Day Trips from Zurich

Zurich is under an hour from a lakeside old town and a great waterfall on the Rhine. A little further, cable cars climb to snow that lasts all year, while the glaciers and chalet villages of the high Alps ask for a longer day. This 2026, our Zurich page brings together 83 day trips and tours across the destinations below.

We would sort them by hours first, because the ride to the glaciers can take two hours or more. Then decide what the day is for: snow underfoot, an old town by the water, a thrill in the air or quiet countryside.

Travellers have left more than 17,048 reviews on the trips shown here, with an average rating of 4.6 out of 5.

Of the trips shown here, the one with the most reviews is "Zurich: Guided Tour Grindelwald, Interlaken & Lauterbrunnen", with more than 8,673 reviews and a rating of 4.6 out of 5.

Half a day

Only about 36 minutes by road separate Zurich from the Rhine Falls, so the afternoon stays free.

A full day, an hour or so away

Lucerne is 41 to 50 minutes away on a direct InterRegio train, which leaves the whole day for its old town and the lake. Mount Pilatus towers just above it, reached from Kriens by cable car.

A long Alpine day

Mount Titlis means about 1 hour 30 minutes by road to Engelberg, where its cable cars begin. Interlaken, between Lake Thun and Lake Brienz, is a little further. Grindelwald, at the foot of the Eiger, is around 2 hours away.

The Jungfraujoch goes higher still. Cars stop in the valley, because the peak is car-free, and a gondola or a cogwheel train climbs the rest.

Snow and glaciers

Mount Titlis suits families, snow lovers and thrill-seekers, because its summit keeps snow all year. An illuminated glacier cave and a cliff-walk suspension bridge wait at the top. The Rotair, the world's first revolving cable car, sets off from Engelberg, so check which cable cars come with our Mount Titlis day tours from Zurich. Titlis also takes less time in transit than the Jungfraujoch.

The Jungfraujoch is for bucket-listers, with Europe's highest railway station and glaciers all around. Its views are unmatched on a clear day, so we would keep a spare date in mind before booking day trips from Zurich to Jungfraujoch.

Still weighing the two summits? Titlis is the shorter ride, and reviewers also score our days there ahead, 4.7 out of 5 against 4.5 for the Jungfraujoch.

A lake, wooden bridges and a classic peak

Lucerne suits first-time visitors, families with pushchairs and anyone who wants scenery without hours in transit. Covered wooden bridges and frescoed houses line its lakeside old town. About 43 minutes of motorway separate Zurich and Lucerne, so day trips from Zurich to Lucerne leave the bulk of the day for strolling.

Mount Pilatus is for first-time visitors after the postcard Alpine view and a thrilling ride. The world's steepest cogwheel railway climbs it, and cable cars bring you down. Those who went up with us give the day 4.8 out of 5. Expect more stairs and walking than at the Rhine Falls.

Thrills and Alpine villages

Interlaken is for adrenaline seekers and water lovers. Paragliders drift down to its central meadow on clear days, and boats cruise its lakes. Think of it as a base for skydiving or kayaking rather than an old-world town when you choose Interlaken tours from Zurich.

Hikers, active families and scenery chasers belong in Grindelwald, a village of wooden chalets under the sheer face of the Eiger. The First Cliff Walk and mountain carts give the classic Swiss Alps feeling without a freezing glacier. If your dates are fixed, the lakeside town gives you more to choose from: we have 23 Interlaken trips and 11 for Grindelwald.

Young children and short days

Families with younger children, older travellers and anyone short on time will like the Rhine Falls. Europe's largest waterfall by volume is a wide, roaring torrent, watched from platforms at Schloss Laufen. Being only 36 minutes away by road, Rhine Falls day trips from Zurich fit easily into a short stay. Before you pick one, you can read what 5,192 travellers wrote about our falls trips.

Cheese country and a tiny principality

Appenzell is for hikers, food lovers and travellers who prefer a quiet, traditional Switzerland to busy resorts. Painted wooden houses, folk art and Appenzeller cheese fill its green pastures.

Liechtenstein suits history buffs and country collectors after a passport stamp from one of the world's smallest states. Its capital is quiet and easy to walk. Vaduz Castle is the Prince's home and cannot be toured inside, worth knowing as you weigh day trips from Zurich to Liechtenstein.

What really sets our Zurich trips apart is the final leg, since the summits add a cable car, a gondola or a cogwheel train. If you drive yourself, Swiss motorways need a toll sticker, the vignette.

Table data is indicative and comes from the GuruWalk catalogue. Each activity's current details, including availability, are the ones shown on its listing when you book.