Sometimes you don’t have to travel far to travel well! Our country, which boasts more than 20,000 km of road, also offers some of the most beautiful alpine roads in the world, with sumptuous panoramas. So we present a road trip in 3 acts: Susten – Furka – Grimsel.

[updated August 2024]

Also, we take you for a one-day ride that will take you through not one, not two but three passes at over 2000m altitude. All this passing through 3 cantons: Bern – Uri – Valais.

So jump on and be careful not to get caught up in the beauty of the landscapes!

In a nutshell

Country: Switzerland Starting point: Meiringen Riding time : 3-5 hours, depending on your style Main sights : Aar Gorge, Grimsel Hospiz, Reichnenbach falls, etc.

And scroll to the end of the article to see a selection of pictures that highlight this magnificent roadtrip.

Whether you come from Geneva, Fribourg, Basel or Zürich, we chose Meiringen as a starting point. Charming little village, it will offer you a pleasant setting to have a coffee / breakfast before an intense day of riding. Note that there are also several points of interest in the region:

• Aare Gorge (here)
• Sherlock Holmes Museum
• The Reichenbach Falls (here), mythical place where Sherlock Holmes and Moriarty had their last fight.

And not to mention Interlaken, Luzern, Mount-Pilatus,  etc. Also, why not set aside a few days to explore the region?

Important information

Before we go any further, we wanted to draw your attention to some important things:

1. These passes are not open all year round, usually from mid-June to the end of September. Also, check on the Alpen-Pässe.ch website before for the most up-to-date information.
2. These passes are very busy, particularly on weekends and during the holidays: motorcyclists, cyclists, camper vans, etc. In addition, and it is very unfortunate, but the behavior of certain road users flirts with unconsciousness / dangerousness. Also, we can only recommend, if possible, that you go there during the week.
3. The various cantonal police forces provide a dissuasive presence during times of high traffic, which should calm some pilot’s inclinations (code name Via Secura ?)!
4. The landscapes are breathtaking. Also, you quickly get caught up in them and lose your concentration or even find yourself in the middle of the road. So stay focused.
5. These passes are at a high altitude (> 2000m), so it can be cool or even downright cold at the top. Also, dress accordingly.

Also remember to read our article on the road-trip essentials (here), in order to have all the necessary equipment to tackle this day well equipped.

That having been said, let’s go for a ride!

Note that you can do the loop in both directions. But we prefer the following: Susten – Furka – Grimsel.

Roadtrip Susten Furka Grimsel

Leg 1 : Meiringen – Susten

The itinerary is quite simple and it’s hard to lose track. Just follow the signs. First follow Innertkirchen then Susten pass (approx. 50km, 1 hour).

Take the opportunity to stop to observe the panoramic view all the way up.

Roadtrip Susten Furka Grimsel

Once at the top, and as you wish, you will find an altitude bistro. But this will be canteen food, so don’t expect a fine dining experience.

However when the biker is hungry, it is better to put something on his plate. Thus if you can wait, we recommend that you wait for Andermatt, where you will find more options.

Roadtrip Susten Furka Grimsel

Leg 2 : Susten – Andermatt – Furka

Once at the top, the road continues towards the Furkapass. Follow Wassen then Andermatt then Furka Pass (approx. 16km, 21min). Unless you make a stop in Andermatt to perk up the bike and his/her pilot.

Leg 3 : Furka -Grimsel

Arrived at the top of the Furka, and after observing the panoramic view, you can continue for the next part: Furka – Grimsel (approx. 16 km, 20 min).

At the top of Grimsel, take a well-deserved stop for a coffee and enjoy the terrace with the lake view.

Then on your way back down, don’t forget to take a look at the Grimsel Hospiz, where you can find, if you feel like it, a refuge for the night. But since this is a 4 * hotel, don’t expect low prices.

Otherwise, all you have to do is return to the starting point, in Meiringen (35min, 32km), then continue your journey either towards Lucerne, or towards Interlaken, Bern, etc.

We hope you will fully enjoy the beauty of these alpine landscapes and have fun on the road!

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Ride on!

Roadtrip Susten Furka Grimse

Need some inspiration to plan out another roadtrip?

Check out our dedicated section or directly on the map below

 

Picture Gallery

As usual, here’s a small selection of images to highlight this magnificent road-trip.

Click the pictures to enlarge.