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Best Mountain Hikes in Bern

There are 25 hikes in Bern in our database that fit. They average 28.9 km and 1,398 m (4,587 ft) of ascent, with the longest running to 115 km.

That is 4 percent of the 600 routes we map in Bern. They run noticeably longer than average for the area, 28.9 km against 5.2 km, so budget more daylight than a typical outing here. The climbing is steeper too: 1,398 m (4,587 ft) on average versus 145 m (476 ft) across the wider area.

Mountain routes trade effort for scale. Expect sustained climbing, quick weather changes and views that make the numbers worth it. These lean toward the demanding end, so plan for a full day and check the forecast before you commit.

Trails

Vista de los alrededores de la comuna de Romoos, en el Cantón de Lucerna (Suiza).
Hard

Alpine Panorama Trail

Bern · Switzerland

Distance
16.9 km
/ 10.5 mi
Elevation gain
256 m
Typical duration
3 hr 58 min
  • Mountain
  • Alpine meadow
  • Panoramic viewpoint
Der Triftgletscher beim Susten vom Balmeregghorn gesehen
Hard

Via Alpina

Bern · Switzerland

Distance
22.1 km
/ 13.8 mi
Elevation gain
531 m
Typical duration
5 hr 38 min
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau, view from Schilthorn . Mountains Schwazmönch and Rotbrätthoren in foreground above of valley Lauterbrunnental.
Expert

Via Alpina

Bern · Switzerland

Distance
22.4 km
/ 13.9 mi
Elevation gain
1,901 m
Typical duration
7 hr 45 min
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
Oeschinen Lake above Kandersteg, in the Bernese Oberland, Switzerland.
Hard

Via Alpina

Bern · Switzerland

Distance
17.1 km
/ 10.6 mi
Elevation gain
1,699 m
Typical duration
6 hr 10 min
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
Grosse Scheidegg
Hard

Via Alpina

Bern · Switzerland

Distance
22.7 km
/ 14.1 mi
Elevation gain
1,371 m
Typical duration
7 hr 1 min
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
Between Männlichen and Kleine Scheidegg
Hard

Via Alpina

Bern · Switzerland

Distance
19.4 km
/ 12.1 mi
Elevation gain
1,150 m
Typical duration
5 hr 54 min
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
Lohner cabin, north wall of Lohner at 2171 m (near Adelboden, Switzerland)
Hard

Via Alpina

Bern · Switzerland

Distance
16.4 km
/ 10.2 mi
Elevation gain
1,302 m
Typical duration
5 hr 24 min
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
Trüebsee
Hard

Via Alpina

Bern · Switzerland

Distance
12.3 km
/ 7.7 mi
Elevation gain
1,371 m
Typical duration
4 hr 37 min
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
Waterfall of the Oldenbach
Hard

Via Alpina Red R104

Bern · Switzerland

Distance
20.2 km
/ 12.5 mi
Elevation gain
1,238 m
Typical duration
6 hr 13 min
  • Mountain
Cheese fondue served in bread, a mixture of Grosser Chaux d'Abel a hard cheese and Chaux d'Abel a semi-hard cheese is used, both tangy local cheeses – a speciality in the mountain house «La Bragarde» in Les Près d'Orvin; Berne, Switzerland.
Moderate

Jura Crest Trail

Bern · Switzerland

Distance
16.8 km
/ 10.5 mi
Elevation gain
138 m
Typical duration
3 hr 46 min
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
360° Winterpanorama, Betelberg, Lenk im Simmental, Schweiz
Hard

Via Alpina

Bern · Switzerland

Distance
22.0 km
/ 13.7 mi
Elevation gain
1,032 m
Typical duration
6 hr 21 min
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
Grenchenberg - Margriet
Hard

Jura Crest Trail

Bern · Switzerland

Distance
24.0 km
/ 14.9 mi
Elevation gain
1,288 m
Typical duration
7 hr 12 min
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
Roof with wooden shingles, Alp Farni near Adelboden, Switzerland
Hard

Via Alpina

Bern · Switzerland

Distance
13.8 km
/ 8.6 mi
Elevation gain
923 m
Typical duration
4 hr 16 min
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
Traunsteinera globosa at La Videmanette, Vaud, Switzerland.
Hard

Via Alpina

Bern · Switzerland

Distance
16.0 km
/ 9.9 mi
Elevation gain
999 m
Typical duration
4 hr 51 min
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
Naturpark Thal - near Matzendorf
Hard

Jura Crest Trail

Bern · Switzerland

Distance
20.4 km
/ 12.7 mi
Elevation gain
1,228 m
Typical duration
6 hr 15 min
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
Gipfelpyramide des Hockenhorn, gesehen von Westen aus. Rechts das kleine Hockernhorn
Hard

03-Lötschberg Panoramaweg

Bern · Switzerland

Distance
11.1 km
/ 6.9 mi
Elevation gain
1,208 m
Typical duration
4 hr 8 min
  • Mountain
  • Panoramic viewpoint
  • Waymarked route
borNE.DOMB-LEPA.o
Hard

Jura Crest Trail

Bern · Switzerland

Distance
19.8 km
/ 12.3 mi
Elevation gain
922 m
Typical duration
5 hr 39 min
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
Lake Brienz , Brienz , Switzerland
Expert

ViaJacobi

Bern · Switzerland

Distance
29.6 km
/ 18.4 mi
Elevation gain
1,136 m
Typical duration
8 hr 19 min
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
500px provided description: Today's yield was three like that, and one bucket of raspberries. Two poplar trees here far off the horizon stay at the entrance to the farm. [#Switzerland ,#Bern ,#K?niz ,#Raspberries ,#Blackberries ,#Liebewil ,
Hard

Trans Swiss Trail

Bern · Switzerland

Distance
21.7 km
/ 13.5 mi
Elevation gain
348 m
Typical duration
5 hr 14 min
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
Gnomes and Homes
Expert

Grenzpfad Napfbergland

Bern · Switzerland

Distance
115 km
/ 71.5 mi
Elevation gain
3,219 m
Typical duration
31 hr
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
  • Long-distance path
Tunnel portall of the Zentralbahn in the lower Aa gorge. On the right handside the old, snow-covered trail.
Expert

Nidwaldner Höhenweg

Bern · Switzerland

Distance
93.3 km
/ 57.9 mi
Elevation gain
4,646 m
Typical duration
28 hr
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
  • Long-distance path
Giswil railway station , view to southwest.
Expert

Obwaldner Höhenweg

Bern · Switzerland

Distance
98.3 km
/ 61.1 mi
Elevation gain
4,088 m
Typical duration
29 hr
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
  • Long-distance path
Derborence, Valais
Expert

Sanetsch-Muveran-Weg

Bern · Switzerland

Distance
39.9 km
/ 24.8 mi
Elevation gain
2,521 m
Typical duration
12 hr
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
Eisee unterhalb des Brienzer Rothorns
Moderate

Emmenuferweg - Etappe 1

Bern · Switzerland

Distance
9.9 km
/ 6.1 mi
Elevation gain
102 m
Typical duration
2 hr 13 min
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
Expert

Panorama Rundweg Thunersee

Bern · Switzerland

Distance
60.1 km
/ 37.4 mi
Elevation gain
2,200 m
Typical duration
17 hr
  • Mountain
  • Panoramic viewpoint
  • Waymarked route
Easy

Moron/Sommet- fixme

Bern · Switzerland

Distance
3.9 km
/ 2.4 mi
Elevation gain
86 m
Typical duration
56 min
  • Mountain
  • Summit push
  • Panoramic viewpoint
Expert

Via Sbrinz

Bern · Switzerland

Distance
111 km
/ 69.2 mi
Elevation gain
6,300 m
Typical duration
35 hr
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
  • Long-distance path
Easy

Berg-Rütschelen

Bern · Switzerland

Distance
1.1 km
/ 0.7 mi
Elevation gain
25 m
Typical duration
16 min
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
Moderate

Chemin de Mont-Soleil

Bern · Switzerland

Distance
12.9 km
/ 8.0 mi
Elevation gain
284 m
Typical duration
3 hr 7 min
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
Easy

Lotzwil-Berg

Bern · Switzerland

Distance
1.9 km
/ 1.2 mi
Elevation gain
41 m
Typical duration
27 min
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
Easy

Montagne de Romont-Plagne

Bern · Switzerland

Distance
4.6 km
/ 2.8 mi
Elevation gain
101 m
Typical duration
1 hr 6 min
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
Easy

Montagne de Saules - fixme

Bern · Switzerland

Distance
0.4 km
/ 0.3 mi
Elevation gain
9 m
Typical duration
6 min
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
Easy

Mountain View Trail

Bern · Switzerland

Distance
5.1 km
/ 3.2 mi
Elevation gain
112 m
Typical duration
1 hr 14 min
  • Mountain
  • Waymarked route
Expert

Tour du Wildhorn

Bern · Switzerland

Distance
58.0 km
/ 36.0 mi
Elevation gain
1,275 m
Typical duration
15 hr
  • Mountain

The shortlist, side by side

The ten highest scoring routes on this page, so you can compare effort before opening any of them.

Distance, ascent, walking time and difficulty for the top routes
RouteDistanceAscentTimeDifficultyBest season
Alpine Panorama TrailBern16.9 km256 m3 hr 58 minHardApril to October
Via AlpinaBern22.1 km531 m5 hr 38 minHardJune to October
Via AlpinaBern22.4 km1,901 m7 hr 45 minExpertJuly to September
Via AlpinaBern17.1 km1,699 m6 hr 10 minHardJuly to September
Via AlpinaBern22.7 km1,371 m7 hr 1 minHardJune to October
Via AlpinaBern19.4 km1,150 m5 hr 54 minHardJune to October
Via AlpinaBern16.4 km1,302 m5 hr 24 minHardJuly to September
Via AlpinaBern12.3 km1,371 m4 hr 37 minHardJune to October
Via Alpina Red R104Bern20.2 km1,238 m6 hr 13 minHardJuly to September
Jura Crest TrailBern16.8 km138 m3 hr 46 minModerateApril to October

If you only have time for one, start with Alpine Panorama Trail, Via Alpina, Via Alpina. Those are the routes people come back to. Every route on this page links through to a full guide with the map, elevation profile, seasonal advice and what to bring.

Frequently asked questions

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