Zurich travel guide
Zurich Tourism | Zurich Guide
You're Going to Love Zurich
With 341,730 inhabitants, Zurich is the most populous city in Switzerland. It is the most popular tourist destination in the country. Zurich deserves at least 2 full days for you to see its main sights.
Activities & attractions in Zurich
Museums
Food, Drinks, & Nightlife
Where to Eat in Zurich
Aussersihl is the neighborhood with the most restaurants in Zurich. These include popular favorites such as La Taquería (Kreis 4) (Badenerstrasse 138), Akaraka (Bäckerstrasse 30) and Neni Zürich Langstrasse (Langstr. 150). If you’re looking for affordable options, Outback Lodge Zürich (Stadelhoferstr. 18 Stadelhofer Passage) and Parkhuus Restaurant (Dreikönigstrasse 25) are great picks. For delicious green meals, GIESSEREI OERLIKON (Birchstrasse 108) and The Yard (62 Bäckerstrasse) are recommended spots to get vegetarian or vegan food in Zurich.
When to visit Zurich
Looking for warm weather? Then head to Zurich in July, when the average temperature is 66.2 °F, and the highest can go up to 75.2 °F. The coldest month, on the other hand, is January, when it can get as cold as 28.4 °F, with an average temperature of 32 °F. You’re likely to see more rain in June, when precipitation is around 5″. In contrast, January is usually the driest month of the year in Zurich, with an average rainfall of 2.5″.
How to Get to Zurich
Plane
When flying to Zurich, you’ll arrive at Zurich Airport (ZRH), which is located 6 miles from the city center. Airlines that fly from the United States to Zurich include SWISS, United Airlines and Lufthansa. The shortest flight to Zurich from the United States departs from New York and takes around 7h 35m.
Train
SNCF is the most popular train carrier serving Zurich, followed by AccesRail. The train journey from Zurich to Basel takes 0h 53m and costs around $20 for a one-way ticket. When coming by train from Geneva, expect to pay about $57 for a 2h 41m trip. Located 0.5 miles from the city center, Zurich Hauptbahnhof is the busiest station in Zurich. Another popular train station is Zurich Oerlikon, located 3 miles from the center.
Car
Another option to get to Zurich is to pick up a car rental from Geneva, which is about 139 miles from Zurich. You’ll find branches of Hertz and Avis, among others, in Geneva.
Bus
Several bus lines operate bus routes to Zurich, including FlixBus, BlaBlaBus and STUDENT AGENCY. From Stuttgart, the bus ride to Zurich takes 190 miles and will cost you around $17. From Karlsruhe, the ticket costs about $36 for a journey of 220 miles. The most popular bus station is Zurich Bus Station, located 0.7 miles from downtown Zurich. Zurich Wangen, Flugsicherungsstrasse is also a commonly used station, and is 5 miles from the city center.
Airlines serving Zurich
Where to stay in Zurich
From 5-star hotels such as the The Dolder Grand to great affordable options like the Boutique & Art Hotel Helvetia, Zurich offers a range of accommodations for every taste. Average rates range from around $187 per night for a double room in a 3-star hotel to $691 and up for a 5-star experience. If you’re on a budget, well-reviewed accommodations include Saint Georges Hotel and Hotel Marta. There are also lots of vacation rental options in Zurich, with prices from $55 to $914 per night. Altstadt is the neighborhood with the highest amount of rentals to choose from. On average, vacation rentals in Zurich are about 23% cheaper than a hotel room in the city.
Altstadt - In Zurich’s most popular neighborhood to stay, recommended hotels include Widder Hotel, Swiss Chocolate By Fassbind and Hotel City Zurich.
Altstetten - Here you’ll find travelers’ favorites such as Placid Hotel Zurich, The Flag Zürich and Best Western Hotel Spirgarten. The average nightly price for a double room in Altstetten is $138.
Seefeld - Hotel Seehof, Opera Hotel Zurich and Boutique Hotel Seegarten have some of the best reviews among hotels in this area. A 3-star room in Seefeld will cost you about $202 per night.
Where to stay in popular areas of Zurich
Most booked hotels in Zurich
Renting a car in Zurich
Renting a car in Zurich costs $73 per day, on average, or $146 if you want to rent if for 2 days. Budget, Europcar and Dollar are the agencies with the best reviews in the city. The most popular location to rent a car in Zurich is the Alamo branch at Enterprise Rent A Car, which is 5 miles from the city center.
It’s generally cheaper to rent your vehicle outside the airport: locations in the city are around 5% cheaper than airport locations in Zurich.
Expect to pay $7.84 per gallon in Zurich (average price from the past 30 days). Depending on the size of your rental car, filling up the tank will cost between $94.03 and $125.37. Compact (Nissan Juke or similar) is the most popular car type to rent in Zurich, while also 83% cheaper than other types, on average.