Solo travel · Zurich · Switzerland
Solo travel in Zurich
How to enjoy Zurich at your own pace.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
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Quick answer
Zurich is easy and comfortable for solo travellers: efficient transport, English widely spoken, and lake and river baths where sitting alone with a book is normal. Costs are the main challenge. Many solo travellers base themselves in Zurich West.
Key facts
- Base
- Zurich West
- Getting around
- Tram
- Emergency number
- 112 general emergency, 117 police, 144 ambulance, 118 fire
- Language
- German
Solo travel tips
- Hostels and simpler hotels cluster in Langstrasse and Oerlikon.
- Eat at food halls, sausage stands and supermarket takeaways to keep costs down.
- The lake and river baths are sociable places to spend a summer afternoon alone.
- Free walking tours run in the Old Town and are a good way to meet other travellers.
- Use the SBB app for day trips; it shows platforms, connections and discounted fares.
Where to stay
$$$ · Best for nightlife, food lovers, solo travellers and shopping
Zurich West
Kreis 5, west of the main station, was Zurich's industrial heartland and is now its creative quarter. The arches of a railway viaduct hold shops and a food hall (Im Viadukt), the Freitag bag flagship is built from stacked shipping containers, and the Prime Tower, Frau Gerolds Garten and former breweries host bars and clubs. Trams and S-Bahn trains reach the centre in a few minutes.
- Good
- Design hotels and creative energy; Best area for clubs and late bars; Good tram and S-Bahn links
- Watch out
- Few historic sights; Some streets feel corporate or industrial
- Nearby
- Im Viadukt, Freitag tower, Prime Tower, Frau Gerolds Garten
Great on your own
Neighbourhood · Niederdorf
Niederdorf and the right-bank Old Town
Explore the quieter upper lanes around Neumarkt and Spiegelgasse in the morning, then come back in the evening for the restaurants.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Iconic
- Free
- History
- Food
- After dark
Religious site · Niederdorf
Grossmünster
Climb the tower for the best view of the Limmat bends, then look at the crypt and the bronze doors on the way out.
- Time needed
- 45 minutes
- Cost
- Low cost
- Iconic
- History
- Views
- Architecture
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Religious site · City and Lindenhof
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
Experience · Bürkliplatz
Lake Zurich cruise
Sit on the open upper deck when the weather allows, and look south-east down the lake for the Alps on clear days.
- Time needed
- 1.5–4 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Iconic
- Views
- Couples
- Kids
- Outdoors
Gallery · Heimplatz
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
Viewpoint · City and Lindenhof
Lindenhof hill
Come early in the morning or at sunset for the view, and walk down through the lanes to the Fraumünster.
- Time needed
- 30 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Views
- History
- Couples
- Photo spot
Meeting people
- Guild-house dinner — Several of Zurich's medieval guild houses along the Limmat operate as restaurants serving Zürcher Geschnetzeltes and rösti in panelled dining rooms; book ahead for weekend evenings.
- Markthalle Im Viadukt — The food hall under the railway arches in Zurich West has bakeries, cheese and meat counters and a restaurant, making it a good stop for lunch or picnic supplies.
- Langstrasse (Kreis 4) — The city's densest strip of bars, small clubs and late-night food, with a mixed, diverse crowd.
- Zurich West (Kreis 5) — Clubs in former industrial buildings, cocktail bars and the seasonal Frau Gerolds Garten.
Sensible precautions
Zurich is generally low-risk for visitors, but pickpockets operate around the main station and on crowded trams. Swim only at official baths, as the Limmat's current is strong, and expect some drug dealing and street sex work around Langstrasse at night.
- Emergency number
- 112 general emergency, 117 police, 144 ambulance, 118 fire
- Staying connected
- Mobile coverage is excellent; EU roaming deals do not always include Switzerland, so check your plan or buy an eSIM. Cards and phone payments are accepted almost everywhere.
Questions travellers ask
+Is Zurich good for solo travellers?
Zurich is easy and comfortable for solo travellers: efficient transport, English widely spoken, and lake and river baths where sitting alone with a book is normal. Costs are the main challenge.
+Where should solo travellers stay in Zurich?
Zurich West: Former factory district of railway arches, design stores, clubs and the Prime Tower.