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The Matterhorn mirrored in the Stellisee at sunset, under gold-lit clouds
The Aletsch Glacier seen from the Jungfraujoch
The Glacier Express on the rack section just below the Oberalp Pass
The Water Tower and the Chapel Bridge over the Reuss in Lucerne
The Rhine Falls in full flow below Laufen Castle, with a train crossing the bridge behind
The First Cliff Walk above Grindelwald with the Eiger in view

Things to do in Switzerland: 30 experiences worth the trip

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Photo: Giles Laurent, CC BY-SA 4.0

Interlaken

Ride the Jungfrau Railway to the Jungfraujoch

Check dates and prices

Photo: Gzzz, CC BY-SA 4.0

Zermatt to St. Moritz

Ride the Glacier Express from Zermatt to St. Moritz

Tours in Switzerland

Photo: Kabelleger / David Gubler, CC BY-SA 3.0

Lucerne

Cross Lucerne's Chapel Bridge and look up at its paintings

Check dates and prices

Photo: Reinhold Möller Ermell, CC BY-SA 4.0

Neuhausen am Rheinfall

Stand at the Rhine Falls from the Schloss Laufen platforms

Tours in Switzerland

Photo: Kabelleger / David Gubler, CC BY-SA 4.0

Grindelwald

Walk the First Cliff Walk and fly the First Flyer

Check dates and prices

Photo: Freddy Amend, CC BY-SA 4.0

Switzerland fits glaciers, lakes and medieval towns into a country you can cross by train in a few hours, and almost everything on this list works without a car. The experiences cluster around four bases: the Bernese Oberland (Grindelwald, Interlaken, Mürren), Zermatt and the Valais, Lucerne and central Switzerland, and the Lake Geneva shore. Bern, Zürich, St. Gallen, Gruyères and Ticino fit in as day trips or transfer stops.

The planning fact that matters most is the season. Mountain railways and lifts close for maintenance in spring and late autumn, the Glacier Express pauses from mid-October to early December, and high trails can hold snow into June or July. Check each operator's dates before fixing a route, and keep one spare day for weather: the high viewpoints are only worth their price when the sky is clear. Switzerland Tourism lists events and regional passes.

30 things to do in Switzerland

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The Eiger North Face above the Alpiglen pastures

Hike the Eiger Trail beneath the North Face

Grindelwald

About 2 hours downhillNo booking needed

Walk downhill along the foot of the Eiger North Face, binoculars ready for roped teams on the wall.

Tours in Switzerland
The Glacier Express on the rack section just below the Oberalp Pass

Ride the Glacier Express from Zermatt to St. Moritz

Zermatt to St. Moritz

About 8 hours end to endTimed entry

Spend about eight hours crossing from Zermatt to St. Moritz on one train, over 291 bridges and through 91 tunnels.

Tours in Switzerland
The Rhine Falls in full flow below Laufen Castle, with a train crossing the bridge behind

Stand at the Rhine Falls from the Schloss Laufen platforms

Neuhausen am Rheinfall

No booking needed

Stand on platforms right by the water as the Rhine pours over falls 150 m wide, at full force from June to August.

Tours in Switzerland
Kramgasse in Bern with the Zähringer fountain and the Zytglogge tower

Walk Bern's arcaded old town and climb the Minster

Bern

Free

Browse under stone arcades even in rain, watch the clock-tower figures move on the hour, then climb the Minster for the view.

Tours in Switzerland
Gruyères Castle above the main square of the village

Eat a moitié-moitié fondue in Gruyères

Gruyères

Book ahead

Watch Gruyère being made at the show dairy below the village, then walk up for a half-and-half fondue.

Tours in Switzerland
The Water Tower and the Chapel Bridge over the Reuss in Lucerne

Cross Lucerne's Chapel Bridge and look up at its paintings

Lucerne

Free

Walk Europe's oldest covered wooden bridge looking up at its painted panels, then find the Dance of Death on the next bridge downstream.

Check dates and pricesTwo-hour old-town walk with an official guide
The summer ski area on the glacier between Klein Matterhorn and Testa Grigia

Ski the Theodul Glacier in summer from Klein Matterhorn

Zermatt

No booking needed

Ski Europe's highest summer ski area on a glacier in the morning, and keep the afternoon free for a hike or a ride.

Tours in Switzerland
The Montreux Jazz sign outside the convention centre on the lakefront

Catch the Montreux Jazz Festival by Lake Geneva

Montreux

One evening to several daysBook ahead

Free stages fill the shore of Lake Geneva with concerts, DJ sets and jam sessions, so an evening without a ticket still works.

Looking into Val Cluozza in the Swiss National Park near Zernez

Hike the marked trails of the Swiss National Park

Zernez

Free

Walk the marked paths of the oldest national park in the Alps, where dogs, bikes and drones stay out.

The paddle steamer Unterwalden in front of the Hofkirche in Lucerne

Take a paddle steamer across Lake Lucerne

Lucerne

No booking needed

Sail Lake Lucerne on a historic paddle steamer, free with a Swiss Travel Pass, to the steep rock walls of Lake Uri.

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Lavaux vineyard terraces above Lake Geneva with the village of St-Saphorin

Walk the Lavaux vineyard terraces from Lutry to St-Saphorin

Lavaux

About 3 h 15 min on footFree

Walk through terraced vineyards that monks began in the 11th century, above Lake Geneva, and taste the Chasselas on the way.

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Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau seen from the flower trail above Mürren

Ride up to car-free Mürren and the Schilthorn

Mürren

No booking needed

Ride up to a village no road reaches, then on to a revolving summit restaurant where a Bond film was shot.

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The dying lion carved into the sandstone cliff of the Lion Monument

See the Lion Monument of Lucerne

Lucerne

Free

A dying lion cut into a quarry cliff, which Mark Twain called the most mournful and moving piece of stone in the world.

The Aletsch Glacier seen from the Jungfraujoch

Ride the Jungfrau Railway to the Jungfraujoch

Interlaken

Book ahead

Ride a cog railway through the mountain to 3,454 m for the view down the Aletsch, the longest glacier in the Alps.

Check dates and pricesRound-trip train ticket from Interlaken to the top
Läderach chocolates on display in the Zürich store

Taste Läderach fresh chocolate on Zürich's Bahnhofstrasse

Zürich

No booking needed

Taste Läderach's fresh chocolate slabs at its Bahnhofstrasse atelier, or decorate your own, then walk on to the lake.

Tours in Switzerland
Piazza del Sole below the walls of Castelgrande in Bellinzona

Walk the ramparts of Castelgrande in Bellinzona

Bellinzona

No booking needed

Take the lift up the rock to Bellinzona's largest castle, walk its ramparts and follow a medieval wall built across the whole valley.

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Chillon Castle on its rock in Lake Geneva, seen from a boat

Sail to Chillon Castle on Lake Geneva

Veytaux

Book ahead

Arrive by boat at a medieval castle on a small island in Lake Geneva, and find the pillar where Byron supposedly carved his name.

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The Matterhorn seen from the shore of the Stellisee

Hike the Five Lakes Walk above Zermatt

Zermatt

About 2.5 hours from BlauherdNo booking needed

See the Matterhorn reflected in three mountain lakes on a mostly downhill walk, the best-known reflection only 20 minutes from the lift.

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Bern's old town, the Nydegg Bridge, the Minster and the Federal Palace from the Rosengarten

Look over Bern's old town from the Rosengarten

Bern

Free

From a free rose garden on the hill, look over Bern's old town roofs and the Minster inside the loop of the Aare.

Two wrestlers gripping each other in the sawdust ring at a Schwingfest in Aeschi

Watch Swiss wrestling at a Schwingfest

German-speaking Switzerland

Book ahead

Watch two wrestlers in jute shorts grip each other's belts in a ring of sawdust, at an outdoor festival in the pre-Alps.

The outdoor pools of the Leukerbad Therme

Soak in the thermal baths of Leukerbad

Leukerbad

3 hours on the standard ticketNo booking needed

Soak in spring water that rises at about 51 °C and feeds pools all over the village of Leukerbad.

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The Baroque hall of the Abbey Library of St. Gallen

Visit the Rococo hall of the Abbey Library of St. Gallen

St. Gallen

No booking needed

Pull felt slippers over your shoes and step into a Rococo library hall the inscription calls a healing place for the soul.

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Bergün under snow at the foot of the sledge run from Preda

Sledge 6 km from Preda down to Bergün

Bergün

Half a day for several runsNo booking needed

Ride the train up over viaducts and through helical tunnels, then sledge 6 km down the valley, even at night.

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A 1780 vintner's house from Richterswil at the Ballenberg open-air museum

Explore the Ballenberg Swiss Open-Air Museum

Brienz

No booking needed

Wander among more than 100 old buildings brought from all over Switzerland, with craft demonstrations and farm animals between them.

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Lake Thun seen from Harder Kulm above Interlaken

Take the Harder funicular to Harder Kulm above Interlaken

Interlaken

No booking needed

Ten minutes up the funicular from Interlaken, look down on two lakes with the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau ahead.

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A Pilatus Railway car descending past the Eselwand cliffs

Do the Golden Round Trip up Mount Pilatus

Lucerne

No booking needed

Cross the lake by boat, ride the world's steepest cogwheel railway up Pilatus and come down by cableway, all in one loop.

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A Gornergrat Railway train above Riffelboden with the Matterhorn behind

Ride the Gornergrat Railway for the Matterhorn view

Zermatt

No booking needed

Ride Europe's highest open-air railway to face the Matterhorn, 28 peaks over 4,000 m and the Gorner Glacier.

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The Bernina Express passing Lago Bianco near Ospizio Bernina station

Cross the Bernina Pass to Tirano on the Bernina Express

Chur to Tirano

About 4 hours from Chur, 2 h 15 from St. MoritzTimed entry

Cross the Landwasser Viaduct and the Bernina Pass on UNESCO-listed lines, from Chur down to Tirano in Italy.

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The First Cliff Walk above Grindelwald with the Eiger in view

Walk the First Cliff Walk and fly the First Flyer

Grindelwald

Go alone or with a tour

Edge along sheer rock faces with the Eiger across the valley, then fly down an 800 m cable at up to 84 km/h.

Check dates and pricesReturn gondola to First with Cliff Walk access
The Lindt & Sprüngli site on the lakeshore at Kilchberg, seen from a boat

Tour the Lindt Home of Chocolate in Kilchberg

Kilchberg

Book ahead

Walk through Switzerland's largest chocolate museum, past a pilot plant and a chocolate fountain, 20 minutes from Zürich.

Tours in Switzerland

Plan your trip

  • When to go

    June to September is hiking season: the Five Lakes Walk above Zermatt is best from June to September, the Eiger Trail opens from June or July until October, and the Lake Lucerne paddle steamers run their fullest timetable from late May to early September. July adds the Montreux Jazz Festival (2 to 17 July 2027). The weakest window is late October to early December: the Glacier Express does not run, and lifts close for works, such as the Pilatus gondolas from 19 October to 27 November 2026 and the Gornergrat railway from 2 to 14 November 2026. Mid-December to March is for skiing, the thermal baths at Leukerbad and night sledging from Preda to Bergün.

  • How many days

    A first trip works well in 7 to 10 days with two or three bases: three or four nights in the Bernese Oberland for the Jungfraujoch, the Eiger Trail and Mürren, two or three in Zermatt for the Matterhorn lifts and the Five Lakes Walk, and two in Lucerne for the lake, Pilatus and the old town. Bern fits on a transfer day, since it sits on the rail line between Zürich or Lucerne and Interlaken. With four or five days, choose one mountain base plus Lucerne. Changing hotel every night wastes the clear-weather windows that the summit trips depend on.

  • Getting around

    Trains, buses and boats reach almost every experience here. The Swiss Travel Pass gives unlimited travel on consecutive days on trains, buses and public boats, including scheduled Lake Lucerne boats, and discounts most mountain railways. It does not cover seat reservations, which are compulsory on the Glacier Express (CHF 54) and the Bernina Express. If you drive, motorways require a vignette: CHF 40 as a sticker or e-vignette, and the 2026 vignette is valid from 1 December 2025 to 31 January 2027. Buy the e-vignette on the federal site, as resellers add surcharges, and expect a CHF 200 fine without one.

  • Money and payments

    Switzerland uses the Swiss franc. Some tourist sites take euro notes but give change in francs, as Gruyères Castle does, and Ballenberg accepts euros at the daily rate, but ticket machines may not, so plan to pay in francs or by card. Prices run high: CHF 5 for the Rhine Falls platforms at Schloss Laufen, CHF 13 to 15 for a castle, CHF 32 for the Ballenberg open-air museum and CHF 33 for three hours in the Leukerbad thermal baths. Mountain railways are the biggest cost, which is why a pass or a combined ticket usually pays off there.

  • Entry rules

    Switzerland is in the Schengen area but not in the EU. EU and EFTA citizens can enter with a valid passport or national identity card and are not affected by the Entry/Exit System (EES), which registers other non-EU travellers at Schengen external borders and has been fully in place since April 2026. ETIAS, the travel authorisation for visa-exempt non-EU visitors, was not yet in force when this page was checked; the State Secretariat for Migration will announce its start date in advance.

Questions travellers ask

Is the Swiss Travel Pass worth it?

It pays off when you change region most days and use boats and city transport, because all of that is included on consecutive days. Seat reservations on panoramic trains are extra, and most mountain railways are only discounted, so on a trip built around expensive summits do the sums first. If you stay in one valley, a regional pass or single tickets can cost less.

Do I need to reserve the Glacier Express?

Yes. Every passenger needs a seat reservation, CHF 54 in first or second class, on top of a ticket or pass. Reservations open 93 days before travel, and the train does not run from mid-October to early December.

Is the Jungfraujoch worth it on a cloudy day?

Usually not. The reason to go is the view over the Aletsch Glacier from 3,454 m, and in cloud that view disappears. Check the webcams the evening before and keep a flexible day; on clear days the railway recommends a paid seat reservation.

Can I pay with euros in Switzerland?

At some tourist sites, in cash, with change given in francs. Ticket machines may accept only francs or cards, so plan to pay in Swiss francs or by card.

Do I need a vignette to drive in Switzerland?

Yes, on motorways. It costs CHF 40 as a sticker or e-vignette, there are no daily, weekly or monthly versions, and driving without one means a CHF 200 fine plus the vignette.

When is the best time to visit Switzerland?

June to September for hiking and lake trips, mid-December to March for snow. Avoid late October to early December if the mountains are the goal, because the Glacier Express and many lifts pause for maintenance then.

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