Holidays To Bern - Bernese Oberland

A fascinating medieval city and Switzerland's capital

Bern is a truly beautiful city; its Old Town has even been recognised as a World Heritage Site. This is Switzerland's capital but it has the feel of a small town and can be explored on foot - a wonderful place to spend a few days relaxing and sightseeing. 

The cobbled streets, covered arcades and distinctive red roofs of the Old Town are crammed into a small peninsular of land, surrounded by the river Aare. The focal point is the Zytglogge. Dating from 1530, visitors still gather underneath the ornate clock when it chimes the hour. The Old Town also features several 16th century fountains with colourful statues. The 1852 Parliament Building has a display with 26 fountains representing each of the Swiss cantons while the Cathedral is Switzerland's largest, with breathtaking views from the spire.

Albert Einstein worked in Bern's patent office and developed his Theory of Relatively here. Today you can visit his house, now a museum. Paul Klee is also inextricably linked with the city - 40% of his works are to be found here. Bern's famous bears live on a beautiful slope next to the Aare where visitors can watch them fish and play. Climb the hill from the Bear Park to the Rose Garden for a large park with wonderful views of the Old Town and river. Hotel guests benefit from the FREE Bern Ticket, allowing you to hop on and off local buses, trains and funiculars. 

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Contact us to book your holiday

Call us on 0800 619 1200 or email us at info@swissholidayco.com

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Bern holiday ideas 2025

Stay in our handpicked Bern hotel

What to see and do from Bern

Gurten is Bern's local mountain and free with your Bern Ticket. This is a lush green setting with a miniature railway, restaurant and breath-taking views of the Alps. Gantrisch Nature Park is less than a hour from Bern and a wonderful place for enjoying walks. The green pastures and meadows of the Emmental countryside create a pretty patchwork landscape. Visit the Emmental Show Dairy for demonstrations of its world-famous Emmental cheese. The Kambly Experience is home to the delicious Swiss biscuits and is well worth a tour to learn abut the 100 year tradition. Another lovely day out is on the Chocolate Express train which takes you from Bern to the Maison Cailler chocolate factory where you can learn all about Swiss chocolate making and of course try some of the delicious products!

From Bern, you can reach most of the fabulous Bernese Oberland excursions in about 2 hours (a little longer for the Jungfraujoch and Schilthorn). In addition to the stunning mountains, there are waterfalls, traffic-free villages and lake cruises to visit.

Visit a UNESCO World Heritage Site

Bern's Old Town is a World Heritage Site in its own right. You can also visit the stunning Lavaux vineyard terraces near Vevey and taste the local produce. The Jungfrau-Aletsch Glacier is an awesome sight and highly recommended as a full day trip.

Explore the region with our great value travel passes

Our holidays include the Half Fare Card, which entitles you to a 50% discount on most rail, mountain railways, cable cars, boats and PostBuses across Switzerland.

If you are planning daily outings, it can be well worth pre-booking the Bernese Oberland Regional Pass, as it saves you a great deal of money - and helps you avoid the queues at the ticket office! Other passes such as the Swiss Travel Pass and the Jungfrau Travel Pass are also available. We will be delighted to help you choose the one that's right for you. Call us on 0800 619 1200 for more advice.

Scenic rail holidays from Bern

Enjoy a fantastic two or multi centre holiday, with a scenic rail journey connecting your resorts.

Bern is on the route of the Emmental Regio Express to Lucerne and the Lötschberg Regio Express to Kandersteg and Brig. At Brig, you can join the famous Glacier Express to St. Moritz.

If you prefer to be based solely in Bern, there are many lakes and mountains journeys to be enjoyed locally. We can tailor make any itinerary you choose, please contact us for details on 0800 619 1200.

How to get to Bern

Your ticket wallet will contain comprehensive travel instructions to help you reach your destination with ease, including recommended rail connection times and platform numbers. These are the most common routes for your Bern holiday. 

Fly to Zurich

Flights available from London, Luton, Birmingham, Manchester, Edinburgh, Glasgow.

Swiss Railways: Zurich Airport > Bern with a transfer time of around 1 hour 15 minutes. 

Fly to Geneva

Flights available from London, Luton, Birmingham, Bristol, Edinburgh, Liverpool, Manchester, Newcastle.  

Swiss Railways: Geneva Airport > Bern with a transfer time of around 2 hours. 

Travel by international rail

Rail from London St. Pancras via Paris to Basel.

Swiss Railways: Basel > Bern with a transfer time of around 1 hour. 

Request your holiday quotation

Call us on 0800 619 1200 or email us at info@swissholidayco.com