Mountain town in Bern, Switzerland
Interlaken for solo travelers
Is Interlaken good for solo travel?
Adventure base between two lakes, with paragliding, canyoning and the gateway to Jungfrau region villages. Easy for solo travelers via social hostels; everything is expensive and the town itself is small.
Solo travel at a glance
| Solo travel | 4/5 · Very good for solo travel |
|---|---|
| Locals | Polite but reserved |
| English | Spoken almost everywhere |
| Safety | 5/5 · Very safe |
| Solo women | Comfortable alone, including at night; hostel mixed dorms are normal. |
How to meet people in Interlaken
Social hostels run barbecue nights and group trips; paragliding, canyoning and hiking groups from town make it easy to join others.
Good things to do alone
- Tandem paraglide over the lakes
- Hike to Harder Kulm for a sunset view
- Take a boat to Iseltwald on Lake Brienz
- Walk the Lauterbrunnen waterfalls valley
- Canyoning in the Saxetbach gorge
Where to stay in Interlaken
| Area | Good for |
|---|---|
| Interlaken Ost | Train access to Jungfrau region; hostels and cheaper rooms |
| Interlaken West / Höheweg | Hotels, restaurants and the main promenade |
| Unterseen | Quieter, river-side stays near Lake Thun |
Solo travel across Switzerland
| Place | Solo | English |
|---|---|---|
| Zurich | 4/5 | Widely spoken |
| Geneva | 4/5 | Widely spoken |
| Lucerne | 4/5 | Widely spoken |
| Interlaken | 4/5 | Spoken almost everywhere |
| Basel | 4/5 | Widely spoken |
| Lausanne | 4/5 | Widely spoken |
| Lugano | 4/5 | Common in tourist areas |
| Grindelwald | 4/5 | Widely spoken |
| Zermatt | 3/5 | Widely spoken |
| Bern | 3/5 | Widely spoken |
| St. Moritz | 3/5 | Widely spoken |
| Montreux | 3/5 | Widely spoken |
Quick answers
Is Interlaken good for solo travelers?
Very good for solo travel (4/5). Adventure base between two lakes, with paragliding, canyoning and the gateway to Jungfrau region villages.
How do you meet people in Interlaken?
Social hostels run barbecue nights and group trips; paragliding, canyoning and hiking groups from town make it easy to join others. On SoloSquare you can also join small plans with other travelers who are there now.
Do people speak English in Interlaken?
Spoken almost everywhere.
Is Interlaken safe for solo female travelers?
Comfortable alone, including at night; hostel mixed dorms are normal.
More about Interlaken
Going to Interlaken solo?
SoloSquare is where travelers, nomads and locals in Interlaken meet up for small plans: coffee, dinners, walks and day trips. Join one, or start your own in a minute.
Sources
Ratings are SoloSquare's editorial judgment. Compiled and reviewed by SoloSquare. How we compile and score this. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.