Zurich Travel Guide: What to Do on a First Visit
A practical Zurich guide for travellers: the best things to do in a day or two, where to stay, and how to use it as your arrival point in Switzerland.
Most visitors meet Zurich first — it’s Switzerland’s main international gateway. It’s not an Alpine postcard, but it’s a genuinely pleasant city: a lake, a well-preserved old town, and some of Europe’s best-run public transport. For a first-timer, a day here is the perfect soft landing before the mountains.
Best things to do in a day
- Old Town (Altstadt) — wander both banks of the Limmat: the guild houses of the east bank and the lanes around the Lindenhof viewpoint on the west.
- Grossmünster and Fraumünster — the twin-towered landmark church, and the Fraumünster’s celebrated Chagall stained-glass windows.
- Lake Zurich — a boat trip or a lakeside walk; on a clear day the Alps line the horizon.
- Bahnhofstrasse — the famous (and famously expensive) shopping street from the station to the lake.
- Kunsthaus — one of Switzerland’s best art museums, if the weather turns.
Where to stay
- Near the main station (Hauptbahnhof): ideal for a short stay and easy onward trains.
- Old Town / lakefront: the most atmospheric, walkable to the sights.
- Zurich West: the converted-industrial district for food and nightlife.
Using Zurich as your hub
The key practical point: Zurich Airport has its own train station, and many long-distance trains stop there. You can land and be in Lucerne in an hour or Interlaken in two, without setting foot in the city — handy if you’d rather start in the mountains and save Zurich for the end.
Fitting Zurich into your trip
Zurich is the natural day-one arrival on our 7-day Switzerland itinerary, which heads west from here across the country.
Frequently asked questions
Is Zurich worth visiting, or should I skip straight to the mountains?
Zurich is worth a day, especially as your arrival point. Its old town, lake and museums make a pleasant, low-key start or end to a trip, but if your time is tight and you came for the Alps, one day here is plenty before heading to Lucerne or Interlaken.
How do I get from Zurich Airport to the city or the mountains?
Trains run from directly beneath Zurich Airport. The city centre is about 10 minutes away; Lucerne about 1 hour; Interlaken about 2 hours. You rarely need to change in the city — many mountain-bound trains stop at the airport station.
How many days should I spend in Zurich?
One day suits most first-time visitors focused on the Alps. Add a second day if you enjoy museums, nightlife or a lake excursion, or if you want a gentle buffer against jet lag before heading into the mountains.
Written by Christoph Burgdorfer
Swiss-based traveler writing first-hand, up-to-date guides to getting the most out of Switzerland — trains, mountains, and real prices in Swiss francs.
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