By Gemma Tedaldi | Published: 19th January 2025 | Updated: 19th January 2025
Planning a trip to Switzerland in April?
Switzerland in April is, in our opinion, one of the nicest times to visit the country. The snow is mostly gone apart from on the mountain peaks, the spring flowers are starting to arrive, carpeting a lot of the country in beautiful cherry, apricot and apple blossom and the weather is beginning to warm up a little. With that in mind in this post we’ll set out the best places to visit in Switzerland in April, as well as the average weather for the month and any holidays and festivals that occur.
So here is our guide to visiting Switzerland in April;
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April in Switzerland is when the country really begins to come alive after the long winter. It is a great month for hiking through beautiful blossom filled landscapes, taking boat trips on the lakes and just generally having a bit more sun and a little less rain or snow! However, it is worth noting that some cable cars / mountain railways still don’t tend to open until May or even as late as June depending on where you are, (Brienzer Rothorn is a prime example of this but it is a steam train), so be sure to check if what you are planning on visiting is actually accessible, other than via a long hike!
April is also one of the quieter months to visit Switzerland, with the winter tourists gone and the summer tourists yet to arrive, spring in Switzerland is the season when we, the locals, get to enjoy the country basically by ourselves!
Weather In Switzerland In April
The average daily temperature across Switzerland is 15°C / 59°F, with night temperatures of around 3°C / 37°F, but this can vary dramatically depending on where you are. For example if you are staying around the Alps, then it will be considerably colder than if you were in one of the main cities, say Basel, Lucerne or Zurich. If you want to a warmer visit then head over the Alps into the canton of Ticino, Switzerland’s warmest canton.
With an average of 70mm of rainfall across the month it is one of the lower months for rainfall, but you might still end up with a couple of rainy days, or just an early morning shower, (the weather seems to blow itself out quite quickly in the spring!).
Switzerland in April Public Holidays / Events
There are a few public and regional holidays in Switzerland in April, (some fall differently each year depending on when Easter falls), as well as a few festivals that are held across the country too:
Public Holidays:
📍 Good Friday (Karfreitag) – Friday before Easter Sunday
Celebrated in all cantons except Ticino and Valais, however events will depend on the canton and region.
📍 Easter Monday (Ostermontag / Lundi de Pâques) – Monday after Easter Sunday
Celebrated across the country, but again what events are on will depend on the canton and region.
Regional Holidays:
📍 Näfelser Fahrt – First Thursday of April
This holiday marks the anniversary of the Battle of Näfels, (a battle between the Old Swiss Confederation and the Duchy of Austria), as well as the remembrance of the dead from said battle. Only celebrated in Glarus.
📍 Sechseläuten, Zurich (afternoon only) – Third Monday of April
Heard of the famous Böögg? Well if you haven’t your are in for a treat! The celebration of Sechseläuten has been held in Zurich since the early 20th Century and involves parades, music and the lighting of the Böögg, (basically a snowman made from timber and explosives), where once the head of Böögg explodes it is officially the start of spring!
Depending on how long it takes for the head to explode also lets the Swiss know if there will be a good summer or a wet summer, the quicker it explodes the better the summer. In 2024 the Böögg didn’t have its chance to get lit and explode in April due to the high winds in Zurich, so they relocated and did the celebration later in the year. On the new celebration day it was terrible weather yet again and the Böögg head took ages to explode, so needless to say we had a wet and stormy summer!
Festivals:
📍 Zermatt Unplugged music festival – Early April
Over 5 days around 100 music concerts are played across 18 stages on the mountain and in the village of Zermatt all with the magnificent Matterhorn as a backdrop, who wouldn’t want to visit!
Get more information about Zermatt Unplugged here.
📍 Nendaz Snow Vibes Festival, Nendaz – Mid April
The official end of the winter season in Nendaz is celebrated with live music and a waterslide festival!
📍 Fête de la Tulipe, Morges – Throughout April
If you think the Netherlands is the only place you can see hundreds of tulips then think again! Morges a small town along Lac Léman is the place to go if you want to witness over 140,000 flowers and over 350 varieties in Switzerland. The event is held fully in public parks so is also completely free of charge to see.
Visit the Morges Tourism website for more information.
Morges also holds a Dahlia Festival from July to October, so is the place to go if you like your flowers!
5 Best Places to Visit in Switzerland in April
There are plenty of things to do and places to visit in Switzerland in April, but here are our top picks;
1. Zurich in April – Zurich a wonderful place to visit in April, with the city coming alive for the annual Böögg explosion as well as with the beautiful parks and gardens beginning to bloom.
2. Morges in April – If you want to see hundreds if not thousands of tulips in Switzerland then Morges is the place to go in April. You can also visit some of the nearby narcissus trails in the mountains too which tend to be in full bloom in April.
3. Zug in April – Famed for its cherries, Zug is haven for blossom trees and blooming vineyards along the lake shore in April. We did a wonderful hike through Zug and out towards Mount Rigi during the peak of the blossom and it is like no where else in Switzerland.
4. Thun in April – Located at the top of Thunersee, (Lake Thun), the town of Thun is a beautiful place to visit in April. With a turreted castle that overlooks the town, a beautiful old town with hidden alleyways to walk through and eateries that line the River Aare, what more could you want?
5. Lugano in April – Lugano is a great location to visit throughout the year, (it has the warmest climate of anywhere in Switzerland), but in April the city’s parks and the areas around Lago di Lugano, (Lake Lugano), are in full bloom. The walk along the Sentiero dell’olivo from Gandria back to Lugano is particularly lovely in April.
Switzerland in April FAQs
Is it a good time to visit Switzerland in April?
April is a lovely time to visit Switzerland as at the lower elevations you can often find beautiful blossoms appearing on fruit trees and in vineyards, (Zug is particularly well known for this, they even have a Chriesitelefon that you can ring to check on how much blossom is around!), but at the higher elevations you can also still find some snow. The true hiking season doesn’t technically start until May or June, but you can still do some lower elevations hikes in April too.
What is closed in April in Switzerland?
Some of the mountain cable cars or funicular railways of some of the lesser-known mountain destinations may be shut in April before the summer season starts. For example, Brienzer Rothorn, Stanserhorn and Niesen aren’t open in April but will wait until May and June to open.
Is Zurich good to visit in April?
Zurich is great to visit in April, not only because of Sechseläuten, but because there are some beautiful spaces through the city and parks along the lake side which have blossoming trees. The Chinese Garden in Zurich is particularly beautiful in April too.
What is a nice month to visit Switzerland?
There isn’t a bad month to visit Switzerland, but if you want fewer tourists and great weather then we can recommend visiting in the spring and autumn months, particularly April, May, September and October.
Planning your own trip to Switzerland?
Head to Switzerland Travel Centre to book any trains or excursions, and then use our discount code AFFTEDALDI to receive a 5% discount. We’ve just bought the Swiss Coupon Pass as it saves literally thousands on trips around the country, (for visitors and residents alike)!
Conclusion: Switzerland in April
So, there is our guide to visiting Switzerland in April, with the spring bringing warmer weather, flower festivals and the famous exploding of the Böögg, April really is a great time to visit Switzerland.
If Switzerland in April isn’t quite right for your trip…
Check out our other blog posts below about visiting Switzerland during other months of the year.
All Our Switzerland Content
Here are a few other articles you may find useful for planning your trip:
📍 How To Visit Switzerland On A Budget
📍 Is Switzerland Worth Visiting & When: By A Local
📍 Switzerland in Spring: Best Things To Do & Places To Go
📍 Switzerland in Summer: Best Things To Do & Places To Go
📍 Switzerland in Autumn: Best Things To Do & Places To Go
📍 Switzerland in Winter: Best Things To Do & Places To Go
Gemma Tedaldi
Gemma is the owner and author of The Travelling Tedaldi, a travel blog helping travellers to discover the best road trips and travel itineraries throughout the UK and Europe. When she isn’t writing about her favourite travel destinations, she can often be found out exploring local hikes or planning future trips.