How Does Tandem Paragliding Work in Interlaken?

If you’ve never done it, “tandem paragliding” can sound technical — wings, harnesses, mountain launches. In practice it’s one of the simplest adventures you can book in the Bernese Oberland, precisely because you don’t operate anything. This guide walks through exactly what happens, step by step, so you know what your body will be doing at each moment of an Interlaken tandem flight. For the rules on who can join, see who can fly and the requirements.

The Short Version

You are clipped into a two-person harness in front of a licensed pilot, who controls the wing for the entire flight. Your only active job is to run a few steps down the launch slope at take-off, and to lift your feet and then stand for landing. Everything between — the turns, the height, the speed, the touchdown — is the pilot’s job, not yours.

You Fly With the Pilot, Not Instead of the Pilot

The defining feature of a tandem flight is that there are two people under one wing, and only one of them is flying it. Interlaken’s tandem pilots are SHV-certified — licensed by the Swiss Hang Gliding Association, the national body that regulates the sport — and they fly maintained, inspected equipment day in, day out.

That single fact is what makes tandem flying so accessible. There is no steering for you, no brakes to pull, no course to complete, and nothing to memorise. You sit in a padded harness that feels a bit like a hanging armchair, with the pilot directly behind you handling the two brake lines and the speed bar. If you’ve ever wondered whether you need a sense of balance or quick reflexes — you don’t. You need to be able to take a few steps and then enjoy the view.

Step by Step, From Meeting Point to Mountain

A typical Interlaken tandem follows the same rhythm regardless of operator:

1. Meet and check in. You gather at the landing meadow — the Höhematte, the big green park in the centre of Interlaken — where the crew checks your booking and your weight, then loads everyone into a van.
2. Drive up to the launch. A short ride (around 20 minutes) climbs to the take-off site above Beatenberg, at roughly 1,300–1,350 m. A few minutes’ walk brings you to a grassy, sloping launch field looking out over the valley.
3. Briefing and gear-up. In a small group — usually no more than about ten people — your pilot runs a short safety talk, fits your harness and helmet, and tells you the one thing that matters: keep running until your feet leave the ground, and don’t sit down early.

The Launch: A Few Running Steps, Then Air

This is the part first-timers worry about, and it’s over in seconds. With you clipped in at the front and the pilot behind, the wing is laid out on the slope. When the pilot is happy with the wind, they call “go,” the canopy inflates overhead, and you both jog a few steps down the slope. The ground simply falls away beneath you — there’s no jump, no edge, no leap of faith. One moment you’re running on grass; the next you’re sitting back into the harness with the valley opening up below.

The launch slope faces the open valley for a reason: it gives the wing clean air and a downhill run, so getting airborne is gentle rather than abrupt.

In the Air: 10 to 20 Minutes Over Two Lakes

Once you’re up, you settle back and the pilot does the work. A standard Interlaken flight gives you roughly 10 to 20 minutes of airtime, drifting over the patchwork of meadows and the turquoise water of Lakes Thun and Brienz, with the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau strung along the skyline. On calm mornings the air is smooth and serene; on warmer afternoons rising thermals can let the pilot circle and climb for a longer, livelier ride (more on that in the best season and weather guide).

If you’ve asked for it, the pilot operates a camera on a boom to film and photograph you mid-flight — the wide grins are involuntary. Many pilots will also offer a few gentle turns or, if you’d rather, keep things perfectly flat; just say so before launch.

The Landing: Lift, Glide, Stand

Coming back down to the Höhematte is as undramatic as the launch. The pilot lines up the approach, asks you to lift your legs out in front on the final glide, and brings the wing in for a soft touchdown on the grass. As your feet meet the ground you simply stand up and take a couple of steps — most people are still grinning, and a fair few immediately ask how soon they can go again.

So What Do You Actually Do?

To strip it right down, your entire contribution to an Interlaken tandem flight is:

• At launch: run a few steps and don’t sit down too soon.
• In the air: relax, breathe, look around.
• At landing: lift your feet, then stand up.

That’s it. The skill, the licence and the responsibility all sit with the pilot — which is exactly why a first-timer can step off a Swiss mountain and land smiling fifteen minutes later.

Ready to Try It?

A top-rated Interlaken tandem paragliding flight pairs an SHV-certified pilot with the classic Beatenberg launch, free transfers from town, and free cancellation up to 24 hours before. Check availability and pick your slot above the lakes.