Everyone dreams about visiting Switzerland at least once in their life. I waited for a long time to go with my partner to Switzerland and the minute I went, I knew that I would be going again to visit more of the must visit places in Switzerland.
For our first visit to Switzerland, we ended up driving around Switzerland and it was our perfect introduction to this gorgeous country.
I have gone many times to Switzerland since then and every time, I come with a new favorite.
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15+ Must Visit Places in Switzerland
This list is not exhaustive and I wish to add more best places in Switzerland to visit as and when I visit them in the future.
One of the main advantages of Switzerland is definitely the extensive number of eco- friendly hotels and I have stayed in so many of them across Switzerland.
Obviously price can be a deciding factor since Switzerland is one of the most expensive countries to visit. It is definitely a must to buy either an Eurail pass or a Swiss travel pass if you are planning to spend at least 7-10 days in Switzerland.
Please find the list of the must visit places in Switzerland which I have personally visited below:
Lauterbrunnen
If I had to choose one fairytale village in Switzerland, then it has to be Lauterbrunnen. Many people may argue that it is overhyped or overcrowded compared to other places in Switzerland.
But for me, this place was definitely heaven. Did you know that this village is called the valley of waterfalls since there are around 72 waterfalls here?
Even though Staubbach Falls is the biggest one of them all and is visible at all times of the year, you definitely should do a hike around the region to visit at least some of the many waterfalls like Trümmelbach Falls.
My only regret is that I was not able to stay in Lauterbrunnen since we went during summer and the prices were too steep then.
Many places like Interlaken, Grindelwald, Jungfraujoch, Blausee and the car free villages of Wengen and Murren all come in the same region and are hardly 30 mins – 1 hour from each other by car or train.
It is ideal to stay in one of these places for few days and explore the region at leisure.
Tip: If you are going in Summer, make sure to do some of the hikes in the region in the morning and afternoon and come back to the village post 3 pm.
This ensures that most of the day trippers would have left and you can hike up to the waterfalls without the crowds. This is if you are unable to find accommodation in Lauterbrunnen at good rates.
We ended up staying till 9 pm and doing some great hikes since we had our own car to get around. And the cows there were so cute and magnificent amidst the Bernese Alps.
How to get there: The nearest international airport is Zurich and you can reach there by car in around 90 mins and by train in around 2 hours. It is well connected by both cars and trains.
Leysin
Initially, I was looking to stay around Lake Geneva near Montreux or Lausanne or Vevey. But then my husband wanted to stay near the mountains during his birthday.
And that is when I found a cute Swiss chalet in the tiny town of Leysin. Leysin is home to many of the famous boarding schools of Switzerland and is hardly 25 mins away from Chillon Castle by car.
The drive from Lake Geneva to Leysin is breathtaking and it was one of my husband’s favorite birthday trips and one of the best places to go in Switzerland.
Since it is an idyllic town, you can spend your time hearing doing some easy hikes. And during winter season, there are many ski resorts in the area and most hotels are open only during some time of the year.
The jacuzzi overlooking the Vaud Alps was my favorite part of our stay.
We ended up doing a day trip to Glacier 3000 and Gstaad during our stay in Leysin.
How to get here: Even though, it has a train station, it takes multiple changes to get here and it is more comfortable if you have a car.
The nearest airport is in Geneva and it takes around 1 hour and 45 mins to get here.
Chur
For years, I had the Bernina express on my bucketlist and last winter, I was finally able to do this bucket list activity.
This train journey from Chur in Switzerland to Tirano in Italy is a definitely must do during your trip to Switzerland and you will be passing some of the most scenic places in Switzerland.
This journey follows the Rhaetian railway which is a world heritage site and the journey approximately takes 4 hours. It passes numerous bridges and tunnels along the way.
Even though this is included in the Swiss travel pass, you need to make a seat reservation at least 60 days in advance since it is almost sold out.
I ended up starting my journey in Chur. Since the train is at 8 in the morning from here, I ended up comingthe day before and took my time exploring this charming little town of Chur.
Tip: It is always cheaper to stay here than in Zurich and I loved my stay in Hotel Stern Chur which was a great sustainable hotel.
How to get here: Nearest international airport is Zurich and only takes 75 mins by car or train. If you are doing the train journey from Tirano to Chur, then the nearest airport is Milan which is 2.5 hours from Tirano by train.
Zermatt
If you have time to go to only one car free village in Switzerland, then Zermatt is definitely the best place to go. This mountain village is definitely one of the prettiest places in Switzerland.
Since it is a car free village, you need to park your car in Tasch and then take a 15 min train ride up to Zermatt.
Zermatt is home to more than 500 wooden houses and many luxury hotels and offers excellent hiking options around the area.
Once you reach the village, you need to take the Gornergrat railway to go to see the Matterhorn amidst the many glaciers in the region.
It is also one of the best places in Switzerland to visit in winter because of the many skiing and snow activities.
Tip: The weather here is pretty volatile and you need to check the weather conditions before you go. Especially if you want to hike around the Matterhorn. There was a snowstorm the day we went and hence we couldn’t do any of the major hikes.
How to get there: The famous Glacier express takes around 8 hours from St Moritz to Zermatt and this is also on my bucket list. Geneva is the nearest airport and takes around 2.5 hours by car or train.
We drove from Interlaken which took us around 2 hours and 15 mins and the best part was the car train through the Lötschberg Tunnel and the magnificent views along some mountain curves.
Seelisburg
Even though we ended up going to Lucerne, it definitely was not our vibe. Maybe because there was an event happening that weekend and it was extremely crowded.
Since we were driving, we did not want to stay inside the town of Lucerne and that is when I found this charming town of Seelisberg on the outskirts of Lake Lucerne.
Our hotel had a view of Lake Lucerne on one side and a gorgeous tiny church amidst the meadows on the other side.
It was far away from the crowds and hence was one of the best decision to stay away from Lucerne.
The below lake was just one of the tiny lakes near our hotel.
How to get here: It is a bit out of the way and hence the best way to get here is to drive from Lucerne which is around 30-35 mins away.
Zurich
If you have to choose between a city and between Zurich and Geneva, then I would definitely choose Zurich.
The lake in the city was definitely a highlight. But my favorite part was the Lindt factory and as a lifelong fan of Lindt since childhood, it was a pleasure to see how my favorite chocolates are made.
Walk around the Alstadt or the old town and visit the many water promenades in the city while you are there.
Tip: Zurich is expensive and many hotels in the center won’t have a car parking service. We ended up staying in the suburbs and taking public transportation to get around the city.
How to get here: Zurich international airport is well connected to most international airports around the world.
Interlaken
If you are planning to explore the Bernese Oberland in detail, I would definitely recommend this Swiss town of Interlaken as your base.
It is well connected to other places in the Bernese alps both by train and car and can take less than 20 mins to get there. Interlaken is well connected to Grindelwald, Lauterbrunnen, Wengen and Murren by train.
Both Lake Brienz and Lake Thun are located at either ends of Interlaken and the drive around both these lakes in just spectacular.
Interlaken is also known as the adventure capital of Switzerland and you can do many activities like bungee jumping, skydiving, canyoning, and paragliding here.
You can also do boat tours on Lake Brienz and Lake Thun during summer.
We used Interlaken as our base during our car trip in Switzerland.
Also, don’t miss out Harder Klum when in Interlaken.
How to get here: Zurich airport is only 1 hour and 40 mins away by car and 2 hours by train ride.
Wengen
A car free village in the Bernese Alps, it is famous for its picturesque views of the Eiger, Monch and Jungfrau peaks.
It was a village that pleasantly surprised me. Since it is a car free village, I ended up taking the cog railway from Lauterbrunnen which is just 15 mins away and then ended up hiking back to the Lauterbrunnen valley which took me a little over 2 hours.
The view of theLauterbrunnen valley with the view of some of the 72 waterfalls is definitely a must for your summer hiking.
You can also do the Mannlichen-Wengen walk from the cable car station to Wengen and is mostly downhill and takes around 2 hours.
How to get here: Only accessible by train from Lauterbrunnen or an easy hike from Lauterbrunnen.
Grindelwald
I tell you there is no dearth of fairytale villages in Switzerland and Grindelwald is another one in the Bernese Oberland region.
This town sits at the foot of the Eiger and hence is the starting point if you want to go to the top of the Jungfraujoch. From here, you need to take the Eiger express gondola to Eigergletscher station and then take the Jungfrau railway up to the top.
But one of the must do activities is the First cliff walk and the hike to see one of the most beautiful lakes in the region, Bachalpsee.
It is a generally easy to moderate hike and in addition, there are many Eiger trails around the Eiger village.
During winter, this becomes a hub for all winter activities.
You can also find many of the iconic Swiss timbered houses here.
How to get here: Interlaken is easily connected by train and takes around 1 hour while a car takes around 30 mins.
Murren
Another car free village in the same region and it sits at the foot of the Schilthorn peak.
It is especially magical during winter and it is a famous spot for Skiing.
How to get here: This village is only accessible by cable car from Stechelberg or by taking a train and cable car from Lauterbrunnen.
Schilthorn
You would have noticed that I did not include Jungfraujoch in this list even though I have been there.
I found Junfraujoch or the Top of Europe to be extremely overrated. It is also one of the most expensive excursions in Switzerland. It is also extremely crowded with tourists and there is nothing much to do once you get to the summit.
And if you are someone who likes to hike, then the Schilthorn peak offers better hiking and views compared to Jungfraujoch.
When at the summit, be sure to visit the Schilthorn Piz Gloria revolving restaurant to get some of the best views of Schilthorn and other peaks in the area.
It takes around 4-5 hours from Murren to Schilthorn summit.
How to get here: Another option is to take multiple cable cars from Stechelberg or Gimmelwald and then from Murren, take another cable car through Birg. This cable car holds the record of the steepest cable car in the world. Stechelberg can easily be reached by train or car from Lauterbrunnen.
Montreux
Even though I wanted to stay in Montreux, my husband wanted to stay in the mountains and that is why we ended up staying in Leysin.
Montreux is a lakeside resort town situated on the shore of Lake Geneva at the foot of the alps in the Vaud canton. It is definitely one of the must see places in Switzerland.
Since it is an upscale resort town with mediterranean vibes, it is comparatively expensive compared to places like Leysin where we stayed.
But it hardly takes 30 mins and you can easily do it as a day trip from Leysin.
When in Montreux, don’t forget to head out to other nearby towns like Lausanne or Vevey.
The must visit place is obviously the Chillon castle and since we went towards the end of the day, we had the place to almost ourselves.
Also, don’t forget to visit the UNESCO World Heritage site of Lavaux wineyards with gorgeous views.
The Goldenpass express train starts in Montreux and the Rochers-de-Naye cogwheel railway also offers panoramic views.
How to get here: Geneva is only 1 hour and 20 mins away by car.
Lake Lungern
We were driving to Seelisberg when we spotted this lake on the way and we knew we had to stop on the way.
It was a lake that was not on our itinerary but we ended up spending a few hours here hiking around the lake and visiting the cute villages which had many chalets available for rent.
During summer, there are many water activities available like fishing and pedal boating in this lake.
The stunning turquoise lake was definitely worth it and I would definitely love to stay here the next time I am in Switzerland.
How to get here: This is around 40 mins by car from Interlaken
Gstaad
If you are a DDLJ (Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge) fan like me, then you definitely need to visit Gstaad.
The iconic song of ‘Zara se Jhoom le’ was shot in the cute town of Gstaad and incidentally, it was not the only Bollywood song shot there.
Gstaad is known as the luxury holiday destination for both Hollywood and Bollywood celebrities and the super rich.
And it is evident why once you go there. Skiing and other winter activities are very famous here while summer is reserved for the many hiking trails in the region. It is definitely one of the most beautiful places in Switzerland.
Since we were staying in Leysin, Gstaad was just 40 mins away by car and we ended up going there. The drive was so beautiful.
Glacier 3000 was on the way and we ended up going up and doing the Tissot cliff walk and other activites there too.
Saanen, the other town where the iconic Palat scene was shot is just 5 mins away and we also ended up going there on the way back.
My husband’s favorite part was the Indian vegetarian meal we had at Mango restaurant. He loved it despite the price and it was perfect for him, the day after his birthday.
How to get here: Geneva airport is around 2 hours from here.
Blausee
Blausee is a alpine lake and is definitely one of the most picturesque places in Switzerland.
It is not on most people’s bucketlist since you need to take a bus from Interlaken to Blausee and it takes approximately 1 hour. Direct trains are not available.
We ended up driving and it just took us 30 mins and it was definitely a great idea to visit.
The lake here had some of the clearest waters I have seen and you could see fish swimming even from a distance.
There are few restaurants available with a lakehouse and small hiking trails available around the lake.
There is an entrance fee to enter.
How to get here: You can do this as an easy half day trip from Interlaken.
Iselwald
If you are a ‘Crash landing on You’ fan like me, you would have definitely heard of Iselwald and it is definitely one of the best sights to see in Switzerland.
Located on the shore of Lake Brienz, it is hardly 10 mins away from Interlaken and you definitely have to see this place. Even if you are not a ‘Crash landing on you’ fan.
Because of the increased popularity in the past few years, it can get really crowded and now they even charge to get on the pier where the iconic scenes were shot.
It is best that you visit before the day trip crowds arrive.
While in Iselwald, do not forget to visit Seeburg Castle and Giessbach falls.
How to get here: Very close to Interlaken
Mount Pilatus
We wanted to do one mountain excursion to either Mount Pilatus or Mount Rigi near Lucerne.
In the end, we chose Mount Pilatus and it was such a great option for us. We ended up parking our car in Kriens and then taking the panoramic cable car all the way to the top.
When you are taking this option, then you will have multiple cable car stops on the way to the top and you may need to get down at some of the stops and then change cable cars.
Even though the top was a bit crowded, there are multiple small hikes in the area. Including to some of the caves in the area.
You can alternately choose the Cog railway option if you are coming from the other side, Alpanachstad (this is open only during summer).
On the way back, we decided to get down at one of these cable stops and hike our way down to Kriens (around 8 kms downhill).
It is a very easy hike but we were completely unprepared (I was in a dress and in sneakers). It still ended up being one of those memories we cherish as a couple.
How to get here: Zurich is just 40 mins away from Kriens while Lucerne is 5 km away.
Conclusion
Switzerland is a destination that effortlessly combines natural beauty, charming towns, and world-class experiences, making it a must-visit for every kind of traveller.
From the alpine drama of Zermatt to the lakeside elegance of Lucerne and Montreux, every region offers something unique and unforgettable.
What truly sets Switzerland apart is how seamlessly it balances luxury and simplicity – you can enjoy breathtaking views, excellent food, and thoughtful hospitality at every stop.
No matter the season, these must-visit places in Switzerland promise memories that last a lifetime, proving that Switzerland isn’t just a destination to see, but one to truly experience and return to again.
