What It’s Like Visiting Switzerland in September
Thinking of visiting Switzerland in September? At the end of September, we explored the Bernese Oberland area of Switzerland for 5 full days. It was amazing!
September (especially the end of September) can be a bit hit-or-miss weather-wise in the Swiss Alps and we had a few surprises of our own (I’m looking at you, snow).
So this guide is to help you understand the pros and cons of visiting Switzerland in the fall and what you can do to have the best trip possible!
All of the photos in this guide were taken in September so that you can see the varied weather we experienced, including both warm, sunny days and chilly, rainy days.
*There may be affiliate links in this post. Read my privacy/disclosure policy to learn more.
🇨🇭 IN A RUSH? HERE ARE OUR SWITZERLAND FAVORITES🇨🇭
WHERE WE STAYED:
😍 Bungalows at Camping Jungfrau:We LOVED staying in these 2-bedroom bungalows located RIGHT at the base of Staubbach Falls in Lauterbrunnen. They are super cute, have an amazing view, a full kitchen, and they are AFFORDABLE.
ACTIVITIES WE BOOKED:
🛖 Ballenberg Open-Air Museum: This open-air museum was an unexpected surprise and we really enjoyed getting a glimpse into the past. We even got to see how they used to make cheese and have a cheese tasting!
🚲 Lauterbrunnen Valley Bike Rentals: The best way to explore the gorgeous Lauterbrunnen Valley is on bike (in my humble opinion). It's so much more fun than walking and you get to see so much more. They have e-bikes along with kid bikes and trailers!
🧗 Murren Via Ferrata: My husband took this beginner-friendly vai Ferrata tour (while we played at an alpine playground) and it was his favorite experience of the entire trip.
HOW WE SAVED MONEY ON OUR RENTAL CAR:
🚘 Economy Bookings Car Rental: Any bit you can save on your car rental is worht it! Our go-to is Economy Bookings.
TRAVEL PASSES IN SWITZERLAND:
🚆 🚌 ⛴️ Swiss Travel Pass: Take the headache away from booking public transit with FREE train, bus and boat rides in Switzerland + FREE entry to over 500 museums + 50% discount on select mountain excursions and mountain rail travel.
🚆 🚌 ⛴️ Swiss Half-Fare Card:Enjoy 50% discount on all public transportation (trains, boats, and buses) in Switzerland INCLUDING most mountain railways and cable cars.
🚆 🚌 ⛴️ Jungfrau Travel Pass: Enjoy unlimited bus, boat, train, and cable car rides for between 3 and 8 days in the Jungfrau Region.
OUR OTHER TRAVEL FAVORITES:
📸 Tours/Excursions: Viator & Get Your Guide
🚕 Airport Transfers with Car Seats: Welcome Pickups
👉 Travel Strollers: Zoe Traveler & Zoe Double
🍼 Baby Carriers: Tula Carriers, Wildride Hip Carriers
📱 International Data Phone eSIM: Airalo
🚗 Cheap Rental Cars: Economy Bookings
🏠 Accomodations: Booking, Expedia, VRBO, Airbnb
🌎 Travel Insurance: World Nomads
We receive a fee when you get a quote from World Nomads using the above link. We do not represent World Nomads. This is not a recommendation to buy travel insurance.
Is September a Good Time to Visit Switzerland?
PROS OF VISITING SWITZERLAND IN SEPTEMBER
- Fewer crowds! September is considered the ‘shoulder season’ in the Swiss Alps, with significantly fewer tourists than peak summer months. Some top sites will still have larger groups of visitors, for example, the street in Lauterbrunnen often felt quite busy (but maybe it’s even crazier in the summer!). But overall, the number of other visitors we encountered felt very manageable.
- Less expensive lodging! You may not see a huge drop in prices; however, you’re sure to see a drop (which any drop in price in Switzerland is a plus). We LOVED staying at this cute bungalow in Lauterbrunnen RIGHT at the base of Staubbach Falls. These bungalows are perfectly located, have great views, a full kitchen, and can fit up to 6 people! The best part is it is they are AFFORDABLE (I really am shocked at how little they charge compared to so many other less-nice places I researched).
😍✨CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE BUNGALOWS WE LOVED AT CAMPING JUNGFRAU (BE SURE TO CLICK ON ‘BUNGALOW’ TO SEE THE CORRECT PHOTOS)✨😍
CONS OF VISITING SWITZERLAND IN September
- Slightly more volatile weather. I can really only think of one potential con of visiting Switzerland in September. September generally has mild but more volatile weather than peak summer. I recommend checking the weather reports & webcams each day to ensure it hasn’t snowed up higher where you plan to visit.
What is the weather like in Switzerland in September?
Of course, it depends on where you’ll be in Switzerland; however, the average temperatures in the Jungfrau/Bernese Oberland region of Switzerland range from the high 60°s F down to the high 50°s F towards the end of the month.
Those average temps also come along with varied days of sunshine, rain, and potentially even snow at higher elevations.
We were in Switzerland from September 24-September 30, and our high temperatures ranged from 55°F-65°F.
We had multiple mornings of rain and clouds covering the mountain peaks until about noon, when the clouds luckily parted and we were able to go out and do our plans for the day.
The rain is one of many reasons why we were so grateful we were staying RIGHT in Lauterbrunnen at these super cute bungalows, surrounded by stunning scenery. Even when the weather wasn’t ideal, we were able to enjoy waterfall views, take a short walk in the rain, or just enjoy the moody mountain views from our patio.
🏔️✨😍 CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE BUNGALOWS WE LOVED AT CAMPING JUNGFRAU 🏔️✨😍
We had one day where the clouds never parted, so we chose to stay low in the valley and go to Ballenberg Open Air Museum (which was really lovely). It didn’t make sense to take any cable cars that day since we wouldn’t have been able to take in any views with all of the cloud cover.
You need to remember that ALTITUDE IS KEY. The higher up you go, the cooler it will be and the higher chances of snow if it’s rainy down low.
While in Switzerland, we used the MeteoSwiss App for up-to-date, accurate weather updates. I checked it daily to help plan our itinerary for the week, constantly changing where we were going depending on the weather.
One thing I was not expecting was that some of the places we wanted to visit (like Mannlichen or the Allmendhubel Alpen Playground) were COVERED IN SNOW on SOME of the days.
Thankfully, the snow only lasted about 1-2 days, so we were able to do almost everything we had planned. But I had NO idea it had snowed up there until I checked the webcam the morning of and saw the playgrounds/trails were covered in snow.
Here are the webcams for the Jungfrau Region. But honestly, each day I just googled ‘(insert destination) webcam’ and they always came up (so no need to worry if you forget what the website is).
I was so grateful we had a flexible itinerary so that we could shift our plans around and visit the stops on our itinerary at lower elevations on the rainy/snowy days and then go back to visit the higher elevation places once the sun came out and the snow had melted.
That being said, we also had days of gorgeous blue skies, sunny weather and t-shirt weather. It changed each day and even throughout the day sometimes.
My favorite way to research the weather for an upcoming trip is to visit Accuweather.com.
To do this, input Lauterbrunnen, Switzerland (or whatever city you want to check) in the location bar and then select ‘monthly’ in the top bar (you may have to scroll to the right to find the monthly tab if you’re on your phone).
This pulls up a calendar to which you can select ‘September’ to show you the expected average high and low temperatures for the upcoming year, but it will also show you the ACTUAL temperatures from the past year.
I find this very helpful in getting an overall picture of what the temperatures might be like when I am researching a new destination.
Is it crowded in Switzerland in the Fall?
The fall in Switzerland (starting in September) is considered the shoulder season and is considerably less crowded than peak summer months.
We never had trouble getting tickets for cable cars and never waited in any long lines. Some towns like Wengen and Mürren felt very quiet and peaceful, with Lauterbrunnen being the only town that really felt like there was much of a crowd around (it must get quite crowded in July/August).
We booked bicycle rentals in Lauterbrunnen without any issue the morning of, and my husband booked a guided Via Ferrata tour just a couple of days in advance with plenty of spots still available. Overall, everything felt quite calm.
That being said, everything was still open and running: the shops, restaurants, cable cars, etc. Just less busy.
Are the leaves changing colors in September in Switzerland?
We spent all of our time in the Jungfrau/Bernese Oberland region of Switzerland and didn’t see any leaves changing colors the last week of September.
Obviously, this depends year over year. However, the peak time for foliage-peeping is in mid-late October to early November.
This timing can vary a bit depending on region and elevation (type of trees most prevalent etc). So I recommend researching specific destinations in Switzerland if seeing the color change is a priority for you.
What to Wear When Taking a September Trip to Switzerland
In September, you may encounter both sunny days with blue skies, along with grey days with rain (and potentially even snow higher up).
We generally wore long pants and a t-shirt layered with a sweatshirt and a windbreaker/rain jacket. When the clouds part and the sun comes out, it feels much warmer, but when it’s grey, drizzly and breezy, it feels much cooler.
If you plan to visit Jungfraujoch (the highest rail station in Europe) remember that the temps are much colder and you’ll be surrounded by snow and ice. We didn’t visit Jungfraujoch because it’s quite expensive but also because we didn’t want to bother with packing any warmer clothes.
Cow Parades in Switzerland in September
One event each September that looks SO CHARMING is the descent of the Alpine cows (usually called Alpabzug).
Oftentimes, the cows are decorated with flower crowns (how amazing, right?), and they parade through town, sometimes along with cultural festivities.
The tricky thing about viewing this is that the exact time changes every year and is only decided shortly before (maybe 1-2 weeks before). However, it is USUALLY a weekend in mid-late September.
The date of the ‘cow parade’ in Lauterbrunnen for 2025 was September 20th. We barely missed it!
You can learn more about the alpine descent by searching for a town you will be near with the words alpabzug.
Other good times to visit Switzerland
The summer season in Switzerland generally runs from late May to late October. This is when cable cars are most likely open; however, you may want to research specific destinations to be sure. July and August will be the busiest and most expensive months.
For fewer crowds but high chances of good weather, consider visiting Switzerland in late June or early September!
🇨🇭 LOOKING FOR MORE ABOUT VISITING SWITZERLAND?🇨🇭
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❗ 11 Helpful Things To Know Before Visiting Switzerland
✨ Switzerland with Kids: 5 Day Bernese Oberland Itinerary
💰 Switzerland Trip Cost Breakdown: Is It As Expensive as They Say?
🌻 Allmendhubel Flower Playground in Mürren Switzerland
🛏️ Camping Jungfrau Lauterbrunnen Review: Beautiful Bungalows + Affordable Price
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