Best Dog-Friendly Hotels in Gstaad and the Bernese Oberland

Before you go

What happens when you get there

Mountain railways

The Jungfrau Railways carry dogs free from Interlaken Ost to Lauterbrunnen and Grindelwald, up Harder Kulm, to Schynige Platte, from Lauterbrunnen to Mürren, on the Kleine Scheidegg lines, on the First gondola and on the Eiger Express. The only charge is CHF 30 per dog from Eigergletscher to the Jungfraujoch and back. Dog tickets aren't sold online, only at Jungfraubahnen sales points.

Trains, buses and boats

Elsewhere in Switzerland a dog needs a second-class ticket or a Day Pass Dog at CHF 25, valid all day on trains, boats, buses and trams in most areas. Small dogs up to 30 cm at the withers travel free in a carrier. Dogs stay off the seats and on a lead or in a carrier at stations and piers. The Day Pass Dog also covers the BLS boats on Lake Thun and Lake Brienz.

Dogs at breakfast

A yes at Arc-en-ciel, which takes dogs at the buffet. Hotel Eiger sets you a table in the Lounge Restaurant, and at Belvédère Strandhotel your dog waits at the table while you go to the buffet. A clear no at Gstaad Palace, The Alpina, Ultima Gstaad, The Glacier, the Boutique Hotel Bellevue in Interlaken and Solbadhotel Sigriswil.

Fees

Free at the Boutique Hotel Bellevue. CHF 15 at Hotel Eiger, Hotel Krone Thun and Solbadhotel Sigriswil. CHF 20 at Arc-en-ciel, the Gstaaderhof, The Mansard, Hotel Krebs and Hotel Bern. CHF 22 at the Golfhotel and CHF 25 at the Eiger Mountain & Soul Resort and Hotel Belvedere in Grindelwald. CHF 30 at Belvédère Strandhotel, CHF 45 at Bellevue Palace Bern, CHF 50 at Le Grand Bellevue, CHF 60 at Gstaad Palace and CHF 80 at The Alpina.

Leaving your dog in the room

Belvédère Strandhotel says yes for dogs used to it, with a door sign so staff don't go in. The Mansard says never, anywhere in the hotel. The Glacier won't have a dog left alone all day and arranges housekeeping while you're out walking. The Alpina does housekeeping only when the dog is out and has dog-sitting through the concierge.

Leads in the villages

Dogs stay on a lead in Grindelwald village but can walk freely on the paths and trails beyond, with care around livestock and wildlife. In Mürren dogs stay on a lead in the village. Under Bernese law you're liable for any damage your dog causes, and several hotels say so in their terms.

Getting there

Zurich and Geneva are the gateways, both with flights from the UK and Ireland. From Zurich it's about two hours by train to Interlaken via Bern, and from Geneva the line through Montreux and Gstaad runs across the Saanenland to Interlaken. Dogs can't arrive in the UK in the cabin on commercial flights, so most UK owners drive by Eurotunnel or ferry.

Vets

The small animal clinic at the University of Bern's Vetsuisse Faculty, Länggassstrasse 128, has an emergency line on +41 31 684 23 15 on weekdays from 08:00 to 17:00. Nights, weekends and holidays go to 0900 900 960, charged at CHF 1.50 a minute from a landline. The clinic asks owners to try their own or the regional duty vet first.

Best walks

In Gstaad, the car-free Promenade and the flat Saane riverside path to Saanen, with Lauenensee a short drive up the valley and trails straight from the door at Saanenmöser. In Interlaken, the Höhematte meadow, the Aare paths towards Lake Thun and Lake Brienz, and the forest trails at Harder Kulm. Around Grindelwald, the Gletscherschlucht, Bachalpsee by the First gondola, and Kleine Scheidegg. From Mürren, the walk to Gimmelwald and up to Allmendhubel. On Lake Thun, Spiez bay to Faulensee, the Rebweg below Spiez Castle, the Aare from Thun old town to Schadau Park and the Panorama Bridge at Sigriswil. The Giessbach waterfall trail on Lake Brienz, and in Bern the Bundesterrasse, the Rosengarten and the Aare banks.

When to go

Late spring to autumn is walking season, with the high trails and the railways at their best. July and August are the busiest months on the Jungfrau lines and the trains get crowded, so pick quieter trains with a dog. Gstaad Palace, The Alpina and Grandhotel Giessbach open seasonally, so check dates before you plan around them. Arc-en-ciel in Gstaad lets dogs stay free in November 2026.