5 Delightful Day Trips from Zurich

Switzerland is one of my favorite countries to visit for so many reasons. It’s simply beautiful, with awe-inspiring mountains, completely charming cities, and gorgeous turquoise lakes all squeezed into a country that’s half the size of Maine.

It’s also incredibly easy to get around, thanks in large part to its fabulous train system. As a result, it’s one of the best places to take lots of day trips: just plant yourself in a central location for a little while and spend your days venturing to cool destinations in the surrounding area.

Zurich is the perfect place for this. Switzerland is so small that it’s reasonable to take a day trip from Zurich to huge swaths of the country, if you’re willing to spend a few hours on a train or in a car.

Here are five of my favorite day trips that I have personally taken from Zurich.

Lucerne

Whatever you do, don’t visit Zurich without also visiting Lucerne! It’s just 40 to 50 minutes away on the train.

What a gorgeous little city. Perched at the edge of a lake, Lucerne boasts a colorful old town, remnants of the city’s massive old walls (including towers you can climb!), and an incredible, historic covered wooden bridge.

Indeed, it’s virtually impossible to visit Lucerne without seeing the Kapellbrucke (Chapel Bridge). Originally constructed in the 14th century (!!!), the prominent bridge spans more than 200 meters, or nearly 700 feet, and features a number of historic paintings lining the ceiling. Unfortunately, many of the paintings were destroyed during an awful fire in 1993. Thankfully, however, the bridge was restored and reconstructed, and you can walk its length today.

Here are a few other excellent things I recommend during a day trip to Lucerne:

Walk the Musegg Wall

If you do one thing in the city of Lucerne besides crossing the Kapellbrucke, make it this: walk the old Musegg Wall and climb a tower or two.

The Musegg Wall, which dates back to the year 1400 or so, runs across the northwestern edge of Lucerne’s old town for half a mile. Originally, the wall formed part of the city’s defenses. Today, from April through October, you can walk alongside the wall and climb some of its nine (!) towers for fabulous views of Lucerne (and a decent workout while you’re at it).

You can find more information about each of the towers here.

Take the Golden Round Trip to Mt. Pilatus

Overlooking Lucerne is the 7000-foot Mount Pilatus peak. Like many mountains in Switzerland, Mount Pilatus has a special train system that can help you reach the top, where you’ll find a viewing platform and a restaurant. However, Mount Pilatus has a whole additional gimmick: the Golden Round Trip.

Thankfully, this is a pretty good gimmick. Here’s how it works:

• Take a boat from Lake Lucerne to the railway station
• Ride the world’s steepest cogwheel railway to the summit, where you can enjoy the view and eat a meal if you want
• Descend via cable car to a stopover point, where you can buy a ticket to ride Switzerland’s longest alpine slide
• Return to ground level via gondola
• Ride the bus back to Lucerne

If you’re counting, that’s five different modes of transportation to get you from Lucerne to the summit of Mount Pilatus and back to Lucerne.

This is, perhaps, a weather-dependent activity. When I did it, as you can see in the photos below, the skies were quite cloudy and eventually a little rainy. It was still a really enjoyable experience, but I could see almost nothing from the peak.

The Golden Round Trip is not an inexpensive activity: it costs CHF 113.80 per adult. However, if you are traveling Switzerland with a Swiss Travel Pass, your Golden Round Trip will be heavily discounted.

You can purchase tickets for the Golden Round Trip at several locations, including the pier in Lucerne and the tourist information office at Lucerne’s train station (this is what I did).

NOTE: The Golden Round Trip is only accessible between May and October (as the cogwheel train does not operate during the winter).

Visit the Lion of Lucerne

Lucerne’s famous Lion Monument has a potentially surprising origin: it honors hundreds of Swiss Guards who died protecting the royal household of France during the French Revolution. As you might imagine, not every Swiss citizen was thrilled about a statue commemorating Swiss citizens who died for a foreign monarchy, and some protested its creation.

Regardless of its origins, the Lion of Lucerne is a beautiful monument in a lovely, quiet setting. As Mark Twain said after his visit to Lucerne: “The Lion of Lucerne would be impressive anywhere, but nowhere so impressive as where he is.”

Bern

Okay, admittedly, I visited Bern as a day trip from Interlaken, not Zurich. But the train journey is about the same — just under an hour. If you’re spending time in both Zurich and the Jungfrau region, allot time for Bern whenever it makes the most sense to you.

But don’t miss it! Bern is Switzerland’s capital and therefore has plenty of modern elements, but its super charming Aldstadt (Old Town) is a standout (and a UNESCO World Heritage site!).

Bern is a delightful place to just walk around and admire the beautiful buildings and setting. But if you want a bit more direction for your visit, here’s what I recommend.

Watch the Hours Pass at the Zytglogge

You’d be remiss if you visited Bern without welcoming in a new hour at the foot of the Zytglogge — an 800-year-old clock tower with a 15-century astronomical clock and a fun surprise: a few minutes before the top of each hour, wooden figures come out and perform a little routine. Then, when the hour strikes, a different figure strikes the bell at the top of the tower.

You can actually tour the inside of the clock tower, too, and learn more about how the figures work (and what they mean), plus get a great view of Bern from the top of the tower.

The tour costs CHF 20.00 per adult. I recommend booking in advance because only one tour is offered each day — and not every day! (That’s especially true in the winter months, when tours are offered only on Saturday.) Check this website for current pricing and tour hours, as well as a link to book online.

Admire Switzerland’s Tallest Cathedral

Just a few minutes’ walk from the Zytglogge is Bern Minster. You truly can’t miss it, since it’s actually Switzerland’s tallest cathedral at 100 meters, or 330 feet.

Be sure to check out the rather complex collection of statues depicting the Last Judgment at the cathedral’s entrance. Inside, the cathedral is unusually simple and undecorated for such a major building — an artifact of the Protestant Reformation.

Just outside of the cathedral, don’t miss the Munsterplattform — a really lovely terrace that offers fabulous shade and gorgeous views of both the buildings of Bern and the Old Town’s surrounding area.

Find a View from Above

Bern is extremely charming from its streets, but perhaps even more picturesque from a distance.

You can find this great view over the Aldstadt by crossing the Nydegg Bridge over the Aare River and taking a left to walk up the hill beside the town. There, between the trees, you’ll find an overlook.

If you keep walking up the hill, you’ll reach the Rosengarten park, which has even higher views. There’s also a restaurant there, which is a great place to take a break from all that walking and admire the way the Aare curves around the city.

Salute the Bears

Bern has long been associated with bears — some even believe the city was named after the animal. This is likely untrue, but Bern’s coat of arms does feature a bear (look for the red and yellow flags all over the city), and yes — Bern even keeps live bears just beside the Nydegg Bridge.

The history of Bern’s bear pit is centuries long and…not always so great. Live bears have been held in Bern for centuries, even long before the modern zoo was invented. Initially, Bern’s live bears were kept as a sort of symbol of the Bernese fighting spirit.

In more recent years, however, as conservation movements grew and people became more concerned about animal welfare, the people of Switzerland petitioned their government to afford legal rights to animals — which the Swiss government ultimately did in 2002.

Shortly thereafter, Bern announced a design contest for a new bear facility. And, in 2009, the Bärenpark opened. Where Bern’s bears were once confined to an austere pit comprising fewer than 7,000 square feet, they now occupy a park nearly 10 times that size, with tunnels, grassy hills, trees, and access to the Aare River, where they can swim and catch fish.

Whether Bern’s current bear park is sufficient to house creatures that are known to cover millions of square miles in the wild is an open question, but there’s no doubt that today’s Bernese bears have better lives than their previous counterparts. Visiting them is easy: just cross the Nydegg Bridge and walk around the Bärenpark until you find a bear.

Mount Säntis & Vaduz

For another option, head in the opposite direction of Bern — east, toward Mount Säntis. I strongly recommend renting a car for this day, since you’ll be visiting destinations that are more difficult to reach via public transportation.

Plus, if you drive yourself, you’ll get to see incredible views of the Swiss countryside.

Mount Säntis is a spectacular place that’s absolutely worth a visit. While Säntis isn’t anywhere near the tallest mountain in Switzerland in terms of elevation, it’s an especially prominent one — meaning that it’s much, much higher than anything else in its vicinity. As a result, the views from Säntis are phenomenal. In fact, on a clear day, you can see six countries from the viewing platforms on top of Säntis: Switzerland, Germany, Austria, France, Italy, and Liechtenstein.

You can check current pricing and hours for the cable car up Mount Santis here.

After Mount Säntis, cross the border into the tiny nation of Liechtenstein, and head for its capital, Vaduz.

Now, I won’t extol the virtues of Vaduz: it’s perfectly fine, but in my opinion, lacks the charm of many of the towns you’ll find in neighboring countries (namely, Switzerland and Austria…and Germany’s not far away, either). There’s also, frankly, not an enormous amount to do.

The reason most people visit Liechtenstein is to have been to Liechtenstein. In my view, this is a totally okay reason to go, but if that doesn’t compel you, I don’t think you’ll be missing a ton by skipping it.

Anyway, assuming you go, the main attraction is Vaduz Castle.

Vaduz Castle is actually occupied by the Prince of Liechtenstein and is closed to visitors. However, if no event is happening, you may be able to drive up the hill the castle is perched on and get fairly close to the outside of the castle.

If you have additional time to spend in Vaduz, check out the beautiful Cathedral of St. Florin and the Kunstmuseum Liechtenstein. And, if you’re a stamp enthusiast, absolutely don’t miss the Postal Museum.

Rhine Falls & Stein am Rhein

For something totally different, head to Europe’s most powerful waterfall: Rhine Falls.

Rhine Falls is impressive not so much for its height or even width (though it is wide!), but for the sheer force and volume of the water tumbling over its edge. I strongly recommend taking the boat ride that allows you to get up closer to the falls and get a good sense of just how strong the water really is!

Next, head to the tiny town of Stein am Rhein.

Stein am Rhein is best known for half-timbered buildings with beautifully painted facades. It’s a perfect place to wander around and admire the medieval architecture and charming riverside setting.

You can also visit the historic Hohenklingen Castle, which towers over the town, or St. George’s Abbey, a former monastery that now serves a museum.

You can reach both Rhine Falls and Stein am Rhein via train (or, of course, by car, if you have a rental). Alternatively, you can book group tours that will take you to both locations in one half-day trip. That’s what I did. I booked through Viator, but you can also book through Get Your Guide.

This is a great option if you’re looking for convenience and simplicity, but keep in mind that there are tradeoffs: on group tours, you’re subject to a particular schedule and you can’t explore at your own pace.

Lugano & Bellinzona

For something completely different, take the train down to Lugano — a lakeside city in the south of Switzerland. Lugano is quite near Italy, and has been heavily influenced by that country. Italian is the primary language spoken there, and the architecture and culture are more reminiscent of Italy than of other parts of Switzerland.

In Lugano, be sure to head to the lake and spend some time walking around the water (or perhaps even renting a vessel that will take you out on the water!). The scenery is beautiful, with striking mountains surrounding Lake Lugano.

I also recommend exploring the city itself, especially if you’ve spent most of your time in Switzerland in its German regions — the look and feel of Lugano are quite different than places like Bern. Be sure to stop in a church or two; they have impressively elaborate interior designs.

You may wish to spend the entire day in Lugano, but if you can, I recommend reserving part of your afternoon for a stop in Bellinzona on the way back to Zurich.

Bellinzona is another small city in the Italian region of Switzerland, just slightly north of Lugano. It’s most famous for its three (three!) medieval castles, which are located in various places within and above the city.

For the best views of the three castles, I recommend riding Bellinzona’s very charming little tourist train — which is not really a train at all, but a small vehicle that drives carts of visitors up the mountain that holds two of Bellinzona’s castles.

The tourist train operates from early April until early November. Check current hours and prices here.

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