Switzerland · Bernese Oberland · Premium route guide
Furka-Grimsel-Susten Three Pass Loop
The classic Swiss three-pass day: granite, glaciers and endless switchbacks.
Meiringen, Innertkirchen, the Grimsel Pass, Gletsch, the Furka Pass, Realp, Andermatt, Wassen and the Susten Pass, back through Innertkirchen to Meiringen. Built from our own track.
- Distance
- 125.7 km
- Peak elevation
- 2,435 m
- Elevation gain
- 3,813 m
- Best months
- Jun–Oct
- Switzerland · Bernese Oberland · Valais · Uri
- Loop
- 100% paved
- Seasonal closure
The route
Three of the great Swiss passes in one loop. The Grimsel climbs past dams and granite slabs, the Furka switchbacks rise above Gletsch and the Rhône glacier, and the Susten crosses back west from Wassen past the Stein glacier.
4 verified stays within 30 km of the route. Click a stay pin to see details. Know one that should be here?
Works with Garmin, TomTom, BMW Navigator, Calimoto, Kurviger, komoot, MyRouteApp. Import as a track to ride the exact line. Road data from OpenStreetMap (ODbL); elevation from SRTM.
Track vs. route, how to load this into your GPS
What you are downloading is a GPX track, a dense, road-snapped breadcrumb of the exact line, with elevation on every point. It is not a GPX route (a short list of turn waypoints your device re-plans between). Tracks preserve our road choice; routes let the device pick its own way and can send you down a boring motorway shortcut.
How to use it on your navigator:
- BMW Navigator / Garmin Zumo / zumo XT: import as a track, then Convert to Route (or Trip Planner, new trip from track) if you want turn by turn prompts. Keep Recalculation off so it stays on our line.
- TomTom Rider: import the GPX in MyDrive, it loads as a track / itinerary. Enable Follow the exact route so it does not re-plan.
- Calimoto: open the GPX and choose Import as tour, Calimoto follows the track line.
- Kurviger / komoot / MyRouteApp: open the GPX and pick Import as track to keep the road choice. Only choose Import as route if you want the app to re-plan for your bike profile.
- Google Maps / Apple Maps: these do not read GPX. Use the map on this page for turn cues, or import the file into a GPX capable app first.
Rule of thumb: if your device asks "track or route?", pick track to ride our exact line, pick route only if you want the device to re-plan.
Elevation profile
From ~598 m at the base to 2,435 m at the top, 3,813 m of total climbing across the route.
Our track is 126 km from Meiringen with about 3,800 m of climbing, roughly 5 to 6 hours of riding. Interlaken tourism describes the tour as about 192 km because it starts and ends in Interlaken. The highest point is the Furka Pass at about 2,430 m.
Why ride it
Three passes over 2,200 m, the Rhône glacier above Gletsch, the Grimsel and Oberaar lakes, and the long sweeping curves of the Susten.
Hazards
Coaches and post buses on tight hairpins, many cyclists, cold at the top, and strict Swiss speed enforcement with fixed and mobile cameras.
Fuel
Fuel in Meiringen, Innertkirchen, Andermatt and Wassen. There is no fuel on the passes.
Best months and difficulty
June to October. Difficulty: hard.
What to see along the way
- Meiringen - Start and end of the loop.
- Innertkirchen - Junction of the Grimsel and Susten roads.
- Grimsel Pass - About 2,164 m, lakes and dams.
- Gletsch - Hairpins below the Rhône glacier.
- Furka Pass - Highest point, about 2,430 m.
- Realp - Village below the Furka.
- Andermatt - Mountain town, fuel and food.
- Wassen - Start of the Susten climb.
- Susten Pass - About 2,224 m, views of the Stein glacier.
Rent a bike
Rent a motorcycle or scooter for Furka-Grimsel-Susten Three Pass Loop
Flying in? Pick up a bike near the start of the route. We've pre-filled the pick-up city with Meiringen - change it if you're basing elsewhere.
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Verified stays within 30 km
Automatically selected by proximity to the traced route, no editorial cherry-picking. Sorted by how close they are to the road.
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