Guide · Winter

Winter jet boat in Interlaken and the lakes in the cold months

A winter jet boat in Interlaken still roars out of Bönigen when the public boats on Lake Brienz have gone quiet. Here is what runs on the lakes between November and March, what it costs, and how to dress for it.

Check availabilityfrom $147 · no cancellation fee

Editorial team, interlakenboattour.comUpdated October 20, 20267 min read34 sources

This guide's tour Interlaken: Winter Jetboat Ride on Lake Brienz 4.9 (25 reviews) 35 min from$98per person Check availabilityFree to cancel as late as 24 hrs before

Winter in brief

01Winter jetboat: OUTDOOR runs it from November to March, from CHF 59 per guest.¹
02Winter kayak: Hightide's guided drysuit tour runs from 1 November to 30 April.²
03Lake Brienz boats: BLS stops its Lake Brienz cruises for the winter from 7 December.³
04Lake Thun boats: They run all year, with daily trips between Thun and Interlaken.⁴ ⁵
05Book the jetboat: Listed from $98, with free cancellation up to 24 hours before.

Lake Brienz when the snow comes down

A winter jet boat in Interlaken is one of the few ways to be out on Lake Brienz in the cold months. OUTDOOR runs its winter ride from November to March, from the same base in Bönigen as the summer boat.¹ The company calls it the only winter jetboat tour in Switzerland, and in winter the lake is a quieter, more muted place than in July.⁶ Book a slot around midday if you want the best chance of sun on the slopes.

Interlaken Tourism notes that the winter route is changed somewhat compared with the summer trip to the Giessbach Falls, to make the most of the snowy shores.⁷ Expect white slopes rising straight from dark water, bare trees along the shore and a sky that can switch from grey to bright blue within an hour. The ride is short, but the scenery is the main reward. Watch the light on the snowfields change as clouds drift over the ridges above the water.

The rest of the lake slows down. BLS ends its Lake Brienz boat season on 6 December in 2026 and only starts again on 26 March in 2027.⁸ ⁹ Lake Thun keeps its boats running through the whole winter, so the two lakes behave very differently between December and March.⁴ Plan a winter visit around that split and you will not wait at an empty pier. Lake Thun is the place for a classic boat ride once Lake Brienz has closed.

The winter season

From autumn timetables to spring restart

Mid-October

Brienz slows down

The autumn and winter timetable on Lake Brienz begins on 12 October 2026.¹⁰
November

Winter rides begin

Winter jetboat and drysuit kayak tours start this month.¹ ²
Early December

Last Brienz boats

BLS sails Lake Brienz until 6 December 2026.⁸
Mid-December

Restaurant boat opens

Ufem Fluss opens at Interlaken Ost on 12 December 2026.¹¹
Christmas Eve

Christmas cruise

BLS sails from Thun at 18.40 on 24 December 2026.¹²
Late March

Boats return

The Lake Brienz season restarts on 26 March 2027.⁹

The winter jetboat ride

The winter listing meets at the OUTDOOR jetboat base, Am Quai 5 in Bönigen, at the BLS port building on the quay, with parking right behind it. Its booked duration is 35 minutes, and OUTDOOR's own page says the boat returns to the base after about 25 minutes on the water.¹³ The driver speaks German and English. Arrive in good time to change into the cold-weather gear before the start.

OUTDOOR lists the winter ride at CHF 79 for an adult and CHF 59 for a child under 16, and a whole boat costs CHF 649.¹⁴ For the cold season it supplies a splash jacket, waterproof gloves, a warm hat, a life jacket and a free photo of the tour.¹⁵ On GetYourGuide the ride is listed from $98 and rated 4.88 from 25 reviews. A charter makes sense for a family or a small group of friends who want the boat to themselves.

The same height rule applies in winter as in summer, with riders at least 110 cm tall. The listing describes 360° spins on the water and views of the snowy Bernese Oberland. Booking holds your seat without payment until later, and cancelling stays free until 24 hours before the start. Keep that window in mind if the forecast turns stormy. Bring a dry pair of gloves for afterwards.

Month by month

Daylight and wet days in Interlaken

Hours without sunDays with precipitationSeason

Bars give the hours between sunset and sunrise in the middle of each month; the line counts days that reach 1 mm of precipitation. Data: the Interlaken station of MeteoSwiss, 1991 to 2020.³²

What runs in winter

Boats and lake trips between November and March

Trip	Lake	Winter dates
Winter jetboat	Brienz	November to March
Kayak tour in a drysuit	Brienz	1 November to 30 April
BLS scheduled boats	Brienz	Until 6 December 2026
BLS scheduled boats	Thun	All winter
Cheese Fondue Cruise	Thun	Saturdays from 14 November
Hot tub boats	Brienz	26 October to 31 March

As OUTDOOR, Hightide, BLS and Pirate Bay state on their own pages, read 20 October 2026.¹ ² ⁸ ⁴ ¹⁶ ¹⁷

Three winter outings

Speed, paddling or a fondue evening

Fastest

Winter jetboat

November to March

Duration: 35 minutes
Minimum height: 110 cm
Cancellation: Free up to 24 hours

Compare

Quietest

Winter kayak tour

November to April

Duration: 3 hours
Age: 12 and above
Cancellation: Free up to 3 days

Compare

Warmest

Cheese fondue cruise

Lake Thun, Saturdays

Leaves Thun: 19.10
Adult: CHF 75
Passes: Not valid

Compare

Decision helper

Which winter outing is yours?

Pick the line that matches your mood

I want a rush of speed in the snow I prefer silence and a slow pace I just want a boat ride in January We want dinner on the lake I want to stay warm on the water

The winter jetboat

About 25 minutes on the water from Bönigen.¹³

The winter kayak tour

Small groups with drysuits, tea and cookies.¹⁸

A BLS boat on Lake Thun

It runs daily between Thun and Interlaken in winter.⁵

A fondue cruise or float

BLS on Lake Thun on Saturdays, OUTDOOR's float on Lake Brienz.¹⁶ ¹⁹

The hot tub boats in Brienz

They are the only Pirate Bay boats running in winter.¹⁷

The summer season runs from April to October. During winter, the Giessbach funicular and Lake Brienz boats operate with limited service.

Grandhotel GiessbachSource 20

A kayak tour in a drysuit

Paddling is the slow alternative. Hightide's winter kayak tour runs from 1 November to 30 April, with morning and afternoon departures.² It costs CHF 139 for an adult and CHF 119 for a child aged 12 to 15, with a maximum weight of 120 kg and a maximum height of 190 cm.²¹ Groups are limited to 6, or 8 on a private tour.¹⁸ A morning departure and an afternoon one can feel quite different on the same lake, so pick the light you prefer.

The kit is what makes it possible. Hightide says the drysuit keeps water out, your own layers keep you warm, and it adds warm socks, neoprene boots and paddle mitts.²² The listing promises a break for hot tea and cookies and a route past Ringgenberg Castle, with no previous experience needed. It lasts 3 hours and suits anyone aged 12 and above. Hot drinks in the middle of a tour turn a cold morning into a pleasant one.

Do not try to rent a kayak and go alone. Hightide stops its rentals in the winter months because the water becomes too cold without specialized gear.²³ On GetYourGuide the guided winter tour is listed from $173 and rated 4.89 from 281 reviews, with free cancellation up to 3 days ahead. Book it, dress as the listing asks, and leave the risks to the guide. If you are unsure about the cold, book the jetboat first and the kayak on a milder day.

Checklist

Dressed for a cold lake

Winter jetboat

Ski pants and a good winter jacket
Winter shoes, gloves and a hat
Provided: splash jacket, gloves, hat, life jacket¹⁵

Winter kayak tour

Thick socks and thermal layers under the drysuit
Sunglasses and a sun hat
Check in 5 minutes before the start

Cost calculator

What a winter outing costs your group

Enter your group size to compare three bookable winter trips.

Winter jetboat35 minutesfrom $98 Winter kayak3 hoursfrom $173 Chocolate fondue float2 hoursfrom $123

People 2

Total from$195

per guest from $98

Check availabilityfree cancellation

A total multiplies each listing's lowest GetYourGuide fare by your group size, turned into your currency at today's ECB rate; checkout shows the final figure.

Video

Winter Boat Cruise in First Class on Lake Thun from Interlaken (Thunersee)

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What the public boats do in winter

On Lake Brienz the season winds down in stages. In 2026 the autumn and winter timetable runs from 12 October to 6 December, after which BLS sends no boats onto the lake for the winter.¹⁰ ³ The Grandhotel Giessbach notes that in winter its funicular and the Lake Brienz boats run only a limited service.²⁰ Check both before planning a visit to the falls late in the year. Late autumn is the last chance for a Lake Brienz crossing before the spring.

The Giessbach funicular runs daily until 25 October in 2026, then only Wednesday to Sunday from 28 October to 6 December.²⁴ The Grandhotel itself opens Wednesday to Sunday from 21 October 2026 to 20 March 2027.²⁵ Until 3 December 2026, BLS also serves an Afternoon Tea on Lake Brienz on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, leaving Interlaken Ost at 15.10.²⁶ Combine the tea with a walk in Brienz if you have the time.

Lake Thun is the winter lake. Interlaken Tourism says BLS runs daily trips from Thun to Interlaken and back throughout the winter.⁵ The BLS timetable for 2027 lists a winter period from 13 December 2026 to 3 January 2027, followed by another from 4 January to 21 March 2027.²⁷ ²⁸ A crossing on a crisp, clear day shows the Bernese Alps at their sharpest. Day trips to Spiez or Thun by boat therefore stay possible all winter long.

Fondue, Christmas and warm water

Winter is fondue season on the lakes. BLS runs a Cheese Fondue Cruise on Lake Thun every Saturday from 14 November to 19 December 2026 and from 16 January to 27 February 2027, leaving Thun at 19.10.¹⁶ It costs CHF 75 for an adult, and travel passes are not valid on it.²⁹ A Fondue Chinoise Cruise runs on Fridays at CHF 98.³⁰ Reserve a seat early for the December Saturdays if your dates are fixed.

On 24 December 2026 BLS sails a Christmas Cruise from Thun at 18.40, back at 21.15, for CHF 155 per adult.¹² Back at Interlaken Ost, the restaurant boat Ufem Fluss serves Swiss dishes at the landing stage from 12 December 2026 to 14 March 2027.¹¹ On Lake Brienz, OUTDOOR's cheese fondue float runs from September to April, leaving at 18:00.¹⁹ Dress warmly for any evening on the water at this time of year.

For warmth, Brienz has an unusual answer. Pirate Bay keeps only its hot tub boats running in its winter season, from 26 October to 31 March 2027.¹⁷ Under Lake Thun's north shore, the St. Beatus Caves open a winter season from 21 November 2026 to 20 March 2027.³¹ A cave visit or a soak in warm water makes a good second half to a cold day on the lake. Both make good plans for a grey afternoon when the mountains hide in cloud.

Cold air, cold water and what to wear

Winter in Interlaken is cold but rarely brutal. At the MeteoSwiss station in town, January averages a daily high of 3.5 °C and a low of -3 °C.³² December is only a little milder, with an average high of 3.9 °C.³² Daylight in mid-January lasts 8.9 hours, so plan outdoor activities for the middle of the day.³² The short days make a morning boat and an afternoon indoors a sensible rhythm.

The lake water stays cold as well. Eawag's survey of Lake Brienz notes that winter temperatures fall toward 5°C.³³ Its 2016 report adds that no water colder than 4.7 °C was observed in Lake Brienz and Lake Thun.³⁴ That is far too cold for a casual swim, and spray on a jetboat or a splash from a paddle feels sharp on bare skin. Even with a drysuit, keep your face and hands covered between paddle strokes.

Dress for the ski slopes. The winter jetboat listing asks for waterproof and windproof winter clothing: ski pants, a good winter jacket, gloves, a hat and winter shoes. For the kayak tour the listing asks for thick socks, a thermal top and bottom and a thin jumper under the drysuit. Sunglasses help too, as low winter sun on snow and water can be dazzling. Pack a spare warm layer in the car or a bag for the trip home.

Your turn at speed