Zurich Walking Tour: 50 Free Video Stops

This Zurich walking tour links 10 sights and 50 short video stops narrated by Clarissa, from the lakefront at Bellevue to the lookout tower on the Uetliberg. The notes below turn those stops into practical day plans, with walking order, timing, transport, etiquette and the free sights worth knowing before you go. For official visitor information and events, also check Zürich Tourism, the official Zurich city guide.

Route 1, the lake and the right bank (stops 1 to 3). Start at Bellevue and the Quaibrücke, where the Limmat leaves Lake Zurich, and follow the videos along the lakeside promenade, past the swans and the bathing houses. A short boat trip on the lake gives the best view back to the city. Then walk into the Niederdorf, the lanes of the Old Town on the right bank, past guild houses on the Limmat and the Rathaus on the river, to the twin towers of the Grossmünster, where Huldrych Zwingli launched the Swiss Reformation.

Route 2, the left bank (stops 4, 5 and 8). Cross the Münsterbrücke to the Fraumünster, founded in 853 as an abbey for noblewomen, for the stained-glass windows by Marc Chagall and Augusto Giacometti. Look up at St. Peter's church next door, whose clock face is one of the largest on any church in Europe. Climb the lanes to Lindenhof Hill, the site of a Roman fort, for the view across the Limmat, and finish on Bahnhofstrasse, from Paradeplatz to the main station.

Route 3, museum and opera (stops 7 and 9). The Swiss National Museum stands beside the main station in a castle-like building, with a modern extension at the back, and tells the story of Switzerland from prehistory to today. In the evening, walk to Sechseläutenplatz by the lake for the Opernhaus Zürich, opened in 1891, and the videos on the Kronenhalle and the Kunsthaus art museum nearby.

Route 4, zoo and mountain (stops 6 and 10). Ride the tram up the Zürichberg to Zurich Zoo for the Masoala Rainforest hall, the Kaeng Krachan elephant park and the Lewa Savanna. On another day, take the S10 train from the main station to the Uetliberg, 871 metres high, then walk up to the lookout tower. If you have energy left, follow the Planet Trail along the ridge toward Felsenegg.

If you only have one day, Routes 1 and 2 give the best Zurich walking tour on foot, because the lake, the Old Town, the two great churches, Lindenhof and Bahnhofstrasse sit within a short walk of each other. A three-day Zurich walking tour works well as Routes 1 and 2 on day one, Route 3 and the zoo on day two, and the Uetliberg on a clear morning on day three.

For photos, the best free viewpoints on this Zurich walking tour are Lindenhof Hill, looking across the Limmat to the Grossmünster and the university, the Quaibrücke, with the twin towers in front of you and the lake behind, the Münsterbrücke between the two great churches, and the lookout tower on the Uetliberg, where the city, the lake and, on clear days, the Alps lie below. For a calm evening, sit by the water at Bellevue or along the Limmatquai and watch the light change on the river.

Late spring to early autumn is the best season for a long Zurich walking tour, when the lake boats run often and the river and lake baths are open for a swim. Winter is cold and often grey, but the Christmas markets brighten the Old Town in December. In April, the Sechseläuten spring festival ends with the burning of the Böögg, a snowman figure, on Sechseläutenplatz.

Check the Alps before you go. On clear days, especially with the warm föhn wind, the snowy peaks stand out across the lake and from the Uetliberg, so save the mountain for the clearest morning of your Zurich walking tour. The Swiss National Museum is closed on Mondays, and church interiors can close for services and concerts, so check each official website for current opening times.

Zurich's trams and buses are frequent and punctual, and one ticket covers trams, buses, S-Bahn trains and many lake boats within the zones you buy. The Zurich Card bundles public transport with museum discounts, which is worth comparing if you plan several paid stops. The S10 to the Uetliberg leaves from the main station, and trams climb to the Zoo stop on the Zürichberg. Lake boats leave from the Bürkliplatz pier at the lake end of Bahnhofstrasse, and a short round trip makes a restful break in the middle of a long Zurich walking tour.

Use the Map button at each stop to check walking time. The centre is compact, and most of the Old Town is easier on foot than by tram. Buy tickets before boarding, because ticket inspectors are common and fines are high.

Inside the Grossmünster and the Fraumünster, keep your voice low and avoid visiting during services. The Swiss value punctuality and quiet, so keep noise down in residential lanes in the evening and on Sundays. Most shops close on Sundays, apart from those in and around the main station, so plan any shopping on your Zurich walking tour for Monday to Saturday.

For food, try Zürcher Geschnetzeltes, sliced veal in a cream sauce, with crisp Rösti potatoes, the city's signature dish. Swiss chocolate shops line Bahnhofstrasse, and the small Luxemburgerli macarons from Confiserie Sprüngli on Paradeplatz are a local favourite. The guild houses along the Limmat serve traditional meals in historic rooms. Service is included in Swiss bills, so tipping is optional, and rounding up for good service is enough.

Zurich is one of the safest cities in Europe, but keep an eye on your bag in the main station and on busy trams. The city has more than a thousand public fountains with clean drinking water, so carry a refillable bottle on your Zurich walking tour instead of buying water. In summer, only swim in the river and lake at official bathing spots, because the currents in the Limmat can be strong.

Wear comfortable shoes, because the Old Town lanes are cobbled and some climb steeply, especially around Lindenhof and the Niederdorf. Pack a light rain jacket in any season, and warm layers for the Uetliberg, which is cooler and windier than the lakefront.

Several stops cost nothing at all. The lakefront promenade, the Old Town lanes, Lindenhof Hill, Bahnhofstrasse, Sechseläutenplatz and the Uetliberg summit paths are free, and entry to the Grossmünster nave is free, while its tower climb is charged. The Fraumünster, the Swiss National Museum, the zoo and opera performances need tickets. That is why this free walking tour Zurich visitors can start at any hour works well: the 50 videos are free, and you only pay for what you choose to enter.

Some museums offer reduced or free entry on certain days or for young visitors, and the rules change. Always confirm current prices and free days on each official website before your Zurich walking tour, and compare the Zurich Card with single tickets if you plan to ride a lot.

Summer adds more free fun. The lakeside lawns at Zürichhorn and Mythenquai are open for picnics, and the wooden river and lake baths, known locally as Badis, are a Zurich institution: some are free and others charge a small fee. On hot days, locals float down the Limmat near the Oberer Letten river bath, but only strong swimmers should try it, and only where swimming is allowed.

For accessibility, the lakefront, Bahnhofstrasse, Paradeplatz and Sechseläutenplatz are flat and smooth, which makes them the easiest stops for wheelchair users and strollers. Most trams are low-floor. The Old Town has cobbles and steep lanes, Lindenhof is reached by sloping lanes and steps, and the path from the Uetliberg station to the summit is a short but steep climb.

When you finish this Zurich walking tour, carry on with more free walks nearby: the Munich walking tour, the Milan walking tour, the Frankfurt walking tour and the Vienna walking tour. You can browse every city on the Free City Tours home page.