Season guide · Zurich · Switzerland
Zurich in summer
June–August: weather, crowds, prices and the best things to do this time of year.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Ikiwaner, CC BY-SA 3.0
Quick answer
Swimming in the lake and Limmat, open-air bars and the Street Parade; warm with afternoon thunderstorms. Expect highs up to 24°C (75°F) and lows around 12°C (54°F), with about 34 rainy days across June–August. June–August are among the best months of the year to visit.
Key facts
- Months
- June–August
- Temperatures
- 12°C (54°F) to 24°C (75°F)
- Rainy days in the season
- About 34
- Crowds
- Busy
- Hotel prices
- High
Weather in summer
| Month | High | Low | Rainy days | Daylight | Crowds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| June | 22°C (72°F) | 12°C (54°F) | 12 | 15.9 h | 4/5 |
| July | 24°C (75°F) | 14°C (57°F) | 11 | 15.6 h | 4/5 |
| August | 24°C (75°F) | 13°C (55°F) | 11 | 14.2 h | 4/5 |
Compared with the rest of the year: average highs of 23°C (73°F) against a yearly 14°C (57°F), and 34 of the year's roughly 120 rainy days fall in these 3 months. Crowds rate 4/5 and hotel prices 4/5 on average.
What's on in summer
Recurring events; dates move from year to year, so confirm with the organiser.
- June: Zurich Pride (usually June)
- July: Züri Fäscht — city festival with fireworks, held every three years (early July)
- August: Swiss National Day — fireworks and celebrations (1 August)
- August: Street Parade — techno parade around the lake basin (usually the second Saturday of August)
- August: Zürcher Theater Spektakel — international theatre festival on the lakeshore (usually late August)
Good choices for summer
Museum · Main station
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
Zurich Zoo
On the wooded Zürichberg hill, the zoo is known for its Masoala Rainforest hall, a recreation of a Madagascan rainforest with free-roaming lemurs and birds, the Kaeng Krachan Elephant Park and the Lewa savannah with giraffes and rhinos.
- Time needed
- Half a day
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Kids
- Outdoors
- Nature
- Rainy day
Museum · Enge
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
Museum Rietberg
Switzerland's museum of non-European art, with collections from Asia, Africa, the Americas and Oceania, occupies the Villa Wesendonck and a glass entrance pavilion in the Rieterpark.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Art
- Rainy day
- Off the beaten path
- Architecture
.jpg){kind=link}
Museum · Kilchberg
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
Day trips in summer
- Rhine Falls (About 50 minutes by train) — One of Europe's most powerful waterfalls, the Rhine Falls plunge about 23 metres across 150 metres of the river.
- Rapperswil (About 35 minutes by S-Bahn, about 2 hours by boat) — 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.
What to pack
- Light layers for the day and a light jacket for the evening
- A compact umbrella and waterproof shoes — rain is frequent
- Comfortable walking shoes
Other times of year
Questions travellers ask
+Is summer a good time to visit Zurich?
Yes: June–August are among the best months. Swimming in the lake and Limmat, open-air bars and the Street Parade; warm with afternoon thunderstorms.
+What is the weather like in Zurich in summer?
Highs of up to 24°C (75°F) and lows around 12°C (54°F), with about 34 rainy days over the season.