Almost every time someone comes to visit us in Zurich, the same question comes up: should they get the Zurich Card? We get it, and honestly, it’s a fair question. Zurich isn’t cheap, and a card that promises free transport, museums and discounts sounds like an easy win.
We’ve actually bought the card ourselves in the past. These days, we don’t need it anymore; we switched to a Half Fare Card since we live here and travel around Switzerland a lot, but we still remember exactly how we used it and what it saved us back then. On top of that, we’ve calculated this exact decision for friends and family more times than we can count, because everyone who visits us asks the same thing before their trip.
So instead of just listing what the card includes, we want to show you how we actually think about this decision. We’ll walk through the real numbers, tell you honestly who it makes sense for and who should skip it, and point out a few things we’ve noticed that are worth mentioning.
If you’re also planning the rest of your trip, our Switzerland travel guide explains how transport, costs, regions, and trip length fit together beyond Zurich.
Our Top Hotel Picks in Zurich
- Luxury: Baur au Lac
- Mid-Range: Motel One Zürich
- Budget: Oldtown Hostel Otter
At a Glance: Our Quick Take
Before we get into the details, here is the short version:
Get the Zurich Card if you’re staying outside the city center, you plan to visit 1-2 museums, or you just want to stop thinking about tickets completely.
Skip the Zurich Card if you’re staying central and plan to walk most places, or you’ll not visit a single museum at most.
That’s the quick answer. But like most things, it really depends on your specific trip, so let’s break down the actual numbers below.
Besides, skipping the card does not automatically make the whole trip cheap, though. Our guide to saving money in Zurich shows how transport fits into the wider budget alongside accommodation, food, and activities.
What’s Actually Included
The Zurich Card comes in two versions: 24 hours for CHF 29 ($36) or 72 hours for CHF 56 ($69). Kids aged 6 to 15 pay CHF 19 ($24 USD) for 24 hours or CHF 37 ($46 USD) for 72 hours, and it’s free for kids under 6.
Worth knowing: Some of the discounts only apply to adult cardholders, so don’t assume every perk automatically covers the kids too.
Here’s everything the card actually gives you:
- Unlimited 2nd class travel on trams, buses and trains within the city and surrounding fare zones
- Free river cruise plus the mini and short lake cruises on Lake Zurich
- Unlimited rides on the Polybahn, Seilbahn Rigiblick, and Dolderbahn funiculars, and the Felsenegg cable car
- Free admission to most of Zurich’s museums
- Up to 50% discount on popular city tours
- Reduced or free admission to concert venues, clubs, movie theaters, and Casino Zurich
- Up to 15% off at participating restaurants and bars
- Up to 20% discount in selected Zurich stores
- Various smaller discounts on other leisure activities
What it does not cover: night buses (they cost extra) and public transport outside the city zones, so trips to places like Lucerne aren’t included.
One thing worth knowing: which museums, restaurants, and shops are included can change, so instead of us listing every single one here and having it go outdated, we’d point you straight to the official Zürich Card benefits page for the full, current list before your trip.
Does It Actually Pay Off? The Real Math
The Zurich Card isn’t really a yes or no question; it’s a math question. It only makes sense if what you’d spend on tickets and entries without the card adds up to more than the card itself.
Here’s how we actually walk through it with our friends and family every time they visit:
Step 1: List out what you’re actually planning to do each day: museums, transport, cruises.
Step 2: Add up what each of those would cost separately, at full price.
Step 3: Compare that total to the card price for the same number of days.
The Zurich Card website is very user-friendly. When you click on the attractions there, you can immediately see the regular price. That way, we were always able to quickly figure out whether it was worth it or not.
Tip: For checking real transport prices, we always use the SBB app. It’s the official app for Swiss public transport and shows you exact ticket prices for any route in seconds. You can also check prices on the regular SBB website if you’d rather do it on a laptop before your trip. We use the app constantly and love it.
If the separate total comes out higher than the card, buy it. If it’s close or lower, skip it and pay as you go.
Here’s a real example from one of our friends’ visits:
They wanted to take the tram from our place to the city center and visit the FIFA Museum. The tram tickets alone came to CHF 14.40 ($18 USD). Add the FIFA Museum entry at CHF 26 ($31 USD) full price, and that’s already CHF 40.40 ($50 USD), more than the card itself.
Then, in the afternoon, they spontaneously walked past the Fraumünster and went in, mostly because it was free with the card. That’s another CHF 5 ($6 USD) saved that they hadn’t even planned for.
Added up: CHF 45.40 ($56 USD) worth of transport and entries in one day, against a card price of CHF 29 ($36 USD). In that case, the card paid for itself before lunch, and everything after that was a bonus.
Imagine you find a restaurant for the evening that offers a discount with the Zurich Card—then you can save even more.
The card rarely wins or loses by a huge margin; it usually comes down to one or two planned activities plus whatever you end up doing on impulse because it’s already covered.
Who Should Buy It (and Who Shouldn’t)
After doing this math for so many people over the years, we’ve noticed a pretty clear pattern:
Museum lovers, buy it. If you’re planning to visit two or more museums in a day, the card usually pays for itself on entries alone; transport is basically a bonus on top.
Families, it’s usually worth it. Between transport for everyone and a couple of paid attractions, the savings add up fast, especially over 2 or 3 days.
People staying outside the city center buy it. If your hotel or, like in our case, your friend’s place isn’t within easy walking distance of the Old Town, you’ll be using the tram a lot more than you think, and that adds up quickly.
If the forecast doesn’t look great, it’s also a buy-it argument. Trip’s already booked, and rain is in the forecast? No need to panic, just get the card. If you end up shifting your plans toward museums and indoor attractions instead of walking around outside, it’s already covered.
If you’re staying central and mostly walking, skip it. Zurich’s city center is small. If your plan is one museum and a lot of walking, you’ll likely spend less just paying for that one entry and a couple of tram rides separately.
If that sounds like your travel style, take a look at our guide to the best free things to do in Zurich. It covers viewpoints, museums, parks, lakeside walks, and other experiences that let you enjoy the city without buying the Zurich Card.
Very short stays, think twice. If you’re only in Zurich for a few hours between trains or a single evening, there usually isn’t enough time to use the card enough to make it worth the price.
The honest answer is that it’s not about the destination; it’s about what you actually plan to do each day. That’s why we always tell people to do the quick math first instead of just buying it.
Things Nobody Mentions
A few details we’ve picked up over time that are worth mentioning.
Night buses cost extra. The card covers regular public transport, but if you’re out late and need one of Zurich’s night buses, that’s a separate surcharge, not included.
There’s a trick for cheaper Lucerne tickets if you’re headed that way. If you want to travel from Zurich HB to Lucerne, look for a train that goes via Thalwil. Not all of them do, so check before you book. Then buy a ticket in the app just from Thalwil to Lucerne. That way, the Zurich HB to Thalwil section is already covered by your Zurich Card, and the ticket only covers Thalwil to Lucerne. The Thalwil to Lucerne comes out cheaper than a normal Zurich HB to Lucerne ticket. One thing worth being honest about, though: it’s not worth buying the Zurich Card just for this trick. If a Lucerne day trip is the only reason you’re considering the card, a regular Zurich HB to Lucerne ticket on its own is still the cheaper option.
Already have a Half Fare Card or Swiss Travel Pass? Do the math again. If you already hold one of these, you’re getting discounts on transport and some attractions anyway, so the Zurich Card might not add much on top. We’ve written more about how these passes work in our guide to public transport in Switzerland, worth a look if you’re trying to figure out which pass makes sense for your whole trip, not just Zurich.
It also helps to map out your wider Switzerland itinerary first, because the number of longer train journeys usually matters more than what you spend on local transport in Zurich.
Where and How to Buy
If this post helped you figure out that the card makes sense for your trip, we’d genuinely appreciate it if you grabbed yours through our link. It doesn’t cost you a single extra franc; it just means we get a small thank you for the hours we spent doing this math for you.
Otherwise, you can buy the Zurich Card directly on the official website. If you’d rather have something physical, you can also get it at the tourist information desk at Zurich HB or from any SBB or ZVV ticket machine around the city. Prices are the same no matter where you buy it, so it really just comes down to what’s most convenient for you.
So, Is It Worth It?
Coming back to the friends who spent CHF 45.40 on transport and museum entries in a single day, against a card that cost CHF 29, that’s the whole answer in one example. The Zurich Card isn’t automatically worth it just because you’re visiting Zurich. It’s worth it when your plans actually line up with what it covers.
Do the quick math before your trip, the same way we do it every time someone asks us. If your museums, transport, and a few extras add up to more than the card price, buy it without a second thought. If you’re staying central and mostly walking, save your money and pay as you go.
FAQ
Does the Zurich Card cover the airport transfer?
Yes. The train ride from Zurich Airport into the city center is covered, so if you’re arriving and heading straight into town, that’s one ticket you don’t need to buy separately.
What counts as “night,” and why does it matter?
Regular public transport runs until around 0:30 AM, and that’s already included. After that, on Friday and Saturday nights, Zurich runs night buses, and those cost an extra CHF 5 on top, card or no card. During the week, there simply aren’t any night buses running.
I’m only visiting one museum. Is it still worth it?
Probably not just for that. If your plan is one museum plus mostly walking, you’ll likely come out ahead just paying for that single entry and a couple of individual tram tickets. The card starts to make sense once you’re looking at two or more paid activities in a day.
Does it help with a day trip to Lucerne or Mt. Rigi?
Not directly, since both are outside the Zurich Card zones. But if your train stops in Thalwil on the way, you can buy just the Thalwil to Lucerne portion separately and save a bit; see our note on that above.
Is the 24-hour or 72-hour version better?
That depends entirely on how many days you’re actually planning to be out and about. We’d say do the same math for each day individually, then add it up, rather than assuming the longer card is automatically the better deal.
We’re staying just outside the city center. Does that change anything?
Yes, and usually in favor of the card. If you’re not within easy walking distance of the Old Town, you’ll be relying on the tram more than someone staying centrally, and that tips the math in the card’s favor faster than most people expect.
Does the card work for kids too?
Yes, kids aged 6 to 15 get their own discounted price, and it’s free for kids under 6. Worth noting, though, not every attraction is free for children even with the card, so it’s worth checking specifics for anything you’re planning around your kids.
