Our Switzerland Itinerary With Kids

Switzerland has been a bucket-list trip for me for YEARS, and we finally did it with our two kids (ages 5 and 8). I promised I'd share our exact blueprint because figuring out the logistics took me the longest, and I want to save you the time. Here's everything: where we stayed, what we did, what we ate, and what it cost.

Save this for your future Switzerland travels, or send it to someone traveling there with kiddos.

First, the logistics

We got a Swiss Travel Pass for 3 days, which covers almost all the boats, trains, cogwheels, and cable cars. It cost a pretty penny but was so worth it. Our Half Fare Card kicked in partway through the trip and got us discounts on everything else, like the cable cars that aren't included in the pass. No need to book trains ahead either, you just show up and hop on. To navigate the trains you NEED THIS APP (SBB Mobile) and here is a great video on how to navigate the app, I promise it's so easy.

A few things caught me off guard, in the best way. The trains here are pristine, spotlessly clean, fancy bathrooms, someone even comes around tidying up. The whole country is insanely clean. And barely anyone drives. Most people get around by bike, e-bike, walking, or bus, and locals told us it's rare to even own a car in the big cities!

Pro tip: if you can, travel with another family. It's 98% easier. We met up with friends who have kids around the same ages and ours played nonstop the entire time they were together!

Parenting Pro tip: This goodie bag was a savior during train rides, down time an dinners. It kept the kids busy and happy.

Lucerne (Luzern), 2 nights

We flew into Zurich and took the train straight to Lucerne (about an hour on the Swiss Pass). We gave Lucerne one full day and honestly that felt like enough.

• What we did: After we checked into our Airbnb, we explored old town Luzern and its famous covered bridge. We filled our water bottles at the natural city fountains, the water comes straight from the Alps and is so fresh. We did a lot of people watching by the water.

  
  

• What we ate: Get to the local bakery early. They open at 7 a.m. with the freshest goods, and nothing compares to a European bakery. We grabbed pretzel croissants (like a pretzel and a croissant had a baby) to make sandwiches, plus pretzels and yogurt for breakfast. For dinner we sat waterside and Mila inhaled her schnitzel with the cutest little view.

Day trip: Mt. Rigi via Vitznau and Weggis

This was one of the easiest, most fun days of the whole trip, and the Swiss Pass covered the entire thing. You take a scenic boat from Lucerne that makes stops at the cutest little towns. Arrive early, it gets packed (we accidentally picked a day when every school had a field trip, but the kids made friends and even learned some German). Get off at Vitznau and take the cogwheel train up Mt. Rigi.

Up top, the walking paths are flat and easy, kid, grandparent, and even wheelchair friendly, with panoramic views and short hikes. Pack a picnic or eat up there. We took a cogwheel down toward a tiny mountain village, and because Mila made a friend we stayed and played and stumbled onto a hidden playground. Then the cable car down to Weggis (so steep it felt like a roller coaster) and the boat back to Lucerne.

Grindelwald, 4 nights

The train from Lucerne to Grindelwald is about 2.5 to 3 hours on the pass.

Tip for arrival day: our check-in wasn't for a few hours, so we stored our luggage in the lockers at the Grindelwald train station (about $12 per bag for 24 hours) and took off for our first adventure.

Day 1: Pfingstegg

Pfingstegg is a hidden gem and ended up being one of our favorite things we've ever done, top 5 in the world for us. It's a cozy, uncrowded spot with a bounce house, slides, tunnels, a zip line through the forest, and a toboggan run. Kids 5+ can zip line and 7+ can toboggan alone.

To get there, walk up through the town center from the station (grab a coffee at Clubhouse). On the right you'll find a sweet little alley by a church with a fountain, a perfect photo stop, then follow the signs downhill to the cable car. The cable car isn't covered by the Swiss Pass, but you can get it discounted with the Half Fare Card.

Later we checked into our apartment and grabbed dinner in town.

Day 2: Grindelwald First + Bort

We did the iconic trip up to First. The Cliff Walk is a path that floats out over the Alps (the bridge is a wee scary!) and the views are a 10/10.

First is beautiful but SO touristy. You couldn't do the activities (the scooter cars, the Birds Eye zip line) without at least a one to two hour wait. It's also known for the Bachalpsee hike, which we didn't do this time. I wouldn't skip First because we loved the views, but if I had to choose I'd pick Pfingstegg 100 times over, and I think there are cooler things in this area for families.

The highlight for the kids was the Bort playground on the way down: streams, play, room to relax. Everywhere you go here there's a playground, like a random giant slide in the middle of the Alps.

Day 3: Männlichen

Männlichen was a 10/10, don't skip it if you're going to the Jungfrau region. Take the gondola up from Grindelwald, let the kids loose at the infamous cow playground, and do the panorama/Royal Walk. It's short, easy, and has one of the best kid-to-view ratios in Switzerland, with a little alpine lake and wildflowers. We packed lunch and had a little picnic! Just wow.

Day 4: Lauterbrunnen + Mürren + Allmendhubel

Take the train to Lauterbrunnen (Staubbach Falls and those valley views), then the cable car up to Grütschalp and the train to Mürren. From Mürren, take the funicular up to Allmendhubel, and the Flower Playground there is hands down our number one favorite playground we've ever visited. It left me in absolute awe and the views will blow your mind.

Our plan was the North Face Trail, but we accidentally found something even better. From the playground, looking toward the snowy mountains, there's a gentle downhill trail on the right called the Blumental Panorama Trail. It winds through alpine meadows and forest with views of the Eiger, Mönch, and Jungfrau (and cows!). It was about 30 minutes with a 5 and 8 year old with a few stops, and it dropped us right at the Mürren cable car (the steepest in the world), which we took down to Lauterbrunnen to wrap up the day.

Where We Stayed

Both places were perfect for our family, and I'm linking them below so you can check them out.

• Lucerne: our Airbnb

• Grindelwald: our apartment

The Budget

I always appreciate when people are transparent about cost, so here's what our Switzerland leg actually ran for our family of four.

Item	Cost
Flights (4 people) ORD - MUN	$7,774.45
Swiss Travel Pass (3 days)	$704
Half Fare Card	$375.57
Lucerne Airbnb (2 nights)	$976.17
Grindelwald apartment (4 nights)	$2,549
Trains out on travel day	$374.83
Food & Groceries (estimated)	$1,200
Switzerland subtotal	~$13,954.02

Switzerland is not a cheap destination, but the passes saved us a lot and the memories were worth every dollar! If you have any specific questions on budget, my DM's are always open!

My Switzerland Tips

• Get the passes. The Swiss Travel Pass plus the Half Fare Card paid for themselves fast once you factor in all the boats, trains, and cable cars. Don't overthink booking, you just show up and hop on.

• Grippy shoes are a must. A lot of the best "hikes" are gentle downhills, but good grip makes them stress-free with little ones.

• Food. The restaurants here are pricey for no reason, and the food itself is kind of meh. Not bad, just not worth what they charge. If you're coming for an amazing food scene, you won't really find it here. BUT the baked goods and grocery stores are top notch. So my biggest money-saving tip is to eat most of your meals back at the Airbnb, do the bakery for breakfast, grab groceries for picnics and lunches, and save the restaurants for a few special dinners.

• Pick playgrounds over big-ticket attractions, especially with kids. Some of our favorite moments were the free playgrounds tucked into the mountains, Pfingstegg, Bort, and the Allmendhubel Flower Playground!

• Pack layers. Mornings up on the mountains are chilly even in summer, then it warms up fast. Bring something easy to throw on and off.

• Slow down. With kids, one big thing a day is plenty. We built in picnic time and playground breaks and never felt rushed.