How to Base Yourself in Zurich, Switzerland: 10 Things to Do in the Area
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If you’re wondering where to base yourself for an epic trip to Switzerland and don’t want to repack and move accommodations every night, Zurich is a great option!
Zurich is within two driving hours of many of the region’s top locations, including Lucerne, the Swiss Alps, Interlaken, and even other countries, like Liechtenstein and Germany.
Besides the incredible escapes surrounding Zurich, the city itself holds rich history and beautiful sights! Yes, it has a reputation for being business traveler-focused and expensive, but there are also many neat things to see and do there, beyond window shopping for a Rolex.
Here are my ten favorite activities in Zurich, including three unbeatable day trips.
Quick Tips for Zurich Travel
International flights: The closest airport to Zurich is Zurich Airport (ZHR), a busy hub for business travelers. Compare hundreds of flights on Expedia for the best deals.
Getting around the city: Zurich is a very walkable city and many of the top things in the city center can be reached by foot. There is also an extensive rail network, great for getting to further places, such as the Lindt Home of Chocolate. If you anticipate using the train a lot, consider purchasing a Zurich Card, which gets you around the most popular zones in the area with a 1- or 3-day pass.
Renting a car for day trips: Although many parts of Switzerland are accessible by train, renting a car will significantly cut down on transportation time, giving you more time at the destination and less time traveling there. Use a rental car for day trips and transporting to and from the airport. Discover Cars provides dozens of budget options (less than $250 for five days) that are both city- and mountain-friendly.
When to visit: Zurich is great to visit any time of the year, but the city and the surrounding region do get hit with snow in the winter (which is great for skiing, but can be more expensive). To make the most of the day trips suggested below, travel during summer and early fall.
Currency: Swiss franc (CHF). Card is accepted in many places, but cash is very handy to have as it is occasionally the only form of payment accepted. Examples may include street vendors, taxis, and bathrooms.
Language: German, French, and Italian are the official languages of Switzerland, but in Zurich most people speak German. English is widely known as well and easy to get around with.
Attractions to book in advance: Lindt Home of Chocolate;Lake Zurich Cruise; FIFA Museum
Where to stay: ibis Styles Zurich City Center is within walking distance to most of the attractions listed below. It offers a huge and delicious buffet breakfast (paid), parking, and a sauna.
Top Things to Do in Zurich
1. Walk around Old Town
Old Town is Zurich’s historic downtown, with charm around every corner. You can easily spend a few hours strolling along the Limmat River, visiting shops, restaurants, and historic sites. Bahnhofstrasse is one of the major veins through the area and a great place to start your adventure.
The city is very walkable and you will want to seek out buildings, such as Fraumünster and Grossmünster—two iconic churches, pictured above. Near Fraumünster, you can also find St. Peter, which has a beautiful clock tower. The streets surrounding the clock tower are lined with souvenir shops filled with Swiss chocolate, decorative clocks, cheeses, and Swiss army knives.
Many walking tours are offered in this area, including a 2-hour walking tour that goes to the sites mentioned, but with a guide who will teach you about their significance and history.
2. Experience Lindt Home of Chocolate
Swiss chocolate is world-renowned and one of the most famous companies to produce it is Lindt Chocolate, which has a chocolate museum open to all visitors. Visiting this chocolate factory is one of the funnest and tastiest things to do in Zurich.
When you enter the lobby, you will be greeted by a larger-than-life chocolate fountain. Yes, the chocolate is real! Sadly, no, you cannot eat it. But have no fear—there will be many, many opportunities throughout your self-paced tour to enjoy lots of free chocolate samples.
Start your tour learning about the history of chocolate and how Switzerland became a hotspot for premium chocolate. Get a firsthand look into how the cacao beans are processed and the many steps that go into creating a silky smooth result. Then—my favorite part—try as many flavors of Lindt’s chocolate as you can!
In case you don’t eat enough chocolate on your tour to last you a lifetime, there is a shop packed with a large variety of chocolates. You can also dine at their cafe and order the Lindt hot chocolate, which is topped with whipped cream and more chocolate!
3. Enjoy Lake Zurich
Lake Zurich is a massive lake that begins at the southern end of Zurich. It is glacially-fed, which makes the water a beautiful bright blue. The area around the northern part of the lake is vibrant and lively. If you are short on time, it is worth just walking along the lake there to see the marina, with sailboats and swans wading on the lake.
If you have more time, make your way out onto the lake and take one of the many Lake Zurich cruises and tours. Take a private boat tour, join a sunrise paddle-boarding tour, try out a water bike, or take a cruise on a ferry.
4. Visit the Swiss National Museum
While in Switzerland, take the time to learn about its history at the Swiss National Museum, which houses artifacts from the last 100,000 years! The building itself is beautifully crafted, both inside and out.
While browsing the many exhibits, you can find medieval art, WWII stories, Red Cross history, and my favorite rooms—jewelry and clothing. The historical clothing area holds replicas of Swiss fashion, but with an interesting twist—much of the historical pieces are all white, making a picture-worthy display! In the jewelry section, a massive glass case holds all styles of beautiful rings and gemstones.
Plan to spend at least an hour at the Swiss National Museum, but up to two or three if you have extra time.
5. Adventure to Felsenegg Cable Car
Not far from the Lindt Home of Chocolate, the Felsenegg cable car is a red gondola in the sky that provides stunning views of the valley below, as well as the distant Swiss Alps.
To ride the cable car, drive or take a train to Adliswil, the start of the cable car. Once aboard, the ride takes five minutes to climb a couple hundred feet. Access to the cable car is included with a Zurich Card, or you can join a tour of Zurich that includes the cable car and other exciting modes of transportation throughout the city.
6. Visit the FIFA Museum
The FIFA Museum is a must-visit for any soccer fan, adults and kids alike. There are three levels of exhibits, showcasing World Cup history and interactive soccer activities. The experience starts off with a bang, displaying jerseys from teams around the world, in a cool rainbow effect.
Venture further into the museum to see balls, cleats, trophies, and other mementos from World Cup games. Learn about the top players and teams throughout history and see a complete timeline of the history of the tournament. In the lower level, there are activities children will love, including practicing their soccer skills.
7. Try Swiss Cuisine
We started every morning with our hotel’s buffet breakfast, which included croissants, meats, cheeses, hard-boiled eggs painted with a Swiss flag, fresh fruit, and more. It was a great way to start the day, but there are many other Swiss foods to try!
One of the most classic Swiss dishes is fondue and there are places all throughout Zurich that offer it. Restaurant Le Dézaley Zürich is an upscale option that has been around for over 100 years and lets you choose your fondue style, from truffle-flavored to champagne-infused. All fondue is served with bread and your choice of other things to dip in it, such as pickles, meats, and potatoes.
Another classic regional meal, seeing as Zurich is a short distance from Germany, is a sausage with a crusty roll, mustard, and a side of potato salad. Try lunch at Sternen Grill to get the complete meal in a casual, fast-paced restaurant. My favorite sausage was the Italian one!
Other notable foods to try in Zurich—besides chocolate, of course—include rosti (a flat fried potato dish), raclette (delicious melty regional cheese spread over a meal), and giant pretzels. Taking a Zurich food tour will allow you to try most of the dishes mentioned, and more, in just a few hours.
8. Take a Day Trip to Appenzell
Appenzell is a beautiful region in the northern Swiss Alps, about an hour and 15 minutes northeast of Zurich. Not far from the bucolic town is a majestic, world-famous hike to Aescher Guesthouse—a guesthouse built into the mountainside.
To reach the start of the trail, drive or take a train to Wasserauen, where you will then load onto a bright red Ebenalp gondola to ride to the top of the mountain. Tickets for the gondola do not need to be purchased in advance.
From there, hike down several switchbacks, through a cave chapel, and along the edge of the cliff to reach the guesthouse. At the guesthouse, you can order a rustic meal that was one of our best meals in Switzerland—roasted tomatoes and potatoes with beef, fish, and sausage.
After you enjoy the views and food at the guesthouse, you can either hike back up and ride the gondola back down, or you can continue your route on the trail down the mountain. There are warning signs about the steep, slick hike down, but experienced hikers don’t need to worry much—we hiked in the rain and survived just fine!
At the bottom of the mountain, you will reach Seealpsee, a stunning lake that is nestled between several peaks. Soak in the views and then continue your journey.
The remaining walk back to the train station or parking lot features meadows with cows, charming Swiss homes, and even waterfalls cascading down cliffs. This route totals about 5 miles roundtrip.
9. Take a Day Trip to Lucerne
Lucerne is one of the most picturesque towns in Switzerland, set along the Reuss River and Lake Lucerne. The highlight of the town is Chapel Bridge, a nearly 1,000-year old bridge made of wood. In the spring and summer, it is lined with gorgeous flowers, making it even more photogenic.
Slow down in Lucerne and enjoy walking around the charming buildings. The town is lively, especially along the waterfront, which provides plenty of prime people-watching opportunities. There are also many restaurants where you can dine al fresco along the water.
Zurich to Lucerne is a gorgeous 45-minute drive, along cliff-sides and through some of the many tunnels the country is known for. If you don’t want to drive yourself, this Lucerne tour provides transportation from Zurich, an audio tour through the small city, and an optional boat cruise on Lake Lucerne.
10. Take a Day Trip to Aare Gorge
Last but not least, head an hour and a half southwest from Zurich to Aare Gorge. This area draws fans of Sherlock Holmes, looking to find the famous Reichenbach Falls, featured in both a Sherlock Holmes book and movie. A short cable car ride leads visitors right up to the base of it.
In the town of Meiringen, there is also a Sherlock Holmes museum with a collection of items from Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and things from the Victorian Era. You can find combo tickets for both the cable car and the Sherlock Holmes Museum here.
Nearby these Sherlock Holmes attractions is a really amazing natural outdoor attraction, Aare Gorge. Enter through a gift shop, and then walk along a bridge hanging on the side of the cliff over a fast-flowing gorge. The water is a striking teal and you will get great views throughout the entire walk. The bridge trail is fairly flat, but there are several stairs. The bridge can also be very narrow, so be mindful when passing others.
Be sure to get there early in the day because it is a gated area that closes before dark. Enter from the west entrance, near the town of Meiringen, and purchase a ticket there. Check their website for opening times.
Additional Day Trips from Your Zurich Base
Zurich is close to so many great locations, so here are some day trip honorable mentions.
Interlaken/Jungfraujoch - Interlaken is a town known for adventurous activities, such as paragliding and water sports, which would be a lot of fun to experience if you drive there from Zurich on a self-paced adventure. Alternatively, visit the town on an all-day tour that includes heading to the nearby Jungfraujoch—a snowy mountain peak also known as the top of Europe and has been featured in a James Bond film.
Liechtenstein - Liechtenstein (pictured above) is one of the smallest countries in the world and borders Switzerland’s east region. It is known for its mountain scenery, old castles, a hiking trail that traverses the entire country, and quaint villages. Driving there from Zurich only takes about an hour and 15 minutes. You can also take a Liechtenstein tour from Zurich, which includes a visit to Vaduz, Heidiland, and other stops in the Swiss Alps.
Rhine Falls and Stein am Rhein - Rhine Falls is the largest waterfall in Europe (by volume, not height) and is a popular day trip from Zurich. This tour offers a close up look of the falls and a visit to one of the most charming medieval towns in Switzerland, Stein am Rhein.
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