Our most recommended things to do in Bern

Bern: 90-Minute Stroll Through the Old Town

1. Bern: 90-Minute Stroll Through the Old Town

On this 90-minute stroll through Bern’s Old Town, your local guide will tell you about the city‘s 8 centuries of history. On rainy days, you can still enjoy this atmospheric area, as the arcades provide shelter. Admire the late Gothic Cathedral (Münster) with its stunning portal and rendering of the Last Judgment. See the 13th-century Clock Tower (Zytglogge), where you can watch the fascinating show that happens on the hour. Who knows, you might even meet up with a member of the Federal Council in front of the Parliament building! Come along and discover the charms of the Swiss capital and this UNESCO World Heritage Site on a pleasant and leisurely walk.

Bern: Zytglogge - Tour through the Clock Tower

2. Bern: Zytglogge - Tour through the Clock Tower

Conceived in the 1300s, the clock tower is one of the remainders of Bern's first city walls. For over 600 years, the clock has struck on the hour. Inside, time seems to stand still and cool solitude awaits. The reliable ticks of the Middle Age technology impart a steadiness to visitors. Approximately 130 steps to the top of the spiral staircase lead you to a lookout platform. From here, see the roofs of the old city and maybe even the Alps. Visit the clockwork with your guide and follow the puppet show step by step until the famous rooster crows.

Swiss Travel Pass: Unlimited Travel on Train, Bus & Boat

3. Swiss Travel Pass: Unlimited Travel on Train, Bus & Boat

The Swiss Travel Pass is a must-have for any traveler to Switzerland. You can enjoy unlimited access by public train, bus, and boat to over 90 cities and towns and benefit from free entrance to 500+ museums, discounted city tours, and access to private and scenic trains with a pre-requisite seat reservation. There are two broad types of Swiss Travel Pass: Continuous and Flexi, with an option to choose from 3, 4, 8, and 15 days. Apart from it being an ‘all-in-one’ pass which allows a traveler to access all modes of public transportation within the country, it also offers numerous other benefits on the mountain excursions. Trips up to Stoos, Brunni, Klewenalp, Stanserhorn and Rigi are included in the Pass. A 50% reduction is offered on most other mountain and cableways (Gornergrat, Titlis, etc). Enjoy free entrance to museums like the the FIFA World Football Museum in Zurich, the National History Museum of Bern, the Paul Klee Center in Bern, and the Natural history museum in Geneva. Explore with access to the Olympic Museum in Lausanne, Château de Chillon, and the Ballenberg Swiss Open-Air Museum. So be it the adventurous, the avid or the leisure traveler, you will have the chance to make the most of your Switzerland Travel Pass.

Bern: Private Walking Tour with a Local Guide

4. Bern: Private Walking Tour with a Local Guide

Your expert local city guide (MSc Geography) will show you the city's best parts, including hidden secrets you can’t find easily on your own. On this walking tour will be able to see a lot of sightseeing points within a short timeframe. Apart from explaining the sightseeing points your guide can provide insight into the history and culture of the city and the country Switzerland in general. The focus of this tour is to see the city like a local. However, this private tour can be customised according to your wishes. Sightseeing points to visit can be agreed upon in advance or discussed when meeting up.

From Zurich: Engelberg, Titlis, and Lucerne Day Tour

5. From Zurich: Engelberg, Titlis, and Lucerne Day Tour

Discover the peaks of the Swiss Alps and the picturesque mountain town of Engelberg. See icy glaciers, towering peaks such as Mount Titlis, and ride up a famous cableway. Go on a thrilling walk over a narrow bridge up high on the Cliff Walk, and cross a famous wooden footbridge over the Reuss River. Meet your driver-guide at the meeting point in Zurich, then drive through the countryside to the mountain resort of Engelberg and enjoy a charming journey through central Switzerland. Afterward, arrive at Engelberg, a pleasant alpine village known for its 12th-century monastery. Take in the view of the glacier, Mount Titlis at 10,626 ft (3,239 meters), and the Hahnen, at an altitude of 8530 ft (2,600 meters). This village is also famous for skiing in winter, and in summer, many people visit it for hiking, mountaineering, mountain biking, golf, and other activities. Ride up the famous cableway to a height of 9,908 ft (3020 meters) if you choose this option. Also, decide to go on the Rotair, the world's first revolving cable car, which offers an amazing 360-degree view of the Alps. Then, enter the Ice Grotto (if it is open) for another adventure. Experience the Ice Flyer chair lift and get close to the crevices as you visit Glacier Park. Next, walk through the cliff walk at Titlis to enjoy a splendid view of the mountain while you cross a 1-meter-wide bridge for 100 meters on the Cliff Walk. Dare yourself to look down from a dizzying height. When you finish this, stop off in the city of Lucerne as you make your way back to Zurich. See the Chapel Bridge, a wooden footbridge which crosses the River Reuss, and enjoy some free time in the Old Town. Finally, arrive back to Zurich to conclude your exciting Alpine experience.

Bern Highlights Self-Guided Scavenger Hunt and Walking Tour

6. Bern Highlights Self-Guided Scavenger Hunt and Walking Tour

Get to know Bern at your own pace on this interactive scavenger hunt walking tour played on your phone. Decipher riddles, interact with the most important attractions of the city, and unlock interesting facts and legends. An ideal outdoor activity for first time visitors, couples, groups, families, and children. Can be used as a great team-building activity. After downloading the app onto your phone, set out on an adventure that will take you to 10 attractions in Bern by using integrated maps. At each stop, learn about the attraction and solve a location-based riddle that can only be solved if you reach the specific location. Use logic, imagination, observation, and team spirit to unlock the correct code and reveal the next destination of the city sightseeing game. As you explore, solve a location-based riddle at each attraction and unlock the next location you need to visit. The app includes facts and information about each location you stop at, so you'll gain local know-how about the city. Put your skills to the text and work as a team and use logic, imagination, observation, and problem solving to make your way around the city. Along the way, you can stop for a coffee, lunch, or a break at any time. Start your tour at the Church of the Holy Spirit, Switzerland's largest Protestant church! Visit the Swiss Parliament House, the home of the Republic in Bern. Photograph the Käfigturm while learning about its history and admire the Stadttheater Bern with its excellent acoustics. Then the Old City of Berne looks like something out of a fairy tale, don't forget to take pictures. The Zähringerbrunnen will leave you speechless with its beauty. Admire the City Hall with its heavy symbolism! The Nydeggkirche is worth your time and phone memory for its beautiful architecture, while the Cathedral of Bern, the impressive Gothic church will be another addition to your indelible memory. The icing on the cake of this unique tour will be the Bernisches Historisches Museum / Einstein Museum with its endless exhibits.

Bern: Gruyères Cheese Factory & Maison Cailler Tasting Tour

7. Bern: Gruyères Cheese Factory & Maison Cailler Tasting Tour

Admire breathtaking landscapes of Gruyères. At the top of the hill, take a deep breath of pure mountain air and listen to the cowbells in the pasturelands. Taste typical Swiss cheese while watching the cheesemakeing process. Smell chocolate and taste one of the most famous swiss delicacies in the chocolate factory Cailler. A memorable day full of tasting and nice feelings.

From Zurich: Crash Landing On You Locations in Interlaken

8. From Zurich: Crash Landing On You Locations in Interlaken

Visit some of the picturesque shooting locations of the famous K-drama - Crash Landing On You. Enjoy a full-day private tour that will showcase some of the most stunning places in Interlaken. Start your tour with a meet-and-greet in the lobby of your Zurich accommodation. In a comfortable vehicle, take an unforgettable drive into the heart of Switzerland - region Interlaken. Stop at the stunning cascade of the Giessbach waterfalls and the Grand Hotel Giessbach. See where Ri Jeong-hyeok was a student at the Swiss music school. Visit the cozy and quiet embankment of the stunning village of Iseltwald on the shores of Lake Brienz. Explore the pier where Hyun Bin reminisces about his time in Switzerland while playing the piano. Follow in the footsteps of Yoon Seri (Son Ye Jin) and Ri Jeong-hyeok (Hyun Bin) through all the scenic spots around Lake Brienz and the Victoria-Jungfrau Grand Hotel & Spa in Interlaken. Enjoy views of the snow-white peak of the Jungfrau during lunch at one of Interlaken's varied restaurants. In the afternoon, climb up and cross the breathtaking panoramic Sigriswil Bridge. Travel 340-meters in length and to an altitude of 798-meters above sea level overlooking the beautiful Lake Thun. End your adventure at Lake Lungern in the beautiful village house where Seri and Ri Jeong-hyeok reunited in Switzerland.

From Zurich: Waterfalls Valley & Aareschlucht Gorge Day Tour

9. From Zurich: Waterfalls Valley & Aareschlucht Gorge Day Tour

We will greet you at the lobby of your accommodation in Zurich. On comfortable SUV/minivan we will make an unforgettable day trip to the heart of Switzerland - the valley of waterfalls. For all its splendor, Lauterbrunnen itself is quite small: its length is about eight kilometers, and its width does not exceed a thousand meters. But in this small area, there are as many as 72 waterfalls falling down from sheer cliffs. The most famous and most visited of them are Staubbach and Trummelbach. Both of these waterfalls plunge into the valley from a dizzying height of over 300 meters. It was previously thought that Staubbach was taller than Trummelbach, but more recently, after careful measurements, the opposite has been proven. However, everyone who visits Lauterbrunnen should definitely see both of these waterfalls, as well as other beauties of the fabulous valley. The Reichenbach Waterfalls in Meiringen is one of the most famous waterfalls in Switzerland. Opened in 1899, the funicular will take you 244 meters high into the mountains. Visitors from all around the world come to see the place where the famous detective Sherlock Holmes fought to his death with Professor Moriarty in 1891. The Aareschlucht is a section of the river Aare that carves through a limestone ridge near the town of Meiringen, in the Bernese Oberland region of Switzerland. The gorge is an indirect product of glaciation; 10,000 years ago, just as the Ice Age was coming to an end, torrential runoff water from melting glaciers eroded a deep, narrow chasm through the limestone barrier. Although barely 1,4 kilometers long, this passage is bordered by sheer cliffs up to 50 m high on either side. The gorge varies in width from some 30 meters at its widest to just 1 meter at its narrowest.

Bern: City Sightseeing Self-Guided Walking Tour Game

10. Bern: City Sightseeing Self-Guided Walking Tour Game

Get to know the beautiful old town of Bern at your own pace on this interactive scavenger hunt walking tour. You'll explore the city on foot and get points for solving different types of tasks: Find sights: You will use hints to find the best sights and hidden gems throughout the city. The map function in the app will help you get there. Solve questions: Once you’ve arrived at the place you’re looking for, you’ll be asked questions about the sight. Most of the time, the answers are hidden in signs, pictures, etc. A great and fun way to learn new things about the city. Have fun: During the adventure you can also expect exciting photo tasks that require a lot of creativity. If you master the snapshots, you will be rewarded with points. Along the way, you’ll reach amazing places like the "Bundeshaus", "Zytglogge", "Rathaus" and many more! After you book the game, you’ll get a game code via email with instructions on how to play. Head to the “ Käfigturm” and use the code to unlock the game in the app. The tour ends at the “Bärenpark”. The experience is not limited in time. You can explore the city at your own pace and take breaks. Just download the Explorial-App, go to the starting point, and you’re ready to start with the game. The tour lasts on average about 1-2 hours.

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Bern
With its medieval old town, oriental hammam, and proximity to the Alps, the Swiss capital caters to all.

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Frequently asked questions about Bern

What are the best day trips and excursions from Bern?

The best day trips and excursions from Bern are:

Interlaken

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What people are saying about Bern

Overall rating

4.5 / 5

based on 499 reviews

The trip was so enjoyable, visiting interesting destination in three countries surrounding Switzerland in a just one day. The transportation and the host/driver was comfortable and very kind and helpful. He makes the journey a personal touch vacation trip. Me and my wife were very much enjoy it.

The best investment to get to know Switzerland. The 4-day pass is valid from 00:00 on the first day and ends at 05:00 on the fifth day. So it gives a good margin. You don't have to activate anything, just show the pass to the conductor or at the museum ticket office.

We made use of the Swiss Travel Pass. It was amazing. The ticket arrived right and fast. And great value. I recommend

Lots of fun! It directs the touring trail, gives information about the sites, and adds some fun and games.

Worth a 2-week journey as we used the trains a lot. Also it works as a museum pass as well.