The short answer: stay in Grindelwald Dorf, the main village around the train station, if it’s your first visit or you’re travelling without a car. Stay near Grindelwald Terminal in Grund if the Jungfraujoch, Männlichen or skiing is your main plan. And if you’re travelling with younger kids and want somewhere quieter, honestly, have a look at Mürren or Wengen instead. I explain why further down.
We’ve stayed in Grindelwald twice with our kids. The first time was at Hotel Spinne over the Easter holidays, when they were six. The second was at the Sunstar in November, when they were ten. We’re Swiss, we spend a lot of time in the Jungfrau region, and this is the guide I’d send a friend who asks me where to book.
Best areas to stay in Grindelwald
Grindelwald is spread out along a sunny slope below the Eiger. Where you sleep decides how much time you spend walking uphill with tired kids, so it’s worth picking carefully.
| Area | Best for | Getting around | Price | With kids? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dorf (village centre) | First visit, no car, short stays | Station on your doorstep, First gondola on foot | CHF CHF – CHF CHF CHF | Yes: shops, restaurants and pool close by |
| Grund / Grindelwald Terminal | Jungfraujoch, Männlichen, skiing | Eiger Express and Männlichen gondola right there | CHF – CHF CHF | Yes, but quieter in the evenings |
| Slopes above the village | Views, chalets, longer stays | Steep walks, often a bus or car needed | CHF – CHF CHF CHF | Only if you don’t mind the hills |
Dorf: the easiest choice
This is where both of our stays were, and for a first visit I wouldn’t stay anywhere else. You step off the train and you’re there. The main street has the supermarkets, restaurants and bus stops, and you can walk to the First gondola. With small kids that matters more than a slightly better view.
The downside: it’s the busiest part of Grindelwald, with tour groups during the day in summer.
Grund and Grindelwald Terminal: for the Jungfraujoch
Grund sits lower down at Grindelwald Terminal, where the Eiger Express leaves for the Jungfraujoch and the gondola goes up to Männlichen. If the Jungfraujoch or skiing on the Kleine Scheidegg side is your main plan, staying here saves you a transfer every morning. It’s a few minutes to the centre by train or the free local bus.
Slopes above the village: views and space
The chalets and apartments on the hillsides have the best Eiger views and more space for the money. But the walks back up are steep. With a buggy or young kids, check the exact location on the map before you book.
Use the map to see which hotels are in the centre and which are up the slopes. Zoom in before you book.
Where we stayed in Grindelwald
Hotel Spinne: our Easter break (kids aged 6)
CHF CHF · Village centre · Best for: active spring or summer stays, families who want a pool with a view
We spent our Easter holidays at Hotel Spinne, and it turned into one of those trips where everything just worked. We skied in the mornings, swapped the skis for bikes in the afternoons, and one day we hiked up to Bachalpsee from Grindelwald First. That’s the beauty of Grindelwald at Easter: the upper slopes still have snow while the valley is already green.
The highlight for the kids and us was the pool. It’s small, but it’s warm, and you swim, or mostly just soak looking straight at the Eiger. After a full day outside, that was the best way to end the afternoon.
Good to know: don’t expect a big family pool for long swimming sessions. If that’s what your kids want, the Sunstar is the better pick.
Check prices & reviews at Hotel Spinne
Sunstar Hotel Grindelwald: our November trip (kids aged 10)
CHF CHF · Village centre · Best for: families, off-season trips, kids who need to burn off energy
Our second stay was in November, combined with a trip up to the Jungfraujoch. That turned out to be a great call. Grindelwald was quiet, not busy at all, which is a completely different experience to the summer crowds.
The Sunstar is a proper family hotel. The rooms are large, and the pool is big and kids are allowed to splash, which isn’t a given in Swiss hotel pools. If I’m picky, the water could have been a bit warmer.
Good to know: we’ve also stayed at the Sunstar in Arosa, one of the Swiss Family Hotels we’ve tested. Both have that same relaxed, kids-are-welcome feel.
Other Grindelwald hotels families love
We haven’t stayed at these ourselves. They’re the ones that come up again and again in reviews from families and in questions in our Switzerland with kids Facebook group, and the ones I’d look at next.
Upscale
Belvedere Swiss Quality Hotel · CHF CHF CHF · Near the station Family-run for three generations, and probably the most kid-focused upscale hotel in the village. Children can use the pools and whirlpools until 6pm, after which it’s adults only, and there’s a small playground and a games room with a corner for toddlers. Family suites have a separate kids’ room. Check prices & reviews
Hotel Kirchbühl · CHF CHF CHF · Quiet, above the main street A family-run chalet hotel with wide views of the Eiger North Face and the glacier. Families who stay here mention how quiet it is compared with the centre. There are also chalets and apartments belonging to the hotel, which helps if you need more space. Check prices & reviews.
Bergwelt Grindelwald · CHF CHF CHF · Village centre The design option, with a spa and separate residence apartments that work for families who want hotel service and their own kitchen. Check prices & reviews.
Mid-range
Hotel Fiescherblick – CHF CHF – Village centre A small, highly rated hotel that families use as their Grindelwald base. Family rooms are not huge, but a family of four fits, with the kids’ beds behind a divider. Check prices & reviews.
Hotel Gletschergarten – CHF CHF – Village centre One of the best-rated hotels on Booking’s family list for Grindelwald, with consistently high scores from families. Check prices & reviews.
Eiger Mountain & Soul Resort – CHF CHF – Near the station Regularly ranked among the best-value family hotels in Grindelwald, with an easy location for trains. Check prices & reviews.
Budget
Grindelwald Youth Hostel – CHF – Family-friendly and only 10minutes walk to the train station. Rooms have a beautiful mountain view. Check prices.
Apartments and chalets
For stays of four nights or more, an apartment usually makes more sense than a hotel: a kitchen, space for the kids to spread out, and no restaurant dinners every night. You still get the guest card from your host. Search apartments in Grindelwald
On the mountain
Berggasthaus First – If I can give you any advice, especially if you’d like to really experience First, I would recommend staying at the Berggasthaus for at least one night.
It’s only accessible by cable car, and the reason this would be my top pick is that you’re actually up on the mountain. Once the crowds have left with the last gondola, you get to experience the peacefulness of the mountain with only the hotel guests around. It’s a completely different experience from just visiting First during the day. Check prices & availability.
Where to stay in Grindelwald with kids
What matters most with kids in Grindelwald, from our two stays:
- Stay central. Being able to walk to the station, the supermarket and the First gondola saves more energy than any view.
- Pick a hotel with a pool, or use the village one. After a day outside, the pool was the kids’ favourite part of both stays. If your hotel doesn’t have one, the guest card gets you 50% off the indoor pool at the sports centre.
- Check what the pool allows. Some Swiss hotel pools are quiet spa pools. At the Sunstar splashing is fine; at the Belvedere kids can swim until 6pm.
- Go outside the peak months. Our November stay was quiet and relaxed. Easter gave us skiing and biking on the same day. July and August are the busiest and most expensive.
Honestly? With kids we’d pick Mürren or Wengen
Grindelwald works well, and we’ve had two great stays there. But if you ask me where to stay with kids in this part of Switzerland, I’d usually say Mürren or Wengen. Both are car-free, quieter, and feel more like a mountain village than a busy resort. That’s also the question I see most often in our Switzerland with kids group.
We stayed in Mürren at the Sportchalet in early summer, when the kids were around four or five. We loved the public swimming pool, and the Allmendhubel playground and flower trail is just a short funicular ride up. The view from Mürren across to the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau is one of the best in the country. We haven’t stayed in Wengen yet, but it’s the other car-free village families rave about.
| Grindelwald | Mürren | Wengen | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feel | Bigger, busier resort | Small, quiet, car-free | Car-free, a bit livelier than Mürren |
| Getting there | Direct train from Interlaken | Train to Lauterbrunnen, then cable car | Train to Lauterbrunnen, then cogwheel train |
| Jungfraujoch | Easiest: Eiger Express from Grindelwald Terminal | Furthest away | Train via Kleine Scheidegg |
| Best for | First visits, Jungfraujoch, lots of choice | Younger kids, views, slow days | Families who want car-free plus easy Jungfraujoch access |
| Our stays | Hotel Spinne (Easter), Sunstar (November) | Sportchalet Mürren (early summer) | Not yet |
My take: choose Grindelwald for a short first visit or if the Jungfraujoch is the main event. Choose Mürren or Wengen for a slower family holiday of four nights or more.
Getting to Grindelwald and around
Grindelwald is easy by public transport. From Interlaken Ost, the train takes around 35 minutes, and from Zurich you’re looking at roughly 2.5 to 3 hours with one change in Interlaken. You don’t need a car here.
The Grindelwald guest card Every overnight guest gets one from their hotel or apartment host. It gives you:
- Free local buses (lines 121, 122 and 123), including to the First and Pfingstegg cable cars and Grindelwald Terminal
- 50% off the indoor pool, ice rink and bouldering at the sports centre
- 15% off the First and Pfingstegg cable cars (buy at the counter)
- 30% off the Männlichen cable cars in summer
The mountain bus lines to Bussalp and Waldspitz aren’t included, but there’s a CHF 39 day pass for guest-card holders. Details on Grindelwald Tourism.
Things to do from Grindelwald
- Grindelwald First Cliff Walk: the walkway on the cliff at First, plus the adventure activities up there
- Bachalpsee hike: the lake hike from First we did at Easter, also possible in winter
- Bäregg Hut hike: Easy hike to mountain hut, extend to the Schreckhorn hut only for experienced hikers as it is a T4
- Jungfraujoch, Top of Europe: the Eiger Express leaves from Grindelwald Terminal
- Lauterbrunnen Valley: waterfalls and car-free villages, an easy day trip
Book ahead: Jungfraujoch tickets · Grindelwald First tickets
FAQs: Where to stay in Grindelwald
What is the best area to stay in Grindelwald?
The village centre (Dorf), around the train station. You can walk to the trains, the First gondola, shops and restaurants. Stay near Grindelwald Terminal instead if the Jungfraujoch or skiing is your main plan.
Is Grindelwald good for families?
Yes. It’s easy to reach by train, has plenty of family hotels with pools, and the guest card gives you free local buses. For a quieter, car-free stay with younger kids, we’d look at Mürren or Wengen.
Grindelwald or Interlaken: where should I stay?
Grindelwald, if you want to be in the mountains and save travel time to First and the Jungfraujoch. Interlaken has more cheaper hotels and suits a trip that also covers the lakes, but you spend more time on trains.
Grindelwald, Wengen or Mürren?
Grindelwald for a first visit, more hotel choice and the easiest Jungfraujoch access. Mürren for views and quiet days with younger kids. Wengen for car-free with good Jungfraujoch access.
How many nights do you need in Grindelwald?
At least two, so you get one full day up at First and one for the Jungfraujoch or a hike. Three to four nights lets you add a rest day and a trip into the Lauterbrunnen Valley.
When is the best time to stay in Grindelwald?
For families, Easter and early autumn work really well: fewer people and a mix of snow and green. November was the quietest time we’ve been. July and August are the busiest and most expensive, so book early.
Our pick
If I had to book one hotel in Grindelwald with kids, it would be the Sunstar: big rooms, a pool they can actually play in, and a central location. If you want something a bit more special, go for the Spinne and its Eiger-view pool.
Check prices at Sunstar Hotel Grindelwald · Check prices at Hotel Spinne
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