What to Do at Jungfraujoch — Top of Europe

The Jungfraujoch is more than a viewpoint — it’s a whole high-altitude complex built into the glacier saddle at 3,454 m, and almost everything is included in your ticket. The trick is knowing what’s there so you can pace a half-day without missing the highlights. This guide walks you through it. For how to actually get up there, see how to get to Jungfraujoch from Interlaken.

The Short Answer

Hit these five, in roughly this order: the Sphinx observation terrace, the Plateau snow walk, the Ice Palace, the Aletsch Glacier views, and the Snow Fun Park (summer) — then reward yourself at Lindt Swiss Chocolate Heaven on the way out. Budget at least half a day for the lot.

Sphinx Observation Terrace

The headline. An ultra-fast lift climbs 108 metres in 25 seconds to the Sphinx terrace at 3,571 m, a research-station spur perched above the station. On a clear day the view stretches to the Black Forest and the Vosges on one side, and straight down the Aletsch Glacier on the other. This is the photo you came for — go first, before the cloud builds.

The Aletsch Glacier

From the Sphinx and the surrounding terraces you look out over the Aletsch Glacier, the longest glacier in the Alps at around 23 kilometres and the heart of the UNESCO Jungfrau-Aletsch World Heritage site. It’s a genuinely humbling sight — a river of ice curving away between four-thousand-metre peaks.

The Ice Palace

Inside the mountain, the Ice Palace is a warren of tunnels and chambers carved into the living glacier ice — even the floor is ice. An ice artist refreshes the sculptures each year: eagles, penguins, bears, all glittering in the blue light. Wear grippy shoes; it’s slippery.

At 3,454 metres, the Top of Europe isn’t a summit you conquer — it’s a polished, astonishing world the railway delivers you straight into.

The Plateau & Snow Fun Park

Step out onto the Plateau to walk in open snow year-round, with the Jungfrau looming above and a Swiss flag snapping in the wind. In summer the seasonal Snow Fun Park adds skiing, sledding, and a zipline on the glacier — a novelty most visitors don’t expect in July.

Alpine Sensation & Lindt Chocolate Heaven

Linking the halls is the Alpine Sensation, a 250-metre walkway that tells the story of the railway’s construction and the workers who tunnelled it through the Eiger. Near the exit, Lindt Swiss Chocolate Heaven lays on an interactive chocolate experience and a generous shop — an easy, warm finish before the descent.

A Suggested Half-Day Order

1. Sphinx terrace (first, for the clearest views)
2. Plateau snow walk
3. Ice Palace
4. Snow Fun Park (summer)
5. Alpine Sensation walkway
6. Lindt Swiss Chocolate Heaven on the way out

Remember it’s cold and the air is thin even in summer — take it slowly and dress warmly. For timing it all around the weather, see the best time to visit Jungfraujoch; to weigh the price, see is the Jungfraujoch worth it.

Ready to Book?

A top-rated guided Jungfraujoch tour from Interlaken gets you to the Top of Europe with reserved seats and the Eiger Express, leaving you free to explore the Sphinx, the Ice Palace and the glacier — with free cancellation up to 24 hours before. Check availability and plan your day on the ice.