Our Zurich Story
We moved to Zurich in 2022. Actually, our very first visit here wasn’t even a vacation; it was an apartment hunting trip before the move. We already knew before we packed a single box that we wouldn’t regret the decision.
The first weeks and months felt like being tourists in our own new home. We walked around discovering everything, the old town, the lake, the little streets we now walk every day without really thinking about them. By the end of that first summer, we felt properly at home here, not just like visitors anymore.
So here is our honest disclaimer before we even start: this post is biased. We loved Zurich right away, and if anything, we love it even more now that we live here. But we are not the only ones. Almost every friend who came to visit us fell in love with the city just as fast; some of them even wondered out loud why they hadn’t come here sooner.
In this post, we want to give you our honest answer to the question people ask us all the time: Is Zurich actually worth visiting, even if you’re not moving here as we did?
Top Hotel Picks in Zurich
- Luxury: Baur au Lac
- Mid-Range: Motel One Zürich
- Budget: Oldtown Hostel Otter
Is Zurich for You?
Worth it for: culture and food lovers, shopping fans, anyone who wants a big lake to swim in during summer, and travelers using Zurich as a base for day trips into the mountains.
Maybe skip it if: your only goal is dramatic Alpine scenery and you have very limited time.
Days needed: at least 2, ideally 3.
Our honest take as residents: we think it is the best city in Switzerland, even though we know we are not exactly neutral.
Who Should Skip Zurich
Let’s start with the honest part, because that is what this whole post is supposed to be.
Zurich is expensive. Not “a bit pricier than at home” expensive, but genuinely one of the most expensive cities in the world. Zurich currently tops the Numbeo Cost of Living Index for 2026, and Swiss cities take six of the top ten spots globally. A coffee, a beer, a simple meal out, all of it costs more here than in most places tourists come from. We know several friends who honestly told us that money, not a lack of interest, was the reason they kept postponing their visit.
That said, the final cost depends heavily on where you stay, how often you eat out, and whether you pay for several attractions. In our guide to visiting Zurich on a budget, we break down realistic daily costs and the savings that actually make a difference.
If the cost is your main concern, our guide to how much a trip to Switzerland actually costs breaks down realistic prices for accommodation, food, transport, and activities.
If you search online for opinions on Zurich, you will also find people saying things like “skip it, go straight to the mountains” or “Zurich is not very interesting for tourists.” We understand where that comes from. Zurich does not have the same postcard-perfect Alps view right outside your window as other cities might. It is a working city first, with banks, trams, and people rushing to appointments. If your whole trip is built around dramatic mountain scenery and you only have a few days, we would honestly tell you to spend that time in Lucerne, Interlaken, or somewhere closer to the peaks instead.
So if cheap travel or mountains are the only things on your list, Zurich might not be your top priority. That is a fair conclusion, and we will not pretend otherwise.
Why It Won Us Over
Almost every friend who came to visit us fell in love with Zurich just as fast as we did. Some of them told us afterward that they were wondering why they had never come here before. That reaction happened so often that we started to trust it more than our own opinion.
A Big City With a Small Town Feel
With around 450,000 residents, Zurich is the biggest city in Switzerland, but it still feels small in the best way. The old town still has narrow streets, old churches, and a quietness to it that you would expect from a much smaller place.
You can walk from one side of the city center to the other in about 20 minutes, and it always feels manageable, never overwhelming.
Something to Do in Any Weather
It does rain in Switzerland, more than people expect. Zurich still works well on a bad weather day. There are museums, a lot of shops, and some proper luxury shopping if that is what you are into. On a good day, the big lake is right there for swimming in summer, and if you are interested in culture, there are enough things to do in Zurich to fill several days.
A Perfect Base for the East of Switzerland
Because of the trains, Zurich also works as a base for day trips into the mountains. A lot of places are closer than people think, so you do not have to choose between the city and the Alps; you can have both from the same hotel room.
If you plan to use the city as your base, our guide to where to stay in Zurich compares the best neighborhoods for sightseeing, nightlife, lake access, and transport.
On top of all that, Zurich is consistently ranked as one of the best cities in the world for quality of life. Mercer has placed it in the top spot globally for years, thanks to low crime, clean streets, and reliable public services. We notice this every day we live here, and visitors usually notice it within their first walk through the city too.
A Cool Urban Vibe We Grew Into
Zurich also has a genuinely cool urban side that surprised us. Areas like Zurich-West are full of converted industrial buildings, small bars, and a young, creative crowd that has nothing to do with the buttoned-up banking image most people have of this city. We did not expect to like this side of Zurich as much as we do now. It took us a while to actually go out and explore it, but once we did, it became one of our favorite parts of living here.
The Practical Stuff
How much time you need really depends on why you are coming.
If you only have a layover between flights, even a few hours in the old town and by the lake is worth it. If Zurich is one stop on a bigger Alps trip, one to two days is enough to get a good feel for the city before you move on. If you are planning a proper city break, we would give it three days, which is enough time for the old town, the lake, a museum, and a one-day trip.
We describe the different durations in more detail in our blog post on how many days to spend in Zurich.
Costs are real, so let’s be specific. A single 24-hour public transport ticket for the city zone costs about CHF 9.40 ($12). If you want transport plus discounts on museums, the Zurich Card is a better deal at CHF 29 ($36) for one day or CHF 56 ($69) for three days. For food, expect a simple restaurant meal to cost 25 to 40 CHF ($31-$50) per person, and a coffee somewhere around CHF 6 ($7).
That said, you don’t have to pay for every experience in the city. Our guide to the best free things to do in Zurich includes viewpoints, parks, lakeside spots, museums, and walks that can help keep your daily costs down.
You do not need a car here. Zurich is small enough to walk most of the old town, and the tram and train network covers everything else. We rarely use anything other than public transport ourselves, even living here full time.
For the best weather, May to September is when the lake and outdoor life really come alive. Winter has its own charm too, with Christmas markets and a quieter, calmer city.
Our 7-, 10- and 14-day Switzerland itineraries show how Zurich can fit into a realistic route through the country.
Our Final Word
So, is Zurich worth visiting? We started this post admitting we are biased, and we still are. But almost every friend who visited us said the same thing on their way home: they were glad they came, and a little annoyed they had waited so long.
That is really our honest answer. Zurich will not give you the classic Alps postcard. What it gives you instead is a clean, easy, genuinely likable city that grows on you fast, sometimes within a single afternoon.
If you have been on the fence about adding Zurich to your Switzerland trip, we would say go. Let us know in the comments if you visit; we would love to hear if it won you over too.
FAQ
Is Zurich boring?
It can feel that way in the first few hours, especially around the train station. Give it a full day. Once you reach the lake and the old town, that feeling usually disappears fast.
Should I skip Zurich for the mountains instead?
If mountains are your only priority and you have very few days, yes, spend that time closer to the Alps. If you have more time, Zurich works well as a base for day trips anyway.
Is Zurich really that expensive?
Yes. It is one of the most expensive cities in the world. You can still visit on a moderate budget if you are careful, but do not expect it to be cheap.
Do locals actually think Zurich is worth visiting?
We do, and so does every local friend we have asked. Of course, we are not neutral; we live here, but that bias comes from years of daily life here, not from one good weekend.
