Zurich with Kids: Lake Swims, Fondue, and Alpine Day Trips

Lindenhügel (Lindenhügel Hill and Lindenhof Square)

Walk up to Lindenhof, a peaceful elevated square where giant chess sets are permanently set up on the cobblestones and locals play on weekend afternoons. Kids can join in or simply run around the open

Grossmünster Cathedral

Climb the Karlsturm tower with kids for a panoramic view over the Limmat River and red rooftops that instantly orients the whole family to the city. The tower stairs are manageable for kids 6 and up,

Zeughauskeller

Lunch in a 15th-century armory turned traditional Swiss restaurant right in the heart of the old town, where kids can order Bratwurst and parents can try the Zürcher Geschnetzeltes. The cavernous inte

Zoo Zürich

One of Europe's best zoos, with a Masoala Rainforest Hall the size of a football pitch where free-flying birds and lemurs share a humid tropical environment with your family. The Kaeng Krachan Elephan

Zürichberg Forest Trails

After the zoo, burn off remaining energy on the forested hillside trails directly adjacent to the zoo entrance, where marked walking paths wind through beech and oak trees with city glimpses below. It

Zoo Restaurant Lewa Savanne

Eat lunch at the zoo's savannah-themed restaurant overlooking the giraffe enclosure, which is exactly as good as it sounds for kids who just want to keep watching animals. The food is a reliable Swiss

Strandbad Mythenquai

Zurich's most beloved public lake swimming facility, with a long wooden pier, diving boards for older kids, a shallow wading area for younger ones, and lockers and lawn space for the whole family. The

Café Zürichhorn

Grab a relaxed lakeside lunch at this casual terrace cafe in the Zürichhorn park, where you can eat outside looking directly at the lake and the Alps on a clear day. It is a short walk from Mythenquai

Lake Zurich Boat Tour with ZSG

Take a Zürichsee-Schiffahrtsgesellschaft short circular cruise on Lake Zurich, which runs regularly in the afternoon and gives kids the thrill of being on a proper boat without a long commitment. The

Frau Gerolds Garten

Back in Zürich West, this beloved outdoor urban garden restaurant and bar is family-friendly in the afternoon with colorful shipping container boutiques, long communal tables, and a relaxed atmosphere

Lindt Home of Chocolate

The Lindt chocolate factory museum in Kilchberg just outside the city is an absolute must for families, with an interactive chocolate-making history, the world's largest chocolate fountain, and unlimi

Schiffbau Spielplatz and Im Viadukt Arches

Walk under the repurposed railway viaduct arches of Im Viadukt, where local shops and specialty food stalls are built into the stonework, a genuinely cool piece of urban design that kids find architec

Planet Trail Hike Down to Felsenegg

Walk the Planet Trail, a 4.5 kilometer ridge path from Uetliberg to Felsenegg where scale models of the solar system are spaced along the route at scientifically accurate relative distances, making it

Uetliberg Summit by S10 Train

Take the S10 train directly from Zurich HB to the Uetliberg summit, a 20-minute ride that deposits you at the top of Zurich's own mountain at 871 meters with panoramic views over the city, the lake, a

Restaurant Uto Kulm

Eat lunch at Uto Kulm, the historic hotel and restaurant perched right at the Uetliberg summit, with a sun terrace that faces the Alps and a menu of Swiss classics including rösti that earns its altit

Niederdorf Street Wander and Spielplatz Hirschengraben

Spend the afternoon wandering the pedestrian alleyways of Niederdorf, the old town's liveliest quarter with toy shops, bookstores, and street musicians most afternoons. Wind up at the Hirschengraben p

Swiss National Museum (Landesmuseum Zürich)

The national history museum is right next to the main train station and has a genuinely engaging permanent collection covering Swiss history from prehistoric times through the modern era with plenty o

Sprüngli on Paradeplatz

Walk down Bahnhofstrasse to the flagship Confiserie Sprüngli café and patisserie for lunch or a mid-morning break, where the signature Luxemburgerli macarons are a Zurich institution that every child

Swiss Science Center Technorama

Take the 30-minute train from Zurich HB to Winterthur for one of the best hands-on science museums in Europe, where over 500 interactive experiments cover physics, biology, mathematics, and perception

Winterthur Old Town Lunch at Neumarkt

Walk into Winterthur's compact and undervisited old town for lunch at Neumarkt, a relaxed restaurant in a historic building serving fresh seasonal Swiss and European food in a setting that feels like

Hiltl Restaurant Zurich

Return to Zurich for a farewell dinner at Hiltl on Sihlstrasse, the world's oldest vegetarian restaurant founded in 1898, where the buffet format lets every family member pile their own plate from doz