I will be spending 4 full days in Lauterbrunnen and would like to get a list of "must see" places. hikes, travel, must do activities, preferably in the order of importance.

A few parts of my itinerary are givens:

June 16: Arrive Zuerich airport around noon; will take train to Lauterbrunnen.

June 21: Train to Thun, return to Interlaken by boat; pick up car.

June 21-22:Travel by car to Prien/Chiemsee, Germany (to visit family)

Also would appreciate if, based on your suggestions, to get around should I get the Swiss Card, Berner Oberland Pass or Half Price card?

If you're into mountains (and why wouldn't you be if you picked the Oberland?), then the obvious sights are the separate rides up to the Schilthorn and the Jungfrau (about $50 and $95 respectively, depending on what time of day you go and which Oberland town you depart from), as well as the many free hikes in the area.

If the weather isn't ideal for the peaks, there are lots of neat waterfalls. There is an open-air folk museum in Ballenberg, bike rentals, a castle in Thun, and in Murren an indoor sports center with whirlpool (great after a long hike).

A Berner Oberland pass costs about 220 SF and covers all trains, lifts, and buses for a week. That may not be a bad idea for you. A Swiss Pass is great if you're doing the whole country, but it won't cover much of the Lauterbrunnen valley stuff or the Schilthorn/Jungfraubahn because it's a private rail system apparently. However, a Swiss Pass will get you a 25% discount on all the Lauterbrunnen rides, including Schilthorn/Jungfraubahn. An 8-day, 2nd class individual Swiss Pass is $255. A 7-day, 2nd class Oberland pass is $180.

The half-fare card costs 99 SF and gives good value. You should look up the cost of point-to-point tickets (Lauterbrunnen to Thun, for example, is 21 SF second class, 36 SF first class, second class is clean and comfortable) and see which option is best for you. I think no pass fully covers the Jungfrau and Schilthorn routes, but some give a discount, and the discount may vary among passes.

Weather may interfere with the mountain top views, so keep flexible on what days you will be ascending. If I recall, there is a lesser fare for the early morning ascent to Jungfrau, and you should be able to reach that easily as you will be right in Lauterbrunnen.

Calculating the advantages of the varying pass options can take a lot of time and effort, so I have resolved that, for me, the half-fare card is the best option, but we usually stay for more than 4 days. With a pass, you can just get on the train, while with the card you but a ticket in the station, but I have never seen a line at the ticket window, so I don't see any time savings there.

Enjoy your trip.

We loved the view from the top of the Schilthorn, and the gorgeous walk afterward from Murren to Grutschalp. And be sure to take the gondola ride from Grindelwald up to First station, then hike to the Bachalpsee. Photo op of a lifetime!

Save a trip to Trummelbach Falls for a bad-weather day. You'll need to wear a jacket anyway.

Here are a few photos from our trip for your viewing pleasure:

http://community.webshots.com/album/111416215tDqoRc

Enjoy!

Message: Great excursion:
Lauterbrunnel straight up the cliff via funicular to Grutschalp, a few thousand feet above Lauterbrunnen then via spectacular cliff-side train to Murren, a posh resort made popular by the British with a stupendous view over the Lauterbrunnen Valaley below and the glacier-clad Jungfrau Massif opposite, then either hike down to Gimmelwald, a lost-in-time farming village of wood huts with even more stupifying views - a real out in the wilderness feeling. Then from Gimmelwald via aerial cable car back down to the Lauterbrunnen Valley and then either a few-mile hike back to Lauterbrunnen or can go by postal bus. This whole trip is one of the most exhilarating Europe has to offer. Can be easily done in half day or you can linger. you could also hike down from Gimmelwald, so varients. From Murren you can also take gondolas to Schilthorn, much celebrated for its links with james Bond - these gondolas glide up thousands of feet to a station totally isolated in the high Alps - sweeping views for miles around and you can walk on the snow. Revolving restaurant. Cable car will be closed until mar 15 because it broke down a few months ago and is being repaired. It was not a life threatening break down but had something to do with power line i think.
Lauterbrunnen itself in my opinion is not the best place to stay because it has the least fantastic, still fantastic views in the area - i'd go for Wengen a short train ride away from Lauterbrunnen (but not accessible by cars, which must be parked in Lauterbrunnen.
Swiss Card, Transfer ticket, etc. porbably not best bet since you're only going to train one way to Lauterbrunnen. Investigater the Bernese Oberland Pass, sold locally if you are doing the above excursion, the Schilthorn and the ballyhooed jungfraujoch train (the worldest highest train station - it is a truly awesome experience being right up into the glaciers and being able to walk on them.

Does the Oberland pass cover the cost of the jungfraubahn?

Found the answer to my own question here:

http://www.regiopass-berneroberland.ch/engl/geltung.htm

Does not cover it, but gives 50% off.

Last Sep i took both the Jungfraubahn and Schilthorn cables - the longest aerial cable car ride in the world i think - and i figured out that these two rides alone would have warranted purchase of a Jungfraubahn Pass (not the same creature as Berner Oberland Pass, which has a wider range) - plan where you're going then buy locally the best pass. Otherwise Jungfraubahn alone to Jungfraujoch will cost about $100 - most of the ride is in tunnel but up top is a wondrous world of ice and glaciers.

I would definitely recommend the Trummelbachfalles, which is a breathtaking (literally) glacier waterfall inside a mountain. It goes down as one of the most awesome things I've ever seen! It doesn't cost more than like E10 to go thru the mountain, and it's well-worth it.