Engelberg, Switzerland
 

I am trying to decide if this is a good destination for a day trip while we are in Switzerland this summer. We will be based in Bern, and will have the Swiss Pass and Family Swiss Card for 4 flexible days.

I am traveling with my husband, and two boys ages 11 and 13, and my father may be tagging along as well. I thought the monastery to see the cheese making would be interesting, and I was hoping to visit the glacier area and ride the Titlis Chair Lift. There is also a summer "toboggan" ride which I hoped to do somewhere in Switzerland and since there is one available here, thought that would be a good place to do it.

Does this sound like too much to do in one day?

Because we really only have about 4 days in Switzerland before we move on to Italy, I want to make the most of seeing what we can without having to spend entire days on the trains.
We'd like to see:
Chocolate Factory (plan to go to Broc)
Cheese Making (would do either Engelberg or Gruyere)
Glacier park (would do Engelberg)
Toboggan Ride (MANY locations - if you had a great experience let me know)
Scenery and some Hiking (thought we could do Interlaken area for this)

What would you suggest?

Hi. We rented an apartment for a week in Engelberg a few years ago and used it as a base for daytrips around Switzerland. While it is breathtaking and I loved the cable cars and the Ice Flyer on Mt Titlis, I'm not sure I would arrange a full day there when you have a limited schedule. The cheese making was interesting enough but not great and yes, I'm sure the hiking was very good also however, you may want to check into a different location where you'd get more bang for your day. If you do decide to visit Engelberg I'm sure you'll enjoy it as it is beautiful.
Susan

I'm sure the hiking was very good also however, you may want to check into a different location where you'd get more bang for your day.>

Me too

Titlis is fantastic but IMO the Jungfrau Region at Grindelwald is just as fantastic and a close to Bern - perhaps significantly closer than Engelberg. And for chese making if you go to Broc-Factory tour then Gruyeres is so cloase by train from there and its cheese factory near the train station offers everything the one in Engelberg does and more.

anyway the Jungfrau Region has everything Engelberg/Titlis has to offer and more IMO - the views are more encompassing - Grindelwald sits in a huge amphitheatre girdled by blaciers and majestic snow-capped peaks that are the highest in Switzerland - the train up to the Jungfraujoch is one of the world's top thrill rides IME - up top a sea of ice - with same type tobaggoning and you can walk to a glacier and on trails thru snow.

Take a train to Interlaken-Ost (East) station and transfer there to the tiny train that goes to Grindelwald and on up to the Jungfraujoch station, the highst in the Alps. Swiss Passs 100% valid most of the way from Bern - to Grindelwald or Wengen and then 25% discount from there to summit - kids under 16 with Family Pass free and always free no matter what the conveyance under the Family Plan deal.

For lots on the Jungfrau region trains, etc and Swiss trains and passes I always spotlight these fantastic sites - www.swisstravelsystem.com; www.budgeteuropetravel.com; www.ricksteves.com; www.seat61.com.

Here's the deal on the Titlis trip: you'd need to leave from Luzern and the trip up to Engleberg takes about an hour. It is quite scenic. Once you get to the twon itself it is about a ten-minute walk over to the base of the tramway complex. You can get 1/2 price reductions with a SwissPASS (not sure about using the "card."

The trip to the top happens in three phases; you change twice, the last portion is on the "rotair" (an Italian design which has a rotating floor).

I would plan to spend at LEAST a 1/2 day from Luzern for this trip.

yes, I think it is worth it; yes I have done it several times. It may be somewhat easier to do than traveling to the Lauterbrunnen area...at least you could do it in one day.

If you're based in Bern it is much more logical to head to the Jungfrau region. The monastery in Engelberg is nice but not *that* spectacular.

Who goes there for the monastery???

That's my point. (The OP mentioned to see the monastery in combination with cheese making there.)