Between Lake Thun and Lake Brienz, winter also happens on the water. The Winter Jetboat does its 360-degree spins on Lake Brienz. On the fondue floats, you sit in the boat with a blanket and a caquelon, the fondue pot. In a dry suit, you can even paddle across the lake by kayak. The Winter E-Bike Tour follows the lakeshores to a cheese tasting and a chocolate tasting.

From the air, you see both lakes and the Bernese Alps at once: on a skydive from 4,000 meters or on a tandem paragliding flight from Beatenberg. At the Indoor Ropes Park in Grindelwald, you climb through courses modeled on the first ascent of the Eiger North Face, whatever the weather.

In strong wind or heavy rain, boat tours may be postponed, and skydiving needs clear enough skies. For more ideas, read our article Six winter activities in the valley.

Snowshoeing is the easiest way into snowy terrain. The guided beginner tour doesn’t require any particular fitness. We provide the snowshoes and poles, and you bring warm, waterproof shoes. Below the Eiger North Face or at the Wetterhorn, you walk right in front of the region’s most famous mountain faces, and at full moon, at night too.

The guided sledding tour runs 4.6 kilometers through snowy forests. Sunset Sledding ends the day with cheese fondue, and on Night Sledding you ride under the stars past a frozen waterfall. Want it all in one day? Choose the combination of snowshoeing, fondue in a mountain hut and a sled ride back to the valley, in 5 hours. For families, Bodmi Arena in Grindelwald has a magic carpet lift and sled rental right on site.

In winter, avalanche and snow conditions decide where you go. Our mountain guides assess every day which tour the conditions allow, and they adjust the route and start time.

To get started, there’s the Taster Course Ski Touring in Grindelwald: 1 day, no experience needed, covering ascent, descent and equipment. From December to March, day tours lead to summits like Hundshorn, Schwalmere or Gemmenalphorn. From March, you head up 4,000-meter peaks on skis and along the Haute Routes.

Ice climbing starts once the waterfalls are frozen and the ice holds. In Grindelwald, the approach is short, and in the taster course you climb on a top rope with no experience needed. If you want to go off-piste, you need an avalanche transceiver, a shovel and a probe, and you need to know how to use them. You can learn that in one day on the avalanche course in Grindelwald.

Our Swiss Ski School Grindelwald teaches children and adults, from your first day on skis to freestyle courses. Group lessons start in mid-December, and private lessons for ski, snowboard and telemark from December. If you’re starting from scratch, Learn to Ski in 3 Days takes you through the basics step by step.

With Family Fun, you learn to ski in the morning and go sledding in the afternoon. At Bodmi Arena, night skiing under floodlights runs until 7 p.m. through the end of February. You can rent skis and snowboards directly from us. Find out more at the Swiss Ski School Grindelwald.