Zurich
An old town on both banks of the Limmat, Chagall's windows in the Fraumünster, the Bahnhofstrasse running down to the lake, and trains to the runway every few minutes.
- Arrival
- Zurich Airport · ZRH
- To the city
- About 10 minutes by train to the main station
- Private jets
- Executive terminal at the ZRH General Aviation Center
- Best time
- May to September
The city
The river, the old town and the lake.
Zurich sits where the Limmat leaves the lake, its old town climbing both banks. On the west side the Lindenhof marks the site of a Roman fort; across the water, the Grossmünster is where Zwingli began the Swiss Reformation, and the Fraumünster keeps a choir of windows by Chagall. The Bahnhofstrasse runs from the station down to the shore.
From May to September the days are warm enough for the lake, though summer brings its share of storms. The current MICHELIN guide gives two stars to four restaurants in the city, among them The Restaurant at the Dolder Grand on its hill and the Widder in the old town.
Arriving
Nine kilometres from the lake.
Zurich Airport lies nine kilometres north of the centre, with about thirteen trains an hour to the main station.
- Geneva 40 min
- Munich 40 min
- Mykonos 2 h 35
- Lagos 6 h 15 long-range jet
- Singapore 13 h 35 long-range jet
When to go
May to September.
Cold winters and warm, showery summers. From May to September the highs run from 18 to 23 °C, but these are also the wettest months, the rain coming mostly in short storms. Winter highs stay between 2 and 4 °C.
- 2° J 64
- 4° F 63
- 9° M 65
- 13° A 87
- 18° M 110
- 21° J 136
- 23° J 127
- 22° A 134
- 19° S 91
- 13° O 67
- 7° N 76
- 3° D 67
What to see and do
Days in and around Zurich.
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Landmark
Fraumünster
A church on the Limmat with a choir of five stained-glass windows by Marc Chagall, from 1970.
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Landmark
Lindenhof
A small hill on the west bank, the historic centre of the city and the site of a Roman fort.
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Landmark
Kunsthaus Zürich
One of the largest collections of classic modern art in the world, from Munch to Picasso.
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Opera & music
Opernhaus Zürich
Home to both opera and Ballett Zürich, the house runs its 2026 to 2027 season through to an open air weekend in July 2027.
Official site -
Opera & music
Tonhalle Zürich
Brahms conducted at the opening of this lakeside concert hall in 1895, and the Tonhalle Orchestra returned in 2021 after four years of restoration.
Official site -
Culture
Swiss National Museum
Gustav Gull's turreted building beside the main station holds over 870,000 objects and tells the history of Switzerland from archaeology to the present.
Official site -
Culture
Museum Rietberg
Art from Asia, Africa, the Americas and Oceania fills villas and an underground wing in the Rieterpark, where Wagner wrote Tristan und Isolde.
Official site -
Nature
Planet Trail, Uetliberg to Felsenegg
An easy ridge walk of 7.2 km above the city, about two hours, with the solar system laid out at one metre per million kilometres.
Official site -
On the water
Lake Zurich cruises from Bürkliplatz
ZSG boats leave Bürkliplatz for round trips on the lake, the longest running over three hours to Rapperswil and back.
Official site -
Wellness
Hürlimannbad & Spa Zürich
Thermal pools sit in the vaults of the old Hürlimann brewery, with an infinity pool on the roof looking over the city.
Official site
On the calendar
Dates to plan around.
Dates as published by the organisers. Runways, hotels and slots fill early around these weeks: the sooner we know, the more choice you have.
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18–22 Jan 2027
Policy
World Economic Forum Annual Meeting
Yearly meeting of the World Economic Forum gathering heads of state, business leaders and economists in Davos-Klosters.
Congress Centre Davos, Davos, about 116 km away
In 3 months
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17–20 Jun 2027
Art
Art Basel
The original Art Basel fair of modern and contemporary art, held each June in Basel.
Messe Basel, Basel, about 74 km away
In 8 months
Where to stay
By the lake, on the hill, in the old town.
Shown for information. We have no arrangement with any of these hotels.
- Baur au Lac Opened in 1844 and still run by the Baur family, in its own park by the lake, close to the Bahnhofstrasse.
- The Dolder Grand An 1899 château on the hill above the city, enlarged by Norman Foster, with a spa of 4,000 square metres.
- La Réserve Eden au Lac Forty rooms in a century-old building on the lake, reworked by Philippe Starck, with a bar on the roof.
- Widder Hotel Nine medieval townhouses joined by the architect Tilla Theus, with a jazz bar and a two-star restaurant.
- Mandarin Oriental Savoy The oldest grand hotel in Zurich, opened in 1838, reopened by Mandarin Oriental in December 2023.
Where to dine
Four doubles and a vegan star.
From the MICHELIN Guide Switzerland 2025, still the current edition; the 2026 selection is due on 2 November 2026. Shown for information. We have no arrangement with any of these restaurants.
- The Restaurant Two Michelin stars Creative The Dolder Grand
- IGNIV Zürich by Andreas Caminada Two Michelin stars Sharing, modern Marktgasse Hotel, Old Town
- The Counter Two Michelin stars Creative Bahnhofplatz
- Widder Restaurant Two Michelin stars Modern French Widder Hotel, Rennweg
- La Rôtisserie One Michelin star Contemporary Storchen, Weinplatz
- ORSINI One Michelin star Italian contemporary Mandarin Oriental Savoy
- Shin One Michelin star Asian contemporary Zinnengasse
- Maison Manesse One Michelin star Creative Hopfenstrasse
- KLE One Michelin star Vegan Zweierstrasse
Elsewhere in Switzerland
More reasons to come.
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Geneva
The private banks, the Jet d'Eau, and the shortest drive to the French Alps.
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St. Moritz
The Engadin and its frozen lake, with Samedan, the highest airport in Europe, next door.
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Gstaad
The car-free Promenade, the Palace on its hill, and chalets all around.
- Verbier The Four Valleys, two hours by road from Geneva.
- Zermatt Electric taxis in a street without cars, and the Matterhorn at the end of it.
Flying to Zurich?
Choose how you arrive.
A Business or First Class seat on a scheduled airline, or an aircraft of your own. Tell us the date and how many are travelling, and we reply with one final price, our margin included.