ZERMATT vs JUNGFRAU REGION: Which is better?

Should you visit Zermatt AND the Jungfrau Region on your next trip to Switzerland? Or if you only have time for one spot, which one is better?!
We put these 2 destinations head-to-head to see which one comes out as King of the Swiss Alps based on 9 different categories. Of course, we tried to be as unbiased as possible, but you can also judge each category for yourself based on your travel preferences!
Need more help deciding? Shop our Swiss Travel Guides
➡️ www.aplinsinth...
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// ABOUT THIS VIDEO //
Which one is King of the Swiss Alps: Zermatt or the Jungfrau Region?
We used 9 different categories to determine the champion:
👉 SIGHTSEEING
How much is there to see and do? This includes mountain excursions, villages, and day trips.
👉SCENERY
Which place has more dramatic landscapes and natural beauty?
👉FOOD
If you’re a foodie like us, which destination offers unique dishes, affordable meals, and restaurants with a view?
👉SIMPLICITY
Keep in mind that there are way more places to visit and things to do in Switzerland than you’ll have time for. But you’re the winner of this category, thanks to our simple-to-use-and-customize Switzerland Itineraries!
➡️ Shop our Swiss Travel Guides here: www.aplinsinth...
👉LODGING
When it comes to where to stay, you’ll want to have plenty of options for location, budget, and luxury.
👉TRANSPORTATION
If you’ve started planning your Swiss vacation, then you know how complicated Swiss transportation can be. Which of these spots is easier to reach, navigate, and travel with a rail pass?
👉HIKING + ADVENTURE ACTIVITIES
Whether you’re looking for alpine adventures or just a pleasurable walk with a view, you’ll find that all over Switzerland. But which spot is the best for adventures? And which one is better for hiking?
👉WEATHER + SEASONALITY
No one wants yucky, rainy, cloudy days on their Swiss vacation. Does one of these destinations have better weather? How about traveling during shoulder season?
👉COST
Switzerland can be expensive, but it doesn’t have to be. Here’s which area is nicer to your pocketbook.
🥁AND THE WINNER IS…
The results are close, but you’ll have to watch the video to find out who is crowned as the King of the Swiss Alps!
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// WATCH NEXT //
Zermatt Travel Guide + 11 Insider Tips
▶️ • ZERMATT, SWITZERLAND T...
Top 14 Things To Do in the Jungfrau Region
▶️ • Top 14 Things To Do In...
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Interlaken, Grindelwald, Lauterbrunnen, Jungfraujoch, Lucerne, Zermatt, and beyond!
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// GET TO KNOW US //
If you love traveling Switzerland, getting off-the-beaten-path, or having foodie experiences, then you're in the right place!
🙋🏻‍♀️🙋‍♂️We're Jana and Brett - Aplins in the Alps.
We help you TRAVEL SWITZERLAND 🇨🇭WITH CONFIDENCE to maximize your experiences while minimizing your budget and planning time.
Oh, and we live in Switzerland too!
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#zermatt #matterhorn #jungfrau #jungfrauregion #swisstravel #swisstrip #travelswitzerland

[@AplinsintheAlps]

Why pick one destination when you can visit both?!? Shop our Jungfrau Guide and Zermatt itinerary in our shop! www.aplinsinthealps.com/guides

[@j.r.crawford5395]

Yall have been a heaven sent for planning our trip in Sept!!!! Thank you for the simplicity of your videos, we can’t wait to get there!

[@milespalero]

I am planning a trip in Sept, too! 🤩

[@shayonsmith]

They are!!!!

[@AplinsintheAlps]

Aww we’re happy all of our resources have been helpful to you guys! 🥰🤩

[@charlieslater2969]

Same here! See you there 😊

[@ESUPhysicsBuckley]

I agree with your conclusion, but there would have been a wider score. We stayed for 3 days in Zermatt and 6 days in Wengen last summer (our first trip to Switzerland). The train ride to Zermatt through the narrow steep valley with our heads sticking out the window was definitely a highlight! The town itself was compact, lovely (especially the old town with dwellings from the 1500s!) and easy to navigate. But it was CRAMMED with tourists... and it was only mid-June. Sunnega was a great budget alternative to Gornergrat. We went twice and enjoyed the views, restaurant and mountain lake area. The Jungfrau region had a lot of tourists (like us) as well, but because it's so large, it swallows them up! The only time we noticed how many fellow tourists there were was when we were getting on or off the trains or standing in line for the gondola to Gimmelwald. The variety of places to go and things to do was also wonderful. On days with some sun but low clouds, we went on a cruise on Lake Brienz or hiked along the Lauterbrunnen Valley. On sunny, clear days, we went to Murren or Mannlichen. I'm glad we experienced Zermatt, but if you gave me the choice of 4-5 days in Zermatt or the Jungfrau region, I would take the latter every time. And thanks to this channel, we were able to really maximize our experiences and enjoyment in these beautiful regions!

[@akalex737]

Any recommendations on where to stay in Wengen? We just want a balcony with an awesome view! Thanks :)

[@AplinsintheAlps]

Thanks for sharing your thoughts! We definitely agree to spend a week in the Jungfrau Region and 3 days in Zermatt. And you made an excellent point about the density of tourists - we completely agree and didn’t even think to consider that in our ratings (next time we will)! Sounds like you had a wonderful trip and we hope you come back again one day 😊

[@AplinsintheAlps]

We don’t have specific suggestions, but always recommend HotelCard! hotelcard.ch/en/aplins

[@ESUPhysicsBuckley]

@@akalex737 We stayed at an AirBnB called "Michaels Place" which had a balcony overlooking the train station, little town square and an incredible view of both the Lauterbrunnen valley and the Jungfrau and its glaciers. Bring binoculars and you'll be able to see distant waterfalls and the big hotel in Murren which looks like it's perched on the edge of the cliff. BTW, if you take the gondola up to Mannlichen, pay the extra 5 Francs to ride on top. Unforgettable.

[@prodiono]

Thank you for the video and your very insightful review of the area-it was very enjoyable. I have a small suggestion regarding pronunciation. In the case of "Zermatt" and "Zürich," they are typically pronounced with a [ts] sound rather than a [z], I thought this might be helpful for future. Thank you for your great work!

[@AplinsintheAlps]

Thanks for watching and taking the time to comment! We’re currently learning German so we’re always improving our language skills. (Although the variety of Swiss dialects means everyone pronounces everything differently anyway 🫠🫠🫠)

[@ryanp8205]

Just got back from Switzerland, went to both, and pretty much agree!

[@AplinsintheAlps]

So glad you enjoyed your trip!

[@kosterjm]

This video is a great and fair summary. Bottom line, if you’re going to go all the way to Switzerland for a vacation, you have to see both areas. We just spent 1 full day in Zermatt and 3 jam packed days in Grindelwald, and while I agree that the Jungfrau region has more to do and see, our single favorite experience of the entire trip was the Gornergrat train ride and seeing the breathtaking Matterhorn and surrounding mountains and glaciers and enjoying the restaurants and stations on the way down.

[@AplinsintheAlps]

So glad you were able to check out both spots! We agree that Gornergrat is the single best experience in Zermatt :)

[@amitbanerjee1331]

We were in the Jungfrau region last October and were so lucky with the weather being around 14-20 degrees and bright and sunny, until the last day of our visit when it started raining 😂… Jungfrau hands down has more variety and would love to go back for more. Just wish the Milk vending machine was still there in Stechelberg😢

[@Aveira916]

We must have been there at the same time because I was there in October and was leaving when the bad weather finally came in.

[@AplinsintheAlps]

October is such a great time to visit, especially for hiking! Love that you enjoyed the variety of the Jungfrau Region as well 👍(Btw the milk vending machine moved to Wilderswil!)

[@laxmiagrawal5937]

I am planning to visit both the places in June. 😊

[@AplinsintheAlps]

Fantastic!!!

[@laxmiagrawal5937]

@@AplinsintheAlps your videos have been really helpful, Thank you. Looking forward to an amazing one!

[@Andrew-cg2zl]

great work!

[@AplinsintheAlps]

Thank you!! 😊

[@skunknightjahsound5484]

for me is like more zermatt definitely but jungfrau in grindelwald is not bad just not my style ...

[@AplinsintheAlps]

We're so glad you know what you enjoy!!

[@Fan652w]

In my view the Jungfrau region wins by a very wide margin. A point other commentators have made is the huge variety of resorts, things to do, places to say. And there are no lakes in Zermatt! Worst of all for Zermatt, there is no interesting city to go to if the weather is bad. By contrast Interlaken is less than an hour from Bern, and only two hours from Lucerne/Luzern. And both can be reached using the Berner Oberland Pass which you are constantly raving about!

[@AplinsintheAlps]

We sure do love the Berner Oberland Pass 🙃 The Jungfrau Region is certainly bigger than Zermatt and more centrally located. But don’t be mistaken - there are a handful of alpine lakes in Zermatt as well! (Just not as large as Brienzersee or Thunersee). It’s always fun to hear what other travelers think too!

[@dunnlea1]

You guys should do a video on the best Sunday places. Like, I heard Grindelwald doesn't shut down too much for Sunday. What are the most alive Sunday towns?

[@AplinsintheAlps]

That’s a good point! In the touristy areas there are still things open. But the farther off the beaten path you go, the less is open.

[@Fan652w]

@@AplinsintheAlps But you should also stress that the public transport in Switzerland runs good services 365-day-a-year

[@benedictmoreno4729]

Where do you recommend that we stay if we want to see both?

[@AplinsintheAlps]

Best to stay in each spot! It’s 2hr15m train ride between Zermatt and Interlaken - a bit too long for a day trip - so plan to sleep in both places!

[@OctavioRoman-vf3lm]

If I want to compare prices for individual tickets vs any Swiss pass, what website do you recommend?

[@AplinsintheAlps]

Hi there! We've spent tons of time crunching the numbers and made this video and free download to help with your exact questions! kzbin.info/www/bejne/nKvYgWOegrqdfM0

[@TealRapp]

So beautiful 😊

[@AplinsintheAlps]

We agree! 🙂

[@zhamiladamn2975]

I am hoping to visit uk next week after that i want to travel to interlaken. Just advice me i want to travel by 🚆. From uk what train should i take where to get down what station.? And cost .cheap train tickets. Thanks

[@AplinsintheAlps]

Sorry, we don’t have expertise booking tickets from the UK, but try looking it up on Seat 61 website!

[@melissanewton2643]

What great information! I hope I’ll get to plan a trip to Switzerland someday soon and I’ll definitely be using your guides!

[@AplinsintheAlps]

We hope you get to travel here soon too! And glad we'll be able to help!

[@dunnlea1]

We are in Switzerland! Hoping to run into you both!

[@AplinsintheAlps]

If you see us, stop to say hi! 😊

[@2910STEFANO]

Sono stato più volte, e ci tornerò ancora e spesso, sia a Zermatt che nella regione della Jungfrau…sono due luoghi/zone meravigliosi….non saprei dire quale delle due zone prediligiamo io ed i miei compagni di escursioni…forse, lieve e, la regione della j7ngfrau, perché c è davvero una enorme varietà di “cose da fare”, soprattutto se “ non hai problemi di budget”. Comunque…. ZERMATT,JUNGFRAU REGION….❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️🏔️🏔️

[@AplinsintheAlps]

They are both wonderful spots to visit!! 😊

[@roadracer517]

I spent 4 weeks in Switzerland. Grindelwald, then Zermatt, the the Glacier Express to St Moritz. And you forgot the most important category. Skiing. No contest. Zermatt is bigger, higher, longer, snowery. with Cervinia next door. It is unbelievable. And the lift system is way better too. WAAAAAAAY better.

[@AplinsintheAlps]

Oh that’s good to know! We’re not skiers so we don’t have good context for that, and most of our tips are based on summer season travelers (due to our audience mainly being summer travelers). Thanks for the tips though!!

[@schafer2684]

Fortunately, my wife and I will visit both areas in about 6 weeks. We will spend 2 days in Zermatt and about 10 days trekking in the Jungfrau region (Bernese Oberland). I bought a couple of your guides to help with planning. Nice videos!

[@AplinsintheAlps]

Wow, enjoy your long trip through switzerland! That should be absolutely wonderful - especially all of that hiking! 😊

[@nenuphar0722]

Congratulations on your wedding anniversary! Enjoy your weekend get away!

[@AplinsintheAlps]

Aww you’re so kind and thoughtful. Thank you! We had a wonderful little getaway together to a quiet lake in Switzerland!

[@MrGreatplum]

Very interesting comparisons… having been to both, for me, the jungfrau region wins, mainly because you could stay there a month and not get bored. Zermatt is great but after a few days, I’d want to be on my way - fits well with a multi stay holiday though :) (just need to win the lottery to stay in those luxury hotels now 😜)

[@benedictmoreno4729]

Hi. May I ask where you stayed for visiting both?

[@AplinsintheAlps]

You’re spot on! We feel the same way (which is why we live in the Jungfrau Region!). By the way, check out HotelCard for discounted hotels - even in Zermatt! It’s how we stay all over this beautiful country for affordable prices. hotelcard.ch/en/aplins

[@MrGreatplum]

@@AplinsintheAlps - I bet you aren’t bored of the jungfrau region yet, either!

[@AplinsintheAlps]

Nope, not even close!