When you think of Switzerland, you think of the Alps, green fields, glacier blue rivers, and countless waterfalls. While most of the country is as picturesque as you could imagine, I was taken by surprise at how city-like Zurich actually is, however, this isn’t to say that you won’t get to see the blue waters and snowcapped mountain tops from anywhere around the city. Zurich, as is all of Switzerland, is guaranteed to take your breath away.

Planning your Switzerland trip could be very confusing, trust me, it took me many weeks to figure it out, so I’m putting together a few posts to help you plan yours. I took a 5 days friends’ trip to Switzerland in the last week of August in 2023, where the weather was 50-60^o F and rainy. Each new day was spent in a new city, since I found that most cities around Switzerland can be explored within one day (maybe even two if there’s some things that you really want to do and couldn’t fit in your schedule). So make sure you pack your raincoat and best walking shoes, we’re about to go on an adventure!

Stay

If you’re planning to city hop, beware that each city will be at least 50 mins from each other by train, so this will affect how you plan your lodges. You can either book a place to stay in each city or find a central location to leave in and out of, like I did. My group and I ended up staying in Wengen, a quiet and carless town, that was also the perfect middle ground and location to rest up.

Transportation

Aside from renting a car, if you’re hopping from city to city like we did, the best and cheapest way to get around Switzerland is by train. There are different passes and cards to choose from on their website and can be confusing to know which one best suits your needs. Ultimately, you just need to know that there are 2 variations of the Swiss Travel Pass to choose from, one that allows you unlimited rides on consecutive days and another that allows you to use on various days within one month. Another option is the Half Fare Travel Card, which is an upfront fee that automatically slices the price in half BUT you are responsible to pay the other half of the fare whenever you actually ride the train. Keep in mind that if you’re planning to book train tickets individually (without a travel card or pass), the cost listed on the app/website is the half fare price, so double that, and that’s the actual price you’ll have to pay.

I know the Swiss Travel Pass could be very intimidating, especially seeing the cost of it, but I highly recommend taking some time to explore the different options to see which travel card or pass works best for you. Truthfully, Switzerland’s train system is the best way to go. It is very efficient and probably the best public transit I’ve ever used. The trains were always on time (maybe 1 to 2 mins delay every now and then) and the SBB app was accurate and easy to use. Another plus of purchasing the Swiss Travel Pass/Cards, is that it offers free or discounted admissions to several museums around the country. TIP: Be sure to have the Pass/card on hand on every train ride because your tickets will be checked frequently by the conductor.

Leaving ZRH and Heading to Zurich

If you’re flying into Switzerland, you’re probably landing in the international Zurich Airport (ZRH), like I did. After processing through customs and gathering your luggages, follow the signs to the metro that directs you to Zurich HB, the largest station in Switzerland. Keep in mind that you will have to exit the airport and enter another building to find the station. Be sure to look for the ticket booth (and purchase one if you haven’t done so, unless you have the Swiss Travel Pass) and head down the escalator for the next train. The short 12 mins train ride will bring you to the main station where you can hop on another train or get off to explore the city. In my opinion, why not venture around since you’re already there? TIP: Keep in mind that if you’re exploring Zurich on a Sunday, several shops will be closed for the day; so it’s definitely something to consider when making your itinerary.

First things first, if you’re leaving straight from the airport, you may be asking yourself “what the heck do I do with my luggages?” Don’t sweat, I had the same concern too. Luckily, there are several areas like the train station that have lockers for luggages and even restaurants/store fronts who offer bags storage for a few hours up to a whole day. We found a location using Luggage Hero and booked our luggage storage prior to leaving the train, which only cost us about $7 a person for a day’s storage. Admittedly, it was hard to find the storage spot since there were no signs directing us or indicating that it was there (our storage spot ended up being the upstairs room of a pizzeria). Thankfully, the waitress at the neighboring restaurant confirmed that we are at the right spot, or else we would have been wondering around those cobblestone streets for a few more minutes. So, don’t be afraid to ask for help!

Small Bite

After dragging and offloading your bags, I’m sure you’ve built an appetite and the need for some caffeine. Your next stop should be to Sprungli Cafe, on Bahnhofstrasse, for a small bite, coffee, and a sweet treat. At the Sprungli headquarter, we ordered the bread basket, which came with different types of sliced bread and croissants, with various types of jams and butter to spread on. We paired it with a fresh, hot cup of cappuccino, that really just hits your soul when you’re trying to fight off the jet lag. Overall, the bread basket was just okay but was large enough to split with another person, and maybe even a third. Honestly, it was probably the most “bang for your buck” item that is offered on the menu. Unfortunately, the Sprungli’s chocolate department are closed on Sundays, so we didn’t get the chance to purchase some treats at the headquarter. But on the bright side, there are several locations throughout Switzerland for you to stop by in and try. We ended up getting some chocolate at their Lucerne location, which you can read all about in my Lucerne blog.

Side note on eating out in Switzerland: As you may have found in your research, Switzerland is one of the most expensive countries in the world. This pricing is also reflected with their food (no kidding, I saw a $30 cheeseburger on a menu). During my time in Switzerland, I decided to purchase most of my meals at the COOP stores. I found this to be the most cost effective approach and the few times that I did get a quick bite to eat at any restaurant, I wasn’t too impressed. So I’m sorry to say that I won’t have much food suggestions in any of my Switzerland blogs.

Things to Do

Once you’ve finish at the cafe, take a step out onto Bahnhofstrasse, the most expensive avenue in the world. Here you’ll find every luxury brand you could think of, and even some that you may not have heard of! Take a stroll and window shop along the street while soaking in the beauty of Zurich.

One of my favorite things to do on a trip is to get lost in the city because you’ll never know what you’ll stumble upon. We ventured all around Altstadt, the old town center, to pop our heads into shops and chocolate stores, while admiring Zurich’s landmarks. We visited St. Peter’s Church, the oldest church in Zurich, to get a glimpse of the largest clock face in Europe and continued our way through the town center to see Grossmünster and Fraumünster Church. Both of the later churches hold a historic significance to Zurich and are beautifully structured; you can enter each building with a fee, as long as there are no services taking place at the time. After exploring Altstadt, make your way to Lindenhof Hill, where you can take a rest with the most breathtaking overview of the old town center.

After giving your legs some much needed rest, you’ll need a little sugar rush to get your energy back up, which is the perfect time to make your way to Lindt Home of Chocolate. The rumors are true, a whole chocolate factory to live out your childhood’s wildest dream. Lindt’s chocolate museum takes you on a journey of how cocoa beans are farmed and made into the delicious chocolate that we consume. It also provides you with information about the history of chocolate, the different types of chocolates, and a brief history of Lindt. After your tour, you’ll find yourself in a taste testing room to sample some of Lindt’s chocolate, and my gosh, I was in heaven and definitely “chocolate-out” by the end of our visit. Nonetheless, it didn’t stop me from going wild in their gift shop and buying flavors that aren’t available where I’m from, like pistachio, matcha, and mango flavors. I would definitely recommend going here for a visit if you’re in the city and I find it suitable for all age ranges. TIP: Don’t forget to purchase your tickets and reserve a time slot online before it sells out! I booked mine about 2 weeks in advance.

Another great museum to visit in Zurich is the FIFA Museum, and better yet, admission is free if you have the Swiss Travel Pass! Learn about the history of FIFA and get a closer look at the participating countries’ jerseys. And guess what? You could even see the actual world cup trophy on display, with all the winning teams over the years engraved on the bottom. I was so shocked to see the actual trophy and needless to say I was “fan girl-ing” over it. I was surprise to find that the FIFA museum is very interactive, offering quizzes to take, a theater room, video games, and a room to test out your soccer skills. It was super fun to visit and definitely exceeded my expectations. I think that this is a great experience for all my sports fans out there.

There are many things to see and do in Zurich, unfortunately, I didn’t have time to do it all! Here are some other things I found that you can do in the city and if you get the opportunity to do any of these, please don’t forget to leave a comment below with your thoughts and advice to share with our fellow rovers!

• Swiss National Museum
  • Free admission with Swiss Travel Pass
• Zurich Tram Museum
  • Free admission with Swiss Travel Pass
• Botanical Gardens
  • Free admission
• Im Viadukt
  • A large shopping center with many restaurants
  • Keep in mind that this place closes on Sundays
• Rhine Falls
  • The largest plain waterfall in Europe
  • 50 mins train ride from Zurich

Overall View

Zurich is definitely doable in a day and is a great balance of adventure and leisure as far as things to do around the city. If you have a bit more time to spend, I think a day and a half would be the perfect amount of time to get to explore all of Zurich. I definitely recommend visiting the Lindt Home of Chocolate and the FIFA Museum and maybe on my next visit, I’ll be able to go to Im Viadukt and take in the beauty of Rhine Falls!

Helpful Tips:

• Save money by purchasing pre-made meals at the grocery stores like COOP. This supermarket is available in pretty much every city, big and small.
• I found that most stores around Switzerland closes early, around 8pm
• Try some Switzerland chocolate, trust me. It’s delicious!
• Download the SBB app if you’re using the public transit.
• Once you’ve reached your destination, most of the city is very walkable.
• There are lots of FREE water fountains around the city that you can refill your water bottle with. Look for running water stations around the city. This is clean and safe water to drink, that’s recommended by all the locals.
• I recommend reserving a seat on the train if you are catching one of the last ones leaving Zurich. Trust me, you’re not going to want to stand on the moving train with your rolling suitcase.

As always, thanks for being here!

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