By Gemma Tedaldi | Published: 12 June 2025 | Updated: 12th June 2025
Thinking about visiting Zurich, but not sure what to do or where to go, or even how long to visit? There are numerous things that you can see and do both in the city itself as well as with day trips to the surrounding area, but with so much to see if can be hard to figure out how to best spend your time, so that is where our Zurich itinerary comes in.
We have visited Zurich countless times since we moved to Switzerland, (it is only an hour train ride away from Basel), and the city is a great place to visit and a great place to be based if you want to take day trips into surrounding Swiss locations too. So here is our guide to the perfect Zurich itinerary:
📍 Zurich Itinerary Day 1: Zurich Altstadt
📍 Zurich Itinerary Day 2: Uetliberg & Lindt
📍 Zurich Itinerary Day 3: Zurich Gardens & Museums
📍 Zurich Itinerary Day 4: Zurichsee & Rapperswil
📍 Zurich Itinerary Day 5: Zug
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
Zurich Itinerary Map
The Perfect Zurich Itinerary: 1 to 5 Days
We have put together multiple itineraries from 1 day up to 5 days, (which includes day trips from the city too), to ensure that you can make the most of your time in Zurich and help you figure out how many days you need to spend in Zurich too.
It is worth noting that depending on the time of year that you are visiting, your experiences may be very different. We have visited Zurich many times over the years since we moved to Switzerland, and although the weather season to season is fairly regular, (winter = cold and cloudy, spring / autumn = warmer days but cooler nights, summer = hot), you can still get differing weather month to month and year to year.
One April the weather was so windy they cancelled the annual Böögg celebration, moving it to ‘better weather’ in June. When June came around we had the worst storms the country had seen since we moved here! So for the below Zurich itinerary you can of course change the order of the days to better suit you / any weather you may experience, we don’t recommend visiting a mountain or hopping on a boat if the weather is bad.
The Zurich Card
Before we dive into the Zurich itinerary below, one thing that we all know about Switzerland is how expensive it can be, so we have made this itinerary so that you can utilise the Zurich Card as much as possible for 3 of the days, (the max Zurich Card ticket is for 72 hours). All of the excursions within the area of Zurich, (so all of the first 3 days of the itinerary apart from the tickets for Lindt which you get a 20% discount for), are covered, meaning no buying extra tickets and no extra unknown costs!
📍 The Zurich Card costs from 29 CHF per adult / 19 CHF per child, (6 to 15 years old), for 24 hours, up to 56 CHF per adult / 37 CHF per child for 72 hours.
Zurich Itinerary Day 1: Zurich Altstadt
Zurich’s Altstadt is full to the brim with cobblestone streets, shopping boutiques and traditional eateries as well as beautiful historic buildings including the Rathaus and numerous churches too, so we recommend spending the first day of your Zurich itinerary taking it slow and exploring all the Altstadt has to offer.
Start the day off visiting the eastern side of the Altstadt including walking along Limmatquai, stopping by the city Rathaus, visiting the Grossmünster, (the cities landmark cathedral with twin towers that you can climb for around CHF 5 per person) and just wandering around the cobbled city streets that surround the area. Be sure to also stop by the Münsterbrücke, for views up and down the Limmat river too.
In the afternoon head to the western side of the Altstadt, hitting up Lindenhof for views over the city from above, walking along some of the most beautiful streets in the city including along Augustinergasse, Schlüsselgasse and Storchengasse and of course visiting a couple more churches and their surrounding squares, including the Church of St Peter with the largest clock face in Europe, and Fraumünster Church with its beautiful stained glass windows, and fountains outside that are filled with roses during the run up to Easter.
There are plenty of restaurant options throughout the Altstadt so pick any that take your fancy. We can highly recommend Cafe & Conditorei 1842 for breakfast or brunch, Raclette Factory for lunch, Zeughauskeller for dinner, (traditional Swiss dishes), and Jules Verne Panorama Bar for drinks.
📍 Free travel all day around Zurich with the Zurich Card
Zurich Itinerary Day 2: Uetliberg & Lindt
For the second day of our Zurich itinerary we are heading up the local mountain Uetliberg and visiting the world famous Lindt Museum. Uetliberg is somewhat unknown to the tourists, with most opting to visit some of the more well known mountains around nearby Lucerne, but it makes for a wonderful day trip from the city, especially as you basically end at the Lindt Museum.
You will need to book your Lindt ticket in advance as they often sell out. We would suggest booking for around 3pm, (this is assuming you start this day early, then take around 3 to 4 hours to walk the route including a lunch stop, but be sure to factor in how long it might take you).
Be sure to grab some breakfast and snacks for on the go or stop in a cafe in Zurich before hand as there is only eateries at the start and end of this walk, (neither of which do breakfast). We recommend grabbing some pastries and/or bretzels from Bretzelkönig or Caffe Spettacolo to eat before setting off or at the Uto Kulm viewpoint.
Now to start the day trip out of the city take the train from Zurich Main Station to Uetliberg, which is a direct route taking around 30 minutes. From the train station at Uetliberg you will then be following along the Planetenweg to Felsenegg, a trail where the planets of the solar system are set out in scale and distance, (1:1 billion), showing you just how much distance there is between them, (there are signposts along the way so you can’t get lost), so its a beautiful and informative walk in one! On a clear day you can also see the Alps peaking in the distance.
It takes around 2 hours and 6km to walk the entire route, (not taking into account stops for photos or resting), and at the Felsenegg end there is a lovely mountain restaurant called Restaurant Felsenegg just a short walk from the cable car down into Adliswll, perfect to take in the views and grab some food. We recommend getting a flammkuchen or bowl of goulash here with a local Baarer beer, a perfect way to end the walk.
After your fill of traditional Swiss food at the mountain restaurant make your way down from the mountain via the cable car into Adliswil. From here you can either hop on the bus to the Lindt Museum, but it isn’t a direct route meaning you will have to switch a couple of times, or walk for around 25 minutes. We opt to walk as you get some wonderful views over the lake and you’ll know when you are getting close because of the smell of chocolate in the air, (no we are not joking when we say that, it literally smells like vanilla and cocoa from a good 10 minutes away!).
Upon arriving at Lindt come prepared for eating a lot of chocolate and experiencing the history and manufacturing behind chocolate in Switzerland as well as around the world. There isn’t as many chances to try the chocolate as there used to be as people were literally filling their bags to the brim so they changed the system, but you still get to try a lot of chocolate throughout the experience. We walked away not needing to see or eat chocolate again for a little while!
From Lindt it is only a short walk to the nearby train station at Klichberg, (which is well signposted), then a quick 12 minute train journey back to the centre of Zurich.
In Zurich we recommend stopping at Holy Cow! Zurich Löwenstrasse for delicious burgers or if that doesn’t tickle your fancy then at VITO Europaallee for the best pizzas you will find in Switzerland, (we have a VITO local to us in Basel and it is a regular dinner spot for us!).
📍 Train from Zurich to Uetliberg: 30 minutes, with trains every 20 minutes 24/7.
📍 Cable car from Uetliberg to Adliswil: 5 minutes, with cable cars every 15 minutes from 8am through to 8pm. (These times can change depending on the season so be sure to check in advance.
📍 Train from Klichberg at Lindt to Zurich: 12 minutes, with trains every 15 minutes 24/7.
📍 Free travel all day and 20% discount at Lindt with the Zurich Card
📍 Book your Lindt tickets here – from CHF 17 per adult and CHF 10 per child, (aged 8 to 15).
Zurich Itinerary Day 3: Zurich Gardens & Museums
Now although Zurich is one of the main cities in Switzerland, it is also home to a surprising amount of beautiful gardens and parks, so why not visit a few? These are particularly beautiful in the spring and summer months with the flowers blooming, but they are still great to visit throughout the year.
Start the day off with breakfast at Café Bar ODEON, (they do a great apple strudel!), before making your way to the Chinagarten along Lake Zurich via the Quaianlagen and Seeuferweg, two lovely gardens / lakeside promenades that lead to the Chinagarten in around 25 minutes walk from the Quaibrücke. This beautiful garden is a gift from Zurich’s twin city in China, Kunming, as thanks for helping to expand it’s drinking water supply, and what a gift it is! With ornate bridges, painted pavilions and ponds filled with koi, these gardens are like stepping into China in the heart of Switzerland!
From the Chinagarten head on foot for 15 minutes to the Botanical Garden of Zurich which is run by the local university and is a great place to spend a few hours exploring the domed greenhouses as well as the rock gardens. It’s hard to believe you are still in the city when you are in this little oasis.
After spending a bit of time here head back towards the main city via tram 11 at Hegibachplatz to Bellevue and the nearby Sechseläutenplatz the area famed for its annual Böögg celebrations. From here is it just a short walk to Babu’s Bakery & Coffee House at Theatrestrasse, which is the perfect spot for lunch.
After stopping for lunch we recommend spending the rest of the day visiting some of the city museums. There are numerous museums / galleries to pick from so choose which interests you most, but we can highly recommend the Kunsthaus Zurich, (an art gallery showing art from around the world including Monet and Picasso with 20% discount on entry with the Zurich Card), and the Landesmuseum, (the place to go if you want to learn about the history of Switzerland and free with the Zurich Card). Other museum options include:
📍 The Beyer Clock and Watch Museum, Bahnhofstrasse 31 – free with Zurich Card
📍 FIFA Museum, Seestrasse 27 – free with Zurich Card
📍 Zunftstadt Zurich, Oberer Zäune 19 – free with Zurich Card
After your fill of museums or galleries, we recommend stopping at terrasse Restaurant for dinner, an Italian close to the Limmat river side and Quaibrücke, with delicious Italian dishes, served with Swiss flair.
📍 Free travel all day around Zurich with the Zurich Card
Zurich Itinerary Day 4: Zurichsee & Rapperswill-Jona
Day three in Zurich calls for a boat trip on Zurichsee to the far end of the lake and the old town of Rapperswil-Jona. Before heading off for the day, we recommend stopping at Babu’s on Löwenstrasse for a delicious breakfast, (it is the same company as Babu’s from the day before but a slightly different menu), then hop on board a train to Rapperswil-Jona.
Often called the ‘Rose City on Lake Zurich’, Rapperswil-Jona is well worth the trip from Zurich with its beautiful Alststadt, castle and lakeside promenade. You will soon see why it has earned the nickname the Rose City with its four large public rose gardens throughout the town including at the Kapuzinerkloster, the Hermitage, and one unique for its fragrant roses on Schanzweg.
Arrive in Rapperswil-Jona via train and head out along the See Quai to the Grand Tour Photo Spot, (this is part of the Switzerland Grand Tour which has photo points across the whole country), then from there around the lake edge via Fischmarktplatz to the Kapuzinerkloster, a monastery at the lake edge with some incredible views. Be sure to stop at a few rose gardens along the way, including at the Rosengarten Einsiedlerhaus and Rosengarten Schlossberg, especially when the roses are blooming, to get a real feel for this Rose City. If it is particularly warm when you visit, why not stop by the Seebad Rapperswil and take a dip in the lake too!
From here make your way along Buhlerallee around the lake edge before climbing up to the Lindenhof and the Rapperswil Castle for some incredible views over the surrounding town and out to the Alps on a clear day. You can buy tickets to enter the Castle here, which allows you to tour the castle, battlements and a couple of the towers as well.
After exploring the castle, be sure to stop by the nearby Pfarrkirche St Johann, (a small church with beautiful windows), before making your way towards the Rathaus of Rapperswil via the nearby Hauptplatz stopping for a bit to eat in Koivu Café, (the rostis and homemade cakes are delicious!), before making your way back through the Altstadt streets to the ferry stop at Rapperswil ZSG.
We recommend taking the train to Rapperswil-Jona one way and the boat the on the return journey, then you get to experience Zurichsee from the water too. You can also book to have dinner on the long lake cruise back to Zurich, making dinner an experience too – you can book a table and check departure times here.
📍 Train from Zurich to Rapperswill-Jona: 40 minutes, with trains every few minutes, 24/7.
📍 Tickets for the train from Zurich to Rapperswil-Jona cost from 17.80 CHF per adult or 8.90 CHF with a Half Fare Card
📍 Boat from Rapperswil-Jona to Zurich: 2 hours 20 minutes, with boats around every hour from 11:40am through to 19:50pm, (this can differ in different seasons however so be sure to check before hand that you have a connection back).
📍 Tickets for the boat from Rapperswil-Jona to Zurich cost from 17.80 CHF per adult or 8.90 CHF with a Half Fare Card.
Zurich Itinerary Day 5: Zug
For the final day of the Zurich itinerary we are taking a short trip to the neighbouring town of Zug. Only 30 minutes from Zurich by train and famous for its cherries, (and for being one the richest cantons in the country!), Zug is a wonderful place to visit to get out of the city for a day.
There are also a number of lovely walks you can do in the area too, which are fantastic to do in the spring when the cherry trees are in bloom, or in the summer in time for the cherry harvesting. We can recommend both the 6.5km route from Zugerberg back into Zug which goes via numerous cherry and apple orchards with views down over Zug the whole route and the longer route Chriesewanderung Zug to Goldau, a 18km route which passes through orchards, vineyards and woodland all in the direction of Mount Rigi before hopping on a short train ride back to Zug, (we recommend only hiking as far as Walchwil if you are short on time or not seasoned hikers, this is the better part of the route in our opinion, plus if you fancy stopping the route short at any point, there are various bus and train stops along the lake edge you can veer off to as well).
We recommend starting the day with grabbing breakfast for on the go from the main train station in Zurich and eating on the train to Zug, (Bretzelkönig, Blueberry American Bakery and Bakery Bakery are all great options). On arriving in Zug head out on one the nearby walks as mentioned above. Upon arriving back into Zug spend the rest of the day exploring the Altstadt, finding the Zytturm, Zug Castle and Fischmarkt, and wandering along the lake edge. There is a particularly nice spot for taking in the views at Gerbiplatz. You can also stop by Treichler Zuger Kirchtorten AG in Zug for lunch and to try the regions famous Kirchtorte, (it is a lot boozier than they make it out to be!).
After spending the day exploring Zug, head back to Zurich for the final dinner of the trip. As you may have spent most of the day out, we suggest eating near the train station again, so either Holy Cow! Zurich Löwenstrasse or VITO Europaallee, whichever one you didn’t eat at previously.
📍 Train from Zurich to Zug: 20 to 45 minutes depending on the train type, with trains every 5 to 10 minutes 24/7.
📍 Tickets for the return trip to Zug cost from CHF 36 per adult.
Best Day Trips From Zurich
These are the locations that we would highly recommend you take as a day trip if you have the time:
📍 Lucerne – just short train ride away and another city that you should visit in Switzerland – 50 minutes by train.
📍 Basel – one of the best day trips from Zurich, (yes it is our home, and yes we may be biased!) – 1 hour by train.
📍Rheinfall, Schaffhausen & Stein am Rhein – we’ve grouped these all together as they can easily be done in one day starting or ending at Stein am Rhein then taking the boat or walking along the Rhine to Schaffhausen and the famous Rheinfalls – 1 hour by train to Schaffhausen / 1 hour 10 minutes be train to Stein am Rhein.
📍 St Gallen – a beautiful historic city south of Lake Constance, with the famously ornate Abbey of St Gall monastery – 1 hours 15 minutes by train.
📍 Flumserberg to Seebenalp- an under the radar hiking location throughout the year with views over the nearby mountains as well as a beautiful cafe by a lake – 2 hours by train.
Where To Stay In Zurich
There are numerous options for accommodation in Zurich but these are our top picks for each budget:
Budget: CitizenM Zurich
Mid Range: B2 Hotel Zurich
Luxury: The Dolder Grand
Zurich, as with most cities in Switzerland, is verz walkable, so all of these are within walking distance of all the main sights and the Zurich HB or a tram stop.
Where To Eat In Zurich
For anytime of day takeaway food head to Migros / Migrolinos and Coop, especially if you want to save a bit of money on eating out three meals a day. Other great takeaway options that are in the Zurich HB main station are Bretzelkönig, Blueberry American Bakery and Bakery Bakery.
For breakfast/brunch:
📍 Cafe & Conditorei 1842
📍 Café Bar ODEON
📍 Babu’s Bakery & Coffee House
For lunch/dinner:
📍 Raclette Factory
📍 Zeughauskeller
📍 terrasse Restaurant
📍 Holy Cow! Zurich Löwenstrasse
📍 VITO Europaallee
For drinks:
📍 Jules Verne Panorama Bar
Zurich Itinerary FAQs
Where is Zurich?
Zurich is located in the canton of Zurich, in Northeastern Switzerland.
How to get to Zurich
Zurich is very easy to get to by car, train and air, with an international airport just a short 10-15 minute train ride from the city centre and a large public transport hub for trains, trams and buses at Zurich Hauptbahnhof, (also known as Zurich HB).
How to get around Zurich
Zurich is very easy to get around on foot, as well as via the local public transport network of trams, buses and boats. The whole city, the lake and even the local mountain are all connected making it simple and quick to get from place to place, especially if you have a travel pass.
Is the Zurich Card worth purchasing?
Depending on where you are staying you may get a public transport pass included in your stay, but if not then the Zurich Card is a great thing to purchase for ease of getting around and not having to buy ticket after ticket! You can find out more about the Zurich Card and purchase it here.
Why visit Zurich? Is Zurich worth visiting?
Why not visit Zurich? It is a popular place to visit for both tourists and Swiss residents alike with its impressive Altstadt, beautiful lake, shopping opportunities and of course for being the home of Lindt! Be it as a day trip or as a base for exploring elsewhere in Switzerland, Zurich is a wonderful place to visit.
Is Zurich expensive?
As with all of Switzerland, Zurich can be expensive to visit, but if you plan in advance for attractions / accommodation and travel to Switzerland in the quieter seasons of spring and autumn, then you can easily make your trip a little cheaper. Be sure to check out our post where we go into all our best money saving tips we have picked up since we moved to Switzerland for even more suggestions.
Is Zurich a walkable city?
Zurich is a very walkable city, there are a few small hills in and around the Altstadt but nothing too strenuous. It takes around 20 minutes to walk from Zurich HB, (the main train station), to the lake edge, which covers a lot of the main sights.
When is the best time to visit Zurich?
There isn’t really a bad time to visit Zurich, rather the best time will depend on what you want to see and do on your visit. If you want to avoid the peak crowds but still want some warmth then we recommend visiting in the spring or autumn, (you will get a busy city around Sechseläuten which happens at the end of April though), for the Christmas Markets we suggest visiting in late November or early December pre the Christmas rush. If you don’t mind the crowds then the summer is lovely in the city, just be prepared for an afternoon downpour or a storm, we tend to get a few of them mixed in with the hotter weather!
Do they speak English in Zurich?
Yes, as a hot spot for tourists most, if not all, restaurants / cafes / accommodation in Zurich will have English speakers. (English is fast becoming one of the top spoken languages in the country!).
How many days are enough for Zurich? Is one day in Zurich enough? Is 3 days in Zurich enough?
If you just want to see the main sights of the city itself then you can easily do that in one or two days, but if you want to see the city day and night, and take a trip to a local mountain or the Lindt Factory then you will want at least 3 days.
Is Zurich safe?
Zurich is safe, as with all cities in Switzerland we have never felt unsafe whilst visiting, be it as a couple, with family or alone. As with cities anywhere in the world though you just need to be aware of your surroundings, not flaunt any wealth and just be sensible!
Conclusion: The Perfect Zurich Itinerary: 1 to 5 Days
So there you have our guide to the perfect Zurich itinerary, from 1 day up to 5 days. Zurich is a fantastic and diverse city to visit in Switzerland, and one we regularly do, plus it is the perfect blend of city life alongside nearby excursions to the local mountains or along the lake edge.
All Our Switzerland Content
Here are a few other articles you may find useful for planning your trip:
📍 The Perfect Lucerne Itinerary: 1 to 5 Days
📍 The Perfect Interlaken Itinerary: 1 to 5 Days
📍 The Perfect Grindelwald Itinerary: 1 to 5 Days
📍 The Perfect Lauterbrunnen Itinerary: 1 to 5 Days
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.