Things to Do in Zurich in 3 Days, a Quiet Walk by the Lake

Today we want to share with you this article where we will tell youthings to do in Zurich in 3 days and give you some details about the most important sights and the different excursions you can do.

Most people traveling to Switzerland by air arrive at Kloten Airport, located in Zurich.

This makes the city of Zurich the gateway to the country and, therefore, one of the mandatory stops for travelers visiting Switzerland.

We have been asked several times if Zurich is worth visiting and our answer is always “YES!”, not only because it is an amazing city, but also because it is an excellent base for touring other cities from there.

Without further ado, join us to discover the best places to visit in Zurich in 3 days.

🔝 If you have little time to visit this country, here we will tell you things to do in Switzerland in 4 days.

Things to do in Zurich Itinerary to tour the city in 3 days. MAP

Zurich is a city that is almost entirely walkable. It has several attractions to visit, both in its historic center and in its more modern parts.

In addition, as I told you above, it is a good place to use as a base to visit other nearby cities.

So, in this section, we will share with you an itinerary where the first two days we will visit the main touristic places of Zurich and the last day we will do one of the most famous excursions in the surroundings of the city.

🔝 Check out our article on tips for choosing the best travel insurance to Switzerland. Discounts for TravelRutadelMate readers!

DAY 1

• Visiting Grossmünster Cathedral
• Visiting Fraumünster Abbey Church
• Touring the old town of Zurich
• Walking along Lake Zurich

DAY 2

• Visiting the National Museum in Zurich
• Admiring the panoramic views from Üetliberg
• Visiting the Freitag Tower and Frau Gerolds Garten

DAY 3

• Hiking to Jungfraujoch in Interlaken

Things to do in Zurich in 3 days The most important tourist sites

We have already shared with you our travel itinerary and now, as promised, we will tell you a little more about the most important sights of Zurich.

📷 Take a look at the Zurich Card and evaluate if it is suitable for the trip you want to make and what you want to see in the city.

1) Visiting Grossmünster Cathedral

The Grossmünster Cathedral is one of the most imposing buildings to visit in Zurich and one of the most important and representative religious temples of the city along with the Fraumünster Church.

It is located on the banks of the Limago River, in the historic center of the city, surrounded by many other museums, monuments and emblematic buildings.

The main feature of Grossmünster Cathedral is its twin towers and clock tower that protrude from the top of the building, making it visible from various parts of the city.

Inside the cathedral is the Museo de la Reforma, where you can delve into the history behind this building.

Although its interior is simple and sober, it is worth entering and climbing one of its towers to get panoramic views of the entire city.

📌 Entrance to Grossmünster Cathedral is free of charge, but for access to the towers an entrance fee is required.

2) Visiting the Fraumünster Abbey Church

Fraumünster is one of the city’s most famous churches and one of Zurich’s main tourist attractions.

Like Grossmünster, it is located in the historic center of the city, making it possible to visit both buildings on the same tour.

Undoubtedly, what makes this building stand out is its large pastel green bell tower, which, thanks to its height, makes it possible to see this church from afar.

The Fraumünster Abbey Church is also known for its stained glass windows with biblical depictions created by the renowned artist Marc Chagall.

3) Walking through the old town of Zurich

The old part of the city, as you can imagine, is full of old buildings, cobblestone streets and several of Zurich’smain tourist attractions, such as the churches mentioned above.

In addition, it is an area with several pedestrian streets where a large number of stores, restaurants and cafes, ideal for taking a break or try some traditional dishes.

The most important street in Zurich’s Old Town is called Bahnhofstrasse and is known for housing some of the most luxurious and exclusive stores in the world. In fact, it is the street with the most expensive stores in Europe.

Obviously, shopping in the stores along this pedestrian street is not something that fits everyone’s budget, but if you have some free time and don’t know what to do in Zurich, strolling along Bahnhofstrasse may be an option.

📷 Learn about the history of Zurich and its curiosities by taking a panoramic tour of the city.

4) Walking by Lake Zurich

Lake Zurich is located southeast of the city and occupies about 90 square kilometers.

You will surely come across him several times while touring Zurich.

Although it is quite centrally located, it is a very quiet place and locals often use the area around the lake for walking, exercising or spending time outdoors.

In addition to enjoying the activities that can be done on the waterfront of Lake Zurich, it is also possible to take a boat to sail it and admire the incredible views of the Alps from the water.

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5) Visiting the National Museum of Zurich

The second day of our suggested itinerary for touring Zurich in 3 days starts with the National Museum, one of the most visited museums in Switzerland.

It is an imposing building inaugurated in 1898, whose design is composed of different architectural elements belonging to the Lower Middle Ages and the Modern Age, which makes it a unique construction.

The National Museum of Zurich houses a permanent exhibition that includes the history of Switzerland from its beginnings, and also has rotating temporary exhibitions on various themes.

Within its permanent exhibition you can find rooms showing the evolution of Swiss historical art, religious structures and objects, toys, weapons, clothing, furniture and dozens of everyday objects of Swiss culture.

✏️ If you need information about the museum’s opening days and hours or temporary exhibitions, you can visit the. official website of the National Museum Zurich.

🔝 ¿Is the Swiss Travel Pass worth buying? Here we tell you all about this unlimited pass to travel around Switzerland on trains, buses and boats and to access different tourist attractions.

6) Admiring the panoramic views from Üetliberg

Üetliberg is a hill located on the edge of the city of Zurich, which rises about 870 meters above sea level.

From the top of Üetliberg, you can get incredible panoramic views of the entire city, including its lake and the Limmat Valley. If the weather is nice, this is one of the best things to do in Zurich.

At the top of this hill you will find an observation tower that you can climb (for an entrance fee) to get even better views.

There is also a restaurant where you can rest after the climb, but keep in mind that its prices are somewhat high.

You can access Üetliberg by train, bicycle or on foot.

You can take the train from Zurich’s main station, and after about 30 minutes of travel, you will have to walk about 10 to 15 minutes uphill to reach the top of the hill.

In case you want to access on foot, you should know that the path is very well signposted, but it can be a bit demanding. It takes approximately 2 hours to reach the top of Üeltilberg.

7) Visiting the Freitag Tower and Frau Gerolds Garten

The Freitag Tower and Frau Gerolds Garten is not among the most popular tourist sites in Zurich, but it is a very interesting place to visit.

Both are located next to the Hardbrücke train station, northeast of the city center.

The Freitag Tower is a tent made from recycled containers that are stacked together. This building was constructed on an abandoned industrial site.

It has a modern facade and some street artists have painted graffiti on the outer walls of the containers.

Inside the Freitag Tower is Flagship, a store specializing in the manufacture of accessories made from recycled items such as truck duffel bags and suitcases, seat belts, cell phone cases made from leather and many other recycled items.

Frau Gerolds Garten is an open-air place with several food stands where you can sit and enjoy lunch, dinner or just a good beer.

8) Hiking to Jungfraujoch in Interlaken

Although Jungfraujoch is not within the city, we wanted to include it in our list of the best places to see in Zurich in 3 days because, as we mentioned before, Zurich is a strategic place to use as a base and tour the surrounding area.

In addition, the Jungfraujoch excursion in Interlaken is one of the most popular, so we thought it was important to tell you a little about this tour.

Most agencies start this tour at 8 a.m. where they pick you up somewhere in the city of Zurich and take you by bus to Interlaken to get some panoramic views of the city.

After that, they head to Grindelwald, one of the most famous tourist sites in Switzerland.

From there you take a cable car to reach the Glacier Eiger station from where the cog railway to Jungfraujoch departs.

The Jungfraujoch station is located at an altitude of 3,400 meters, making it the highest in Europe.

From there you can have incredible panoramic views of the surrounding peaks, such as the Eiger, the Monch and the Jungfrau.

The port of Jungfraujoch has several tourist attractions that you will be able to access during this tour.

The highlights are the Sphinx Lookout, the Ice Palace, the Aletsch Glacier and the Alpines Sensation.

Finally, after about two and a half hours touring the port of Junfraujoch, the return to the city of Zurich begins.

The entire tour is guided by a guide and lasts approximately 12 hours.

⚠️ When making this excursion, it is of utmost importance to take weather conditions into account, as many of Jungfraujoch’s tourist attractions may be affected.

📷 The best way to get to Grindelwald and visit the Jungfraujoch from Zurich is on an excursion. It is very complete, as it includes not only the guide in Spanish, but also bus transfers to Grindelwald and from Lauterbrunnen, the rack railway, the Eiger Express cable car, Alpine Sensation, Sphinx observatory, Plateau viewpoint and Ice Palace.

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Useful Facts for your trip to Zurich

Buy your travel insurance and travel safe!

Where to stay in Zurich?

Accommodation in Zurich is among the most expensive in the country. It is almost impossible to find a double room for less than 100 euros a night. Here are some suggestions for accommodation in the center:

• Boutique Hotel WellenbergThe Wellenberg Hotel is located in the heart of Zurich’s historic center. It has a working library inside and also a restaurant. The rooms are modern and spacious.
• Motel One ZurichMotel One Zürich is located in a completely renovated old building near the lake. The rooms have large windows and plenty of light. Excellent breakfast.
• Walhalla Guest HouseWalhalla Guest House: close to the central train station, good value for money. Rooms not so big but with comfortable beds.

🏨 Find here the best hotels in Zurich.

How to get to Zurich?

Zurich International Airport is one of the largest airports in Switzerland and is located only 12 km from the city. It is easily accessible by train lines that make the journey throughout the day (the station in German is called: Bahnhof Zürich Flughafen).

📷 If you arrive at night and/or for more comfort, book your transfer from the airport to your hotel in the city here.

How to get around Zurich?

Although we have recommended a trip to the Jungfraujoch for the third day of the itinerary, it is true that Zurich is surrounded by beautiful cities very close by. Such is the case in Bern or Lucerne.

🔝 Consider visiting these places by purchasing the Swiss Travel Pass, and if you want to know a little more, check out our article where we analyze whether or not it is worth buying the Swiss Travel Pass!

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Now we finish with this article where we tell you things to do in Zurich in 3 days and we suggest an itinerary so you can get to know the city and its main tourist attractions.

We hope all this information has been helpful.

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