Bern Private Walking Tour with a Local Guide
Description
Your expert guide will show you the city's highlights and hidden gems. On this walking tour you will be able to see a lot of places within a short timeframe. Apart from explaining the sights, your guide can provide insight into the history and culture of the city and the country in general. The focus of this tour is to see the city through the eyes of a local. This private tour can be customized according to your personal preferences. Sightseeing points to visit can be agreed upon in advance or discussed when meeting up. Therefore, the sightseeing points listed below in the itinerary are just an example of what is possible. Your guide can suggest other sightseeing points that better suit your interests. This tour has two options for guides: a local guide or a professional tour guide. Please be aware that a local guide does not have detailed historical knowledge. If profound knowledge is important to you, you should book the tour option with a professional tour guide.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Bern’s Old City has been a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1983, wowing visitors with its impressive sandstone buildings and incomparable charm. Also typical for the city are its quaint alleys and the six kilometres of arcades.
The Parliament Building in Bern is the heart of Switzerland’s democracy: the parliament holds its meetings under the grand dome, the west and east wings house parts of the federal government and administration.
Bern’s typical streets, lanes and buildings have exciting stories to tell, and in the midst of them all in the Old Town one of the city’s best-known landmarks stands high above the rest: the Zytglogge (Clock Tower). Once a city gate, the Clock Tower now attracts spectators from all over the world.
The Dreifaltigkeitskirche in the immediate vicinity of the parliament is the oldest Catholic church in the region of Bern.
In the past, Käfigturm was where criminals were interrogated and locked up, today it is a space for political discussions. The former city gate at the upper end of Marktgasse is an important landmark of the UNESCO World Heritage Site Bern and home of the Polit-Forum Bern (Political Forum Bern).
The Bernese Minster has the highest church spire in all of Switzerland and is one of the most important landmarks of the capital. There are 344 steps to reach the viewing deck – but the wonderful panorama from the Old City to the peaks of the Bernese Oberland is absolutely worth it.
The magic of cherry blossom in spring, around 250 varieties of roses in bloom in summer, a blaze of colour in the autumn months and the cosy fondue veranda of the Rosengarten restaurant in the winter season make a visit to the rose garden something special at any time of year.
The Bern bear pit is an attraction that is known far beyond the borders of Switzerland. Since 2009, the Bern bears have primarily had a modern, 6,000 square meter park at their disposal, which they reach through a tunnel – the BärenPark.
It seems that “all” of Bern meets up at the Marzili. On peak days, over 10,000 visitors descend upon what is considered to be the most beautiful riverside pool in Switzerland, right below the Parliament Building.
The Botanical Garden thrills the hearts of plant lovers and is popular both among nature fans and those who simply want to unwind in a peaceful setting.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Wheelchair accessible
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Transportation options are wheelchair accessible
- All areas and surfaces are wheelchair accessible
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Reviews(10)
I appreciated Hector’s description of the history and culture behind the sites that we were seeing. He was very friendly and a pleasure to walk around with.
Christoph was a wonderful guide. Knowledgeable and personal. He adapted the content of the interest and knowledge of the group.
We thoroughly enjoyed our tour with Olha - she was so friendly and helpful and took us on a fantastic walk around the old town of Bern. The pace was relaxed and there was time for chatting, questions and photos. We particularly liked the visit to the 2 main churches as well as seeing the bears at the end of the tour.
Hector was an excellent guide. He was very knowledgeable and took time to explain and provide a lot of interesting information and history about Bern. He was very helpful at the end of the tour he walked us to our restaurant we were eating at.
We found the city beautiful and Hector, the very good guide, knows the city, tours it in its entirety, is clear in the explanations and super nice in the treatment. The activity highly recommended. Very good service from the agency.
Christoph was great. He knows everything about Bern. Highly recommend. It was raining so we stopped for some tea and discussion until it cleared.
Christoph was a wonderful guide! We enjoyed all of his insights and information. He made our experience to Bern very special.
Hector met us at our hotel at the agreed time and introduced himself. He is friendly and knowledgeable and has put together an excellent walking tour of Bern. We saw all the highlights and Hector gave us great historical context. He also pointed out favorite coffee shops, chocolate shops and stores along the route so we could file them for future reference. It was a very informative and enjoyable tour and we highly recommend Hector to all.
This was a great tour. Willi was an exceptional guide - knowledgeable and interesting. Highly recommended!
Willi did a great job touring us around Old Town of Bern Switzerland, we highly recommend him for your next tour there. His knowledge of all aspects of the culture, history, political system was excellent.
