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brooke beyond

Moving to Australia

A complete guide to getting Australian permanent residency through the 820/801 Partner Visa (start here!)

10 December 2018

Last Updated on 23 May 2025

To the uninitiated, getting Australian permanent residency through a sponsored Partner Visa may seem like a mere technicality rather than the Herculean task that it truly is (the number of times people have told me to “just get married”..). One look at the Home Affairs 820/801 Partner Visa page (or even a scroll through this post) should clear that misconception right up, though. Get ready for hundreds of pages of scanned documents, statutory declarations on everything from your first date to the division of household chores, and for far more scrutiny to be applied to your relationship than really feels comfortable.

Considering how much I relied on the advice of previous Partner Visa applicants and an array of other forum wisdom, I took meticulous notes throughout my own journey so that I could share information about my experience and answer questions once I came out the other end, just as many people did for me.

I created this enormous guide to the 820/801 Australian Partner Visa application process, which summarises every single step from gathering evidence to finally clicking submit, in that hopes that it might make the process just a little bit less overwhelming for other couples.

What's in this guide

Toggle
  • My Partner Visa story
  • 1 | Learn about the 820/801 Partner Visa
  • 2 | Build a “Relationship Timeline”
  • 3 | Organise your evidence
  • 4 | Gather information for your application
  • 5 | Complete the main online application
  • 6 | Pay the application fee
  • 7 | Enrol in Medicare
  • 8 | Submit the sponsorship application
  • 9 | Upload your evidence to the main application
  • 10 | Apply for a BVB
  • 11 | Complete your health assessment
  • 12 | Apply for relevant police checks
  • 13 | Update your application while you wait
  • 14 | Visa grant!

My Partner Visa story

To provide some context to all of these posts and our own partner visa journey, here’s a bit of background on us. Callum and I first started dating in 2015 after we met at Splendour in the Grass in Byron Bay. I’d already been living as a student in Sydney for nearly 3 years at that point (I’m originally from Seattle, USA), but he was living in Melbourne, which meant quite a lot of long drives and expensive flights during the first few months of our relationship. 

When I graduated a few months later, I eagerly moved down to Melbourne, rented an apartment with Callum in the city, and got a Working Holiday Visa. About 7 months after that, I got a scholarship offer to do my PhD in Sydney, so we packed up and moved back to NSW together.

At the time of submitting our application (December 2018), we’d been together 3.5 years, lived together for 3, travelled to more than 20 countries together, combined our finances, been on overseas holidays with his and my family, and had really intertwined our lives in just about every possible way. 

When the application was granted 19 months later (July 2020), I received the permanent 801 visa just 1 minute after the 820 temporary visa, completely bypassing the usual 2-year waiting period. We were never contacted by a CO and there were no requests for additional information, so I can assume our application was pretty thorough! Here’s what we did:

1 | Learn about the 820/801 Partner Visa

The 820/801 Partner Visa is actually a pair of subsequent visas on the road to Australian Permanent Residency (PR) that require sponsorship by an Australian spouse or de facto partner.

It’s important to note that it actually makes no difference whether you are married or in de facto partnership with your Aussie guy or gal, as long as you can demonstrate a serious, long-term commitment (12 months cohabitation is pretty much the bare minimum), and it’s this “demonstration” that will constitute the bulk of your visa application.

Basic requirements of 820/801 visa:

  • You are in a genuine and continuing relationship with an Australian citizen or permanent resident
  • You and your partner are married or de facto (un-married couple living as a married couple)
    • Note: you can be considered de facto if you’ve lived with your partner 12+ months OR if your relationship has been registered with the state (only available in QLD, NSW, ACT, VIC, TAS). I’d recommend registering your relationship even if you’ve fulfilled the minimum time living together, as it is a good piece of evidence later on!
  • You and your partner are 18+ years old at the time of applying
Process Map

As you can probably tell from my introduction to this post, it’s a monumental amount of work to apply for the 820/801 Partner Visa (and I’ll go into heaps more details below), but here’s the 10 second summary of what happens after you apply:

If you’re in Australia when you apply for the 820/801, you’ll be granted a Bridging Visa (BVA) when your current visa expires so that you can stay with your partner while Home Affairs processes your application. The BVA usually allows you to work and study in Australia, although you’ll have to apply for the BVB if you want to travel outside Australia for any period of time while your application is processing.

Approximately 1-2 years later, your 820 Temporary Partner Visa will be granted. Then, depending on the length of your relationship, you’ll either submit more evidence and wait a further 24 months for the grant of your 801 Permanent Partner Visa OR you may be eligible to have your 820 and 801 granted simultaneously (the “long-term” exception requires a minimum of 3 years married or de facto, which is how I went straight to the permanent visa!)

Approximately 1-2 years later, your 820 Temporary Partner Visa will be granted. Then, depending on the length of your relationship, you’ll either submit more evidence and wait a further 24 months for the grant of your 801 Permanent Partner Visa OR you may be eligible to have your 820 and 801 granted simultaneously (the “long-term” exception requires a minimum of 3 years married or de facto, which is how I went straight to the permanent visa!)

Read more: 820/801 VISA FAQ: TOP 10 MOST COMMON QUESTIONS ABOUT THE AUSTRALIAN PARTNER VISA (WITH FULL ANSWERS!)

2 | Build a “Relationship Timeline”

The first thing I did when Cal and I finally started getting serious about our 820/801 application was to compile every date, event, trip, and significant milestone of our relationship into a timeline. The original intent was to submit this PDF (complete with statements, plane tickets, lease agreements, photos, etc.) as part of my application, but the document ended up being about a million MB and, more importantly, didn’t really conform to the upload layout specified by Home Affairs (which is a lot more categorical than chronological).

Still, building this timeline and even having the finished product to look back at was such a great way to see our entire relationship laid out and realise what gaps I needed to fill.

If you don’t want to spend 2 weeks assembling the world’s largest PDF, at least spend a few days writing notes about when you met your partner, when you started dating, when you moved in together, when you took trips or went to events, when you met each other’s families.. and then start to “reference” all of this information with photos, invitations, ticket stubs, utility bills. Anything you can’t find solid evidence for, you’ll want to write all the specifics down in a signed statement.

In speaking to other couples who applied for the 820/801 or reading through forum posts, it seems pretty common to include at least half a dozen statements from you or your partner confirming specific details about your relationship that can’t really be confirmed by a single document (e.g. how your partner supported you financially when you were unemployed).

3 | Organise your evidence

Whether you built a timeline of your relationship or not, the next step is to view all of your collected evidence across the 5 categories defined by Home Affairs to ensure that you have adequately proven a “genuine and continuing” relationship. I go into enormous detail about satisfying each of the category requirements in this post, but here are some questions you should attempt to answer with your evidence (and do keep in mind that these will be different for everyone!):

  1. Financial aspects of the relationship: how do you and your partner share finances, do you have joint accounts or shared financial responsibilities (lease, mortgage, loan), do you have shared assets, who pays the bills?
  2. Nature of the household: who does the cleaning, where do you live, are you on the same lease or mortgage, do you have friends over together, do you both get mail to the house, do you live with roommates?
  3. Social aspects of the relationship: do you spend time with one another’s friends and family, do you have mutual friends, do you get invited to events together, do you travel together, do your work colleagues know your partner, what shared interests do you have?
  4. Nature of the commitment: are you married or is your de facto relationship registered, are you beneficiaries on one another’s Wills or Supers or accounts, how have you kept in contact during periods of separation?
  5. Development of the relationship: how did you meet, when did you become committed, have you ever spent substantial time apart, what do you do together for fun, what are your future plans together?

Read more: AN EXTENSIVE GUIDE TO 820/801 AUSTRALIAN PARTNER VISA EVIDENCE

4 | Gather information for your application

Before you sit down to start filling out your online application, there’re a few challenging questions and a bit of obscure information that might require some digging to find.

I put together a short list of all this information, so you can go ferreting around and find everything you need NOW rather than coming to each page of the application and realising you can’t go any further until your mum scans you a copy of your birth certificate.

Read more: INFORMATION TO GATHER FOR YOUR 820/801 AUSTRALIAN PARTNER VISA APPLICATION ONLINE

5 | Complete the main online application

Now that you have collected your evidence and all the necessary information, sit down and get cracking on that application! If you don’t already have an Immi Account, you’ll need to create one, but the application process itself is pretty straightforward.

Check out this post for a detailed guide on every single question and some clarification on the weirdly-worded ones. At the end of the application, you have the opportunity to view all of your responses on a single page— read and re-read this to make sure everything is correct before finally submitting.

Read more: COMPLETING THE 820/801 AUSTRALIAN PARTNER VISA APPLICATION ONLINE

6 | Pay the application fee

After you’ve completed all the questions on your 820/801 application, you’ll need to pay the associated fee, which was $7,160AUD as of December 2018. You can pay the application fee using a credit card, debit card, or PayPal, all of which incur fees of 1-1.32%, but if you have an Australian bank account, I would highly recommend using BPAY instead to save yourself some money (1.32% was $95!!).

The BPAY payments might take a day to be processed and linked to your application (mine happened in about 6 hours), so it’s imperative that you submit the payment within 3 days of your application to avoid unnecessary lag and potential cancellation. They will give you the Biller Code and Biller Reference when you select this option at the end of the application, so it’s quite easy to manage.

7 | Enrol in Medicare

While this step isn’t essential to getting your visa, it would be ridiculous not to take advantage of the fact that, as an applicant for a permanent visa, you are now eligible for Australia’s free healthcare scheme!

As soon as you receive a confirmation of visa submission from IMMI (sent to your email the same day that payment goes through), bring the attached documents (evidence that the application was received), evidence of your current visa (or Bridging Visa), a completed Medicare enrolment form, and your passport to a Medicare service centre (use this search to find one near you). They will issue you a paper Medicare card on the spot and your plastic card will come in the mail a few weeks later!

8 | Submit the sponsorship application

Using the Transaction Reference Number (TRN) quoted upon submission of your own application, your partner now needs to complete the Sponsorship for a Partner to Migrate to Australia application.

I found it easier just to do this from within my existing IMMI account: on the main “My Applications” page, click the link for “New Application”, select the “Family” tab, and then click “Sponsorship for a Partner to Migrate to Australia (300, 309/100, 820/801)”. Just as I did for the main 820/801 application, I created a post detailing all the questions asked on your sponsor’s application, just so they know what to expect (thankfully, it’s much shorter!).

Read more: SPONSORSHIP FOR A PARTNER TO MIGRATE TO AUSTRALIA: COMPLETING THE SPONSOR SECTION OF THE 820/801

9 | Upload your evidence to the main application

After paying the application fee, you will gain access to the evidence upload portal, where you can attach all of the photos and supporting documents that you’ve been collecting. Even though Home Affairs asks for evidence of your relationship to satisfy requirements across 5 categories (social, financial, household, mutual commitment, development), that’s not entirely apparent in the layout of the upload portal, so it can be a little confusing.

Ideally, you will have already read through my guide to uploading evidence so that all of your documents fit nicely under the headings provided, but either way, just get all the necessary information in! Unfortunately, that’s still far from the end in terms of your 820/801 visa journey…

Read more: UPLOADING EVIDENCE TO OUR 820/801 AUSTRALIAN PARTNER VISA APPLICATION

10 | Apply for a BVB

While you’re waiting for your Partner Visa to be processed, it’s also possible that you’ll want to leave Australia to visit family, attend an overseas conference, or even just take a holiday.

In this instance, you’ll need to apply for a Bridging Visa B that includes travel and re-entry rights. I’ve been granted 2 BVBs for long-term travel, so check out this post for heaps more information about Bridging Visas and how to apply for a Bridging Visa B before your next trip.

Read more: APPLYING FOR A BRIDGING VISA B (BVB) WHILE WAITING FOR YOUR 820/801 AUSTRALIAN PARTNER VISA

11 | Complete your health assessment

Within a few days of submitting my Partner Visa application, a little notification appeared on my Immi Account asking me to complete my health assessment. Due to the limited validity of the results (only 12 months) and the lengthy onshore Partner Visa processing time, I waited 6 months before actually completing this step in the hopes that my visa would be granted within 18 months (my visa wasn’t granted for 19 months, but they still accepted my health check, so there must be a tiny bit of wiggle room on that 12 month expiry).

Basically, you need to fill out some information about your medical history online and then attend an approved clinic for a series of examinations. This is to ensure that you are not endangering the safety of other Australians (e.g. if you have a communicable disease, like tuberculosis) or placing an unfair burden on Medicare (e.g. if you have a very serious and expensive medical condition).

This doesn’t mean your visa will be refused if you have any health conditions at all, but serious diseases can affect the outcome. I wrote a detailed guide to completing your health check assessment that should help!

Read more: COMPLETING YOUR HEALTH CHECK ASSESSMENT FOR THE 820/801 AUSTRALIAN PARTNER VISA

12 | Apply for relevant police checks

To satisfy character requirements, it’s also necessary to complete police checks in every country you’ve lived for more than 12 months in the last 10 years. For most onshore applicants, this will include Australia.

Thankfully, the process of applying for an AFP (Australian Federal Police) National Police Check is incredibly simple, quick, and inexpensive! I wrote a quick guide to completing the AFP checks.

Read more: COMPLETING AFP NATIONAL POLICE CHECKS (NPC) FOR YOUR 820/801 AUSTRALIAN PARTNER VISA

Police checks also apply for your home country (or anywhere else you’ve lived for more than 12 months in the last 10 years). If you’ve lived in America or you’re a US citizen, you’ll need to submit an FBI Identity History Summary police check for your visa application.

Read more: FBI POLICE CHECKS FOR AMERICANS APPLYING FOR THE 820/801 AUSTRALIAN PARTNER VISA

13 | Update your application while you wait

After working tirelessly to scrape together your application (and yes, it totally feels like it should be a full time job to submit one of these visa applications!), there’s now quite a bit of waiting. Waiting to be assigned a case officer (CO), waiting to submit more information, and waiting for your visa to be granted.

It’s important during this time, even though you may have completed all required steps of the application process, to be continually collecting evidence and updating your application during the wait, demonstrating an ongoing relationship with new photos, travel plans, shared assets, or changes to the initial application details. If you and your partner move house together, for instance, make sure to update BOTH of your residential addresses within IMMI as soon as possible!

Some people recommend updating your application every 3-6 months. I personally did a massive update at 6 months, 12 months, and then again at 17 months; each of these covered anything of significance that happened since our original submission. I don’t think there’s any hard and fast rule, you just want to make sure there’s current information on there when a CO finally picks up your application.

14 | Visa grant!

And finally, the moment you’ve been waiting for: the visa grant! There is absolutely no consistent timeline for the Partner Visa— I’ve heard from readers who had their visa granted in as little as 6 months and others who waited nearly 3 years. There are so many factors influencing wait time that it’s truly impossible to predict, but I’d say 1.5 years seems to be the average based on people I’ve spoken to (mine took exactly 19 months).

The typical progression of an Australian Partner Visa, as described above, is that you’ll first be granted the 820 (temporary) visa and then wait a fixed period of 2 years before submitting further documentation to move over to the 801 (permanent) visa. Since this is what most people experience, I’d like to track someone down to do a guest post on applying for the 801 visa (if you’re interested, please let me know!!). However, it’s not the ONLY progression.

If you’ve been with your partner 3+ years at the time of application (or possibly also if you wait an extraordinarily long time for your 820 visa to be granted), you will waive out of that typical 2-year waiting period and effectively go straight onto the 801 (i.e. get your permanent residency without a second round of evidence/application). For me, this meant I got a grant notification for my 820 temporary visa and then 1 minute later received a grant notification for my 801 permanent visa. If this happens for you, there’s absolutely nothing left to do! You are now a PERMANENT RESIDENT OF AUSTRALIA!!

Read more: MY EXPERIENCE WITH THE AUSTRALIAN PARTNER VISA: 820 & 801 PERMANENT RESIDENCY GRANTED SIMULTANEOUSLY


I hope this information has been helpful and I wish you so much luck on your Australian Partner Visa journey! Feel free to ask any questions below and I will do my very best to answer them.

* I am not a migration agent or affiliated with Home Affairs in any way, so all the information provided in these posts and in the comments below is based entirely on my own experience and my own understanding of the application process. 

If you found this post helpful and want to contribute to some of the costs associated with running the blog, I would be infinitely grateful!

You can use the PayPal button below to donate whatever you feel this information is worth. If you aren’t able, don’t worry— I will always keep my posts free and accessible for everyone!

UPDATE: A MASSIVE THANK YOU to everyone who’s commented to let me know that you found these posts helpful— I can’t tell you how much it means to me to read your success stories! I worked incredibly hard to compile all of this information (while getting my PhD & teaching), but it’s genuinely been worth it to make even a small difference for my fellow immigrants.

More importantly, though, THANK YOU to everyone who has shared their own experience or answered questions for other readers in the comments below! We are building a wonderful & supportive community of Partner Visa applicants here, and every comment and question is a resource for others.

If you felt like these posts helped with your application, I’d encourage you to come back after your visa is granted (or even after various milestones) and let us all know what happened— it might mean the world to someone else struggling with this process! Best wishes to you all xx bb

TAGS:australian partner visamoving to australia
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brooke beyond

Hey, I'm Brooke and I'm obsessed with getting off the beaten path, exploring backcountry gems & travelling beyond the ordinary! I left Australia 5 years ago after finishing a PhD in Biomechanics & have been travelling the world full-time ever since (joined by my life/climbing partner, James). Whether it’s road-tripping through Mexico, climbing alpine peaks in the Andes, scuba diving in the Red Sea, or tackling epic via ferrata in the Dolomites, I hope this blog will inspire your future adventures & help you find wonder in every corner of the globe. xx bb

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The Comments

  • Eilidh
    15 September 2023

    Hey Brooke! This is a super helpful guide, really appreciate you taking the time to pull it all together and with such depth. I was wondering with regards to the Form 888 – how do you evidence that it has been witnessed? Does the person completing the Form 888 need to know the witness or can we use witnesses that I know, but they don’t know directly?

    Reply
    • brooke brisbine
      Eilidh
      16 November 2023

      Hi Eilidh, so happy you’ve found it helpfuL!

      To clarify, there is no need for the form to be witnessed by a JP, rather it is completed by a friend/family member who is acting as a “witness” to your relationship. However, there IS a need for a certified copy of their passport, which does require the “witness” to visit a JP or similar to have a scan certified. You can read more about the process in this post: https://brookebeyond.com/information-to-gather-for-your-820-801-australian-partner-visa

      Hope that helps!
      xx bb

      Reply
  • Tiffany Monk
    10 August 2023

    Hello Brooke !
    I followed your blog very closely to apply for my partner visa. So thank you very much for your help !
    I applied mid-may, had my health assessment at the end of june and had the temporary visa granted a few days ago ! It was so much stress for me so I feel very relieved that it worked out, we now have to wait a bit less than two years.
    Thank you again for your precious help !

    Reply
    • brooke brisbine
      Tiffany Monk
      16 November 2023

      So glad to hear it went so quickly and painlessly for you, Tiffany! Such a relief when it finally comes through and now the next portion of the wait is a bit more predictable 🙂

      Best,
      xx bb

      Reply
  • debbie
    10 August 2023

    Hi Brooke,
    Its a very helpful info. In currently holding a temporary partnership visa BVB. I just wanna ask if there’s another payment if my partner/sponsor will click the new application/family/sponsorship for a partner to migrate to australia on my immi account.

    Reply
    • brooke brisbine
      debbie
      16 November 2023

      Hi Debbie, there should only be the one payment process when submitting the main application.

      Best of luck!
      xx bb

      Reply
  • Anthony
    18 July 2023

    Hi Brooke, I got my partner visa and wanted to thank you for this blog it was a really great help throughout the whole process! All the best, Anthony

    Reply
    • brooke brisbine
      Anthony
      16 November 2023

      So glad to hear these posts were helpful to you, Anthony! Congrats on the visa 🙂

      xx bb

      Reply
  • Kit
    11 May 2023

    Hi Brooke,

    I just wanted to thank you for all the i go you’ve posted about this! It really helped my partner and I with our application. We submitted it 2 months ago and have already been asked to get health checks! Hopefully the temporary visa is granted quickly, although we’ve only been together 2 years so I’m sure we’ll have to wait another year or two for the permanent visa 🙂

    Reply
    • brooke brisbine
      Kit
      16 November 2023

      Amazing news, Kit! Hope the second half of your visa comes just as smoothly as the first 🙂

      xx bb

      Reply
  • Igor
    14 March 2023

    Hi Brooke!

    Great blog! From the comments, I gathered you might not know this, but maybe somewhere else you’ve got an update?

    My partner and I were in a committed relationship that started overseas, we got her a visitor visa, which is still a while from ending. She has to leave Australia every 3 months, while her visa is valid for a year. Do you know if it contradicts BVA? Would she still need to leave the country to satisfy current visa requirements, because she can’t get BVA yet? If she leaves before getting Bridging Visa, would it break any conditions of applying for 820?

    Reply
  • Nicole
    16 January 2023

    Hey Brooke 👋 do you have any advice on what to declare when entering Australia initially on a tourist visa, but with the intention of applying for a partner visa once there? I’m concerned I will have my tourist visa rejected because I don’t intend to leave Australia. Thank you for any advice 🙏

    Reply
    • brooke brisbine
      Nicole
      16 November 2023

      Hi Nicole, unfortunately this is beyond the scope of my experience, but I hope you had success getting into Australia and applying for a visa onshore!

      xx bb

      Reply
  • Fuller
    21 October 2022

    Hey Brooke
    Thanks heaps for this well organised advice.
    My wife and I used your helpful guidance through our entire partner visa process and 2 years of TR later, she’s finally been invited to apply for the 801 (permanent) visa. Hopefully this part is just a formality…

    Reply
    • brooke brisbine
      Fuller
      16 November 2023

      Hi Michael, so glad these posts were helpful to you and your wife! Such big congratulations on the success 🙂

      xx bb

      Reply
  • Aoife
    14 September 2022

    Hi Brooke,

    Ive just moved from Ireland to Australia with my partner and am currently on a WHV. We’ve been together over 3 years but this is the first time we have lived together in the same house. Can I apply for the partner visa now or must we be living in the same household for 12 months before applying?

    Reply
    • brooke brisbine
      Aoife
      16 November 2023

      Hi Aoife,

      As I’m sure you’ve now figured out, there are ways around the 12mo cohabitation requirement, probably the best being to register your relationship with the state government.

      Hope you received your visa!
      xx bb

      Reply
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hi, I’m brooke!

I'm obsessed with getting off the beaten path, exploring backcountry gems & travelling beyond the ordinary! I left Australia 5 years ago after finishing a PhD in Biomechanics & have been travelling the world full-time ever since (now joined by my life/climbing partner, James). I hope this blog will inspire your future adventures & help you find wonder in every corner of the globe. xx bb

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brooke ✨travel & mountain gal

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(hands up if you feel personally victimised by Swiss prices but you can’t stay away because MOUNTAINS 😭😭)
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#swissalps #stoosridge #swisssummer #sunset
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just 2 months after knee surgery, I found myself travelling through Switzerland— in search of easy hikes that were actually accessible post-op 🩼 

luckily, there’s hardly a better place in the world for easy hiking than the Swiss Alps!!

so whether you’re recovering from an injury, hiking with older parents/young children, or just a non-hiker who loves an epic view, this short list of HIGH VALUE viewpoints & hikes offer the most spectacular mountain scenery with minimal challenge

💸 BUDGET TIP: buy the Swiss Half Fare Card to save 50% all these gondolas and trains, which can seriously add up!!

- Stoos Ridge: take the Stoosbahn to the little village of Stoos + walk about 15min to the chairlift that can take you all the way up to Fronalpstock— you can walk as little or as much as you want up here, the views are amazing right away
- Riffelsee: take the Gornergrat Railway from Zermatt to Riffelsee + hike 20min to the 2 beautiful alpine lakes (then either hike 1hr up to Gornergrat or catch the train)
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- Jungfraujoch: from Kleine Scheidegg, take the gondola to Jungfraujoch + walk around the viewing platforms
- Trockener Steg: take the gondola from Zermatt + walk 10min from the top of the cable car to the lake for incredible Matterhorn views
- Oeschinensee: 20min walk from the top of the Kandersteg cable car to the lake (bus also available), then you can walk as little or as much as you want around the lake or on the famous Panorama Trail
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#easyhikes #swissalps #matterhorn #jungfraujoch #oeschinensee #stoos #switzerland
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Can’t wait to share some of what we’ve been up to— my first little hikes since surgery 🤩
  • we’ve spent the last several weeks in Switzerland and, in many ways, I couldn’t have chosen a better destination for post-knee-surgery recovery— where else in the world can you get views like THIS with 1hr of easy hiking?!

I’m not sure I’ll ever truly prefer the accessibility of the Alps to true backcountry… but there’s no denying that I couldn’t be outside any other way right now and it’s given me a whole new appreciation for the hundreds of gondolas, funiculars, and trains that connect non-hikers or mobility-impaired enthusiasts like myself to otherwise unreachable heights!

I’m enormously grateful for the opportunity to rehab my knee under legendary peaks rather than fluorescent indoor lights, so THANK YOU Switzerland 😍
  • NICE MINI GUIDE 🇫🇷🌊✨

some of our favourite experiences from last month in this charming town on the French Riviera!

WHAT TO DO
☕️ stroll through Old Town: beautiful alleyways with charming shops + bars (pass by Palais du Justice, Cathédrale Sainte-Réparate de Nice, Église Sainte Rita for photos)
🏖️ Ruhl Plage: picturesque beach club with striped umbrellas + chairs (but the free beach immediately beside it works just as well for a quick dip!!)
🪴 Jardin Albert 1er: leafy park separating central Nice from the Old Town
📸 Colline du Château: elevated park on the headland with excellent views of the coastline
🚃 day trip to Eze + Monaco: both can be done in a single day with public transport or inexpensive Ubers!

WHERE TO EAT/DRINK
🧀 La Cave du Fromager: fondue/cheese restaurant located in a wine cellar in Old Nice, beautiful and amazing food!
🦆 La Route du Miam: intimate 6-table restaurant serving legendary duck— the menu is bascially 3 options, but the duck-fat potatoes are mind-blowing, the wine selection is excellent, and the owners are impossibly charismatic (expect to leave with multiple kisses)
🍨 Finoccio: local-fave ice creamery with endless flavours
☕️ La Claque: small cafe with excellent coffee, matcha, kombucha etc
🍷 La Treille Bar à Vin: natural wine + small plates with charming outdoor seating
🍸 Soho: trendy bar with a good value happy hour 5-8pm
  • paris on (fuji)film 🇫🇷🥐🧀✨

we’d originally planned to spend June climbing in the French + Swiss Alps… but after I had knee surgery at the end of April, we had to pivot to something a little more recovery-friendly.

so we changed our flights from Geneva to Paris and instead spent a couple weeks sipping cocktails, making croissants, wandering through charming galleries, catching up with some of our favourite humans, and racking up steps around the city in an effort to get me hiking-capable asap. 

not exactly the summits we’d planned, but time well-spent all the same 💛 #fujifilmx100vi
  • 2-WEEK KYUSHU ITINERARY ✨

the perfect active road trip for exploring Japan’s 3rd largest island!

Days 1-2: Fukuoka
-  pick up hire car
-  Momochi district
-  Nanzo-in reclining Buddha
-  Gion district temples
-  Fukuoka yatai
-  Itoshima coast + Keya No Oto hike

Days 3-4: Beppu
-  Jigoku Seven Hells
-  Mt Tsurumi or Mt Yufu hike
-  Himeji-jo Castle
-  stay at Kunisakisou & make use of private onsen

Days 5-6: Aso
- Mt Aso National Park (countless amazing hikes!)
- best restaurants: 阿蘇内牧カレー屋 BATH (katsu curry) + Meshi no Yamaichi (beef bowls with endless toppings)
- best onsen (tattoos ok for private bathing): Yunoyado Irifune + 阿蘇内牧音泉 湯楽

Day 7: Kumamoto
- Takachiho Gorge
- GorogoTaki Waterfall

Days 8-10: Kirishima
-  Mt Karakunidake (10km hike)
-  Mt Kaimondake (7km hike)
-  Sakurajima Nagisa Foot Bath (free 100m baths with view of volcano) + Sakurajima active volcano

Days 11-13: Yakushima (car ferry to island)
-  Anbo Trail to Jomon Sugi
-  Mt Miyanoura scramble
-  Seibu Rindo Forest Path scenic drive

Day 14: return to Fukuoka
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#fukuoka #kyushu #japan #roadtrip #beppu
#onsen #takachiho
  • The famous bowing deer of Nara 🦌✨

The ancient city of Nara is home to around 1,300 sacred deer (believed to be messengers to the gods!) roaming freely around the parks and temples. They are SO cute & friendly, and feeding the deer in Nara was a top highlight of my 6 weeks in Japan 🥹

Tips for visiting the deer:
🦌 head to Nara Park & you’ll find deer everywhere near Todaiji Temple, Kasuga Taisha & Kofukuji. Look for shikadamari (deer meeting spots) & approach respectfully!
🍘 buy shika senbei (deer crackers) for ~¥200 from local vendors. Hold one up, bow & watch the deer bow back!
🚃 get here in ~45min from Kyoto or Osaka by train
🏯 this is a popular day trip, but I definitely recommend staying overnight in a traditional ryokan & eating at some of the amazing local restaurants
⏱️ the park is prettiest early in the morning or around sunset when it’s quieter, the light is soft & the deer are more relaxed
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#nara #naradeer #japan #japantravel #traveljapan #wheninjapan
follow @brookebeyond_

travel beyond the ordinary

Explore my travel guides, custom itineraries & blog posts with an interactive world map ✨

all destinations

  • it’s another “if it wasn’t so stupid beautiful, I’d never set foot in this country again because it’s bleeding me dry” kinda summer 🇨🇭🌸☀️🏔️🦋✨

(hands up if you feel personally victimised by Swiss prices but you can’t stay away because MOUNTAINS 😭😭)
  • magical summer sunsets in Switzerland ✨
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#swissalps #stoosridge #swisssummer #sunset
  • BEST EASY HIKES IN SWITZERLAND 🇨🇭❤️‍🩹

just 2 months after knee surgery, I found myself travelling through Switzerland— in search of easy hikes that were actually accessible post-op 🩼 

luckily, there’s hardly a better place in the world for easy hiking than the Swiss Alps!!

so whether you’re recovering from an injury, hiking with older parents/young children, or just a non-hiker who loves an epic view, this short list of HIGH VALUE viewpoints & hikes offer the most spectacular mountain scenery with minimal challenge

💸 BUDGET TIP: buy the Swiss Half Fare Card to save 50% all these gondolas and trains, which can seriously add up!!

- Stoos Ridge: take the Stoosbahn to the little village of Stoos + walk about 15min to the chairlift that can take you all the way up to Fronalpstock— you can walk as little or as much as you want up here, the views are amazing right away
- Riffelsee: take the Gornergrat Railway from Zermatt to Riffelsee + hike 20min to the 2 beautiful alpine lakes (then either hike 1hr up to Gornergrat or catch the train)
- Saxer Lücke: catch a gondola + hike 1hr (2.5km, 250m gain) to this amazing viewpoint— hardest on this list and not suitable for those with extremely limited mobility 
- Kleine Scheidegg: take the train or the gondola from Grindelwald + hike about 20min uphill to the lake
- Jungfraujoch: from Kleine Scheidegg, take the gondola to Jungfraujoch + walk around the viewing platforms
- Trockener Steg: take the gondola from Zermatt + walk 10min from the top of the cable car to the lake for incredible Matterhorn views
- Oeschinensee: 20min walk from the top of the Kandersteg cable car to the lake (bus also available), then you can walk as little or as much as you want around the lake or on the famous Panorama Trail
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#easyhikes #swissalps #matterhorn #jungfraujoch #oeschinensee #stoos #switzerland
  • This is my 2nd summer back in Zermatt to climb the Matterhorn— and my 2nd summer NOT climbing the Matterhorn 😑

In 2023, a wicked snow storm blew through the night before my planned ascent and grounded all climbing parties… and then I had knee surgery less than 2 months before our repeat trip to Zermatt this year. I won’t lie, it’s been extremely disappointing to spend nearly 2 weeks in one of the most expensive places in the world, and STILL not do the thing I came here to do 😅

But alas, here we are in Zermatt again! (and apparently not for the last time)

Even though we are slowly going bankrupt, it’s a gorgeous place to be in the summer with no shortage of amazing trails!

Can’t wait to share some of what we’ve been up to— my first little hikes since surgery 🤩
  • we’ve spent the last several weeks in Switzerland and, in many ways, I couldn’t have chosen a better destination for post-knee-surgery recovery— where else in the world can you get views like THIS with 1hr of easy hiking?!

I’m not sure I’ll ever truly prefer the accessibility of the Alps to true backcountry… but there’s no denying that I couldn’t be outside any other way right now and it’s given me a whole new appreciation for the hundreds of gondolas, funiculars, and trains that connect non-hikers or mobility-impaired enthusiasts like myself to otherwise unreachable heights!

I’m enormously grateful for the opportunity to rehab my knee under legendary peaks rather than fluorescent indoor lights, so THANK YOU Switzerland 😍
@brookebeyond_
@brookebeyond_
•
Follow
it’s another “if it wasn’t so stupid beautiful, I’d never set foot in this country again because it’s bleeding me dry” kinda summer 🇨🇭🌸☀️🏔️🦋✨ (hands up if you feel personally victimised by Swiss prices but you can’t stay away because MOUNTAINS 😭😭)
2 days ago
View on Instagram |
1/5
magical summer sunsets in Switzerland ✨
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#swissalps #stoosridge #swisssummer #sunset
magical summer sunsets in Switzerland ✨
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#swissalps #stoosridge #swisssummer #sunset
magical summer sunsets in Switzerland ✨
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#swissalps #stoosridge #swisssummer #sunset
magical summer sunsets in Switzerland ✨
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#swissalps #stoosridge #swisssummer #sunset
magical summer sunsets in Switzerland ✨
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#swissalps #stoosridge #swisssummer #sunset
magical summer sunsets in Switzerland ✨
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#swissalps #stoosridge #swisssummer #sunset
magical summer sunsets in Switzerland ✨
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#swissalps #stoosridge #swisssummer #sunset
@brookebeyond_
@brookebeyond_
•
Follow
magical summer sunsets in Switzerland ✨ . . . . #swissalps #stoosridge #swisssummer #sunset
4 days ago
View on Instagram |
2/5
BEST EASY HIKES IN SWITZERLAND 🇨🇭❤️‍🩹

just 2 months after knee surgery, I found myself travelling through Switzerland— in search of easy hikes that were actually accessible post-op 🩼 

luckily, there’s hardly a better place in the world for easy hiking than the Swiss Alps!!

so whether you’re recovering from an injury, hiking with older parents/young children, or just a non-hiker who loves an epic view, this short list of HIGH VALUE viewpoints & hikes offer the most spectacular mountain scenery with minimal challenge

💸 BUDGET TIP: buy the Swiss Half Fare Card to save 50% all these gondolas and trains, which can seriously add up!!

- Stoos Ridge: take the Stoosbahn to the little village of Stoos + walk about 15min to the chairlift that can take you all the way up to Fronalpstock— you can walk as little or as much as you want up here, the views are amazing right away
- Riffelsee: take the Gornergrat Railway from Zermatt to Riffelsee + hike 20min to the 2 beautiful alpine lakes (then either hike 1hr up to Gornergrat or catch the train)
- Saxer Lücke: catch a gondola + hike 1hr (2.5km, 250m gain) to this amazing viewpoint— hardest on this list and not suitable for those with extremely limited mobility 
- Kleine Scheidegg: take the train or the gondola from Grindelwald + hike about 20min uphill to the lake
- Jungfraujoch: from Kleine Scheidegg, take the gondola to Jungfraujoch + walk around the viewing platforms
- Trockener Steg: take the gondola from Zermatt + walk 10min from the top of the cable car to the lake for incredible Matterhorn views
- Oeschinensee: 20min walk from the top of the Kandersteg cable car to the lake (bus also available), then you can walk as little or as much as you want around the lake or on the famous Panorama Trail
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#easyhikes #swissalps #matterhorn #jungfraujoch #oeschinensee #stoos #switzerland
BEST EASY HIKES IN SWITZERLAND 🇨🇭❤️‍🩹

just 2 months after knee surgery, I found myself travelling through Switzerland— in search of easy hikes that were actually accessible post-op 🩼 

luckily, there’s hardly a better place in the world for easy hiking than the Swiss Alps!!

so whether you’re recovering from an injury, hiking with older parents/young children, or just a non-hiker who loves an epic view, this short list of HIGH VALUE viewpoints & hikes offer the most spectacular mountain scenery with minimal challenge

💸 BUDGET TIP: buy the Swiss Half Fare Card to save 50% all these gondolas and trains, which can seriously add up!!

- Stoos Ridge: take the Stoosbahn to the little village of Stoos + walk about 15min to the chairlift that can take you all the way up to Fronalpstock— you can walk as little or as much as you want up here, the views are amazing right away
- Riffelsee: take the Gornergrat Railway from Zermatt to Riffelsee + hike 20min to the 2 beautiful alpine lakes (then either hike 1hr up to Gornergrat or catch the train)
- Saxer Lücke: catch a gondola + hike 1hr (2.5km, 250m gain) to this amazing viewpoint— hardest on this list and not suitable for those with extremely limited mobility 
- Kleine Scheidegg: take the train or the gondola from Grindelwald + hike about 20min uphill to the lake
- Jungfraujoch: from Kleine Scheidegg, take the gondola to Jungfraujoch + walk around the viewing platforms
- Trockener Steg: take the gondola from Zermatt + walk 10min from the top of the cable car to the lake for incredible Matterhorn views
- Oeschinensee: 20min walk from the top of the Kandersteg cable car to the lake (bus also available), then you can walk as little or as much as you want around the lake or on the famous Panorama Trail
.
.
.
.
.
#easyhikes #swissalps #matterhorn #jungfraujoch #oeschinensee #stoos #switzerland
BEST EASY HIKES IN SWITZERLAND 🇨🇭❤️‍🩹

just 2 months after knee surgery, I found myself travelling through Switzerland— in search of easy hikes that were actually accessible post-op 🩼 

luckily, there’s hardly a better place in the world for easy hiking than the Swiss Alps!!

so whether you’re recovering from an injury, hiking with older parents/young children, or just a non-hiker who loves an epic view, this short list of HIGH VALUE viewpoints & hikes offer the most spectacular mountain scenery with minimal challenge

💸 BUDGET TIP: buy the Swiss Half Fare Card to save 50% all these gondolas and trains, which can seriously add up!!

- Stoos Ridge: take the Stoosbahn to the little village of Stoos + walk about 15min to the chairlift that can take you all the way up to Fronalpstock— you can walk as little or as much as you want up here, the views are amazing right away
- Riffelsee: take the Gornergrat Railway from Zermatt to Riffelsee + hike 20min to the 2 beautiful alpine lakes (then either hike 1hr up to Gornergrat or catch the train)
- Saxer Lücke: catch a gondola + hike 1hr (2.5km, 250m gain) to this amazing viewpoint— hardest on this list and not suitable for those with extremely limited mobility 
- Kleine Scheidegg: take the train or the gondola from Grindelwald + hike about 20min uphill to the lake
- Jungfraujoch: from Kleine Scheidegg, take the gondola to Jungfraujoch + walk around the viewing platforms
- Trockener Steg: take the gondola from Zermatt + walk 10min from the top of the cable car to the lake for incredible Matterhorn views
- Oeschinensee: 20min walk from the top of the Kandersteg cable car to the lake (bus also available), then you can walk as little or as much as you want around the lake or on the famous Panorama Trail
.
.
.
.
.
#easyhikes #swissalps #matterhorn #jungfraujoch #oeschinensee #stoos #switzerland
BEST EASY HIKES IN SWITZERLAND 🇨🇭❤️‍🩹

just 2 months after knee surgery, I found myself travelling through Switzerland— in search of easy hikes that were actually accessible post-op 🩼 

luckily, there’s hardly a better place in the world for easy hiking than the Swiss Alps!!

so whether you’re recovering from an injury, hiking with older parents/young children, or just a non-hiker who loves an epic view, this short list of HIGH VALUE viewpoints & hikes offer the most spectacular mountain scenery with minimal challenge

💸 BUDGET TIP: buy the Swiss Half Fare Card to save 50% all these gondolas and trains, which can seriously add up!!

- Stoos Ridge: take the Stoosbahn to the little village of Stoos + walk about 15min to the chairlift that can take you all the way up to Fronalpstock— you can walk as little or as much as you want up here, the views are amazing right away
- Riffelsee: take the Gornergrat Railway from Zermatt to Riffelsee + hike 20min to the 2 beautiful alpine lakes (then either hike 1hr up to Gornergrat or catch the train)
- Saxer Lücke: catch a gondola + hike 1hr (2.5km, 250m gain) to this amazing viewpoint— hardest on this list and not suitable for those with extremely limited mobility 
- Kleine Scheidegg: take the train or the gondola from Grindelwald + hike about 20min uphill to the lake
- Jungfraujoch: from Kleine Scheidegg, take the gondola to Jungfraujoch + walk around the viewing platforms
- Trockener Steg: take the gondola from Zermatt + walk 10min from the top of the cable car to the lake for incredible Matterhorn views
- Oeschinensee: 20min walk from the top of the Kandersteg cable car to the lake (bus also available), then you can walk as little or as much as you want around the lake or on the famous Panorama Trail
.
.
.
.
.
#easyhikes #swissalps #matterhorn #jungfraujoch #oeschinensee #stoos #switzerland
BEST EASY HIKES IN SWITZERLAND 🇨🇭❤️‍🩹

just 2 months after knee surgery, I found myself travelling through Switzerland— in search of easy hikes that were actually accessible post-op 🩼 

luckily, there’s hardly a better place in the world for easy hiking than the Swiss Alps!!

so whether you’re recovering from an injury, hiking with older parents/young children, or just a non-hiker who loves an epic view, this short list of HIGH VALUE viewpoints & hikes offer the most spectacular mountain scenery with minimal challenge

💸 BUDGET TIP: buy the Swiss Half Fare Card to save 50% all these gondolas and trains, which can seriously add up!!

- Stoos Ridge: take the Stoosbahn to the little village of Stoos + walk about 15min to the chairlift that can take you all the way up to Fronalpstock— you can walk as little or as much as you want up here, the views are amazing right away
- Riffelsee: take the Gornergrat Railway from Zermatt to Riffelsee + hike 20min to the 2 beautiful alpine lakes (then either hike 1hr up to Gornergrat or catch the train)
- Saxer Lücke: catch a gondola + hike 1hr (2.5km, 250m gain) to this amazing viewpoint— hardest on this list and not suitable for those with extremely limited mobility 
- Kleine Scheidegg: take the train or the gondola from Grindelwald + hike about 20min uphill to the lake
- Jungfraujoch: from Kleine Scheidegg, take the gondola to Jungfraujoch + walk around the viewing platforms
- Trockener Steg: take the gondola from Zermatt + walk 10min from the top of the cable car to the lake for incredible Matterhorn views
- Oeschinensee: 20min walk from the top of the Kandersteg cable car to the lake (bus also available), then you can walk as little or as much as you want around the lake or on the famous Panorama Trail
.
.
.
.
.
#easyhikes #swissalps #matterhorn #jungfraujoch #oeschinensee #stoos #switzerland
BEST EASY HIKES IN SWITZERLAND 🇨🇭❤️‍🩹

just 2 months after knee surgery, I found myself travelling through Switzerland— in search of easy hikes that were actually accessible post-op 🩼 

luckily, there’s hardly a better place in the world for easy hiking than the Swiss Alps!!

so whether you’re recovering from an injury, hiking with older parents/young children, or just a non-hiker who loves an epic view, this short list of HIGH VALUE viewpoints & hikes offer the most spectacular mountain scenery with minimal challenge

💸 BUDGET TIP: buy the Swiss Half Fare Card to save 50% all these gondolas and trains, which can seriously add up!!

- Stoos Ridge: take the Stoosbahn to the little village of Stoos + walk about 15min to the chairlift that can take you all the way up to Fronalpstock— you can walk as little or as much as you want up here, the views are amazing right away
- Riffelsee: take the Gornergrat Railway from Zermatt to Riffelsee + hike 20min to the 2 beautiful alpine lakes (then either hike 1hr up to Gornergrat or catch the train)
- Saxer Lücke: catch a gondola + hike 1hr (2.5km, 250m gain) to this amazing viewpoint— hardest on this list and not suitable for those with extremely limited mobility 
- Kleine Scheidegg: take the train or the gondola from Grindelwald + hike about 20min uphill to the lake
- Jungfraujoch: from Kleine Scheidegg, take the gondola to Jungfraujoch + walk around the viewing platforms
- Trockener Steg: take the gondola from Zermatt + walk 10min from the top of the cable car to the lake for incredible Matterhorn views
- Oeschinensee: 20min walk from the top of the Kandersteg cable car to the lake (bus also available), then you can walk as little or as much as you want around the lake or on the famous Panorama Trail
.
.
.
.
.
#easyhikes #swissalps #matterhorn #jungfraujoch #oeschinensee #stoos #switzerland
BEST EASY HIKES IN SWITZERLAND 🇨🇭❤️‍🩹

just 2 months after knee surgery, I found myself travelling through Switzerland— in search of easy hikes that were actually accessible post-op 🩼 

luckily, there’s hardly a better place in the world for easy hiking than the Swiss Alps!!

so whether you’re recovering from an injury, hiking with older parents/young children, or just a non-hiker who loves an epic view, this short list of HIGH VALUE viewpoints & hikes offer the most spectacular mountain scenery with minimal challenge

💸 BUDGET TIP: buy the Swiss Half Fare Card to save 50% all these gondolas and trains, which can seriously add up!!

- Stoos Ridge: take the Stoosbahn to the little village of Stoos + walk about 15min to the chairlift that can take you all the way up to Fronalpstock— you can walk as little or as much as you want up here, the views are amazing right away
- Riffelsee: take the Gornergrat Railway from Zermatt to Riffelsee + hike 20min to the 2 beautiful alpine lakes (then either hike 1hr up to Gornergrat or catch the train)
- Saxer Lücke: catch a gondola + hike 1hr (2.5km, 250m gain) to this amazing viewpoint— hardest on this list and not suitable for those with extremely limited mobility 
- Kleine Scheidegg: take the train or the gondola from Grindelwald + hike about 20min uphill to the lake
- Jungfraujoch: from Kleine Scheidegg, take the gondola to Jungfraujoch + walk around the viewing platforms
- Trockener Steg: take the gondola from Zermatt + walk 10min from the top of the cable car to the lake for incredible Matterhorn views
- Oeschinensee: 20min walk from the top of the Kandersteg cable car to the lake (bus also available), then you can walk as little or as much as you want around the lake or on the famous Panorama Trail
.
.
.
.
.
#easyhikes #swissalps #matterhorn #jungfraujoch #oeschinensee #stoos #switzerland
BEST EASY HIKES IN SWITZERLAND 🇨🇭❤️‍🩹

just 2 months after knee surgery, I found myself travelling through Switzerland— in search of easy hikes that were actually accessible post-op 🩼 

luckily, there’s hardly a better place in the world for easy hiking than the Swiss Alps!!

so whether you’re recovering from an injury, hiking with older parents/young children, or just a non-hiker who loves an epic view, this short list of HIGH VALUE viewpoints & hikes offer the most spectacular mountain scenery with minimal challenge

💸 BUDGET TIP: buy the Swiss Half Fare Card to save 50% all these gondolas and trains, which can seriously add up!!

- Stoos Ridge: take the Stoosbahn to the little village of Stoos + walk about 15min to the chairlift that can take you all the way up to Fronalpstock— you can walk as little or as much as you want up here, the views are amazing right away
- Riffelsee: take the Gornergrat Railway from Zermatt to Riffelsee + hike 20min to the 2 beautiful alpine lakes (then either hike 1hr up to Gornergrat or catch the train)
- Saxer Lücke: catch a gondola + hike 1hr (2.5km, 250m gain) to this amazing viewpoint— hardest on this list and not suitable for those with extremely limited mobility 
- Kleine Scheidegg: take the train or the gondola from Grindelwald + hike about 20min uphill to the lake
- Jungfraujoch: from Kleine Scheidegg, take the gondola to Jungfraujoch + walk around the viewing platforms
- Trockener Steg: take the gondola from Zermatt + walk 10min from the top of the cable car to the lake for incredible Matterhorn views
- Oeschinensee: 20min walk from the top of the Kandersteg cable car to the lake (bus also available), then you can walk as little or as much as you want around the lake or on the famous Panorama Trail
.
.
.
.
.
#easyhikes #swissalps #matterhorn #jungfraujoch #oeschinensee #stoos #switzerland
@brookebeyond_
@brookebeyond_
•
Follow
BEST EASY HIKES IN SWITZERLAND 🇨🇭❤️‍🩹 just 2 months after knee surgery, I found myself travelling through Switzerland— in search of easy hikes that were actually accessible post-op 🩼 luckily, there’s hardly a better place in the world for easy hiking than the Swiss Alps!! so whether you’re recovering from an injury, hiking with older parents/young children, or just a non-hiker who loves an epic view, this short list of HIGH VALUE viewpoints & hikes offer the most spectacular mountain scenery with minimal challenge 💸 BUDGET TIP: buy the Swiss Half Fare Card to save 50% all these gondolas and trains, which can seriously add up!! - Stoos Ridge: take the Stoosbahn to the little village of Stoos + walk about 15min to the chairlift that can take you all the way up to Fronalpstock— you can walk as little or as much as you want up here, the views are amazing right away - Riffelsee: take the Gornergrat Railway from Zermatt to Riffelsee + hike 20min to the 2 beautiful alpine lakes (then either hike 1hr up to Gornergrat or catch the train) - Saxer Lücke: catch a gondola + hike 1hr (2.5km, 250m gain) to this amazing viewpoint— hardest on this list and not suitable for those with extremely limited mobility - Kleine Scheidegg: take the train or the gondola from Grindelwald + hike about 20min uphill to the lake - Jungfraujoch: from Kleine Scheidegg, take the gondola to Jungfraujoch + walk around the viewing platforms - Trockener Steg: take the gondola from Zermatt + walk 10min from the top of the cable car to the lake for incredible Matterhorn views - Oeschinensee: 20min walk from the top of the Kandersteg cable car to the lake (bus also available), then you can walk as little or as much as you want around the lake or on the famous Panorama Trail . . . . . #easyhikes #swissalps #matterhorn #jungfraujoch #oeschinensee #stoos #switzerland
6 days ago
View on Instagram |
3/5
This is my 2nd summer back in Zermatt to climb the Matterhorn— and my 2nd summer NOT climbing the Matterhorn 😑

In 2023, a wicked snow storm blew through the night before my planned ascent and grounded all climbing parties… and then I had knee surgery less than 2 months before our repeat trip to Zermatt this year. I won’t lie, it’s been extremely disappointing to spend nearly 2 weeks in one of the most expensive places in the world, and STILL not do the thing I came here to do 😅

But alas, here we are in Zermatt again! (and apparently not for the last time)

Even though we are slowly going bankrupt, it’s a gorgeous place to be in the summer with no shortage of amazing trails!

Can’t wait to share some of what we’ve been up to— my first little hikes since surgery 🤩
This is my 2nd summer back in Zermatt to climb the Matterhorn— and my 2nd summer NOT climbing the Matterhorn 😑

In 2023, a wicked snow storm blew through the night before my planned ascent and grounded all climbing parties… and then I had knee surgery less than 2 months before our repeat trip to Zermatt this year. I won’t lie, it’s been extremely disappointing to spend nearly 2 weeks in one of the most expensive places in the world, and STILL not do the thing I came here to do 😅

But alas, here we are in Zermatt again! (and apparently not for the last time)

Even though we are slowly going bankrupt, it’s a gorgeous place to be in the summer with no shortage of amazing trails!

Can’t wait to share some of what we’ve been up to— my first little hikes since surgery 🤩
This is my 2nd summer back in Zermatt to climb the Matterhorn— and my 2nd summer NOT climbing the Matterhorn 😑

In 2023, a wicked snow storm blew through the night before my planned ascent and grounded all climbing parties… and then I had knee surgery less than 2 months before our repeat trip to Zermatt this year. I won’t lie, it’s been extremely disappointing to spend nearly 2 weeks in one of the most expensive places in the world, and STILL not do the thing I came here to do 😅

But alas, here we are in Zermatt again! (and apparently not for the last time)

Even though we are slowly going bankrupt, it’s a gorgeous place to be in the summer with no shortage of amazing trails!

Can’t wait to share some of what we’ve been up to— my first little hikes since surgery 🤩
This is my 2nd summer back in Zermatt to climb the Matterhorn— and my 2nd summer NOT climbing the Matterhorn 😑

In 2023, a wicked snow storm blew through the night before my planned ascent and grounded all climbing parties… and then I had knee surgery less than 2 months before our repeat trip to Zermatt this year. I won’t lie, it’s been extremely disappointing to spend nearly 2 weeks in one of the most expensive places in the world, and STILL not do the thing I came here to do 😅

But alas, here we are in Zermatt again! (and apparently not for the last time)

Even though we are slowly going bankrupt, it’s a gorgeous place to be in the summer with no shortage of amazing trails!

Can’t wait to share some of what we’ve been up to— my first little hikes since surgery 🤩
This is my 2nd summer back in Zermatt to climb the Matterhorn— and my 2nd summer NOT climbing the Matterhorn 😑

In 2023, a wicked snow storm blew through the night before my planned ascent and grounded all climbing parties… and then I had knee surgery less than 2 months before our repeat trip to Zermatt this year. I won’t lie, it’s been extremely disappointing to spend nearly 2 weeks in one of the most expensive places in the world, and STILL not do the thing I came here to do 😅

But alas, here we are in Zermatt again! (and apparently not for the last time)

Even though we are slowly going bankrupt, it’s a gorgeous place to be in the summer with no shortage of amazing trails!

Can’t wait to share some of what we’ve been up to— my first little hikes since surgery 🤩
@brookebeyond_
@brookebeyond_
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This is my 2nd summer back in Zermatt to climb the Matterhorn— and my 2nd summer NOT climbing the Matterhorn 😑 In 2023, a wicked snow storm blew through the night before my planned ascent and grounded all climbing parties… and then I had knee surgery less than 2 months before our repeat trip to Zermatt this year. I won’t lie, it’s been extremely disappointing to spend nearly 2 weeks in one of the most expensive places in the world, and STILL not do the thing I came here to do 😅 But alas, here we are in Zermatt again! (and apparently not for the last time) Even though we are slowly going bankrupt, it’s a gorgeous place to be in the summer with no shortage of amazing trails! Can’t wait to share some of what we’ve been up to— my first little hikes since surgery 🤩
7 days ago
View on Instagram |
4/5
we’ve spent the last several weeks in Switzerland and, in many ways, I couldn’t have chosen a better destination for post-knee-surgery recovery— where else in the world can you get views like THIS with 1hr of easy hiking?!

I’m not sure I’ll ever truly prefer the accessibility of the Alps to true backcountry… but there’s no denying that I couldn’t be outside any other way right now and it’s given me a whole new appreciation for the hundreds of gondolas, funiculars, and trains that connect non-hikers or mobility-impaired enthusiasts like myself to otherwise unreachable heights!

I’m enormously grateful for the opportunity to rehab my knee under legendary peaks rather than fluorescent indoor lights, so THANK YOU Switzerland 😍
we’ve spent the last several weeks in Switzerland and, in many ways, I couldn’t have chosen a better destination for post-knee-surgery recovery— where else in the world can you get views like THIS with 1hr of easy hiking?!

I’m not sure I’ll ever truly prefer the accessibility of the Alps to true backcountry… but there’s no denying that I couldn’t be outside any other way right now and it’s given me a whole new appreciation for the hundreds of gondolas, funiculars, and trains that connect non-hikers or mobility-impaired enthusiasts like myself to otherwise unreachable heights!

I’m enormously grateful for the opportunity to rehab my knee under legendary peaks rather than fluorescent indoor lights, so THANK YOU Switzerland 😍
we’ve spent the last several weeks in Switzerland and, in many ways, I couldn’t have chosen a better destination for post-knee-surgery recovery— where else in the world can you get views like THIS with 1hr of easy hiking?!

I’m not sure I’ll ever truly prefer the accessibility of the Alps to true backcountry… but there’s no denying that I couldn’t be outside any other way right now and it’s given me a whole new appreciation for the hundreds of gondolas, funiculars, and trains that connect non-hikers or mobility-impaired enthusiasts like myself to otherwise unreachable heights!

I’m enormously grateful for the opportunity to rehab my knee under legendary peaks rather than fluorescent indoor lights, so THANK YOU Switzerland 😍
@brookebeyond_
@brookebeyond_
•
Follow
we’ve spent the last several weeks in Switzerland and, in many ways, I couldn’t have chosen a better destination for post-knee-surgery recovery— where else in the world can you get views like THIS with 1hr of easy hiking?! I’m not sure I’ll ever truly prefer the accessibility of the Alps to true backcountry… but there’s no denying that I couldn’t be outside any other way right now and it’s given me a whole new appreciation for the hundreds of gondolas, funiculars, and trains that connect non-hikers or mobility-impaired enthusiasts like myself to otherwise unreachable heights! I’m enormously grateful for the opportunity to rehab my knee under legendary peaks rather than fluorescent indoor lights, so THANK YOU Switzerland 😍
2 weeks ago
View on Instagram |
5/5

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