Why people go up: the view, the restaurant and the film set
The Schilthorn tops out at 2,970 metres, well below the Jungfraujoch’s 3,454 metres, but it does something the Jungfraujoch cannot: it stands alone on its ridge above Mürren, with nothing higher blocking the horizon. On a clear day the panorama runs from the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau across to Mont Blanc, the Black Forest and, on the best days, a sliver of the Vosges. The summit station is called Piz Gloria, and it owes its name and its odd, saucer-shaped restaurant to a 1969 James Bond film, “On Her Majesty’s Secret Service”, which used the then-unfinished building as its villain’s lair. That connection is still the single biggest reason people book the trip, ahead of the walking or the view itself.
Getting up: four cable car stages
There’s no railway to the Schilthorn — it’s cable car the whole way, in stages, and knowing the stages matters for planning your day. From Lauterbrunnen or Stechelberg at the valley floor, the route runs Stechelberg–Gimmelwald–Mürren–Birg–Schilthorn. Each cabin swap costs a few minutes waiting at the station, so budget close to an hour for the ascent door to door, not the 32 minutes the timetable quotes for the moving time alone.
| Stage | From | To | Approx. time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Stechelberg (922m) | Gimmelwald (1,363m) | 5 min |
| 2 | Gimmelwald | Mürren (1,650m) | 5 min |
| 3 | Mürren | Birg (2,677m) | 8 min |
| 4 | Birg | Schilthorn / Piz Gloria (2,970m) | 4 min |
Most visitors join the cable car at Mürren rather than Stechelberg, having arrived by train from Lauterbrunnen via the Bergbahn to Grütschalp and the connecting line into the car-free village. That shaves the first two stages off both the time and the fare. Coming from Wengen or Grindelwald, you’ll usually route back down through Lauterbrunnen rather than trying to cross directly, since there’s no lift connecting the two valleys at height.
Piz Gloria and the revolving restaurant
The summit restaurant turns a full circle roughly every 45 minutes, which is enough time to eat a plate of rösti and watch the entire panorama pass the window without moving your chair. It’s not cheap and it’s not trying to be: a main course runs CHF 28–42, a coffee CHF 5.50, a glass of wine CHF 9–12. Portions are ordinary rather than generous. Nobody visits the Schilthorn for the food, and treating the restaurant as a scenic stop rather than a destination meal keeps expectations realistic. There’s also a self-service section with soup and sandwiches from around CHF 12–18 if the full restaurant prices feel steep, and a 007 Bond World Café with pastries and drinks at more normal price points.
Bond World 007
The James Bond exhibition, built into the lower level of the summit station, is included in the cable car ticket — there’s no separate admission. It’s a compact walk-through of props, film clips and a recreated helicopter cockpit from “On Her Majesty’s Secret Service”, plus a “Mission Impossible” bobsleigh simulator that costs an extra CHF 12 to ride. It takes 20–30 minutes to see properly and is aimed squarely at fans of the film rather than general Bond trivia; if neither of you has seen the 1969 film, it will read as a fairly thin set of props rather than a must-see attraction. Skip it without regret if time is tight and the weather window for the view is what matters.
The Thrill Walk
The Thrill Walk is a different attraction and a different location: a 200-metre metal walkway bolted to the cliff face at Birg, one stage below the summit, not at Piz Gloria itself. It includes a glass floor panel, a rope bridge and a net platform suspended over the drop, and it’s free with the cable car ticket — no extra charge, no booking required, just a short detour on the way through Birg. It takes 10–15 minutes and isn’t technically demanding, but it is genuinely exposed, and it closes in high wind or icy conditions along with the rest of the Birg platform. Anyone uncomfortable with heights should walk past it rather than attempt it for the sake of a photo.
The view from 2,970 metres
The viewing platform circles the entire summit station, so there’s no bad side to walk to — the panorama is available from every angle without paying for a specific seat or window. On the clearest days, sightlines reach roughly 200 kilometres, taking in four countries. More often, especially in summer afternoons, cloud builds around the peaks and cuts the view down to the closer ridges — the Eiger, Mönch, Jungfrau trio and the valley below Mürren remain visible even when the distant Alps are hazed out.
Because the Schilthorn stands apart from the main Jungfrau massif rather than inside it, the view of the Eiger’s north face and the glaciers below the Jungfraujoch is arguably more dramatic from here than from the glacier saddle itself, precisely because you’re looking across at the mountains rather than standing among them.
Ticket prices and discounts
Prices below are return fares from each starting point, current for the 2026 season; expect roughly 2–4% seasonal increases in subsequent years.
| From | Full price (CHF) | Half Fare Card (CHF) |
|---|---|---|
| Stechelberg | 110 | 55 |
| Gimmelwald | 100 | 50 |
| Mürren | 90 | 45 |
| Birg | 45 | 23 |
A Swiss Travel Pass does not cover the Schilthorn cable car free of charge — it gives the standard 50% reduction, the same as the Half Fare Card. The Jungfrau Travel Pass and the regional Berner Oberland Pass do include the Schilthorn on their validity days, which makes either worth comparing against paying cash if you’re also riding the Jungfraujoch line or the other Bernese Oberland lifts within the same week. Children under 6 travel free; ages 6–15 pay roughly half the adult fare. There’s a modest first-cabin discount for riding up before 8:40am, worth checking at the ticket counter on the day.
Getting there from Interlaken
From Interlaken Ost, take the train to Lauterbrunnen (about 20 minutes), then the Bergbahn Lauterbrunnen–Mürren up to Grütschalp and along to Mürren (another 30–35 minutes with the connection), before boarding the Schilthornbahn cable car for the final ascent. Door to door from Interlaken it’s roughly 1 hour 15 to 1 hour 30 depending on connections, longer if you start from Stechelberg instead, which adds the two lower cable car stages but saves the train change.
Driving to Stechelberg is possible and there’s parking at the valley station, but Mürren and Gimmelwald are car-free, so a car only gets you as far as the valley floor regardless. For a wider look at how the region’s lifts fit together, the guide to cable cars and funiculars explains which lines connect and which don’t.
When to go and when it closes
The cable car runs year-round, but the Schilthorn’s exposed ridge position makes it more wind-sensitive than most Jungfrau region lifts, and Birg’s Thrill Walk closes first when conditions turn. Like the rest of the network, expect scheduled maintenance closures in spring (typically parts of April) and autumn (typically parts of November), and check when mountain railways open and close before building a trip around it outside peak season. Early morning departures, before the day’s cloud builds, give the best odds of a clear 360° view; a look at the live webcam before committing to the fare is worth the two minutes it takes.
Schilthorn versus the alternatives
If you’re choosing between summits, the honest comparison is against the Jungfraujoch: higher, glacier scenery rather than a standalone panorama, a much higher price (typically CHF 220+ return from Interlaken) and heavier crowds. The Schilthorn is the cheaper, quicker, less crowded option with arguably a better all-round view precisely because it isn’t hemmed in by higher peaks on every side. See the direct comparison in Jungfraujoch versus Schilthorn if you can only justify one big-ticket lift on your trip.
Active visitors also use the Schilthorn as one end of the Mürren–Gimmelwald via ferrata, or combine it into a wider loop through the Jungfrau region’s best mountain excursions and the three-day Jungfrau region highlights itinerary. For a broader menu of peaks to weigh up, the mountains and peaks category lists the whole regional shortlist side by side.
Booking a guided trip
Doing it independently by train and cable car is straightforward and usually cheaper than a packaged tour, but a guided day removes the connection-planning and adds commentary that’s easy to miss reading timetables alone. A private day trip from Bern taking in Lauterbrunnen, Mürren and the Schilthorn works well for visitors based outside Interlaken who want the whole route handled in one booking.
From Interlaken itself, a small-group day trip to Mürren and the Schilthorn covers the same ground at a lower per-person cost. Anyone short on time can also add a private walking tour in Wengen with Alpine views on the return leg, since Wengen sits on the same rail line back down from the Jungfrau side and makes a natural stop before heading back to Interlaken.
What to wear and bring
The summit is far colder and windier than the valley floor, even on a bright July morning, so a windproof layer, a warm hat and gloves earn their place in the bag. Sunglasses matter more than most visitors expect, because the light off the snowfields is harsh. The altitude, weather and what to pack guide covers the layering logic in more detail. Sturdy shoes help on the viewing platform and at Birg, where metal walkways can be slippery when damp. If you’re travelling between hotels, the luggage and lockers guide explains how to avoid hauling a suitcase through the cable car stations.
Mürren: the village worth a slower look
Most people treat Mürren as a transfer point, but it rewards an hour on either side of the summit. The village is car-free, quiet in the early morning and, after the day-trippers leave, genuinely peaceful. A walk along its single main street gives views across the valley to the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau that are not so different from the ones you pay for at the top. If you’re deciding where to base yourself, Wengen versus Mürren compares the two villages honestly, and the Mürren destination page goes into its walks, restaurants and atmosphere.
Going with children or limited mobility
The journey is easy for families because every stage is a cabin ride rather than a climb, and the summit platform is a safe, enclosed place to spend time. Younger children may find the Thrill Walk exciting or alarming, so judge it on the day. Our Interlaken with kids guide lists other outings that pair well with a mountain morning. For pushchairs, mountain trips with a pushchair explains what to expect at each station, and the accessibility guide for the Jungfrau region is the place to check before planning a trip with reduced mobility.
If the weather turns
A cloudy forecast does not automatically mean a wasted fare. Cloud often sits in layers, and the summit can be clear while the valley is grey, or the reverse. The live webcam is the best guide, and the habit of leaving the decision until the morning of the trip pays off. For ideas on what to do if the mountains stay hidden, see Interlaken in bad weather, and if you’d like another high point to compare, the list of Interlaken viewpoints includes easier and cheaper options.
Making a day of it
A sensible rhythm is an early start, the summit while the air is clear, a late lunch in Mürren or Gimmelwald and a gentle return down the valley. The Lauterbrunnen Valley waterfall walk fits well on the way back if energy remains, and the Bernese Oberland railways explained guide helps with onward connections. Look out for grazing animals and, lower down, marmots; the wildlife and marmots guide says where to spot them. If you only have a single day in the area, the one-day Interlaken itinerary shows how a mountain trip can slot into a full schedule.
Frequently asked questions about the Schilthorn and Piz Gloria
How much does the Schilthorn cable car cost?
A return ticket from Stechelberg costs around CHF 110 full price, or CHF 90 from Mürren. Half Fare Card and Swiss Travel Pass holders pay roughly half; children under 6 travel free.
Is the Schilthorn worth it compared to the Jungfraujoch?
For most visitors, yes — it’s cheaper, faster to reach, less crowded and offers a wider, less obstructed panorama, since the peak stands apart from the main massif rather than inside it. The Jungfraujoch is higher and includes glacier and ice-palace attractions the Schilthorn doesn’t have.
Can I use the Swiss Travel Pass on the Schilthorn?
The Swiss Travel Pass gives a 50% reduction on the Schilthornbahn, the same discount as the Half Fare Card — it doesn’t make the ride free. The Jungfrau Travel Pass and Berner Oberland Pass do include the Schilthorn at no extra cost on their valid days.
How do I get to the Schilthorn from Interlaken?
Train from Interlaken Ost to Lauterbrunnen, then the mountain railway up to Mürren via Grütschalp, then the Schilthornbahn cable car to the summit. Allow 1 hour 15 to 1 hour 30 door to door.
What is Bond World 007?
A James Bond exhibition inside the summit station, included free with the cable car ticket, built around the 1969 film “On Her Majesty’s Secret Service” which used Piz Gloria as its filming location. It takes about 20–30 minutes to see.
Is the Piz Gloria restaurant expensive?
By Swiss mountain-restaurant standards, yes — mains run CHF 28–42. A cheaper self-service counter with soup and sandwiches from around CHF 12–18 is also available in the same building.
When does the Schilthorn cable car close for maintenance?
Typically for stretches of April and November, in line with most of the region’s mountain railways. It also closes temporarily in high wind regardless of season, most often affecting the Birg Thrill Walk section first.
Is the Thrill Walk included in the ticket price?
Yes. The Thrill Walk at Birg is free with any Schilthornbahn ticket and needs no separate booking, though it closes in poor weather or high wind along with the rest of the Birg platform.
