From Gstaad, Gruyères is about an hour by train or 45 minutes by car, Montreux 1 hour 24 minutes on the GoldenPass Express, and Interlaken about 1 hour 50 on the same train in the other direction. That puts the Gruyères cheese dairy and castle, Cailler chocolate at Broc, Château de Chillon, the Lavaux vineyard terraces and the Interlaken lakes all within an easy day.
Gruyères is 58 minutes from Gstaad by train when you catch the GoldenPass Express to Montbovon and change there; other connections take about 1 hour 20. By car it is about 40 km, around 45 minutes.
La Maison du Gruyère, the show dairy next to Gruyères station, makes cheese two to four times a day between 09:00 and 12:30, so go in the morning. Tickets are sold on site only. The old town is car-free, so allow 10 to 20 minutes to walk up from the car parks to the Château de Gruyères, which is open every day of the year: 10:00 to 17:00 from November to March and 09:00 to 18:00 from April to October, last entry 45 minutes before closing. The town also has the HR Giger Museum, whose works are not all suitable for children. A combined ticket covers the castle and the show dairy.
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Small-group day by train from Bern to the Gruyères show dairy, the old town and castle, and Maison Cailler.
Departs from Bern · About 8.5 hours
Maison Cailler, the Cailler chocolate factory visit at Broc, is 1 hour 28 minutes from Gstaad by train with two changes (GoldenPass Express to Montbovon, then via Bulle to Broc-Chocolaterie station), or about 46 minutes by car. Broc is close to Gruyères, so the two fit into one day. It is open daily from 10:00 to 17:00 and closes for maintenance from 25 to 28 January 2027.
Montreux is the end of the GoldenPass line: 1 hour 24 minutes from Gstaad on the Express, or about 1 hour 40 on the hourly direct trains, with no change either way. Château de Chillon, the castle on a rock in Lake Geneva, is a short bus ride beyond (bus 201 to Veytaux), about 2 hours door to door, or about an hour by car.
Chillon opens daily except 25 December and 1 January: 10:00 to 17:00 from November to February, 09:30 to 18:00 in March and October, and 09:00 to 19:00 from April to September, with last entry an hour before closing. Online booking is requested. In 2027 tickets cost CHF 18 for adults and CHF 7 for children aged 6 to 15, and entry is free with the Swiss Travel Pass.
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Entry ticket with audioguide for Château de Chillon on Lake Geneva.
Departs from Château de Chillon, Veytaux · Self-guided visit
The Lavaux terraces, a UNESCO World Heritage site, step down to Lake Geneva between Lutry and Montreux. Chexbres, at the top of the vineyards, is about 2 hours from Gstaad by train (GoldenPass line to Montreux, then via Vevey), or about 1 hour 10 by car. A good short walk is the 5.1 km loop from Chexbres down through Rivaz and Saint-Saphorin and back, about 1 hour 30 and easy.
The Lavaux Express road train runs from Lutry and Cully in the warmer months only and has not yet published its 2027 season, so plan Lavaux for spring to autumn.
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Small-group day with a walk in the Lavaux vineyards, a stop at Chillon and tastings of Vaud wines.
Departs from Pickup in the Lausanne or Geneva area · About 10 hours
The GoldenPass Express runs from Gstaad to Interlaken Ost in about 1 hour 50 minutes without a change, four times a day; other trains take about 2 hours with two changes. By car it is about 70 km, around 1 hour 15.
From Interlaken Ost, the Harder funicular climbs in 10 minutes to Harder Kulm, the viewpoint above the town and its two lakes; it runs in the warmer months. The Jungfraujoch, at 3,454 m, is possible in a long day: about 3 hours 45 each way from Gstaad with three changes, via Grindelwald Terminal and the Eiger Express gondola.
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Return ticket on the funicular from Interlaken up to the Harder Kulm viewpoint.
Departs from Harder funicular valley station, near Interlaken Ost · 10 minutes each way
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Guided day by bus and train from Interlaken to the Jungfraujoch via Grindelwald.
Departs from Interlaken · About 7 hours
If you plan to use the train, stay within walking distance of a station on the GoldenPass line. The GoldenPass Express stops at Gstaad, and Saanen, Rougemont and Château-d'Oex have regional trains towards Montreux.
Where to stay for this
Gstaad · 4-star superior · 46 rooms
Beside Gstaad station, where the GoldenPass Express stops
A 4-star superior beside Gstaad station with an indoor pool and four places to eat, for families and travellers arriving by train.
From €432 a night
Gstaad · 4-star · 29 rooms
One minute's walk from Gstaad station
A 29-room lifestyle hotel by Gstaad station with an open-air rooftop bar, for couples and friends who like a buzz.
Winter season from 23 November
From €473 a night
Gstaad · 3-star · 21 rooms
About two minutes from Gstaad station
A historic inn on Gstaad's Promenade, run by the Widmer family since 1922, for travellers wanting simple rooms and Swiss cooking.
From €236 a night
Saanen · 3-star · 22 rooms
Two minutes' walk from Saanen station
A simple, traditional three-star in Saanen's old village centre, two minutes from the station, with a Swiss restaurant open daily.
Château-d'Oex · 3-star · 60 rooms
Five minutes' walk from Château-d'Oex station, closer to Gruyères and Montreux
The Pays-d'Enhaut's biggest hotel, a plain 3-star in Château-d'Oex with a garden and free parking, for families and groups on a budget.
From €184 a night
By train in about an hour: take the GoldenPass Express to Montbovon and change for Gruyères. By car it is about 45 minutes.
1 hour 24 minutes on the GoldenPass Express, or about 1 hour 40 on the hourly direct MOB trains, with no change.
Yes. Entry to Château de Chillon is free with the Swiss Travel Pass and the Swiss Museum Pass. In 2027 the adult ticket is CHF 18.
Yes. Broc is a few minutes from Gruyères. Go to the Gruyères show dairy in the morning, when cheese is made, and to Maison Cailler, open 10:00 to 17:00, in the afternoon.
Yes. The GoldenPass Express reaches Interlaken Ost in about 1 hour 50 without a change, four times a day.
Sources: transport.opendata.ch, transport.opendata.ch, transport.opendata.ch, transport.opendata.ch, transport.opendata.ch, transport.opendata.ch, transport.opendata.ch, router.project-osrm.org, lamaisondugruyere.ch, lamaisondugruyere.ch. Checked October 2026.
