I was standing on a grassy slope above Interlaken, strapped to a stranger, when the pilot said “Run.” Not jog. Not walk briskly. Run. Straight toward the edge of a cliff. And honestly? The three seconds between my feet leaving solid ground and the harness catching my full weight were the most terrifying of my life. But then the valley opened up below me — Lake Thun on one side, Lake Brienz on the other, the Eiger-Jungfrau wall dead ahead — and I forgot about everything except the fact that I was flying.
Interlaken has been the unofficial adventure capital of Europe since long before anyone strapped on a paraglider. The town sits on a narrow strip of land between two lakes — “Interlaken” literally means “between the lakes” — and 19th-century British travelers on the Grand Tour made it famous for mountain excursions. Paragliding arrived in the 1980s, and now more than 50,000 tandem flights launch from the slopes above town every year. It’s the single most popular tandem paragliding destination in the world, and there’s a reason for that: the scenery is absurd.
But booking your flight? That part is weirdly confusing. There are at least six operators, prices range from CHF 170 to CHF 280, and some companies launch from completely different mountains. I wasted an embarrassing amount of time trying to figure out which flight to book and whether I needed to reserve in advance. So here’s everything I learned, the straightforward way.
Short on time? Here are my top picks:
Best overall: Interlaken: Tandem Paragliding Flight with Pilot — $233. The most-booked flight in the region with over 2,000 bookings. Full Jungfrau panorama, professional photos included.
Best budget option: Paragliding Tandem Flight in Interlaken — $233. Same price, smaller operator, flights of 12-20 minutes with more personal attention.
Best for dramatic scenery: Murren: Paragliding over Lauterbrunnen Valley — $265. Launches from Murren and flies over the cliff-walled Lauterbrunnen Valley. Different flight path, different perspective.
- How Paragliding Booking Actually Works in Interlaken
- Booking Direct vs. Through a Tour Platform
- The Best Paragliding Tours to Book
- 1. Interlaken: Tandem Paragliding Flight with Pilot — 3
- 2. Tandem Paragliding Experience from Interlaken — 2
- 3. Paragliding Tandem Flight in Interlaken — 3
- 4. Murren: Paragliding over the Lauterbrunnen Valley — 5
- 5. Interlaken: Tandem Paragliding Flight — 5
- When to Fly
- How to Get to the Launch Site
- Things That Will Save You Time and Money
- What You’ll See from the Air
- A Quick History (for the Curious)
- Beyond the Flight
How Paragliding Booking Actually Works in Interlaken
There are two ways to book a paragliding flight in Interlaken, and the best option depends on when you’re visiting.
Book online in advance (recommended for June through September). The main operators — Paragliding Interlaken (the original, running since 1990), Skywings, AlpinAir, and Twin Paragliding — all have online booking systems. You pick your date, choose a time slot (usually morning or afternoon), and pay upfront. Most flights launch from Amisbühl or Beatenberg, roughly 800 meters above Interlaken, and land on the Höhematte field right in the center of town. During high season, flights sell out 3-5 days ahead, especially morning slots. If you’re visiting in July or August, book at least a week ahead.
Walk in and book same-day (works in shoulder season). Outside of peak summer, you can often walk into the main booking office at Höheweg 125 in Interlaken and get a flight the same day or the next morning. Paragliding Interlaken’s shop is the most prominent — it’s right on the main street — and they’ll sort you out in person. But don’t bank on this working in July.
What it costs: Standard tandem flights run CHF 170-200 (roughly $190-230 USD) for a 10-15 minute flight. Longer flights — sometimes called “Double Airtime” — cost CHF 220-260 and give you 20-30 minutes in the air with more thermal riding. Photo and video packages are usually CHF 40-60 extra, or included depending on the operator. GoPro footage from the pilot’s perspective is the most common option.
What’s included: Every tandem flight includes transport from the meeting point to the launch site, all equipment, the pilot, and the landing back in central Interlaken. You don’t need any experience. The minimum weight is usually 25kg and the maximum is 100-120kg depending on the operator. Minimum age is typically 6-8 years old with parental consent.
Weather cancellations: This is the one thing you can’t control. Flights get cancelled in strong wind, heavy rain, or low cloud. Most operators offer a free rebooking for the next available slot or a full refund. Paragliding Interlaken specifically notes they’ll reschedule you at a discounted rate if you need to come back another day. Morning flights tend to have calmer air; afternoon flights get more thermals (longer flights, more lift, but also more turbulence).
Booking Direct vs. Through a Tour Platform
You’ve got two routes here, and I’ve used both.
Booking direct with the operator (paragliding-interlaken.ch, skywings.ch, alpinair.com) gives you slightly more flexibility — you can choose your exact time slot, pick your pickup point from several options around Interlaken, and communicate directly if the weather changes. Prices are sometimes CHF 10-20 cheaper because there’s no platform commission. Paragliding Interlaken’s online system is solid and lets you pick your meeting point from multiple train stations and hotels.
Booking through GetYourGuide or Viator is easier for most people. You get the same pilots and the same flight — the tour platforms partner with local operators. The advantage is the cancellation policy: most GYG and Viator listings offer free cancellation up to 24 hours before, which is genuinely useful given the weather risk. You also get the platform’s customer service if something goes wrong. The price is usually $10-20 more than booking direct.
My honest take: if you’re visiting during high season and want guaranteed flexibility to cancel, book through GYG or Viator. If you’re there in spring or autumn and want the lowest price, book direct. Either way, you’re getting the same flight.
The Best Paragliding Tours to Book
I’ve gone through every major operator and booking option available for Interlaken paragliding. Here are the five I’d actually recommend, ranked by the combination of flight quality, value, and the volume of genuinely happy customers.
1. Interlaken: Tandem Paragliding Flight with Pilot — $233
This is the one to book if you want the classic Interlaken paragliding experience and don’t want to overthink it. It’s operated through one of the established local companies, launches from above Interlaken with the full Eiger-Monch-Jungfrau wall in front of you, and lands on the Hohematte field in the center of town. The flight lasts about 15-20 minutes depending on thermals, and the pilots are chatty, experienced, and genuinely good at making nervous first-timers feel comfortable. Over two thousand people have booked this one, and the feedback is overwhelmingly positive. One reviewer’s 70-year-old dad did it and loved it — that tells you everything about the safety and accessibility.
At $233 it’s right in the middle of the price range for Interlaken, and photos/video are typically included or available as an add-on. The 1.5-hour total time includes the drive up to the launch site and the flight itself.
2. Tandem Paragliding Experience from Interlaken — $252
This is a Viator-listed option that partners with one of the top local operators. The flight itself is essentially the same route — launching from above Interlaken, flying over the valley between the two lakes, with the Bernese Alps as your backdrop. The difference is the booking experience: Viator’s free cancellation policy means you can lock in your date without worrying about the weather forecast. If it rains, cancel 24 hours ahead and rebook. One family of five booked this over Christmas and had to reschedule due to clouds — they got a discounted rebooking the next day and called it the “excursion of a lifetime.”
At $252 it’s the most expensive standard flight on this list, but the cancellation flexibility and Viator’s customer service might be worth the premium if you’re planning around tight travel schedules.
3. Paragliding Tandem Flight in Interlaken — $233
Same price as the top pick, but a slightly different feel. This operator runs smaller groups and the flights feel more personal. The actual airtime is 12-20 minutes depending on conditions, and the pilots are known for being particularly good with commentary — pointing out landmarks, naming the peaks, and generally making the flight feel like an experience rather than just a ride. One reviewer specifically praised their pilot Yanick for turning iffy weather into “something unforgettable.” That’s the kind of thing you get from a smaller operation where the pilots take genuine pride in each flight.
$233 makes this tied for the best value on the list. If the top pick is sold out for your dates, this is an equally strong alternative.
4. Murren: Paragliding over the Lauterbrunnen Valley — $265
This is the one I’d pick if you’ve already done a standard Interlaken flight and want something different, or if you’re specifically drawn to the Lauterbrunnen Valley. Instead of launching from above Interlaken, you take the cable car to Murren and launch from there. The flight path takes you directly over the valley floor, between those famous 300-meter cliffs, past Staubbach Falls and the other waterfalls that make Lauterbrunnen look like a Tolkien set piece. It’s a shorter flight — about 10-15 minutes — but the visual impact is arguably more dramatic than the standard Interlaken route because you’re flying through the valley rather than above it.
At $265 it’s the priciest Interlaken-area option, and the total experience is about an hour. One reviewer described it simply as “soaring like a bird” — and from this particular launch point, that’s exactly what it feels like.
5. Interlaken: Tandem Paragliding Flight — $245
A third GetYourGuide option flying the standard Interlaken route. The flight path and scenery are identical to picks #1 and #3 — same launch area, same Jungfrau panorama, same landing on the Hohematte. The price at $245 puts it between the other two GYG options. Over six hundred bookings and a consistent 4.9 rating. One reviewer called the photos “amazing” and said they were “really glad” they did it — standard praise, but it’s worth noting that almost nobody gives these flights a bad review. The activity itself is just that good.
This is a reliable backup if your preferred dates are sold out on the top-ranked options.
When to Fly
Paragliding in Interlaken runs year-round, which surprises a lot of people. Each season gives you a different flight.
Summer (June-September) is peak season. The thermals are strongest, which means longer flights and more altitude. Visibility is generally excellent, and temperatures at launch altitude (about 1,500m) are comfortable in a t-shirt. This is when most people fly. It’s also when most flights sell out. Book 5-7 days ahead minimum.
Autumn (October-November) is genuinely underrated. The foliage below you turns gold and amber, the air is calm and crisp, and you’ll share the launch site with maybe two other groups instead of twenty. Fewer thermals mean slightly shorter flights, but the trade-off in scenery is worth it.
Winter (December-March) is for the full Swiss postcard. Snow-covered peaks, frozen valleys, and clear cold air that gives you the sharpest visibility of the year. You’ll fly in a thick jacket, but the pilots adapt the equipment for cold conditions. Some operators reduce their schedule but don’t shut down entirely.
Spring (April-May) gives you the contrast effect: flowers blooming in the valley while the peaks are still white. Thermals start building again, and prices haven’t hit summer levels yet.
Time of day matters. Morning flights (8-10am) have calmer, more stable air — ideal for nervous fliers. Afternoon flights (1-4pm) get the thermal activity that lets pilots extend your flight and climb higher. Late afternoon catches the golden light, which is spectacular for photos. Skip the midday slots if you can — the light is flat and unflattering.
How to Get to the Launch Site
You don’t need to figure this out yourself. Every operator handles transport from Interlaken to the launch site.
The standard pickup point is in central Interlaken — usually near Interlaken Ost or Interlaken West train station, or at the operator’s office on Hoheweg. From there, you’ll ride in a van for about 15-20 minutes up to the launch area. Paragliding Interlaken lets you pick your pickup point from several locations, which is handy if you’re staying outside the town center.
If you’re flying from Murren (the Lauterbrunnen Valley option), you’ll need to get yourself to Murren first. That means a train to Lauterbrunnen, then the cable car up. The operator meets you in Murren.
Getting to Interlaken itself: Direct trains run from Bern (50 minutes), Zurich (2 hours via Bern), and Lucerne (2 hours via the Golden Pass route). If you’re already in the Jungfrau region — staying in Grindelwald or Lauterbrunnen — Interlaken is a 20-minute train ride away.
Things That Will Save You Time and Money
Don’t eat a big meal beforehand. I know, obvious advice. But the combination of altitude, thermal swooping, and dangling in a harness is not kind to a full stomach. A light snack an hour before is fine. A fondue lunch is not.
Wear layers, not bulk. It’s noticeably cooler at launch altitude (about 10-15 degrees Celsius colder than the valley floor in summer). A windbreaker over a t-shirt is perfect. The operator provides a flight suit if needed, but you’ll be more comfortable in your own layers. Wear closed-toe shoes — you’re running on grass to take off.
The photo/video package is worth it. You will not be able to take good photos yourself. Your hands will be occupied with the harness, and your phone will be at risk of dropping into the valley below. The pilot-mounted GoPro gets footage you can’t replicate. CHF 40-60 for a memory you’ll actually watch back? Pay it.
Morning for calm, afternoon for length. If you get motion-sick easily, book the first slot of the day. If you want the longest possible flight, book mid-afternoon when the thermals are strongest. Pilots can sometimes extend a 15-minute flight to 25+ minutes by riding thermals — but that also means more banking and turning, which isn’t for everyone.
Book two days before your departure, not the last day. Weather cancellations happen regularly. If your flight gets cancelled on your last day, you’re stuck with a refund instead of a memory. Book with at least one buffer day so you can reschedule if the clouds don’t cooperate.
The landing is the best part. Seriously. The spiral descent over the Hohematte field, with the town laid out below you and travelers watching from the ground, is a rush that the takeoff doesn’t match. Don’t close your eyes for it.
What You’ll See from the Air
The Interlaken paragliding experience isn’t just about the adrenaline. From 1,500 meters up, you get a geography lesson that no viewpoint on the ground can match.
The two lakes. Lake Thun stretches west toward the city of Thun, glacial blue-green and ringed by medieval towns. Lake Brienz runs east, darker and deeper, with the tiny village of Iseltwald clinging to its shore (yes, the one from that Netflix show). From the air, you can see both simultaneously — they’re separated by the narrow strip of flat land that Interlaken sits on.
The Bernese Alps wall. The Eiger (3,967m), Monch (4,107m), and Jungfrau (4,158m) form a wall of rock and ice to the south. On a clear day, you’ll see glaciers pouring between the peaks, the Jungfraujoch railway station (the highest in Europe at 3,454m), and the dark face of the Eiger North Wall that mountaineers have been obsessing over since the 1930s. If you’re planning to visit Jungfraujoch, seeing it from the air first gives you a totally different appreciation.
The Lauterbrunnen Valley. If you fly from Murren, you’ll soar directly over one of the most dramatic valleys in the Alps. Seventy-two waterfalls cascade down the vertical cliff walls, and the valley floor is a thin green strip of farmland that looks impossibly flat surrounded by all that vertical stone. Staubbach Falls — the 297-meter free-falling waterfall — is visible from almost every angle.
Interlaken itself. From above, the town reveals its layout perfectly — the grid of hotels and shops compressed onto the flat land between the lakes, the Hohematte green where you’ll land, and the river Aare connecting the two lakes through the town center. You’ll also spot the Harder Kulm funicular railway climbing the mountain on the north side of town.
A Quick History (for the Curious)
Interlaken’s adventure tourism story didn’t start with paragliders. The town was “discovered” by British Grand Tour travelers in the early 1800s, who came for the mountain scenery and the convenient location between the lakes. By the 1830s, Interlaken had the first tourism infrastructure in the Swiss Alps — grand hotels, guided excursions, and a reputation as the gateway to the Jungfrau region.
The first paragliding flights in the area started in the mid-1980s, when the sport was still new and largely unregulated. Paragliding Interlaken, which still operates today, was founded in 1990 and claims to be the original tandem operator in the region. In the decades since, the industry has grown to the point where over 50,000 tandem flights launch from Interlaken every year. It’s the single busiest tandem paragliding destination in the world, and the Swiss aviation authority regulates it tightly — every pilot holds a federal tandem license, and equipment is inspected regularly.
The safety record is excellent. Tandem accidents are extremely rare, and the operators in Interlaken are among the most experienced in the world. Most pilots have logged thousands of flights. That said, if you have a serious back or neck condition, or if you’re pregnant, most operators won’t take you up — and that’s the responsible call.
Beyond the Flight
If you’re spending more than a day in the region, Interlaken is a perfect base for exploring the rest of the Bernese Oberland. Grindelwald is a 20-minute train ride south and has some of the best hiking in the Alps, including the famous First Cliff Walk. Jungfraujoch is a full-day trip by cogwheel railway to the highest train station in Europe — you’ll recognize the peaks from your paragliding flight. And if you’re heading back through Zurich, the Lindt Home of Chocolate museum is a surprisingly excellent stop, especially if you’re traveling with kids. You’ll earn that chocolate after throwing yourself off a Swiss mountain.
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