2/24/2026 · 9 min read
Interlaken earns its paragliding reputation through terrain, wind behavior, and logistics. Elevated launch points, wide landing zones, and strong transport access combine to make tandem flying unusually practical for visitors.
For first-time flyers, the sensation is usually smoother than expected. Launch is a short forward run and lift-off is gradual, not a rollercoaster drop. Once airborne, the experience is often calm and quiet with broad views over Lakes Thun and Brienz and the Jungfrau range.
Most guests ask whether Beatenberg or Niederhorn is better. In practice, operators select launch based on wind direction, thermal activity, cloud development, and safety margins. Flexibility is part of flight quality, so avoid rigid departure-day scheduling.
The core season is typically May to October, with June through September often most reliable. Morning air can be smoother, while late-day slots can offer excellent light. A two-day weather window is the best planning structure.
Where you stay matters. Interlaken is convenient but busier. Lake Thun bases such as Spiez, Faulensee, Einigen, and Thun remain close by rail and often provide quieter evenings, larger stays, and better trip balance when paragliding is one part of a multi-activity itinerary.
Clothing is simple: closed supportive shoes, light wind-resistant layer, secure sunglasses, and thin gloves in shoulder seasons. Operators provide technical equipment.
If a flight is cancelled, that is normal in alpine weather operations. Keep fallback options like Lake Thun walks, Harder Kulm, boat routes, or a Lauterbrunnen day so schedule changes do not reduce trip quality.
Paragliding in Interlaken is less about adrenaline branding and more about perspective: seeing how lakes, valleys, and alpine massifs connect in one coherent landscape.