All information you need for your visit to Zurich 

Things to see and do in Zurich 

Find activities in and near the city of Zurich

The best activities in Zurich

If you have a limited amount of time in Zurich and have to choose, we recommend you focus on the old town.

One of the best ways to do so is on foot, for example with the Zurich town walk we created. It includes the pretty Augustinergasse, the Lindenhof with views of the river Limmat, churches, and all other highlights.

In addition, we think these excursions should be on your list: 

• A boat trip on Lake Zurich.
• Luxury shopping in the Bahnhofstrasse.
• A train ride up to the Uetliberg for a wide view across town, or to enjoy a scenic walk.

Rainy day activities in Zurich

Zurich has lots of museums, restaurants and shops to have a great day, even if it rains. Our personal favorites are:

• The Swiss National Museum, which is very close to the railway station.
• The famous vegetarian restaurant Hiltl, just south of the train station.
• The many chocolate shops at the train station and along the famous Bahnhofstrasse.
• The Lindt chocolate outlet and Home of Chocolate in Kilchberg, at a 10-minute train ride from the city.

Our insider tips: off the beaten track

These are less well-known activities in Zurich:

• Dine in a tram while doing a tour across Zurich (www.stadt-zuerich.ch).
• Eat Swiss fondue while on a Tuk Tuk tour across town (www.tuktuk.ch).
• Visit Zurich West. It's the former industrial district. Nowadays, it's a modern trendy district with shops, ateliers and restaurants (www.zuerich.com).
• Go to the MFO Park near the Zurich Oerlikon train station. This is a former factory hall converted into a green park (www.urbannext.net).
• Dine in the dark (www.blindekuh.ch).

Places to visit near Zurich

Large Swiss cities close to Zurich

There are quick train connections to several major Swiss cities from Zurich. You can make day trips to Basel, Bern, Lucerne, St. Gallen, and Kreuzlingen/Konstanz on Lake Constance (the "Bodensee").

These cities can be reached in about an hour or less, and all by direct connections.

Smaller attractive towns to visit

Zurich is a perfect base to make day trips to the below authentic Swiss towns:

• Schaffhausen, where the famous Rhine Falls are located. You can get there by train in about 40 minutes.
• Stein am Rhein: a beautiful medieval village with a monastery and castle, at a 1h05 train ride.
• Rapperswil on Lake Zurich: a charming town that's also called the "Town of Roses". It's to be reached in 40 minutes by train, or by boat.
• Zug: this town has a nice old center and gives access to boat trips on Lake Zug (the "Zugersee" in German).
• Aarau (25 minutes by train) and Olten (35 minutes by train), both on the deep blue Aare river.

Day trips to the Alps from Zurich

The best mountains to visit near Zurich are those around Lake Lucerne. Excursions to Pilatus, Rigi and Stanserhorn are doable from Zurich. They can be reached in under 2 hours.

Further options are the rugged high hills around the Walensee and the village Walenstadt (1h00 by train), and the pretty valley around Glarus (1h00 by train).

Scenic train rides from Zurich

You can make the following train tours from Zurich in one day:

• Travel to Lucerne and enjoy the northern leg of the GoldenPass route from Lucerne to Interlaken. Travel back via Thun and Bern to add variety.
• Travel to Lucerne and head to Bern via Entlebuch and Trubschachen in the scenic Emmen Valley.
• Go to Lucerne or St. Gallen. Board the Voralpen-Express and travel back to Zurich afterwards.
• Travel to Chur and travel by Glacier Express as far as Brig. Then get back to Zurich via the Lötschberg Base Tunnel and the towns of Spiez, Thun and Bern.
• Ride along the southern shore of Lake Constance (the "Bodensee" in German).

See some of Germany from Zurich

If you don't mind some traveling time, you can make a cross-border day trip to Germany. Our tips:

• Go shopping in Constance (“Konstanz” in German). Constance borders the Swiss town of Kreuzlingen on Lake Constance (the “Bodensee” in German). It’s a 1h15 train ride between Zurich and Constance.
• Visit the ruins of the Hohentwiel Fortress in Singen. This town can be reached by bus from Ramsen, just north of Stein am Rhein. The total ride from Zurich takes 50 to 70 minutes. Enter "Singen (Hohentwiel)" in the timetable.

Travel info and map of Zurich 

How to travel to and in Zurich: quick summary

Zurich can be reached by train, by car and by plane via the nearby international airport.

The old town center can be explored on foot, and there are plenty of urban trams and buses if you don't feel like walking.

Boat trips can be made across Lake Zurich.

How to reach Zurich by train

How to travel to and from the airport

There are frequent direct trains from Zürich HB (the main station in the city center) to the airport. The ride takes about 10 minutes.

How to reach Zurich from other Swiss cities

Zurich is easily reached by train from the Swiss airports and other Swiss cities. In many cases, you don't even have to change trains. Examples of traveling times:

• 1h20 from Basel EuroAirport, 0h55 from Basel
• 2h50 from Geneva Airport, from 2h40 Geneva
• 0h40 from Lucerne
• 0h55 from Bern
• 1h15 from Chur in Graubünden
• 1h55 from Lugano
• 2h00 from Interlaken

How to get to Zurich from surrounding countries

There are excellent high-speed train connections to Zurich from Germany, Austria, France and Italy. Learn more in our travel guides:

• Germany-Switzerland
• Austria-Switzerland
• France-Switzerland
• Italy-Switzerland

How to reach Zurich by car

Can I drive to Zurich?

You can drive to Zurich, but this is not what we advise. Parking is expensive, and traffic in the city is busy with trams, buses, and other cars. We think a car is more of a burden than a benefit in Zurich.

If you do drive to Zurich, it's best to park your car, and then get around in the city on foot or by public transport.

Where to park in Zurich

There are about 10 park houses in the city. One of those is adjacent to the station Zürich HB.

Parking is mostly free between 21:00 and 8:00, but paid during the rest of the day. Costs in the parking garages are CHF 4 or CHF 5 per hour, with a flat rate of CHF 45 per day.

In addition, there are smaller outdoor parking places for short-term parking up to 4 hours. They're indicated by white meters.

How to plan trips to and in Zurich

The Swiss timetable includes all public transport to Zurich and within the city. You plan your trips from any town in Switzerland or neighboring countries to Zurich in the timetable. You'll also find the city trams, buses, and boats on Lake Zurich here.

Our timetable guide explains how to use the timetable.

The main rail station: "Zürich HB"

What is Zürich HB?

Zürich HB (which stands for the German "Hauptbahnhof") is the main train station of Zurich.

Where is Zürich HB located?

The main station is located in the heart of the city (see the map). It's just north of the old town, which can be reached on foot. A 20-minute walk, or a 15-minute train and tram ride, gets you from the rail station to the boat dock "Bürkliplatz" south of the old town.

Which trains and buses leave from Zürich HB?

Apart from the trams and buses into town, trains across the whole of Switzerland depart from here, as well as trains to the neighboring countries France, Germany, Italy, and Austria.

There is also a bus terminal, called 'Sihlquai', about 100 m north of the station. Buses into the various districts of Zurich leave here.

How to navigate at Zürich HB?

This large station may be overwhelming if you're not used to traveling by train. There is no need to worry though, as everything is well-signposted.

Most platforms (track 3 to 18) are on the ground level. Additionally, there are lots of stores, restaurants, and several underground platforms:

• 'Bahnhof SZU': track 21 and 22 for trains to the Uetliberg;
• 'Bahnhof Löwenstrasse': track 31 to 34;
• 'Bahnhof Museumstrasse': track 41 to 44.

Public transport in Zurich

Trams, buses and local trains

There is a dense network of trams, buses and local trains (S-Bahn) all around Zurich. Together, they form a smooth public transport system. All transport lines are operated with high frequency, so you rarely have to wait long to catch your train, tram or bus.

The ZVV fare network

Zurich's urban transport falls under "ZVV", which stands for "Zürcher Verkehrsverbund". ZVV determines prices and issues tickets for the trams, buses, and boats.

Free public transport in Zurich

All public transport in Zurich is free with a Swiss Travel Pass, Saver Day Pass , and several other rail passes.

Another option is to buy a Zurich Card that allows free public transport throughout the city for one or more days.

Hotels in Zurich don't offer a guest card for free local traveling, as in some other Swiss towns.

ZVV tickets and passes

If you don't have a rail pass that covers public transport in Zurich, you need additional tickets for the ZVV network. The network is divided into city zones. The number of zones you travel in, and the duration of your trip, determine the price.

This may seem complicated, but the Swiss timetable makes it easy for you to choose the right option. Enter your journey, click the price button, and see the ZVV tickets that match your requirements. Learn how to use the Swiss timetable here.

The main ZVV ticket options for tourists are:

• single tickets with short validity, for quick and occasional trips.
• 24-hour tickets, allowing you to travel as much as you want in the chosen number of zones during 24 hours.
• the 9 O'Clock day pass, valid for the entire ZVV network from 09:00 to 05:00 on the next day during weekdays, or for the entire day in weekends.

If you plan intensive use of public transport in and around Zurich, you can look into:

• ZVV Network Passes. These passes allow unlimited traveling in a chosen number of zones during a month or a year. This is a subscription model, for which you should arrange at a ZVV sales outlet.
• Z-Passes: single tickets, day tickets or travelcards for travel in the ZVV network and adjacent tariff networks.

Where to buy public transport tickets

If you need ZVV tickets, you can get them:

• at the main station Zürich HB
• at other train stations within the network area
• from self-service ticketing machines at stations and bus stops
• in the Swiss timetable
• in the ZVV Ticketshop

Travel guides for Zurich 

The best time to visit Zurich 

In our opinion, a visit to Zurich is worth it all year. This is why:

• It offers plenty of indoor options for bad-weather days in any season.
• Zurich is appealing when it's low season in the mountains and transport options are limited there. This is especially in March and November.
• Zurich is vibrant and colorful in spring, summer and early autumn: April to October.
• The holiday atmosphere in late November and December is fantastic.
• A visit to Zurich adds cultural variety to snow holidays in January and February.

Christmas in Zurich

Zurich is a great destination in late November and December. You can visit Christmas markets, shop in the illuminated old town or make a ride in the fairytale tram.

Day trips to other towns with Christmas markets can be made too. Examples are Lucerne, Bern and Basel.

Zurich as a snow destination

Zurich is not the best resort for a snow holiday. It’s at low altitude and snowfall isn’t likely.

You’ll have to travel at least 1 hour by train to reach ski areas. The ones closest to Zurich are Flumserberg (along Lake Walen) and Sattel-Hochstückli (between Arth-Goldau and Einsiedeln).

If you want to visit snow regions from Zurich, you can best do so in January and February: that's when you'll have the best shot at sufficient snow.

Weather and climate of Zurich 

What's the climate of Zurich like?

Zurich is in a mild and moist climate, as in most of northern Switzerland. Temperatures are pretty high, even in winter.

Rainfall can occur year-long. The driest months are January and February. The wettest months in Zurich are May, June, July and August. You can experience showers or continuous rain. But long, sunny periods are common just as well.

Which temperatures to expect in Zurich?

Average summer temperatures during daytime are 20°C to 25°C. Heatwaves with temperatures well above 30°C occur too in Zurich.

Winter temperatures during daytime range from 3°C to 10°C. It may freeze during the nights, but severe frosts aren't common.

Does it snow in Zurich?

Snow in Zurich isn't likely: the average temperatures are too high and Zurich is at a relatively low elevation. If snow falls, this is mostly in the coldest months: January or February.

If you'd like to experience genuine Swiss snow winters, we advise picking another base town near or in the mountains.

5-day weather forecast for Zurich

Hotels in Zurich 

There are countless hotels in Zurich. What's the best hotel for you depends on your plans, your budget, whether you prefer views of the river Limmat or Lake Zurich, and more.

A hotel near Zurich Airport is ideal for a late arrival or early departure by plane.

Our extensive Zurich hotel guides help you choose.

Other websites of interest

• www.zuerich.com: Zurich Tourism
• www.landesmuseum.ch: the Swiss National Museum
• www.utokulm.ch: the Uetliberg viewpoint near Zurich
• www.zuerich.com: parking in Zurich
• www.zvv.ch: tariff network of public transport in Zurich

Itineraries including Zurich 

Zurich in our blog articles