Ski & Adventure 3 Day Itinerary for Grindelwald, Switzerland

Looking for the ultimate ski and adventure European getaway? Here's my 3 Day Itinerary for Grindelwald, Switzerland – the perfect winter escape for those who love to get their adrenaline pumping, try some winter sports and indulge in delicious food and luxury spas. Tucked away in the Jungfrau Region of Switzerland, it's the quieter neighbour to popular Interlaken, but provides a calmer ski or snowboard experience without the wild parties the Aprés scene is known for. If you love outdoor adventures and trying something new, Grindelwald is a great place to learn to ski and plan a weekend, or a few days of adventures in the snow-topped mountains.

This jam-packed 3 day itinerary is perfect for anyone who fancies a busy few days of skiing and adventures on the mountains – but if you're new to the ski scene, it's also perfect for trying winter sports for the first time but with plenty of other activities to keep you busy if skiing is not for you. I visited the Jungfrau Region on a press trip with Visit Switzerland, Jungfrau Region & Grindelwald Tourism.

Travelling from the UK to Grindelwald, Switzerland

Flying to Switzerland from the UK

If you're travelling from the UK, your best bet is to book a flight from London to Zurich – there's 400+ flights per week so you have lots of choice. I flew with SWISS Airlines and really rated them for price and convenience, they have 160 flights weekly from London Heathrow, London City, Manchester, Birmingham and Edinburgh to Zurich or Geneva. One-way fares start from £76 to Zurich and from £54 to Geneva.

> One thing that's also useful to know is that SWISS also transport your first set of ski or snowboard equipment and boots free of charge in addition to your standard hold baggage allowance.

Travelling in Switzerland

One thing I love about Switzerland is it is so well connected by public transport so you can easily travel around by bus, train, boat or mountain railway – not only enjoying the spectacular views but also getting to relax before and after your trip. Unlike the UK, the public transport is far more reliable and I remember being on one train that left less than a minute later than it was due to, but the driver apologising for the lateness over the tannoy. They have such reliable transport which takes a lot of stress out of travelling over there. You can buy Travel Switzerland point-to-point tickets from £40 one-way, while Swiss Travel Passes start at £229 for three days.

> Get your Switzerland rail tickets online here

Travel Insurance for Ski Trips and Adventure Holidays

When planning your trip to Grindelwald, it's important to remember that for more adventurous trips, you will need to have the right travel insurance. Having good travel insurance that covers me for every eventuality is an essential for adventure travel and gives me peace of mind as a solo female traveller. SafetyWing's Nomad Insurance covers 175+ countries, and they've recently expanded coverage to include adventure sports and electronics theft too. Think of it as your safety net, if something goes wrong it's great to have a backup in case you get sick, injured or your kit gets damaged. 

SafetyWing provides Travel Insurance for Nomads including global coverage that you can purchase while outside your home country, with a simple claims service and 24/7 human support. Their cover provides the following:

• Meals & accommodations if you have a travel delay over 12 hours
• Emergency dental care up to $1000
• Medical care including prescriptions, emergency care and hospital stays
• Coverage for lost checked luggage
• Flights home if something bad happens
• Continued coverage for visits back home
• Coverage for motor accidents
• Coverage for injuries from leisure sports & activities

Read my full blog post on Choosing Travel Insurance for Solo Female Travellers to learn the importance of reliable coverage and the companies I rely on for all of my adventures. 

3 Day Itinerary for Grindelwald – Ski & Adventure

If you're planning a long weekend in Grindelwald and want to pack it full of adventures and skiing – I recommend allowing yourself a day either side of those three days for travel. It took a full day of travelling from London > Zurich > Grindelwald via train, plane and train. While the journey is very relaxing and you can just enjoy the views as you ascend to the mountain town in the heart of the Swiss Alps, even with an early flight, you won't arrive until later in the day. By adding on an extra day for travelling there, and a day for travelling home, it just allows you a chance to rest after a busy few days and not have to rush.

Don't miss my blog on the 11 Best Things to do in Grindelwald, Switzerland

Where to stay in Grindelwald

Once you arrive in Grindelwald, you'll need a place to base yourself for the next few days. I stayed at the Romantik Hotel Schweizerhof, Swiss Alp Resort & SPA which is less than a three minute walk from the train station. It's also walking distance, or a short bus journey from the ski lifts, and its only a short walk from the shops, bars and restaurants. While I wouldn't consider the hotel a full luxury experience, it is convenient, serves a great breakfast and comes with an amazing spa which I pretty much had to myself for the three days!

Booking Ski Lessons in Grindelwald

If you, or someone in your group, would like to learn to ski or improve their skiing technique with ski lessons in Grindelwald, make sure you book in advance as Swiss Ski School do get super busy in peak season. As someone who learnt to ski for the first time in Grindelwald, I can't recommend the experience enough. I had two ski lessons with different instructors across two days on different beginner slopes and learned so much. I felt like I really improved so much even after two days, and I loved that I actually got to learn with a mountain backdrop and with views of the more advanced skiiers (which I'm told is not always the case).

If you're a ski beginner, check out my blog on What to Wear Skiing | First Time Skiing Women's Packing Guide

Day 1 – Skiing at First

Morning

• Stay at Romantik Hotel Schweizerhof, Swiss Alp Resort & SPA
• Enjoy breakfast at the hotel
• Catch a bus to the First cable car station from the main train station (B122, Stop D)
• If renting equipment, head to Intersport in the Hotel Sunstar. You can rent all of your ski equipment from here.
• Head to ski lessons with Swiss Ski School at the Beginner park at Oberjoch
• Or take the gondola up to First for skiing at Grindelwald First where there's over 50km of slopes to enjoy including The White Elements Snowpark, where you'll find the 850m Pro Park
• Enjoy lunch at Berggasthaus First Restaurant with panoramic mountain views

Afternoon

• Kick off the afternoon on the First Flyer – whiz down the gigantic 800m zip line at speeds of up to 84km per hour!
• Then get your thrills on the First Glider as you hang under a bird of prey to glide down the mountain on an 800m route reaching speeds of up to 83km per hour.
• Ski back down to the village and take a walk, or bus back to the hotel (where you can store your ski equipment)
• Enjoy a relaxing afternoon in the spa at Romantik Hotel Schweizerhof
• Go for dinner at the Hotel Bergwelt (you can also stay here and I would really recommend!!)

Day 2 – Jungfraujoch – The Top of Europe

Morning

• Enjoy a delicious breakfast at Romantik Hotel Schweizerhof
• Pick up your ski equipment before catching the train to the Grindelwald Terminal
• Take the Eiger Express VIP Gondola up to Eigergletscher (Eiger Glacier)
• From here, you can go for ski lessons or hit the slopes in the Ski Area Kleine Scheidegg-Männlichen, where 102km of slopes await you along with a mountain panorama which is considered one of the most beautiful in the world.
• Here you will also find the world-famous Lauberhorn downhill

Afternoon

• Take the train to the Jungfraujoch – The Top of Europe, 3,454m above sea level
• Visit the viewing platforms and take in the incredible mountain views including a direct view of the Aletsch Glacier.
• Enjoy lunch in the Restaurant Crystal
• Walk through the ICE Bar and enjoy a VIP aperitif
• Take the cable car back to Eigergletscher, then decide whether to ski down the mountain or take the next cable car
• Catch the train ack to Grindelwald and wander back to the hotel for a few hours in the spa
• Before dinner at the Hotel Fiescherblick – a multi-course tasting menu with wine pairings (you can also stay here which would be amazing!)

Day 3 – Relax in the Spa or A Final Ski

• Enjoy a last breakfast at the hotel
• Either enjoy a relaxed morning in the spa or exploring the village
• Or, if you have a few hours you could squeeze in a last ski or a coffee up the mountain at Grindelwald First before returning your ski gear
• Catch the train to Zurich Airport for your flight home.