Zurich Day Trip: A Long Layover
When Wilhelm and I were flying between Germany to Slovenia, we had an 11-hour layover in Zurich. One of my good friends from DC, Amber, lives in Zurich and so we thought: Zurich day trip! Amber also has a cool blog about food and activities around Zurich (and wherever else she travels)! Check her blog EASY Snack out.
This post contains affiliate links.
Zurich Airport to City Center
Leave your luggage
If you’ve got any heavy carry-on luggage, it’s definitely worth it to leave. When taking the train into the city, the most convenient luggage locker is located near the ticket center on the lower level of the Zurich Airport. Just pick a box, put your stuff in, and pay the minimum fee. If you need your stuff to stay longer than 6 hours, you’ll put in the extra costs when you pick up your luggage.
Check out all the baggage services at Zurich Airport here.
Get train tickets
We decided to get the day pass for Zurich trains, which was around 15 CHF per person. It gave us the flexibility to take the train around town if we needed it. There are self-service stations near the escalator down to the trains.
The train from the airport to downtown Zurich is insanely quick. You’ll get off at the Zurich HB station. I was just getting settled in for the ride when Wilhelm stood up and said we were already at our stop just 10 minutes later. Amazing. Don’t get too comfortable on the train.
Lunch at House Hiltl
Start off with lunch at House Hiltl, which is the self-proclaimed oldest vegetarian restaurant in the world. There are a few restaurants around town but the flagship location is where you’ll want to go. It’s also open every day of the week and from 7am-10pm each day (which is pretty unusual).
We met up with Amber here!
The restaurant was set up buffet style; there were several cold and hot dishes from all over the world. I really enjoyed the Curries and the Asian salads.
Plates are sold by weight, and you can make this as light or as full as you’d like. We spent around 20 to 30 CHF per plate.
Explore Old Town
Afterward, walk around Old Town on your Zurich day trip without a real agenda.
After puttering Freiburg and Basel, Zurich seemed a little similar so we weren’t set on seeing every historical building.
Visit the Fraumünster Church and the Wasserkirche on your way to Lake Zurich.
See Lake Zurich
It was a pretty hot day when we visited and so we were bouncing between shady places. The Lake Zurich shore was filled with loungers. It’s safe to go into the water here and I was pretty tempted to jump in with all my clothes on.
Visiting is a must when on a Zurich day trip.
Visit the China Garden
Amber tipped us off to a free Chinese garden near Lake Zurich. No picnics (eating or drinking) are allowed inside, but it’s a lovely (and shady) spot to visit in town.
The China Garden was a gift from the Chinese twin city of Kunming and opened in 1994.
Coffee at Monocle Cafe
Next up we visited The Monocle Shop & Café, which is a magazine lifestyle center. Here we had 6 CHF Iced coffees. I internally screamed, but such is life in Zurich. The cafe is in a neighborhood, far from the touristy part of town so you’ll have a relaxed vibe here.
Shop and Lindenhof Viewpoint
Schweizer Heimatwerk is a design shop with some great gift options (or souvenirs for yourself). Stop here on the way to the Lindenhof viewpoint.
The viewpoint may even have some musicians playing around the fountain if you’re lucky.
Swiss National Museum
Although we didn’t have time to go inside the Swiss National Museum on our Zurich day trip, this is definitely a good thing to do if you have time during your layover in Zurich. We stopped by just to see the building.
Tickets are 10 CHF.
Lindt Chocolate Tour
If you have the time and love chocolate, go on a tour of the Lindt chocolate factory. It’s a little bit out of town so judge for yourself if you have the time if you’re visiting from the airport.
Early Dinner at Frau Gerolds Garten
For dinner, we met back up with Amber and her husband to this very cool area that had markets and tons of restaurants and shops located under the train line: Im Via Dukt. There’s also a pathway above which you can use to avoid the traffic streets below.
You could check out all of the different restaurants and decide where you wanna get dinner or you can head straight to the Frau Gerolds Garten. Plan to wait a little bit in line for a beer and food. There are vegetarian options available. We got the falafel sandwiches.
The vibe here is really cool and something I’d visit often if we lived in Zurich.
Got More than a Day?
Where to stay in Zurich
Although we didn’t spend the night in Zurich, I looked up some hotels just in case. As I’ve mentioned, Zurich is crazy expensive and the hotels reflect this too. Check out my recommendations:
- citizenM Zürich: Looks so cool but also pricy
- Vision Apartments: The mini studio is a relatively cheap option in comparison to other hotels
- Zürich Design & Lifestyle Hotel
- Paradeplatz Apartment: If you’re here for work and can expense an apartment, this looks so nice.
Day Trips from Zurich
If you have more time in Zurich, consider going on day trip to:
- In Zurich you can go on a City Tour, Cruise, and Lindt Home of Chocolate Visit or a city highlights tour
- From Zurich you can go on a day trip to the gorgeous Grindelwald & Interlaken
- Go all the way to Mount Titlis (and ride in a cable ride!) and explore the city of Lucerne
- Wilhelm and I visited Stein am Rhein as one of our first trips together as a couple and it was one of the most romantic and cute cities. I highly recommend visiting on a day trip. This tour combines the town with Rhine Falls.
- Got the top of Europe on your bucket list? Visit Jungfrauoch on a day trip.
- You can also visit Liechtenstein on a day trip!
There are so many day trip options from Zurich, guides transport, food, and more. Considering the city’s high cost of living, on an all-inclusive tour you’re likely to get a good deal.