Best Day Trips from Zurich, Switzerland
Are you looking for the best day trips from Zurich, Switzerland? You’re in the right place!
Zurich is the largest city in Switzerland, known for being a major center for banking and finance, and for being the main transportation hub in Switzerland with a busy international airport and train station.
The city is located on the shores of Lake Zurich, with the Swiss Alps visible in the distance. Zurich has a picturesque Old Town, known as the Altstadt, which is popular with tourists. However, there’s honestly not that much to do in Zurich. You don’t need to spend more than a day or two here.
I think that Zurich is better suited as a base for taking day trips around Switzerland (and beyond!) Thanks to its excellent train connections, you can reach many other destinations directly from Zurich.
Train tickets are notoriously expensive in Switzerland (like everything in this country), so getting a Swiss Travel Pass can save you money. This is great to have if you’ll be taking multiple day trips.
And speaking of day trips, let’s get right into the best day trips to take from Zurich:
⭐ Short on time? These are the top tours and activities I recommend. If you book directly through a link on this page, I may earn a small commission at no cost to you. Thank you for supporting Stay to Wander!
Best Day Trips from Zurich, Switzerland:
1. Rapperswil
One of the easiest day trips you can take from Zurich is to the town of Rapperswil. In fact, this is really more of a half-day trip because it’s so close, and you can see the whole town in a couple of hours.
Rapperswil is just 40 minutes from Zurich by train, located on the southern end of Lake Zurich. It’s the perfect escape from the hustle and bustle of the city. I visited in December, and the town had a charming Christmas market in the Old Town. In the warmer months, you can do boat tours on Lake Zurich.
2. Interlaken
Interlaken is one of the most popular destinations in Switzerland, and you can visit it on a day trip from Zurich. This town is in the midst of mountains and two lakes, Lake Thun and Lake Brienz. It’s known for its many hiking trails and other outdoor activities, including adventure sports and winter sports.
You can visit Interlaken on your own by train from Zurich in one hour and 50 minutes. However, another option is taking a full-day tour like this one that combines a visit to Interlaken with the nearby villages of Grindelwald and Lauterbrunnen. I am dying to do this the next time I am in Switzerland!
3. St. Gallen
St. Gallen is a cute small town that is another great day trip from Zurich. This is another good option, like Rapperswil, if you want to take a shorter day trip because you really only need half a day. St. Gallen is only one hour from Zurich by train, and the highlight here is the Library of Saint Gall.
As someone who is obsessed with literary travel and visiting beautiful libraries wherever I go, this was a must-see for me. It’s a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and truly a marvel to behold. The rest of the abbey and the town of St. Gallen itself are also worth a couple of hours for strolling around and exploring.
4. Grindelwald
Grindelwald is a tiny town that looks like something straight out of a fairytale. Unfortunately, I did not have the chance to visit Grindelwald on my last trip to Switzerland, but it’s definitely on my list!
To get here, you have to first take the train to Interlaken, then transfer trains to reach Grindelwald. The total journey time is about two hours and 40 minutes. Again, if you want to visit multiple destinations in a day without worrying about logistics, this tour to Interlaken, Grindelwald, and Lauterbrunnen is perfect.
5. Lucerne
Lucerne is one of my favorite towns in Switzerland. It’s so picturesque, surrounded by mountains, with quaint and historic buildings on either side of the Reuss River. Multiple bridges cross the river and connect both sides of the town, including the medieval covered Chapel Bridge, which dates back to 1333.
It’s easy to get to Lucerne by train from Zurich, with the journey taking only 45 minutes. If you’d prefer an organized tour, this day trip includes a visit to Lucerne and a guided tour, as well as a visit to Mount Titlis, where you’ll take the Ice Flyer cable car, which offers stunning panoramic views.
6. Lauterbrunnen
I’ve already mentioned Lauterbrunnen a couple of times, but this picturesque Swiss village is worth its own entry on the list. This alpine town is known for its amazing views and great hiking trails.
You can get here on your own by train, but it requires a change in Interlaken, and the total journey time from Zurich is two hours and 25 minutes. If you want to maximize your time, this full-day tour from Zurich that visits Lauterbrunnen, along with Interlaken and Grindelwald, is a popular choice.
7. Basel
Basel is an awesome city, and I actually think it’s worth staying here for a few days. However, if you’re short on time, it’s also perfectly doable as a day trip from Zurich, just one hour away by train.
I visited Basel in December, and the city was filled with festive Christmas markets that I thought were the best in Switzerland (better than Zurich’s, in my opinion!) No matter the time of year you visit, there’s a lot to do in Basel, from visiting art museums to strolling the Old Town to taking a Rhine River cruise.
8. Rhine Falls
Although it’s not quite as impressive as, say, Iguazu Falls in South America or Niagara Falls in North America, Rhine Falls is still worth a visit as the tallest waterfall in all of Europe. And it’s easily accessible as a day trip from Zurich. It’s just a 50-minute train ride, with the train station minutes away from the falls.
If you’d prefer a tour, this half-day trip from Zurich includes coach bus transportation to Rhine Falls, as well as entry tickets to the viewing platforms. At the falls, you can also opt for a boat tour.
9. Lugano
Lugano is a very unique day trip you can take from Zurich. By high-speed train, this city is about two hours south of Zurich. It’s in the small, Italian-speaking Ticino region of Switzerland, which I found very interesting, since most of Switzerland is German-speaking (62%), followed by French-speaking (23%.)
Only 8% of Switzerland is Italian-speaking, and the Ticino region, including Lugano, has a distinct Italian flair. This city is lovely to explore for a few hours. Aside from walking through the hilly streets of the Old Town, you can also stroll along the waterfront promenade of Lake Lugano, or even take a boat trip.
10. Bern
Many people are surprised to hear that Bern, not Zurich, is the capital of Switzerland. Although Zurich may be the largest city, small and quaint Bern is actually the capital. I didn’t make it to Bern on my last trip to Switzerland, but it’s a destination I definitely want to visit the next time I am there.
Bern is just one hour from Zurich by train, making it easy to visit on a day trip. The Old Town of Bern is among the most beautiful in Switzerland, and you can easily spend a whole day exploring here.
11. Liechtenstein
Finally, one of the best day trips to take from Zurich is a visit to Liechtenstein. Liechtenstein is one of the smallest countries in Europe, and it shares a border with both Switzerland and Austria. This tiny country can be reached in 1.5 hours from Zurich, requiring a train to Sargans and then a bus to Vaduz.
Unfortunately, on the day that I visited the capital Vaduz, the weather was unfavorable (very foggy and gray all day), so I didn’t have the most positive impression of Liechtenstein. However, on a nice day, you can enjoy scenic views and hikes from Vaduz. There are also a few small museums to visit here.
Top Day Trips from Zurich, Switzerland
This guide showed you the best day trips from Zurich, Switzerland.
Although Zurich is a cool city that’s worth at least a day or two, I think there are many better destinations to visit in Switzerland, especially the smaller towns and scenic natural areas. Luckily, many of these destinations are very easy to visit on a day trip from Zurich, allowing you to explore more of the country.
Enjoy your trip to Switzerland!
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