Rafting.ch

Canyoning · Beginner-friendly

Canyoning Interlaken: a beginner-friendly gorge adventure.

~3 hours Easy / Medium Min. age 12 June–September
Eight minutes from Interlaken there’s an alpine gorge most visitors never see. We take you through it — rappelling down small waterfalls, sliding and jumping into clear pools, with a guide beside you the whole way. Half a day, all gear included, no experience needed. A guided canyoning tour good for first-timers, with a route that works just as well for families and small groups of friends.
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Check availability & book

  • All gear & certified guides
  • Canyon transfer included
  • Drink after the tour

Free reschedule or refund if we cancel for weather.

Guest reviews

★★★★★ 5.0 · 252 reviews on Google
★★★★★

“It was an absolute blast! Our guides were great and very knowledge. Made the experience very engaging but made sure we all safe as well. Additionally they were very accommodating when my original time slot did not have enough people. Hig…”

C
Colea month ago
★★★★★

“These guys were a lifesaver!! Booked a canyoning tour with another service (Outdoor) a month ahead of time and they cancelled on me the night before at 10 pm because “not enough people signed up”. Rafting.ch didn’t even have any tours ru…”

L
Laitha month ago
★★★★★

“Rafting didn’t work out so we went canyoning and it was a fantastic adventure! Some jumping, abseiling, a rope swing, and scrambling through the canyon and water. Challenging for folks who spend most time at a desk but at the same time n…”

M
Mona Langea week ago
★★★★★

“We enjoyed this fantastic rafting experience in the amazing nature of Interlaken. The enthusiastic Team is just awesome and made us feel save and at home.”

F
Filip Van der Gucht10 months ago

Key infos & requirements at a glance

Duration
~3 hrs door to door
Canyon time
1.5 hrs in the water
Distance
~1 km through the gorge
Difficulty
Easy / medium
Fitness level
All levels
Swimming required
No
Minimum age
12 years
Maximum weight
125 kg
Group size
2–12 participants
Departures
Daily in season
Season
May → October
Languages
DE · EN · FR · ES · IT · HU

Weather: We run in light rain. In heavier conditions, the trip leader and management make the call on the day, weighing water levels, forecasts and local knowledge.

Good to know: bring your swimsuit, a towel, your smiles — and show up 5 minutes before your start time.

Canyoning in Interlaken: what to expect

Canyoning is basically descending a river gorge on foot. You walk, swim, slide down natural rock chutes, rappel small waterfalls and jump into natural pools. Our tour runs through a gorge near the village of Saxeten, about 8 minutes from our base. Once you’re inside, it feels like a completely different world — lush nature, alpine water, polished rock walls, waterfalls and ledges at different heights. The kind of place you can’t really get to any other way.

The vast majority of our guests have never set foot in a canyon before. That’s the whole point. The route is beginner friendly, but with enough variety that nobody finishes wishing they’d done more. And every single obstacle has an option to skip or walk around.

Tour highlights

  • Natural rock slides into clear pools
  • Optional cliff jumps from ~2 m — every one your choice to jump or walk
  • Short rappels down cliff walls of up to 10 m
  • Small groups led by certified expert canyoning guides
  • Remote landscapes that are otherwise inaccessible

Is this canyoning tour right for you?

Honest answer: probably yes. But there are a few situations where a different tour makes more sense. Here’s how to tell.

Perfect if you…

  • Have never done canyoning and want a safe, well-organised first time
  • Like hiking but want water, obstacles and a bit of adrenaline
  • Are travelling with family — kids from 12 up love this tour
  • Are at any fitness level — nothing athletic required
  • Are with friends or colleagues wanting a story to tell for months

Maybe choose another tour if you…

  • Have done canyoning before and want steeper, longer, more technical
  • Want big cliff jumps and 20–50 m rappels
  • Want water without the physical side
  • Are pregnant or dealing with an injury — call us, we’ll help decide

Sounds like you? Here’s where to go instead

Step by step: your Interlaken itinerary

Total time from check-in to walking back out of the base sits at roughly 3 hours.

Check-in at the base 15–20 min

Arrive 10 minutes early. Meet your guides, fill in the waiver, get suited — wetsuit, neoprene socks, canyoning shoes, harness, helmet. Leave everything in the locked changing rooms during the tour.

Drive to the canyon 10 min

Short ride with nice views to the Saxeten gorge. The guides share local stories and test your Interlaken knowledge — better be prepared 😉

Safety briefing & practice 15 min

How the harness works, slide and jump technique, basic rappelling, how to move in this environment. You practise on easy obstacles first. One rule: everything in the canyon is optional.

In the canyon 1.5–2 hrs

Water slides, small waterfalls, optional cliff jumps (mostly 2–5 m, a few up to ~10) and short rappels. Your guide goes first every time. Skip any obstacle and there’s always a walk-around. Time to swim, float and look up.

Back to base 30 min

Quick drive back, change in the locker room, grab a hot or cold drink on us, and get your footage if the guides were filming. We won’t rush you out.

What’s included in your tour

Everything you need to do the tour is in the price. You don’t need to rent, buy or bring any canyoning gear.

Included

  • Safety briefing with hands-on practice
  • Full gear: wetsuit, neoprene socks, canyoning shoes, harness, helmet, PFD
  • Highly certified canyoning guides
  • Round-trip transfer base ↔ canyon
  • Changing rooms at the base
  • A drink at the base after the tour

Not included

  • Personal travel / accident insurance
  • Food — eat something light 1–2 hrs before
  • Photos & videos (optional add-on)
  • Hotel pickup outside the standard meeting area
  • Tips — appreciated, never expected

What to bring & how to prepare

We take care of all the technical gear. You just need to show up ready to get wet.

What to bring

  • Swimsuit (put it on before you arrive)
  • Towel & a full change of dry clothes
  • Sunscreen, applied before the wetsuit
  • Sports strap for glasses, or wear contacts
  • Cash or card for any extras

Before you arrive

  • Eat light, 1–2 hrs before your slot
  • Skip the beer — save it for after
  • Tell your guide about any medical condition (confidential)
  • Show up 10–15 minutes early

Safety, guides & equipment

Canyoning happens in real terrain — real water, real rock, real height. We treat every departure like it matters, because it does. Our priority is simple: safety first, fun second, photos third. We hold ISO 21101:2014 certification, run annual safety audits and operate under Swiss cantonal permits. But what actually keeps people safe is the guides and the decisions they make on the day. If conditions look questionable, we don’t go.

How we manage risk

  • One guide per 6–8 guests — a hard cap, not a guideline
  • Water levels checked before every departure via local monitoring stations
  • Weather assessed every morning — we adjust, reschedule or call it off
  • A walk-around at every obstacle — nobody is talked into anything
  • Evacuation routes mapped and rehearsed for every section

Your guides

Not seasonal temps. They hold certifications in CPR, advanced first aid and swiftwater rescue, and are certified through the Swiss Outdoor Association. They speak German, English, French, Spanish, Italian and Hungarian, and they know this gorge the way a local knows their own neighbourhood — good with first-timers, which is honestly one of the parts of the job they like most.

Location, meeting point & transport

You’ll find us at Hauptstrasse 38e, 3800 Matten bei Interlaken, just outside the centre of Interlaken.

  • By car: park at Eissportzentrum Jungfrau next to our base. Walk towards the white Hotel Mattenhof Resort and turn right.
  • By public transport: hop off at the Hotel Sonne bus stop. Walk towards the Mattenhof Resort and turn right.
  • On foot: 5–15 minutes from most central Interlaken hotels.
  • Bike: parking available at the base.

Photos, video & memories

A real day in the gorge with us — jumps, slides, waterfalls and the grins in between.

Most of the time your guide has a GoPro or phone running through the tour — jumps, slides, the occasional funny landing, all captured. This is an optional add-on, not included in the tour price. Practical note: leave your phone at the base. These environments are not kind to electronics. If you want footage from inside the canyon, ask your guide.

Make it a full day

Canyoning wraps up in about three hours, which leaves a big chunk of the day. Most guests double up.

+ Whitewater Rafting

Punchy whitewater in the morning, gorge in the afternoon. The classic Interlaken day.

+ Fun Rafting (Simme)

Canyon first, then a relaxed float. Great for groups with mixed comfort levels.

Ask about combo pricing when you book — it’s usually cheaper than two separate bookings.

FAQ: Canyoning Interlaken

Can I go canyoning in bad weather?

Light rain, yes — you’re already in a wetsuit in a wet gorge. Heavy or sustained rain raises the water level fast, so our guides check the forecast and water levels before every departure. If conditions are unsafe, we reschedule or cancel and you get a full refund.

Do I need previous canyoning experience?

No, and most of our guests don’t have any. The guides teach you everything on the spot.

Do I need to be able to swim?

It helps, but we don’t require it. You wear a buoyancy aid the entire time, so you float regardless.

How cold is the water, and will I be warm enough?

Around 8–14°C depending on the month, but you wear a thick full-length wetsuit and you’re moving the whole time, so most people warm up quickly.

What if I’m afraid to jump?

Then don’t jump. Every jump is optional and there’s a walk-around for every obstacle. Plenty of guests never jump and still have the day of their trip.

Can I wear glasses or contact lenses?

Contacts are best. If you wear glasses, bring a sports strap so you don’t lose them on a jump or slide.

Is canyoning suitable for families and teenagers?

From age 12, yes — and teenagers tend to be the most enthusiastic people on the tour.

What if I have a medical condition?

Tell us before you book or on the day, in confidence. Pregnancy, heart conditions, recent injuries or surgery may rule the tour out — message us and we’ll help you decide.

CHF 149 per person · all gear included
Book canyoning in Interlaken