Oeschinen Lake & Panorama Hike: How to Visit & What to Expect
This post may contain affiliate links, which means that we may earn a small commission, at no cost to you, for qualifying purchases. More info: Disclosure.
Thinking of visiting Oeschinen Lake (Oeschinensee) in Switzerland and wondering what to expect? Or maybe you are looking for information for the best hike in the area – Oeschinensee Panorama Hike? This guide should answer all your questions and give you a good idea of what to expect. Find out!
On one of our first trips to the Swiss mountains, we went hiking at Oeschinen Lake. For years, we remembered it as the most beautiful hike ever. More than 12 years after our first trip, we went back to Oeschinen Lake with kids. We wondering if we would still feel this way now, after so many years of traveling all over the world and having seen so many beautiful mountain lakes…
At the end of the day, we all agreed that Oeschinen Lake is truly as good as it gets!
The Panorama Hike at Oeschinensee UNESCO World Heritage Site is still the most beautiful hike we have ever done.
In this article, you can find all the information for visiting Oeschinensee, as well as hiking the most beautiful mountain trail overlooking Oeschinen Lake. Read on!
TIP: If you are looking for a place to stay for visiting Oeschinen Lake, check out the charming Typically Swiss Hotel Ermitage! The location is excellent – just near the gondola but also very tranquil. If you are looking for a hotel with a pool, Belle Epoque Hotel Victoria is the best choice (it’s also one of the best options for families).
Oeschinen Lake – the hidden gem of Switzerland
We accidentally stumbled upon Oeschinen Lake years ago when we were looking for a place to stay in the Berner Oberland region in Switzerland. We found that staying in Kandersteg was one of the best options price/quality wise and we figured that we could drive to the other must-see places from there.
Berner Oberland is probably Switzerland’s best-known region with places like Interlaken, Grindelwald, Mürren, Lauterbrunnen, Schynige Platte, and Wengen high on the top-destinations-list among tourists from all over the world. But Kandersteg is hardly known as a tourist destination, not only outside Switzerland but among the Swiss themselves.
When our Swiss friends heard that we were going to Kandersteg they just shrugged their shoulders and said that it’s only known for the car-train connecting Kandersteg to Goppenstein on the other side of the mountains, on the way to Zermatt.
But our Michelin guidebook showed this 3-star place nearby. And they only give three stars to the most exceptional places. So we decided to check it out. And wow, so glad we did. It quickly became one of our favorite places in Switzerland. And that says it all.
So why have you never heard of Oeschinen Lake?
It must be one of those places that just has the bad luck of being in the neighborhood of so many other amazing places that it gets forgotten.
The tourism boards of Interlaken and Jungfrau Region are just more successful at promoting their place than the tourism board in Kandersteg. Or the Swiss really want to keep it to themselves… Almost everyone we met hiking at Oeschinensee was Swiss.
Update: As I’m updating this article years after it was written (and some 20 years after our first trip), I have to say that things have changed. Instagram tourism hasn’t spared Oeschinen Lake and it has become more popular than before. Still, because the most beautiful views require a hike, it’s not as busy on the trails as it is at the lake itself.
How to get to Oeschinen Lake
Oeschinen Lake can be reached by cable car from Kandersteg. Kandersteg is a small town in the heart of the Berner Oberland region in Switzerland and you can easily get there by train or by car.
I strongly suggest you take the cable car and not hike to the lake – you’ll save at least 1-2 hours each way and the hike is really steep. You better spend the time and the energy hiking where it’s most beautiful.
Return ticket for the gondola: 32 CHF for adults and 16 CHF for kids of 6 and older. Here you can find the most up-to-date information with rates and opening times. If you have the Swiss Travel Pass, you pay half the price, and if you have the Berner Oberland Regional Pass, the gondola is included.
TIP: If you don’t have any of these passes but are staying at one of the hotels in Kandersteg, ask for a ‘guest card’ at your hotel. It gives you a small discount for the cable car ride.
There is a little electric bus that runs from the top cable car station to Oeschinen Lake. It’s quite expensive and the walk is only 20 minutes, so we skipped it. It is, however, a great way for people with restricted mobility to visit Oeschinen Lake.
READ ALSO: Swiss Half-Fare Card (& When It’s Worth Getting It)
What to do at Oeschinen Lake
Oeschinen Lake is one of those places that everyone can visit because it’s easy to get to. So you can simply walk along the shores of the lake, rent a rowing boat, or have a drink at one of the restaurants enjoying the most spectacular views around you.
At the gondola, there is also an Alpine coaster (summer toboggan). More about it further below.
But if you can, be sure to also go hiking at Oeschinen Lake. Even if you just do a part of the trail, you’ll get to see the lake and the surroundings from a higher perspective. The scenery here is phenomenal!
Further below, you can find all the information for hiking at Oeschinensee. Which hike to do and what to expect. Read on!
Hiking at Oeschinen Lake, also with kids
There are several options when it comes to hiking to and around Oeschinensee. I’m going to tell you about the hike we did, twice: 12 years ago and then again this summer. It’s also by far the most beautiful hike you can do at Oeschinen Lake. So if you only have a day in the area, look no further!
Also referred to as Oeschinensee Panorama Hike, the Oeschinensee – Oberbärgli – Heuberg is not an easy hike, but it’s absolutely spectacular! It’s also not overly hard, so you can even hike at Oeschinen Lake with kids if they have some hiking experience.
We had been hiking quite a lot that summer, including a pretty difficult hike to the Delicate Arch in Utah, a hike to Inspiration Point at Grand Teton National Park, and the Four Lakes Hike in Engelberg Switzerland, but this hike at Oeschinensee was the most strenuous walk we did with kids so far.
Our boys of 5, 5, and 7 managed just fine, yet I don’t think they could have done it a year ago. Also, it’s a pretty steep climb, the path is very narrow in places and you have to negotiate some mountain streams and big rocks along the way.
I think that 5-6 years is about the minimum age for this walk unless you only do the lower part of the walk and go back the same way (see more information in the ‘practical tips’ section below).
Oeschinensee Hike: map and itinerary
I prepared this map to help you plan your trip.
The walk we did is described below, but it can be done in the opposite direction as well – more explanation below.
Part I: Kandersteg gondola to Oeschinensee
We started our day around 10 AM by taking the cable car from Kandersteg to the top of the mountain.
Once at the top, it took us about half an hour to reach Oeschinen Lake, our first stop. It could have been 10 minutes less if we had spent less time admiring the Swiss cows – the first ones during this trip.
There were only a few people around the lake in the morning. But we saw quite a few cows that were finishing up their breakfast with a sip of fresh water from the lake. Boats were standing empty waiting for the day tourists to arrive and we even contemplated renting one, but then decided to move on as we had a long walk ahead of us.
If for whatever reason you cannot or do not want to walk any further, the view of Oeschinen Lake is worth the trip by itself!
Part II: Oeschinensee – Unterbärgli
The walk from Oeschinensee to Unterbärgli starts on the left side of the lake.
With all the stops we made, it was 11 AM by the time we started the actual walk. And, almost immediately we had to stop again – the kids saw some little fish in the water and were trying to catch them. We tried to convince them to carry on before they would get soaking wet…
Just before entering the forest, there was an exposition of wooden artworks by the lake, quite impressive actually.
After just a few minutes the path became steeper and we had to stop once in a while to catch our breath and enjoy the views. The kids were chasing butterflies all the time, so for every step we took, they took at least two. No wonder they started asking if it was still far! Yes, it was – we only just started.
We passed a few minor water streams and the higher we climbed the more beautiful it became. Some parts of this walk are steep, but there are benches where you can rest along the way.
What makes the walk at Oeschinensee to Oberbärgli and Heuberg so special is that you are surrounded by the most spectacular landscape all the time.
It’s not one of those walks where you have to walk for hours in a forest with nothing to see hoping for a big reward at the end. At Oeschinensee, the whole walk is one big reward – you climb a bit higher and the view is even better than before.
And when you think it cannot get better, it does again, and again, and again.
Just before we reached Unterbärgli, at noon, we had a picnic by one of the many streams with amazing views all around us.
This is a beautiful relaxing part of the walk – it’s not as steep and there are beautiful mountain flowers all over the place while cowbells are ringing all around – it’s the Swiss Mountains at their best. I read that cows and sheep have been grazing in this area since the 14th century.
At Unterbärgli we decided to stop for a drink (Rivella, of course) at the mountain restaurant and two mountain goats joined us at the table. The boys didn’t get a chance to get bored yet!
Part III: Unterbärgli – Oberbärgli
The climb between Unterbärgli and Oberbärgli is probably the most strenuous part of the hike – it’s really steep.
12 years ago we had to use chains to safely cross some sections here. We were glad to see that the chains had been replaced by a proper path – so much easier and safer with young kids.
We started the climb at around 1 PM and reached Oberbärgli half an hour later.
We all had to take quite a few short breaks before we reached the top, but I wouldn’t say that kids had any more difficulties than us. In fact, often we had difficulties trying to keep up with them!
Part IV: Oberbärgli – Kandersteg cable car
At Oberbärgli the path splits. You can continue to the right, towards the Blüemlisalphütte for even more amazing views of the glacier and another, smaller lake.
If you are planning to add this section of the walk to your itinerary, you should probably leave very early in the morning, as it will be at least 2-3 hours there and back.
We went left, back towards the cable car that would bring us back to Kandersteg. It sounds as if we were almost done; nothing could be more true. By this point, we did just a bit over half of the walk and had been walking for 3,5 hours.
The good thing is that the walk became much flatter and our heart rate could get back to normal again. The less good news was that some sections of the path were very narrow and with the kids walking way ahead of us, it was not the most relaxing part of the hike.
Everyone was getting a bit tired, but we had something to look forward to – the most amazing panorama of Oeschinensee was still waiting ahead of us.
The last part of the walk was the most difficult for us. It was a steep descent on a narrow path with lots of small stones and a big risk of slipping. We had to hold our kids by their hands all the time here.
There was also a rather steep section with a waterfall to negotiate, but everyone did just fine. It’s these most challenging parts of the walk that the kids enjoyed the most!
At 3 PM we were back at approximately cable car level and the path split. I chose to walk back to Oeschinen Lake, while my husband and the kids continued straight to the cable car. It took them another 20 minutes – so about 5,5 hours for this walk in total.
It took me about 20 minutes to get back down to the lake and then another 20 minutes to reach the cable car from there. I have to admit that I liked the lake more in the morning – it was much busier in the afternoon and the light was not as nice. On top of that, I still had a steep climb back to the cable car. Why in the world didn’t I just go back with the rest of my family?!
Part V: Kandersteg summer toboggan run
Located near the gondola rail, summer toboggan was the cherry on the cake at the end of the beautiful day for our kids. They were looking forward to it all day and I think it was the main motivation that kept them going through the difficult parts of the hike.
It was the first time we tried the summer toboggan and it was quite fun. The kids loved it. Ok, I liked it too – it was fun.
Practical info for hiking at Oeschinen Lake
Below, you can find some practical information for hiking at Oeschinensee. Take a look!
How long is the Oeschinensee walk and which direction is best
The walk at Oeschinen Lake can be done in two directions. We walked counterclockwise and started at the lake, then climbing up for the best views before heading back down. If you go clockwise, you will have a steep climb in the beginning, but it will be easier afterwards. If you choose to go this way, you will first see the Oeschinen Lake from above and end your walk at the lake itself.
I really don’t know which direction is better – we saw people doing both. I think clockwise has a bit less climbing as you start higher already and afterwards it’s mainly down all the way until you reach the lake, so it’s probably easier that way. On top of that, you can end your day sitting by the lake, rent a boat, etc. But you have to wait longer for the nicest views and it will probably be busy by the time you reach the lake in the afternoon.
We started our walk at the lake and it was really beautiful and tranquil in the morning. It got much busier during the day and in the afternoon it was pretty busy (not like Vatican-busy, but busy like in all the chairs at the restaurant and all the rowing boats were taken).
This walk is described as a 3.5 hour walk Heuberg – Oberbärgli – Oeschinensee. It’s some 8 km round trip with +- 480m change in elevation. Note that the 3 hours is an actual hiking time (without any stops) for very experienced hikers. It took us 5.5 hours with kids, but we took many breaks, had a picnic, and made many photo stops.
Oeschinen Lake with young kids
If you have very young kids, you can still visit Oeschinensee. The road from the cable car to the lake is gravel but can be easily done with a stroller.
If your kids can hike a little bit, but you are not sure if the long walk is for them, you can opt for a shorter and less steep version of the walk.
Start by the lake, walk to Unterbärgli and return back the same way (parts I and II in my description above). It’s not an easy walk either as you have to climb quite a bit, but the views are amazing and I’d say it’s a family-friendly walk.
Prepare for your hike at Oeschinensee
- This is a summer hike: June – September +- a couple of weeks, depending on the weather.
- Don’t do this trail when it’s wet.
- The walk is not suitable for hikers with a strong fear of heights.
- Wear sturdy hiking shoes (we now own these LOWA hiking boots and they are the best).
- If the weather forecast says 16°C and sunny, you’re ok in shorts and t-shirts. With temperatures higher than 20°C it will be hot. We were a bit doubtful as it felt cold in the morning (6°C), but we really could have left all our sweaters and long pants in the hotel room – 16°C felt warm enough for this hike.
- Sun hat and sunscreen are a must – there is hardly any shade.
- Take plenty of water (hint: take a reusable water bottle and refill it along the way – tap water is good in Switzerland). Carry a picnic for more flexibility.
- There are dining and bathroom facilities at the top cable car station, at Oeschinen lake itself, and at Unterbergli.
Where to stay for visiting Oeschinen Lake
The best option is to stay in Kandersteg for at least two nights. That way you have one full day to truly enjoy this beautiful hike at Oeschinen Lake. The Typically Swiss Hotel Ermitage is a great choice and right next to the Oeschinensee gondola.
Kandersteg is actually pretty close to Interlaken, Wengen, and Grindelwald so you can use it as a ‘home base’ and explore the rest of the area from there. In general, accommodation prices are lower in Kandersteg than in the other nearby towns in Berner Oberland.
We stayed at a beautiful Belle Epoque Hotel Victoria. It’s a charming hotel with lots of history, beautiful common areas, an indoor swimming pool, and several play areas for the kids. They also have family rooms and the food was excellent.
Similar hikes
Update/ additional hiking recommendation: For many years, we considered the Oeschinensee hike to be the best in Switzerland. Indeed, it is amazing! However, there are so many other options.
We recently discovered another spectacular hike nearby – Oberberghorn Panorama Trail at Schynige Platte. I won’t say it’s better than Oeschinensee, but it’s definitely just as nice (and easier). So if you are visiting this part of Switzerland, make sure to check out the best hikes of Schynige Platte as well!
And if you like panorama hikes with amazing mountain and lake views, you may also want to check out Stoos Ridge Hike. It’s close to Lucerne and Zurich and is a locals’ favorite (you can easily do it as a day trip from Lucerne too).
Oeschinensee FAQ
Here is some additional info you may want to know when planning a visit to Oeschinensee:
- Can you drive to Oeschinen Lake? Oeschinen Lake is located high on the mountain and is not accessible by car for tourists. You have to leave your car in Kandersteg and take a gondola. From the gondola top station, you can walk to the lake in 20-30 minutes. In high season, there is a shuttle bus here as well.
- How do you get to Oeschinen Lake? In order to get to Oeschinen Lake, you have to get to Kandersteg town in Berner Oberland in Central Switzerland. You can reach Kandersteg by car or by train. From Kandersteg, you can take a gondola, followed by a short easy walk to Oeschinensee. You could also hike to Oeschinen Lake from Kandersteg town, but it’s a long uphill hike.
- Can you swim in Oeschinensee? While you can swim in Oeschinen Lake, remember that it’s a glacial lake. So even on a warm summer day, the water here is freezing cold. We visited Oeschinen Lake several times and I never saw anyone swim there. Instead, rent a rowing boat and enjoy the scenery – it will be much more enjoyable!
- When is the best time to visit Oeschinen Lake? The best time to visit Oeschinen Lake is in summer, between July and mid-September. That’s when there’s no snow at the lake and you can enjoy the beautiful hiking trails nearby. During the summer season, Oeschinensee gondola normally runs from around mid-June to mid-October. Avoid summer weekends as it can get very busy at the lake.
- Can you visit Oeschinen Lake in winter? In winter, the Oeschinensee gondola is normally open during the winter ski season, from +- the 3rd weekend of December to the 3rd weekend of March. So yes, you can visit Oeschinensee in winter, but the lake will be covered in ice and snow. Alpine hiking trails will be closed. Most people come here for snowshoeing or cross-country skiing.
More tips for your trip to Switzerland:
- Itinerary: Switzerland Itinerary for First Trip
- Bucket list trips: Jungfraujoch and Mount Titlis and Zermatt and Mt Pilatus
- Nearby: Interlaken Day Trip & Trümmelbach Falls
- Cities: Best Things to Do in Geneva & Best of Bern & Best of Lucerne
- Winter: Skiing in Switzerland on a Budget & Skiing in Wengen & Skiing in Engelberg
- Summer: Trübsee (Engelberg) and Grindelwald-First and Schynigge Platte (near Interlaken)
Some of our favorite hikes in Switzerland:
- Best Hiking Trails in Zermatt
- Matterhorn Glacier Trail (Zermatt)
- Gornergrat Scenic Trail (Zermatt)
- Four Lakes Hike (Engelberg)
- Bachalpsee Lake (Grindelwald)
- Riffelsee Lake Trail (Zermatt)
- Charles Kuonen Suspension Bridge (near Zermatt)
- 5 Lakes Hike in Zermatt
If you found this post helpful, don’t forget to bookmark it and share it with your friends. Are you on Pinterest? Pin these images!
Hi Jurga!
My wife and I have really enjoyed reading all the great information on your site. Thanks for sharing in such detail that it makes us want to visit the lake tomorrow.
We will be in the this area on May 8-11, 2024. Do you know if we will we be able to get to Oeschinensee via the gondola during this time?
Thanks again for your hiking experiences for fellow adventurers.
Best,
Kevin
Hi Kevin from what I see on the official website, the gondola to Oeschinensee is supposed to be open from May 9 until October 27 this year. So you might just be able to visit. Since it’s the very beginning of the season, be sure to check their website a few days before your trip, for the most up-to-date info. The shuttle to the lake will not be running at the time of your trip yet, but you can just walk.
That said, I am not sure if you will be able to do the Panorama Hike at this time of the year. It will all depend on how much snow we get this winter and how warm the spring is. But either way, the lake is worth a trip even if you can’t do the (entire) hike.
Have a great trip!
@Jurga,
Hi Jurga, Thanks for your quick response!
That is great news! And thank you for adding the link to the official site as that will be a big help for us.
We are very much looking forward to our trip and this lake has been huge on my list of sites to see. I will be watching the weather as I’ve been hoping to do the panorama trail since reading your blog. It looks amazing! (I’m sure that’s somewhat bittersweet to hear as this once hidden gem is now becoming more popular.)
Thanks again!
With kind regards,
Kevin
Hi Jurga
Enjoyed your reading your blog.
You mention that there is a steep descent on the last leg of the walk with small stones and danger of slipping. How long is this bit of the walk?
Thanks
Hi Veronica, I really can’t remember – it’s not something we timed. Maybe 5-15 minutes or so, I’m really not sure. But there are other sections with small stones too, some wider, some narrower, so it’s not just the last leg. You could try do this walk clockwise (ending at the lake) in which case it might be a bit easier.
All in all, it’s probably not a huge deal for adults, but with young kids, you have to be extra careful. If you are a bit uncertain, you can also take hiking poles with you.
very good pics
this is a must see
my daughter has just visited this place from germany
It is a very beautiful place. Hope you get to see it one day too, Richard!
Hi ! I plan to do this hike on 14th october . It says partly cloudy/sunny and aprox. 14 C degrees . What do you think , it’s ok to hike up there and to take the gondola down ? Thanks !
Hi Tudor, I hope you realize that there is no way to predict the weather in the mountains more than two weeks in advance.
But even if you get fantastic weather, I’d take a gondola both ways. Otherwise, you’ll be tired before you even start the nicest part of the hike.
Enjoy your trip!
Hello,
Do you think this hike is doable at the end of October?
Thank you!
Hi Zach, the cable car from Kandersteg to Oeschinensee runs until 22 October this year (and then close until the winter season starts in late December), so if you are visiting before that day and, you can certainly walk up to see the lake. Whether you can do this entire hike, I’d doubt it unless it’s exceptionally warm and there hasn’t been any snowfall yet. But you can’t predict that in advance.
If you are traveling after 22/10, then no.
Hey Jurga,
Absolutely enjoyed reading your and your family’s experience. The pictures are amazing! Just one question, at one point you mentioned, “the most amazing panorama of Oeschinensee was still awaiting ahead of us”. Where exactly is this panoramic spot? Is it between Oberbargli and Heuberg?
In the clockwise direction, you mentioned, “you have to wait longer for the nicest views”. However, from your map, it seems reaching Heuberg/Oberbargli (the panoramic point) would be quicker. Is it the steep climb that will make it longer?
There is a spot marked on Google Maps named, Oeschinen Lake View Point (3718 Kandersteg). Is this the panoramic point?
Thank you very much! Once again, really appreciate this post!
Best,
Pallabi
Pallabi, the nicest views (like in the first pictures on top of this article) are more or less in between where we have ‘3-4’ indicated on our map of this hike. It’s definitely nowhere close to the Oeschinen Lake View Point on Google Maps. It’s much higher and more to the east.
If you just want to see the viewpoint from Google Maps, you can easily reach it without doing much hiking at all. It’s pretty much between the cable car and the lake, just turn off from the main gravel road to the left sooner. If you continue that way and do the entire hike clockwise, you will reach the most impressive views sooner since you are already much higher. If you first walk to the lake and then start the hike from there, you will have a more serious climb to do and it takes longer. I think it’s more rewarding that way, but you can do the hike in any direction, depending on where you want to start and end. We like to start at the lake in the morning when it’s not too busy. But if you end there, you can have a drink/lunch at a restaurant, and it’s very nice too. There are plenty of options on how to do this hike.
Hope this helps.
@Jurga, Thank you so much! Very helpful! 🙂
Enjoyed in reading your detail journal and amazing photos tremendously. Thank you so much for taking the time to write and share. Your post inspires me to consider doing this hike during my upcoming trip in the middle of this June. Quick question: do you think it’s safe for a female to do this hike alone? I have done a lot of same day hikes, varied from 2 to 8 hours so I think I can handle this trail based on your description.
Hi Vivien, if you are worried about general safety, Switzerland is a really safe place and we often see people alone in the mountains.
That being said, hiking on your own is always a bit of a risk in case something happens to you (like an accident rather than a general safety concern). But this is now such a popular hike that there should always be lots of people around in the high season.
If it was me personally, I wouldn’t hesitate to do this hike alone. Just be careful, plus it’s always a good idea to let someone know where you are going and when you expect to be back.
Have a great trip!
Thank you for this Info .
My wife and I have been hiking in this region / Murren / Wegen / Lauterbrunnen / Schilthorn/ Grindleward/ for years but haven’t come across this Lake ,, definatly on for next year .
cheers
Spencer
Oeschinensee used to be a hidden gem. Not so much anymore. It’s well worth a trip either way!
Happy travels!
Hi Thank you for this! I just want to ask if it’s still ok to go there during the first week of October? What is the weather like during those days? Thank you!
Hi Ann, the gondola usually runs at the beginning of October, so you should be able to visit. But nobody can tell you now how the weather will be. It can be snowing already, or raining, or nice and sunny and dry – there’s really no way to tell. You can always check webcams and the weather forecast a few days in advance and decide based on that.
Hi
Good morning
You said that the panorama trail is not suitable for hikers with fear to heights. May I ask what exactly do you mean? Are there exposed areas?? Exposition to dangerous cliffs?? narrow trails alongside high cliffs?? I look forward for your feedback. Best
Hi Francisco, the biggest part of the trail is nothing to worry about. However, there is one portion at the top where there are exposed sections and some rather steep drops next to a narrow trail. It’s not a very long section, but something to keep in mind. Here is a link to a picture that will give you a bit of an idea of what I mean, but I didn’t really take pictures at the ‘worst’ parts.
That being said, this is now a very popular hike and lots of people do this every day and I never heard of any issues. But you have to do what you’re comfortable with.
Have a great trip!
@Jurga,
Hi Jurga
Thank you for your reply to my comment. May I ask you: If I want to avoid the exposed sections and steep drops of the trail but still get the amazing views, what wouild you suggest?
Hi Francisco, if you just walk to the lake from the gondola station and then potentially also walk from the lake to Unterbärgli, you’ll have great views already. From there, you could also continue to the nearby mountain hut – this trail would be walking away from the lake and into the mountains, but the scenery there is really nice too. At the lake, you can also go for a boat ride in summer, and the scenery is stunning. If you want to avoid the steep parts – this is the best option.
However, the most impressive views of the lake are on the upper section of the hike where it’s also steeper. If you want to get there without doing the steepest part, you could do the loop in the other direction – so from the gondola directly towards Oberbärgli and then potentially back the same way and down to the lake from that side. Or maybe you see that the path looks ok to you and can just continue and do the entire loop.
And feel free to come back to our blog and share your experience after the trip – it might help other people in a similar situation.
Good luck!
I was excited to find your site! I saw an Instagram post of lake Oschinensee and found your site when I google it up. I think your description of the hike and details and tip would be invaluable! I will be traveling with my two adult sons in Oct 2023 to the area and because of your site I will add it to the list. Of all my research I have done in the past I have not heard of this place so I am pretty excited to see it. Do you think October will be a problem?
Hi Martha, in all honesty, October might be too late for the entire hike. A lot depends on the specific year and how the weather is, of course. Normally, the cable car from Kandersteg runs until +-20-ish October, so depending on when you visit and on the weather, you might be able to do it. In any case, just walking to the lake and enjoying the scenery from there will be possible for a longer period than doing the hike.
So if you can, plan your visit earlier in the month.
Good luck!
Do you have any suggestions for Zurich – My kids are 12 & 14 – Spending a couple days there. Thank you,
Hi Kelly, our visits to Zurich date from too long ago, so we have no articles about it on the blog.
One of the nicest day trips you can take from Zurich is a visit to Stein am Rhein and Rhine Falls (you can take a car or book a tour).
Have a nice trip.
Wow, this place is absolutely amazing. And as usual, your description and information is so complete.
This is still one of our absolute favorite hikes ever, Michael. A beautiful place indeed!
Hey, when did you do this hike? I didn’t see any dates. I’m going there on June 23rd and I hope the trail will be accessible then with no or little snow.
Hi Piia, we have done this hike several times – in July and in August. End of June should be absolutely fine.
You’ll love it!
Hi Jurga:
We will be returning in April 2020 after last taking that hike in 1995. Your photos and description of the hike to Unterbergli bring back great memories, and we look forward to seeing it in person soon.
Thanks, Steve
Hi Steve, I don’t want to disappoint you, but April might be much too early to hike above the lake. There might be quite some snow there still.
That being said, I think you can always walk up to the lake from the gondola.
Enjoy your trip. Switzerland is amazing at any time of the year!
Really great informative post! Thank you! I will be adding this hike to my bucket list!
You’ll love it, Kieri. Happy travels!
Hello Jurga, I accidentally come across your article and love it. May I ask your advice for our 10 days trip in Switzerland from April 19 to 28, 2022. We love to hike but I read some of your comments April is not recommended for hiking above the lakes. Thank you so much for the beautiful pictures and guide.
Hi Huong Le, most mountain resorts in Switzerland are open for skiing until mid-April. So there’s usually still lots of snow in the higher elevations at that time of the year. Of course, this will also depend on the weather and the exact places where you’ll be visiting. But in general, you won’t be able to do much hiking in the mountains at the end of April. And it might be too late for snowshoeing too…
Furthermore, when the ski season stops, most areas also don’t run gondolas to the mountains until later in May, when the summer season starts. So mid-end of April is really an in-between season and you’ll have to do some research for all the places you are planning to visit to see what’s open and what’s not.
For those travel dates, I would recommend that you focus on the lower elevations – cities (Geneva should be wonderful that time of the year), smaller towns (Interlaken and similar), and also potentially the popular mountain peaks such as Jungfraujoch or Mt Titlis that remain open the whole year round.
Hope this helps.
Really love your blog. It’s such an inspiration to us! We’re going to the Lake in early May, 2019. We have no hiking experience at all. I’m 38 and my wife’s 32. However, she’s not much of a sporty one. I know it may sound silly but do you think we can finish this hike? Or you really need experience to do it. And also, can we hike in May? Pls advise.
Have a great day, Jurga!
Hi Luis, I’m really not sure if the whole hiking trail will be open in early May. A lot depends on how this winter will be and if the snow will melt, but I honestly doubt that it will be easy to hike here that early in season.
Even if the trail would be open and relatively dry, some sections are quite steep and not very easy. What you should definitely be able to do is walk from the cable car to the lake. The scenery is amazing. And once you’re there, you can see for yourselves how the trail looks. Maybe you can do the hike all the way to Unterbärgli (Part II in my description) and then walk back the same way you came. Once again, just wait till you get there and then see how it looks.
I’d definitely recommend you wear very good hiking boots and take hiking poles as well.
If it turns out that you can’t do the hike and you have some time to spare, you could visit another beautiful lake nearby, Blausee. It’s very close to the road, so no hiking required there.
Enjoy your trip. Switzerland will take your breath away!
Hi there – your photos are breathtaking and description is so helpful – many thanks! wondering if you could tell me where on the hike you took the first photo (with the one person on the high up on right with his/her back toward the camera and staring down at the lake and towards the mountains) and the second photo of the two boys on the right with their backs toward camera walking on trail? if its in segment 4, how long is that into the hike and which direction is best to reach that point easiest? Thanks again, awesome.
Hi Scott, both these pictures are taken from the higher track, approximately around point 4 on my map. If you want to go there, then you can just take the first turn off to Oberbärgli when you walk from the cable car towards the lake. It will probably get you there in about an hour. We never did the hike in this direction though, but you can really do it both ways. The views are the best anywhere around the points 2, 3, and 4 in my map and I think this hike is best done completely. The direction shouldn’t matter that much as the views are stunning pretty much the entire time (except the part between the cable car and this high section at #4 – there you just walk, concentrate on the path as it’s not easy there, but the moment you can see the lake you know it just gets better and better with every step.
Hi Jurga,
Thank you for a very useful article. I have been looking for more information on the Oeschinen Lake to Kandersteg hike. Would you be able to let me know if there are any shorter hiking routes to reach Kandersteg, other than for the route you have described in this article? Also, are there any route markers on the hiking trail which you went on?
Thank you
Hi Harini, this route described here doesn’t actually start or end in Kandersteg town, but at the top station of Kandersteg gondola. If you want to do just a part of the hike, walk (or take a shuttle bus from the gondola) to the lake and then hike along the lake to the cafe at Unterbärgli (nr.2 in my map above). You can come back the same way. This part of the hike is very beautiful and less challenging.
And yes, there are plenty of markers and also lots of people hiking this trail. If you start by the lake and walk left, you can’t really go wrong.
I’m so glad I found your post, it’s exactly what I’ve been looking for! Bringing my husband to CH for the first time end of May (May 25-29) and really want to do this hike. I know your post says it’s a summer hike (June-September) but we’ll be there at the very end of May. This might be a dumb question, but is the trail completely closed until June? Or do you say June because of the most ideal hiking conditions (no mud, flooding, snow, etc).
Thanks for the clarification!
I don’t think it will be closed, Kelly, it really just depends on the weather. There is so much snow in the Alps this year, I wouldn’t be surprised that it will take longer than usual to melt, but you never know – we might get an exceptionally warm spring.
I’d say go for it. Even if you can’t do the whole hike, just going to the lake is already very nice.
Tip: ask the local tourism office when you arrive how the hiking conditions are, so you know what to expect.
Great post! I love the mountains and would love to see this place in person. Maybe one of these days I’ll have to ship my Jeep overseas to tour places like this!
Ha ha, you don’t really need to bring your jeep to Europe to see places like this, Byron. For Oeschinensee you’d have to do some walking 😉
I was there in late September, the view with autumn colors was stunning, weather for T-shirt. Cant wait to come back!
I would love to see Oeschinensee with autumn colours! I think that place is amazing in any season. Thanks for sharing your experience, Irena
Hey! Your blog was a great help to plan our trip! Thank you for the tips.
Kind regards
Thank you!! We’re taking our kids (7 & 9) to Switzerland for Spring break next month. While we have fun stuff planned, I’ve been searching Pinterest and the Internet for something unique, less touristy for us to do. This hike is it! I absolutely loved reading this article as it was so informative! Hope you don’t mind but I’m going to mimic your itinerary.
Hi Lisa, thanks for your great feedback. But I am afraid I’ll have to disappoint you. I don’t think you’ll be able to do this hike so early in the year. It’s really a summer hike, June-September as I said in my post. I think next month they’ll be still skiing in the area… It’s a nice area in any season, so I’d still check what your options are: skiing, sledding or similar. Maybe you can rent snowshoes and walk from the gondola upto the lake or so. You won’t be able to do much hiking in the Swiss mountains next month, it’s really still very much skiing season.
Hi!
Looking to do this hike in the fall (September 10) and realized we’d be taking a train from Paris that morning. If we had to start the hike around 1pm, do you think it’d be ok, business aside? I’d LOVE to see Oeschinensee Lake, but the way we have it set up right now, we’d take the train early morning from Paris, then head to Kanderstag most likely, check in, then head to Oeschinensee. Any thoughts are appreciated. I’d love to spend the entire day there but the next day we’re headed to Zermatt for snowboarding. Thanks!!
Kirsten
Hi Kirsten, I’d say leave it to the day itself to decide what you do. If you get there on time and the weather is nice and you’re good hikers, then yes, in principle you can do this walk in the afternoon. Just see what time the last gondola ride is, otherwise you’ll have to walk back down to the village and that will add another 30-50 minutes (not sure about the time, we hadn’t done this).
If you’re a bit short on time, just take the gondola to the top, walk to the lake and maybe to Unterbergli and back. This will be maybe 2-3hours in total.
If you’re really short and time just go to the lake and don’t do the hike. This will take you a bit more than an hour.
It’s beautiful and worth a trip either way. Of course, the views from the top are different than at the bottom, but just try to make the best of the time you have.
TIP: if you’re staying in Kandersteg ask your hotel for a tourist card, it gives you a small discount for the gondola.
Thank you for the tips! I’m looking at a few hotels in Kandersteg right now, including the ones right on the lake. Hoping to take an ULTRA early train ride to get in at a decent time and then we’ll go from there. Found this beautiful place and figured I can’t cross the pond and miss it!
Hi Kirsten, you can find some really good deals for Kandersteg hotels here (affiliate link). We stayed at Belle Epoque Hotel Victoria. A bit older style, but we liked it very much, kind of adds to the charm of the place. And the location is excellent. Just 5 minutes walking to the gondola.
Awesome! I’ll check it out. Thank you!
Wow this lake looks so beautiful! I adore Switzerland and love the beautiful hikes you can take there. I’ve added this hike to my list of places to go
We followed your recommendation and hiked at Oeschinensee last week. Thank you so much for sharing this place. We never heard of it before we saw your picture on IG. The views are phenomenal and we are so glad we went. Thought I would let you know.
So glad to hear that, Nathan and Jamie! Thanks a lot for letting me know. You made my day!
I truly appreciate this post. I’ve been looking everywhere for practical info for this hike! Thank goodness I found it on Bing. You’ve made my day! Thank you again!
Hi John, glad you found this post useful. Enjoy the hike!
Hi, thank you for this description. I love mountains and I regret I’ve never been in Switzerland. Prices in this country discourage me but it’s so beautiful I have to go there! 🙂
Hi Maja, don’t get discouraged by the prices. Switzerland is not cheap indeed, but if you plan well you can find a way to see a lot without spending a fortune. Our day at Oeschinensee cost us much less than a day at a theme park with kids.
I love how you’re travelling and keep on going while you have kids. That’s great! I mean it’s a part of you, so why stop when you get kids right? The photos are truly beautiful!
Once you get the travel bug, there is just no turning back. 🙂
What a great family trip! These photos look amazing!
Great post, I’m definitely pinning this to be on my to do list!
This is wonderful! I’ve spent about three months in Switzerland, done a few hikes there and even been in the Interlaken-Grindelwald region… and this is stunning 🙂
As you say it must be a hidden gem because even the Swiss I talked to didn’t mention this place!
Thanks for the wonderful photos and useful tips, if I have the chance I’d like to go there! 🙂
Indeed – Oeschinensee is not widely known. But the whole region is so beautiful that it’s difficult to choose where to go if you only have a few days, so it’s not abnormal that some places don’t get the attention they deserve.
Switzerland is full with these lovely places and always makes me nostalgic seeing pictures from it!
This reminds me of hiking in Whistler, we took the cable car up and then did hiking, but I don’t think it was a scenic as this is. Your pictures are stunning! I hope to make it there at some point and do this hike.
I love hiking and I love mountain scenery, and your stunning photos capture this beautiful part of the world perfectly 🙂 Switzerland is only a short flight away for me so this is definitely going on the list!
Wow! Just absolutely stunning!
What a gorgeous scenic area! Switzerland still has so much to discovered..many more visits needed.
Yes, indeed Punita. We find some new amazing places every time we visit Switzerland. But it’s probably the case for every country in the world, we only see the must-see sights and move on leaving so many undiscovered gems.
Why have I never been to Switzerland! I think sometimes it’s a good thing when a place is unknown and unheard of. Poorly managed tourism is often the downfall of most places.
You are so right, Bryony. Many popular places really suffer from tourism. It’s a bit a dilemma when you find a truly beautiful place that is not yet known by many. Should you keep it to yourself and hope that the rest of the world never discovers it?
I really don’t know much about Switzerland but these are all the reasons I am draw in BC in Canada PLUS A TOBOGGAN! Real work of wanderlust you have here!
Yes, indeed Gemma. Switzerland has a lot in common with British Columbia. I loved hiking in Jasper and Banff.
Last august i was in Kandersteg for 4 days. I went to the Oeschinensee on my first and last day. Its so beautiful! I still enjoy looking to my pictures ervery day.
If you stay longer in Kandersteg a visit to the Blausee and Almenalp are also recommended.
I stayed in Hotel des Alpes. A fine, low budget hotel with great services and nice food.
I traveld alone with the train. All the way from the Netherlands..
I wish we could have stayed longer – Blausee looked nice indeed. Thanks for the tips, Tanja!
Wow, I love those pictures and I have definitely added this to my bucket list. It is also great to know you can do it with kids.
Thanks, Mel. We learned that you can do pretty much anything with kids, just need to adapt a bit and make it fun for them too.
Your kids do so well, that’s a pretty tough day of walking for me even! You have them well trained 😉 such stunning views.
Yes, they are great little hikers. Sometimes I wonder how they keep going at the end of the day, but they have so much energy, always ‘on the move’. It’s a boy thing I suppose. 🙂
That looks like an absolutely amazing hike – I will definitely look into adding this onto my next visit to Switzerland. The scenery is beautiful – love your photographs!
It is amazing, isn’t it? Thanks for stopping by, Tracy!