The 7 best day trips from Zürich for thermal spas, medieval cities and Alpine peaks

12.12.2024 - 11:51 / lonelyplanet.com / Lake Zürich

Dec 11, 2024 • 5 min read

Stacked with museums, galleries, and Switzerland’s best gourmet scene, Zürich is a pleasure to visit.

Excellent public transport also makes the city a fantastic base for exploring the region, with day trip options including visits to charming old towns, soaks in thermal baths and a cruise to an island on Lake Zürich.

These are the best day trips from Zürich.

Travel time: 1 hour

Is Lucerne Switzerland’s prettiest city? You be the judge after swooning at its cobalt lake and well-preserved medieval Altstadt (old town) with candy-colored houses and waterfront promenades. Don’t miss the creaky 14th-century Kapellbrücke, a covered bridge that zigzags across the Reuss River. Contemplate the Lion Monument, a 10m-long sculpture of a dying lion that Mark Twain called the “saddest and most moving piece of rock in the world”. Get a bird’s-eye view of it all by wandering along the top of the old city walls.

How to get to Lucerne from Zürich: Frequent trains depart from Zürich’s main station.

Travel time: 25 minutes

Winterthur is home to the truly stupendous art collections amassed by Oskar Reinhart, including works by German Romantic painter Caspar David Friedrich. Here, you’ll also find one of Europe’s foremost photography museums, and the fantastic, hands-on Technorama devoted to science. The medieval turreted castle Schloss Kyburg tops a crag just south of Winterthur, while the pedestrian-only old town is lined with pastel-painted, terracotta-tiled boutiques, cafes and bars such as La Cyma.

How to get to Winterthur from Zürich: Frequent trains depart from Zürich’s main station.

Travel time: 30 minutes

Uetliberg is the mountain on Zürich’s doorstep, ablaze with wildflowers in spring and daubed with russets and golds in fall. Head up this 869m (2850ft) peak to hike, jog or mountain bike on the trails that crisscross the woods, such as the Planetenweg, a 6km (3.7 mile) route across the mountain ridge that’s marked by 1:1 billion scale models of the planets. At the summit is Uetliberg Aussichtsturm, a steel lattice observation tower with fine views over the city, Lake Zürich and, in the far distance, the Alps. Sunset is prime-time viewing and a chance to enjoy a drink or meal at the Hotel Uto Kulm.

How to get to Uetliberg from Zürich: Train S10 runs to Uetliberg. From the terminus it's a 10-minute uphill walk to the viewpoint.

Travel time: 55 minutes

Formed by tectonic shifts during the last ice age 15,000 years ago, the Rheinfall is a real crash-bang spectacle. The river cascades 23m (75ft) across a width of 150m (492ft) creating billowing plumes of spray and raging white water in the basin below. In summer, ferries head to the tall rock in the middle of the falls, which you can climb and