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Two Days in Zurich: Old Town, Cocktails, and a Swiss Alps Day Trip

After saying goodbye to the Matterhorn in Zermatt, we boarded the train for the final stop of our Swiss adventure. Zurich.


Compared to the quiet alpine villages we had been visiting, Zurich immediately felt more energetic. Busy streets, historic architecture, craft beer, incredible cocktails, and a full day exploring some of Switzerland’s most breathtaking landscapes made it the perfect place to end the trip.


One of the best surprises about Zurich is how easy it is to combine city exploration with access to the Alps. Within a single day you can go from medieval streets to waterfalls, glacial rivers, and postcard mountain villages.


Here is how we spent two days exploring Zurich and the surrounding region.


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Two Days in Zürich Switzerland

Day 1: Trains to Zurich, Craft Beer, and Old Town

The morning started with packing up our tiny mountain chalet in Zermatt and heading to the train station. The journey to Zurich required a transfer in Visp before continuing across Switzerland toward the city.


We arrived in Zurich around mid afternoon and walked from the train station to our hotel. It was a warm day and after dropping off our bags we immediately went in search of a drink.


Our first stop was a small craft brewery called Bierwerk Zürich. After a long walk through the city the cold beer was exactly what we needed.


From there we began exploring Altstadt, Zurich’s Old Town.


Old Town is full of narrow cobblestone streets, historic buildings, and small cafés tucked into centuries old corners. It is the kind of place that rewards wandering without a plan.

To celebrate Dad’s birthday we stopped for cocktails at Old Crow, one of Zurich’s best known cocktail bars. The drinks were fantastic and the atmosphere felt polished but relaxed.


For dinner we stayed close to the train station and ate at Brasserie Federal, which serves traditional Swiss food in a lively brasserie setting.


After dinner we grabbed drinks back at the hotel and called it a night.


Day 2: A Swiss Alps Day Trip

The next morning started with breakfast at our hotel before meeting our guide Pedro for a full day exploring the Swiss Alps.


If you only have a short time in Zurich but want to see more of Switzerland, a guided day trip like this is an excellent option. Within a single day we were able to see several incredible places across the Bernese Oberland region.


Our route included Lucerne, Interlaken, Grindelwald, and Lauterbrunnen.


One of the most surprising highlights of the day was Aare Gorge.


Walking through the gorge feels like stepping into another world. A raised walkway winds through a dramatic canyon carved by glacial water, with towering rock walls rising above you while bright turquoise water rushes below.


After the gorge we stopped for lunch in the lakeside town of Brienz. Sitting near the water with mountain views in every direction made it the perfect place to slow down for a bit.

Our final major stop was Lauterbrunnen Valley, one of the most famous landscapes in Switzerland. The valley is surrounded by dramatic cliffs with waterfalls cascading down from above. It feels almost unreal the first time you see it.


We grabbed coffee and sweets before starting the drive back to Zurich.


Pedro even handled a flat tire on the drive back like a pro and still got us back to the city in time for dinner before our journey home the next day.


Where We Stayed

25Hours Hotel Zurich. A stylish hotel with a lot of personality. The rooms were comfortable, the breakfast was excellent, and the hotel bar was a great place to relax in the evening. The only downside is that it can be fairly lively at night depending on where your room is located.


Planning your own trip?


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Originally from Iowa (Kassie) and Kansas (Rick), we met in Kansas in 2005 and immediately found that we had so much in common - including our desire to someday see the world. We now live in NYC and quickly started catching up on travel after our first (just us) international trip to Iceland in 2015. We decided to start making videos for us and our family/friends to track our travels. Kassie is in Marketing, an Author (see her poetry + author videos), and Puppet Creator. Rick is an Engineer and Script Writer (see our current and coming puppet movies!)


Kassie's Author Site: https://www.kassiejrunyan.com/

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Important Links and additional information:

Bierwerk Zürich https://bierwerkzuerich.ch 

Old Crow Cocktail Bar https://oldcrow.ch 

Restaurant Wildbach Brienz https://www.wildbach.ch

Lauterbrunnen Valley https://lauterbrunnen.swiss/en 

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