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Season: all year
Recommended season: early April to late October
Max. altitude: 403 m (1322 ft)What are the Rhine Falls? 
The Rhine Falls ('Rheinfall' in German) are a 150 m wide and 23 m high waterfall, located near the towns of Schaffhausen and Neuhausen in northern Switzerland. They're at a 45- to 60-minute train ride from Zurich. The falls can be seen up close by foot and by boat.
Two castles, restaurants, a panoramic elevator, an exhibition, and beautiful illumination at night complete this excursion.
➤ Rhine Fall access prices
Price of an access ticket to the southern Rhine Falls banks
The northern promenade can be visited for free. An entry ticket for the southern promenade costs CHF 5.
The access ticket for the southern bank provides access to the spots with the best views of the fall, including the platforms, panorama lift, the Historama exhibition, and so on. Boat tours are not included and have to be paid for separately.
Price of boat trip at the Rhine Falls
Prices for boat rides depend on the route you pick. Tickets cost approximately CHF 6 to CHF 25 per adult.
Where to buy your Rhine Fall tickets
All entry and boat tickets are available on the spot. Some can be bought online too.
Discounted or free travel to the Rhine Falls
If you have a rail pass, you may be entitled to free or discounted travel to the falls. Most passes do not include any benefits for access to the southern banks or the boat rides though.
Book a tour to the falls
Many (guided) tours to the Rhine Fall are available. Most of them start and end in Zurich. A tour may include transportation, access tickets for the southern promenade and/or a boat ride. What exactly is included varies per tour, so check the specifics.
➤ Discounted access with your rail pass
| Pass | Discount |
|---|---|
| Day Pass | No discount:
To Schloss Laufen am Rheinfall and Neuhausen Rheinfall (train): free. |
| Eurail Global Pass | No discount:
To Schloss Laufen am Rheinfall and Neuhausen Rheinfall (train): free. |
| Interrail Switzerland Pass | No discount:
To Schloss Laufen am Rheinfall and Neuhausen Rheinfall (train): free. |
| Saver Day Pass | No discount:
To Schloss Laufen am Rheinfall and Neuhausen Rheinfall (train): free. |
| Swiss Half Fare Card | No discount:
To Schloss Laufen am Rheinfall and Neuhausen Rheinfall (train): 50% discount. |
| Swiss Travel Pass | No discount:
To Schloss Laufen am Rheinfall and Neuhausen Rheinfall (train): free. |
| Swiss Travel Pass Flex | No discount:
To Schloss Laufen am Rheinfall and Neuhausen Rheinfall (train): free. |
How to reach the Rhine Falls: directions and map
The Rhine Falls can be reached by train (which I recommended) and by car. The map below shows the walking and boat route I suggest to make the most of your visit.
The train trip to the falls
The easiest way to reach the Rhine Falls is by train, to either the station called "Neuhausen Rheinfall" or "Schloss Laufen am Rheinfall" on the other side of the river. Both stations are located right next to the falls.
The town Schaffhausen is often associated with the falls. It's close to the falls, but it's not the right destination to fill out when searching for connections.
How to reach the falls from Zurich
There are trains from the main railway station of Zurich to both "Neuhausen Rheinfall" and "Schloss Laufen am Rheinfall". A single journey takes 45 to 60 minutes. Some of the connections are direct ones, others require a change of trains in Schaffhausen or Neuhausen.
Arrival by car
If you travel by car, you can use one of the paid parking lots near Schloss Laufen or Schlössli Wörth. Count on charges of CHF 5 for the first hour, and CHF 2 for each following hour.
If there's no parking space left, you can use parking lots further away and take a bus to the Rhine Falls.
The Rhyfall Express
During the boat season (roughly April-October) the tourist train "Rhyfall Express" transports passengers from "Schaffhausen Schifflände" (the boat dock of Schaffhausen) to the Rhine Falls and back.
These rides have to be paid for. Reservations are recommended for groups.
Opening dates and hours, timetable info
Rhine Falls opening dates
The Rhine Falls are accessible all year long. The freely accessible northern banks can be visited 24 hours a day. The ticket office on the southern side is open from the morning until the late afternoon: usually from 09:00 to 17:00 in high season, and from 10:00 to 16:00 in quieter months like December.
The trains to the northern and southern banks operate all year round. Most boats near the falls operate from late March or early April to October. You can still visit the falls in the other months, just without a boat ride.
How to plan your journey with the Swiss timetable
These are the destinations to enter when planning your visit in the timetable:
- "Neuhausen Rheinfall" for the train station close to the northern promenades
- "Schloss Laufen am Rheinfall" for the train station on the southern bank
Best season to see the falls
The best months to visit the Rhine Falls are early April to late October. April, May and June are the top months in my opinion. That's when the amount of water usually peaks. As for other periods:
- The boats operate from late March/early April to October. If you want to make a nice round trip including a boat ride, that's the best time of the year to get to the falls.
- The Rhine Falls are accessible from November to March as well. You can't enjoy a boat ride, but you can still admire the falls from the northern and southern promenades.
Weather info and forecasts
Dry weather is best to visit the Rhine Falls. It allows you to make a beautiful roundabout walk including a boat ride. Clouds and drizzle are no problem, but in heavy rain the views won't be great.
The boats operate under most weather circumstances, but services can be suspended in case of strong winds or heavy rainfall.
The best route to see all of the Rhine Falls
I suggest the roundabout walk below to see all of the Rhine Falls. It assumes you visit in April-October, when most boat tours are available. If you visit in other months you can still do most of this route, but you’ll have to skip the boat section.
Where to start and end
My suggested route starts and ends at the rail station “Schloss Laufen am Rheinfall”. Alternatively, you can start from the rail station at the other side of the river: “Neuhausen Rheinfall”.
How long this circular route takes
The route takes 45 minutes, but that doesn’t include any breaks or activities other than the proposed boat trip crossing the Rhine.
Route description
My route is indicated on the map. Assuming you’ll start from “Schloss Laufen am Rheinfall”, it’s as follows:
- You’ll first walk from the rail station to the 1000-year-old Schloss Laufen (Laufen Castle). There’s a restaurant, playground, and the “Historama” here. The Historama is an exhibition about the castle and the Rhine Falls. You can learn that there have been plans to remove the falls by blasting away the rocks, because it was considered an obstacle to shipping traffic. I’m glad those plans were never realized! Nowadays, it is still not possible for ships to pass the Rhine Falls.
- Next, you go down to the observation platform, either on foot via the Belvedere Trail, or by the glass Panoramic Lift.
- Take the boat across the Rhine to Schlössli Wörth. This castle is hundreds of years old and located on a tiny island. There is an excellent restaurant inside the castle.
- Cross the pedestrian bridge to the bank and turn right. Walk along the river promenade. Again, you’ll have good views of the falls. Take the pedestrian path on the railway bridge that leads back to Schloss Laufen and the rail station.
Boat tours at the Rhine Falls
Several boat tours on the Rhine close to the falls are available. There’s a boat trip to the rock in the middle of the falls for example: the “Rock Experience”. In addition, you can enjoy shorter and longer round trips, plus crossings between Schlössli Wörth and the southern banks.
The tours take 10 to 30 minutes, depending on which one you choose. They’re mostly available from April to October.
What else to see and do near the falls
- There’s an adventure park across the street from Schlössli Wörth. You can enjoy various sorts of climbing and abseiling there. The park is closed in winter.
- The Rhine Falls are spectacularly illuminated after dusk, except when it’s full moon.
- Above the falls, you’ll find an immersive multimedia art hall, called “Rhyality”.
- The miniature world “Smilestones” shows tiny versions of Swiss landscapes.
Rhine Falls FAQ
-
Which side is better: the northern or the southern banks?
I advise visiting both sides for a complete and varied view of the Rhine Falls. But if you have to choose: get to the southern side. More activities such as the Historama and the panoramic elevator are available there. And as sunlight comes from the south during a large part of the day, photographing the falls is easier from the southern banks.
-
How long does a visit to the Rhine Falls take?
The circular route I suggest takes about 45 minutes without any breaks. But to fully enjoy the fall and activities you’d need 2 to 4 hours. If you plan this excursion from Zurich, count on half a day to a full day.
-
How to dress when visiting the Rhine Falls?
If you’ll just be seeing the falls from the promenades and observation decks, you don’t need specific clothing. Just dress according to that day’s forecast. If you plan to make a boat ride close to the falls, take along a waterproof jacket and maybe even rain pants: you may get wet due to the splashing water and the thousands of tiny water drops.
-
Is visiting the falls suitable for children?
Yes, it is! The Rhine Falls are impressive and the boat rides are spectacular, for kids as well. The “Smilestones” miniature world and the adventure park are great additions to a Rhine Fall excursion.
If you travel with children who are easily scared, you may want to skip the boat trip to the rock in the middle of the falls: that might be overwhelming.
-
Are the falls wheelchair- and pram-friendly?
Yes, most of the promenades can be explored with wheelchairs and prams. The panorama lift, observation deck “Belvedere”‘, Historama, visitor center, and restaurant on the southern bank are all accessible for wheelchairs and prams.
The main exception is getting down to the basin and shipping piers. This is not possible on the southern side, but it’s available upon advanced booking on the northern side.
Special tickets for visitors with wheelchairs and prams can be bought at the visitor center.
➤ Where to buy Rhine Falls tickets and tours: reliable websites
Promotions
There are currently no promotions available.
- www.rheinfall.ch: Rhine Falls
- www.rhyfall-maendli.ch: boat tours close to the Rhine Falls
- www.schiffmaendli.ch: boat tours close to the Rhine Falls
- www.schlosslaufen.ch: Schloss Laufen, restaurant, and Historama
- www.erlebnis-rheinfall.ch: Schlössli Wörth restaurant
- www.ap-rheinfall.ch: Adventure Park Rheinfall
- www.rhyality.com: Rhyality Immersive Art Hall
- www.smilestones.ch: Smilestones miniature world
Dates and times
- www.rheinfall.ch: opening hours of the southern Rhine Fall banks
Prices
- www.rheinfall.ch: Rhine Falls ticket prices
- www.rhyfall-express.ch: Rhyfall tourist train prices
Itineraries including the Rhine Falls
