7 best day trips from Zurich

Day trips compared

The day trips

50 km · About 45 minutes by train

1.Lucerne

Lucerne's wooden Chapel Bridge, medieval walls and lakefront set against Mount Pilatus and the Rigi make it Switzerland's classic postcard town. Add the Swiss Museum of Transport or a boat on Lake Lucerne.

Getting there

Direct train from Zurich main station

Best for

First-timers, Couples, Families

45 km · About 50 minutes by train

2.Rhine Falls

One of Europe's most powerful waterfalls, the Rhine Falls plunge about 23 metres across 150 metres of the river. Viewing platforms at Schloss Laufen bring you close to the spray, and boats cross to a rock in the middle of the falls in summer.

Getting there

Train to Neuhausen am Rheinfall or Schloss Laufen am Rheinfall

Best for

Families, First-timers, Couples

30 km · About 35 minutes by S-Bahn, about 2 hours by boat

3.Rapperswil

The 'town of roses' at the far end of Lake Zurich has a hilltop castle, an old town of arcaded houses and public rose gardens, plus a long wooden footbridge across the lake to Hurden on the old pilgrims' route.

Getting there

S-Bahn from the main station, or boat from Bürkliplatz

Best for

Couples, Quiet stays, Families

60 km · About 1 hour 30 minutes by train

4.Rigi

The 'Queen of the Mountains' rises above Lake Lucerne and Lake Zug, reached by Europe's first mountain railway, opened in 1871. The summit at about 1,800 metres gives a sweeping view of the Alps and the lakes, with easy walking trails down to Rigi Kaltbad.

Getting there

Train to Arth-Goldau, then the Rigi cog railway

Best for

Families, Couples, First-timers

50 km · About 1 hour by train

5.Stein am Rhein

A small medieval town on the Rhine with a main square of half-timbered houses covered in painted facades, a Benedictine monastery and the hilltop Hohenklingen castle. Easily combined with the Rhine Falls.

Getting there

Train from Zurich main station

Best for

Couples, Culture, Quiet stays

85 km · About 1 hour by train

6.St. Gallen

The UNESCO-listed Abbey of St. Gall includes one of the world's oldest monastic libraries, a rococo hall of carved wood and painted ceilings where visitors wear felt slippers. The old town has painted oriel windows and a textile museum.

Getting there

Direct train from Zurich main station

Best for

Culture, Couples

25 km · About 15–20 minutes by train

7.Baden

A spa town since Roman times, Baden has a covered wooden bridge over the Limmat, a compact old town and a modern thermal bath complex fed by mineral-rich hot springs.

Getting there

Train from Zurich main station

Best for

Couples, Quiet stays

Day-trip tips

• Leave early: most trips are more relaxed with a morning departure and a return before dinner.
• S-Bahn trains link the main station with Uetliberg, Kilchberg, Oerlikon and the airport, and long-distance trains reach most Swiss cities within two hours.
• For trips over about 150 km, an overnight stay or an organised tour saves a lot of travelling.

Questions travellers ask