Pfingstegg costs CHF 16 with the Swiss Travel Pass
The cable car is a straight 50% discount, so CHF 32 return becomes CHF 16. That's about half what you'd pay to get up to Grindelwald First on the same day. If you're carrying a Berner Oberland Pass instead, the cable car is free rather than half price, and several other regional passes knock something off too. No reservation and no booking. You turn up and ride.
No pass discounts the toboggan run or the Fly-Line
This is the bit that catches people out, and the operator is unusually blunt about it: there's no discount on the Toboggan Run or the Fly-Line with a GA, a Half Fare Card, the Swiss Travel Pass, or a guest card. Nothing. Tickets for both are sold on site only, with no advance booking, so budget cash or card on the day and don't go looking for them online.
Prices are where it gets murky. Sources conflict on the toboggan: one says CHF 8 a trip, another says CHF 6 adult and CHF 4 child, with multi-ride passes for 5 or 10 descents. The Fly-Line is CHF 14 a descent. Both shut in bad weather, and the toboggan stops immediately once things get wet.
At Grindelwald First your pass does cut the activity prices. Here it does nothing.
Pfingstegg or Grindelwald First: which one your pass is better spent on
They're both cable cars out of the same village, and they're not really competing for the same afternoon.
| Pfingstegg | Grindelwald First | |
|---|---|---|
| Fare with the Swiss Travel Pass | CHF 16, half of CHF 32 | About double |
| Activity discounts with a pass | None at all | Yes, activities are discounted |
If you've got a spare half day rather than a whole one, Pfingstegg is CHF 16 well spent. What the pass is worth on every other summit is on the mountain coverage page.
What you see from the Pfingstegg viewpoint at 1,387m
You're looking up at the Wetterhorn, Schreckhorn and Eiger rather than across at them, which is a genuinely different angle from First or Männlichen. The terrace at the Bergrestaurant Pfingstegg is where most people end up parked with a drink, and honestly that's a reasonable use of the trip.
Pfingsteggbahn opening times, season and how long to allow
The season runs 25 April to 25 October 2026, weather dependent, and the cable car goes daily from around 7.45am with the last descent around 6.20pm. The toboggan and Fly-Line run 10:00 to 17:00, or 09:30 to 18:00 in summer, so an early ride up gets you the view but not the rides.
Allow an hour or two unless you're walking on toward the Baeregg hut, in which case allow most of a day. One timing trap: the Baeregg hut closes earlier than the cable car, so a late start can leave you at a shut door.
Walking from Pfingstegg to Baeregg, or down to Grindelwald
Two walks, and they're not remotely the same difficulty level.
- Baeregg: the challenging one, marked red, with views up to the Wetterhorn, Schreckhorn and Eiger. Check the hut's closing time before you set off.
- Down to Grindelwald: the easy option, a narrow dirt path with switchbacks, mostly through forest. Not stroller friendly.
How to reach the Pfingsteggbahn from Zurich or Grindelwald
It's all covered by the Swiss Travel Pass right up to the cable car station, and the last leg is a village bus.
- Take the train from Zurich to Interlaken Ost, then on to Grindelwald. Roughly 2h 30mins door to door.
- From Grindelwald station, catch the bus to the stop Grindelwald Pfingsteggbahn.
- Buy your half price cable car ticket at the valley station and ride up. It's a short trip.
Food, rides and evening dinners in the gondolas
Five things at the top, and one of them is dinner inside a cable car.
- Bergrestaurant Pfingstegg, with a terrace. It's the only indoor shelter up there, so a wet day here is a short day.
- A playground and a treasure hunt, both free of the toboggan's age rules.
- The toboggan run, 725m, minimum age 4. Under 4s aren't allowed on at all, not even with an adult.
- The Fly-Line, starting just below the top station and gliding through forest past rock faces and streams, sometimes skimming the ground and sometimes about 12m up in the trees. The operator describes it as decelerating rather than fast, which is a wonderfully honest bit of marketing.
- Evening sky dinners, served in the gondolas themselves, which is either charming or claustrophobic depending on your feelings about being fed inside a cable car.
FAQ
How much is Pfingstegg with the Swiss Travel Pass?
CHF 16 return instead of CHF 32, a flat 50% discount on the cable car. That's roughly half what Grindelwald First costs with the same pass.
Is the Pfingstegg toboggan run included in the Swiss Travel Pass?
No, and neither is the Fly-Line. The operator states plainly that there's no discount with a GA, a Half Fare Card, the Swiss Travel Pass or a guest card.
Can you book the Pfingstegg toboggan or Fly-Line in advance?
No. Tickets for both are sold on site only, with no advance booking, so you buy them when you get there.
How much do the toboggan and Fly-Line cost?
The Fly-Line is CHF 14 a descent. Toboggan prices are inconsistent across sources: one gives CHF 8 a trip, another CHF 6 adult and CHF 4 child, with multi-ride passes for 5 or 10 descents.
What's the minimum age for the Pfingstegg toboggan run?
Four. Children under 4 aren't allowed on the 725m run at all, so bring them for the playground and the treasure hunt instead.
Is Pfingstegg free with the Berner Oberland Pass?
Yes, the cable car is free with the Berner Oberland Pass rather than half price, and discounted with several other regional passes. The toboggan and Fly-Line still get nothing.
When is Pfingstegg open?
25 April to 25 October 2026, weather dependent. The cable car starts around 7.45am with the last descent around 6.20pm, while the toboggan and Fly-Line run 10:00 to 17:00, or 09:30 to 18:00 in summer.