24 Hours In Zürich

If you only have 24 hours in Zürich, here is what I would do to get a great feel for the city. This is the tour I take my friends and family on and what I would suggest for a family.

Have A Coffee

First things first, welcome to Zürich! Sit down in a café and have a coffee and a pastry. This is part of the coffee culture here. There are not hoards of people rushing around with their Starbucks cups and chatting on their cell phones. People sit and have their coffee, in a real cup and saucer! The coffees are small, and no one comes asking you if you want a refill. So take a moment to sit, listen, and relax. You will even have to ask for your bill at the end. There is no rushing around here. These are my favorite coffee shops in Zürich.

Wander Through Old Town

The view from the Grossmünster

The Storchen Hotel

Sitting along the Limmat River

I start at the Bürkliplatz. This is a main hub in Zurich and the main boat station, the bus, and the tram all meeting right where the farmer’s market is on Tuesday and Friday mornings and the antique market on Saturdays. I walk across the Quaibrucke bridge to the Old Town and wander along Oberdorfstrasse. There are a lot of cute cafes and shops on this street, one of them is the oldest bakery in Zurich, Bäckerei-Konditorei Urs Vohdin which has delicious quiche and pies. I keep walking on that street until I get to Grossmünster church. The view from here is also worth a few pictures. Climb to the top of this church for some amazing views. It’s about now when I turn and walk across the Münsterbrücke bridge and start heading towards EnSoie for my coffee and walk up to Lindenhof.

Take In The View

The view from Lindenhof with a coffee from ViCAFE in EnSoie

As I walk through the beautiful Old Town of Zürich, I usually grab a coffee at ViCAFE (gasp, they do take away coffee!) which is located up the steps from En Soie on Strehlgasse. I take my coffee up to the top of Lindenhof Hill and take in the view. My kids watch the games going on, play on the swings, and head down to the other bigger playground on Fortunagasse. This is the best of both worlds. Views with playgrounds so everyone is happy.

Have a Hot Chocolate

The hot chocolate at Sprüngli at Paradaplatz.

By now it’s time for an afternoon snack. After all that sight-seeing, stop at Cafe Schober im Peclard, Sprüngli, Pic Chic, or Milchbar for a hot chocolate and a piece of cake to fight that afternoon slump or jet lag. I love people watching from these cafes as it just feels so European. I love the relaxed vibe and everyone sitting and enjoying their afternoon.

Buy Some Chocolate

Eating a Lotti’s Best from Honold on Rennweg

When walking from the afternoon coffee break to the boat, stop at Honold, Läderach, Sprüngli, Max Chocolatier, or Teuscher for some Swiss chocolate. Or, stop at Coop or Migros and get a bunch of chocolate bars to take home.

Get On A Boat

After an afternoon snack, walk back along the famous shopping street, Bahnhofstrasse towards the Bürkliplatz. I suggest taking the steam boat to Rapperswil if there is time, but if there’s a boat at the Bürkliplatz, get on it. You can’t go wrong seeing Zürich from the water even if just for the short round trip.

Get Up The Local Mountain

If there is time, take the train from the main train station to Uetliberg. Get off the train, let the kids play at the playground, then walk up to get the view at the top. I would allow 2 hours if it’s a quick stop, maybe 3 hours if it’s leisurely and maybe an afternoon if you walk from Uetliberg to Felsenegg and then take the gondola down and the train back to Zürich.

This pretty much sums up a day in the life of me as a tour guide when we have friends or family visit. There is a lot of coffee involved, and a lot of chocolate.

What would you add to this list of sightseeing in Zürich in a day?