Ultimate 4 days in Switzerland Itinerary

Heading to Switzerland for a long weekend or a short trip? I love Switzerkand and could spend weeks there, but if you’re short on time I’ve compiled my 4 day itinerary recommendations below. This itinerary allows you to explore a variety of cities & see the moutains. It gives you a good chance to get a taste of the country and figure out where you’d like to come back to visit on a longer trip!

Disclaimer: This article contains some links where I earn commission through booking. There is no extra cost to you, and I only recommend things I’ve used and love or places I’ve stayed and enjoyed!

Day 1: Zürich

Zürich is the largest city in Switzerland, located in the German part of Switzerland along Lake Zürich. I recommend taking a day of your trip to explore all Zürich has to offer!

Getting There

Zürich is generally the easiest place to fly into in Switzerland, and has a large international airport. From the airport you can catch a train to Zürich HB, the main train station. The trains run regularly and it’s a fairly short trip (about 15 minutes) Depending on where you are coming from, Zürich is also easily accessible by train.

Best things to Do in Zürich

Explore Old Town

Old Town Switzerland is located on either side of the river connected by Rathausbrücke. Wandering through these picturesque cobblestone streets, surrounded by colorful medieval houses will take you past most of the famous places in Zürich without needing to do much planning.

Old Town contains the Grossmunster double towers and St Peter’s Church (with the infamous clock) On either side of the river you’ll find tons of restaurants and cafes, all with outdoor patios (even in the colder weather the quintessential European patios are open and seats offer fur blankets and steamy fondue to warm you up) I recommend grabbing a drink at Rathaus Cafe for the views!

Explore Lake Zürich

The lake is worth visiting in any season and always provides stunning views. In the summer take a dip in the lake, try some watersports or just hang out in one of the many lakeside cafes and bars. You can also try a boat tour in the spring, summer or fall. In the winter you can ice skate on the lake or warm up in one of the lakeside saunas!

Take a stroll or do some shopping at Bahnhofstrasse

One of the most famous shopping streets in the world is worth a stroll (even if the shopping is a bit out of your price range, like me) Also, around Christmas the “Lucy” lights (named after the Beatle’s song, Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds) light up the Bahnhofstrasse, and many other areas of Old Town, and is definitely worth seeing!

Find the Best Views in Zurich

Head to Lindenhof Hill to get the best views over the city of Zurich’s Old Town. It’s super easy to get to from Old Town.

Day 2: Lucerne & Mt. Titlis

For day 2 head to charming Lucerne, one of Switzerland’s most beautiful cities. Spend the morning exploring the small, picturesque town before taking a guided tour to the top of the Alps (Mt. Titlis) for the afternoon

Getting There

From Zürich it is easy to take the train to Lucerne. The fastest trains get there in about 40 minutes, and there are many direct train options daily from Zürich to Lucerne. The main train station in Lucerne is located right at the center of town and is easily walkable to most hotels and landmarks.

If you’ve chosen to rent a car it’s a quick drive from Zurich to Lucerne. You’ll need to find a garage or lot as there is no street parking. Here is a map of parking garages in downtown Lucerne.

Spend the Morning Exploring Lucerne

Lucerne is a small town that is best explored on foot. There aren’t a long list of must do and must see items, as it’s more of just a picturesque town to explore at your leisure! I’ve also compiled a list of my favorite restaurants in Lucerne if you’re looking for a place to grab lunch!

Chapel Bridge

One of the most famous bridges in Europe, the simple Chapel Bridge is a covered wooden bridge that connects Lucerne’s Old Town to the other side of the city where the main train station is.

Chapel Bridge is considered to be Europe’s oldest covered bridges.

Wander along the Reuss

Wandering along the river that separates Lucerne Old Town from the other side of the city. The river is lined with colorful building and the view from both sides is stunning! The river is doted with a series of restaurants and cafes that offer great spots for grabbing a drink or meal with a view!

Explore the Old Town

Lucerne’s Old Town, or Alstadt, is a small neighborhood filled with restaurant and shops. Explore the scenic neighborhood and stop into some of Switzerland’s best chocolate shops, like Laderdach.

See Lake Lucerne

At the end of the Reuss river lies Lake Lucerne. This large lake is surrounded by the beginning of the Alps. You can walk around this lake or explore by boat! They offer a variety of boat tours you can join

Guided Tour to Mt. Titlis

Spend the afternoo on a guided tour to the Alps. Ther are afternoon tours leaving daily from Lucerne that bring you to the top of the Alps, to Mt. Titlis. You’ll have two hours to explore the top of Mt. Titlis. Some of the highlights include:

• Cable car ride up to Mt. Titlis with epic views
• Mt. Titlis Cliff Walk
• Ice caves
• Tubing

The tour will drop you back in Lucerne for the evening. Full tour details can be found here.

Dinner in Lucerne

Spend the rest of your evening in charming Lucerne. Enjoy dinner at one od the many lovely restaurants in the Old Town area, I recommend trying one with a view if the weather is nice!

Day 3: Interlaken

Getting There

From Lucerne you can take a direct train to Interlaken in about two hours. Grab a window seat, because the ride will offer some stunning lake & mountain views.

Where to Stay in Interlaken

The Hey Hotel

On my most recent trip I chose to stay at The Hey Hotel ($200 per night at the end of June) The Hey Hotel was one of the cheaper options I could find during peak tourist season. It’s very conveniently located, and the lobby + restaurant/bar area were really nice.

The rooms were super basic, but had great mountain views! I was barely in the room so I wasn’t looking for anything too fancy!

Victoria Jungfrau Grand Hotel

If you’re looking for a more high end Interlaken experience the Victoria Jungfrau Grand Hotel and Spa is a must-stay. This stunning hotel overlooks the main square of Interlaken.

This hotel is expensive – think $600-1000 a night in the winter and $1000+ in the summer. But if you’re looking to splurge you can’t go wrong. Also, if you’re a winter person (like me) it literally looks like a postcard in the winter!

What to do in Interlaken

Hike or take the Funicular to Harder Kulm

Harder Kulm is an overlook above Interlaken with breathtaking views of the entire valley, Lake Brienne, Lake Thun & the Alps. The bottom of Harder Kulm can be reached on foot from downtown Interlaken. From the bottom you can access the hiking trails, or the funicular. The funicular runs every thirty minutes or so and only takes about ten minutes to reach the top, round trip tickets are 40 Swiss Francs. At the top you can enjoy the panoramic views and then there is a restaurant & bar if you want to enjoy a meal with those views!

only open from Mid-April through November

Kayak on Lake Brienz

Lake Brienz is one of the two lakes on either side of Interlaken and is the perfect spot to rent kayaks and explore Interlaken by water!

Watch the Paragliders land in Höhematte Park & the Höheweg

Höhematte Park at the center of Interlaken is a great area to wander and watch the paragliders land. Stop by the infamous Victoria Jungfrau Hotel and grab a drink on the large patio with perfect views of the paragliders landing. In the winter the park is turned into a massive series of ice skating rinks connected by ice bridges and is definitely worth a visit!

Explore St. Beatus Cave and Waterfalls

Accessible by bus from Interlaken, the caves are a series of walkways revealing underground waterfalls, mirror lakes and waterfalls outside of the caves cascading down the cliffs. You can explore on your own or go with a guide!

Day 4: Bern

Bern is the capitol of Switzerland and very easily accessible. It’s a very quaint, scenic town surrounded by a river that I highly recommend visiting on your trip.

Getting There

From Interlaken you can take the train directly to Bern. The journey only takes about an hour and many trains run between the two cities per day.

Best Things to do in Bern

Explore Old Town

Bern’s Old Town is likely where you’ll spend most of your time. The Old Town is considered a UNESCO center. Most of the building are connected by wooden arcades, giving the whole area a uniform medieval look. Old Town is home to the famous Zytglogge (or large clock) overlooking the center of the city, the Bern Cathedral & Einsteinhaus, where Einstein lived for several years.

Float down the Aare River

One of my favorite things I did in Switzerland was spending a day floating in the Aare, the river that encircles Bern. All along the Aare there are stone steps or ladders leading into the water for you to enter or exit (or if you’re brave you can just off one of the bridges into the water) Make sure you’re a good swimmer or have floaties if you’re doing this as the current is strong! The water is refreshing and areas of the Aare are lined with little outdoor bars where you can stop for a drink or a snack during your float!

Climb the Bern Cathedral

For some of the best views in Bern head to the Bern Cathedral (located right in the Old Town) and climb the 344 steps to the top for panoramic views of the city.

More details on opening hours can be found here. Entrance to the cathedral is free, but there is a small fee to climb the tower.

Find the best Viewpoints

Bern has some amazing viewpoints for viewing the city, the Aare river and the Bernese Oberlands. Some of my favorites:

• Rosengarten
• Bern Cathedral Tower (see above)
• Nydeggbrücke Bridge
• Untertorbrücke Bridge