Are you searching for the very best issues to do in Zürich? You’ve come to the proper place. We tried the very best meals, adventures, and actions in Switzerland’s largest metropolis, and have rounded up essentially the most stunning lookouts and must-see points of interest. Being the monetary capital of Switzerland, Zürich is full of stylish eating places, posh patrons, and an entire lot of cash. Zürich is fashionable and complicated, however it is usually enjoyable and laid again.
Best Things to do in Zürich
When you go to Zurich we extremely recommend buying a Zürich Card. It is one of the best ways to get across the metropolis and to lower your expenses. It consists of limitless public transportation together with tram, bus, practice, boat and cableway. It even features a mini lake cruise and river cruise. You get free or decreased admission to museums and 50% off an Old Town strolling tour. We did all this with our Zurich Card.
You can select from 24 hours passes to 72-hour passes beginning at 24CHF. We suggest spending at the least three days in Zürich. Read our full The Perfect 3 Days in Zurich, Switzerland
1. Lindt Home Chocolate
It could sound cliche to go to a chocolate manufacturing unit when searching for issues to do in Zürich, however this isn’t your atypical manufacturing unit tour. Lindt Home of Chocolate is among the high Zurich points of interest and for good purpose. This chocolate museum is a spectacle and while you go to Zurich, be sure to put this on the high of your record.
Upon coming into you come face to face with an enormous chocolate fountain standing tall in the huge corridor. It is then onto a tour to study concerning the historical past of chocolate and eat plenty of chocolate.
We picked up our audio information and chosen our chosen language (English) as we adopted the shows to discover the evolution of chocolate. It was an fascinating and entertaining tour, however the actual deal with comes close to the tip while you enter a room full of chocolate fountains.
The fountains are pouring out the heavenly Lindt chocolate simply ready to be tasted. We grabbed a disposable spoon and tasted white, darkish, and milk chocolate till our hearts had been content material. We didn’t notice that there was extra, however as we walked on, we had one other pattern of chocolate bars to see if we might decipher the totally different flavors.
We failed, however we had been completely happy to hold making an attempt. Our tour then ended in a room full of vats of well-known Lindor sweets permitting us to eat as many as we wished. The Lindt Home of Chocolate is actually a chocolate lover’s paradise.
Visit the Lindt Home of Chocolate Website for excursions and data. Tours begin at 15 CHF per individual, you may as well ebook experiences like making your personal chocolate.
2. SUP on Lake Zürich
Hands down our favourite factor to do in Zürich spending time on Lake Zürich. We made our approach to Badi Enge the place they lease paddleboards by the hour. It was a lot enjoyable to get on the water in the course of the sizzling summer time day.
Being on a paddleboard allow us to see town from a unique view and we had the liberty to paddle into the Schanzenbraben Canal the place we escaped the hustle and bustle as swans adopted us by the calm and quiet waters.
Even if you happen to don’t need to paddleboard, be sure to get on the water while you go to Zurich. Lake Zurich has a number of the greatest views of town. A ship experience is included in your Zürich Card, so if nothing else, at the least hop on a ship to take in town views.
3. Seebad Enge
Zürich is the land of public baths and from what we perceive, there are six lake baths on Lake Zurich and 5 different river baths all through town the place folks take pleasure in basking in the solar whereas having the ability to take a dip in the clear and clear waters.
Seebad Enge was simply reached by strolling from town heart, and it’s an exquisite walkway alongside the lakefront with parks and views of the Swiss Alps and town. There is a combined and women-only solely swimming space, swimming lanes, a restaurant, and wood solar decks.
In the winter Seebad Enge is changed into a sauna, so you may go to it year-round. Imagine scorching in a sauna as you view the snow capped mountains of the Swiss Alps. That is heavenly.
It prices 8CHF (8.74 USD) to enter and paddleboard leases begin at 35 CHF (38 USD) for an hour. For extra info Visit the Zürich Website at Seebad Enge
4. Altstadt (Old Town)
When visiting any European metropolis, the very best factor to do is just stroll by the Old Town, take pleasure in an aperitif and do some window purchasing. The Cobbled Streets of Zürich’s Altstadt are lined with medieval buildings and bridges lining the Limmat River. There are numerous galleries and retailers the place you may choose up some Swiss chocolate or scrumptious cheese.
One of our favourite issues to do in Zürich’s Old Town was to merely pull up a seat on one of many out of doors patios and folks watch. Zürich is among the most costly cities in the world and watching the style and households stroll by made for probably the most fascinating people-watching afternoons of our lives.
5. Walking Tours
One of the very best methods to get acquainted with Zürich is to take a strolling tour. You can get 50% off a strolling tour along with your Zurich Card and this can be a wonderful means to see a lot of the high Zurich points of interest in a short while. We liked our time with native information Barbara who confirmed us all of the little unseen gems that vacationers miss.
From the chewing gum artwork in entrance of Cabaret Voltaire, the Birthplace of Dadaism, to her favourite fountains the place we might replenish our water bottles with contemporary water.
We began our tour of town heart by strolling by the attractive Rechberg gardens earlier than making our approach by the medieval structure to the University for among the finest views of Zürich. Weaving our approach by the previous city, we noticed the highest Zürich points of interest from Kunsthaus to Grossmünster, Zürich’s most well-known landmark.
6. Grossmünster (Great Minster)
Grossmünster is an imposing landmark in Zürich with its twin towers standing tall over the Limmat River. It can also be probably the most necessary locations in Zürich because it was the sight of reformation in Switzerland. You can stroll up the towers to see stunning views over Zürich and ensure to go into the crypt to see an impressive statue of Charlemagne.
7. Fraumünster
Another church to go to in Zürich is Fraumünster. People go into this church to see the attractive stained glass home windows by Marc Chagall and Augusto Giacometti (uncle to the well-known Swiss sculptor, Alberto Giacometti) Fraumünster is among the most recognizable landmarks in town.
Founded in 853, this church was initially a convent inhabited by aristocratic females from Europe. Five stained glass home windows designed by Chagall had been put in in 1970. Inside there may be additionally a formidable pipe organ with 5793 pipes.
8. Go Up Uetliberg Mountain
Our subsequent large shock was making our approach up to the very best lookout over Zürich. Using our Zürich Card, we boarded a bus after which a tram, and eventually a practice up to the highest of Zürich’s very personal mountain. Uetliberg Mountain It is just about 45 minutes to get right here from town heart and it’s effectively price it for the very best views of Zurich
When you attain the tip of the road, it’s a few 10-minute stroll to the lookout tower for superb views of Zurich, Lake Zurich, and the Swiss Alps. If you could have greater than a day or two, we extremely recommend you make the journey up the mountain while you go to Zurich. It was our favourite factor to do exterior town heart.
After you could have taken in the views of the rolling hills and town beneath, you may have lunch on the restaurant or proceed mountain climbing for about 2 hours to the gondola that may take you again down. If you could have a while, this makes for a terrific half-day tour in Zürich. To climb the tower it prices 2 CHF (bank cards accepted) and it’s fully price the price.
9. Explore Zürich West
Zürich West is the hippest spot in city. (I feel utilizing the phrase hip, simply made me look sq.). Once a warehouse and manufacturing unit district, Zürich West has been reworked into a spot with fashionable bars, cool cafes, and loads of purchasing. There are nice artistic endeavors scattered all through ZürichWest so it’s price exploring on foot.
It is straightforward to get to through the use of our Zurich card. We hopped on public transportation and had been in this hip a part of city inside 10 minutes from town heart. When the lights go down, locals and vacationers alike flock to the bars for his or her intoxicating nightlife scene. Fun reality, Zürich has extra bars per capita than another metropolis in Europe!
10. Zürich Viadukt
Don’t miss purchasing alongside the Viadukt. This 550-meter-long railway viaduct is an exquisite show of arches full of boutiques, eating places, and galleries. Built in 1894, it’s a spot the place locals meet up, have picnics in the park, and benefit from the laid-back environment on a summer time’s day.
While you might be on the Viadukt, take pleasure in dinner at Restaurant Viadukt situated instantly underneath the practice tracks trying in the direction of the park. There is out of doors and indoor eating. It is really helpful to make a reservation.
11. Frau Gerolds Garten (Mrs. Gerold’s Garden)
Zürich West is full of cool cafés however the busiest spot we encountered was Frau Gerold’s Garten. This is the place everybody who’s anybody hangs out after work. This out of doors sizzling spot is a modular bar and eating space with out of doors meals stalls and markets. Grab a beer and folks watch as you’re feeling like a neighborhood for the night. Visit the web site for particulars.
12. Urban Surf
Right subsequent to Frau Gerold’s Garten is among the extra distinctive Zurich points of interest, Urban Surf. For a steep worth, you may attempt some metropolis browsing in their wave pool.
If you aren’t up for getting moist, no worries, you may sit on one of many plush patio chairs and revel in a cocktail as you watch folks wrestle in the waves. Whatever you determine, it’s a enjoyable place to hang around. Visit Urban Surf for classes and costs.
13. Wollishofen
No journey to Zürich can be full with out hopping on a ship tour of Lake Zurich. We had a style of that when transferring to the cool lakeside group of Wollishofen utilizing our Zürich Card for a free boat experience. It was simply quarter-hour from town heart.
The spotlight of this location is the beautiful stroll alongside the Cassiopeia Boardwalk. We realized that Zürich has labored laborious to make its valuable waterfront accessible to the general public and persons are now not allowed to buy waterfront property on Lake Zurich. In entrance of the homes that had been grandfathered in with waterfront property, town constructed a boardwalk on the water to enable entry to the general public.
14. Mönchhof am See
While you might be strolling by Wollishofen, take your time to go to the group of artists. It is a cool neighborhood of Zürich that’s not to be missed. A bit additional south is Kilchberg which has loads of waterfront eating places the place you may sit again and benefit from the surroundings.
We ate a Mönchhof am See, which we realized is owned by one of many high restauranteurs in town. With scrumptious truffle fries, refreshing ginger pictures and a contemporary burrata and tomato salad, my mouth was full of flavors. There is loads of out of doors eating, you may make a reservation right here.
15. Bahnhofstrasse
Speaking of purchasing, Zürich boasts probably the most costly purchasing streets in the world. Bahnhofstrasse is Zürich’s essential downtown road spanning 1.4 km from the primary practice station.
As you stroll from the practice station towards Lake Zürich, the retailers turn out to be ever extra unique with the likes of Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Prada, Rolex, and all the opposite big-name manufacturers. Zürich is the guts of the Swiss Bank system and when you attain Paradplatz, one can solely marvel how a lot money and jewels are sitting inside their vaults.
16. Lindenhof
One of the highest issues to do in Zürich is to go to the quiet park overlooking Zürich from the Old City Walls. Lindenhof is the oldest a part of Zürich the place the stays of a Roman medieval metropolis wall stands excessive on a hill overlooking the Limmat River. During the day it could actually get fairly busy, however at dawn, it’s quiet and peaceable.
Once dwelling to a Roman Fort, Lindenhof affords among the finest views of Zürich and the river. After you go to Lindenhoff, cease by St. Peter’s Church one of many 4 essential church buildings in the historic metropolis heart.
17. eat Fondue
Dave and I had a objective when going again to Switzerland, and it was to eat as a lot fondue and raclette as potential. We managed to do so and one among our favourite fondue eating places in all the nation was Swiss Chuchi in the Altstadt.
Located in the guts of Niederdorf a pedestrian plaza main to hidden alleyways across the Old Town, Swiss Chuchi is among the greatest locations in Zürich for Fondue. (we discovered that out after selecting to eat there, fortunate us!) The scrumptious melted goodness got here with a sack of potatoes and contemporary bread.
Who cares that it was 30 levels Celcius exterior, we ordered a refreshing aperitivo and once we felt silly ordering a sizzling dish in the center of summer time, our waiter mentioned “It’s always a good time for fondue.” I imagine he was right as a result of after we obtained our dish, a number of different vacationers joined us on the terrace to order fondues of their very own! Hey whilst you’re at it, take pleasure in a Swiss sizzling chocolate too! Swiss Chuchi is situated in the Hotel Adler, Zurich.
18. Fill up on the Many Fountains
One of essentially the most fascinating issues, while you go to Zürich, is to hold an eye fixed out for the 1200 ornate fountains scattered all through town. These aren’t your common consuming fountains, the fountains of Zürich are artistic endeavors. You’ll see youngsters enjoying in the fountains, runners stopping for a fast slurp, and many individuals filling up their water bottles.
You’ll by no means go thirsty in Zürich, because the water working from the fountains is clear and contemporary and simply ready for you to have a style. Some Zürich fountains are merely stunning so if you are filling your bottle, be sure to benefit from the particulars of the artist’s work.
19. zürich Opera House
The Zürich Opera House, often known as the Opernhaus Zürich was first constructed in 1891 and has undergone a number of renovations through the years. The opera home is situated in Sechseläutenplatz which is among the largest squares in Switzerland. It is price going to this sq. alone, however you must go inside to see this stunning venue. You can take a 50 minute tour that may take you thru all of the departments from make-up to wardrobe and also you’ll even go onstage.
The Zürich Opera House is dwelling to a variety of world-renowned productions and occasions together with the Zürich Opera and the Zürich Ballet. The opera firm performs a variety of operas, from classical works by composers similar to Mozart and Verdi to modern operas.
20. Swiss National Museum
A go to to the Swiss National Museum is included in your Zürich Card. Known as Landesmuseum, it’s the oldest and largest cultural historical past museum in the nation. The museum affords a complete take a look at the historical past of Switzerland, from prehistoric occasions to the current day. Visitors can study concerning the nation’s political, social, and financial improvement, in addition to its artwork and tradition.
The Swiss National Museum was designed to appear like a historic castle-like constructing, which is an attraction in itself. It homes intensive collections of medieval and Renaissance artwork, textiles, weapons, and furnishings. It additionally has a big assortment of ornamental artwork, similar to ceramics, glass, and metalwork. If you might be searching for issues to do in Zürich on a wet day, this can be a nice selection.
21. Kunsthaus Zürich
Art lovers will take pleasure in searching Kunsthaus Zürich (Zurich Museum of Art) the place you may view the greats similar to Chagall, Monet, and Van Gogh. There are loads of different artists to see on the Museum of Art because it homes one among Switzerland’s most necessary artwork collections.
There are 1000 items on show at any given time. It has the biggest Edvard Munch assortment exterior Norway, you’ll see Andy Warhol, Picasso, Rembrandt and Monet. We by no means tire of being uncovered to beautiful artwork.
Plan Your Trip to Zürich
There are so many superb issues to do in Zurich that you can spend a complete season exploring. But Dave and I made go of it. Running on only a few hours of sleep every day, we had been up on the daybreak to late into the night time trying out the very best of Zurich. Follow the map to see if you happen to can take a look at all of those points of interest.
Where to Stay in Zurich
When selecting the place to keep in Zurich, we suggest the Old City which is inside strolling distance to in all places making it straightforward to get round. We stayed on the Florhoff Hotel. This boutique resort was refurbished in 2014 and has a historic character with trendy rooms and facilities. A scrumptious breakfast is included, there’s a well-liked restaurant on-site and whereas it’s in the Old Town, it’s far sufficient away from the hustle and bustle making it a quiet choice.
There are loads of lodges in Zurich West which is just 10 minutes to downtown by transit and is a extra reasonably priced choice.
How to Get Around Zurich
The greatest approach to get round Zurich is to buy a City Pass Zurich Card. It supplies limitless journey by bus, practice, cableway, and tram plus you may take a brief boat experience and a Limmat River cruise. City Pass Zurich Cards begin at 24 CHF for twenty-four hours. Get extra particulars right here.
The Zurich Card additionally enables you to enter one among Zurich’s 43 museums without spending a dime or with decreased admission. Plus, you may as well take a Zurich Old city strolling tour at half worth. This card is the very best bang on your buck for getting round Zurich and seeing its high vacationer points of interest.
Before boarding any public transport, be sure to validate your ticket and have it helpful. Once it’s validated, you may hop on any public transport in city at some stage in your ticket. You don’t have to validate it once more when you’ve carried out it the primary time.
Best Day Trips from Zurich
Switzerland has an environment friendly practice system making it among the finest methods to journey round Switzerland. Plus it’s sustainable journey. Travel by practice produces much less O2 than another mode of transportation (aside from bicycle or foot) together with electrical automobiles which produce 13 occasions extra emissions. It is straightforward to do day journeys from Zurich with the Swiss Travel Pass or to transfer on to your subsequent vacation spot
Swiss Travel Pass
When you buy a Swiss Travel Pass it consists of:
Unlimited journey by practice, bus, and boat Public transportation in greater than 90 cities and cities Including mountain excursions: Rigi, Schilthorn, Stanserhorn and Stoos Free admission to greater than 500 museums all through Switzerland Two free informative apps to assist plan your Switzerland journey are: Grand Train Tour of Switzerland app and Swiss Travel Guide app
Jungfraujoch
While Jungfraujoch deserves three to 5 days to go to this UNESCO World Heritage Site, you may take a day journey from Zurich. If you don’t have plenty of time, this is among the greatest day journeys from Zurich however it’s a lengthy one!
This guided day journey to Jungfraujoch with Train Ride provides you a style of seeing one among Switzerland’s most stunning areas. You’ll get to discover the snow capped mountains of Jungfraujoch and the excessive Alps surroundings. After a cease in Interlaken, you’ll board the cable automobile on the Grindelwald Terminal for a spectacular 15-minute experience to the Eiger Glacier by gondola. Book your tour right here. Read extra about this at Spectacular Switzerland, a Visit to Jungfraujoch – Top of Europe
Stein am Rhein and Rhine Falls
If you might be searching for nearer day journeys from Zurich, a go to to the medieval city of Stein am Rhein and the wonderful Rhine Falls is an effective choice. This extremely rated guided tour will take you on a journey in the direction of the Swiss/German border of northern Switzerland to see the most important waterfall in Europe!
You’ll tour the Medieval village of Stein am Rhein and see the luxurious medieval citadel of Schloss Laufen and the mighty Rhine Falls and expertise Europe’s greatest waterfall. You’ll take the carry to Rhine Falls and see an in depth up take a look at 700,000 liters of water plunging into the basin. You’ll additionally get to see the half-timber body townhouses in the previous city, and St. George’s Abbey. Book it right here.
Grindelwald
Another day journey that’s potential from Zurich is to see Grindelwald and Interlaken. This full-day tour takes you to the Bernese Oberland. You’ll have the possibility to discover a little bit of the area by yourself, and we suggest going up to Grindelwald First.
Here you may take the cable automobile to stroll the First Cliff Walk, hike out to the lake (about 2 hours return) after which get down shortly by way of the First Adventures that embrace the zip traces, First First Flyer, and First Glider, and whizzing down the mountain on Trottibikes and mountain carts. Read extra About Grindelwald at The Best Things to do in Grindelwald
Lucerne and Mount Titlis
Another day journey from Zurich is to go to the medieval metropolis of Lucerne earlier than making your approach up to Mountain Titlis, 3000 metres above sea degree. You’ll take the Rotair revolving cable automobile and cease at an ice grotto. It’s then onto the Ice Flyer chairlift and the Titlis Cliff Walk bridge. You can ebook this present day tour right here.
Zurich is among the most enjoyable cities to go to in Switzerland. With a balanced mixture of previous and new, journey and eating, there’s something for everybody. When planning your journey to Switzerland, be sure to put Zurich on the high of your record.
The folks in Zurich understand how to take pleasure in life by spending time on the lake and watching the sundown over the Limmat River in each summer time and winter. From purchasing alongside one of many world’s most costly streets to mountain climbing in the close by Swiss Alps there may be by no means a boring second in Zurich.
Our journey to Switzerland is in partnership with My Switzerland. Visit their web site to begin planning your journey right now.