Routes · Europe
Cairo to the Bernese Oberland: Bern and Lauterbrunnen
Cairo → Bern → Lauterbrunnen
An arcaded capital & a valley of 72 waterfalls Best season (general guide): Jun–Sep
Switzerland's capital is calm and compact, and an hour or so away by train lies one of the most dramatic valleys in the Alps. This route spends three nights in Bern and three in Lauterbrunnen. From Cairo you'll fly to Zurich, then take the train. Bern is the de facto capital of Switzerland, officially called the federal city.
How to pace it: Spend days one to three in Bern: day one, train from Zurich; day two, old city and the Zytglogge; day three, swim or walk by the Aare. Then spend days four to six in Lauterbrunnen: day four, train to Lauterbrunnen; day five, Mürren by cable car; day six, Trümmelbach Falls.
Bern's old city, built on a loop of the river Aare and lined with covered arcades, is listed by UNESCO. The Zytglogge, a medieval clock tower with moving figures, is one of the city's landmarks, and the bear park by the river recalls the bear on the city's coat of arms. Lauterbrunnen is a village in the canton of Bern whose municipality also includes Wengen, Mürren, Gimmelwald and Stechelberg.
The Staubbach Falls drop from the cliff above the village. Further up the valley, the Trümmelbach Falls carry glacier meltwater inside the mountain and can be visited. The valley lies on the edge of the Swiss Alps Jungfrau-Aletsch area, listed by UNESCO. Summer is the season for high trails and open cable cars.
Albert Einstein developed his theory of special relativity while living in Bern, and his flat is now a small museum. The Federal Palace houses the Swiss parliament and government. The Zentrum Paul Klee, designed by Renzo Piano, holds a large collection of the painter's work. The Lauterbrunnen Valley is lined with sheer cliffs. The Schilthorn, above Mürren, has a revolving restaurant that appeared in the James Bond film On Her Majesty's Secret Service. Bern is also the capital of its canton. Car-free Wengen and Mürren are reached by train or cable car from the valley floor.
Safety: Canada's advice for Switzerland is to take normal security precautions (updated 11 Aug 2026), and the US rates Switzerland Level 1 (14 Aug 2026).
Suggested outline
Cairo
Bern
Switzerland's federal city, with arcaded streets.
Lauterbrunnen
A cliff-lined valley of waterfalls.
"Lauterbrunnen-valley.jpg" by Keith Halstead, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons· licence
Day by day
- Day 1 · Bern — Arrive; train from Zurich· Cairo → Zurich (by air), then Zurich → Bern (overland)
- Day 2 · Bern — Old city and the Zytglogge
- Day 3 · Bern — Swim or walk by the Aare
- Day 4 · Lauterbrunnen — Train to Lauterbrunnen· Bern → Lauterbrunnen (by train)
- Day 5 · Lauterbrunnen — Mürren by cable car
- Day 6 · Lauterbrunnen — Trümmelbach Falls
- Day 7 · Lauterbrunnen — Travel home from Lauterbrunnen· Lauterbrunnen → Zurich (by train), then Zurich → Cairo (by air)
A suggested pace only; expedition days are set by the operator.
Flights, leg by leg
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- Cairo → Bern (CAI → ZRH) · Check today's price Search fares CAI → ZRH · 3 Dec ↗
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Bern
Nearest airport: Zurich Search fares · Zurich ↗
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