Is Jungfraujoch Worth It on a Cloudy Day?
Is Jungfraujoch Worth It on a Cloudy Day?
Jungfraujoch, also known as the Top of Europe, was one of the destinations I was most excited to visit during my trip to Switzerland. But when the morning of my trip arrived, the weather was not cooperating. Clouds and rain/snow were moving in, and I had to decide whether it was still worth going.
For me, the answer was yes, but with an important caveat. I had already paid for my ticket, my trip was carefully planned, and this was my only free day to visit Jungfraujoch. I really did not have the option to reschedule without giving up something else. Because of that, it still made sense for me to go, even knowing I probably was not going to get the full experience.
My verdict: Jungfraujoch on a cloudy day was still worth it for me because I could not reschedule, but I would not recommend visiting in bad weather if you have flexibility and can wait for better visibility.
That said, if I had known just how poor the visibility would be, I would have felt differently. Visiting Jungfraujoch on a cloudy and foggy day was still unique, and I am glad I went, but it did not feel like I truly experienced what makes the destination so famous. The main views were completely gone, and that is a big deal at a place like this.
In the end, I think Jungfraujoch in bad weather is worth it if you are already committed, cannot change your plans, or simply want to make the best of the day. But if you have flexibility, I would absolutely try to visit on a clearer day.
Visiting Jungfraujoch on a Cloudy and Foggy Day - Table of Contents
- Is Jungfraujoch Worth It on a Cloudy Day?
- Why Bad Weather Matters at Jungfraujoch
- Getting to Jungfraujoch: Why the Trip Is Such a Commitment
- My Ride on the Eiger Express and Train to Jungfraujoch
- Jungfraujoch’s Sphinx Viewpoint on a Cloudy and Foggy Day
- The Plateau at Jungfraujoch on a Cloudy Day
- What You Can Still Enjoy at Jungfraujoch in Bad Weather
- Eating at Jungfraujoch
- My Advice Before Visiting Jungfraujoch
- Jungfraujoch Tours and Packages
- Support Buzzin’ Around the World – Visit Our Affiliates
- Earning Points and Rewards
- Related Content
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Why Bad Weather Matters at Jungfraujoch
Part of what makes this question so important is that Jungfraujoch is not a quick or cheap stop. It takes time, planning, and a good amount of money to get there. Even with my Swiss Travel Pass, I still had to pay extra for the mountain portion of the journey, and once everything is booked, it can feel like a big commitment.
I checked the forecast before leaving, but I mainly looked at the weather around Grindelwald. I was not really sure how to judge the mountain forecast higher up, and that ended up mattering a lot. Conditions at lower elevations looked manageable, but by the time I reached Jungfraujoch, the visibility had almost completely disappeared.
That is what makes bad weather at Jungfraujoch such a difficult gamble. You are not just deciding whether to go somewhere in the rain or snow. You are deciding whether a long, expensive mountain journey is still worthwhile when the main reward, the alpine views, may be gone.
Getting to Jungfraujoch: Why the Trip Is Such a Commitment
The trip to Jungfraujoch took me about two hours overall and involved multiple stages. Using my Swiss Travel Pass, I first took the train from Interlaken Ost to Grindelwald Terminal. From there, I rode the Eiger Express to Eigergletscher Station, then transferred to the train for the final leg to Jungfraujoch. My ticket was tied to a specific time, and since this was my only free day, I did not seriously look into changing it. That is a big part of why I still went despite the weather. Once you have committed the time and money, it becomes much harder to walk away.
My Ride on the Eiger Express and Train to Jungfraujoch
To get to Grindelwald Terminal, I took the train from Interlaken Ost Station. Once I arrived, I followed the signs toward the Eiger Express cable car, which included taking a moving walkway.
I reached the entry point about 60 minutes before the time printed on my ticket and was told I could board early if I wanted to. The cable cars came into the loading area fast and furious. I let the passengers in front of me take their own car, and when the next one arrived, I had the entire cabin to myself for the fifteen-minute ride to Eigergletscher Station.
The ride ended up being one of the highlights of my trip to Jungfraujoch. As you can see in the photo below, the storms had not yet fully rolled in, and as I ascended into the Alps, I was still able to enjoy some beautiful scenery.
When I arrived at Eigergletscher Station, I was so excited that I went straight to the queue for the train to Jungfraujoch. Looking back, I wish I had spent more time walking around and photographing the views at the lower elevation. I had planned to do that on the way back down, but by then the whole area had been swallowed by clouds.
I was one train early and, despite having a reserved ticket, ended up using the non-reserved gates. During my visit, tourists with a reserved seat used the green gates, while tourists without a seat reservation used the yellow gates. Since my visit, the boarding system appears to have been updated.
The train to Jungfraujoch came about every thirty minutes, and I was surprised by how few people were waiting. That was probably because of the weather. When the train arrived, I was one of the only people in the car I chose.
There are no first-class cars on the train, and all of the cars have the same layout, with two seats on each side. The train did not have air conditioning, but the windows opened, so even though the temperature was in the 40s, I cracked one to get some fresh air.
On the way up, the train stopped at Eismeer Station, where visitors could briefly get off and look at the Eismeer Glacier. I was not sure whether the train would wait or if I would need to catch the next one, so I was cautious about leaving. Everyone got off, and the conductor announced in both German and English that the train would depart in five minutes. That gave me just enough time to walk to the windows and take a quick look. A few minutes later, I was back on the train and on my way to Jungfraujoch, Europe’s highest rail station.
Jungfraujoch’s Sphinx Viewpoint on a Cloudy and Foggy Day
After arriving at Jungfraujoch Station, I was excited to walk to the Sphinx Viewpoint, which is known for its famous alpine views. As I made my way through the tunnels, I had no idea how much the weather had changed while I was on the train.
When I stepped out onto the Sphinx Viewpoint, I could not see anything. The clouds and fog were so thick that the mountains had completely disappeared. I was disappointed, because this is one of the main reasons people visit Jungfraujoch. To make matters worse, falling ice had closed the front of the observation deck, so I could not even get the full experience there either.
I waited for about an hour for the clouds to clear. I remembered back to when I visited Machu Picchu, and the entire ruins were surrounded by clouds. It took about thirty minutes before the clouds opened up and the ruins became visible. After about an hour at Jungfraujoch, I realized that the clouds were only becoming thicker.
As I waited for the view to open up, I did take some photographs of these fuzzy birds. They were sitting on the support cables and seemed oblivious to the people nearby. To show how much the clouds obstructed the view of Jungfraujoch, I have linked a video below.
Video Clip - Clouds Obstructing the View at Jungfraujoch
The Plateau at Jungfraujoch on a Cloudy Day
Another highlight of Jungfraujoch was supposed to be walking on the Plateau. This snowy outdoor area should be surrounded by beautiful views of the Alps. Due to the clouds and fog, I was unable to see any of the views from the Plateau. While it was fun walking in the snow, I wished I had been able to see the famous panoramic scenery.
This time I did not even try to wait for the clouds to clear. It was obvious that there would be no view of the Alps due to the clouds and fog. The photo below shows how bad the visibility was. Despite only being about 100 yards from the door to the Plateau, it was barely visible. This lack of visibility was due to the extremely thick clouds and fog.
What You Can Still Enjoy at Jungfraujoch in Bad Weather
Despite the clouds making it impossible to see the famous scenery, some attractions were not affected by the bad weather. While these attractions were fun to see, I am not sure they would have been worth the cost and effort of traveling to Jungfraujoch if I had not already paid for the trip.
The Ice Palace
The Ice Palace at Jungfraujoch is one of the attractions that is not affected by clouds or fog. Carved through the glacier, the Ice Palace is made up of tunnels that take visitors past beautiful ice sculptures.
I was surprised that the ice was not overly slippery. There was only one time during my visit to the Ice Palace where I lost my footing, and thankfully no one saw me fall.
One of the best ice carvings inside the Ice Palace was the piano ice carving. In all, the Jungfraujoch Ice Palace was pretty cool. I can now cross walking through a tunneled glacier off my bucket list.
The Snow Globe
Another Jungfraujoch attraction that was not affected by the lack of visibility was the Snow Globe. To get to it, I walked through a tunnel that was decorated with brightly lit flowers. The Snow Globe was an alpine scene that was neatly constructed. I spent less than 30 seconds looking at it, but I still thought it was worth stopping to see.
Eating at Jungfraujoch
During my visit, I chose the cheaper self-service option for lunch. I ordered the chicken schnitzel, which came with fries and mixed vegetables. For dessert, I chose a piece of black forest cake. The meal was excellent, and the restaurant would have provided great views if it had not been cloudy.
Since I did not stay as long as I had originally planned, my lunch ended up being a bigger part of the experience than I expected. Between trying the observation areas, visiting the indoor attractions, and eating, I probably spent around two hours total at Jungfraujoch.
My Advice Before Visiting Jungfraujoch
If you are wondering whether Jungfraujoch is worth it in bad weather, my advice is to think carefully before locking yourself in. Try to check the mountain conditions, not just the forecast at lower elevations. If your ticket is flexible, I would strongly consider waiting for a clearer day. But if you are already booked, cannot reschedule, and still want the experience of reaching Jungfraujoch, the trip can still be memorable even if the famous views never appear.
Jungfraujoch Tours and Packages
I did not find that a tour was necessary, as transportation to Jungfraujoch was discounted with my Swiss Travel Pass. Some people, however, prefer to be led around by a local guide. Below are various packages that include a visit to Jungfraujoch. Please note that as an affiliate of Viator, I will receive a small commission if you book a package using one of my links. This commission is at no additional cost to you.
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