Tandem Paragliding in Interlaken, Switzerland

Interlaken sits on a narrow strip of land between two lakes — Lake Thun and Lake Brienz — ringed by the high peaks of the Bernese Oberland. That geography, sheltered by the surrounding mountains, gives the valley unusually reliable flying conditions, which is why Interlaken has become one of the best-known tandem paragliding spots in the world. On a fine day the sky above the town is dotted with canopies drifting down toward the central meadow. This page is about one specific way to join them: the tandem flight, where you fly clipped to a professional pilot rather than learning to fly yourself.

What “Tandem” Actually Means

The word does a lot of work. On a tandem paragliding flight you are not flying the wing — your SHV-certified pilot is. SHV stands for the Swiss Hang Gliding Association, the body that licenses paragliding pilots in Switzerland, and the tandem pilots in Interlaken are experienced professionals who fly maintained, inspected equipment. You sit in a two-person harness in front of the pilot, who handles the take-off, every turn in the air, and the landing. Your entire job is to take a few running steps off the slope at launch, then relax and look around. That is the whole skill set required.

Because the pilot carries the responsibility, a tandem flight is the most accessible form of free-flight there is. There is no course to sit, no licence to earn, and nothing technical to remember. It is the difference between being a pilot and being flown — and for a once-in-a-trip experience over the Alps, being flown is exactly the point.

No Experience, No Training — But You Do Have to Run

First-timers of every age fly tandem in Interlaken every day, so don’t be put off if you’ve never done anything like it. The one genuine physical requirement is that you can run a few steps down the launch slope so the wing can inflate and lift you both off the mountain; you’ll do something similar — gently — at landing.

The practical limits are about weight and age, and they vary by operator and even by time slot, so always read the specific flight’s conditions before booking. As a rough guide, most Interlaken tandems carry passengers from around 25–30 kg up to roughly 90–100 kg, with the heavier end sometimes restricted to particular departure times for safety. Children can usually fly from about age 5–6 with a guardian’s consent, and a few flights set an upper age limit (around 60) on their lighter weight slots. None of this is meant to discourage you — it’s simply why the booking page asks for each passenger’s height and weight.

The Flight: Beatenberg to the Höhematte

The typical Interlaken tandem follows a simple arc. You meet in town, usually beside the Höhematte — the broad grassy meadow in the centre of Interlaken that doubles as the landing field. From there a van drives you up to the launch above Beatenberg, on the slopes of the Niederhorn, at around 1,300 metres. A short walk brings you to the take-off, where your pilot fits your harness and runs a safety briefing.

Then you launch — a few strides and the ground simply drops away. Most classic flights give you 10 to 20 minutes of airtime, drifting over the patchwork of the valley with turquoise Lake Thun to the west and Lake Brienz to the east, and the unmistakable trio of the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau lining the southern horizon. Higher-launch “high flights” and the panorama flight from Mürren, over the cliff-walled Lauterbrunnen Valley, trade a little extra cost for more height and longer time aloft. Every flight ends the same gentle way: a smooth, walking-pace landing back on the Höhematte, minutes from the hotels and station.

When to Go — Season, Weather and Time of Day

Tandem flights run year-round, weather permitting, but the most dependable window is roughly April to October. Each season has its own character: spring often brings the strongest thermals and the longest flights; summer is warm enough to fly in light clothing; autumn is prized for its gentle air and crystal visibility across the peaks; and winter offers clear, cold skies above snow-covered mountains. Because the surrounding four-thousand-metre walls shelter the valley, good flying days are common across the calendar.

Time of day matters too. Mornings tend to be calm and smooth — the relaxed choice — while afternoons warm up and generate thermals that let pilots climb and stay airborne longer, with a little more movement. Either way, the pilots make the final call close to flight time based on the day’s wind and weather, so a flexible plan beats a tight schedule.

What to Wear, and the Photo Question

Keep it simple: closed, flat shoes you can run a few steps in (trainers or hiking shoes; many operators lend hiking boots), and layers — it’s cooler at altitude, so a windbreaker or light jacket is wise, with warm clothing and gloves added in winter. Bring sunglasses, and your booking voucher on your phone.

Most pilots offer a photo and video service filmed on a camera mounted to the wing or a selfie stick, usually as an on-the-day add-on (commonly around 40 CHF) that you can decide on after you land. If you’d rather bring your own GoPro or action camera, ask first — many operators only allow it when it’s attached with a secure safety leash, never held loose.

Booking, Safety and Free Cancellation

The flights listed here are run by independent, top-rated local paragliding companies and their certified pilots, not by a single official body — that’s the normal arrangement for adventure activities in the Bernese Oberland. The trust signals worth checking are the ones these operators carry: thousands of verified reviews, SHV-certified pilots, clear safety briefings, third-party and accident insurance, and free cancellation up to 24 hours before your slot. Paragliding is weather-dependent, so operators will reschedule or refund any flight they have to cancel themselves.

When you’re ready to trade the ground for twenty minutes over the lakes, check flight availability and pick the take-off that suits you.