to spend your time exploring the area’s beautiful Swiss villages, hurtling down slopes on some form of transport or burn off some energy at the mountain play parks, families are guaranteed to agree that time spent in the Jungfrau Region is time very well spent indeed!
🇨🇭For more helpful information and articles about visiting the Jungfrau Region, click here to read our Jungfrau Region guide.
Podcast: Fun things to do in the Jungfrau Region with kids
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Top image © Jungfrau Region Tourism
