Guide · Lake Thun

Interlaken to Thun boat past caves and castles

The Interlaken to Thun boat glides out through a canal, crosses the larger of the two lakes and passes castles on its western shore. Here is the route, the time it takes and what it costs.

Check availabilityfrom $147 · no cancellation fee

Editorial team, interlakenboattour.comUpdated October 20, 20267 min read72 sources

This guide's tour Attraction Ticket: Day Pass for Lake Thun&Brienz Boat Cruise 4.3 (16 reviews) from$135per person Check availabilityFree to cancel as late as 24 hrs before

The short version

01Where to board: Interlaken West landing stage, Kanalpromenade 1, opposite the railway station.¹ ²
02Journey time: Around 2 hours 10 minutes from Interlaken to Thun, says Interlaken Tourism.³
03Single fare: CHF 54.00 in 2nd class and CHF 89.00 in 1st class, read 20 October 2026.⁴
04Season: BLS boats sail on Lake Thun all year, unlike on Lake Brienz.⁵
05Bookable pass: A day pass for both lakes from $135, with Lake Thun boats from Interlaken West.

Leaving from Interlaken West

The Interlaken to Thun boat leaves from the BLS landing stage Interlaken West at Kanalpromenade 1, right opposite Interlaken West railway station.¹ ² You do not see the lake from the pier at first. Between 1890 and 1892 a steamship company dug a 2.75 km ship canal from Lake Thun to the station, and boats still use it today.⁶ The first minutes on board are a slow, quiet glide between banks before the water widens. Find your seat early, while the boat is still in the calm canal.

Tickets are sold on every boat, and from spring to autumn also at the counters in Interlaken West, Spiez and Thun, which close in winter.⁷ Seating is free and cannot be reserved, except for restaurant tables with a meal.⁸ On most boats 2nd class is on the main deck and 1st class on the upper deck.⁹ Pick a seat on the open deck if you want clear photos, and keep a jacket close for the breeze.

Food and drink come from the BLS catering partner, and BLS asks anyone who wants lunch, breakfast or a drink to reserve a table in the restaurant.¹⁰ A picnic on deck is allowed too.¹¹ Apart from the motor vessel Interlaken, every BLS boat is wheelchair accessible, with level access to the outside decks and the 2nd-class restaurant.¹² Bring a warm layer even in summer, as the deck catches the wind once you are out on the open lake.

The route

From the Interlaken canal to Thun

Interlaken West

Through the canal

A 2.75 km ship canal, dug between 1890 and 1892, leads to the lake.⁶
Neuhaus

Nature reserve

A lido and a free bathing area, with no lifeguard.³ ¹³
Beatushöhlen

Walk up to the caves

The cave entrance is a 20-25 minute walk uphill.¹⁴
Spiez

Castle by the bay

Spiez Castle is a 5-minute walk from the boat station.¹⁵
Oberhofen

Landing by the castle

A keep from around 1200 AD, a museum since 1954.¹⁶ ¹⁷
Thun

End of the line

Around 2 hours 10 minutes after leaving Interlaken.³

Neuhaus, the caves and the north shore

Interlaken Tourism traces the route from Interlaken West past the Neuhaus nature reserve, on towards the caves and Beatenbucht, then to Spiez, Gunten, Oberhofen, Hilterfingen, Hünibach and finally Thun.³ Neuhaus has a paid lido and a free bathing area, with no lifeguard on duty.¹³ On a hot afternoon it is a handy place to slip into the lake before the boat moves on. Pack a towel and a bag for wet things if you plan to stop there for a swim.

The boat from Interlaken to the St. Beatus Caves drops you at the stage named Beatushöhlen-Sundlauenen. From there the caves are a 20-25 minute walk uphill.¹⁴ Inside, the operators have explored the system over 14 kilometres, and one kilometre is secured for visitors and open all year.¹⁸ The tour takes about 60 minutes on a path with 297 steps and 87 metres of height difference.¹⁹ Shoes with good grip make the damp steps easier.

Inside the mountain it stays at 8-10 °C all year, with around 95% humidity, so a sweater helps even in July.²⁰ Adult entry costs CHF 20, children from 6 to 16 pay CHF 12.²¹ BLS sells a combined ticket from Interlaken West with the boat one way, the bus the other way and cave entry, at CHF 30.40 in 2nd class.²² The summer season of the caves runs from 28 March to 8 November 2026, and a winter season follows from 21 November.²³ ²⁴

Castles and caves

Stops worth leaving the boat for

Stop	From the boat	Season 2026	Adult entry
St. Beatus Caves	20-25 min uphill	28 March to 8 November	CHF 20
Spiez Castle	5 min on foot	1 May to 31 October	CHF 12
Oberhofen Castle	Landing by the castle	10 May to 1 November	See the castle
Thun Castle	Old town, near the station	Open all year	See the castle

Walking times, seasons and prices from the caves' and castles' own pages, read 20 October 2026; Thun Castle opens with shorter winter hours.¹⁴ ²³ ²¹ ¹⁵ ²⁵ ²⁶ ²⁷ ²⁸ ²⁹ ³⁰

Three bookable days

Guided days on and around Lake Thun

Interlaken: Lake Thun Cruise, St. Beatus Caves & Picnic

Boat and mountain

Cruise, caves, picnic

Small group

Price: from $247
Duration: 7 hours
Group: Up to 8

Compare

Private boat tour on Lake Thun - 3-hour experience with refreshment

Your own boat

Private motorboat

From Neuhaus

Price: from $618
Boat: 200 HP, max. 6 people
Stops: Merligen, Spiez bay

Compare

Interlaken: Lake Thun - 3 Castles Tour with Entry Tickets

Castles only

Three castles

By minibus, no boat

Price: from $258
Duration: 3.5 hours
Pickup: Hotels near Interlaken

Compare

Decision helper

How to spend your day on Lake Thun

Choose the line that sounds most like you

I just want to reach Thun by water I want the caves and back I want castles and several stops I hold a Swiss Travel Pass I want a boat for my group alone

A single ticket

CHF 54.00 in 2nd class from Interlaken West.⁴

The BLS combined ticket

Boat one way, bus the other and entry, CHF 30.40 in 2nd class.²²

A day ticket

CHF 83.00 in 2nd class for both lakes all day.³¹

Board without a ticket

Free travel in your class on scheduled cruises.³²

The private motorboat

Max. 6 people from Neuhaus, from $618.

Five towering castles define the landscape around Lake Thun.

Interlaken TourismusSource 33

Spiez, Oberhofen and the castle shore

Interlaken Tourism counts five castles around Lake Thun.³³ Spiez Castle is a 5-minute walk from the Spiez boat station, close enough to visit between boats.¹⁵ It is a heritage site of national significance, its exhibition rooms tell 1300 years of history, and Spiez itself appears in a document of 762 AD.³⁴ ³⁵ Admission to the museum and tower is CHF 12 for adults, CHF 10 reduced and CHF 5 for children from 6 to 16.²⁶

Spiez Castle is open from 1 May to 31 October in 2026, Tuesday to Sunday from 10 am to 5 pm and on Mondays from 2 pm.²⁵ Further along, Oberhofen Castle has a keep from around 1200 AD, and the boat lands right by it.¹⁶ ²⁸ The Pourtalès family bought it in 1844 as a summer home, and it has been a museum since 1954.¹⁷ Its 2026 museum season runs from 10 May to 1 November.²⁷ The castle's visitor page lists last entry at 16.15.³⁶

A day that strings these castles together suits a day ticket, which lets you step off and on as often as you like. Leave time for each visit and check the next departure before you walk up to a castle. If you would rather not plan any of it, a small-group castle tour from Interlaken visits Oberhofen, Thun and Spiez, but it travels by private minibus along the lake, not by boat.

Map

Landing stages on Lake Brienz and Lake Thun

Both lakes with the piers named on these pages: Lake Brienz from Interlaken Ost to Brienz, then Lake Thun from Interlaken West to Thun.

Map of Lake Brienz from Interlaken Ost and Bönigen in the west to Brienz in the east, with Iseltwald and Giessbach — Lake Brienz

Map of Lake Thun from Interlaken West and Neuhaus in the east to Spiez, Oberhofen and Thun in the west — Lake Thun

1
Interlaken Ost
The Lake Brienz pier, at Lanzenen 1, a 4-minute walk from the railway station.³⁷ ³⁸
In Google Maps ↗
2
Bönigen
Landing stage and the jetboat base at the quay; bus 103 from Interlaken Ost takes about 10 minutes.³⁹ ⁴⁰ ⁴¹
In Google Maps ↗
3
Ringgenberg
Landing stage below a village first mentioned in 1240.³⁹ ⁴²
In Google Maps ↗
4
Iseltwald
About 45 minutes from Interlaken Ost by boat; the pier from Crash Landing on You costs CHF 5 to step onto.⁴³ ⁴⁴
In Google Maps ↗
5
Oberried
One of the 8 Lake Brienz landing stages on the north shore.³⁹
In Google Maps ↗
6
Giessbach See
About 1 hour from Interlaken Ost; the funicular climbs to the Grandhotel, 100 metres above the pier.⁴⁵ ⁴⁶
In Google Maps ↗
7
Brienz
About 1 hour 15 minutes by boat from Interlaken Ost, about 20 minutes back by train.⁴⁷
In Google Maps ↗
8
Interlaken West
The Lake Thun pier, Kanalpromenade 1, opposite the railway station; boats reach the lake through a 2.75 km canal.¹ ² ⁶
In Google Maps ↗
9
Neuhaus
Landing stage by a nature reserve, with a lido and a free bathing area.³ ¹³
In Google Maps ↗
10
Beatushöhlen
Boat station for the St. Beatus Caves, a 20-25 minute walk uphill.¹⁴
In Google Maps ↗
11
Merligen
Departure point of a private charter boat on Lake Thun.⁴⁸
In Google Maps ↗
12
Beatenbucht
Landing stage on the north shore of Lake Thun.⁴⁹
In Google Maps ↗
13
Spiez
Spiez Castle is a 5-minute walk from the boat station.¹⁵
In Google Maps ↗
14
Oberhofen
The boat landing is by Oberhofen Castle.²⁸
In Google Maps ↗
15
Hilterfingen
One of the 15 Lake Thun landing stages.⁴⁹
In Google Maps ↗
16
Thun
About 2 hours 10 minutes by boat from Interlaken West.⁵⁰
In Google Maps ↗

Open the map in Google Maps

Cost calculator

What a booked Lake Thun day costs your group

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🇨🇭 Lake Thun Boat Ride Switzerland | Interlaken to Spiez, Prices Pass & Tips | Complete Travel Guide

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Arriving in Thun

BLS gives the trip between Thun and Interlaken West as around 2 hours and 10 minutes, the same figure Interlaken Tourism uses for the full route.⁵⁰ ³ A complete round trip on the lake takes 4 hours and 40 minutes, including a 20-minute stop in Interlaken West.⁵⁰ From Thun to Spiez alone the boat needs around 50 minutes.⁵¹ Riding one way and taking the train back keeps the day relaxed, so look up the train times from Thun before you board.

Thun Castle stands above the old town, about ten minutes on foot from the station.³⁰ Its keep, built under the Dukes of Zähringen, holds the Knights' Hall at a height of 14 metres, one of the best-kept ceremonial rooms of the High Middle Ages.⁵² The museum in the keep opened in 1888.⁵³ From April to June the castle opens daily from 10 am to 5 pm, and in July and August from 9.30 am to 5.30 pm.²⁹ From November to January it opens on Sundays from 1 pm to 4 pm.²⁹

Thun is a pleasant end point with its riverside lanes and cafés. If you prefer to arrive by water at the end of the day rather than start with it, reverse the plan and take the train to Thun in the morning, then enjoy the long crossing back towards the mountains in the afternoon light. Either way, check the boat you want in the current timetable, as departures on this lake are not the same in every season.

Fares, passes and the paddle steamer

A single ticket between Thun and Interlaken West costs CHF 54.00 in 2nd class and CHF 89.00 in 1st class, or CHF 27.00 and CHF 44.50 with a Half-Fare travelcard, as BLS listed it on 20 October 2026.⁴ The BLS day ticket for both lakes costs CHF 83.00 in 2nd class.³¹ With the Swiss Travel Pass, the Flex with the date entered, or Eurail and Interrail with the date entered, scheduled cruises are free in the class you hold.³²

On summer days the boat may be the paddle steamer Blümlisalp, built in 1906 by Escher Wyss and returned to service after a nationwide fundraising campaign led by the cooperative Vaporama.⁵⁴ ⁵⁵ It set off on its second maiden voyage on 22 May 1992.⁵⁶ It carries up to 750 passengers and is 63.45 m long.⁵⁵ Seats cannot be reserved, so board in good time if you want a place at the rail.⁸ Watching the paddle wheels turn beside you is a treat for anyone who likes old machines.

In 2026 the BLS schedule listed the Blümlisalp on Lake Thun from 9 May to 11 October, with an after-work cruise from Thun from Tuesday to Saturday until 19 September.⁵⁷ ⁵⁸ Interlaken Tourism also mentions sailings between Christmas and New Year, but the BLS timetables show the steamer only in summer, so do not plan a winter trip around it.⁵⁹ ⁵⁷ BLS had not yet published the summer 2027 dates of the after-work cruise when this was read on 20 October 2026.⁵⁸

Lake Thun through the seasons

Unlike its neighbor, a Lake Thun boat from Interlaken runs in every month, and Interlaken Tourism says the fleet sails between Thun and Interlaken daily through the winter.⁵ ⁶⁰ Swiss Travel System gives the same picture, with Lake Thun boats year-round and Lake Brienz boats from April to December.⁶¹ Fewer scheduled boats operate in spring, autumn and winter, so plan cold-season days around the departures.

The BLS timetable is split into periods. On 20 October 2026 the autumn timetable was running to 14 November, followed by a winter timetable to 12 December.⁶² ⁶³ Then come Winter 2026/2027 from 13 December to 3 January and another winter timetable from 4 January to 21 March 2027.⁶⁴ ⁶⁵ Spring runs from 22 March, early summer from 6 May and summer from 12 June to 10 October 2027.⁶⁶ ⁶⁷ ⁶⁸ Find the period that covers your date first, then read the departures within it.

Some departures come with a meal. On Sundays a brunch is served on the boat leaving Thun at 09.40, arriving in Interlaken West at 11.49, at CHF 39.00 on top of the fare.⁶⁹ On winter Saturdays a cheese fondue cruise leaves Thun at 19.10.⁷⁰ The lake itself is the largest in the Bernese Oberland, says Interlaken Tourism, and Eawag measures it at 48.3 km² with a deepest point of 217 m.⁷¹ ⁷²

Your turn at speed