Rainy day · Zurich · Switzerland
8 things to do in Zurich when it rains
Indoor sights that make a wet day feel planned rather than lost.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Roland zh, CC BY-SA 3.0
Quick answer
Start with Fraumünster, Kunsthaus Zürich and Swiss National Museum. Together the 8 picks below take roughly 16–19 hours across 6 areas; all charge for entry. May is usually the wettest month, with about 12 rainy days.
Key facts
- Places in this guide
- 8
- Free entry
- 0
- Time to see them all
- 16–19 hours
- Areas
- City and Lindenhof, Heimplatz and Main station
Zurich on a rainy day
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Religious site · City and Lindenhof
1.Fraumünster
Visit on a bright day, ideally in the morning, when the sun lights up the Chagall windows.
- Time needed
- 30 minutes
- Cost
- Low cost
- Iconic
- Art
- History
- Rainy day
Gallery · Heimplatz
2.Kunsthaus Zürich
Start with the Giacometti rooms, then cross through the underground passage to the extension.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Art
- Rainy day
- Iconic
- Architecture
Museum · Main station
3.Swiss National Museum
It is right behind the main station, so it fills an hour before or after a train.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- History
- Rainy day
- Architecture
- Kids
Zoo · Fluntern
4.Zurich Zoo
Head to the Masoala hall early when the animals are most active, and save the elephant park for feeding times.
- Time needed
- Half a day
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Kids
- Outdoors
- Nature
- Rainy day
Museum · Enge
5.FIFA Museum
Leave time for the interactive football games on the lower floor, which children enjoy most.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Kids
- Rainy day
Gallery · Enge
6.Museum Rietberg
Combine it with a walk through the Rieterpark and a swim at Seebad Enge in summer.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Art
- Rainy day
- Off the beaten path
- Architecture
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Museum · Kilchberg
7.Lindt Home of Chocolate
Go on a weekday morning, and leave room for the tasting room at the end of the exhibition.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Kids
- Food
- Rainy day
Experience · Enge
8.Thermalbad & Spa Zürich
Go on a weekday evening, and finish in the rooftop pool after dark.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Expensive
- Couples
- Views
- Rainy day
- After dark
Grouped by area
| Area | Places | Time needed |
|---|---|---|
| City and Lindenhof | Fraumünster | 30 minutes |
| Heimplatz | Kunsthaus Zürich | 2–3 hours |
| Main station | Swiss National Museum | 2 hours |
| Fluntern | Zurich Zoo | Half a day |
| Enge | FIFA Museum, Museum Rietberg and Thermalbad & Spa Zürich | 2 hours + 2 hours + 2–3 hours |
| Kilchberg | Lindt Home of Chocolate | 2 hours |
Booking and timing
Of these 8, 1 low cost, 6 mid-priced, 1 expensive. Book ahead for Lindt Home of Chocolate and Thermalbad & Spa Zürich. The longest visit is Zurich Zoo; group the rest by area to save travel time.
- Lindt Home of Chocolate: Timed tickets often sell out at weekends and in school holidays; book online in advance.
- Thermalbad & Spa Zürich: Entry is often limited at busy times; reserve a slot online if possible.
How to fit them into 5 half-days
Grouped by area and kept to about four hours each, so you walk more than you ride.
- Half-day 1 (City and Lindenhof and Heimplatz): Fraumünster → Kunsthaus Zürich, at least 3 hours.
- Half-day 2 (Main station): Swiss National Museum, at least 2 hours.
- Half-day 3 (Fluntern): Zurich Zoo, at least 3 hours.
- Half-day 4 (Enge): FIFA Museum → Museum Rietberg, at least 4 hours.
- Half-day 5 (Enge and Kilchberg): Thermalbad & Spa Zürich → Lindt Home of Chocolate, at least 4 hours.
The wettest months
- May: highs of 18°C (64°F), about 12 rainy days, moderate crowds. Green and pleasant, though showery; the lake baths usually open in mid-May.
- June: highs of 22°C (72°F), about 12 rainy days, busy crowds. Warm days, long evenings by the water and occasional thunderstorms.
- July: highs of 24°C (75°F), about 11 rainy days, busy crowds. Warmest month, with the lake and river baths at their busiest.
The neighbourhoods they are in
- City and Lindenhof — Left-bank Old Town, banks and luxury shops along Bahnhofstrasse
- Enge — Western lakeshore of villas, parks, the Rietberg museum and the FIFA Museum
More of Zurich
Questions travellers ask
+Where should I start in Zurich?
Fraumünster. Founded in 853 as an abbey for aristocratic women, the Fraumünster is famous for the five stained-glass windows Marc Chagall created for its choir in 1970, glowing in deep blues, greens and reds.