Interlaken is usually the name people know before they arrive. For me, it is where the interesting part begins.
Drive further into the Bernese Oberland and the landscape changes quickly. Lauterbrunnen sits between enormous rock walls in a valley with 72 waterfalls. Staubbach drops almost 300 metres beside the village. Further into the valley, the Trümmelbach Falls run through the mountain itself.
This is not a place I would rush.
I like to give people time here. Walk through the valley. Stop when you want to stop. In summer, continue towards the smaller mountain villages. In winter, the same landscape feels completely different, with snow, ice and waterfalls sometimes frozen against the rock.
From here, the day depends on you.
Jungfraujoch or somewhere quieter?
For a first visit to Switzerland, Jungfraujoch is difficult to ignore. At 3,454 metres, it is the highest railway station in Europe, with the Aletsch Glacier stretching out below.
It is spectacular.
But I do not automatically send everyone there.
If you prefer being in the mountains rather than looking at them from the highest possible point, I might take you towards Wengen and Kleine Scheidegg instead.
Wengen is car free and sits above the Lauterbrunnen Valley. Continue higher and you reach Kleine Scheidegg, directly beneath the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau.
Have lunch. Take a walk. Sit outside if the weather is good.
Sometimes that is the better mountain day.
Mürren and Gimmelwald
On the other side of the valley, Mürren is another place I like.
There are no cars, the mountains are directly in front of you and the journey up already feels like part of the experience.
Below Mürren is Gimmelwald, a tiny mountain village that has kept much of its old Alpine character.
These are the places I suggest when someone tells me they want to see Switzerland but do not want to spend the entire day moving between the biggest attractions.
Grindelwald, if you want some adrenaline
Grindelwald gives the day a completely different direction.
Take the gondola to First and you can simply walk and enjoy the mountains, or make the afternoon more active.
The First Flyer runs for 800 metres above the Alpine meadows and reaches speeds of more than 80 kilometres per hour. There is also the First Cliff Walk and other seasonal mountain activities.
We arrange what can be arranged in advance and build the timing around it. Mountain activities always depend on weather, operating conditions and availability, so I prefer to keep the day flexible rather than overplan it.
Giessbach, when I want to slow things down
Not everybody wants another summit.
On those days, I like Lake Brienz.
The water has that extraordinary turquoise colour, and above it the Giessbach Falls descend towards the lake in 14 cascades.
There is also a beautiful piece of Swiss travel history here. The little Giessbach funicular has been carrying guests from the lake up towards the Grandhotel since 1879.
You can arrive by boat, take the old funicular up, walk around the falls and stop for lunch or a drink.
It is a very different Bernese Oberland from Jungfraujoch.
A few places I keep for the right guest
There is Isenfluh above the Lauterbrunnen Valley.
There is the walk between Grütschalp and Mürren, with the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau across the valley.
There are quiet stretches around Lake Brienz where I would rather stop for twenty minutes than add another attraction.
And on Fridays in Lauterbrunnen, you can still find a small lace making workshop carrying on a tradition that has existed in the valley for more than 500 years.
None of these needs to become the headline of the day.
Sometimes they are simply the stops I add because I know they will suit the person travelling with me.
Or see the Bernese Oberland from the air
If you want something completely different, tandem paragliding above Interlaken is part of the day.
From the air, Lake Thun and Lake Brienz sit on either side of the town, with the Bernese Alps behind them.
For me, this works best when it is part of the day rather than the whole reason for the day.
Mountains in the morning. Lauterbrunnen or Grindelwald. Then fly back towards Interlaken in the afternoon.
From Zurich and back again
Your private driver collects you at your hotel in Zurich and brings you back at the end of the day.
A typical journey is around ten to eleven hours, depending on what we choose to include.
Your private driver takes care of the route. The mountain railways, gondolas, Jungfraujoch reservations, guides and activities that can be booked in advance are held for you.
But I would never try to show you everything above in one day.
Tell me whether you want mountains, villages, waterfalls, hiking, adventure, or simply somewhere beautiful for lunch.
Then I choose the day around you.
That is how I prefer to show the Bernese Oberland.
This is one of the private days we arrange from Zurich. Begin the conversation.