Bungee and canyon swings around Interlaken

Two jumps, two very different falls

Interlaken’s adrenaline reputation is built mostly on paragliding, but the region also has two proper free-fall activities within reach of a day trip: the Stockhorn bungee near Spiez, and the Grindelwald canyon swing above the glacier gorge. They get bundled together in marketing as interchangeable thrill options, which undersells how different they actually are. One is a vertical bungee with a cord and a bounce; the other is a pendulum swing that arcs you sideways over a rock canyon. The height, the sensation, the booking process and even the age rules differ enough that it is worth understanding both before picking one, or deciding to do both on separate days.

Neither is cheap, neither runs in poor weather, and neither is something to book for your only free afternoon without a backup plan. This guide sets out what each involves, what the operators actually require in terms of age and weight, what they cost, and in what order it makes sense to try them if you are keen on both.

The Stockhorn bungee, near Spiez

The Stockhorn bungee jump is run from a stationary cable car cabin suspended over a rock face on the Stockhorn, above the Simmental valley on the Lake Thun side of the region, near Spiez. It is a genuine bungee: you jump head first (or feet first, if you prefer, and most first-timers do), fall for a few seconds, and bounce back up on the cord before being lowered to the ground crew. The drop is around 130 metres, which puts it well above most European bungee sites and makes the few seconds of free fall noticeably longer than a first-timer expects.

Access is by the Stockhorn cable car, which also runs the standard sightseeing route to the summit restaurant, so the jump operator works around the cable car’s schedule rather than running independently all day. Slots are limited, bookings are handled directly with the operator (usually Trekking Team, the main adventure-sports company for the Bernese Oberland), and you should expect a short safety briefing, weighing-in, and harness fitting before your slot. Photos and video are usually offered as a paid add-on rather than included.

Getting there from Interlaken by public transport means a train to Spiez (around 25 minutes from Interlaken Ost) and then a bus or the cable car connection up to the Stockhorn base station. Budget half a day once you count the journey out, the wait for your slot, and the journey back, even though the jump itself takes seconds.

The Grindelwald canyon swing

The canyon swing near Grindelwald is a different mechanism. Rather than a cord that stretches and rebounds, you are clipped into a harness attached to a fixed-length rope system and released from a platform over the glacier gorge, so you fall and then swing in a long arc rather than bouncing. The free-fall portion is shorter than the Stockhorn drop, but the acceleration into the swing and the proximity of the canyon walls make it feel closer and faster than the numbers suggest. It runs in and around the gorge carved by the Lütschine’s glacial meltwater, in a setting that is dramatic even if you are only there to watch someone else jump.

Grindelwald is about 35 minutes from Interlaken Ost by train, making the canyon swing an easier half-day trip logistically than the Stockhorn bungee, since it does not depend on a separate cable car company’s timetable in the same way. It combines reasonably well with a wander around Grindelwald itself, or with the Eiger Express and Grindelwald Terminal if you also want to see the base of the newer Jungfraujoch route while you are there, though doing the swing and a mountain excursion on the same day makes for a long one.

a day trip from Zurich that includes the Grindelwald canyon swing is the most straightforward way to book it if you are travelling in from Zurich rather than basing yourself in Interlaken, since it bundles the transfer with the activity slot.

Age, weight and health rules

Both activities are run by licensed adventure-sports operators who apply fairly standard rules, but the specifics differ enough to check before you commit, especially if you are booking for a child, a larger group, or anyone with a health condition.

	Stockhorn bungee	Grindelwald canyon swing
Minimum age	12 (with guardian consent under 18)	Typically 10–12, operator-dependent
Minimum weight	Around 35 kg	Around 35 kg
Maximum weight	Around 130 kg	Around 130 kg
Health declaration	Yes, standard form	Yes, standard form
Pregnancy	Not permitted	Not permitted
Heart or back conditions	Excluded, ask directly	Excluded, ask directly

These figures are the general range used across Bernese Oberland adventure-sports operators; treat them as a starting point and confirm the exact numbers with whichever operator you book through, since limits do get revised. If you or anyone in your group has a heart condition, a recent back or neck injury, or is pregnant, both activities are off the table regardless of age or weight, and no operator will make an exception at check-in.

What each one costs

Prices for both activities sit in a similar range and move with the season, so treat these as a guide rather than a quote.

Activity	Typical price (CHF)	What is included
Stockhorn bungee	200–230	Jump, harness, safety briefing
Stockhorn cable car (if not already included)	40–50 return	Access to the jump platform
Grindelwald canyon swing	170–200	Swing, harness, safety briefing
Photo or video package	30–50 extra	Optional, per person

Neither price includes lunch, and neither includes travel to the site unless you book a package tour that bundles transfers in. Switzerland is not a country where these activities come cheap, and there is little point pretending otherwise: budget for the activity plus a full day of Swiss train and cable car fares around it. See Interlaken travel costs for how a day like this fits into a wider trip budget.

Which to do first, and why the order matters

If you are set on trying both, the practical answer is to treat them as two separate day trips rather than trying to combine them, because they are in opposite directions from Interlaken and each eats most of a half day once transfers are counted. Beyond logistics, there is a reasonable argument for sequencing by intensity.

The Grindelwald canyon swing is the shorter, faster experience and works well as a first taste of free fall if you are not sure how you will react. The Stockhorn bungee is the bigger single jolt, both because the drop is longer and because a vertical head-first bungee triggers a different, more disorienting fear response than a swing does for most people. Doing the canyon swing first, on an earlier day of your trip, gives you a read on your own tolerance before deciding whether the taller Stockhorn jump is something you actually want, rather than committing to the bigger one on day one and regretting it.

There is also a weather argument for sequencing. Both activities are wind-dependent and get cancelled without much warning, so if you only have one shot at either, put it earlier in your stay rather than on your last full day, so there is room to rebook if the first attempt is cancelled. See Interlaken in bad weather and when mountain railways open and close for how wind and seasonal closures affect the wider region, since the same weather that grounds a bungee jump often also closes cable cars on Schilthorn or Grindelwald First that day.

Alternatives if the numbers do not work for you

If the age or weight limits rule you out, or if the idea of a vertical drop is simply not for you, the region has adjacent adventure options that carry lower barriers to entry. A local canyoning trip from Interlaken involves abseiling, sliding and jumping into pools within a gorge under guide supervision, which is physically demanding but does not involve a single committing free fall the way a bungee or swing does. See canyoning in the Bernese Oberland for what a typical route involves.

A canyoning trip from Zurich with return transfer is the equivalent option if you are day-tripping in rather than staying in Interlaken itself. For something with a gentler introduction, tandem paragliding has essentially no weight ceiling beyond what the wing can lift, no free-fall sensation, and a minimum age closer to 4–6 depending on the operator, which makes it the more family-friendly adrenaline option of the group. A tandem paragliding flight launches from the Hohematte area and gives a similar sense of height without the drop.

If it is the exposure and the setting you are after rather than the fall itself, the via ferrata routes at Mürren and Gimmelwald put you on cliff faces with a safety cable rather than a harness that expects you to jump, which some people find preferable. And for a different kind of speed and altitude, skydiving and scenic flights trade the canyon setting for an aircraft and a much higher drop, at a correspondingly higher price.

Booking and practical notes

Book directly with the operator or through a package that names the exact activity, since both jumps have limited daily capacity and July and August slots fill up several days ahead. Bring closed shoes, avoid loose jewellery, and expect to be weighed discreetly at check-in; this is standard practice and not worth being self-conscious about, since it is a genuine safety requirement rather than a formality.

Arrive with time to spare. Both operators run a mandatory safety briefing before any jump, and turning up late risks losing your slot to the next group. Neither activity should be scheduled tightly against a train connection afterwards; give yourself at least an hour of buffer, since briefings run long on busy days and weather delays are common even when the forecast looked fine that morning.

Read common mistakes first-time visitors make and altitude, weather and what to pack before the trip, since dressing for a cold platform at altitude and understanding how quickly Bernese Oberland weather changes will do more for your day than anything specific to the jump itself.

If you are building adventure sports into a longer stay, best time to visit Interlaken covers which months give the most reliable conditions for outdoor operators generally, and mountain carts and trottibikes is a lower-key alternative for an afternoon once the adrenaline quota for the trip has been met.

Bungee and canyon swings near Interlaken: your questions answered

What is the minimum age for the Stockhorn bungee jump?

Operators require jumpers to be at least 12 years old, and anyone under 18 needs written consent from a parent or guardian, usually a signed form at check-in. There is no upper age limit, but a basic health declaration is standard.

Is there a weight limit for the Grindelwald canyon swing?

Yes. Most canyon swing operators set a minimum of around 35 kg and a maximum of around 130 kg, with the harness sized accordingly on the day. If you are close to either limit, ask the operator directly before booking rather than assuming it will be fine.

Which is higher, the Stockhorn bungee or the Grindelwald canyon swing?

The Stockhorn bungee is the taller drop at around 130 metres, a genuine bungee with a cord and a rebound. The Grindelwald canyon swing is shorter but faster to the swing point, since it is a pendulum fall rather than a vertical bounce, and it happens inside a narrower gorge, which changes how exposed it feels.

Can you do both in one day?

Not comfortably. Stockhorn is on the Lake Thun side near Spiez and Grindelwald is roughly 40 minutes from Interlaken in the other direction, and each activity takes half a day once you count transfers, briefing and waiting for your slot. Treat them as two separate day plans.

Do you need to book in advance?

Yes, for both. Slots are limited per day, group sizes are managed for safety, and walk-ups are routinely turned away in July and August. Booking a day or two ahead is normally enough outside peak season; in August, book further out.

What happens if the weather is bad?

Wind is the deciding factor for both activities, more than rain. Operators cancel or postpone rather than run in gusty conditions, and refunds or rebooking are standard when they cancel. Build a spare day into your itinerary if this is a priority rather than scheduling it on your last afternoon.

Is the canyon swing scarier than the bungee?

Most first-timers who have done both describe the bungee as the bigger single jolt because of the head-first fall and the rebound, while the canyon swing’s fear peaks at the moment of release and then eases into a long, fast arc. Neither is objectively milder; they are different kinds of frightening.

Do I need travel insurance that covers these activities?

Check your policy specifically. Standard travel insurance often excludes bungee jumping and canyon swings as high-risk sports, or caps the height covered, so confirm before you jump rather than after. Operators carry their own liability cover, but that is not the same as your personal insurance paying out for injury or cancellation costs.