Perched in the middle-ish of Continental Europe, Switzerland is a proper diverse country that’s way more than its snow-capped mountains (which are amazing by the way). Now, if you’re anything like me, a trip to a new country will always involve a little exploration, going beyond one place to experience the best places in Switzerland…
…After all, that’s what makes travel so freaking special.
Before we headed over to Switzerland, my idea of the country was that of snowy mountains, chocolate and a place that makes good watches. Now, these are all true but there’s so much more diversity to Switzerland than meets the eye and that was something that really surprised me. Which, if I’m honest, is the thing I love most about travelling. The surprise.
Anyway, I’m rambling again but I wanted to show you some of the best places in Switzerland you should visit, either by car (most of the way), train or trekking (if you have a few spare months) 🤣
Also, if you’re looking to make this less of an action-packed trip, just spend an extra few days in each spot and create a 14-day trip. Whatever way you’ll choose, you will love it!
Mapped: Best places in Switzerland
Swipe over the best place in Switzerland map to change the image and see the full route.
Day 1: Zurich
0900 Arrival into Zurich: The start of your Swiss adventure! Once you’ve landed, grabbed yourself a coffee and checked into your digs, you’ll want to head straight out to enjoy the city.
1000 check into your hotel: We stayed at Hotel Storchen (see more pics, here) which was uh-mazing and smack bang in the city centre.
1200 Explore the city: Make sure to wander around the Old Town and find some goodies and little independent shops in the narrow streets. If it’s a sunny day, you can also visit Lindenhofplatz for some lovely views. For a little bit of history, pop inside the stunning Grossmunster which is pretty imposing on the city.
19:00 Time for food: For an amazing evening (and yummy food), head over to Les Halles (which you can read more about here). Just make sure to work up an appetite for the mussels, it really is one of the best places in Switzerland to gorge. 😋
2100 cocktails: If you’re looking for a nightcap, pop over to District 5 (which reminds me so much of Shoreditch in London). They have some epic venues, cool bars and Club Supermarket for a little boogie.
Take a look at our full 24-hour guide to visiting Zurich, here
Day 2: Saint Moritz
1000 Leave Zurich: After enjoying a full on day in Zurich, you’re going to head over to Saint Moritz which will take about 3-hours on the train (and the same driving).
1300 time for food: Once there, pop into your hotel and head out for some well-deserved food. A favourite spot is Ecco St. Moritz but be warned, prices can be a little high. It’s great for a little indulgence and totally worth it but if you’re trying to keep costs lower, then it might not be the right place.
1430 time to explore: Now, the thing about Saint Moritz is that you’ll never have enough time. I day isn’t enough, nor is 10 in my opinion, so don’t feel bad having to prioritise what you wanna see.
During the daylight hours, make sure to explore; Lake St. Moritz, Mount Corvatsch (if you like trekking) or Lake of Staz. If you’re a skier, you might want to stay an extra day or so to enjoy the powdery slopes or pop in a few more spots you didn’t get to see.
2000 time for food: Pop over to Restaurant Uondas for some flame-grilled ribs! 🔥
2200 Grab an early night: If you’re looking for an indulgent stay, pop over to Badrutt’s Palace Hotel with all its toasty and pretty rooms.
Day 3: Saint Moritz
1000 Breakfast: Have a hearty breakfast at Badrutt’s Palace Hotel
1100 Time for skiing: There are hundreds of kilometres of pistes that are soooooo amazing. Though, I always stick to the blue runs (and red if I’m feeling like a daredevil).
Now, skiing here can be a little pricey compared to other European spots but the slopes are great and well worth it if you’re wanting to enjoy some of that Saint Moritz glitz. It’s one of the best places in Switzerland to ski.
1900 Grab dinner: Pop into Dal Mulin for some of the freshest seafood in Switzerland. Though, as with lots of places in Saint Moritz, you will need to break open the piggy bank for a little treat. If you’re used to Swiss prices you’ll be fine. If not, you’ll find this expensive.
2100 Time for Zzzz’s: Head back to the Badrutt’s Palace Hotel to catch 40 winks. 💤
Day 4: Ascona & Lake Maggiore
1000 Depart Saint Moritz: Leave for Ascona which is about a 160-minute drive from Saint Moritz. If you take a train, it’ll take you a little longer on this route.
1300: Arrival into Ascona: Perched on the edge of Lake Maggiore, Ascona and the surrounding areas have a totally different vibe to that of Saint Moritz. It’s one of the best places in Switzerland to experience a Meditteranean climate (and some Italian influences).
We stayed at the Eden Roc Hotel that sits right on the lake itself (see more pics here). Make sure to also grab a lunch at the hotel on one of their lakeside tables.
1500 Head to Brissago Island: It’s not often you think of a landlocked country and think of islands, is it? Well… Switzerland has some beauties. Pop over to the stunning Brissago Island that’s about 30 minutes on a boat from Ascona (and only a few hundred metres from the Italian/Swiss Border). It has to be one of the best places in Switzerland to enjoy!
Once there, you’ll have an opportunity to wander the lush grounds, relax, see the historic house and really lean into the relaxed charm of this area. It’s so different from other parts of Switzerland and one unique spot you should definitely see. You can read more on the island, below:
An Afternoon In One Of The Smallest Islands In Europe – Brissago Island
2000 Dinner time: I’m not usually one of eating in hotels for all my meals. I usually like to head out to a different spot to experience a new joint. Now, if you’re feeling lazy pop downstairs to have dinner at the Eden Roc – it’s honestly scrumptious.
If on the other hand, you want to explore another place, pop into Antico Ristorante Borromeo that serve up some traditional Mediterranean delights within a gorgeous, rustic setting.
Read more about visiting Lake Maggiore in our post here
Day 5: Interlaken
1000 Depart Ascona: Drive from Ascona to Interlaken, which takes about 160-minutes.
1300 Arrival into Interlaken: Check into your hotel. We stayed at Hotel Bellevue but the Victoria Jungfrau Grand is also a lovely place to stay if you’re looking for a little bit of luxury.
1400 Time to explore: Take a short walk around the old town, see the gorgeous buildings and little shops and find a good spot to eat.
1900 Time for ice-skating and fondue: If you’re visiting in the winter months, head over to ice skate at Ice Magic Interlaken. They have loads of lanes to skate on and a typical Swiss chalet to gorge on all the fondue.
2200 Catch some zzzz’s: Time for bed.
Day 6: Interlaken
0700 breakfast at hotel: Fill yourself up and get ready for the day ahead.
0730 Leave for Jungfraujoch – Top of Europe: It’ll take a few hours, but it’s one of the prettiest train journeys you can take in Switzerland. Grab the train from Interlaken (with a few connections) and explore the Top of Europe.
(Obviously, make some time for some model-like-sultry-posing too). Haha! 🤣 I mean, no one else is around so we just jumped at the opportunity to pose (for fun, of course). We probably looked totally silly if anyone else saw us!
Anyway, one thing to remember is to wrap up warm. It gets a whole new level of cold in that snow so grab some good quality arctic style boots – no one likes cold toes, after all. We got some Muck Boots that keep ya toes nice and toasty but also have a snazzy ‘Arctic Grip’ feature which helps stops falls on ice. Wooohoo!
Once there (with boots on and posing done 🤣), you can marvel at the views, get pretty close to a glacier and stop off in the ice tunnels too!
1200 Food at Crystal: At the Top of Europe is the Crystal restaurant. Stop off here for a typically Swiss rösti that’ll fill you up for hours!
1300 Leave Jungfraujoch: Take the train back to Interlaken.
1600 Make some Swiss chocolate: The Funky Chocolate Club in Interlaken is a great little spot to visit where they’ll actually teach you the ‘ins and outs’ of Swiss chocolate making. You’ll also get to make your own and take them with you! I swear, you’ll eat loads of chocolate here. It’s paradise.
1730 Ski rental: Grab rental ski’s for tomorrow from Outdoor Interlaken. This is where we rented all our gear from.
1900 Early dinner at Stadthaus: What I love most about Stadthaus is its informal atmosphere and amazing lamb. We had the tastiest dinner and it was a perfect treat after spending the day exploring.
Read more on what to do in Interlaken, here
A Journey To Jungfraujoch And The Beautiful Town Of Interlaken, Switzerland
Day 7: Interlaken & Zermatt
0730 Breakfast at hotel: Eat up for a long day ahead.
0805 Time to ski: take bus to Beatenberg from Interlaken station. It’ll take about 40-minutes and drop you right off outside the cable car to Niederhorn.
0900 Grab a ski pass and head onto the slopes: A not so well-known spot but a perfect place for skiing. There are three different slopes offering skiing to Vorsass or, if it’s snowy, even to Beatenberg. They’ve got slopes suitable for all experience types too and some epic vistas over Lake Thun too. This is one of the best places in Switzerland for views.
1300 Leave for Zermatt: After a few hours of skiing, head onto the train network straight for Zermatt. You’ll take a few trains to get there but connecting trains in Switzerland is an absolute breeze. They have the most efficient train network I’ve ever experienced.
15:15 Ski Rental: Pick up rental skis next to the station. There are many places to get them from so you’ll have plenty of choices.
16:24 Railway to your Igloo: Journey up the mountain with the Gornergrat railway. Get out at Riffelberg station (NOT Riffelalp). Make sure to take your camera and sit on the right side of the train (for the best views of the Matterhorn).
17:00 Drop off your ski gear: Deposit your ski equipment at the Hotel Riffelhaus 1853 with the consent of the Igloo team. Where you’ll be staying. If you don’t fancy an igloo, book into the Hotel Riffelhaus 1855, though I’m not sure I’d book this place as a first choice.
18:00 Short hike to the Igloo-Village: Around 10 minutes’ walk. Make sure to wrap up very warm and take extra layers with you! ❄
18:15 Arrival at the Igloo Village: This Igloo Village (see pics here) is unreal and you’ll have the best time! Once you arrive, the team will introduce to all the areas, the rooms, the foods and drinks and the hot tub! Yaaaaaaas! It really is one of the best places in Switzerland to stay!
19:00+ Activities: Enjoy the evening in and around the igloo with an aperitif and evening meal, a snowshoe trek, hot tub and a cosy get-together with some piping hot tea (or wine). ☕
2300 Sleep in your igloo: Time for some zzzz’s
Read more about our stay in the Igloo here
Sleeping In An Igloo Under The Matterhorn… In Zermatt, Switzerland
Day 8: Zermatt & Nax
0730 Breakfast: After being woken up in your igloo with a hot tea, you’ll pack up your stuff and head for a short walk (10-15 minutes) down to Hotel Riffelhaus 1855.
0900 Ski time: spend the day skiing the slopes around the Matterhorn and enjoying all the amazing pistes. You can even ski to Italy if you want… as long as you have your passport or European ID card. Where else can you see the best places in Switzerland and then just take a quick ski to Italy, eh?
The mountains around here have well over 300 km of pistes to choose from. You can literally spend weeks here and still not do them all! See from our post, below:
1400 Lunch: After working up an appetite, ski over to Restaurant Paradise in Findeln for some yummy Swiss cuisine. They make an epic sausage and lentil stew which is sooooo warming after a morning on the slopes.
1500 Head back to Zermatt: Drop off your ski gear and board the train.
16.13 train: train transfer from Zermatt to Val d’Hérens
1750 arrival: Transfer by taxi to the Maya Boutique Hôtel in Nax. The whole hotel is made totally from straw and it’s the coolest independent hotel ever! Usually, there are a number of taxies outside the station. Though, you won’t need this option if you decide to drive.
1830 Check in to hotel: The Maya Boutique Hotel has also won loads of awards for its Green Mobility project, a network of electric cars available for us guests to use. You can see more on our stay, below:
1930 Dinner at the hotel: They have some incredible dishes here that are so tasty!
2100 relax and sleep: Catch some zzzzzz’s.
Day 9: Nax & Geneva
10:00 Breakfast: Breakfast at your hotel and check out.
11:00 Snowshoeing: Organise a transfer to Saint-Martin for snowshoeing around the valley. The snowshoe paths lead through traditional villages and magnificent forests on the way up to the alpages.
Make sure to take a small picnic with you and stop off for some fondue to warm yourself up. It really is amazing.
1600 Departure for Geneva: Take the train from Sion direct to Geneva and even stop off at Chillon Castle if you’re driving in the car.
You can get a bus from Nax to Sion if you want to take public transport or ask the hotel to assist in organising a taxi for you. NAX Excursions do this (we took them on the way up).
1800 Arrival into Geneva: Check into your accommodation at Hotel Bristol in the city.
2000 Eat up: Pop into Fiskebar who make some tasty Swiss and Scandinavian dishes that are gorge worthy. Their Arctic fjord trout and pigeon dishes are delicious.
2200 Sleep: Catch some zzzz’s.
Day 10: Geneva
1000 Breakfast: Eat as much as you like, after all, this is the last day of your trip and you deserve a treat!
1100 Explore the city: There’s so much to see and do in Geneva that you’ll be spoilt for choice. Now, as I mentioned before 1 day isn’t really enough so extend your stay (for a long weekend) if you want to fit more in.
For the best plans whilst in Geneva, take a look at our post below
If you’re feeling extra fly, go paraglide from France and swoop over the border to Switzerland. We did this and felt like James Bond for a good 30-minutes! It was so cool. You can see our video on that, below:
After all the excitement, it’s time to leave but hopefully, you had the best 10-days seeing the best places in Switzerland. It really is so incredible. As with all our posts, if you need any other tips or advice, just pop us a message. 😃
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