Switzerland›Bern & the Bernese Oberland›Interlaken›May
Interlaken in May
Good month: May is at the start of the recommended season (May – September). Against it: Grimsel, Furka and Susten Passes Closed. Plan around: Summer Crowds.
The season runs to the end of September, 4 months away.
3 days in Interlaken in May · from ₹1,31,471 for two
Stay, food & local travel; getting there extra
The weather in May
What the season does to Interlaken this month.
Heads up
Jungfraujoch Weather
Jungfraujoch is at 3,454 m: it can be in cloud with no view while the valley is sunny, and it is below freezing even in August. Check the webcams on jungfrau.ch the morning you go (the return ticket from Interlaken is CHF 261 in the May-October peak), go early, take warm clothes and sunglasses, and walk slowly at the top; the thin air makes some people dizzy.
Before you book May
Closures, crowds and rules at Interlaken this month.
Heads up
Jungfraujoch Seat Reservation
From May to October a seat reservation on the Jungfraujoch trains is compulsory (CHF 10 in 2026), on top of the ticket and the Swiss Travel Pass. Morning trains sell out first in July and August.
Heads up
Grimsel, Furka and Susten Passes Closed
The high road passes (Grimsel, Furka, Susten, Nufenen) close for the winter, roughly from late October to late May or June, earlier after a snowfall (they reopened on 29 May in 2026, the Susten in June). Trains and the year-round car trains through the Furka and Lötschberg tunnels are not affected; only scenic drives and pass buses are.
Heads up
Summer Crowds
May and June bring the Indian summer-holiday tours, July and August the European summer: queues at the Jungfraujoch, Titlis and Gornergrat stations, full trains and the year's highest room prices. Go up on the first train, and book rooms 2-3 months ahead.
What it costs
For two sharing a room; 3 days on the ground, getting there not included.
Budget
₹1,31,471 for two
- Room a night₹15,080
- Food a day, each₹5,733
- Main sight entry, each₹30,280
Mid-range
₹2,09,665 for two
- Room a night₹27,840
- Food a day, each₹13,230
- Main sight entry, each₹30,280
Luxury
₹3,92,358 for two
- Room a night₹58,000
- Food a day, each₹30,870
- Main sight entry, each₹30,280
What May does to prices
- May and June bring the Indian summer-holiday tours, July and August the European summer: queues at the Jungfraujoch, Titlis and Gornergrat stations, full trains and the year's highest room prices.
Totals cover the room (taxes included), food, local transport, entry and a 10% buffer: the figures the planner opens on. These are typical rates; Tourisma has no month-by-month rates for Switzerland yet, so they don't move with the month.
Getting there
Fly into Zurich (ZRH), 92 km away
Then: Train · 2h (SBB InterCity via Bern and Spiez (many direct))
Flights from India: from 6 cities, one way from ₹32,000
Fly into Geneva (GVA), 142 km away
Then: Train · 2h 48m (SBB via Bern)
Flights from India: from 3 cities, one way from ₹34,000
Routes compared
Entry rules
Visa needed before you fly for up to 90 days, about ₹12,290
- Book a Schengen visa appointment with VFS Global for Switzerland (Swiss Embassy, New Delhi, and its consulates) up to 6 months and at least 15 days before you travel; April to September slots go fast, so book 6-8 weeks ahead. Apply to Switzerland if it is where you spend the most nights.
- At the centre, give fingerprints and a photo and pay the €90 visa fee (₹9,600) and the VFS service charge (₹2,690). Expect a decision in about 15 days, longer in summer.
- At your first Schengen airport, immigration registers your fingerprints and photo in the Entry/Exit System; the visa allows up to 90 days in any 180 across the Schengen area.
Carry: Passport issued within the last 10 years, valid at least 3 months after you leave the Schengen area, with two blank pages; Completed Schengen visa application form and two recent photos to Schengen specifications; Travel medical insurance covering at least €30,000, valid in every Schengen state for the whole trip; Return flight reservation and hotel bookings for every night; Day-by-day itinerary and a covering letter; Bank statements for the last 3-6 months and income tax returns (ITR) for 2-3 years; Employment letter with approved leave, or business or college documents.
Switzerland is in Schengen but not the EU, so one Schengen visa covers it and its neighbours. Since 2024, Indians who have used two Schengen visas properly in 3 years can be given a 2-year, then a 5-year, multiple-entry visa. The ₹ amounts follow the Swiss Embassy's April 2026 price list; confirm them, and the appointment wait, on the VFS Switzerland India site before you apply.
Checked 2026-10; confirm with the embassy before you fly.
Elsewhere in Switzerland in May
Also in season this month.
- Lugano · great month
- Appenzell · good month
- Basel · good month
- Bern · good month
- Geneva · good month
- Lucerne · good month
- Montreux & Lausanne · good month
- Rhine Falls & Schaffhausen · good month
Nearby in Bern & the Bernese Oberland:
Want this as a real plan?
Interlaken in May, day by day, priced for your group.