Zurich! How can you miss this city when you are in Switzerland? If you are travelling on the VTL from Singapore to Switzerland, it would most likely would be the start/end point of your stay, since Zurich is the largest Swiss city and home to Switzerland’s international airport.
In this post, I’m here to help you navigate Zurich and to share with you some of the must-see/do places and activities! This itinerary is specially designed for a weekend, and can be covered easily in two to three days.
Disclaimer: Some of the links below are affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission if anyone purchases through them. This helps support my site so I can continue to create travel content for ya’ll~
Table of Contents
Where is Zurich?
Zurich is located in the Northern-Central part of Switzerland, along the shores of a lake by the same name.
Before I’d arrived in Switzerland, I’d mistakenly thought that Zurich is the capital of Switzerland, but that’s not true, in fact that title goes to Bern! However, Zurich is still crowned as the financial capital, with numerous global tech giants and Swiss banks including Google, IBM, and Credit Suisse etc setting up offices here.
While Zurich is most famed for being a clean and wealthy city with high standard of living, it also has the reputation of being one of the most expensive places to live in the world. Thus, you would need to be prepared to spend slightly more on this leg of your trip in Switzerland. Case in point (based on mine and Vince’s past experience in Zurich): Coffee costs 7-8CHF at a regular cafe, water at restaurants chalks up to 8CHF, and a box of fries at the christmas market was a whooping 13 CHF! I guess you will experience the pinch yourself whenever the bill at the restaurant/shops comes!
To watch my full vlog on Christmas in Zurich, click below!
How to get here/ around Zurich
Transportation is excellent in Zurich, and it is a breeze to reach the city from the airport. Trains run daily every 5 to 10 minutes starting from 5am to midnight, and shuttles people swiftly from Zurich airport to the main city within 10 minutes.
If you aren’t in a rush and prefer to see some views of the city on your way to the city, consider taking the Line 10 tram. While this is a longer route, on your way you will pass by the renowned Swiss educational institutes, including the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) and Zurich University.
While it is certainly possible to rent a car, I will not recommend driving around Zurich since the trains and buses are already excellent and punctual, and the city itself is very much walkable. With a car, you would only be spending unnecessary time and money searching + paying for parking.
Budget Tip: Zurich Card
The Zurich Card is a great travel companion for your time in Zurich.
With this city pass, you enjoy unlimited travel on all types of local public transportation including tram, bus, train, boat, funicular and cable car.
In addition, the card includes enjoy free admission to various museums and exhibitions in the city (examples include the FIFA Museum, Zurich Tram Museum etc) as well as a half-price discount for the Zurich Old Town Walking Tour!
If you are already planning for these activities within your itinerary, it would be well worth spending on the card and make the most of the discounts included.
For those of you coming into Zurich from the airport: I suggest that you can purchase it first online, that way your transportation into the city centre would already be covered.
Useful Information:
Cost:
For adults: 27 CHF for 24 hours, 53 CHF for 72 hours
For children: 19 CHF for 24 hours, 39 CHF for 72 hours
Where to Stay in Zurich: Hotel Scheuble
My choice of stay for this weekend stay in Zurich was at Hotel Scheuble. This mid-tier hotel has excellent location, as it situated in the historical centre of Niederdorf quarter and is just 3 minutes away from the Old Town, which made it really convenient.
To arrive here, take the tram lines 4,6,7 and 10 from Zurich HB. Hop off at the Central tram stop. From there, the hotel is a 5 minute walk.
Originally built in 1879, the hotel was recently renovated, so the furnishings were relatively new and modern. I stayed in the Double Room which was light-flooded and spacious, with wooden floors and a glass shower. Facilities include free WIFI, a safe, and Nespresso machine for moments when you need a perk-me-up.
Breakfast choices, while similar to the standard fare expected in Switzerland, are good in variety and quality. Choose amongst eggs (you can request for omelette and scrambled), hams and salamis, bread and croissants, yoghurts, muesli, coffee and juices.
Other plus points: they have a pillow service where you can request for specific pillow types to ensure a good night’s sleep. I found the default pillow too soft for my liking and called to the reception to request for a firmer memory foam pillow, and it was delivered to me promptly in the middle of the night at 1.30am! Fell into a deep slumber after.
Useful Information:
ühlegasse 17, 8001 Zürich
Telephone: +41 044 268 48 00
Price: Starts at 170CHF per night
Where to Visit in Zurich
1) Grossmünster Church
These “Salt and Pepper” towers are perhaps the tallest structures of Zurich and probably the city’s most recognisable landmarks. You will pass by it as you walk on the Münsterbrucke in the Old Town.
The Grossmünster (the name means Great Monastary) is a reformed Protestant church originally constructed in 1100 and inaugurated in 1229. The towers were added on later in 1492. The church is of cultural and historical significance, as it is reflective of the Swiss Zwinglian Reformation in the 16th century.
Like other reformed churches, the interiors are mostly basic and stripped of splendour, so if you have visited other catholic cathedrals in Spain or Italy, you might find this church a little underwhelming. If so, admiring the exteriors from far would be more than sufficient. Otherwise, for a small fee (5 CHF), you can also climb up the tower for an awe-spring view of the whole city.
2)Fraumünster Church
Just opposite the Grossmünster church stands another church with a lovely mint pointed roof, the Fraumünster. is It best known for the stained glass windows of Marc Chagall and Augusto Giacometti.
For 5 CHF, you can go on a 1 hour audio-guided tour which provides information about the church and the windows. However, take note that photography is not allowed inside the church.
3) Lindenhof
Make your way up to Lindenhof- Because nobody would believe you were in Zurich if you don’t!
Located at the top of the old town, this small hill serves as local green space and park, and is currently my favourite spot in Zurich. It’s not much of a climb to get up, plus you get the most perfect panoramic view of the Limmat River and the city. The best time to come would be in the evenings for an incredible sunset view.
There are tons of benches and shady trees to sit and relax under. Locals also like to play with the huge chess pieces, and children run around gleefully at the playground. Overall, a very tranquil place to see in Zurich. Proof that sometimes the best things you can enjoy in life are free!
4) Bahnhofstrasse
One of the classic old world luxury shopping streets and dubbed the most expensive retail street in Europe, Zurich’s Bahnhofstrasse is the equivalent of Champs Élysées in Paris. Spanning 1.4km, this long wheelchair accessible street stretches from the train station up till Lake Zurich and is pleasantly laid out with wide pavements on both sides, with trams crossing through busily everyday.
Here, you can find regular, modest brands like Zara, Massimo Dutti, H&M, Globus, Coop, as well as your usual premium luxury suspects e.g. Hermes, Cartier, Chanel and Prada. Apparently, the further you walk, the more exclusive the brands become!
Also, if you hope to do some Swiss watch-shopping, this is the perfect opportunity to do so, as all major Swiss watch brands e.g. Patek Philippe, Rolex, Omega, Vacheron Constatin etc have all set up their presence here.
TIP: Be sure to visit the Bahnhofstrasse if you happen to be in Zurich over the Christmas holiday season, as that is when the entire street is magically lit up with the Lucy lights! The lights goes up every year from November 25 to the end of the year and is is one of the city’s most cherished traditions.
5) Zurich West
For a more vibrant, hipster side of Zurich, you can’t miss out on Zurich West (also called ‘Kreis 5’ or ‘Industriequartier’)
Formerly a industrial wasteland for building ships, Zurich West has since been converted into a cultural district. Today, it is lined with colourful storefronts and local shops that cater to any whim a millennial might enjoy. This quarter is frequented mainly by locals, which I was secretly pleased with, it’s like an undiscovered gem other tourists don’t know about!
To come here, you can either take the regional S trains from Zurich HB to Zurich Hardbrücke, or take the tram 4.
The main attraction here is the Viadukt: Where underneath the 36 railway viaduct arches lay a variety of local independent clothing boutiques, delicatessens, and art galleries. It also houses the indoor food market Markthalle, which is the mecca for all food gourmands. Slow-food is the in-thing here, so you can expect to find anything from local honey and chocolates, fresh vegetables and fruits, flower bouquets , dry sausages and more.
Fancy an after work beer in a bohemian beer garden? Head to Frau Gerolds Garten (Mrs. Gerold’s Garden). This place would give the hipster spots in Brooklyn a run for their money!
At my time of visit, the whole place was festively decorated for Christmas, with strings of fairy lights, cosy fire pits for warmth and various stands for gluhwein, beers, and a heated indoor tent for your winter fondue fix.
Freitag aficionados take note: The Freitag Flagship Store is also found here in Zurich West!
For the uninitiated, Freitag is a local Swiss brand that sells industrial backpacks, handbags and purses made from recycled truck tarps and fully compostable textiles. Not only are they environmentally friendly, each individual piece are but also singularly unique thus somewhat justifying its steep pricing point (A bagpack starts from $200CHF!)
The Freitag tower itself is an eye-catcher on its own, made entirely by four freight containers piled one on top of the other. Here’s one secret that other locals would not tell you: Climb the metal stairs all the way to the top of the tower for the most incredible bird’s eye view of Zurich West!
I really enjoyed the cool, laid back setting of Zurich West. Initially we were in a rush for time to head to the Christmas market in the evening and I actually allmost felt like giving this area a miss. In the end, I’m SUPER glad to have made time to explore this alternative part of the city. For a more local and off-the-beaten path experience of Zurich, this quarter would be your best choice.
6) Lindt Home of Chocolate
A must-visit for all chocolate lovers to learn about the Swiss cultural heritage of chocolate: the Lindt Home of Chocolate!
Once you enter the premises, you are greeted by a spectacular 9 metre tall chocolate fountain! Designed as an oversize golden whisk, it drips 1500 litres of REAL CHOCOLATE down into a giant Lindor Kugel truffle. If i could jump right in and lick up all the chocolate, I would!
For the chocolate tour, visitors enter a 1,500 square exhibition and begin with a visit to a cocoa plantation set in Ghana. This first section examines the botany of the cocoa plant, how it is grown, harvested and processed into chocolates.
The next section brings you on a journey back in time to explore the history of chocolate. Chocolate fans eventually discover how this Mayan “brown-gold” found its way to Europe and eventually commercialised for mass consumption.
Audio guides in multiple languages were provided for the tour, so you will see everyone with the audio devices glued to their ears.
In the middle of the room stands the Conche machine, invented by the Swiss chocolate pioneer Roldolphe Lindt in 1879. This is the machine that is responsible for mixing and distributing the cocoa butter within the chocolate, giving it the smooth, velvety, creamy, melt-in-your-mouth feel of milk chocolate that we all love today!
My eyes lit up immediately as I rushed to the tasting corner, where three chocolate fountains filled with dark, milk and white chocolate stood.
No judgement or self-control required here: Grab a plastic spoon, push and dispense much chocolate as much as you want! Another really fun machine which I saw was one that looked like a hand sanitizer dispenser…instead out comes CHOCOLATE BARS!
Finally at the end of the tour, there are towers of chocolate truffles waiting to be brought home. Previously, freshly made chocolate pralines were provided. However,in lieu of Covid-19 safety and hygiene measures, these were since replaced with packed Lindor truffles. Just a teeny weeny bit of a disappointment, since these were of course less spececial and I could buy the truffles at the chocolate store anyway!
By now, if you STILL haven’t had enough chocolate, head down to the largest Lindt Chocolate Shop in the world and get some more chocolates as gifts for yourself or friends. Otherwise, finish off your afternoon with a cuppa with chocolatey treats at the very first Lindt Café in Switzerland.
I also joined the Maitre Chocolatier “Creative with all your senses” workshop, where in 50 minutes, you get the chance to learn from a real chocolate expert and bring home your own beautifully wrapped chocolate creation!
The chocolate were already melted in a huge pot, so our mission was to pour the chocolate into the mould, and ignite our own creative direction to decorate it with the almonds, sprinkles and nuts.
While waiting for our chocolates to settle into the mould, we also learnt about the origin, history and manufacture of Lindt chocolate, and even got to taste the different types of chocolate: pure cacao nibs, dark chocolate and milk chocolate.
Since my group were largely locals, the chocolate expert spoke mainly in Swiss German, however he still translated the information to me in English.
Honest review having now visited both the Cailler Chocolate Factory in Gruyères and Lindt Home of Chocolate: Overall, I found Cailler’s guided chocolate tour more interesting and interactive, with more in-depth history. However, Lindt’s public chocolate workshops really stood out to me, which I found it unique and especially suitable for kids or adults interested in a more hands-on experience.
Still, chocolate being such a quintessential part of Swiss heritage, I would say that either factories are worth visiting, depending on whether you are in the Swiss-Romande or Swiss-German region.
Useful Information
Schokoladenplatz 1, Seestrasse 204, 8802 Kilchberg
Opening hours
- Monday to Saturday: 10am to 6PM
Ticket prices
- Adults: 15 CHF; Children aged 8-15: 10 CHF ; Children 0-7: free entry
- Seniors, Students/Apprentices (with ID): 13 CHF
- Family (two adults and two children aged 7-15): 64 CHF
- Free entry with Museumspass and Swiss Travel Pass. 10% Discount with Zurich Card. Show your respective card at the ticketing desk
TIP: You can book a combined boat cruise on Lake Zurich with entrance tickets to Lindt Home OF Chocolate organised by KKDay here.
7) FIFA World Football Museum
Did you know? Switzerland is the headquarters of the world’s two largest sporting organisations the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA). Having previously checked out the Olympic Museum in Lausanne, I was curious to find out the experience at the FIFA Museum in Zurich and for a non-football fan like me, it was certainly a great introduction to the World of Football!
Once at the start of your tour, you are greeted by the site of the “the Rainbow”: a massive horseshoe shaped glass cabinet that displays the national jerseys of all 211 FIFA members!
The permanent section is situated at the bottom floor, and features every edition of the Men and Women’s FIFA World Cup, since the inaugural 1930 tournament held in Uruguay.
I was blown away by the details of the individual glass showcases: Each containing precious items and memorabilla significant to the particular year’s World Cup. Inside you would find shoes and gloves of star players, tickets, summary of events and tournament results.
At the indoor cinema, don’t miss watching the excellently produced film ‘The Finals’. It puts together all the significant hair-raising moments throughout the World Cup’s history, showcasing football at its best. That 10 minutes of watching is bound to get your heart racing as though you were on the pitch before a World Cup final!
But of course the most hair-tingling moment has got to be setting eyes on the original FIFA World Cup™ trophy!
Introduced in 1974, every winning world cup team only has the chance to kiss and hold the trophy for teir single moment of victory, before it is promptly returned back to FIFA and the museum for safeguarding. Not surprising considering how this precious trophy is…It is made of a whooping 18 carat gold, with bands of malachite at the bottom!
My favourite part of the musem has got to be the interactive play area on the top floor for adults and kids alike to test out their footballing skills! There’s even a oversized human pinball machine which I had such good fun with.
Useful Information
Fifa World Football Museum
Seestrasse 27, 8002 Zurich, Switzerland
Opening hours
- Tuesday to Sunday: 10am to 6pm
- Monday: Closed (the museum will open on selected public holidays)
Ticket prices
- Adults: 24 Swiss Francs (CHF); Children aged 7-15: 14 CHF ; Children 0-6: free entry
- Seniors: 19 CHF Disabled: 14 CHF
- Students/Apprentices (with ID): 18 CHF
- Family (two adults and two children aged 7-15): 64 CHF
- Free entry with Museumspass and Swiss Travel Pass. 30% Discount with Zurich Card. Show your respective card at the ticketing desk
8) Uetliberg
For a great daytrip option, you don’t even have to head out far. The Uetliberg mountain (a small and humble hill actually!) is just 20 minutes away, on the outskirts of Zurich. To get here, you can either take the local S10 train which goes directly up, or do a morning hike.
We were there during winter and saw lots of families with children bringing along their plastic tubes and sleds and sliding down the hill, which seemed like pretty good fun to me!
It snowed the day before and we did a beautiful snow hike through the forests. Lunch was at Uto Staffel, a cute chalet style restaurant with stunning views of Lake Zurich and the city.
Where to Eat in Zurich
1) Restaurant Hiltl
Restaurant Hiltl is the place to be for carnivorous easters to realise that vegetables can be just as exciting as meat, if not more exciting!
Founded in 1898 and currently helmed by the fourth generation of the Hiltl (pronounced Hil-tal) family, it is famed for holding the Guinness World Records as the world’s oldest continuously run vegetarian restaurant. Now who would have guessed that !
Aside from a-la-carte/waitered service, the restaurant offers a great self service buffet, where you simply choose what you want and pay by the final weight of your plate.
Combining Indian, Asian, Mediterranean and Swiss influences, dishes include Palak Paneer, veggie cheeseburgers, tofu dishes thai green curry, aubergine curry, beetroot nuggets, chickpea salad… I’m salivating just typing this! I always found the options for vegetarian in Switzerland rather limited so it was really a pleasant surprise to experience for the first time such a wide selection of plant-based dishes.
I know you want to pile everything on your plate, but just make sure to save space for their desserts (think chocolate brownies and zucchini cake!)
And if you would like to learn whipping up vegetarian meals at home yourself, check out their easy-to-follow recipe books which you can purchase from the cashier.
Useful Information
Sihlstrasse 28, 8001 Zürich
Reservations: hiltl.ch, quandoo.ch
2) Zunfthaus zur Waag
For authentic Swiss cuisine, impeccable service, and a fine selection of wines, the 17th cenury Zunfthaus zur Waag is one of the best historic restaurant venues for local visitors and international celebrities alike who visit Zurich.
Zurich’s guilds had an important influence in city’s history since the 14th century. These guilds, or zünfte used to be prestigious men’s clubs, where the city’s elites would gatherto meet and discuss trade matters.
One such guild-house is the Zunfthaus zur Waag. Established in 1303, it was the guild of Zurich’s linen weavers. Today, it is one of Zurich’s top restaurant establishment serving traditional, refined Swiss cuisine. It also has a few large halls which are excellent choices for wedding receptions, anniversary events and corporate functions of up to 150 guests.
Both the interior restaurant setting and its exteriors were nothing short of elegant. The restaurant’s light blue facade, with its breathtaking Chagall windows were lit up with Christmas lightings, and it was a glittering sight to behold on the Münsterhof. Inside the restaurant, we were comfortably seated amongst 10 or so tables intimately set up with crisp white linens, fresh exotic flowers and rich red carpet and upholstery.
Highly recommended Swiss fares here include the Zürcher Geschnetzelte and the Wiener Schnitzel, paired beautifully with a glass of local pinot. Remember to save room for the chocolate mousse (made with the restaurant’s secret recipe), with texture as light as a cloud!
Useful Information
Zunfthaus zur Waag
Münsterhof 8
8001 Zürich
Nearest tram stop: Paradeplatz
3) Restaurant A Fatt
This Malaysian-Singaporean restaurant is such a rarity in Switzerland (the only other equivalent I know is Sedap in Geneva) and serves delicious and craveable hawker food favourites like char kway tiao, beef rendang, kaya toast bread, siu yuk and even claypot rice! I had the wonton mee for lunch and goodness, when was the last time I even had such huge crispy wonton and thick charsiew?
As someone who has been missing home and always on the hunt for local asian food in Switzerland, I can attest that the food here is legit and authentic, and also very reasonably priced for Zurich. In the event your usual asian palette gets sick from too much Swiss fondue and cheeses… this would be your best backup option!
Useful Information
Restaurant A Fatt
Limmatstrasse 189, Zurich 8005 Switzerland
Itinerary Tips: Where Else Can I visit in Switzerland From Zurich?
Since Zurich is usually a base point for travellers who would wish to explore other parts of Switzerland, I would recommend spending 2 or 3 days here based on the above activities, then heading to other regions. You can click below for the other related Swiss itineraries that I have written:
Schaffhausen: For a visit to the grand Rhine Falls and the cute town of Stein am Rhein!
St Gallen and Appenzell: I still find these two places very underrated and often missed out by travellers, but St Gallen and Appenzell in the Bodensee region are extremely worth visiting if you are interested more in architecture and Swiss cultural heritage. Here you will find the beautiful Abbey of St Galle, which houses one of the oldest library in the world; and in storybook-village Appenzell…Witness witness the famous alpine descent in autumn!
Lucerne: Honestly one of the prettiest cities in Switzerland. Also great for visiting Mount Pilatus and Mount Titlis in summer time and for the Swiss Transport Museum which is my favourite of all time!
Bernina Express: Zurich is about 1.5 hours away from Chur, which is the starting point of the Bernina Express. This is the classic Swiss train ride which you would not want to miss out!
Ticino: It would make more pragmatic sense to head south to Ticino from Zurich as compared to say from Lausanne as it is closer. Best places to visit would be the Bellinzona Castles, Lugano for Mt San Salvatore, Morcote for the Most Beautiful Village in Switzerland, and the Madonna Del Sasso in Locarno. This region is my top recommendation during the summer! Lastly, you are feeling adventurous, you can even combine it with an inter-country hop to Milan, Italy afterwards from Lugano.
This post is part of my Grand Tour of Switzerland series. If you’d enjoyed this post, check out my other Swiss itineraries!
I also share everything about myself and Swiss travels on Instagram, so be sure to follow along there!
Until next time!
Love, Ollie
DISCLAIMER – This post contains sponsored content and was written in collaboration with MySwitzerland and Zurich Tourism. All opinions are my own. Special thanks goes out to Anita Beradi, who accompanied and guided me on this tour!
Have you been to Zurich? What was your favourite place? Leave a comment down below!
1 Comment
valforeverspirit
Hey thanks for sharing your experiences, this is really good content! I’m glad to come across this before my upcoming Oct trip! Just wanted to comment that Lindt choc is no longer free with Swiss Travel Pass! https://www.museumspass.ch/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/smp-booklet-2022-03.pdf
Keep up the writing, so we can continue to wanderlast from the little red dot!