Zurich is Switzerland's clean, wealthy city of lakeside promenades and chocolate. Lucerne and the Alps are easy day trips on punctual trains; summer swims in the lake and cozy winter fondue add variety.
Good to know
- Buy a Swiss Travel Pass for trains, boats and many museums.
- Tap water is excellent; fountains throughout the city are drinkable.
- Shops close early and on Sundays.
Eat this
Places the planner can use
Mark places as a must or something to skip. The itinerary is built only from this list; ★ marks the destination’s highlights.
Twin-towered cathedral and cobbled lanes on both sides of the Limmat.
Cheese fondue at a traditional stube in the old town, with white wine and a bubbling pot to share.
Chapel Bridge, the Lion Monument and a lake cruise, 45 minutes by train.
Cogwheel railway and cable car to a peak above the lake.
Lake baths and boat cruises with views of the Alps.
Luxury shopping street from the station to the lake.
Impressive collection from Monet to Giacometti.
Short train and hike to a viewing tower above the city.
Europe's largest waterfall, 45 minutes from Zurich.
Famous chocolatier and Luxemburgerli macarons.
Swiss history from prehistory to the present in a castle-like building next to the main station.