Switzerland · zero cost
Free things to do in Zurich
Free walking tours, public museums on free days, parks, viewpoints, and self-guided routes in Zurich, Switzerland. Bookable free walking tours and tip-based experiences via Expedia Attractions.
- ✓Free walking tours and tip-based experiences in Zurich
- ✓Public viewpoints, parks, and waterfronts to wander
- ✓Museum free-day calendars on the listings that have them
- ✓Bookable for free · Powered by Expedia Attractions
What things cost in Zurich
Public transport is the cheap part at CHF 9.40 for 24 hours across zones 110 and 121. Nothing else is. A basic restaurant main runs CHF 25 to 40, a coffee CHF 5 to 6, a half-litre beer around CHF 8. Kunsthaus entry is CHF 24 and free on Wednesdays. A Coop or Migros lunch is the standard local way of not spending money.
What's actually worth your time in Zurich
The lake is the attraction, and ZVV zone tickets are accepted on the short Zurichsee and Limmat boat runs, so a transit pass doubles as a cruise. Bahnhofstrasse is window shopping rather than sightseeing. The Grossmunster tower climb and Chagall's windows in the Fraumunster both charge and both deliver. Uetliberg, twenty minutes out on the S10, gives the view people expect the city to have.
When the weather turns in Zurich
Rain on a Wednesday is lucky, because the Kunsthaus is free that day. Otherwise the Landesmuseum's covered galleries, the Migros Museum inside the Lowenbrau complex, and the Thermalbad und Spa built into an old brewery will cover an afternoon, the last with a heated rooftop pool. The Hauptbahnhof's shops trade on Sundays when almost nothing else in the city does.
What first-timers get wrong in Zurich
Sunday shopping barely exists outside the main station and the airport, so buy food on Saturday. A 24-hour ZVV ticket for the central zones is CHF 9.40, and some stops offer only a machine. Service is included and rounding up is enough. Tap water in restaurants is frequently charged, so ask for Hahnenwasser and expect it on the bill regardless.
Zurich's museums, and which one to pick
Kunsthaus Zurich opens its collection free to everyone on Wednesdays; otherwise the collection ticket is CHF 24 and it closes Mondays. Its Buhrle wing, built on a wartime arms fortune with contested provenance, has been publicly argued over for years. The Landesmuseum behind the main station covers Swiss history inside a mock castle. Museum Rietberg holds non-European art in a lakeside park villa.
When to go to Zurich
| Best months for free-things | Avg daily high | Rain days |
|---|---|---|
| September | 20°C / 68°F | 11 days |
| August | 25°C / 77°F | 12 days |
| October | 16°C / 61°F | 12 days |
The month to avoid is December — around 5°C (41°F) with roughly 16 rain days. Prices and crowds track the weather here: September is the sweet spot, December the month most people skip.
Pack for peak season: Layers — t-shirts under a light jacket or sweater, A packable rain shell or compact umbrella earns its space, Comfortable walking shoes — every guide on this site assumes you'll use them.