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Your Guide To Discovering The Best Of Beautiful Zurich And Lucerne In 48 Hours – OUR CROSSINGS
Last updated on the 6th of August, 2025
Dominated by the mighty Alps, Zürich showcases a perfect combination of whizzing city life and thrilling outdoor activities.
You can spend a morning exploring old town squares with storybook charms and hike to the top of the Uetliberg mountain in the afternoon.
See, when it comes to visiting Switzerland, you can’t go wrong. Just about everything the Swiss provide and produce is world-class.
There’s the fine chocolate, scenic train rides, a high standard of living, stunning Alpine tourism and their talent in producing some of the most luxurious and high-quality timepieces.
As with most visits to a new country, ours started in its biggest city, Zürich.
Instead of landing at the airport, we arrived on a train from Milano Centrale railway station and headed right into one of the most beautifully preserved Old Towns in Europe.
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How to spend 48 hours in Zürich and Lucerne
If you only have 48 hours to visit Zürich, there’s quite a lot you can squeeze into your itinerary, as it is a small enough city that you can easily tick off most of the highlights and embark on a day trip.
While you can easily spend both days visiting various museums and attractions in Zürich, it would be a shame to miss an opportunity to see the snow-capped mountain peaks that Switzerland is famous for.
We decided to escape the city on the second day and devote it to visiting Mount Pilatus, as the famous Golden Round Trip included many fascinating highlights such as :
- Jaw-dropping views on the cable car ride up Mt. Pilatus
- Ride in the world’s steepest cogwheel railway
- A boat cruise across the lake
- Gliding in panoramic gondolas and an aerial cable car called ‘Dragon Ride’
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On the first day of your vacation in Zürich, head down to Zürich’s Old Town.
Stroll along the alleys and cobbled streets and soak up what used to be the entire Zürich City Centre before 1983. If you love architecture, then you’ll be amazed by the rows of 17th-century buildings that tower over the streets with their colourful facades.
Some of the must-sees of Zürich’s historic city centre:
- Zürich’s best-known church, Grossmünster Church, easily recognisable by two towering steeples, is the city’s famous landmark, with 187 stairs leading to a fantastic viewpoint.
- Wander down the famous shopping street, the Bahnhofstrasse and enjoy the ambience and window shopping.
- For a wonderful view over the Old Town and Lake Zurich, catch the little red funicular, the “Polybähnli” to the Polyterrasse.
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Take in the Views From the Lindenhof Hill
Stroll past St Peter’s Church ( which you can visit, of course) and you’ll come to Lindenhof, one of the oldest and most historic neighbourhoods in Zürich, located between Limmat and Bahnhofstrasse.
Here you can walk up the Lindenhof Hill to admire the sweeping views of the city or simply relax under the trees.
The small green square was once a Celtic settlement which later became a Roman fort, but nowadays it’s a haven of peace and tranquillity from where you can take in the glorious view of the Old Town, City Hall, Grossmünster Church and the Limmat River.
If you walk around, you can find the remains of the fortress walls and a Roman gravestone.
- Highlights: Overview of Zürich’s history, picnic spot
- Location: 8001 Zürich, Switzerland
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Check out the artefacts at the Swiss National Museum
For insights into the cultural history of Switzerland, head to the Swiss National Museum, where, through various permanent and temporary exhibitions, you can learn about numerous aspects of Switzerland’s culture, history, and art during different eras.
Originally built by architect Gustav Gull to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Swiss federal constitution, the neo-Gothic style complex is an architectural masterpiece and is said to store more than 840,000 objects.
- Location: The Museum can be found at Museumstrasse 2, Postfach, 8021 Zürich
- Entry fee: CHF 10 per adult, CHF 8 per child
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Go For A Stroll Along the Lake Zürich Promenade
Depending on how much time and energy you have left, you could go for a walk along the lake promenade, as it is a wonderful place to explore at any time of the year.
Here, you can find several attractions such as a wooden footbridge across the lake from Hurden to Rapperswil, numerous swimming areas and a beautiful Opera House.
If you choose, you can wander around, find a secluded spot to have a picnic, or you could take a relaxing boat trip on the lake and take in the surrounding scenery.
You can also go on a short boat ride along the River Limmat down to the beginning of Lake Zürich and back. It is a great way to see many beautiful buildings located along the riverbanks.
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On the second day, catch a train to Lucerne, from where you’ll take the ‘Golden Round Trip’ to Mount Pilatus.
Mount Pilatus Golden Round trip is a fantastic excursion to Mount Pilatus from Lucerne via a series of different means of transport – a cogwheel train, a boat and a cable car.
The trip is a fantastic way to enjoy a variety of classic Swiss experiences, as well as the best of the Lucerne area
Your journey will start with a relaxing 30-minute gondola ride over the beautiful Swiss landscape, followed by the aerial cableway known as the ‘Dragon Ride’, all the way to the mountaintop of 7000ft.
Silently gliding towards Mount Pilatus in a bright red gondola, you’ll have a birds-eye view of its famous lush valleys and Lake Lucerne, shining in deepest blue colour.
Halfway up to the summit, the gondola stops in Fräkmüntegg, where you can enjoy a ride in Switzerland’s longest summer toboggan run for quite reasonable prices.
*Good to know: To fully complete the trip, you need a maximum of 5 hours
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What To Do on Mount Pilatus Summit
Once at the summit, you can enjoy views over five different lakes and 70 peaks.
On top of that, there are a good few restaurants around Mount Pilatus, Lucern’s landmark mountain, offering excellent dining options at Bellevue and Restaurant Pilatus-Kulm.
Those favouring outdoor activities would appreciate one of many hiking trails ranging from easy to strenuous, as well as climbing, paragliding and cycling activities guaranteed to get your heart pounding.
You could also explore its many viewpoints and hike from Mt Pilatus to the highest point at Tomlishorn Peak. The trail is well-maintained, has a safety barrier and is suitable for casual hikers.
Once we were done exploring Mount Pilatus and taking in the views from the observation deck, we boarded the steepest cogwheel railway in the world and slowly made our way down the mountain to Alpnachstad village.
We then took an hour-long ride in a classic steamboat across Lake Lucerne to arrive at the starting point.
*Good to know: To avoid waiting times, you can pre-book your seat on the cogwheel railway
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A Few Things To Know Before Embarking on the Golden Round Trip
The Golden Round Trip is ONLY possible during the summer months from mid-May to mid-October.
The direction of travel
We started our journey counterclockwise by catching the cable car and ending with a boat ride, mainly to avoid the crowds because the first ride up the mountain is at 8:30 am. Others prefer to travel clockwise, starting with the boat and ending with the cable car ride.
Where to purchase tickets
The best place to purchase the tickets is online. You can then exchange your online tickets for the actual tickets at the cable car station.
It is also possible to purchase tickets at Alpnachstad Valley stations, Kriens, at the Lake Lucerne Navigation Company and at the Pilatus Shop Lucerne.
Ticket prices: In 2024, a Pilatus Golden Round Trip ticket costs:
- Child (6-15) – CHF 56.90 (free with SBB Junior Card or Family Card)
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How To Get From Zürich To Lucerne for the Golden Round Trip
The best way to travel from Zürich to Lucerne is by train as the journey time is around 45 minutes each way from the Zurich Main Station (Zurich HB) which is located in the heart of the city.
You can also hop on a train at Zürich Airport (Zürich Flughafen), which is easily accessible from the Arrivals. You just need to add an extra 15 minutes plus connection time as the train service requires a change at Zürich HB main station.
The trains between Zürich To Lucerne are quite frequent departing pretty much every hour throughout the day.
The very first train from Zürich departs around 5:30 in the morning while the last one leaves around midnight.
Before you start booking your train tickets for the scenic train ride between two of the most wonderful cities in Switzerland, make sure you download the Trainline app as it lets you check live train times, book tickets and store e-tickets on your mobile phone.
- How much is the ticket: The price for an adult ticket in the first class is about CHF 46 one way (about USD 50) and CHF 27 (around USD 30) in the second class.
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Where To Stay In Zürich
Not sure where to stay in Zürich?
The best place to stay in Zürich for the perfect first-time visit would be in Zürich’s old town Altstadt (1st District). For sightseeing, our top choice for staying in the Old Town:
It is the city’s most touristy area with many of Zürichs main monuments, restaurants and shops. While it is the most expensive part of the city to stay in, it is great if you are short on time or – like us – staying in the city just for one night.
- Motel One – located just 600 metres from Paradeplatz and Bahnhofstrasse, the hotel offers the perfect blend of style, comfort, and affordability.
You can also book your accommodation in the Second District in Enge& Wollishofen just South of the old town. They are primarily residential areas and would be perfect for families. Our top choice for a hotel:
- B2 Hotel – a wonderfully designed hotel, situated 15 minutes from the city centre, it provides beautiful family suits with city views and a terrace.
*Fun Fact: B2 Hotel houses its own private library with 33,000 books.
We stayed in Hotel Marta which is conveniently located 5 minutes walk from Zürich Main Train Station. The hotel was exceptionally clean with comfortable beds and offered good value for money.
Useful Tips For Visiting Switzerland on a Budget
Some travellers might give Switzerland a hard time for being pricy (which is true, because a one-way journey in a tram will cost you approximately 6 CHF (5 EUR/6 USD), but it’s worth every single Swiss Frank!
And, there are always ways to keep that hard-earned money in your purse for longer by planning in advance, staying in hostels, avoiding alcohol (you’ll feel much better the next day) and cooking yourself.
- Buy a Zürich pass (CHF 24). The ZürichCard offers unlimited 2nd class travel by train, bus and cable car, free or reduced admission to museums and more.
- Switzerland is one of the cleanest cities, so it’s no surprise you can drink from one of the 1200 fountains located around the city. Stay away from single-use plastic, bring a reusable water bottle with you and fill it up. This way, you can achieve two things save money and help the environment.
- Enjoy Free Walk Zürich, these 90-minute tours, organised by an independent, non-profit organisation, are entirely free! You can choose from chocolate, downtown Zürich, Zürich West tours and more. For solo travellers, this is a perfect way to meet other travellers. And, you can get your questions answered about famous landmarks as well as see the city through the eyes of the locals.
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How To Get To And Around Zürich
Zürich is very well connected to the rest of Europe.
Aer Lingus operates flights from Dublin to Zürich, and so does Easy Jet From London Airports.
- Zürich’s international airport is situated just 11 kilometres north of the city, and the easiest way to get to the city centre is by train. Journey time takes 10-15 minutes, and a single ticket costs CHF 6.80
- Zürichs Central Station, the Hauptbahnhof, is the largest train station in Switzerland and one of the busiest in the European world with more than 2000 functioning train rides per day to the neighbouring European countries, including Amsterdam, Munich, Vienna, Paris and more.
We arrived by train from Italy, and it was the best introduction to Switzerland we could have asked for, as we had a chance to enjoy the beautiful scenery along the way.
The best way to get around Zürich is on foot. If your feet need a break, you can use public transport as it is highly organised and operates like clockwork.
You can also have an option to use an electric scooter, or electric tram, catch the S-Bahn to Uetliberg or pedal through the city on a bike.
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General Tips and Hints for Visiting Zürich and Lucerne
Before you pack your bags and head to this wonderful Swiss city destination, there are a few things you need to know.
- Zürich is a fairly small city that can be explored in two days, but if you want to see more of Switzerland, then you’ll need at least a week.
- Book your accommodation well in advance, especially if you plan on travelling during the peak season
- Eat cheese fondue, a traditional Swiss dish that originated in the Alps and consists of cheese, wine, and coarse peasant bread. Quite possibly the most delicious Swiss meal.
- Bring a rain jacket or an umbrella. Because of the surrounding mountains, the weather is very changeable. We visited in June and ended up purchasing warm cardigans.
- Did you know that Switzerland is the birthplace of Milk Chocolate? Go crazy and try all the Swiss chocolate you can get your hands on. Best ones are Lindt & Sprüngli, Toblerone, Coop Prix Garantie and more!
- If you plan on shopping, most stores and restaurants are closed on Sundays, so plan your visit accordingly.
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Now, over to you!
Have you been to Zürich or Lucerne? Let us know in the comments below!
Let us know if you are plotting a visit to Lucerne or Zürichand have travel-related questions!
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