If you are going to Switzerland for the first time, creating a perfect Switzerland trip itinerary might be not an easy task. Switzerland is a small country and you can cross it by train or car in just a couple of hours. But there so many beautiful places to visit in Switzerland, that it’s nearly impossible to fit them all in one trip, especially if your time and budget are limited. That’s why I decided to share 5 suggested Switzerland itineraries to help you create your own perfect itinerary. Adapt them to your preferences, available time and budget and enjoy your trip to Switzerland!

One of my favorite things about Switzerland is that public transport is very well organized. It makes traveling so easy for people like me who can’t drive. Switzerland has probably the best train system in the world and you should take advantage of it. Of course, you can also rent the car, but you need to calculate whether it is a cheaper and easier option. Apart from car rental, you need to pay for gas and parking and as everything in Switzerland, it is quite expensive. Also, be careful not to break any rules because even little overspeeding can cost you a lot in Switzerland. There are many places in Switzerland that you can’t even reach by car. If you need to take a gondola to the mountain, the Swiss travel passes usually give you some good discounts.

Read more about Swiss Travel Passes

Visit SBB website for train timetable

For most visitors, the Alps are the highlight of the trip to Switzerland. But remember that going to the top of mountains is only worth on a clear day, otherwise, it’s just a waste of money because you won’t see anything. For example, if you want to go to Jungfraujoch, you have better chances for a good weather day if you stay in that area for a couple of days. Try to stay flexible when you plan a trip to Switzerland.

I choose Zurich as a starting point for all Switzerland itineraries because most international visitors fly to Zurich. But you can easily adjust any itinerary if you are traveling by land from a neighboring country.

Many people ask what to do with the luggage when they travel in Switzerland. Train stations usually have lockers where you can leave your bags. See more information on the SBB website.

Or just leave luggage in the hotel. Most hotels will keep your luggage for free before you check-in or after checkout.

Switzerland trip itinerary 1

This Switzerland itinerary includes the visit to the most popular places in Switzerland like Lucerne, Interlaken, and Zermatt.

Day 1. Zurich

If you arrive in the morning or afternoon, spend the day exploring the city. Zurich is not a very big city and one day is enough to see the most of it. You can sleep in Zurich or go directly to Lucerne in the evening.

If you arrive in the evening, you can skip Zurich and take a direct train to Lucerne from Zurich airport.

Zurich HB-Lucerne by train: 45-60 minutes.

Zurich airport-Lucerne by train: around one hour.

Day 2. Lucerne

Lucerne is probably the most visited Swiss city. The Old Town is easy to explore on foot as all the main sights are within the walking distance. Lucerne lies at the north of the Vierwaldstätter See (Lake Lucerne) and you can take a short one-hour sightseeing boat cruise to enjoy the lake. For mountain lovers, two popular trips from Lucerne are Mount Rigi and Mount Pilatus. Trips to the mountains can easily be half-day or one-day trips. 

Lucerne-Interlaken by train: almost 2 hours.

Day 3-5. Interlaken

Interlaken is a very popular place to visit in Switzerland. There are so many things to in the region that if you need to choose just one place to stay during your trip to Switzerland, Interlaken would be a great option. Some suggestions for things to do in Interlaken:

• Jungfraujoch Top of Europe Day Trip from Interlaken
• boat trips on Lake Thun and Lake Brienz
• visit Lauterbrunnen valley and see Trümmelbachfälle
• explore the city of Thun

Interlaken – Zermatt by train: 2-2.5 hours.

Day 6-7. Zermatt

There are enough things to do in Zermatt, but the main reason everyone goes there is to see the Matterhorn – Switzerland’s most famous mountain. If you decided to rent a car for your Switzerland trip, keep in mind that Zermatt is car-free, so you will need to leave your car in the parking lot and use a shuttle to reach Zermatt.

If you skipped Zurich on the first day, you can also explore the city on the last day.

Zermatt – Zurich by train: a bit more than 3 hours.

Switzerland trip itinerary 2

With this Switzerland itinerary, you will spend some time in the French part of Switzerland.

Day 1. Zurich

Explore Zurich on the first day and sleep in Zurich.

Bern-Zurich by train: 60-80 minutes.

Day 2-3. Bern

Bern is an unofficial capital of Switzerland and a very beautiful town to visit. You can spend a day exploring Bern and one or two more doing day trips from Bern to nearby attractions. Some ideas for day trips from Bern:

• Walk the suspension bridge between two peaks – Glacier 3000
• Lauterbrunnen  Valley
• Grindelwald First
• Lake Thun and city of Thun

Bern to Lausanne by train: a bit more than 1 hour.

Day 4-6. Lausanne 

I feel like Lausanne doesn’t get enough attention from tourists compared to other places in Switzerland. But the city is really beautiful and is a good base to explore the French part of Switzerland. Some day trips that you can do from Lausanne:

• Geneva (35-50 minutes by train)
• Montreux, Vevey and Chateau de Chillon
• Scenic hike in the Vineyard of Lavaux
• Boat trip on Lake Geneva (you can even take a boat to France)

Lausanne to Lucerne by train: around 2,5 hours.

Lausanne to Zurich by train: a bit more than 2 hours.

This is why you should visit Lausanne

Day 7. Lucerne

At the end of your Switzerland trip, explore Lucerne.

Switzerland trip itinerary 3

This Switzerland itinerary is perfect if you don’t want to check in into many hotels and prefer to take day trips.

Day 1-3. Zurich

Stay in Zurich for a couple days and explore nearby places. Some ideas for day trips from Zurich:

• Day trip to Appenzell and Aescher- Wildkirchli Berghaus
• Rhine Falls
• Day trip to Germany or France 
• More day trips from Zurich

Zurich-Interlaken by train: around 2 hours.

Day 4-7. Interlaken

Spend the rest of the days in Interlaken area. There are lots of things you can do in Interlaken that don’t require going too far by train.

If you want to see French-speaking part of Switzerland, you can make a day trip to Montreux, Lausanne or Vevey but train ride to any of these places takes around 2-2,5 hours.

Switzerland trip itinerary 4 

I like this Switzerland itinerary because this is approximately what I did with my mother when she visited me last year. She was very happy with the trip and we were able to cover many places. However, this itinerary requires moving around a lot. This itinerary is easier to do if you have a small suitcase and don’t get tired from check-in in a different hotel every day.

Day 1. Zurich

Explore Zurich on the first day.

Day 2. Lucerne.

Day trip from Zurich to Lucerne.

Zurich-Lucerne by train: 45-60 minutes.

Day 3. Bern

Take a train from Zurich to Bern, leave your bags in the locker in the train station and spend the day in Bern. 

In the evening take the train to Lausanne and sleep there.

Zurich-Bern by train: 60-80 minutes.

Bern to Lausanne by train: a bit more than 1 hour.

Day 4. Lausanne

Explore Lausanne, do a boat trip on Lake Geneva and/or and visit the Vineyard of Laveux. Stay one more night in Lausanne.

Day 5. Thun & Interlaken

First, take a train from Lausanne to Thun. Thun is a pretty little town located on the lake Thun and a couple of hours should be enough to see the most of it. In the afternoon go from Thun to Interlaken. Here you have two options:

• Thun to Interlaken by train: 30 minutes
• Thun to Interlaken by boat: a bit more than 2 hours

We took the boat and while it was longer, it was a totally different experience. I recommend taking a boat instead of a train if you have time.

Day 6. Jungfraujoch

Do a day trip from Interlaken to Jungfraujoch (or any other mountain). Come back to Zurich in the evening or in the morning the next day.

Little tip: when you take a train from Interlaken to Zurich, the most picturesque part is between Interlaken and Lucerne, it is a part of the Golden Pass route. So if you want to enjoy the views, don’t take the train late in the evening.

Interlaken-Zurich by train: around 2 hours.

Day 7.  Zurich

Spend the last day chilling in Zurich or do one more day trip from Zurich.

Switzerland trip itinerary 5

Day 1. Bern

Take a train from Zurich airport directly to Bern and explore the city.

Bern to Lausanne by train: a bit more than 1 hour.

Day 2-3. Lausanne.

Spend two days exploring Lausanne and the area around.

Lausanne-Zermatt by train: around 3 hours.

Lausanne-Interlaken by train: a bit more than 2 hours.

Day 4-6. Zermatt – Interlaken

Spend next few days in Zermatt and/or Interlaken.

Zermatt-Interlaken by train: 2 h 20 min.

Day 7. Lucerne/Zurich

Spend last day in Lucerne or Zurich.

I hope this information was useful and will help you to plan your perfect Switzerland trip itinerary.