Bern itinerary: 1 to 4 days
Plans for one to four days in Bern, day by day: the Federal Palace, the Zytglogge clock tower, Einsteinhaus and the Minster first, then Bärenplatz and the Church of the Holy Ghost, and the Zentrum Paul Klee, Nydeggkirche, the Museum of Fine Arts and Tierpark Dählhölzli as you add days. Every stop has a typical visit length.
How long do you have?
Map: 3 days
Bern in 1 day
Day 1
Federal Palace of Switzerland
Domed seat of the Swiss parliament and government, with free guided tours and a terrace over the Aare.
Kornhausplatz
Old town square by the Kornhaus granary, with the Ogre Fountain and views towards the Kornhaus Bridge.
Zytglogge
Medieval tower gate with an astronomical clock and moving figures that perform just before each hour.
Zähringerbrunnen
16th-century fountain on Kramgasse with an armoured bear honouring Bern's founder, Berthold V of Zähringen.
Einsteinhaus
The flat on Kramgasse where Albert Einstein lived in 1903-05 and worked on relativity, furnished as in his day.
Bern Minster
Late-Gothic cathedral with a carved Last Judgement portal and Switzerland's tallest church tower, climbable for views.
Bern Historical Museum and Einstein Museum
Switzerland's second-largest history museum, in a castle-like building, which also houses an exhibition on Albert Einstein's life and work.
BärenPark (Bear Park)
A riverside park on the slope by the Nydegg Bridge where Bern's bears live, near the old bear pit.
Bern in 2 days
Day 1
Federal Palace of Switzerland
Domed seat of the Swiss parliament and government, with free guided tours and a terrace over the Aare.
Bundesplatz
Square in front of the Federal Palace with fountains that rise from the paving in summer and a market.
Bärenplatz
Lively square at the west end of the old town with cafes, a weekly market and the Käfigturm prison tower.
Church of the Holy Ghost, Bern
Baroque Reformed church of 1729 next to the railway station, one of the finest Protestant churches in Switzerland.
Zytglogge
Medieval tower gate with an astronomical clock and moving figures that perform just before each hour.
Bern Historical Museum and Einstein Museum
Switzerland's second-largest history museum, in a castle-like building, which also houses an exhibition on Albert Einstein's life and work.
Day 2
Kornhausplatz
Old town square by the Kornhaus granary, with the Ogre Fountain and views towards the Kornhaus Bridge.
Zähringerbrunnen
16th-century fountain on Kramgasse with an armoured bear honouring Bern's founder, Berthold V of Zähringen.
Einsteinhaus
The flat on Kramgasse where Albert Einstein lived in 1903-05 and worked on relativity, furnished as in his day.
Bern Minster
Late-Gothic cathedral with a carved Last Judgement portal and Switzerland's tallest church tower, climbable for views.
BärenPark (Bear Park)
A riverside park on the slope by the Nydegg Bridge where Bern's bears live, near the old bear pit.
Zentrum Paul Klee
Museum of Paul Klee's work in Renzo Piano's wave-shaped building on the eastern edge of the city.
Bern in 3 days
Day 1
Museum of Fine Arts Bern
Kunstmuseum Bern, Switzerland's oldest art museum, with Swiss and European art from medieval to modern.
Church of the Holy Ghost, Bern
Baroque Reformed church of 1729 next to the railway station, one of the finest Protestant churches in Switzerland.
Zytglogge
Medieval tower gate with an astronomical clock and moving figures that perform just before each hour.
Gurten
Bern's local mountain, reached by funicular, with walking trails and views of the city, the Jura and the Alps.
Day 2
BärenPark (Bear Park)
A riverside park on the slope by the Nydegg Bridge where Bern's bears live, near the old bear pit.
Bern Minster
Late-Gothic cathedral with a carved Last Judgement portal and Switzerland's tallest church tower, climbable for views.
Einsteinhaus
The flat on Kramgasse where Albert Einstein lived in 1903-05 and worked on relativity, furnished as in his day.
Zähringerbrunnen
16th-century fountain on Kramgasse with an armoured bear honouring Bern's founder, Berthold V of Zähringen.
Kornhausplatz
Old town square by the Kornhaus granary, with the Ogre Fountain and views towards the Kornhaus Bridge.
Bärenplatz
Lively square at the west end of the old town with cafes, a weekly market and the Käfigturm prison tower.
Bundesplatz
Square in front of the Federal Palace with fountains that rise from the paving in summer and a market.
Federal Palace of Switzerland
Domed seat of the Swiss parliament and government, with free guided tours and a terrace over the Aare.
Day 3
Bern Historical Museum and Einstein Museum
Switzerland's second-largest history museum, in a castle-like building, which also houses an exhibition on Albert Einstein's life and work.
Kunsthalle Bern
Contemporary art exhibition hall near the Kirchenfeld Bridge, known for its experimental shows since 1918.
Münsterplatz
Square in front of the Minster with the Moses Fountain and a terrace garden overlooking the Aare.
Nydeggkirche
Church at the east end of the old town on the site of Bern's first castle, near the Nydegg Bridge and the bear park.
Zentrum Paul Klee
Museum of Paul Klee's work in Renzo Piano's wave-shaped building on the eastern edge of the city.
Bern in 4 days
Day 1
Museum of Fine Arts Bern
Kunstmuseum Bern, Switzerland's oldest art museum, with Swiss and European art from medieval to modern.
Church of the Holy Ghost, Bern
Baroque Reformed church of 1729 next to the railway station, one of the finest Protestant churches in Switzerland.
Zytglogge
Medieval tower gate with an astronomical clock and moving figures that perform just before each hour.
Gurten
Bern's local mountain, reached by funicular, with walking trails and views of the city, the Jura and the Alps.
Day 2
Bern Minster
Late-Gothic cathedral with a carved Last Judgement portal and Switzerland's tallest church tower, climbable for views.
Einsteinhaus
The flat on Kramgasse where Albert Einstein lived in 1903-05 and worked on relativity, furnished as in his day.
Zähringerbrunnen
16th-century fountain on Kramgasse with an armoured bear honouring Bern's founder, Berthold V of Zähringen.
Kornhausplatz
Old town square by the Kornhaus granary, with the Ogre Fountain and views towards the Kornhaus Bridge.
Bärenplatz
Lively square at the west end of the old town with cafes, a weekly market and the Käfigturm prison tower.
Bundesplatz
Square in front of the Federal Palace with fountains that rise from the paving in summer and a market.
Federal Palace of Switzerland
Domed seat of the Swiss parliament and government, with free guided tours and a terrace over the Aare.
Day 3
Bern Historical Museum and Einstein Museum
Switzerland's second-largest history museum, in a castle-like building, which also houses an exhibition on Albert Einstein's life and work.
Kunsthalle Bern
Contemporary art exhibition hall near the Kirchenfeld Bridge, known for its experimental shows since 1918.
Münsterplatz
Square in front of the Minster with the Moses Fountain and a terrace garden overlooking the Aare.
Nydeggkirche
Church at the east end of the old town on the site of Bern's first castle, near the Nydegg Bridge and the bear park.
Zentrum Paul Klee
Museum of Paul Klee's work in Renzo Piano's wave-shaped building on the eastern edge of the city.
Day 4
BärenPark (Bear Park)
A riverside park on the slope by the Nydegg Bridge where Bern's bears live, near the old bear pit.
Tierpark Dählhölzli
Riverside zoo by the Aare focused on European animals, with free outdoor enclosures in the woods.
Watch: Bern in 3 days
A one-minute look at the plan: every stop, day by day, with the map.
When to go to Bern
May to September is the best time, with warm days for swimming in the Aare and walking the arcaded old town. Winter, from December to February, is cold and sometimes snowy but quiet, with Christmas markets in December. The onion market, Zibelemärit, on the fourth Monday of November is the city's best-known festival.
Plan the rest of your trip
- Where to stay: hotels in Bern on Booking.com or Trip.com
- Skip-the-line tickets: museums and sights in Bern on Tiqets
- Tours and day trips: things to do in Bern on GetYourGuide
- From the airport: a private transfer in Bern with Kiwitaxi
- Data on arrival: an eSIM for Switzerland from Airalo
- Last day: leave your bags in Bern with Radical Storage and keep sightseeing
Some of these are affiliate links: we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Tips for Bern
- Free guided tours of the Federal Palace must be booked in advance and need an ID; during parliament sessions visitors can watch from the public gallery.
- Arrive a few minutes before the hour at the Zytglogge to see the mechanical figures move; tours of the clockwork inside are booked through Bern Welcome.
- The Minster tower climb has 312 steps to the upper gallery and closes earlier than the church; it gives the best view over the old town and the Aare.
- The Zentrum Paul Klee, the Museum of Fine Arts and the Kunsthalle are closed on Mondays.
- Hotel guests get a Bern Ticket for free public transport in the city; the old town's 6 km of arcades keep most walks dry in the rain.
Make it your own
Open the guide in Andiamo Places to see every stop on a map with walking directions, move places between days, check opening hours for your dates, and add your own finds. After the trip, your photos become a journal and, if you like, a printed photo book.
Guides are made with the help of AI and public sources such as Wikipedia, and may contain errors. Opening hours and prices change, so check before you go. Spotted a wrong photo, a pin in the wrong place, a missing stop or a better one? Write to andiamotravelapp@gmail.com: the e-mail opens with this guide filled in.
Photo credits
- Bern Historical Museum and Einstein Museum: ZachT, Public domain
- Bern Minster: André P. Holzer, Bern, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Bundesplatz: Ch-info.ch, CC BY 3.0
- BärenPark (Bear Park): Unknown artist Unknown artist, Public domain
- Bärenplatz: unknown author, Public domain
- Church of the Holy Ghost, Bern: Σπάρτακος, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Einsteinhaus: Gerd Kortemeyer ( talk ), Public domain
- Federal Palace of Switzerland: Flooffy, CC BY 2.0
- Gurten: Mike Lehmann, Pilot: Catherine Nussbaumer, Heliswiss — Mike Switzerland 12:01, 11 June 2007 (UTC), CC BY-SA 3.0
- Kornhausplatz: Dmitry A. Mottl, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Kunsthalle Bern: Sandstein, Public domain
- Museum of Fine Arts Bern: Kunstmuseum Bern, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Münsterplatz: Andrew Bossi, CC BY-SA 2.5
- Nydeggkirche: Wladyslaw Sojka at German Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Tierpark Dählhölzli: TeamBurton, Public domain
- Zentrum Paul Klee: Jean-Pierre Dalbéra from Paris, France, CC BY 2.0
- Zytglogge: Mike Lehmann, Mike Switzerland 13:37, 2 July 2006 (UTC), CC BY-SA 3.0
- Zähringerbrunnen: Mike Lehmann, CC BY-SA 3.0
Opening hours change; check before you go. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
