Interlaken really is the best location if you're looking to enjoy a variety of activities. It's a great base for excursions along the lakes (such as Giessbach Falls on Lake Brienz or the Castles on Lake Thun), or even further outside of the Jungfrau region to Bern or Lucerne.

For travelers in 2026, Lucerne (Luzern) and Interlaken remain the two most popular base cities for exploring the Swiss Alps, each offering a different experience. Lucerne is often considered the "best" for first-time visitors because it is a beautiful, historic city on a lake with immediate access to mountains like Pilatus, Rigi, and Titlis, and it is only an hour from Zurich airport. Interlaken, meanwhile, is the "adventure capital" and the primary gateway to the Bernese Oberland (Jungfrau region); it is perfectly positioned between Lake Brienz and Lake Thun, making it the ideal base for those who want to visit Lauterbrunnen, Grindelwald, and the Jungfraujoch. If you prefer a more "authentic mountain village" feel as your base, Wengen or Zermatt are excellent choices, though they are car-free and require more logistical planning to reach. For those using a Swiss Travel Pass, any of these hubs provide seamless connections to the entire Alpine network via Switzerland’s world-class rail and cable car system.