Berner Oberland Pass complete guide: Is it worth it in 2026?

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Planning a few days or more in the Bernese Oberland for your upcoming Switzerland trip? Here’s all you need to know to decode if the Berner Oberland Pass is worth it for your itinerary.

If you’re mapping out an epic Swiss adventure that includes big hitters like Interlaken, Grindelwald and Lauterbrunnen, the Berner Oberland Pass (a.k.a. BOP or BO Pass) might be your ticket to making your travel funds stretch further.

This regional pass has extensive coverage across this side of the mountains, giving you unlimited access to a massive network of trains, boats and buses, as well as free travel on a bunch of cable cars and mountain railways, with discounted rates on some others.

Even your travel to the region might be fully covered, the pass covers connections to the Bernese Oberland from Lucerne, Bern, Montreux and Brig.

Grindelwald First cliff walk and mountain restaurant with snowy peaks in the Bernese Oberland, Switzerland

But figuring out whether the BOP is worth it or not isn’t as easy as just comparing it to full price tickets, because there are other Switzerland travel passes in play with slightly different inclusions, cheaper BOP prices for under-25s or Half Fare Card holders, and the pass has (annoyingly) had some major changes in 2025 and again in 2026, so loooads of the info you’ll find online might be out of date and could point you in the entirely wrong direction.

Oh, and the difference between picking the right pass and the wrong one could be hundreds of Francs 🙃 so you know, no pressure or anything.

As an annual Switzerland visitor who travels entirely by public transport and gets far too much dopamine from spreadsheets, I’ve become a bit of a travel pass nerd 🤓 After multiple trips using this region as a base, testing out various passes, and doing a ridiculous amount of research, I’ve put together this Berner Oberland Pass guide to help you figure out if it’s right for you.

Traveller on a balcony in Grindelwald looking towards the mountains and wooden chalets

I’ll explain the BOP basics, what is and isn’t included, what’s changed in 2026, how it stacks up against the overlapping Jungfrau Travel Pass, plus real-life route examples with full breakdowns, side-by-side comparisons with other passes, and how to calculate the right pass or passes for your actual Switzerland itinerary.

Lauterbrunnen village with its church, valley cliffs and autumn colours in the Bernese Oberland. Travel in this region is covered by the Berner Oberland Pass.

Quick summary: Is the Berner Oberland Pass worth it in 2026?

It totally depends on your itinerary which we’ll dive into soon, but here’s the TLDR version.

When the Berner Oberland Pass is probably worth it

  • Schilthorn and/or Brienz Rothorn are on your list (these are the most valuable benefits the BO Pass has over the Jungfrau Travel Pass)
  • You’re arriving in the Bernese Oberland from (or continuing onwards to) Lucerne, Bern, Montreux or Brig
  • You’re already planning on getting a Half Fare Card for the rest of your Switzerland trip (the HFC gives you a 27-30% discount on the BOP, and you can get a 10% discount on the Half Fare Card itself through this link when you use promocode FINDINGALEXXKLOOK)
  • You’re under 25 years old (you get the discounted rate without needing a Half Fare Card)

When the Berner Oberland Pass might not be worth it

  • You’d rather do Jungfraujoch – Top of Europe than Schilthorn or Brienz Rothorn (the BOP only gives a 25% discount on the final stretch from Wengen or Grindelwald to Jungfrau, whereas the Jungfrau Travel Pass discount is 90-100CHF better for this specific mountain trip, and the 10% off promocode works for the JTP too!)
  • You’re spending less than three days in the Bernese Oberland region
  • You’re arriving to Interlaken or the mountain villages by car rather than by train
  • You’re only planning on doing one big BO mountain trip or a couple of cheaper ones (in this case just using a Half Fare Card for 50% off everything will likely be cheaper than a regional pass)
View from inside a cable car towards another gondola and mountain scenery near Jungfraujoch. This cable car gets a 25% discount with the Berner Oberland Pass.

Why trust this guide?

I’m Alexx, a full-time traveller and self-confessed Switzerland obsessive with nine trips under my belt so far (and another one planned for later this year).

I’ve spent literally hundreds of hours, no exaggeration, combing through the latest 2026 pricing tables, pass validity maps and SBB schedules to build out my library of ultra-detailed Switzerland travel pass guides and comparisons.

What is the Berner Oberland Pass?

The Berner Oberland Pass (BOP for short) is a regional travel pass for Switzerland’s Bernese Oberland, which is the southern, alpine part of the canton of Bern.

And if that means nothing to you, you’re certainly not the only one, so let me explain it in a way that doesn’t rely on knowledge of Swiss administrative borders.

View over Lake Brienz and Interlaken from Harder Kulm in autumn

The Berner Oberland Pass extensively covers the area surrounding Interlaken, including (but not limited to) mountain villages like Lauterbrunnen, Grindelwald, Mürren and Kandersteg, the lakes of Thun and Brienz, and it even extends to the main transport lines beyond the Oberland’s borders, stretching to Bern in the northwest, Lucerne in the northeast, Brig to the south and Montreux to the west.

Basically it covers a decent chunk of the most beautiful places in Switzerland!

If you’ve already discovered the competing Jungfrau Travel Pass for the Jungfrau region, it pretty much overlaps that entire area (but with different inclusions/discounts), then it stretches wayyy further in all four directions.

The Berner Oberland Pass basics:

  • Free travel on most trains and buses in the validity area
  • Free boat trips on Lake Thun and Lake Brienz
  • 24 mountain railways and cable cars fully covered + another 20 discounted
  • Discounted entry tickets and experiences through 40 local partners (like scenic flights, walking tours and adventure parks)
  • 3, 4, 6, 8 or 10 consecutive days (no flexible/non-consecutive option)
  • 1st class or 2nd class passes
  • Available year-round
Mountain scenery above Grindelwald First with forest, winding paths and low cloud

What does the Berner Oberland Pass include in 2026?

The Berner Oberland Pass covers a pretty massive area, but some routes are covered fully, some are discounted and some aren’t included at all.

Area of validity

Here’s a simple map showing the Berner Oberland Pass coverage area to give you a rough idea:

Simplified Berner Oberland Pass coverage map showing included routes to Lucerne, Bern, Montreux and Brig

The solid red lines are fully included in the pass and the dotted lines are discounted routes.

And here’s a more detailed map, this one’s tricky to see on mobile or a small laptop screen but you can find the full size version on the official website which you can download as a high-res PDF and then zoom in to see the details.

Detailed Berner Oberland Pass validity map showing included and discounted train, bus, boat and mountain routes

Trains, buses and boats

  • Free travel on all SBB trains in the validity area, stretching to Lucerne, Bern, Montreux and Brig
  • Free travel on most local buses within the region: PostBus in Interlaken and throughout the mountains, GrindelwaldBus and STI buses in Thun (a very unfortunate name haha)
  • Free BOB trains between Interlaken and Grindelwald + Interlaken and Lauterbrunnen
  • Free BLS trains in the area, including routes between Bern, Thun, Spiez, Zweisimmen, Kandersteg and Brig
  • The GoldenPass Express panoramic train between Interlaken and Montreux (seat reservations strongly recommended)
  • The Luzern–Interlaken Express panoramic train
  • All scheduled BLS cruises on Lake Thun and Lake Brienz (including the historic steamboats)
  • Discounted 1st class upgrades for the lake cruises which gives you access to an exclusive deck with fewer people, so better photos!
View from the Luzern Interlaken Express train window across a lake and mountain landscape, a journey fully covered by the Berner Oberland Pass

Mountain excursions fully included

There are 24 mountain excursions fully covered by the Berner Oberland Pass, but these are the headline acts that’ll appeal to most travellers and where the pass saves you the most money.

  • Schilthorn: Steepest cable car in the world and a James Bond filming location (115CHF for a full price return ticket from the bottom station)
  • Brienz Rothorn: 125-year-old steam train (98CHF)
  • Schynige Platte – Top of Swiss Tradition: Historic cogwheel railway (68CHF)
  • Männlichen: Cable car from Grindelwald (68CHF) or Wengen (58CHF) which has an open-air balcony in the summer season
  • Niesen: Funicular up the “Swiss Pyramid” (64CHF)
  • Niederhorn: Funicular + cableway to an underrated Lake Thun viewpoint that’s much quieter than the Jungfrau-side mountains (64CHF)
  • Stockhorn: Cable car to a hiking area with mountain lakes (62CHF) and a WILD bungy jump opportunity, where you can jump out of a gondola suspended in the middle of the cableway (10% off the bungy with a BOP)

Plus 15+ smaller cable cars and lifts, mostly across Adelboden, Lenk, Gstaad and Kandersteg.

Snow covered mountain scenery near Jungfraujoch in the Bernese Oberland

Discounted mountain excursions

The Berner Oberland Pass offers discounts on 20 mountain excursions across the region, but these are the main ones which usually determine whether the pass is worth it for you or not.

  • Jungfraujoch – Top of Europe: Free travel to Grindelwald or Wengen, then 25% off the rest of the trip to Jungfraujoch, which means you still have to pay 151.20CHF in low season or 179.60CHF in high season (unless you also have a Half Fare Card which gives you a better discount). Ouch!
  • Grindelwald-First: Free travel to Grindelwald, then 50% off the gondola from Grindelwald to First
  • Harder Kulm: 50% off the funicular from Interlaken to Harder Kulm
  • Titlis: A bit of a random one on the very eastern side of the validity area near Lucerne, the BOP includes free travel to Hergiswil and then 50% off to Engelberg and up to Titlis
Swiss flag on a snowy viewing platform at Grindelwald First

Other inclusions

Along with all the transport and mountain trips, the Berner Oberland Pass also acts as a discount card for more than 40 regional partners, including:

  • Iconic highlights of the region like St. Beatus Caves and Blausee Nature Park
  • City walking tours in Bern and Thun
  • Scenic flights through the Alps
  • Museums like Kunstmuseum Thun, Ballenberg Open-Air Museum and Bruder Klaus Museum
  • Castles like Schloss Hünegg, Schloss Spiez and Schloss Oberhofen
  • Adventure activities like canyoning, rafting and high ropes courses

These perks aren’t usually enough to push you across the ‘it’s definitely worth it’ line, but they’re an easy bonus if you were already tempted to add any of them to your itinerary.

Snow dusted mountain peaks above Grindelwald in the Bernese Oberland

What the Berner Oberland Pass does NOT cover in 2026

What’s not included is often what makes or breaks the value of a travel pass, so here’s a super clear list of what you’d still need to shell out for on top of a Berner Oberland Pass.

  • Jungfraujoch isn’t free: You get free travel as far as Grindelwald or Wengen, then 25% off the rest of the journey to Jungfraujoch. If you’ve also got a Swiss Half Fare Card then you can get a 50% discount instead.
  • Grindelwald First isn’t free: You can get to Grindelwald for free and then it’s 50% off the gondola up to First. There’s no discount for the activities up the top, like the First Flyer or First Glider.
  • Harder Kulm isn’t free: You get 50% off the funicular from Interlaken.
  • Kandersteg to Oeschinensee isn’t included or discounted: This used to be fully covered but it was removed in 2026, you can get to Kandersteg for free but you have to buy a separate ticket for the cable car to Oeschinensee.
  • Brig to Domodossola isn’t included: Another change for 2026, the validity area only goes as far south as Brig, it no longer continues across the border to Domodossola in Northern Italy.
  • IC and EC trains between Spiez and Brig, these use the Lötschberg Base Tunnel which isn’t covered. To get between Spiez and Brig for free you’ve gotta take the RE (regional) train via Kandersteg.
  • Pilatus, Rigi, Stanserhorn or Lake Lucerne cruises: If your trip is more focused on Lucerne’s mountains and lake than the Bernese Oberland mountains and lakes, check out the Lucerne Travel Pass instead.
  • Seat reservations: Most trains and mountain trips in this region don’t need them, but they are strongly recommended for the GoldenPass Express and Brienz Rothorn Bahn, and required for Jungfraujoch from May to August
  • Any travel beyond the map of validity, i.e. beyond Lucerne, Bern, Montreux or Brig
  • City transport within Lucerne or Bern
  • Ski lifts, the pass isn’t valid as a ski ticket
  • The Bernina Express: Don’t let the name confuse you, the famous Bernina Express red train does not travel through the Bernese Oberland and therefore isn’t included in the Berner Oberland Pass.
Harder Kulm viewpoint building above Interlaken with autumn forest behind it

Outdated Berner Oberland Pass info to watch out for

The BOP has had some substantial changes in the past few years and there’s loooads of old information or half-truths in Facebook posts, TripAdvisor forums and Reddit threads, which means AI might tell you the wrong thing too.

⚠️ Important: Always, always, always check when the post you’re reading was last updated to make sure you’re not buying anything based on pre-2026 inclusions.

If you see any of the following statements, they’re outdated and not accurate in 2026:

  • BOP fully covers Grindelwald-First and Harder Kulm” → This was changed for 2025, they’re now 50% off
  • BOP gets you to Eigergletscher for free and then to Jungfraujoch for 99CHF” → This was also changed, it’s now Grindelwald or Wengen for free and then 25% off the rest
  • BOP only covers the GoldenPass Express to Saanen” → This was changed in 2025, it now covers the whole GoldenPass Express all the way to Montreux
  • BOP is only valid in summer” → It’s been year-round since 2025
  • BOP only gives you a discount on the Schilthorn cable car” → This was changed in 2025, it’s totally covered by the BOP now
  • BOP covers Brig to Domodossola” → This was changed for 2026, the validity area now ends in Brig
  • BOP covers the Kandersteg to Oeschinensee cable car” → This was changed for 2026, it still covers travel to Kandersteg but not to Oeschinensee
Walking path through open alpine scenery near Jungfraujoch with snowy mountains in the distance

How much does the Berner Oberland Pass cost in 2026?

The Berner Oberland Pass is available in both 1st and 2nd class, with five different pass lengths (3, 4, 6, 8, 10 consecutive days), plus discounted rates for some passholders, young travellers, kids and dogs.

This pricing is in CHF and is valid until 31 December 2026.

Berner Oberland Pass 2026 prices (adults and youth)

2nd class full fare

2nd class reduced*

1st class full fare

1st class reduced*

3 days

240

168

288

202

4 days

280

196

336

236

6 days

350

254

420

305

8 days

395

287

474

345

10 days

435

316

522

380

*The reduced price is between 27-30% off full fare and is available to youth travellers (aged 16-24 at the time of travel), holders of a Half Fare Card or Swiss Travel Pass (with the pass valid and active), as well as the local GA Travelcard and Half-Fare Travelcard that Swiss residents use.

Lake and hillside views from the Luzern Interlaken Express train route

Berner Oberland Pass prices for kids and dogs

If you’re travelling with kids aged between 6 and 15 (up until their 16th birthday) or dogs, you’ll pay a flat rate of 30CHF for their BOP in conjunction with yours, and it’s valid for the same length of time and same class as your pass.

This means if you’re buying a 10 day 1st class BOP, you’ll only pay 30CHF total for your kid to join you!

Some important notes though:

  • Maximum four child passes per adult
  • If you’ve already got a valid Swiss Family Card (which is free with an adult Swiss Half Fare Card or Swiss Travel Pass) or the local Junior Travelcard or Children’s Co-Travelcard, your under 16s travel free when they’re with you so you won’t need to buy them the child BOP
  • Kids under 6 travel completely free throughout Switzerland so no need to get them a pass
Cable car travelling above the mountains near Eigergletscher

How to get a discount on the Berner Oberland Pass

As I mentioned above, there are reduced rates for the Berner Oberland Pass which lets some lucky travellers save 27-30% off the full fare pass price.

This is another thing that could push the pass firmly into ‘worth it’ territory, especially if you’re comparing it with the Jungfrau Travel Pass.

Here’s who gets access to the reduced prices:

  • Young travellers aged 16-24 (up until your 25th birthday): You can get the reduced rate without needing a Half Fare Card, which is one of the biggest wins and something the BOP has over the JTP (which doesn’t offer any youth discounts).
  • Swiss Half Fare Card holders: You’ll get the reduced rate on the Berner Oberland Pass AND keep your HFC discounts on anything where the BOP has a lower discount, like Jungfraujoch, as well as any travel outside of the Berner Oberland region. This combo is often the winner if you’re also spending time in other parts of the country, and I’ve explained the numbers in more detail in the Half Fare Card section further down this post.
  • Swiss Travel Pass holders: Technically eligible for the reduced rate but only on validated travel days of your STP, so you’re essentially paying for double coverage which isn’t worth it.
  • GA Travelcard and Half Fare Travelcard holders: These are local passes aimed at Swiss residents so not relevant for most tourists, but they also get access to the reduced rate BO Pass.

There are no discounts on the Berner Oberland Pass for Eurail or Interrail travellers and no discounts for senior travellers.

Visitor walking through the Ice Palace tunnel at Jungfraujoch

Top tip: How to use Berner Oberland Pass extension days to maximise your flexibility

One of the most underrated features of the Berner Oberland Pass is the option to extend your pass by two additional days (and you can extend twice, so four days total) at a train station during your trip, which unlocks flexibility for weather changes and also opens up 5-day and 7-day pass options that don’t exist otherwise.

These are the pass extension prices (in CHF):

2nd class full fare

2nd class reduced*

1st class full fare

1st class reduced*

2 extra days

72

60

85

70

*Reduced prices available to the same travellers as the normal pass reduced prices, so youth travellers and various passholders.

Entrance to the Grindelwald First cable car station with travellers walking up the steps

There are some specific use cases where this might be particularly beneficial (using 2nd class full fare prices for the examples):

  • If you’ve got exactly five days in the region, so arriving from Lucerne/Bern/Montreux/Brig on day 1 and departing on day 5, you could get a 3-day pass for 240CHF plus a 2-day extension for 72CHF (so 312CHF total) instead of a 6-day pass for 350CHF and wasting 38CHF on a day of coverage you won’t need
  • If you’ve got exactly seven days in the region, getting a 3-day pass plus two extensions (so 4 days total) comes to 384CHF instead of paying 395CHF for an 8-day pass and wasting 11CHF
  • If you’ve got 6-10 days in the region but want to plan your mountain days around the forecast, you could get a 4-day pass and only buy the extension if you actually need it. Think of it this way: if you buy a 6-day pass and the first two days are torrential rain, you’ve burnt 33% of your pass on days you couldn’t enjoy. Buying a shorter pass and extending it on the trip lets you delay the activation until you’re ready to use it properly, and if the clouds roll in at the start of end of your trip you can just stick with the shorter pass and save the extra money.
  • If you’re winging your trip and aren’t sure whether you’ll want to spend more time in the Bernese Oberland or elsewhere like Lucerne or Zermatt, buy a short pass to begin with and add the extension when you know you’ll stay longer.
Grindelwald First gondolas travelling above snowy slopes and alpine cliffs

Keep in mind that the longer the original pass, the better per-day value you get, so a shorter pass + extensions might be better than a single mid-length pass for the flexibility, whereas a mid-length pass + extensions might cost a decent chunk more than buying a single long pass at the start:

  • 4-day pass (280CHF) + two additional days (72CHF) = 6 days for 352CHF
  • 6-day pass upfront = 6 days for 350CHF
  • Only 2CHF more for the potential saving of 70CHF if weather is crap, probably worth it!

  • However, an 6-day pass (350CHF) + four additional days (144CHF) = 10 days for 494CHF
  • 10-day pass upfront = 10 days for 435CHF
  • 59CHF more expensive for the short-plus-extensions strategy which might not be worth the potential saving from the flexibility

The main thing you have to remember here is that the extensions can only be purchased in person at a train ticket counter while you’re on your trip, you can’t buy them online and can’t buy them in advance or after your pass has expired.

Waterfalls and low cloud on the mountainside near Grindelwald First

How much can you actually save with the Berner Oberland Pass? Example itinerary breakdowns

Alright that’s enough theory, let’s run the numbers!

The best way to see if the Berner Oberland Pass is worth it is to look at example itineraries comparing it with the Jungfrau Travel Pass, Half Fare Card and full fare tickets.

Some quick notes before we get into it:

  • I haven’t included the Swiss Travel Pass here because it’s hardly ever better value than the BOP if you’re spending 3+ days in this region
  • All prices are based on 2nd class adult travel in summer, except for itinerary #3 which uses youth pass pricing to show how things add up for under 25s. Travelling outside of summer is a little cheaper for some big excursions (but some smaller ones are closed).
  • The itineraries use Interlaken as a base but the calculations wouldn’t change much if you were staying in Grindelwald/Lauterbrunnen instead
  • Seat reservations aren’t included but are rarely mandatory in this region, only Jungfraujoch during summer (10CHF) and for Prestige Class on the GoldenPass Express between Interlaken and Montreux (49CHF), and then recommended for 1st and 2nd class on the GoldenPass Express (20CHF)
  • I’ve used the published 2026 pass prices for these calculations to keep them all consistent, but you can actually get 10% off the Half Fare Card and the Jungfrau Travel Pass through my links when you use the promocode FINDINGALEXXKLOOK, which makes both of those passes a bit cheaper than you see in the tables below 💰

🧮 Want to check your actual itinerary? These examples mostly focus on the BO region for obvious reasons, but travel outside of the boundaries could really swing the Half Fare Card value a lot higher.

For an accurate result for your whole trip you can use my free Switzerland travel pass calculator which’ll show you the cheapest pass for your planned route, and don’t skip the Half Fare Card section below for a simple (-ish haha) breakdown of how to easily determine whether a Half Fare Card and BOP combo is the way to go for your trip.

Example itinerary 1: Three days with Schilthorn and Brienz Rothorn

Let’s say you’ve got a short visit to the Bernese Oberland and want to maximise the value of the BOP. Your itinerary might look like this:

  • Day 1: Lucerne to Interlaken, then Schilthorn return from Interlaken
  • Day 2: Interlaken to Brienz lake cruise and then Brienz Rothorn return before back to Interlaken
  • Day 3: Interlaken to Montreux on the GoldenPass Express

Here’s the breakdown (all prices in CHF):

Full fare

BOP

JTP

HFC

Lucerne to Interlaken

34

0

34

17

Schilthorn return

135.20

0

68.60

67.60

Brienz Rothorn return (cruise to Brienz, then the railway)

140

0

98

70

Interlaken to Montreux on the GoldenPass Express

56

0

56

28

Pass

0

240

210

150

Total

365.20

240

466.60

332.60

🥇The winner: Berner Oberland Pass at 240CHF total, saving you 125.20CHF (34%) compared to full-fare tickets and beating the Half Fare Card and Jungfrau Travel Pass too.

Staubbach Falls dropping from the cliffs above Lauterbrunnen in autumn

Example itinerary 2: Four days with Jungfraujoch, Grindelwald-First and Schilthorn

Let’s add on a day and split the time between the BOP crown jewel (Schilthorn) and two mountains that the BOP is weaker on compared to the Jungfrau Travel Pass.

  • Day 1: Lucerne to Interlaken, then Grindelwald-First return from Interlaken
  • Day 2: Jungfraujoch return from Interlaken
  • Day 3: Schilthorn return from Interlaken
  • Day 4: Interlaken to Montreux on the GoldenPass Express

Here’s what that would look like:

Full fare

BOP

JTP

HFC

Lucerne to Interlaken

34

0

34

17

Grindelwald-First return

105.60

38

0

52.80

Jungfraujoch return

261.20

179.60

79

130.60

Schilthorn return

135.20

0

68.60

67.60

Interlaken to Montreux on the GoldenPass Express

56

0

56

28

Pass

0

280

235

150

Total

592

497.60

472.60

446

🥇 The winner: Half Fare Card at 446CHF total, saving you 26.60CHF vs. the JTP, 51.60CHF vs. the BOP and 146CHF vs. full fare tickets.

💰 Plus you’d save an extra 15CHF with the promocode FINDINGALEXXKLOOK when you buy your Half Fare Card here!

Green fields and forested hills seen from the Luzern Interlaken Express train

Example itinerary 3: Four days with mix of mountains but for youth travellers

If you’re under 25 then the calculations can look quite different, because you’ll get the reduced BOP prices without needing to combine it with another travel pass.

Here’s an example itinerary with a mix of mountains plus inbound from and outbound to Lucerne, squeezed into a fast-paced four day trip.

  • Day 1: Lucerne to Interlaken, then Grindelwald-First return from Interlaken
  • Day 2: Jungfraujoch return from Interlaken
  • Day 3: Brienz Rothorn return from Interlaken (cruise + cogwheel railway)
  • Day 4: Schilthorn return from Interlaken, then Interlaken back to Lucerne

Full fare

BOP (youth)

JTP

HFC

Lucerne to Interlaken

34

0

34

17

Grindelwald-First return

105.60

38

0

52.80

Jungfraujoch return

261.20

179.60

79

130.60

Brienz Rothorn return

140

0

98

70

Schilthorn return

135.20

0

68.60

67.60

Interlaken to Lucerne

34

0

34

17

Pass

0

196

235

150

Total

710

413.60

548.60

505

🥇 The winner: Berner Oberland Pass (youth) at 413.60CHF total, saving you 91.40CHF vs. the HFC, 135CHF vs. the JTP and a massive 296.40CHF vs. full fare tickets.

Hiking sign near Jungfraujoch with snowy mountains and clouds behind it

Example itinerary 4: Six days in Berner Oberland with Jungfrau + four other mountains, plus a Lucerne excursion

And finally let’s look at a longer Bernese Oberland itinerary with a mix of mountains, as well as a Lucerne mountain trip outside of the boundaries to show how things might shape up when taking into account non-BO travel.

  • Day 1: Zurich to Interlaken (IC train via Bern, so the Bern to Interlaken segment is covered by the BOP)
  • Day 2: Schilthorn return
  • Day 3: Jungfraujoch return
  • Day 4: Lake Thun and Brienz cruises, then Brienz Rothorn return from Brienz
  • Day 5: Schynige Platte in the morning, Männlichen in the afternoon
  • Day 6: Interlaken to Lucerne
  • Day 7: Pilatus golden round trip from Lucerne (outside of BO coverage)

This type of trip is where the Half Fare Card + BOP combo really shines, so I’ve added a new column to show you that breakdown, and we’ll dig into how that works in the next section.

Full fare

BOP

BOP + HFC

JTP

HFC

Zurich to Interlaken

73

53

26.50

73

36.50

Schilthorn return

135.20

0

0

68.60

67.60

Jungfraujoch return

261.20

179.60

130.60

79

130.60

Lake Thun + Brienz day ticket

83

0

0

0

41.50

Brienz Rothorn return from Brienz

98

0

0

98

49

Schynige Platte return

68

0

0

0

34

Männlichen return

91.60

0

0

0

45.80

Interlaken to Lucerne

34

0

0

34

17

Pilatus return from Lucerne

119.80

119.80

59.90

119.80

59.90

Pass

0

350

404

290

150

Total

963.80

702.40

621

762.40

631.90

🥇 The winner: The Half Fare Card and Berner Oberland Pass combo at 621CHF total, saving you 10.90CHF vs. the HFC alone and 81.40CHF vs. the BOP alone (and loads vs. full fare haha). Teamwork makes the dream work 🫱🏼‍🫲🏼 plus the extra 15CHF discount with the 10% off Half Fare Card deal using the promocode FINDINGALEXXKLOOK!

Red Jungfrau Railway train travelling through snowy mountain scenery

Check your actual itinerary with my free Switzerland travel pass calculator!

These example itineraries cover common Bernese Oberland scenarios, but if your trip looks even slightly different in terms of mountain excursions, start/end points or side quests outside of the BO region, the maths could totally shift.

Luckily for you, I got sick of spending days doing manual calculations for all my Switzerland trips, and I built myself a calculator to run the numbers for me. And better yet, you can use it for free!

Combining the Berner Oberland Pass with a Half Fare Card

If you’re planning on taking trains, buses, boats and mountain excursions outside of your time in the Bernese Oberland region, it’s pretty likely that a combo of the Berner Oberland Pass and the Swiss Half Fare Card will actually end up being the best value option for you.

The Half Fare Card gives you 50% off all transport and most mountain excursions in Switzerland, and it’s 150CHF for a month (no shorter option available).

Combining the Half Fare Card with the Berner Oberland Pass gives you four main benefits:

  • A 27-30% discount on the BOP itself (same price as the youth rate) which immediately saves 72-119CHF depending on pass length
  • 50% off all Switzerland travel beyond the BOP’s boundaries (Zurich, Lucerne, Zermatt etc.)
  • A better Jungfraujoch discount (so you’ll pay 39-49CHF less with the HFC than if you only had the BOP)
  • A complimentary Swiss Family Card which covers free travel for kids aged 6-15 (saving the 30CHF per kid BOP pass price)

If the money you’d save with these benefits adds up to more than the 150CHF cost of the HFC, it’s worth buying!

If all these numbers are making your head spin, I’ve got good news, because the Half Fare Card’s flat price + 50% discount across the board makes it super easy to determine the ‘break even’ point where the HFC starts paying for itself.

Traveller sitting inside a Swiss mountain train with snowy peaks visible through the panoramic windows

The Half Fare Card break even point

This might look complex at first glance but I promise it’s actually really simple once you get your head around it, so let me start by explaining the HFC break even point outside of the BO Pass context.

Because the Half Fare Card by itself is 150CHF for a month of half-price travel, you’ve only got to be planning to spend 300CHF on full fare travel (trains/buses/boats/mountain trips) for the HFC to break even.

  • 300CHF on full fare travel = 150CHF with a 50% discount
  • Add the 150CHF Half Fare Card to that and the total comes out as 300CHF
  • So 300CHF is what you’d pay for full fare tickets, and 300CHF is what you’d also pay if you bought the HFC and got all those trips for 50%

Hopefully you’re still with me! Time for level two.

Cows grazing in Lauterbrunnen with village chalets, cliffs and waterfalls behind them

When you combine it with a travel pass like the Berner Oberland Pass the maths gets a little trickier, because the discount on the BOP pass price itself is not a flat 50%, it’s actually a 27-30% discount depending on the pass length. This means the CHF amount you save depends on how long the BOP is.

The easiest way to look at it is like this:

  • The Half Fare Card has to save you 150CHF to be worth it, let’s call this the HFC debt
  • Combining it with a BOP immediately saves you 72-119CHF on the BOP price, which is a decent reduction in the HFC debt before you’ve even left the region
  • If you add a Jungfraujoch trip that’s another 39-49CHF off the HFC debt
  • Every trip outside the BOP zone chips away at the HFC debt at the 50% rate, e.g. a train journey worth 100CHF full fare will give you a 50CHF saving, which means 50CHF deducted from your HFC debt
  • Longer passes = higher discount on your BOP = less HFC debt remaining = less out-of-zone travel required (based on full fare value) to clear the debt

Ready for level three? Let’s break the HFC debt down by BOP length (all prices in CHF) ⬇️

BOP length

BOP discount knocks this much off your HFC debt

HFC debt remaining (150CHF minus BOP discount)

Out-of-zone full fare value required to clear HFC debt

3 days

72

150 – 72 = 78

156

4 days

84

150 – 84 = 66

132

6 days

96

150 – 96 = 54

108

8 days

108

150 – 108 = 42

84

10 days

119

150 – 119 = 31

62

Jungfraujoch-branded chocolate bar held in front of blurred mountain scenery

OKAY and now the last level, putting these numbers into a real life example.

  • If you combine a 3-day BOP with a Half Fare Card, you’ve already saved 72CHF on the BOP price, leaving you with 78CHF of HFC debt to save with out-of-zone travel or other benefits to make the HFC worth what you paid for it.
  • If you’re not doing Jungfraujoch or getting a Swiss Family Card, you’d need to take 156CHF worth of travel (based on full fare value) outside of the BO region to clear the HFC debt, because 78 x 2 = 156.
  • If you fly into Zurich, train to Lucerne for the Pilatus golden round trip before entering the BOP area, then on day 3 leave via Montreux continuing onto Geneva, that’s a total of 178.80CHF of full fare travel out of zone, which easily covers your debt!
  • If you were only catching the train from Zurich to Lucerne and then from Montreux to Geneva but weren’t spending anything else out of the zone, you’d only be spending 59CHF of full fare travel, which only clears 29.50CHF of HFC debt. This would leave you 48.50CHF in debt, therefore the HFC doesn’t save you money for that particularly itinerary.
  • Butttt if you added Jungfraujoch to your itinerary this would immediately wipe 49CHF of debt in peak season, so you’d break even!

Goodness me I hope that makes sense because I’ve spent so long trying to format this in an easy-to-understand way haha but if you’re still confused then just drop me a comment with the routes you’re working with and I’ll try and help!

Grindelwald village and surrounding mountains seen from a moving cable car

Berner Oberland Pass vs. other Switzerland travel passes

Berner Oberland Pass vs. Jungfrau Travel Pass

The BOP and the Jungfrau Travel Pass (JTP) are the obvious ones to compare if you’re spending time in and around Interlaken, because they overlap heavily but each has its own very specific benefits.

Let’s look at them side by side.

Berner Oberland Pass

Jungfrau Travel Pass

Coverage area

Extensive! Covers the entire Bernese Oberland and stretches to Bern, Lucerne, Montreux and Brig to cover travel to and from the BO

Concentrated on the Jungfrau mountain region, pretty much from the tip of Jungfrau down to Interlaken and to the edge of the lakes

Pass durations

3, 4, 6, 8 and 10 consecutive days, plus option to extend two days (twice)

3-8 consecutive days

Jungfraujoch

Free to Grindelwald or Wengen, then 25% off to Jungfraujoch (final price is roughly 151-180CHF depending on season)

Free to Eigergletscher, then special price for the final leg (63-79CHF depending on season, lowest available price for any travel pass)

Grindelwald-First & Harder Kulm

50% off

Fully covered

Schilthorn

Fully covered

Free to Mürren, then 25% off to Schilthorn

Other excursions included

Schynige Platte, Männlichen, Lake Thun/Brienz cruises, Brienz Rothorn, Niesen, Niederhorn, Stockhorn, plus 15+ smaller cable cars and lifts throughout the region

Schynige Platte, Männlichen, Lake Thun/Brienz cruises

Travel to and from Interlaken

From Bern, Lucerne, Montreux and Brig

Not covered

Reduced pass prices

27-30% off pass prices for youth travellers aged 16-24 or if you have a HFC/STP

No youth discount but 21-23% off pass prices if you have a HFC or STP

Extra discounts

None

Save 10% when you buy through the link below with promocode findingalexxklook

🎫 Buy it here

🎫 Buy it here

When the BOP usually beats the JTP:

  • If you’re keen to do mountain excursions outside of the Jungfrau region
  • If you’d rather do Schilthorn and/or Brienz Rothorn than Jungfraujoch
  • If you’re arriving by train from Bern, Lucerne, Montreux or Brig
  • If you’re under 25 and have access to cheaper BOP prices

When the JTP usually beats the BOP:

  • If Jungfraujoch is your top priority and you’re not fussed on Schilthorn or Brienz Rothorn
  • If you’re driving to Interlaken or the mountain villages so you don’t need coverage beyond Interlaken anyway

If you’re still not sure which one to go for, check out my ultra-detailed Jungfrau Travel Pass guide for a full breakdown and some more example itineraries where the JTP makes the most sense.

Traveller walking through Grindelwald village towards the mountains

Berner Oberland Pass vs. Swiss Travel Pass

The Swiss Travel Pass (STP) is a national pass which covers trains, boats and buses around the whole country, as well as free entry to 500+ museums and discounts for most mountain excursions, whereas the Berner Oberland Pass is a dedicated regional pass with stronger coverage across mountain excursions but only in this part of Switzerland.

Two very different passes with very different coverage and it’s normally pretty clear which one would be best suited to your trip, but let’s compare them properly.

Berner Oberland Pass

Swiss Travel Pass

Coverage area

The entire Bernese Oberland, plus connections to Bern, Lucerne, Montreux and Brig

The entire country haha

Pass durations

3, 4, 6, 8 and 10 consecutive days, plus option to extend two days (twice)

3, 4, 6, 8 or 15 consecutive days, with a Flex version that lets you pick non-consecutive days within a month

Jungfraujoch

Free to Grindelwald or Wengen, then 25% off to Jungfraujoch (final price 151-180CHF depending on season)

Same as the BOP, free to Grindelwald/Wengen and the same 25% discount on the rest

Schilthorn

Fully covered

Free to Mürren, then 50% off the rest

Brienz Rothorn

Fully covered

Free lake cruise or train to Brienz, then 50% off the cogwheel railway

Other excursions included

Lake Thun/Brienz cruises and 20+ other mountain excursions

Lake Thun/Brienz/Lucerne/Zurich cruises, 50% off most mountain excursions around the country, full coverage of Mt Rigi and Stanserhorn (both accessible from Lucerne), 500+ museums

Travel to and from Interlaken

From Bern, Lucerne, Montreux and Brig

Intercity trains fully covered across Switzerland

Panoramic trains (excl. seat reservations)

GoldenPass Express from Interlaken to Montreux and the Luzern–Interlaken Express both covered

All panoramic trains covered, including the Glacier Express, Bernina Express, Gotthard Panorama Express and more

Reduced pass prices

27-30% discount for youth travellers aged 16-24 or if you have a HFC/STP

30% discount for travellers aged 16-24, kids under 16 travel free with a Swiss Family Card (free when you purchase your Swiss Travel Pass)

🎫 Buy it here

🎫 Buy it here

When the BOP usually beats the STP:

  • If you’re spending 3+ days in the Bernese Oberland and plan on doing two or more of the fully-covered mountain excursions
  • If you don’t need transport coverage outside of the BO region

When the STP usually beats the BOP:

  • If your trip covers multiple Swiss regions (Zurich, Lucerne, Zermatt, Lugano etc.) beyond the Bernese Oberland
  • If you’re hoping to tick off the Glacier Express, Bernina Express or Gotthard Panorama Express journeys
  • If you’re spending less than three days in the BO region
  • If you’re visiting both BO and Lucerne and want to do Rigi and Stanserhorn (both fully included in the STP)
  • If you’re not fussed on mountain trips and are happy to sightsee using trains, boats and buses instead

If most of your trip is outside the Bernese Oberland with only a day or two in the region, my Swiss Travel Pass guide has a full breakdown of when the STP comes out on top overall.

First Flyer zipline riders above snowy slopes at Grindelwald First

Berner Oberland Pass vs. Half Fare Card

We’ve already done the deep dive into the BOP + HFC combination and how that’s often the winning formula, but here’s how they stack up against each other as standalone passes.

Berner Oberland Pass

Swiss Half Fare Card

Coverage area

The entire Bernese Oberland, plus connections to Bern, Lucerne, Montreux and Brig

The entire country

Pass durations

3, 4, 6, 8 and 10 consecutive days, plus option to extend two days (twice)

One month

Jungfraujoch

Free to Grindelwald or Wengen, then 25% off to Jungfraujoch (final price 151-180CHF depending on season)

50% off

Other excursions included

Lake Thun/Brienz cruises and 20+ other mountain excursions

50% off most mountain excursions (I can’t find any that aren’t 50% off but this is their official marketing statement so just repeating it to be safe)

Travel to and from Interlaken

From Bern, Lucerne, Montreux and Brig

50% off

Panoramic trains (excl. seat reservations)

GoldenPass Express from Interlaken to Montreux and the Luzern–Interlaken Express both fully covered

All panoramic trains 50% off

Reduced pass prices

27-30% discount for youth travellers aged 16-24 or if you have a HFC/STP

None

Extra discounts

None

Save 10% on your Half Fare Card when you buy it through the link below and use findingalexxklook

🎫 Buy it here

🎫 Buy it here

Whether the best option for you is the BOP alone, the HFC alone or the BOP + HFC combo is too dependent on your itinerary both inside and outside of the Bernese Oberland, so your best bet for finding the right pass for your trip is to use my free Switzerland travel pass calculator 🤓

Wooden chalets in Grindelwald with mountain peaks behind them

Berner Oberland Pass FAQs

Is the Berner Oberland Pass worth it?

The Berner Oberland Pass is probably worth it if you’re spending 3+ days in the region with two or more fully covered mountain excursions (like Schilthorn and Brienz Rothorn), if you’re travelling from Lucerne, Bern, Montreux or Brig, if you’re under 25, or if you’ve already got a Half Fare Card for the rest of your trip (which gives you reduced BOP prices).

What does the Berner Oberland Pass include in 2026?

In 2026, the Berner Oberland Pass includes unlimited travel on trains, buses, and boats across the region, plus connections to Bern, Lucerne, Montreux, and Brig. Highlights like Schilthorn, Brienz Rothorn, Schynige Platte and Männlichen are fully covered, while Jungfraujoch, Grindelwald-First and Harder Kulm are discounted. However, the Oeschinensee cable car and the route from Brig to Domodossola are no longer covered as of 2026.

Does the Berner Oberland Pass include Jungfraujoch – Top of Europe?

The Berner Oberland Pass doesn’t fully cover Jungfraujoch, but you do get a discount on it. The BOP covers free travel to Grindelwald or Wengen, then offers 25% off the rest of the trip, which brings the total to roughly 151-180CHF depending on season. The Jungfrau Travel Pass offers the best Jungfraujoch deal of any Switzerland travel pass, and the Half Fare Card’s 50% off the whole trip ends up being cheaper than if you used the BOP.

Does the Berner Oberland Pass include Schilthorn?

Yep, the Schilthorn cable car is fully included in the Berner Oberland Pass for 2026! This covers the entire journey from Stechelberg up to the Piz Gloria summit, saving 115CHF vs. a full fare return ticket. This is one of the most valuable benefits the BOP has over the competing Jungfrau Travel Pass.

Does the Berner Oberland Pass include Pilatus?

Nope, the Berner Oberland Pass doesn’t include Pilatus, Rigi or Stanserhorn, but these are all covered by the Lucerne Travel Pass. The Berner Oberland Pass does offer a discount on Titlis though, you can get to Hergiswil for free and then it’s 50% from there to Engelberg and up to Titlis.

Can you use the Berner Oberland Pass with the Half Fare Card?

Yes, you can combine the Berner Oberland Pass with the Half Fare Card, and this combo often ends up being the best value option for many travellers! The HFC gives you a 27-30% discount on the BOP prices, plus you’ll get Jungfraujoch for cheaper and 50% off all your travel outside of the BO region.

Traditional Swiss houses below autumn forest and cliffs in the Bernese Oberland

Is the Berner Oberland Pass or Jungfrau Travel Pass better?

The Berner Oberland Pass is generally better for those wanting to visit Schilthorn, Brienz Rothorn, for travellers under 25, or if you’re travelling by train from Lucerne, Bern, Montreux or Brig. But the Jungfrau Travel Pass is better if Jungfraujoch is your top priority, as it offers a significantly higher discount (about 90-100CHF cheaper) on that specific mountain excursion.

Does the Berner Oberland Pass cover Oeschinensee in 2026?

As of 2026, the cable car from Kandersteg to Oeschinensee is not included or discounted with the Berner Oberland Pass. This was a change to the pass coverage this year, it used to be included. You can still travel to Kandersteg for free, but you’ll need to buy a separate full price ticket for the gondola.

Does the Berner Oberland Pass cover the GoldenPass Express?

Yes, the Berner Oberland Pass fully covers the GoldenPass Express panoramic train between Interlaken and Montreux in 2026. Seat reservations aren’t included (they’re never included in travel passes) and they’re strongly recommended in busy periods.

Final thoughts: Should you buy the Berner Oberland Pass in 2026?

If you’re coming from or via Lucerne, Montreux, Bern or Brig for at least three days in the Bernese Oberland, and plan on hitting Schilthorn and/or the Brienz Rothorn railway, the Berner Oberland Pass is almost always going to be worth it for you. If you’re under 25 the value is even better, because you get access to the reduced pass price without needing a Half Fare Card.

For wider Switzerland trips that include time outside the BO region, the combo of a Berner Oberland Pass and a Half Fare Card often ends up being the holy grail in terms of value for money. The HFC knocks about 30% off your BOP cost (same as the youth rate) and it also gives you half-price travel for your trains, buses, boats and mountain trips in the rest of the country, so after a couple of intercity trains and one other excursion you’ll probably break even.

If Jungfraujoch and Grindelwald-First are non-negotiables for you and you aren’t fussed about Schilthorn or Brienz Rothorn not being covered, then the Jungfrau Travel Pass is likely your winner. Jungfraujoch isn’t totally free with the JTP but it gives the best discount by a significant margin (90-100CHF cheaper than the BOP’s discount), and First is fully covered with the JTP vs. 50% off with the BOP.

And if you’re still on the fence, don’t guess! Switzerland is too expensive for vibes-based budgeting 🙃 Plug your exact route into my free Switzerland travel pass calculator to see the numbers side-by-side and make sure you’re grabbing the perfect pass for your trip.

Happy travels 💃🏼

Two Lakes Bridge at Harder Kulm overlooking Interlaken, Lake Thun and Lake Brienz

MY GO-TO TRAVEL PLANNING RESOURCES

Flights ✈️ I use Skyscanner to find the best flights for my trip and then I’ll always book direct with the airline to protect myself from having to deal with dodgy third parties if anything goes wrong.

Trains 🚂 If I’m travelling through Europe, I try to travel by train wherever possible! For an extended trip (2+ weeks) I’ll calculate if a Eurail Pass is worth it, or I’ll book point-to-point tickets through RailEurope or the local train operator.

Accommodation 🛎️ I book almost all of my accommodation through booking.com, they have a user-friendly website + app and many of their options are free cancellation, easily cancelled with a simple click of a button.

Activities 🗽I use GetYourGuide, Klook and Viator to look for activities in the places I visit, or I just Google ‘things to do in [city]’! P.S. If you book anything on Klook you can use the promocode FINDINGALEXXKLOOK to get 10% off

Travel cards 💳 I’m a Wise gal through and through, they’ve been my chosen travel card for more than five years now. You can easily top up your card from your bank account or through Apple Pay, convert your money to local currency, and spend money with minimal fees and the best exchange rates around.

Travel insurance 🩺 I use Cover-More NZ travel insurance for my own trips, I have a comprehensive policy and I’ve only had good experiences with them. Cover-More also has an Australian company, but if you’re from elsewhere then two popular insurance options for global travellers are SafetyWing (cheaper policy, lower coverage) and World Nomads (more expensive but significantly better coverage).

Luggage 💼 I travel with Samsonite Cosmolite suitcases, one 75cm check in bag and a 55cm carry on bag, and I absolutely adore them and will never travel with anything else! They are SUPER lightweight (2.8kg and 1.9kg respectively) so I have much more space for my actual stuff.

Camera gear 📸 I use a iPhone 15 Pro Max for phone photos/videos, and my camera kit includes a Lumix S9 (incredible lightweight full-frame camera, a game changer for travel creators!) with a 20-60mm lens, a Lumix G9 with an 8-18mm and 12-60mm lens, a DJI Mini 3 Pro drone and a GoPro Hero 10. I do all my writing and editing on my ASUS Zenbook 14, it’s lightweight but powerful enough for photo editing and intense blogging sessions.

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