Top 5 Day Trips from Zurich
From Zurich there are a lot of nice day trips that are close to the city. You can visit the largest Waterfall in Europe: The Rhine Falls, hike on Mount Rigi with epic views of lake Luzern, or stroll on a wooden bridge to the lovely town of Rapperswil. And there is more ;-).
Last updated on: 20 Nov 2025
📍Holzbrücke
The Best Day Trips from Zurich
These are 5 of my favourite day trips from Zurich. I have been living in Zurich full time since august 2022. We have done everything on this list multiple times. It is also our go-to list when planning day trips when friends or family are visiting. Enjoy the trips!
1.The Rhine Falls
One of the best day trips from Zurich is visiting the majestic Rhine Falls. Standing at the edge of this magnificent waterfall, you can feel the roar and vibration of the water over your entire body. This is Europe’s largest waterfall.
📍 The Rhine Falls, Switzerland
You can experience the massive water volume from stairs and viewing platforms built next to and over the rushing water. For even more excitement, you can ride a boat to the centre of the Rhine Falls and climb onto the rock.
📍Panoramic view of the Rhine Falls and Laufen Castle from train station: Neuhausen Rheinfall.
Travel Tips Rhine Falls
🦋 Start your journey by arriving at ‘Neuhausen Rheinfall’ with the train. From here you have a wonderful panoramic view of the Rhine Falls and Laufen Castle. Explore the German area first and then cross over the bridge to the Swiss site (on the picture above, you can see the bridge on the left side).
🦋 The best way to experience the Rhine Falls with all your senses, is to start at the top of Laufen Castle (the Swiss side - CHF 5/adult ) and make your way down; make sure to stop at “Fischetz” platform. Enjoy!
📍The Rhine Falls, “Fischetz” platform.
📍The Rhine Falls, The view from "Fischetz" platform
2. Rapperswil
This is a really nice day trip from Zurich. The wooden bridge (Holzbrücke) from Hurden to Rapperswil is a charming wooden walkway across Lake Zurich. It makes for a pleasant walk with great views on each side offering you scenic views of Lake Zurich, the Swiss Alps and Rapperswil Castle. Definitely worth a trip!
📍Holzbrücke: Hurden to Rapperswil. A charming wooden bridge across Lake Zurich. Swipe to see the best views.
How to get there - Hurden to Rapperswil
Catch the train from Zurich HB to ‘Pfäffikon SZ’ —it’s just a breezy 45-minute ride. If you’re driving, no worries! Park your car at or near the train station.
Frauenwinkel Nature Reserve
From the train station, first follow a normal ‘wanderweg’ through the stunning Frauenwinkel Nature Reserve (Frauenwinkel Area). From there just follow the signs to Hurden.
Frauenwinkel Nature Reserve
Frauenwinkel Nature Reserve
Hurden
When you get to Hurden, make sure to wander around in this lovely town: stop at ‘Fischerei Braschler’ and ‘Kapelle Hurden’ for impressive views of lake Zurich and the Swiss Alps. From Hurden it is easy to make your way to the entry of the wooden bridge: just follow the signs. Walk to Rapperswil and enjoy.
The wooden bridge (Holzbrücke) from Hurden to Rapperswil. You can see Rapperswil Castle on the left side.
Information about Holzbrücke:
🌸 It is the longest wooden bridge (841 meters) in Switzerland. Pilgrims used this bridge on their way to Santiago de Compostela.
🌸 In one of the pictures you can see a little chapel called ‘Heilig Hüsli’ and until 2001 you could only reach it by boat.
3. Uetliberg
One of my favourite day hikes from Zurich is hiking on the Uetliberg: which is the home mountain of Zurich. It is really easy to get here with the train and it offers impressive views of the city of Zurich, Lake Zurich and the Alpine panorama. There are several hiking trails from which you can choose. A popular hike is the Panorama Planetenweg.
Enjoying Uetliberg with my mom. From this spot, you can catch stunning views of Lake Zurich and the Swiss Alps. Plus, Zurich City spreads out beautifully left below us.
Note: Untill early October 2025, the Uetliberg train from Zurich is out of service due to construction. There are replacement buses available to get you up to the Uetliberg viewpoint, but they can be a bit inconvenient. It might be easier to hold off on visiting until the construction is finished. For the latest replacement connections, check SBB.ch.
Uetliberg hike: Panorama Planetenweg
Explore the Panorame Planetenweg hike – a trail that shows you models of the solar system’s planets while offering amazing views. It’s great for families, nature fans, and space lovers.
📍 Uetliberg hike: Panorama Planetenweg
Trail overview:
This hike is about 5,5 km and is easily done in 2 hours. We recommend starting at the Uetliberg train station, walking to the cable car in Felsenegg that takes you down to Adliswil. Here in Adliswill, you can take a train back to Zurich. This trail offers views of Lake Zurich, the Alps and the surrounding farmland, like this one above. Have fun!
4. Baden
Baden was a really nice surprise when we had a day trip here (we went back a few times). Not only is this a cute little town to walk through, there are also natural thermal baths that you can use free of charge. Making this a great option for a budget friendly day trip. From Zurich Hauptbahnhof (Central Station) it is only 15 minutes by train (IR16 / IR36).
How to spend your day in Baden
The best way to spend your day is to first explore Baden and walk around in the city center: City Tower. After that it might be a good idea to climb some stairs to visit Stein Castle and walk across town to Holzbrücke.
Thermal Baths Baden
End the day in one of the thermal baths and rejuvenate while enjoying the view of the river. In the video you can see that you can visit the thermal baths on 2 sides: this side or across the river where you see people enjoying the baths in the sun.
5. Mount Rigi
Another popular day trip from Zurich is Mount Rigi, because if offers breathtaking panoramic views of the Swiss landscape. This majestic mountain stands at 1,798 meters offering stunning views of Lake Lucerne, the surrounding mountain ranges, and even the distant peaks of the Alps on clear days.
There are multiple viewing platforms, making it easy to capture memorable photos. We recommend the Mount Rigi Panorama trail.
Mount Rigi Panorama trail cliff walk
How to get to Rigi Mountain?
Mount Rigi is located approximately 1.5 hours by train from Zurich. From Zurich HB you can take the train to Arth Goldau, where the scenic cogwheel begins its ascent to Rigi Staffel (for the Panorama Trail).
Your trip already starts when you are on the cogwheel train, because the views are already spectacular from the train as it meanders through lush forests and charming villages. Alternatively, visitors can take a train to Vitznau and then board the cogwheel train to the summit.
Mount Rigi Panorama trail
The Rigi Panorama Trail from Rigi Staffel to Rigi Scheidegg is a favourite among hikers seeking breathtaking views. This 7 km trail offers amazing views of Lake Luzern and Lake Zug, as well as the Swiss Alps in the distance. The hike is easy to moderate, featuring a gentle incline near Rigi Scheidegg, and typically takes about 2-3 hours to complete.
Trail Info
From Rigi Staffel station, head toward Rigi First by following the marked signs. Once you reach Rigi First, you have the option to explore the cliff walk, as shown in the picture above. This is a short path carved into the mountain’s side where the views are breathtaking.
After the cliff walk, you can continue your hike onto a dirt service road that leads all the way to Rigi Scheidegg. From there, hop on a cable car from Rigi Scheidegg down to Kräbel, then catch the mountain train to the Goldau train station. Take the train back to Zurich.
All photos by my boyfriend and myself.
Do you have any questions about these 5 Day Trips from Zurich? Ask them in the comments!
You might also love
One of my favorite hikes in Switzerland is the Oeschinensee panorama hike. Simply because the views around this mountain lake are insane. Every corner you turn, offers a different stunning view. From the vivid turquoise of the lake, to the enormous mountains towering over you and even some waterfalls. It blew my mind.