Grindelwald · 2,166 m · fares 2026Grindelwald First

What does the gondola to Grindelwald First cost?

The Firstbahn is a gondola lift with six-seater cabins. The valley station is in the middle of the village, eight minutes on foot from Grindelwald railway station. On the way you pass the intermediate stations of Bort (1,600 m) and Schreckfeld (1,956 m), and after 25 minutes you are at the top. All prices here are in Swiss francs (CHF), not euros.

If you start at Grindelwald railway station and book the local bus to the valley station as well, you pay CHF 82 according to the calculator, CHF 41 with a Half Fare Card. You can also walk the eight minutes. A single with a Half Fare Card costs CHF 19 – good to know if you want to hike or roll back down.

Rule of thumb: With the Half Fare Card you pay half. The advertising line “from CHF 38.–” on the operator's page is exactly this half price – without a discount card it is CHF 76.

What the ticket includes at the top – and what it doesn't

For the First Cliff Walk the operator lists no separate price; it starts at the terrace of the mountain restaurant. The walkway runs along the rock face on the west side of the summit and ends on a platform that juts 45 metres out into the open. Allow about 20 minutes. No price is shown for the First View platform at 2,194 m either, and the hiking trails are free anyway.

What costs extra are the four rides that take you back down to the valley stage by stage:

Helmets are provided free of charge. According to the operator, the Flyer and Glider also run in winter.

Adventure Package: when it pays off

The Adventure Package bundles unlimited gondola rides with one or two activities of your choice. It is valid from 13 April to 25 October 2026 and is sold only at the ticket office and on site, not online.

Set against that: gondola (CHF 76) plus Flyer (CHF 35) makes CHF 111 bought singly – CHF 90 in the package. With two activities, say Flyer and Mountain Cart, it is CHF 136 singly against CHF 109. With a Half Fare Card the advantage shrinks: gondola CHF 38 plus Flyer CHF 35 is CHF 73, the package costs CHF 60.

Honestly: The package does not guarantee you a ride. The operator itself writes that there are no time slots, that long waiting times are to be expected and that an activity can be cancelled when it is busy or the weather is bad. Its advice: come early and get everything done by midday. If you are not at the top until eleven, better to buy just the gondola and decide at the queue.

To the Bachalpsee: an hour there, an hour back

The Bachalpsee lies at 2,265 m, so only around a hundred metres of elevation above the top station. According to the operator, a well-made path leads there in less than an hour; for there and back it reckons on about two hours. This is the part of First for which you need neither an extra ticket nor a time slot. If you want to go further: the high-level hike over the Faulhorn (2,681 m) to Schynige Platte takes around six hours.

Season and operating times

Maintenance, autumn 2026

26 October to 26 November 2026 – the operator shows no price for these days.

Operation on a September day

In the timetable for 29 September 2026: first ascent 08:00, last descent from First 18:00. The times change with the season – check them on the day of travel at jungfrau.ch/betriebsdaten.

Parking

For the Firstbahn the operator names the car parks Eiger+, Graben and Pfingstegg.

First or Jungfraujoch?

First costs less than a third: CHF 76 against CHF 249.20 for Grindelwald–Jungfraujoch (official price list, peak season 2026, seat reservation included). In return you stand at 2,166 m on an alp with a view of the Eiger – not at 3,454 m in the ice. Both in one day is too much. If you only have one day and the Joch is clear, go up the Jungfraujoch; the fares for it are under Jungfraujoch prices. If it is in cloud up there, First is the better day. Only Harder Kulm above Interlaken is cheaper still.

Buy the ticket in advance – or take a tour straight away?

At the operator's ticket office and in its webshop the gondola costs CHF 76, CHF 38 with a Half Fare Card. If you want the ticket on your phone before you travel, you can also find it on Tiqets; an organised tour only makes sense if you are coming from far away.

“I want the gondola ticket on my phone before I travel.”

Grindelwald First: Roundtrip Gondola to Cliff Walk from Grindelwald

Return ticket Firstbahn · ★ 4.9 from 15 reviews

from, per person€40

View on Tiqets

Honestly: The “from” price of €40.24 is strikingly close to the operator's Half Fare Card price (CHF 38), not the normal price of CHF 76. Before paying, check which price Tiqets shows for adults without a discount card. Tiqets knows no Half Fare Card, no GA travelcard and no Swiss Travel Pass – if you have one of those, buy from the operator. And with 15 reviews the offer is still thinly backed.

“I'm in Zurich and want First in one day, without reading timetables.”

From Zurich: Grindelwald First Mountain Adventure Day Trip

12 h · day trip · ★ 4.6 from 169 reviews

from, per person€201

Check availability on GetYourGuide

Honestly: By train you are on First in 3:16 hours from Zurich HB, with three changes. The tour takes that off your hands but ties you to a date and to the group – with the waiting times at the Flyer and Glider, that counts. Before booking, read which activities are included in the price.