Are you on the lookout for one of the best issues to do in Zürich? You’ve come to the appropriate place. We tried one of the best meals, adventures, and actions in Switzerland’s largest metropolis, and have rounded up essentially the most lovely lookouts and must-see sights. Being the monetary capital of Switzerland, Zürich is stuffed with stylish eating places, posh patrons, and a complete lot of cash. Zürich is trendy and complex, however additionally it is 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 get monetary savings. 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 diminished 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 facility when on the lookout for issues to do in Zürich, however this isn’t your strange manufacturing facility tour. Lindt Home of Chocolate is among the prime Zurich sights and for good purpose. This chocolate museum is a spectacle and once you go to Zurich, be certain that to put this on the prime of your checklist.
Upon getting into you come face to face with a large chocolate fountain standing tall in the huge corridor. It is then onto a tour to be taught in regards to the historical past of chocolate and eat a variety 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 attention-grabbing and entertaining tour, however the actual deal with comes close to the top once you enter a room stuffed with 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 may decipher the totally different flavors.
We failed, however we had been glad to maintain making an attempt. Our tour then ended in a room stuffed with vats of well-known Lindor goodies permitting us to eat as many as we wished. The Lindt Home of Chocolate is really a chocolate lover’s paradise.
Visit the Lindt Home of Chocolate Website for excursions and data. Tours begin at 15 CHF per particular person, you too can e-book 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 method to Badi Enge the place they hire paddleboards by the hour. It was a lot enjoyable to get on the water throughout the sizzling summer time day.
Being on a paddleboard allow us to see town from a distinct 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 means of the calm and quiet waters.
Even in the event you don’t need to paddleboard, be certain that to get on the water once you go to Zurich. Lake Zurich has a number of the greatest views of town. A ship journey 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 middle, and it’s a ravishing walkway alongside the lakefront with parks and views of the Swiss Alps and town. There is a blended and women-only solely swimming space, swimming lanes, a restaurant, and picket 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 data Visit the Zürich Website at Seebad Enge
4. Altstadt (Old Town)
When visiting any European metropolis, one of the best factor to do is just stroll by means of the Old Town, take pleasure in an aperitif and do some window buying. 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 costliest cities in the world and watching the style and households stroll by made for one of the vital attention-grabbing people-watching afternoons of our lives.
5. Walking Tours
One of one of the 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 it is a good way to see a lot of the prime Zurich sights in a short while. We cherished 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 may refill our water bottles with recent water.
We began our tour of town middle by strolling by means of the attractive Rechberg gardens earlier than making our method by means of the medieval structure to the University for probably the greatest views of Zürich. Weaving our method by means of the outdated city, we noticed the highest Zürich sights 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 one of the vital necessary locations in Zürich because it was the sight of reformation in Switzerland. You can stroll up the towers to see lovely views over Zürich and ensure to go into the crypt to see a powerful 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’s additionally a formidable pipe organ with 5793 pipes.
8. Go Up Uetliberg Mountain
Our subsequent big shock was making our method up to one of the best lookout over Zürich. Using our Zürich Card, we boarded a bus after which a tram, and at last 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 middle and it’s properly price it for one of the best views of Zurich
When you attain the top of the road, it’s a few 10-minute stroll to the lookout tower for wonderful views of Zurich, Lake Zurich, and the Swiss Alps. If you might have greater than a day or two, we extremely recommend you make the journey up the mountain once you go to Zurich. It was our favourite factor to do exterior town middle.
After you might 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 might 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 fee.
9. Explore Zürich West
Zürich West is the hippest spot in city. (I believe utilizing the phrase hip, simply made me look sq.). Once a warehouse and manufacturing facility district, Zürich West has been remodeled into a spot with stylish bars, cool cafes, and loads of buying. There are nice artworks scattered all through ZürichWest so it’s price exploring on foot.
It is simple 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 middle. When the lights go down, locals and vacationers alike flock to the bars for his or her intoxicating nightlife scene. Fun truth, Zürich has extra bars per capita than some other metropolis in Europe!
10. Zürich Viadukt
Don’t miss buying alongside the Viadukt. This 550-meter-long railway viaduct is a ravishing show of arches stuffed with 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 ambiance on a summer time’s day.
While you’re on the Viadukt, take pleasure in dinner at Restaurant Viadukt positioned immediately underneath the practice tracks trying in 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 stuffed with 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 an area 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 sights, 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 resolve, it’s a enjoyable place to hang around. Visit Urban Surf for classes and costs.
13. Wollishofen
No journey to Zürich could be full with out hopping on a ship tour of Lake Zurich. We had a style of that when transferring to the cool lakeside neighborhood of Wollishofen utilizing our Zürich Card for a free boat journey. It was simply quarter-hour from town middle.
The spotlight of this location is the beautiful stroll alongside the Cassiopeia Boardwalk. We realized that Zürich has labored onerous to make its valuable waterfront accessible to the general public and individuals 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 permit entry to the general public.
14. Mönchhof am See
While you’re strolling by means of Wollishofen, take your time to go to the neighborhood of artists. It is a cool neighborhood of Zürich that’s not to be missed. Just a little 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 prime restauranteurs in town. With scrumptious truffle fries, refreshing ginger pictures and a recent burrata and tomato salad, my mouth was stuffed with flavors. There is loads of out of doors eating, you can also make a reservation right here.
15. Bahnhofstrasse
Speaking of buying, Zürich boasts one of the vital costly buying streets in the world. Bahnhofstrasse is Zürich’s predominant downtown road spanning 1.4 km from the principle practice station.
As you stroll from the practice station towards Lake Zürich, the retailers develop into 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 may get fairly busy, however at dawn, it’s quiet and peaceable.
Once dwelling to a Roman Fort, Lindenhof gives probably the greatest views of Zürich and the river. After you go to Lindenhoff, cease by St. Peter’s Church one of many 4 predominant church buildings in the historic metropolis middle.
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 attainable. We managed to do so and certainly one of our favourite fondue eating places in the complete 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 recent bread.
Who cares that it was 30 levels Celcius exterior, we ordered a refreshing aperitivo and after we felt silly ordering a sizzling dish in the center of summer time, our waiter stated “It’s always a good time for fondue.” I imagine he was right as a result of after we acquired our dish, a number of different vacationers joined us on the terrace to order fondues of their very own! Hey when you’re at it, take pleasure in a Swiss sizzling chocolate too! Swiss Chuchi is positioned in the Hotel Adler, Zurich.
18. Fill up on the Many Fountains
One of essentially the most fascinating issues, once you go to Zürich, is to maintain an eye fixed out for the 1200 ornate fountains scattered all through town. These aren’t your common ingesting fountains, the fountains of Zürich are artworks. You’ll see kids 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 operating from the fountains is clear and recent and simply ready for you to have a style. Some Zürich fountains are merely lovely so when you are filling your bottle, be certain that to benefit from the particulars of the artist’s work.
19. zürich Opera House
The Zürich Opera House, also called the Opernhaus Zürich was first constructed in 1891 and has undergone a number of renovations through the years. The opera home is positioned in Sechseläutenplatz which is among the largest squares in Switzerland. It is price going to this sq. alone, however you need to go inside to see this lovely 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 quite a few 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 resembling Mozart and Verdi to up to date 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 gives a complete take a look at the historical past of Switzerland, from prehistoric occasions to the current day. Visitors can be taught in regards to the nation’s political, social, and financial improvement, in addition to its artwork and tradition.
The Swiss National Museum was designed to seem like a historic castle-like constructing, which is an attraction in itself. It homes in depth collections of medieval and Renaissance artwork, textiles, weapons, and furnishings. It additionally has a big assortment of ornamental artwork, resembling ceramics, glass, and metalwork. If you’re on the lookout for issues to do in Zürich on a wet day, it is a nice alternative.
21. Kunsthaus Zürich
Art lovers will take pleasure in looking Kunsthaus Zürich (Zurich Museum of Art) the place you may view the greats resembling Chagall, Monet, and Van Gogh. There are loads of different artists to see on the Museum of Art because it homes certainly one of Switzerland’s most necessary artwork collections.
There are 1000 items on show at any given time. It has the most important 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 wonderful issues to do in Zurich that you possibly can spend a complete season exploring. But Dave and I made an excellent go of it. Running on just some hours of sleep every day, we had been up on the break of day to late into the night time testing one of the best of Zurich. Follow the map to see in the event you can try all of those sights.
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 every single place making it simple 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 possibility.
There are loads of inns in Zurich West which is just 10 minutes to downtown by transit and is a extra inexpensive possibility.
How to Get Around Zurich
The greatest method to get round Zurich is to buy a City Pass Zurich Card. It offers limitless journey by bus, practice, cableway, and tram plus you may take a brief boat journey 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 helps you to enter certainly one of Zurich’s 43 museums at no cost or with diminished admission. Plus, you too can take a Zurich Old city strolling tour at half worth. This card is one of the best bang in your buck for getting round Zurich and seeing its prime vacationer sights.
Before boarding any public transport, be certain that to validate your ticket and have it helpful. Once it’s validated, you may hop on any public transport in city at some point of your ticket. You don’t have to validate it once more when you’ve performed it the primary time.
Best Day Trips from Zurich
Switzerland has an environment friendly practice system making it probably the greatest methods to journey round Switzerland. Plus it’s sustainable journey. Travel by practice produces much less O2 than some other mode of transportation (aside from bicycle or foot) together with electrical vehicles which produce 13 occasions extra emissions. It is simple 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 a variety 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 certainly one of Switzerland’s most lovely 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 journey 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’re on the lookout 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 possibility. This extremely rated guided tour will take you on a journey in 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 outdated city, and St. George’s Abbey. Book it right here.
Grindelwald
Another day journey that’s attainable from Zurich is to see Grindelwald and Interlaken. This full-day tour takes you to the Bernese Oberland. You’ll have the prospect 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 rapidly by way of the First Adventures that embody 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 method up to Mountain Titlis, 3000 metres above sea stage. 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 e-book at the present time tour right here.
Zurich is among the most enjoyable cities to go to in Switzerland. With a balanced mixture of outdated and new, journey and eating, there’s something for everybody. When planning your journey to Switzerland, be certain that to put Zurich on the prime of your checklist.
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 buying alongside one of many world’s costliest streets to mountain climbing in the close by Swiss Alps there’s 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.