Surrounded by 3000-meter mountains, Oeschinensee is one of the most picturesque lakes in the Swiss Alps. The beauty of the landscape is amplified by the mountain streams descending to the lake.
This is a popular lake among locals and tourists during summer, so be prepared to find crowds at the lake, on the trails, and in the parking lots, especially on weekends.
In this article, you will find all the information you need to spend a day exploring the lake area— how to get there, the costs, different available activities, details on how to hike in Oeschinensee, and more.
How to get to Oeschinensee Lake
First things first, you will have to get to the village of Kandersteg.
By car
Drive to the town of Kanderstag, where plenty of paying parking lots exist. Then, walk to the cable car station.
Driving here from Luzern should take you around 1h45 from Luzern and 2h10 from Zurich, depending on traffic.
By Train
Take a train from Luzern or Zurich to Bern and change to a train to Kandersteg. If you’re coming from Luzern, you will probably have a longer layover in Bern, so it will take you around 2h40 hours to get to Kandersteg versus around 2h10 if you’re coming from Zurich.
From the train station to the cable car station is only a 15-minute walk.
Once in Kandersteg, you can either take the cablecar to the top (the cablecar departure is here) or walk uphill through a forest for about 1 hour.
Then, if you wish to go straight to the lake, you can follow the trail that goes straight from the chair lift station at the top of the mountain and walk for about 30 minutes to the lake shore. Alternatively, during summer, you can take a shuttle that runs every half hour from 11 am for 10 CHF per person.
Below in this article, you will find more details on the Panorama Hike in Oeschinensee.
Practical
Fees
In 2025, the round-trip price for the cable car from Kanderstag to Oeschinensee will be 32 CHF for adults and 16 CHF if you have a discount card. The tickets are valid to use within 2 years from the date of purchase.
You can only buy your tickets during summer either online here or at the cablecar station's vending machines.
What to bring
- Good pair of sturdy hiking shoes
- Water
- Sunscreen, sunglasses & hat on sunny days.
- Swimming suit if you want to swim in the lake
- Camera
When to go
The best season to visit Oeschinensee is from mid-May to October, when hiking trails and other mountain activities are open. However, some trails can still be covered with snow at the beginning and end of the season.
Additionally, other activities might also be closed depending on the weather conditions.
Oeschinensee Panorama Hike
Distance: 8.7 km Hike type: Loop Elevation gain: 495m Difficulty: Moderate
This trail is a loop that can be done in either direction. We did it clockwise as described below, starting with the higher trail and ending along the lake, but both ways will reward you with great views, so this decision is up to your personal preference.
From the cable car station at the top, follow the trail 5 on the map until you come across a sign on your left pointing to Oberbägli and follow it. This will put you on the trail 8 on the map, which is the exact loop you will do.
After a few meters of walking in a forest, you will start a steep ascent up the mountain, which can be tricky if you’re not wearing hiking shoes (we saw several people struggling with sneakers).
The trail gets flatter after that, and on this part of the trail, you will find many great view spots over the lake.
The last part of the trail is mainly downhill. Just before reaching the hut located halfway through the loop, the mountain briefly overhangs the path, so you have to “hug” it as you continue walking sideways to go further.
Things to consider
This was by far the most crowded hike we did in Switzerland.
The lake's beauty and accessibility attract tourists with all levels of hiking experience. Therefore, you should be prepared to potentially encounter some hikers who might not know about mountain etiquette (aka priority for those going up).
As discussed earlier, if you’re coming during the summer season, try to get there early to beat the crowds, especially on sunny weekends.
If you couldn’t/didn’t want to get there early, be prepared to potentially have to choose between two options at the end of your day: wait for up to an hour for the chair lift to take you down or walk down through the forest for 1 hour.
Other things to do at Oeschinensee
Mountain Coaster (Rodelbahn)
The Rodelbahn is situated just behind the cable car station in Oeschinensee. The cost is around 6 CHF per ride for people from 8 years.
Rowboat
You can also hire a boat and row around the lake for about 32 CHF per hour.
Fishing
Fishing is allowed at Oeschinensee, but you need a fishing license. You can obtain your license at Chalet Arva directly on the shore of the lake, at the tourist office in Kandersteg, or online. The cost of the fishing license is 32 CHF per adult.
Swimming
Swimming is a popular activity among the visitors. Expect the water temperature to be rather cold, although it can reach up to 20 degrees in summer.
