Zurich is a major city in Switzerland and while there are some of things to do within the city, it’s not where many people choose to spend a lot of time. Many visitors to Switzerland focus on the Alps and that’s to be expected.
However, I was different and I planned my trip to Switzerland pretty last minute. So rather than seeing all of the amazing highlights of the Alps, I used Zurich as a base and tried to make the most of my short time in Switzerland.
5 Days in Zurich
I’ll be the first to admit that 5 days in Zurich is a bit much. The city is fine for one day, but there is just so much to see in Switzerland that it seems a shame to spend so much time just in Zurich. I knew this when I booked by trip, but ignored that advice.
Since I was planning last minute and didn’t want to deal with moving around too much, I chose to stay in Zurich and use it as a base. All in all, I think it worked pretty well.
So, here’s how I spent five days in Zurich.
Day 1 – Hello, Zurich!
My flight landed just before 11:00am and thankfully the line at customs was relatively short, so I was able to clear the airport in no time. Zurich airport is conveniently located a quick fifteen minute train ride away from the city center, so getting from the airport into the city is a breeze. Now, my time in Switzerland could officially start.
My room was not ready yet, so I spent some time wandering around the city and getting orientated. I used the Rick Steves’ App to take a self guided walking tour, which was a great introduction to the city.
Zurich is more of a financial center than a tourist destination, so there isn’t a ton for tourists to do in this city. This is especially true when you compare it to other large European cities. Had this been the only time I had to explore the city, I would been content.
I spent the evening wandering around one of the Christmas markets in Zurich. The Christmas markets opened in the last days of November, which is right when I visited. The Christmas markets were one of my favorite parts of this trip. After these 5 days in Zurich, I definitely want to get back to Europe and visit more Christmas markets.
Day 2 – A Lesson in Proper Planning and More Time in Zurich
My original plan for this day was to take a day trip to Lucerne. However, I messed up and did not purchase these tickets in advance. When I had looked online, I had seen return tickets for 28 CHF ($30 USD).
However, when I got to the station to buy them, they were now 47 CHF ($50 USD) each way. That’s an extra $70 USD that I just wasn’t ready to spend. As much as I wanted to see Lucerne, I just couldn’t justify it, especially knowing that one day I would come back to Switzerland and visit the country for longer than a weekend. So I walked back to my hotel to come up with Plan B.
The moral of that story is don’t be like me. If you only have five days in Zurich, book your tickets for day trips a few days in advance. Your time and money is valuable and quite honestly, there’s only so much you can do in Zurich in five days.
My new plan involved walking through parts of the city I didn’t visit yesterday. This included a visit to Fraumünster Church. It’s not a magnificent cathedral, especially by European standards, but the highlight is stained glass by Mark Chagall. The colors are just beautiful.
With an entry fee of only 5 CHF, it was one of the cheapest things you’ll find to do in Zurich. Yes, Switzerland really is as expensive as people say.
The highlight of my day was stumbling onto the a Christmas Market I hadn’t visited last night. It was wonderful here and had such a different vibe. When I pictured visiting Christmas Markets, this is what I envisioned.
It was outdoors and there were plenty of stalls selling gifts and food. I spent a decent chunk of my afternoon here and ended up coming back later that night. And it looks even better at night with all of the lights.
I also ventured into some chocolate shops. I popped into one shop in the morning and after spending almost all afternoon thinking about a chocolate cake, I finally went back and bought it. That was a fantastic decision!
Day 3 – Into the Alps
I knew that five days in Zurich wasn’t enough time to really explore Switzerland, but I really wanted to get into the Alps. There wasn’t a lot of time on this trip, but I just had to get there.
So, I splurged on a tour to the Jungfraujoch. The Jungfraujoch is the highest train station in Europe, sitting at 3,454 meters above sea level. Because of its height, the surrounding scenery is just incredible.
This is not a cheap trip, even by Swiss standards. In November 2019, I paid nearly $250 USD for an excursion from Zurich to the Jungfraujoch. Even now, more than six years later, it still remains the most expensive day trip I’ve ever taken.
With that high price comes a lot of transportation. You’ll take a bus from Zurich to Grindelwald (with a brief break in Interlaken), trains from Grindelwald to Kleine Scheidegg, Kleine Scheidegg to the Jungfraujoch, Jungraujoch to Lauterbrunnen, and a bus back to Zurich. All of that is included in the excursion price.
This is a very long day, taking nearly eleven hours from the time we left Zurich to the time we returned. If you are looking to visit the Jungfraujoch, I recommend NOT doing it as a day trip from Zurich. Starting in Interlaken will save three hours on a bus and starting in a town like Grindelwald will save even more time.
The morning of my day trip started off cold, cloudy, and misty. The cold never went away, but by the time we actually made it to the Jungfraujoch, there were clear skies and the sun was shining. I’m so thankful that the weather cooperated enough so that I was able to get those incredible views of the Alps that I desperately wanted to see.
I have mixed feelings about this day.
I was not a fan of doing this as a group tour, especially with as big of a group as we had. Plus, I was not very impressed with our guide. The Jungfraujoch is packed with tourists, even if you go in very late November and since we had to arrive in the middle of the day (because of all of the transportation), there was no way to avoid this.
That said, I’m still very happy that I went. It was my one chance on this trip to get into the Alps and I got some absolutely spectacular views. I don’t feel the need to go to the Jungfraujoch again, but if I did, I would definitely NOT do this as a day trip from Zurich.
Day 4 – Hello, Liechtenstein. Goodbye, Liechtenstein.
I had debated about going to Liechtenstein since everything I read told me that there wasn’t a lot to do, especially in the winter months. However, I didn’t know when I would ever get the chance to visit Liechtenstein again, so I finally decided I to just do it.
I learned my lesson with the failed Lucerne trip and booked my tickets the night before. So, on my last full day in Switzerland, I took the train from Zurich to Sargans.
Once in Sargans, I caught a bus to Vaduz, the capital of Liechtenstein. It was uneventful, but I really enjoyed the scenery along the way and some of the views I got in Vaduz. I walked up to the castle and strolled through the town. On a Sunday in winter, there really isn’t a lot to do. But I went, and I’m glad I did.
The trip back to Zurich was uneventful. But I spent my evening doing some final shopping at the Christmas markets.
Day 5 – Goodbye Zurich (and Switzerland)
My flight left mid morning so I didn’t have much time to do anything. However, there was enough time to walk down to the supermarket and use up my remaining Francs to buy chocolate bars to bring home for friends and family.
Is a Five Day Trip to Zurich Worth It?
I’ve gotten this question from several people, given how far I flew for such a short trip. For me, it was worth it. I got to see two new countries, completely mark Zurich off my list, and get a glimpse of the Alps. That was the answer I gave to people when I came back.
Four months later, the world went into lockdown for the Coronavirus pandemic. That has made me even more thankful that I was able to take this short trip (even if it was lower on the excitement meter than all of my other trips to Europe).
That all said, I wouldn’t do it again. I’ve gotten better at travel and would have managed to find something else closer to home. An eight hour one way flight is just too much for this short of a trip.
What I Could Have Done Differently
This is a tough one because on one hand, I’m happy with most of my decisions across my 5 days in Zurich. There are two big things I would change though.
First, I would actually book train tickets in advance to visit Lucerne. I think being able to spend more time exploring another city would have helped to make this a more enjoyable trip.
I also may have looked for a different option for visiting the Alps. The Jungfraujoch was fine, but I’m sure if I worked a little harder, I could have found another way to explore the Alps. Plus, I’m sure that second option would may have been more exciting. I picked the Jungfraujoch was because it was an easy way to see the Alps. It may be easy, but that doesn’t mean it’s the only way.
Next, I also could have changed the trip entirely and taken the Glacier Express and spent time just enjoying the scenery (which was my favorite part of this trip). However, I think because it was such a short trip, using Zurich as a base was the right decision.
It’s also important to note that this trip helped me to realize that the next time I go to Switzerland, I need to make a much better effort of spending time in the Alps since that is where Switzerland really shines. If you’re going to Switzerland, prioritize the Alps, not the cities.
Final Thoughts
I fully admit that it’s ridiculous to fly eight hours one way to spend just five days in a country. I’m glad I did it, but I wouldn’t do it again. Now, if I was already in Europe and wanted a taste of Switzerland, I think this five day itinerary would be a decent way to explore Zurich.
Continue Your Adventure
Switzerland: Take a trip the to “Top of Europe” at Jungfraujoch – Europe’s highest rail station. From Zurich, a trip to Liechtenstein’s capitol city of Vaduz makes an easy day trip.
More Short Itineraries: If you’re limited on time, you still have options. Spend five days in Iceland exploring the natural beauty. For big cities, spend five days in Paris exploring the great museums. Tour Amsterdam and tulip fields in my four day Netherlands itinerary. Or tour the great cities of Belgium in four days. For more nature and city balance, try this long weekend in Slovenia.
