Best Cities to Visit in Switzerland
Switzerland is one of my favorite countries I’ve ever visited! I’ve been lucky enough to travel extensively in Switzerland and each city is seemingly more beautiful than the last. Below are my top recommendations for can’t miss places in Switzerland, as well as details on some of the best things to do there, how long to stay, and getting around.
Switzerland is a smaller country, but each region is so unique due to how Switzerland is located so close to and influences by many other countries. As you travel through Switzerland you’ll notice the changing styles, architecture and languages as you move between the German, French & Italian areas of Switzerland.
The train system makes travelling around Switzerland super easy to travel between the major cities in Switzerland and I definitely recommend planning your trip in a way that you can explore multiple regions to see what Switzerland has to offer! If you’re looking to explore some of the smaller Alps towns, you may want to rent a car for that part of your trip!
If you’re planning on traveling around between several Swiss cities highly recommend the Swiss Pass, it’s a good way to save money, and can be used towards many other forms of transportation besides trains in Switzerland. Details can be found here
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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!
Best Cities to Visit in Switzerland
Zürich
Zürich is the largest city in Switzerland, and is generally the easiest place to fly into in Switzerland, depending on where you are coming from. It’s also easily accessible by train It’s located in the German part of Switzerland along Lake Zürich. Given that you’ll likely be travelling through Zürich at some point during your trip, I recommend making it one of your stops to explore!
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. 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!
How Long to Spend in Zürich
To me, one day is enough to explore Zürich before venturing to your next Swiss city.
Where to Stay in Zürich
Boutique Hotel Wellenberg
I loved this hotel in the heart of Old Town Zurich. Boutique Hotel Wellenberg is in the perfect location, has a terrace/bar, great breakfast & more!
Highly recommend trying this hotel on your next trip!
Lucerne
Lucerne is a small, but can’t-miss stop in Switzerland! Located among the mountains and along Lake Lucerne, it’s one of the most picturesque places I’ve ever seen. It’s the perfect place to spend a more relaxing day on your trip to Switzerland
Best things to Do in 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!
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!
See my post on best restaurants in Lucerne here!
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
How Long to Spend in Lucerne
To me, one day or even just a few hours as a day trip is enough to explore Lucerne before venturing to your next Swiss city.
Interlaken
Interlaken is a popular tourist destination in the Bernese Oberland region of Switzerland. Nestled between two lakes and surrounded by the stunning Swiss Alps as a backdrop, it’s easy to see why this has become such a popular tourist destination. Interlaken is a great home base for exploring some of the smaller towns in the Swiss Alps
Best things 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. It’s the prettier of the two in my opinion, and is the perfect spot to rent kayaks and explore Interlaken by water!
Skiing from Interlaken
Interlaken is a great home base for skiing in Switzerland. While Interlaken itself doesn’t have any ski resorts, it’s conveniently located near Grindelwald, Wengen, and Mürren. Interlaken is a great place to stay if you’re looking to explore several different ski resorts during your trip!
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. I also recommend stopping by the infamous Victoria Jungfrau Hotel to grab a drink on the patio with perfect views of the paragliders landing!
Ice Skating in Höhematte Park
In the winter the main square of Interlaken (Höhematte Park) is turned into a massive series of ice skating rinks connected by ice bridges. This is definitely worth a visit, winter in Interlaken is like one giant post card!
Explore St. Beatus Caves and Waterfalls
The caves are accessible by bus from Interlaken. The St. Beatus 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!
Take a Day Trip to the Alps
There are tons of great day trip options from Interlaken. Seeing the Alps while you’re in Switzerland is really a can’t miss experience! Some of my favorites are:
- Jungfraujoch “Top of Europe”
- Lauterbrunnen
- Mürren
- Grindelwald
You can see details on these day trips here!
How Long to Spend in Interlaken
To me, two days is perfect for exploring Interlaken and taking a day trip to one of the places noted above!
See my 2 Days in Interlaken Itinerary here!
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!
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.
Best Things to do in Bern
Explore Old Town
Bern’s Old Town consists of four main streets lined with a series of shops and restaurants. It’s easily explored on foot and you’ll pass many of the main sites mentioned below on your way!
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.
See the Clock Tower
Also located in the heart of Old Town, the Zytglogge Clock Tower with its astronomical clock is one of the most famous landmarks in Bern!
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
Float Down the Aare River
On a nice day you’ll see hundreds of locals body surfing and floating down the Aare river that winds through Bern. The water is an absolutely stunning blue.
Make sure you’re a strong swimmer though, the current can be quite fast and you’ll need to be able to pull yourself out of the water when you want to get out! Entry and exit points are marked with a red pole and steps for climbing in and out.
Grab a drink with a view at Restaurants Terrasse
How Long to Spend in Bern
To me, one day, or even half day as a day trip is enough to explore Bern before venturing to your next Swiss city!
Lausanne
Lausanne is in the French part of Switzerland and you’ll notice the architecture shifting from the medieval style of Bern & Zuirch or the Swiss Chalet style of Interlaken & the Alps to more of what you would see in a French city. It’s right on Lake Geneva with a stunning mountain backdrop and sprawling vineyards!
Best things to do in Lausanne
Full post on Best things to do in Lausanne here. Or keep reading below for the highlights!
Hang by Lake Geneva
If you walk downhill in Lausanne, you’ll eventually reach Lake Geneva. This is a stunning area to explore, swim, or grab dinner and drinks along Port d’Ouchy. You’ll definitely want to spend a good portion of your time down by the lake
Explore Old Town
Old Town is about a 30 minute walk (completely uphill) from Lake Geneva. There are jokes about how everyone in Lausanne is in great shape, because it’s all hills. Luckily, if you don’t want to walk there is a metro that runs up and down the hill. Old Town is a perfect place to wander without much of a plan, you can just take in the colorful buildings or the views of the lake from high above and afar, and maybe do some shopping or grab a meal at one of the many restauranrts.
Lavaux Vineyards
The stunning Lavaux vineyards lie between Lavaux and Montreux. See my full guide to the Lavaux Vineyards here. These are a cannot miss in my opinion! The UNESCO world heritage site can be walked or you can take a wine tour of the terraced vineyards.
Climb the Lausanne Cathedral
Located in Old Town, the Lausanne Cathedral has a tower offering the best views in Lausanne if you climb to the tower. Entrance to the cathedral is free, and it costs 5 Francs to climb to the top, but definitely worth it for the view!
How Long to Spend in Lausanne
I’d recommend spending at least 2 days in Lausanne & dedicating one of them to visitng Lavaux Vineyards!
Where to Stay in Lausanne
Le Flon
If you’re looking to be in the center of the action, and closest to shopping, many restaurants, and nightlife, I’d recommend staying the Le Flon / Old Town area of Lausanne. There are tons of great hotel options but my top recomendation would be Lausanne Palace
Ouchy
If you’re looking to be by the lake and the Port of Ouchy, you’ll want to stay in the neighborhood of Ouchy. The lakeside is surrounded by hotels, restaurants and shops, so there is plenty to do in this area.
My top recommendation would be Château d’Ouchy – a stunning lakeside hotel that looks like a castle and is one of the most prominent sites of the Ouchy area. But there are also a variety of options for all budgets and traveler needs.
La Gare
I opted to stay in La Gare – the neighborhood near the main train station. This was purely for convenience purposes, as I was traveling for work and needed to be near the main train station to commute to the office each day. La Gare is the most accessible and affordable of the neighborhoods.
Another benefit, is that it’s situated between Ouchy and Le Flon and makes it easy to walk or get the metro to either! I stayed at the Best Western Plus Hotel Mirabeau and would definitely recommend it to anyone traveling to Lausanne! La Gare also offers a variety of Hotel Options for all travelers.
Swiss Alps Towns
There are so many amazing towns in rhe Swiss Alps I’ve put together a full post for best Swiss Alps towns, you can find that here!
The guide goes into full detail on all the best towns, where to stay, what to do, getting around and more, but my favorite towns in the Swiss Alps are:
- Adelboden
- Lauterbrunnen
- Mürren
- Grindelwald
- Meiringen
- Foroglio
Switzerland Travel Itineraries
See my detailed Switzerland travel itineraries below:
