The Eiger Trail: hiking under the north face

What the Eiger Trail actually is

The Eiger Trail is a 6km mountain path that runs from Eigergletscher station, at 2,320m on the Jungfrau railway line, down to Alpiglen, at 1,616m on the Wengernalp railway. Almost the entire route sits directly under the Eiger’s north face, the 1,800m wall that has killed more climbers than any other in the Alps, and for most of the first half you can hear meltwater and, occasionally, falling stone before you see where it lands. It’s a walk, not a climb: no ropes, no via ferrata cable, no scrambling that needs hands. But it is a serious mountain path, not a promenade, and treating it as a casual stroll from a train window is exactly how people get hurt on the loose ground.

Allow 2 hours 30 minutes for the 6km, more if you stop to look up at the face, which most people do repeatedly. The net elevation change is about 700m, all descending if you start at Eigergletscher, which is what almost everyone does.

Route description: Eigergletscher to Alpiglen

Eigergletscher to the Eiger’s base (roughly the first 2km). The path starts right at the station, climbs gently for a few minutes past the Eigergletscher Berghaus, then begins its long descent. This section runs closest to the face and crosses the two or three gullies most prone to rockfall — the reason the trail closes as often as it does. The ground is loose grey scree over bedrock, uneven and occasionally slippery when wet. Boots with real ankle support matter here more than anywhere else on the route.

The middle section, past the Eiger and into pasture (roughly 2km). The gradient eases and the terrain changes from scree to alpine meadow. This is where the trail stops feeling like it’s dodging a rockface and starts feeling like ordinary Bernese Oberland hiking: cropped grass, wildflowers in July, occasional marmots. Views open out towards Grindelwald and the valley floor, a useful contrast after ninety minutes staring up at 1,800m of vertical limestone.

Descent into Alpiglen (final 2km). The path drops through mixed pasture and forest edge to Alpiglen, a single farm-restaurant and railway halt with no village around it. The gradient in this last stretch is the steepest sustained descent on the route, harder on knees than lungs. Alpiglen’s restaurant terrace, with the north face now behind and above you, is the standard place to wait for the next Wengernalp train down to Grindelwald Grund.

Segment	Distance	Approx. time	Character
Eigergletscher to base of face	~2km	45–60 min	Scree, closest to rockfall zones
Base of face to open pasture	~2km	45 min	Easier gradient, alpine meadow
Pasture to Alpiglen	~2km	45–60 min	Steep final descent, forest edge

Getting to the start

Eigergletscher is reached by train from Kleine Scheidegg on the Jungfrau railway, the same line that continues up to the Jungfraujoch, or via the Eiger Express cable car to Eigergletscher directly from the Grindelwald Terminal in around 15 minutes. Either way you’ll want a ticket only as far as Eigergletscher, not the full fare to the Jungfraujoch, since the trail starts well below the glacier station. A Swiss Travel Pass or the regional Jungfrau Travel Pass reduces the fare noticeably; paying full point-to-point price on both the outbound train and the Wengernalp railway back down adds up fast on a trip that’s otherwise free once you’re on foot.

At the end, Alpiglen’s Wengernalp railway station has trains down to Grindelwald Grund roughly hourly in season, connecting onward to Grindelwald’s main station and the trains back to Interlaken Ost, about 35 minutes from Grindelwald.

a guided day trip from Interlaken that takes in Grindelwald and Eiger viewpoints is a reasonable option if you’d rather not sort out the rail connections yourself, though it won’t put you on the Eiger Trail itself — most guided itineraries focus on Grindelwald First rather than this specific path.

Rockfall and the seasonal window

This is the detail most visitors miss and the one that actually matters. The Eiger Trail’s lower sections cross ground below active rockfall corridors on the north face, and the trail is closed — sometimes for days, occasionally for weeks — whenever recent falls, thaw, or an unstable ledge make the crossing unsafe. Closures cluster in two periods: early in the season, roughly June, when winter’s accumulated ice and loose rock are still shedding as temperatures rise, and after any period of heavy or prolonged rain, which loosens material at any point in summer.

The safe window is typically mid-June to mid-October, weather and rockfall permitting, which is narrower than most of the region’s other mountain trails. Snow can also linger at Eigergletscher’s altitude into June in a late year. Check the status at the Eigergletscher or Kleine Scheidegg station board, or with Grindelwald tourism, before you commit a morning to the train ride up — there’s no view of the trail’s open/closed status from below, and arriving to find it shut after paying for the train up is a genuinely common disappointment. See our guide to when mountain railways open and close for the wider pattern across the region.

What to pack

• Proper hiking boots. Trainers work on the meadow section but not on the scree near the face, where a rolled ankle is the realistic risk, not a fall from height.
• A windproof layer. Eigergletscher sits at 2,320m and the air moving off the glacier is markedly colder than Grindelwald below, even in August.
• Water. There’s a Berghaus at Eigergletscher before you start and a restaurant at Alpiglen at the end, but nothing in between.
• Trekking poles, useful rather than essential, on the steep final descent into Alpiglen where knees take the strain.

Our general packing guidance for the altitude range is in altitude, weather and what to pack.

How it compares to other Grindelwald hikes

The Eiger Trail is unusual among the region’s popular walks in being almost entirely downhill and defined by one geological feature at close range rather than a broad panorama. For comparison:

Trail	Distance	Elevation	Character
Eiger Trail	6km	-700m	Downhill, under the north face, scree then meadow
Bachalpsee hike (from Grindelwald First)	~6.5km return	+/-250m	Mostly flat, lake views, busy
Mannlichen to Kleine Scheidegg	~4.5km	-300m	Panoramic ridge walk, Eiger/Mönch/Jungfrau across the valley

If you want the classic postcard view of Bachalpsee’s reflection, that’s a different day and a different cable car — see our Bachalpsee hike guide. If you’d rather look across at the Eiger from a distance instead of underneath it, the Männlichen to Kleine Scheidegg ridge walk gives that view without any rockfall exposure at all, and our Männlichen guide covers getting up there. For a full rundown of options at this level of effort, see the best day hikes from Interlaken.

a guided hike from Interlaken up to Grindelwald First and Lake Bachalp covers that alternative route if the Eiger Trail is closed on the day you’re there — worth having as a backup plan given how often rockfall shuts the lower sections.

Combining it with the rest of the Jungfrau region

Most visitors treat the Eiger Trail as half a day: train up via Kleine Scheidegg, walk down to Alpiglen, train back to Grindelwald. That leaves the afternoon free for Grindelwald village itself, or for continuing up to the Jungfraujoch the same day if you started early enough and your ticket allows it.

The Jungfrau railway guide covers the full line and its fares, and the Eiger Express and Grindelwald Terminal guide explains the newer, faster approach from the valley floor. The older route via the Wengernalp railway is slower but is the line you’ll use regardless for the return leg down to Alpiglen and Grindelwald.

a private day trip pairing Harder Kulm with Grindelwald is one way to combine a lower-altitude viewpoint near Interlaken with a Grindelwald visit on days when the Eiger Trail itself is closed for rockfall.

If you’re planning several days in the region rather than a single outing, our three-day Jungfrau region itinerary slots a walk like this alongside the Jungfraujoch and Grindelwald First without repeating train lines unnecessarily.

Common mistakes

• Booking the full Jungfraujoch fare when you only plan to walk the Eiger Trail. You need a ticket to Eigergletscher, not the summit, unless you’re also going up to the Jungfraujoch that day.
• Not checking closure status before travelling up. Ring or check at Kleine Scheidegg first; the trail’s open/closed state isn’t visible from the valley.
• Underestimating the final descent into Alpiglen. It’s the steepest section and comes after 4km of walking, which is when knees and concentration both start to fade.
• Wearing trail runners with no ankle support. Fine on the meadow section, not fine on the scree below the face.
• Assuming it’s a loop. It isn’t — you finish at a different railway station (Alpiglen, on the Wengernalp line) from where you started (Eigergletscher, on the Jungfrau line), which is part of the appeal but needs planning for the return journey.

The Eiger Trail: your questions answered

Where does the Eiger Trail start and finish?

It starts at Eigergletscher station, reached by the Jungfrau railway from Kleine Scheidegg or by the Eiger Express and a short connecting train, and finishes at Alpiglen station on the Wengernalp railway, one stop above Grindelwald Grund.

Can I walk it in the other direction, uphill from Alpiglen?

You can, but almost nobody does. Walking down from Eigergletscher means the north face looms above you the whole way and the net 700m of descent is far easier on the legs than climbing it.

Is the Eiger Trail often closed?

Yes. The path crosses several active rockfall corridors below the face, and the responsible authority closes sections whenever recent rockfall, meltwater, or unstable ledges make it too risky. Closures are most common in early summer and after heavy rain.

Do I need to book train tickets in advance?

Not usually. The Wengernalp and Jungfrau railways run frequently in season and normally have room, though a Swiss Travel Pass or a regional pass such as the Jungfrau Travel Pass cuts the cost considerably since neither railway is cheap point to point.

Is the Eiger Trail suitable for children?

It suits confident children used to mountain paths and loose ground rather than very young kids. There’s no exposure requiring a head for heights, but the scree sections and the length mean it isn’t a stroller or toddler route.

What should I pack for the Eiger Trail?

Proper hiking boots with ankle support, since scree and wet rock make ankles the main injury risk, plus a layer for wind, water, and a hat: at 2,320m the start point is noticeably colder than Grindelwald even in August.

How does the Eiger Trail compare to the Bachalpsee hike?

The Eiger Trail is shorter, almost entirely downhill, and dominated by one huge rock face at close range. The Bachalpsee hike from Grindelwald First is flatter near the lake, more scenic in a conventional postcard sense, and far busier.

Is there anywhere to eat along the way?

Eigergletscher has a Berghaus with food and drink before you set off, and Alpiglen has a mountain restaurant at the finish. There’s nothing in between, so carry water.