The Unofficial Visitor’s Guide to Zürich

Raunaq and I have lived in Zürich for over four years, and while we are by no means experts, we have figured out a few things. While this guide is (hopefully!) useful for first-time visitors to the city, it also includes all of our favorite bars, restaurants, cafe and things to do - so maybe even if you live here, you’ll learn about a new place.

But truthfully, the greatest discovery of all? That Zürich, this seemingly straightforward city of 400,000 people, has more than meets the eye. It’s fun, it can be a little rebellious, and dare I say, even a little be edgy. Zürich, my friends, is pretty cool! Here are the things you should know to discover all the greatness for yourself.

• Before You Visit

• Zurich - The Basics

• Things to Do

• Where to Eat and Drink

• Day Trips

• Outside of Switzerland

Before You Visit

A couple good things to know before you go.

First things first: Yes, Switzerland is expensive. There is no getting around this, so be prepared for some sticker-shock. We still can’t believe some of the prices.

• There are certainly ways to make it less expensive, like buying food and drinks at a grocery to have an outdoor picnic, buying multi-day or super-saver train passes (see below) and just generally planning ahead. But overall - you are going to drop some cash.

Think about buying train passes

Quick, clean, and reliable public transportation doesn’t come cheap. Day trips can get very expensive, and you’ll soon see that the prices will quickly add up, especially if you are taking multiple long train trips. For context: a round trip to Bern is ~100+ CHF, to Mount Rigi is ~100+ CHF, and to Lugano is ~130+ CHF. Depending on your itinerary, there are a few options to save money:

• Swiss Pass: Unlimited travel with the Swiss Pass (with the exception of gondolas and some mountain railways - for which there are discounted rates) all over Switzerland for 8 days is ~420 CHF. There are many different versions available depending on your length and flexibility of travel - this site has details. 

• Half-Fare card (1 month): This will give you half-price on any transport ticket for one month (with exception of some privately-owned cable cars). It costs 120 CHF, but if you are planning on traveling throughout the country for an extended period of time, it will absolutely pay for itself after about 4-5 days of travel. It’s the “international visitor” version of what most people who live in Switzerland have.

• Saver Day Pass: With a GA pass (aka a day pass), you can travel throughout Switzerland on any train, boat, bus or tram. If you already know your itinerary, it might make sense to see if you can buy a Saver pass on each individual train routes. You can book these up to 60 days in advance, and the earlier you buy, the cheaper it can be.

Sunday is a day of rest

• Switzerland grinds to a halt on Sundays. It’s a little bit like having a national holiday once a week. In some touristic areas and bigger cities, restaurants and bars will still be open, but most shops will be closed. In smaller mountain or rural areas, you might be out of luck. Train stations are the exceptions: you’ll find open grocery stores, shops, etc. In fact, it’s practically a requirement for citizenship to go hiking (or skiing, or strolling) on Sundays - so if you find yourself here on a Sunday, do as the locals do.

Expect to experience all the seasons - even in one day

• The weather can change quickly and unexpectedly in Zürich - we’ve had snow in late April/early May, cold rain in the summer, an unseasonably warm December. Layers are your best friend. Also, the weather can vary dramatically between regions in Switzerland. Generally, the south of Switzerland (Ticino and the Italian cantons) have warmer, more Mediterranean-type weather than the rest of the country.

Have some cash

• Some places are still cash only so is useful to have some Swiss Francs (remember, Switzerland is not on the Euro). The exchange rate, as of October 2022, is still pretty much 1:1 with the USD.

Download these apps

• SBB - The best (and official) transportation app in Switzerland. Find your transit route, check times, see if a train has been canceled (rare, but it happens), buy tickets, etc. This app will be your best friend on your trip.

• MeteoSwiss - Don’t be sad if the forecast is rain for your entire trip! Swiss weather can vary dramatically from place to place. Download this app, and add in all the locations you’ll be visiting. Extra credit if you religiously check it multiple times a day, like I do.

• Google Translate - A pretty good personal interpreter in your pocket. You can also take pictures or scan signs, menus, etc, for a real-time translation. Before you leave home, download the German language, so that you can use the app without data.

• SwitzerlandMobility - If you are planning to hike, this app will show you all of the official hiking trails (Raunaq would like to chime in here to say that he prefers SwissTopo. I think both are great!)

Zürich - The Basics

Getting around the city, what water to drink, the 'hoods, and some basic Swiss etiquette.

Getting around

• Make sure to always buy and/or validate your tickets. There is a ticket vending machine at pretty much every tram and/or bus stop in the city, and you can switch the language from German to English (or French or Italian) on the machine. You can also buy tickets on the SBB app.

• If you’re going to take more than 2 rides in a day, it is generally more economical to buy a day pass.

• Zürich transit works by zone (not by the type of transit), so be sure your ticket / day pass covers the zones you’ll be traveling in. Your ticket will cover all modes of transit in that zone (bus, tram, train, ferry).

• No one will take your ticket upon boarding, but there are random ticket checks, and a hefty fine for fare-dodgers. But no one likes a fare-dodger, so don’t be a fare-dodger!

Drinking water

• Bring your reusable water bottle, because you can drink from the public fountains. There are around 1,200 water fountains in Zürich, all spouting crystal-clear drinking water seemingly straight from the Alps (even though the Alps only provide about 70% of the water). Some of them look like works of art. You’ll see them everywhere and you can drink from all of them (if you can’t, there will be a sign). They charge for water in the restaurants, though. Don’t get me started.

Drinking alcohol

• It’s allowed in public (American friends, rejoice). It’s totally normal to have a beer - or a full-on apero - on the train. In fact, I encourage it!

The neighborhoods (that we tend to frequent):

• Kreis 1 (Altstadt): Zürich’s old town, and the center of the city.

• Kreis 2 (Enge, Wollishofen): Low-key neighborhoods with a leafy-green “suburbs” feel, with great parks and lake access.

• Kreis 4 (Wiedikon, Lochergut): Where to find all the best (non-Swiss) food, and all the best bars.

• Kreis 5 (Zuri-West): Super-kuul, industrial-hip ‘hood.

• Kreis 8 (Seefeld/Gold Coast): It’s either called the Gold Coast because it’s one of the fancier areas of town - or because it faces the sunset and the entire side of the lake is bathed in golden light. You decide :)

Swiss etiquette (at least, what we have gleaned…)

• Don’t put your feet up on seats (or for that matter, public benches. I got yelled at by an old Swiss man once for doing this). But I think that the whole “feet on seats” is a pretty big American faux pas, and considered pretty rude in most other countries.

• When you go into a store say grüezi to the sales people, and when you leave say adieu (goodbye). Even if you speak zero German, it’s appreciated! People occasionally greet strangers with a grüezi when passing in the street, but always on hiking trails.

• Don’t be surprised when the Swiss don’t form an orderly line - this is the one aspect of Swiss culture where everything seems to completely break down. That said, I still haven’t figured this process out yet (especially for tourists/foreigners), so you should definitely always start by attempting to find or form a queue, all civilized and such. But if you start noticing people cutting in front of you, then I say to hell with it - every person for themselves!

• Cheersing - Wait until everyone has their beverage of choice, look your toasting partner in the eye, clink your glasses, and say zum Wohl or Prost (cheers). Repeat the same ritual with everyone in the group, for every round of drinks. No crossing arms, either. Yes, it’s time-consuming. But it makes the cheers that much more thoughtful!

• Three-kiss greeting - Not one, not two, but three!

• Tipping, while appreciated, is not required.

Things to do in Zürich

Excluding the big tourist sites, like the Grossmunster, Fraumunster, etc, because I’m assuming any guidebook can explain those sites better than I can!

Walking tours

• If you come on a walking tour with Raunaq or I, you’ll likely get a fake (but fascinating!) history of Zürich. For real history, check one of the many free walking tours. Old city tour for old history. Zurich West tour for new history, and this one for the history on all the water fountains in the city!

Museums, art galleries, and then some

• Art fan? The Kunsthaus is cool and has a surprisingly impressive collection. There are a few museums we haven’t visited that are meant to be cool. The Museum fur Gestaltung cost $$ for admission, but there’s a whole slew of free art galleries in and around the Lowenbaru Areal and all over Zürich that are interesting - also the Helmhaus usually has free contemporary art. 

• Soccer fan? The FIFA headquarters are here and hence so is the FIFA museum. Learn about Pele and how much Qatar paid in bribes to host the World Cup. Also, you can play soccer pinball upstairs. It’s actually a lot of fun!

• And then some: Plenty of art shows, exhibitions, film festivals, whiskey festivals, food festivals, concerts, open-air movies on the lake and river, etc., happen in Zürich throughout the year, so check Ronorp, KulturZuri and Zuerich.com to see what is going on while you are in town.

Frolicking in the water (summer)

• Zürich in the summer is all about lake life, Limmat life and badi life. Read this blog post for the skinny on badi life (most spots are about 8 francs for entry, but the badis along the Limmat are free). Don’t want to pay? You don’t need to. Do as the locals do: find a spot along the lake where people are in the water, and jump on in. Some favorite lake hangout spots are: Arboretum Zürich (Enge), Landiwiese and Saffa-Insel (Wollishofen), and the parks in front of China Garden (Seefeld/Gold Coast).

• Be careful swimming in the river if you’re not a good swimmer because the current can be strong. And FYI, the Limmat water is colder than the lake water.

• For a water-adjacent activity, take a boat ride. Buy a bottle of Swiss wine, head to Burkliplatz, and hop on a ferry for a two-hour cruise on Lake Zürich.

Sauna and thermal baths

Spa and wellness culture is really big in Switzerland.

• Sauna am See - The Enge badi turns into a sauna on the lake in the winter. It’s fun to go on a clear day (when you can see the Alps!) or when it has been snowing. It’s a pretty unique city experience. Just be prepared: people will be naked.

• B2 Hotel Thermalbad & Spa - This is part of the B2 Hotel, but you can get a day pass to the spa. There are huge wooden tubs in underground vaults for the thermal baths, an Irish-Roman spa ritual (it costs extra but is worth it!), and a rooftop thermal infinity pool that overlooks the city. An excellent rainy day activity. People will not be naked.

Hike up Uetliberg

• Take the 13 tram to the end of the line (Albisgütli). From there, it’s about a 45 minute hike up to the top of Uto Kulm (it’s not long, but very steep). Incredible views of all the Alps around you on a clear day. If you want a longer hike, continue along the ridge to Felsenegg (additional 1-2 hours, flat trail). From there, you can grab refreshments from the restaurant, and take the gondola down to Adliswil and catch the S4 train back to Zürich Hauptbahnhof. 

Spots for city views

• Lindenhof Hill - A tree-covered plaza right up the stairs from St. Peter’s church. Lindenhof is steeped with history, with remnants dating back to the Roman Empire.This is by no means a hidden gem, but it has wonderful views of the Limmat River, the Grossmunster, the Niederdorf and Lake Zürich.

  • And a fun fact: Look for the statue of the woman above the fountain. It was built to honor the Zürich women who defended the city during the siege of Zürich in 1292. They dressed in full battle gear and climbed to the top of Lindenhof, in order to trick the Habsburg army into thinking that the city was well-protected by men.

• The Polyterrase at ETH Zürich - A semi-hidden gem! The Polybahn takes you up from Central to the panorama terrace in front of ETH’s main building.

• Clouds Bar & Bistro - At the top of Prime Tower (the only skyscraper in Zürich)

• Uetliberg - If you don’t want to do the hike, you can also take the S10 train all the way up to the top of Zürich “little mountain.” Get there 15-20 minutes before sunset for an incredible show. Pro tip: check the webcam. Even if it is a foggy day in Zürich, it might be clear skies on top.

• Seebad Utoquai - There’s no better place for a classic summer sunset. The wide, west-facing wooden decks offer incredible views of the cityscape and Uetliberg as the entire lake turns golden.

Where to Eat and Drink

Ok, here is the thing. The cheese and chocolate here is great, but it is just far too easy to go out to dinner and spend upwards of 150 CHF on an average meal. So for the most part, Raunaq and I cook and eat at home…but when we have a hankering to go out and be social, these are the places we go. They are all delicious and all worth the money, in my humble, non-foodie opinion. In general, try and make reservations (especially Thursday and the weekend), but normally it’s ok to walk in if you’re prepared to wait.

Traditional Swiss

To be honest, there are probably many more great options for Swiss food that what I have listed here. But as a vegetarian, Swiss food simply isn’t the most exciting to me (sorry!). With the very big exception of rösti (and having fondue out exactly once in the winter), we don’t tend eat much traditional Swiss food in Zurich restaurants. But hey, it’s all about the experience, and it’s definitely worth going for at least one or two authentic Swiss meals!

P.S. Like every country, Swiss food varies regionally, and there is much much more to the cuisine than simply fondue! The restaurants below mainly serve food from the German-speaking regions of Switzerland.

• Zeughauskeller - Rustic Swiss classics in a 15th-century building (it was a former armory!). Come for the schnitzel, stay to see William Tell’s crossbow. 

• Bierhalle Wolf - More meat and cheese Swiss classics, but in a bierhalle. Come for the spätzli, stay for the oompah band and dancing with 80-year old Swissfolk.  

• Swiss Chuchi - Fondue! This place is very touristy, but its in the middle of Niederdorf (part of Zürich’s Old Town), and has a fun, lively vibe with all the traditional Swiss chalet decor. If you want fondue in the summer, you will probably only find it at places like this - fondue is a dish meant for cold weather, and it can be uncomfortable to eat in hot weather (I speak from a very sweaty experience). 

• Reithalle - Traditional Swiss/German food and a beautiful backyard beer garden that’s open in the summer

• Sternen Grill - I’m told that this is the best sausage in Zürich. Avoid going between 12pm - 1pm, and the queue might be slightly less long. Great location in Bellevue, right off of Sechseläutenplatz and near the Opera House.

• Pop-up fondue chalets (winter seasons only): Frau Gerolds Winterstube for hipster fondue in a wooden yurt, the Fondue Tram for fondue and sightseeing, and any fondue chalet at a Christmas market.

Non-Swiss Food

• Bar Basso - Good pizza and chill vibe. Pairs well with Rimini Bar in the summer, and Tales Bar in the winter.

• Rosso - Sister of Bar Basso. Better pizza. Reservation highly recommended. Pairs well with Frau Gerolds Garten

• Santo Bevitore - Divine pasta, a lively convivial environment, and a crazy bandana’d chef…it’s the best!

• San Gennaro - Pizza by the Limmat, best in the summer

• Margherì - Pizza inside, when it’s too cold outside

• Tenz -This went from food truck to multiple restaurants…all they serve is 3 types of momos and a legitimately hot chili sauce. It’s very good.  

• Co Chin Chin - It’s not the easiest to find good Asian food in Zürich, but this place is great for Vietnamese.

• Tokoyo Tapas - Same reasoning as above, but for Japanese snacks. The gyoza are seriously delicious.

• Gaijin Izakaya - Same reasoning as above, but for Japanese Izakaya ;)

• Bebek - Middle Eastern/Mediterranean food

• Samigo - For lakeside pizza, bevs and good summer vibes

• Bridge - A foodmart-style place, with lots of different food stands, bars, and a fancy grocery store. The curry rice from the Japanese stand is legit, as is the burger, the pizza, and the sourdough bread from the bakery

• Achi - Specializes in northern Chinese dishes. I literally had dreams about their eggplant with spicy garlic sauce.

• Lotus Garden - Spiciest food you’ll find in Zürich. Go there for the Chongquing chicken. I’ve never seen Raunaq sweat more than when he was eating this dish.

• Les Halles - Fun, dive bar vibe serving up huge portions of moules frites. Cash only. 

• Kleine Freiheit  - Has an awesome outdoor patio/terrace. They have brunch on the weekends (a mix of mezze, breads/pastries and cheeses), but an a la carte mezze & daily soup (soup only in winter) menu for lunch during the week.

• Restaurant Toto - Fancy Italian without feeling like fancy Italian. The bar up front also seems like a popular after-work spot.

Cafes and Coffeeshops

• Grande Bar - This isn’t a cafe to take your laptop. It’s a cafe where you bring a book, or read the newspaper, or casually have a glass of rose at 11:30am. That kind of a cafe.

• John Baker - The only baker I’ll ever need to know. Go early. Everything is good.

• JUNG Schanzengraben - Great coffee and pastries. Best in the morning, when you can sit in the little window seat outside in the sun and watch the suits scurry to Paradeplatz.

• Milch Bar - Cute little tucked away spot (right off Bahnhofstrasse) with great coffee, acai bowls, and a nice courtyard.

• La Stanza - Italian-style coffee in a classic, old-school bar with marble countertops

• Bachmann’s - One of the best laugengipfel’s in Switzerland. What’s a laugengipfel? It’s the lovechild of a croissant and a pretzel. Also try the mandelgipfel and milch florentine. Open on Sunday’s!

• Babu’s Bakery & Coffeehouse - Everything on the menu is tasty, and they always have a delicious daily soup that is a pretty good price!

• Vi Cafe (multiple locations, like at Bahnhofstrasse and Bellevue) - great place for takeaway coffee

• Collective Bakery - Go for the nut croissants and the sourdough bread. Unfortunately, their new location is a bit out of the way for most folks.

• Cafe Sprungli - For the hot chocolate and the people-watching (it’s the perfect vantage point between Paradeplatz and Bahnhofstrasse)

Places to drink

• Bierwerk - Craft beer plus focaccia. The dream!

• El Lokal - Bar with an alternative vibe on the Sihl river (it actually reminds me a bit of bars in San Francisco!). The inside is quirky, but can get crowded. If that’s the case, grab a bier and sit outside by the Sihl. Sometimes there is live music.

• Le Raymond - They have a patio right on a canal, lovely on a sunny day or a warm night

• Tales Bar - Great cocktails. Upscale but lively ambience. (We prefer the cocktails here to the more hyped Old Crow)

• Frau Gerolds Garten - Cool kids come here to day-drink in gritty urban environs. 

• Rimini Bar - During the day it’s a men’s only bath. At night it becomes a bar where cool kids come to play by the water. 

• Rote Fabrik - A former silk mill turned artist collective, restaurant and club on the west lake shore with legal graffiti walls. Feels very Berlin-esque. The bar is right on the lakeside.

• Samigo Garden - Only open spring through fall. I get very excited once I see the white-and-yellow umbrellas being set up…it means that winter is over!

• Barfussbar - One of the most popular “Badi” bars in the heart of the city. It’s literally on the river, and offers amazing views of the Grossmünster, Fraumünster, and the Limmat. Only open in summer. Bring out of town guests here to impress them.

• Damm Bar - Cute little bar with lovely garden in Wipkingen

• Widder Bar - Extensive whiskey selection and whiskey flights! Classy, piano-playin’ type place. Inside the Widder Hotel on Renweg. For a more casual night out, try Widder Garage next door.

• Bar Sacchi - Creative, “no menu” bar where they will invent a cocktail based on your tastes. Conveniently located across the street from Tenz (Lochergut location)

• La Stanza - Espresso bar during the day turns into hotspot for after-work drinks. Expect to stand (and stand out if you’re not wearing work attire and/or drinking non-gender appropriate beverages, i.e. beer for men, wine for women)

• El Dorado - For all your non-Swiss, craft beer hankerings. They have Orion IPA on tap. Not as many options as the International Beer Bar, but a far better vibe (in my opinion).

• The lake or river or tram or train  - Zürich has no qualms about drinking in public, so buy a beer or bottle of wine from a supermarket and hit the streets.

Day trips

For hikers and non-hikers alike!

Hiking

In my humble opinion….if you come to Switzerland during hiking season, you have to hike. At least once.

Our favorite summer hikes are documented here, spring hikes here, autumn hikes here. Most, if not all, of these hikes can be done as a day trip from Zürich. You’ll need to wake up early, and likely return late and tired with sore legs and a million gorgeous photos. Check out my Swiss Hiking 101 post for more info.

If you want to combine a hiking day with some culture - do the Val de Travers hike + absinthe tasting day trip. You’ll likely return slightly intoxicated and with various absinthe paraphernalia. Details here.

Easy outings (non-hiking and 1-2 hours away)

I’ll just briefly mention a few easy day trips here, but I’ll be putting together a whole post on day trips from Zürich. Stay tuned.

Bern

• The capital of Switzerland is famous for fountains, bears and the Paul Klee museum. Only an hour from Zürich by train.

Rhinefall (and Schaffhausen and Stein am Rhine)

• You may want to go here because you read it in a guidebook. We think the Rhinefalls are a little ‘meh’ (sorry!), but all visitors LOVE the Rhinefalls. The overall day trip can be improved if you combine it with Schaffhausen (which has an old fort with a tower you can climb to the top of) and Stein am Rhine (which has a cool main square with 500-year old frescos on the buildings). Best to go in spring/early summer when the water level is highest. 

Rapperswil

• Rapperswil is a small town at the upper end of Lake Zürich. It’s got a castle, a rose garden, a lakefront promenade, and the longest wooden bridge in Switzerland. There isn’t a whole lot to do in Rapperswil, but you can make it a whole day trip by combining it with a ferry ride from Burkliplatz (two hours, one way). We generally take the ferry there, and then hop on one of the many trains back to Zürich (approximately 30 minutes). Pro tip: bring a bottle of wine on the ferry for a DIY lake cruise.

Lucern

• Everyone wants to go here and loves it. It is like a smaller version of Zürich (quaint Old Town with a river and lake). The mountains are a bit closer, but the trade-off is many more tourists. Best combined with a trip up to Mt. Rigi.

Done with Switzerland?

Here's where to go next by land.

The following places have direct train / bus connections from Zürich - between 3-6 hours. 

Paris - The high speed train is very quick. For the pastries. Book via the oui.sncf website. Booking in advance can make it a lot cheaper.

Milan - 4 hours by train. Can be pretty cheap. For-a-the-pasta. Book via this site

Innsbruck - 4 hours by train. For the mountains and the strudel. Trains via this site. Buses via flixbus

Munich - 4 hours by bus / 5 hours by train. Can be pretty cheap. For the beer! Buses via flixbus 

Venice - 6 hours by train. For the architecture and canals and cicchetti.

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Any more tips? Leave them in the comments!