17 best things to do in Switzerland

A trip to Switzerland is like a journey into a fairytale. The best things to do in Switzerland are ready-made souvenirs: photographs at the Top of Europe, train tickets for the Bernina Express, and a bar of chocolate from Maison Cailler.

However, the mementos from Switzerland that often last a lifetime are the simplest of memories. Watching snow fall on the roof of a dairy farm in Grindelwald. Hearing the Singing Christmas Tree choir sing during the Zurich Christmas Markets. Smelling the fondue moments before it arrives at your table in a cozy Swiss chalet. 

No matter your itinerary, when you visit Switzerland, you’re writing your most memorable travel story yet. 

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What is Switzerland best known for?

Switzerland is best known for all things “Swiss”: Swiss cheese, Swiss chocolate, Swiss watches, and the Swiss Alps. It’s also the home of the World Health Organization and the European Organization for Nuclear Research. You can experience Switzerland’s hallmarks through chocolate making classes, farm stays, group tours, and train rides through the mountains.

17 ways to experience the best of Switzerland 

1. Start with a stop in Old Town

From funiculars and museums to historic sites and the finest restaurants, a majority of the best things to do in Switzerland are either in or are accessible from major cities. Zurich is a popular first-stop for visitors, as most fly into Zurich Airport and tour Zurich Old Town before hopping a train into the Swiss Alps. 

Bern’s Old City is a UNESCO World Heritage Site where over 100 ornate historic fountains, all of which still act as public watering holes. Luzern Altstadt, Lucerne’s Old Town, is a gorgeous medieval district on the banks of Lake Lucerne. Seek out lesser-visited yet still absolutely stunning old town squares in the centrally-located Aarau, the car-free Gruyères, or the baroque Solothurn. 

Join our Alpine Christmas Markets 9-day tour to see some of the best classical and contemporary Christmas markets in Switzerland, Germany, Austria, and France.

2. Book an unforgettable train journey 

Switzerland has the longest trainline in Europe (the Baselland Transport), the longest rail tunnel in the world (the Gotthard base tunnel), and the highest railway station in Europe (the Jungfraujoch railway station). With thousands of trains running across more than 6,000km of railway each day, people in Switzerland travel by train more than any other country’s citizens. 

Visitors should absolutely take advantage of this extensive network — and its jaw-dropping sights. While a standard commuter train from Zurich to Grindelwald does offer a picturesque scene, we encourage you to hop aboard the best train sides in Switzerland. Ride the steepest cogwheel railway in the world to Mount Pilatus or buy a ticket to the Bern Niesen Railway which has the longest stairway in the world. The Bernina Express travels from Chur to Tirano, Italy, winding across nearly 200 bridges and 55 tunnels with spectacular panoramic views. For one of the most magical train rides in Europe, settle onto the Glacier Express: an eight-hour scenic train ride connecting St. Moritz and Zermatt.

Read next: The Incredible Insights You’ll Uncover in 7 days on Magical Switzerland

3. Discover Switzerland’s cascading waterfalls

Switzerland is home to over 100 named waterfalls — the Lauterbrunnen Valley alone has 72, including the Staubbach Falls. The highest free-falling waterfall in Switzerland is the Mürrenbach Fall while the second-highest waterfall in the country is near Betlis: the Seerenbach Falls. Trümmelbach Falls is the largest subterranean waterfall on the continent. 

For a waterfall that’s associated with a famous fictional detective, literary lovers should seek out Reichenbach Falls near Meiringen where Sir Arthur Conan Doyle set his final showdown between Sherlock Holmes and Professor Moriarty. Those who wish to live their own adventure should visit the Rhine Falls. Not only is it the largest waterfall in Europe, but it features a large bounder in the center of the falls that visitors can climb on a boat tour.

The Staubbach Falls is one of the most spectacular in Switzerland

4. Make your way around the mountains of the Swiss Alps

If there’s one thing Switzerland is known for, it’s the gorgeous mountains that traverse the country. The Swiss Alps are both a painting and a playground; a serene scene from a chalet and an exciting excursion for hikers, climbers, and skiers. 

The imposing and iconic Matterhorn stands tall on the Italian-Swiss border, challenging the brave to spend a half-day summiting its peak. A less physically demanding adventure is found at the Peak Walk by Tissot. This popular attraction is a suspension bridge that grants astounding views of the Matterhorn, as well as Jungfrau, Monch, Eiger, and Mont Blanc. Madrisa mountain in the canton of Graubünden is an easily accessible mountain where families and travelers with limited abilities can hike, ski, and stay.

FAQ: Where can I go skiing in Switzerland?

St. Mortiz, Zermatt, and Grindelwald are popular places to ski in Switzerland. Many resorts offer lessons on-site as well as traditional amenities for those who don’t want to spend time on the slopes. Crans-Montana in Valais is a great alternative to the major resorts, offering great skiing opportunities with fewer crowds.

Wander Switzerland’s serene snowy scenery on our Winter Wonderland guided tour which includes visits to Germany, Austria, and Liechtenstein.

5. Celebrate the summer with traditional festivals and events

Switzerland in the summertime is sublime. Culture and outdoor activities combine during annual festivals, making these events the best things to do in Switzerland for those who want to engage with the local life. The Federal Yodelling Festival in June delivers a full weekend of concerts and folkloric presentations while July serves up more traditional Swiss culture during the International Alphorn Festival Swiss National Day.  

6. Explore tech, transportation, and tasty chocolate museums

Museum hopping is one of the best things to do in Switzerland no matter the season. Einstein House, the former home of the famous physicists, is open to tour in Bern while Basel hosts Hoosesagg Museum: a two-by-two-foot exhibition space that’s Switzerland’s smallest museum. On the shores of Lake Geneva in Lausanne, you’ll find the Olympic Museum while in Geneva itself, you can visit CERN (the European Organization for Nuclear Research), the birthplace of the world wide web. To sample Swiss chocolate, Broc’s Maison Cailler Museum has factory tours and workshops; the Swiss Museum of Transportation in Lucerne also features an interactive Chocolate Adventure that’s a treat for the tastebuds.

7. Take in the sights with lazy days on the lake

With more than 1,500 lakes, you can spend just as much time on or around the water as you can the Swiss Alps. Lake Geneva is the largest in the country and easily one of the most accessible whether you’re looking for hiking and cycling trains, quiet wine villages, and relaxing cruises. On Lake Lucerne, diving, SUP boarding, kayaking, and even windsurfing offer unique ways to gaze at the mountains. Venture into the Bernese Oberland where you’ll find one of the most beautiful lakes to row, Lake Oeschinen.

8. See the castle that inspired Disney’s The Little Mermaid

When spending the days on the shores of Lake Geneva, make sure you pay a visit to Chillon Castle. This island site in Veytaux dates back to the Bronze Age, though its written record as a medieval castle first appears in the 11th century. Chillon Castle served as inspiration for Prince Eric’s castle in Disney’s animated The Little Mermaid movie; in real life, the castle was used as a royal residence by the Counts of Savoy after acting as a storage space and prison.  

Chillon Castle overlooks the southern end of Lake Geneva

9. Wander the world’s largest natural labyrinth

Getting lost amongst the Thuja trees of Valais is an excellent way to spend a summer afternoon in Switzerland. Evionnaz, located south of Lausanne, is where you’ll find Labyrinth Adventure Park. More than just the average hedge maze, this interactive experience challenges visitors to not only escape the world’s largest natural labyrinth, but also solve puzzles and overcome obstacles throughout. 

10. Ride CabriO Stanserhorn cable car to Mt. Stanserhorn

One of the best things to do in Switzerland is ride a cable car: it’s an affordable and accessible way to take in the views without dedicating your day to hours of hiking. The CabriO Stanserhorn has the world’s only aerial cableway and a traditional funicular railway dating back to 1893. Rise 1,900 meters above sea level and you’ll find a revolving restaurant with panoramic views. 

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11. Visit filming locations from iconic films

See even a Swiss postcard and you’ll realize why Switzerland is such a coveted destination for feature films. Blockbusters like Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith, Angels & Demons, and Iron Man 3 have all brought Switzerland onto the big screen.

Paul Thomas Anderson’s Phantom Thread used the Grandhotel Giessbach by Lake Brienz in his Daniel Day-Lewis feature while the 2017 remake of Murder on the Orient Express used the Sursee-Triengen railway in Lucerne. 

Films like Contagion, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, and Youth are notable entries, though one of the most famous movies set in Switzerland belongs to GoldenEye. Pierce Brosnan’s James Bond vaulted from the top of Contra Dam, also called the Verzasca Dam, in Ticino. 

This wasn’t the famous spy’s first time in Swiss territory: The Spy Who Loved Me filmed on St. Moritz, Goldfinger showed Hotel Belvedere on a driving scene through the Furka pass, and On Her Majesty’s Secret Service put Blofeld’s lair at the top of the Schilthorn.

12. Ascend to alpine villages and panorama vistas in the Bernese Oberland

Switzerland has no shortage of amazing hiking routes and many travelers will agree that hiking the Bernese Oberland is one of the best. This area of southwestern Switzerland includes the Aare Valley, Lake Thun, and Interlaken, each popular stops on most adventures through western Switzerland. 

The Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau mountains are on full display in villages like Grindelwald, as are Lake Brienz and Lake Thun from the Harder Kulm summit. One of the best trails to tackle for culture, cows, and exceptional craftsmanship is the Simmental House Trail. Three unique routes take you through farm houses designed with astonishing architectural detail, each adorned with elaborate facade paintings.

13. Savor sips on at the Lavaux Vineyard Terraces

With Swiss chocolate and cheese dominating the Swiss food scene, it’s easy to forget that the country cultivates over 250 varieties of grapes. Only 1 percent of this wine is exported, making a wine tasting experience in Switzerland a must. 

The Lavaux Vineyard Terraces are a 30km stretch of shoreline running from Lake Geneva to Lausanne. This UNESCO World Heritage Site covers 800 hectares, a portion of which is called the Train des Vignes walking trail that leads to multiple cellars with samples of wine and local produce.

14. Find relaxation and recreation in the Lauterbrunnen Valley

You won’t find Hobbits in Switzerland, but you can see the scenery that inspired the Elven valley of Rivendell in J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings series. Lauterbrunnen Valley is a ready-made retreat for anyone who needs time in nature. Thumb through a novel in the car-free village of Mürren. Wander through Wengen for unforgettable views at its Staubbach benches or attend the annual Lauberhorn ski race. The Lauterbrunnen Valley presents the best of the Bernese Alps for relaxation and recreation, offering easy access to popular sites like the UNESCO World Heritage Jungfrau-Aletsch, the Schilthorn revolving restaurant, and 72 dazzling waterfalls.

15. Spot red deer, chamois, and ibexes in Swiss National Park

The Western Rhaetian Alps stretch from the Swiss Alps across the Austrian and Italian borders. Head to this eastern edge of Switzerland for the wildlife found in Swiss National Park. Founded in 1914, this century-old park is the oldest national park on the continent and easily accessible via train and bus. A network of 21 hiking trails covers 100km, some leisurely and others adventurous.

Wildlife spotting is one of the best activities in the park, with the Swiss National Park Center offering binoculars and telescopes for rent. Wolves, lynx, and brown bear sightings require a lot of luck, though you might be able to catch a chamois, red deer, or ibex roaming about the landscape. Other species throughout the alpine meadows and Pass dal Fuorn forests include mountain hares, snow voles, bearded vultures, ptarmigan, and northern vipers. While you’ll never have a chance encounter with dinosaurs, you can see over 200 footprints on a rock slab in the Val dal Diavel (with the aid of binoculars).

16. Uncover over a dozen UNESCO World Heritage Sites

Switzerland has thirteen properties inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. The majority of these are culture, such as the Abbey of St. Gall, the Prehistoric Pile Dwellings around the Alps, and Benedictine Convent of St. John at Müstair. Four others are natural: Monte San Giorgio, Swiss Tectonic Arena Sardona, Swiss Alps Jungfrau-Aletsch, and the Ancient and Primeval Beech Forests.

The Prehistoric Pile Dwellings are located throughout the country, making it convenient to see in Le Marais or Bourg. One perk about Switzerland’s UNESCO World Heritage Sites is that some are especially convenient to visit: the Old City of Bern and Lavaux, Vineyard Terraces are both on the list.

See UNESCO World Heritage Sites on our two-week Country Roads of Switzerland tour. 

17. Indulge in Swiss gastronomy 

It’s impossible to discuss indulgence in Swiss cuisine without mentioning cheese. Emmental, which international visitors will recognize as the hole-filled “Swiss cheese”, gruyere, and appenzeller are among the most popular, though the country produces over 700 types of cheese. It comes as no surprise that fondue, the national dish of Switzerland, boîte chaude, raclette, and alpine macaroni are found on most menus. 

For foodies and fans of fine dining, the Michelin Guide currently lists 538 Swiss restaurants. Nearly 300 are official selections, over 100 are Bib Gourmand picks, and 32 have earned a Michelin Green Star. Traditional single Michelin-starred restaurants are plentiful, with 101 on the list. 25 have earned two stars, but only three four boast the coveted three-star rating: Schloss Schauenstein in Furstenau, Restaurant de l’Hotel de Ville in Crissier, Sven Wassmer Memories in Bad Ragaz, and Cheval Blanc by Peter Knogl in Basel. 

FAQ: What to do in Switzerland for the first time?

Our list of 17 best things to do in Switzerland is only the tip of the mountain top. Switzerland has dozens of cultural attractions, museums, and UNESCO World Heritage sites to keep you within city limits alone. Combine that with endless outdoor activities and you’ve got multiple reasons to visit and return. 

First timers visiting Switzerland should prioritize three activities: sightseeing via train, scaling a summit, and settling down near a city’s old town. For example, you can use the capital of Bern as a base, spending your mornings wandering the Old City’s markets and the evenings dining on fondue along the Aare River. From Bern, you can take a dazzling train ride to Interlaken, spying mountains and lakes out of the carriage window, before planning a ride to the Jungfraujoch, the “Top of Europe”. 

Check off the quintessential Swiss must-dos during your first visit to Switzerland when you join our Glorious Switzerland tour, which includes a visit to Chillon Castle, an open-top cable car ride to the summit of Mount Stanserhorn, and a wondrous train journey through the Bernina Pass.