By Gemma Tedaldi | Published: 26th February 2025 | Updated: 26th February 2025
Basel is a hot spot for culture, with numerous festivals and events happening throughout the year, but when planning a visit to Basel with so many neighbourhoods to stay, where do you stay? So, as locals to the city, here is our guide on all the best neighbourhoods to stay for your trip and the best hotels in Basel:
Planning Your Trip? Use our favourite travel resources below:
Accommodation: We recommend Booking.com
Rental Car: We recommend Rentalcars.com
Flights: We recommend Kiwi.com
Tours: We recommend Get Your Guide & Viator
Currency Conversion: We recommend Wise
Travel Insurance: World Nomads
Best Hotels In Basel – Overview
We’ll go into the hotel options in Basel in more detail below, but these are the top hotels for each price range:
📍 Best hostel in Basel – Hotel by Hyve Basel
📍 Best budget hotel in Basel – Central City Hotel Rochat
📍 Best mid range hotel in Basel – East West Hotel Basel
📍 Best luxury hotel in Basel – Grand Hotel LES TROIS ROIS
Where to stay in Basel – which neighbourhood is best?
There are plenty of accommodation options for every budget in Basel, and within a few different neighbourhoods too. Depending on if it is your first visit to Basel, you are travelling on a budget or travelling with children, some areas may be better suited to you than others. We recommend the following as somewhat of a guideline to where to stay in Basel:
📍 Altstadt Grossbasel – great for first timers to Basel
📍 Altstadt Kleinbasel – also great for first timers, but with easier access to nightlife
📍 Gundeldingen / Basel SBB – great for those on a budget or who are planning on taking day trips from Basel
Where To Stay In Basel Map
Where To Stay In Basel: Altstadt Grossbasel
The Altstadt in Grossbasel, is a historic area of Basel, known for its cobbled alleyways, central Marktplatz, shopping streets and of course Basel Munster. The area is also filled with museums and art galleries alongside countless restaurants and cafes making it a fantastic place to stay.
How to get to the Altstadt Grossbasel
As it is one of the areas closest to the main train station, the Altstadt in Grossbasel is easy to get to on foot or via public transport, (or via taxi). To get to Marktplatz, (the unofficial centre of the Altstadt in Grossbasel), its takes around 20 minutes to walk from Basel SBB, all through lovely historic and renovated areas of the city, or it takes 10 minutes via tram, lines 8 or 11.
Best accommodation in Altstadt Grossbasel
💰 Budget (€) Central City Hotel Rochat: a 3-star centrally located hotel with breakfast, 400m from Marktplatz
💰💰 Mid-range (€€) Hotel Märthof Basel: a 4-star hotel directly on Marktplatz with spa, breakfast and roof top bar
💰💰💰 Luxury (€€€) Grand Hotel LES TROIS ROIS: a 5-star hotel overlooking the Rhine just a short walk from Marktplatz, with a 3 Michelin star restaurant and bar
Best places to eat in Altstadt Grossbasel
Breakfast / Café
🍴 Unternehmen Mitte 🍴 Backerei Mock
Take away snacks / bakeries
🍴 Confiserie Gilgen 🍴 Mystifry
Lunch or dinner
🍴 Spale Bar 🍴 Museum Bistro Rollerhof
🍴 Restaurant Löwenzorn 🍴 Restaurant Safran Zunft Basel
Where To Stay In Basel: Altstadt Kleinbasel
To the north of the Rhine, the Altstadt in Kleinbasel is an area home to numerous eateries and shops, as well as the former military barracks, Kaserne Basel, (which holds various music / theatre events throughout the year). The most beautiful area is directly along the Rhine with outdoor restaurants, buvettes and bars lining the river side with views over to Grossbasel and the Munster.
How to get to the Altstadt Kleinbasel
The Altstadt in Kleinbasel is another easy location to get to in the city, (there isn’t really a bad location to get to to be fair!), with plenty of options via tram, bus or on foot. To get to Rheingasse or Claraplatz, (which are two of the main stops in Kleinbasel), it takes around 15 minutes via tram, on lines 6, 8 or 14. Other trams do go through Kleinbasel, but tend to start at Messeplatz then head back towards the Bahnhof.
If you wanted to walk from Basel SBB to Messeplatz in Kleinbasel, (which is a prime location for exhibitions and events), it would take around 35 minutes on foot, and would go through the heart of Kleinbasel along Greifengasse and Clarastrasse.
Best accommodation in Altstadt Kleinbasel
💰 Budget (€) Merian Basel: a 4-star hotel overlooking the Rhine at Mittlere Brücke
💰💰 Mid-range (€€) East West Hotel Basel: a 4-star hotel with breakfast and terrace bar that overlooks the Rhine, just along Rheingasse from Mittlere Brücke
💰💰💰 Luxury (€€€) Krafft Basel: a 4-star hotel overlooking the Rhine with restaurant and outdoor riverside terrace
Best places to eat in Altstadt Kleinbasel
Breakfast / Café
🍴 Grand Café Bar 🍴 Kaffeemobil Rhein
🍴 Finkmuller Klybeckstrasse
Take away snacks / bakeries
🍴 Bäckerei KULT 🍴 Bruno Lorenzo
Lunch or dinner
🍴 Fischerstube 🍴 Restaurant Krafft
🍴 Du Pont 🍴 Amberbar
🍴 Klara 13
Where To Stay In Basel: Gundeldingen / Basel SBB
Although Gundeldingen is more of a residential area behind the city’s main station, it is home to a few great shops and eateries as well as cheaper accommodation. (We lived in the Gundeldingen area of the city when we first moved to Basel!). The area to the front of the SBB is also a great hub for public transport and food, as well as some great more budget friendly stays.
How to get to Gundeldingen / Basel SBB
This is the easiest area of the city to not only get to via train or from the airport, but also via tram across the city too. Nearly all of the trams will pass by the front of Basel SBB, as well as the airport bus 50, and the same goes for trains in and out of the city. If you are staying in the Gundeldingen side, then you simply walk to the back of the station, (away from the trams).
Best accommodation in Gundeldingen / Basel SBB area
💰 Budget (€) Hotel by Hyve Basel: hotel / hostel with breakfast and parking, just a short walk from the back of Basel SBB
💰💰 Mid-range (€€) ibis Basel Bahnhof: 2 star hotel with breakfast 4 minutes walk from Basel SBB
💰💰💰 Luxury (€€€) Movenpick Hotel Basel: 4 star hotel with rooms with views over the city and breakfast, as well as onsite restaurant, bar and spa, 5 minute walk from Basel SBB
Best places to eat in Gundeldingen / Basel SBB area
Breakfast / Café
🍴 Bakery Bakery
🍴 Backerei Jetzter
Take away snacks / bakeries
🍴 Spark 🍴 Bretzelkonig
Lunch or dinner
🍴 La Manufacture 🍴 Panda Burger
🍴 Rice 🍴 Tibits
🍴 Markthalle
What not to miss in Basel / Top events in Basel
There are numerous events that happen throughout the year in Basel, but our favourites, and the events not to miss in Basel are:
📍 Basel Fasnacht – February or March – Carnival in the city, with music, parades and confetti galore.
📍 Basel Tattoo – July – Marching bands from around the world descend on the city showcasing music, dance and nightly performances at Kaserne.
📍 Herbstmesse – October – This autumn fun fair is split across 7 of the cities squares, with games, rides, gifts and lots of warming food.
📍 Weinhachtsmarkt / Christmas Markets – December – Traditional seasonal markets with food, drink and gifts based at Barfusserplatz and Munsterplatz in Grossbasel, and a food only market along Rheingasse in Kleinbasel.
Where To Eat In Basel
There are plenty of options for food in Basel, but these are some of our favourites:
Breakfast / Café –
🍴 Unternehmen Mitte 🍴 Backerei Mock
Take away snacks / bakeries –
🍴 Confiserie Gilgen 🍴 Cinnamood
Lunch or dinner –
🍴 Spale Bar 🍴 Bretzelkonig
🍴 Restaurant Löwenzorn 🍴 Restaurant Safran Zunft Basel
🍴 Fischerstube 🍴 Restaurant Krafft
🍴 Rhystarn 🍴 Panda Burger
🍴 Rice 🍴 Markthalle
Where To Stay In Basel FAQs
How to get to Basel
Basel is easy to get to via plane, train, bus or car, without numerous connections into Switzerland, neighbouring European countries and international destinations.
📍 Getting to Basel via plane – Fly into EuroAirport Basel Mulhouse Freiburg
📍 Getting to Basel via Train – Arrive via train into Basel Bahnhof SBB CFF FFS or Basel Badischer Bahnhof.
📍 Getting to Basel via Bus – Via bus you can arrive into the city with Flixbus or BlaBlaBus, to Basel SBB and Basel Badischer Bahnhof.
📍 Getting to Basel via Car – You can also arrive in Basel via car, with motorway to France, Germany and Switzerland. However it is worth noting that if you travel to Basel via car that parking in the city centre can be tricky, with very limited parking spaces and specific parking rules.
How to get around Basel
Basel is a very easy city to get around on foot and via public transport, be it via tram bus or even boat.
🥾 Basel by foot: To get from Basel SBB to the centre of the city at Marktplatz its take around 20 minutes to walk. If you wanted to walk from Basel SBB to Messeplatz in Kleinbasel, (which is a prime location for exhibitions and events), it would take around 35 minutes on foot.
🚋 Basel by tram: There are 12 tram lines that connect throughout the city as well as out to more rural locations, and into neighbouring France and Germany, (trams 3, 11 and 8). The most used tourist connections in the city are the following:
Basel SBB to Marktplatz (via Barfusserplatz) takes 10 minutes via tram line 8, 10 or 11.
Basel SBB to Messeplatz takes 10 minutes via tram line 1 or 2.
🚌 Basel by bus: There are also three buses that serve the inner and outer city:
EuroAirport to Basel SBB – 20 minutes via Bus 50.
Basel SBB to Basel Badischer Bahnhof – 15 minutes via bus 30.
Bus 36 – connecting Schifflande to Basel Dreispitz via the hospital and Gundeldingen.
🚢 Basel by Boat: There are also 3 small foot ferries that cross between the Grossbasel and Kleinbasel sides of the river so you can easily get between the two.
🚕 Basel by Taxi / Uber: If you would rather get around the city or from your flight or train direct to your accommodation then there are also plenty of taxi options, including via Uber.
Weather in Basel
The weather in Basel can be very different depending on the time of year you are visiting. The winter months, from November through to February are the coldest and with regular snow, the spring and autumn often have the most settled weather with the temperature warming up or cooling down post winter and summer, whilst the summer months often have very hot days with stormy nights.
What area of Basel to stay in?
The best areas of Basel to stay in are Altstadt Grossbasel, Altstadt Kleinbasel and Gundeldingen / Basel SBB.
Where to stay in Basel for couples?
We would recommend that staying in the Altstadt in either Grossbasel or Kleinbasel is ideal for couples visiting Basel. Both have great access to the Rhine, both are within easy reach from public transport and both are near plenty of restaurants and cafes too.
How many days in Basel is enough?
You can see a lot of the city in just 2 days, but if you want to experience a few art galleries and museums as well as some lesser known locations in the city then you need at least 5 days in the city.
Is Basel worth seeing?
Basel is definitely worth visiting, and we don’t just say that as it is our home! There are numerous incredible events that happen across the city throughout the year as well as many museums and art galleries to be visited. It is also lesser known in comparison to other cities in Switzerland like Bern, Geneva, Lucerne and Zurich so makes for a great slightly less touristy location to visit.
Conclusion: Where To Stay in Basel: Best Hotels & Neighbourhoods By A Local
So there is our guide to the best neighbourhoods in Basel and of course the best hotels in Basel too. There are plenty of other accommodation options across the city, but the ones we have mentioned above are by far the best for visitors to the city.
All Our Switzerland Content
Here are a few other articles you may find useful for planning your trip:
📍 The Ultimate Guide To The Best Things To Do In Basel
📍 Is Basel Worth Visiting & When
📍 The Perfect 1 to 5 Day Basel Itinerary
📍 How To Get From Basel To Lucerne (Or Vice Versa)
📍 How To Get From Basel To Zurich (Or Vice Versa)
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.