Things to do in Switzerland

The 18 best things to do in Switzerland

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1. 1InterlakenBook ahead

   Ride the railway up to Jungfraujoch

   Jungfraujoch, at 3,454 m, is the highest railway station in Europe. Since 1912 the Jungfrau Railway has climbed through a 7 km tunnel inside the Eiger and Mönch, with a 5-minute stop at about 3,160 m for a first look at the ice. At the top, the Sphinx Terrace at 3,571 m looks down the Aletsch Glacier, 22 km long and the longest in the Alps, at the heart of the Swiss Alps Jungfrau-Aletsch UNESCO World Heritage Site. You can also walk through the Ice Palace with its ice sculptures and step out onto the glacier plateau, where there is snow all year. From Interlaken Ost the trip takes about 1 hour 30 minutes, via Grindelwald Terminal and the Eiger Express gondola.

   Tip: Check the summit webcam before you set off, since the view depends on clear weather, and add a seat reservation on good-weather days, when the railway strongly recommends one to avoid waiting.

   Return from Grindelwald Terminal, from: CHF 129.60 (about $159) · Return train ticket from Grindelwald Terminal; prices vary by date, and a seat reservation is recommended in good weatherFee changed?

   Last verified Nov 7, 2026

   Search tickets and tours on TiqetsSources: Jungfraubahnen Management AG (jungfrau.ch); Jungfrau Region Tourism (official); Jungfrau Region Tourismus AG (jungfrauregion.swiss)
2. 2Lucerne

   Cross Lucerne's Chapel Bridge past the Water Tower

   The Chapel Bridge is Lucerne's most photographed sight, a covered timber footbridge over the River Reuss that once formed part of the town's fortifications. With the octagonal Water Tower, built around 1290 to 1300 and used over the centuries as a lookout, archive, treasury and prison, it makes the city's postcard view. Painted panels hang under the roof, part of a cycle planned by town chronicler Renward Cysat from 1611 to tell the story of the old Swiss Confederacy. A fire on the night of August 18, 1993 destroyed most of the bridge and many panels; it was rebuilt in eight months and reopened on April 14, 1994. Just downstream, the Spreuer Bridge of 1408 has its own Dance of Death paintings from 1625 to 1635.

   Tip: Make it a loop: cross the Chapel Bridge, walk along the river and come back over the quieter Spreuer Bridge, looking up at the painted panels under each roof.

   Free to visit
   Search tours on TiqetsSources: Lucerne Tourism (official); Lucerne Tourism (official)
3. 3Lucerne

   Ride the world's steepest cogwheel railway up Pilatus

   Pilatus is Lucerne's own mountain, and its summit, Pilatus Kulm at 2,132 m, has a 360-degree view over Lake Lucerne and the Alps. The cogwheel railway from Alpnachstad opened in 1889 and climbs gradients of up to 48 percent in about 30 minutes, which makes it the steepest in the world; it runs on a special rack system devised by Eduard Locher, and a new fleet of railcars entered service in 2023. The classic day out is the Golden Round Trip, offered from May to October: a boat from Lucerne to Alpnachstad, the cogwheel railway up, then the aerial cableway and panorama gondolas down to Kriens and city bus 1 back to Lucerne, or the same loop in reverse.

   Tip: Reserve a seat on the cogwheel railway to avoid waiting at Alpnachstad, and catch the boat from pier 2, opposite Lucerne station; at Alpnachstad an underground path leads from the landing stage straight to the railway.

   Golden Round Trip, 2nd class: CHF 119.80 (about $147) · Kriens or Alpnachstad round trip: CHF 84 (about $103) · Round trip ticketFee changed?

   Last verified Nov 4, 2026

   Search tickets and tours on TiqetsSources: Pilatus Railways (official); Pilatus Railways (official); Lucerne Tourism (official)
4. 4Interlaken

   Walk to Staubbach Falls in the Lauterbrunnen Valley

   Lauterbrunnen lies in a deep, steep-walled valley where more than 70 waterfalls pour off the cliffs. The best known, Staubbach Falls, drops about 297 m beside the village, the highest free-falling waterfall in Switzerland, and breaks up into a fine mist on the way down. Goethe was moved by it in 1779 to write his poem Song of the Spirits over the Waters, and the valley inspired J.R.R. Tolkien, who visited in 1911 at the age of 19. A path leads to the foot of the falls, and the water is at its most powerful in spring and early summer, when snowmelt feeds it. In the high season the falls are lit at night. Lauterbrunnen is 24 minutes from Interlaken Ost on the Berner Oberland Bahn.

   Tip: Board the front part of the train at Interlaken Ost, since the rear section splits off to Grindelwald at Zweilütschinen, and note that the path to the base of the falls is open only in summer.

   Free to visit
   Search tours on TiqetsSources: Jungfrau Region Tourism (official); Jungfrau Region Tourismus AG (jungfrauregion.swiss); Jungfrau Region Tourism (official); Lauterbrunnen Tourism (Jungfrau Region Tourism, official)
5. 5Interlaken

   Ride up to car-free Mürren via Grütschalp

   Mürren, at 1,650 m, is the highest permanently inhabited village in the Bernese Oberland, and it is car-free: you arrive by cable car and train, on a ledge high above the Lauterbrunnen Valley facing the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau. From Lauterbrunnen, an aerial cableway climbs 686 m to Grütschalp in 4 minutes, then a small mountain train runs via Winteregg to the village, about 20 minutes in all. You can also walk from Grütschalp to Mürren with the three peaks in view and ride the train back. In the village, a funicular climbs to Allmendhubel for the Mountain View Trail, and Mürren is the base for the Schilthorn, where the 1969 James Bond film On Her Majesty's Secret Service was shot.

   Tip: Mürren is home to the people who live there, so say Grüezi, ask before photographing people or their houses, and keep picnics to the marked areas and fire pits.

   Free to visit
   Sources: Jungfrau Region Tourismus AG (jungfrauregion.swiss); Jungfrau Railways (official); Mürren Tourism (Jungfrau Region Tourism, official); Mürren Tourism (Jungfrau Region Tourism, official)
6. 6Interlaken

   Hear Trümmelbach Falls thunder inside the mountain

   Trümmelbach Falls are ten glacier waterfalls hidden inside the mountain above the Lauterbrunnen Valley, made accessible by a tunnel lift and considered the largest underground waterfalls in Europe. The stream alone drains the glacier walls of the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau, carrying up to 20,000 liters of water a second from a catchment that is up to half covered in snow and ice. The falls are part of the Swiss Alps Jungfrau-Aletsch UNESCO World Heritage area. Depending on the weather, they open daily from early April to early November, from 9 AM to 5 PM, and from 8:30 AM to 6 PM in July and August.

   Tip: Check the exact opening times at the start and end of the season, and note that children under 4 and dogs are not allowed in.

   Entry: CHF 18 (about $22) · Open Apr to early NovFee changed?

   Last verified Nov 4, 2026

   Search tickets and tours on TiqetsSources: Trümmelbach Falls (official, German text); Jungfrau Region Tourismus AG (jungfrauregion.swiss); Lauterbrunnen Tourism (Jungfrau Region Tourism, official)
7. 7Interlaken

   Walk the First Cliff Walk above Grindelwald

   Grindelwald sits at the foot of the Eiger, and its gondola to First leads to the region's adventure mountain. Six-seat gondolas take about 25 minutes from the village center, via Bort and Schreckfeld, to First, where the First Cliff Walk follows the rock face to a platform hanging over the drop, with a 45 m footbridge and views of the Eiger North Face and the snowy 4,000 m peaks. From the top station, a well-kept trail reaches the mountain lake Bachalpsee in under an hour. For more speed, the First Flyer zip line runs 800 m down to Schreckfeld at up to 84 km/h, and mountain carts and Trottibike scooters take you down toward the village. Trains run every 30 minutes from Interlaken Ost.

   Tip: Stay on the train to Grindelwald station rather than getting off at Grindelwald Terminal, since the First cable car starts in the village, about 10 minutes on foot from the station.

   Free to visit
   Sources: Jungfrau Railways (official); Jungfrau Region Tourism (official); Jungfrau Region Tourismus AG (jungfrauregion.swiss)
8. 8Lucerne

   Cruise Lake Lucerne on a paddle steamer

   On Lake Lucerne the boat ride is part of the trip. The Lake Lucerne Navigation Company runs five historic paddle steamers, with elegant Art Nouveau saloons, alongside its motor vessels, all year and in all weather, and its services connect with the mountain railways around the shore. From pier 1 on the Bahnhofquai, boats leave for Weggis, Vitznau, Brunnen and Flüelen. Get off at Vitznau for the Rigi, reached on Europe's oldest mountain railway, or stay aboard for Lake Uri, the fjord-like stretch between Brunnen and Flüelen with steep shores and places closely tied to Swiss history. Even a short cruise from Lucerne gives you views of the Rigi, Pilatus and the Bürgenstock.

   Tip: You don't need a seat reservation unless you want a table in the onboard restaurant, and the Swiss Travel Pass is valid on scheduled boats.

   Boat ticket needed
   Sources: Lake Lucerne Navigation Company SGV (official); Lake Lucerne Navigation Company SGV (official); Lucerne Tourism (official)
9. 9Lucerne

   Stand before the Lion Monument in Lucerne

   The Lion of Lucerne, a wounded lion carved 10 by 6 m into a rock face above a pond, honors the Swiss Guards who died defending King Louis XVI at the storming of the Tuileries in Paris on August 10, 1792. Officer Karl Pfyffer von Altishofen, on leave in Lucerne that day, pushed for the memorial and raised the money; the Danish sculptor Bertel Thorvaldsen designed it, and it was inaugurated in 1821. Mark Twain called it the most mournful and moving piece of stone in the world. Around 1.4 million people visit each year, and ten panels in German and English now explain its history and meaning. It is about 15 minutes on foot from the station and the old town.

   Tip: Take bus 1 or 19 from the station to Löwenplatz if you'd rather not walk, and give yourself time to read the panels, which tell the story most visitors miss.

   Open-air monument
   Search tickets and tours on TiqetsSources: Lucerne Tourism (official)
10. 10Interlaken

    Ride the funicular to Harder Kulm at sunset

    Harder Kulm is Interlaken's own mountain, 1,322 m up and only 10 minutes by funicular from the valley station, a short walk from Interlaken Ost. From the Two-Lakes lookout platform you look straight across to the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau, with Lake Thun and Lake Brienz far below on either side of town. The Panorama Restaurant Harder Kulm sits at the top, and a wide, shaded forest trail with views makes an easy walk. Evening trips take you up in time for sunset and bring you back to Interlaken soon after, which makes it a good first or last evening in the region. Sure-footed hikers use it as the start of the Hardergrat ridge hike.

    Tip: Time your ride for sunset on a clear evening, and check the forecast first, since cloud can hide the three peaks.

    Funicular ticket, from: CHF 19 (about $23) · Funicular from Interlaken, Apr to Nov; prices vary by ticketFee changed?

    Last verified Nov 7, 2026

    Search tickets and tours on TiqetsSources: Jungfraubahnen Management AG (jungfrau.ch)
11. 11Zurich

    Climb the Grossmünster tower in Zurich's old town

    The twin towers of the Grossmünster are Zurich's landmark. The church began as a monastery built over the graves of the city's patron saints, Felix and Regula; legend credits Charlemagne with founding its school, and his statue sits on the south tower, the Karlsturm. It was a key site of the Swiss Reformation, and inside you'll find a Romanesque crypt, choir windows by Augusto Giacometti, bronze doors by Otto Münch and a Reformation museum in the cloister. From the nave, 187 steps climb the Karlsturm to six large windows over the old town and the lake. Also in the old town, the Lindenhof, once the site of a Roman fort, is a leafy viewpoint where locals meet to play chess.

    Tip: Renovation work at the Grossmünster is planned until 2029, so check that the tower is open before you go.

    Karlsturm tower: CHF 5 (about $6) · Church free; tower ticketFee changed?

    Last verified Nov 4, 2026

    Search tickets and tours on TiqetsSources: Zurich Tourism (official); Grossmünster parish (official, German text); Zürich Tourismus (zuerich.com)
12. 12Zurich

    See Chagall's stained glass in the Fraumünster

    The Fraumünster was founded in 853 by King Louis the German as a convent whose nuns came from Europe's aristocracy, and its abbess held the right to mint Zurich's coins until well into the 13th century. After the Reformation the church passed to the city. The reason most visitors come today is its stained glass. In the 1970s, late in his life, Marc Chagall created a five-part window cycle for the chancel and a rosette in the south transept, and the windows in the north transept are by Augusto Giacometti. Its architecture includes a Romanesque chancel and a high vaulted transept, and the cloister has a series of frescoes by Paul Bodmer.

    Tip: Plan your visit around services and concerts, since the Fraumünster is a working Reformed church with regular worship and music.

    Entry: CHF 5 (about $6) · Pay at the doorFee changed?

    Last verified Nov 4, 2026

    Search tickets and tours on TiqetsSources: Zurich Tourism (official); Zürich Tourismus (zuerich.com); Fraumünster parish (official, German text)
13. 13Lucerne

    Walk the Musegg Wall and its towers above Lucerne

    The Musegg Wall crowns Lucerne's old town: an 800 m stretch of ramparts with nine towers, built around 1400 after the Battle of Sempach and one of the longest and best-preserved defensive walls in Switzerland. Four of the towers, Männli, Zyt, Wacht and Schirmer, are open to visitors, and climbing them gives wide views over the city, its bay and the River Reuss. The Zyt Tower of 1442 has a clock face made big enough for fishermen on the lake to read, and its bell strikes the hour one minute before every other church clock in the city. The Männli Tower is topped by the iron figure of a little man, and all nine towers are floodlit at night.

    Tip: The wall and its four open towers can be visited from 8 AM to 7 PM between April 1 and November 1, so save it for a spring, summer or early autumn trip.

    Closed Nov to Mar
    Search tickets and tours on TiqetsSources: Lucerne Tourism (official)
14. 14Lucerne

    Spend a day at the Swiss Museum of Transport

    The Swiss Museum of Transport in Lucerne is the country's most visited museum, and more hands-on than most: you can try flying a helicopter, change a tire on a Formula 1 car or step inside a real submarine. Original trains, cars, aircraft and boats fill the halls, a large outdoor area holds historic planes, trains and playgrounds, and there is an art exhibition by the Swiss artist Hans Erni. Extra attractions include a planetarium, the Swiss Chocolate Adventure ride and the largest permanent cinema screen in Switzerland. Allow 2 to 3 hours for a short visit, 4 to 5 for a half day with a show, or a full day to see everything. Lake boats stop at its own jetty, Verkehrshaus-Lido.

    Tip: It makes a good rainy-day plan, and if you bring a picnic, eat it in the outdoor picnic areas or the old train carriage, since food isn't allowed in the exhibitions.

    Museum: CHF 37 (about $45) · Buy at the desk or onlineFee changed?

    Last verified Nov 4, 2026

    Search tickets and tours on TiqetsSources: Swiss Museum of Transport (official); Swiss Museum of Transport (official)
15. 15Interlaken

    Stroll lakeside Iseltwald on turquoise Lake Brienz

    Lake Brienz is 14 km long and strikingly turquoise, a color that comes from fine glacial sediment carried in by the Lütschine and Aare rivers. Iseltwald, the only village on its left-hand shore and a few minutes from Interlaken, is a fishing village in a small bay, with a promontory topped by the ornate Seeburg Castle and a tiny Snail Island just offshore. Eat fresh lake fish on a terrace, go rowing or swimming, or hike from the village to the Giessbach Falls, which thunder straight into the lake beside the historic Grandhotel Giessbach. Passenger boats cross the lake, and the turquoise is at its most intense in spring and autumn.

    Tip: Come early in the morning, when the lake is often calm and mirrors the mountains, before the wind brings whitecaps later in the day.

    Free to visit
    Sources: Interlaken Tourismus (interlaken.swiss); Interlaken Tourism (official)
16. 16Zurich

    Trace Swiss history at the National Museum

    The Swiss National Museum in Zurich opened on June 24, 1898, in a building by architect Gustav Gull, who combined features of late medieval and early modern architecture into one castle-like whole; a new wing by Christ & Gantenbein followed in 2016. Its permanent History of Switzerland exhibition covers about 550 years, from the late Middle Ages to the present, and follows the country's path from a confederation of states to a federal state: Swiss mercenaries who fought across Europe, the birth of the modern federal state, and the long road to women's suffrage, introduced in 1971. Temporary exhibitions change through the year, and the museum is closed on Mondays.

    Tip: Avoid Mondays, when the museum is closed, and check the calendar for extra closures on local holidays such as the Sechseläuten spring festival.

    Entry: CHF 13 (about $16) · Buy at the desk or onlineFee changed?

    Last verified Nov 4, 2026

    Search tickets and tours on TiqetsSources: Swiss National Museum (official); Swiss National Museum (official); Swiss National Museum (official)
17. 17ZurichBook ahead

    Taste your way through Lindt Home of Chocolate

    In Kilchberg, about 20 minutes from most of Zurich by boat, bus or train, the Lindt Home of Chocolate calls itself Switzerland's largest chocolate museum. The interactive tour follows cocoa from its origins and its arrival in Europe, introduces the Swiss pioneers whose inventions shaped modern chocolate, and shows the manufacturing process in a modern test facility. Its chocolate fountain stands more than 9 m tall with 1,500 kg of chocolate flowing through it, and the building, designed by architects Christ & Gantenbein, also holds a café and the biggest Lindt shop in the world, where a Lindt Master Chocolatier can make a bar to your wishes. Chocolate courses run for individuals and groups.

    Tip: Book your ticket online in advance, as Lindt asks all visitors to do because of high demand.

    Entry: CHF 17 (about $21) · Book a time slotFee changed?

    Last verified Nov 4, 2026

    Search tickets and tours on TiqetsSources: Lindt Home of Chocolate (official)
18. 18Zurich

    Climb Uetliberg for a view over Zurich

    Uetliberg is Zurich's own mountain, 871 m above sea level, with a panoramic view over the city and the lake and, on clear days, the Alps. You can ride the train up or walk: one route starts at the Triemli bus stop and passes the Hohensteinplatz playground, from where it is about 25 minutes to the summit, and a steep but rewarding trail climbs from Albisgüetli. Uetliberg is especially popular in November, when the summit often rises above the blanket of fog that covers the city. In summer it is the starting point for well-marked hikes and mountain bike tours, and in winter its trails turn into toboggan runs.

    Tip: Go on a foggy November day for the best chance of climbing out of the gray into sunshine, and check the train timetable before you set out.

    Free to visit
    Search tours on TiqetsSources: Zürich Tourismus (zuerich.com)

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