Zürich · March 2026

Hotel

Zürich Marriott Hotel
Neumühlequai 42 · +41 44 360 70 70

Zürich Card (48 hr)

CHF 53 pp · all trams, boats + 43 museums
Activate in Zürich City Guide app at airport

Saturday Dinner

Zeughauskeller · Bahnhofstrasse 28A

✓ Confirmed · 7:30 PM

Weather Forecast

54–59°F highs · 37–41°F lows
10–20% rain · Layers + compact umbrella

Day 1 · Friday 27 March

Arrival &
White Elephant

A gentle landing. Activate your Zürich Card in the app at the airport. The hotel's Michelin-listed Thai restaurant is waiting — nothing to prove on the first night.

55°F/ 39°F

13°C / 4°C

Partly Cloudy

🌧 15%💨 9 mph 🌅 6:48🌇 7:32

7:40
PM

Airport → Zürich Marriott Hotel

Collect bags. Activate Zürich Card in the app. Airport Express to HB every 10 min — 10-min ride, fully covered. Tram 13 one stop → Sihlquai/HB. Hotel is 3 min walk.

Airport Express → HB 10 min · Zürich Card ✓ | Tram 13 → Sihlquai/HB 2 min | 3 min walk | Realistic door-to-door with bags: 30–40 min → Hotel ~8:30–8:45 PM

🗺 Transit Directions

9:00
PM

Dinner: White Elephant ↗

The hotel's own Michelin-listed Thai restaurant — one of Zürich's best Thai tables since 1991. Staffed entirely by Thai chefs. Rich curries, aromatic soups, exceptional hospitality. 🌿 Extensive vegetarian & vegan menu.

On-site — no travel needed · +41 44 360 73 22 · Dinner daily 6–10 PM

10:30
PM

Optional

Lenox Bar Nightcap ↗

The hotel's New York-inspired bar — rare whiskies, craft cocktails, cigar lounge. One drink, then bed. Saturday is a full day.

On-site · Ground floor · Open late

If you have extra time Friday

Short riverfront walk along the Limmat before bed — the lit bridges at night are beautiful, 5 min from the hotel. Or decompress on the balcony.

✦

Friday is a travel day — arrival, check-in, White Elephant dinner, optional Lenox Bar nightcap. Nothing to prove on the first evening. White Elephant does room service if needed.

Day 2 · Saturday 28 March — The Big Day

Mountain, Art
& Old Town

Opens above the clouds on Zürich's own mountain, descends through great art, medieval lanes, and a legendary dinner. No hotel return before dinner — flow Lindenhof → drinks → Zeughauskeller. Leave hotel at 10:00 AM.

59°F/ 41°F

15°C / 5°C

Mostly Sunny ✦ Best day

🌧 10%💨 6 mph 🌅 6:46🌇 7:34

10:00
AM

Uetliberg Summit · 871 m ↗

Zürich's local mountain — a 20-min S10 train from HB takes you above the city. Walk 10 min from the station to the summit tower: Alps panorama, Lake Zürich, and the rooftops below. Perfect sketchbook moment.

⚠️ Zürich Card does NOT cover Uetliberg. Buy a round-trip supplement at any ZVV machine at HB: CHF 18.40 pp / CHF 36.80 for two. Buy before boarding.

S10 from HB underground (tracks 21/22) · Depart 10:00 AM · Arrive 10:20 AM · 40 min at summit · Return train 11:10 AM · Back at HB 11:30 AM · ⚠️ Felsenegg cable car CLOSED 2 Mar–10 Apr 2026

🗺 Directions to Uetliberg

☁️ If summit is in cloud

Polybahn + ETH Terrace: Take the historic Polybahn funicular instead — a 90-second ride from Central up to ETH Zürich. The ETH terrace gives one of the best rooftop city views with no altitude fog risk. Free with Zürich Card. Lower station: Rämistrasse 101, near Central.

🌧 Full rain Saturday

Skip Uetliberg, add Landesmuseum: Drop the mountain entirely and start at 11:45 AM with Sprüngli. Add the Schweizerisches Landesmuseum (Swiss National Museum) — directly behind HB, free with Zürich Card, Sat 10 AM–5 PM. Then Kunsthaus at 1:30 PM. Everything after is unchanged.

12:45
PM

Café Sprüngli ↗

Zürich's legendary confiserie since 1836. Order the hot chocolate — locals consider it legendary. And the Luxemburgerli macarons: bite-sized, seasonal, unlike anything from Copenhagen. Sit by the window on Bahnhofstrasse and sketch the morning crowds. 🌿 Fully vegetarian.

From HB: Walk 12 min S · OR Tram 13 → Paradeplatz 5 min · Bahnhofstrasse 21 · Sat 7:30 AM–6:30 PM

🗺 Walking Directions

1:30
PM

Kunsthaus Zürich ↗

Switzerland's largest art museum. Must-see: the Bührle Collection (Monet, Cézanne, Renoir), Munch (largest collection outside Norway), Giacometti, and Pipilotti Rist. Plan two hours. Free with Zürich Card. Rich sketchbook territory throughout.

From Sprüngli: Walk 15 min E · OR Tram 3 Paradeplatz → Kunsthaus 6 min · Heimplatz 1 · Sat–Sun 10 AM–6 PM · Zürich Card ✓

🗺 Walking Directions

3:00
PM

Lunch: Kunsthaus Café ↗

Light lunches in the bright Moser Building café — soups, salads, open sandwiches. Take your time; this is part of the museum experience. 🌿 Good vegetarian options.

On-site · Open Sat 9 AM–9 PM

4:15
PM

Augustinergasse, Grossmünster & Old Town ↗

Zürich's most photographed medieval lane — painted buildings and ornate hanging signs. Cross the Limmat to Grossmünster, the iconic twin-towered Romanesque cathedral (begun 1100s). Then Fraumünster and Marc Chagall's magnificent stained glass windows. The Münsterhof square beyond is car-free and beautiful — this is where you'll have drinks tonight.

From Kunsthaus: Walk 18 min W (1.4 km) — the route is the experience · Grossmünster: Sat 10 AM–5 PM · Fraumünster: Münsterhof 2 · Both free entry

🗺 Walking Directions

5:45
PM

Lindenhof Hill — Best Panorama ↗

Former Roman fort hilltop park. Panoramic views over the Limmat and Old Town rooftops. A large public chessboard. Stone benches — ideal for the sketchbook. Late afternoon March light is warm and low.

From Fraumünster: Walk 5 min N (350 m) · Lindenhofplatz · Always open · Free

🗺 Walking Directions

6:30
PM

Pre-Dinner Drinks: Café Bar Münsterhof

Walk 5 min down from Lindenhof directly to the Münsterhof square — no hotel return needed. Order a Spritz or local wine. Watch the square settle into evening. Zeughauskeller is a lively beer hall — smart-casual is perfect, no need to change.

Walk 5 min S from Lindenhof · Münsterhof 6 · Then walk 3 min direct to Zeughauskeller on Bahnhofstrasse

🗺 Walking Directions

7:30
PM

✓ Reservation Confirmed · 7:30 PM

Dinner: Zeughauskeller ↗

Zürich's most famous beer-hall restaurant, in a 15th-century former armory right on Bahnhofstrasse. High ceilings, oak beams, long tables, and the buzz of locals and travellers on a Saturday night. Excellent Zürcher Geschnetzeltes, generous portions, house-brewed beer. 🌿 Älplermagronen (Alpine macaroni with cheese) — the vegetarian option. After dinner, Tram 13 back or a 15-min evening walk along Bahnhofstrasse.

Walk 3 min N from Münsterhof · Bahnhofstrasse 28A · +41 44 220 15 15 · zeughauskeller.ch · CHF 35–55 pp · After dinner: Tram 13 → Sihlquai/HB

🗺 Walking Directions

If you have extra time Saturday

Niederdorf lanes (just north of Grossmünster) — painted facades and narrow alleys. Cabaret Voltaire on Spiegelgasse — birthplace of Dada, 15-min detour. Beyer Watch Museum on Bahnhofstrasse (free, basement level) — extraordinary historic timepieces. Or linger longer in the Giacometti room at Kunsthaus.

✦

Saturday arc: mountain → hot chocolate → great art → medieval city → hilltop panorama → aperitivo → legendary dinner. No hotel return before dinner. Reservation confirmed at 7:30 PM · +41 44 220 15 15. Buy Uetliberg supplement (CHF 18.40 pp) at any ZVV machine at HB.

Day 3 · Sunday 29 March · Palm Sunday

Slow Morning
& Farewell

The breathing day — unhurried and beautiful. Old Town processions add local colour. Leave hotel by 6:00 PM sharp. Full city window: 10 AM–4:30 PM.

54°F/ 37°F

12°C / 3°C

Partly Cloudy

🌧 20%💨 11 mph 🌅 6:44🌇 7:35

10:00
AM

Breakfast: Hiltl ↗

World's oldest vegetarian restaurant (est. 1898). Legendary Sunday brunch buffet with 100+ dishes: Indian curries, Middle Eastern mezze, Swiss cheese boards, fresh pastries, fresh juices. Arrive by 10 AM before the big rush. 🌿 Fully vegetarian & vegan. CHF 57 pp all-inclusive.

From hotel: Walk 8 min S (600 m) · OR Tram 13 → Paradeplatz + 3 min walk · Sihlstrasse 28 · Sun brunch 9:30 AM–2:30 PM

🗺 Walking Directions

11:15
AM

Lake Zürich Promenade

Quaianlagen park from Bürkliplatz: swans, sailboats, Alps views on clear days. Pure unscheduled downtime. Find a bench. Draw the water. March light on the lake is extraordinary.

From Hiltl: Walk 12 min S (900 m) to Bürkliplatz · OR Tram 7 → Bürkliplatz 4 min · Zürich Card ✓ · Free

🗺 Walking Directions

11:45
AM

⛵ If weather is nice — add this

Lake Zürich Boat Cruise ↗

From Bürkliplatz pier, ZSG runs short Rundfahrt (round-trip) cruises — about 30–40 min, a completely different view of the city from the water. Zürich Card covers short cruises in the city zone. On a sunny March morning this is genuinely spectacular — the Alps appear behind the city on clear days. Sketchbook on the upper deck.

Bürkliplatz pier · ZSG boat line · Zürich Card ✓ (zone 110 short trips) · ~30–40 min · Departs approx every 30 min · Check ZSG app for schedule

🗺 Bürkliplatz Pier

Bonus
opt.

🚠 10-min detour — worth it

Polybahn Funicular ↗

Zürich's tiny historic funicular — a 90-second ride from Central up to ETH Zürich. At the top: one of the best rooftop views in the city, completely different from Lindenhof. The ETH terrace looks out over the lake and the old town roofline. Free with Zürich Card, adds 15–20 minutes total.

Lower station: Rämistrasse 101 (near Central) · Zürich Card ✓ · 90-sec ride · Walk back down or ride again

🗺 Directions to Polybahn

1:00
PM

Lunch: Fischerstube Zürihorn ↗

Lakeside terrace directly over the water. Seasonal Swiss fish from Lake Zürich: smoked trout, tagliolini in saffron sauce, perch fillets with lemon butter. Sitting on the terrace above the lake is one of Zürich's great pleasures. 🌿 Vegetarian & vegan on menu.

From Bürkliplatz: Tram 2 → Zürichhorn (5 stops, 10 min) · Zürich Card ✓ · Bellerivestrasse 160 · +41 44 422 25 20 · Recommended: book ahead

🗺 Transit Directions

2:30
PM

Museum Rietberg — World Art in a Secret Park ↗

Asian, African & Oceanic art in historic villas in Rieter Park. Wagner wrote Tristan here. The underground Emerald extension is architecturally stunning. Rich sketching territory — unusual forms from every continent. Free with Zürich Card.

From Fischerstube: Uber ~10 min recommended · OR Tram 7 from Bellevue → Museum Rietberg · Gablerstrasse 15 · Sun 10 AM–5 PM · Zürich Card ✓

🗺 Transit Directions

4:00
PM

Rieter Park — Final Sketches

Slow circuit of the park after the museum. City and lake views. Spring crocuses in late March. Free, quiet, and perfect. Last sketches of the trip.

On-site · Always open · Free · Leave by 4:30 PM

4:45
PM

Return to Hotel — Bags & Freshen Up

Back to the Marriott. Collect bags from storage, freshen up. A comfortable hour before the farewell dinner.

From Rietberg: Uber ~12 min recommended · OR Tram 7 reverse → city centre

🗺 Directions

5:15
PM

Farewell Dinner: eCHo ↗

The hotel's own Swiss restaurant — authentic Züri Gschnätzlets, cheese fondue, regional produce, and the house Marriott Cuvée wine. Your last proper Swiss meal, steps from the lobby. Finish by 6:00 PM sharp. 🌿 Vegetarian & vegan options.

On-site · +41 44 360 73 18 · Ask hotel to seat you at 5:15 PM as departing guests for an 8:25 PM flight · CHF 45–70 pp

6:00
PM

🛫 Do Not Be Late

Depart for ZRH Airport

Leave hotel by 6:00 PM. Walk 5 min to Zürich HB → Airport Express (every 10 min, 25 min ride) → ZRH Terminal. Zürich Card covers the Airport Express. Arrive ZRH by 6:30 PM — a full 2 hrs before your 8:25 PM flight.

Walk 5 min to HB · Airport Express HB → ZRH 25 min · Zürich Card ✓ · Arrive ZRH 6:30 PM · Flight departs 8:25 PM

If you have extra time Sunday

Boat cruise and Polybahn are the best additions if the morning runs ahead. Linger in Rieterpark for a last sketch if dry. Do NOT add stops after 3:30 PM — the flight window is fixed.

✦

Flight ZRH 8:25 PM. Leave hotel no later than 6:00 PM → 5 min walk to HB → Airport Express 25 min → ZRH 6:30 PM → 2 hrs to spare. Sightseeing window: 10 AM–4:30 PM. Dinner at eCHo 5:15–6:00 PM. Do not add stops after 3:30 PM.

Transport Quick Reference

Destination	Via	Time
Hotel from Airport	Airport Express + Tram 13	30–40 min
Uetliberg Summit	S10 from HB tracks 21/22 ⚠️ CHF 18.40 pp supplement	20 min
Café Sprüngli	Walk from HB · OR Tram 13 → Paradeplatz	12/5 min
Kunsthaus	Tram 3 Paradeplatz → Kunsthaus	11 min
Old Town / Fraumünster	Walk south via Grossmünster	15 min
Lindenhof Hill	Walk 5 min N from Fraumünster	5 min
Münsterhof (drinks)	Walk 5 min S from Lindenhof — no hotel return	5 min
Zeughauskeller	Walk 3 min N from Münsterhof	3 min
Hotel (after dinner)	Tram 13 Paradeplatz → Sihlquai/HB	5 min
Polybahn (Sunday opt.)	Walk to Central · Rämistrasse 101 · Zürich Card ✓	15 min
Boat cruise (Sunday opt.)	Bürkliplatz pier · ZSG · Zürich Card ✓	30–40 min
Hiltl	Walk 8 min S from hotel	8 min
Bürkliplatz / Lake	Tram 7 Paradeplatz → Bürkliplatz	9 min
Fischerstube Zürihorn	Tram 2 Bürkliplatz → Zürichhorn	10 min
Museum Rietberg	Tram 7 → Museum Rietberg · OR Uber	16 min

Home stop: Sihlquai/HB — 3 min walk from hotel. Bahnhofquai/HB stop closed until Dec 2026.

Dining & Reservations

Time	Venue	Status
Fri 9 PM	White Elephant	Recommended — +41 44 360 73 22
Sat 11:45 AM	Café Sprüngli	Walk-in
Sat 3:00 PM	Kunsthaus Café	Walk-in
Sat 6:30 PM	Café Bar Münsterhof	Walk-in
Sat 7:30 PM	Zeughauskeller ★	✓ Confirmed · 7:30 PM
Sun 10 AM	Hiltl	Walk-in — arrive early
Sun 1 PM	Fischerstube Zürihorn	Recommended — +41 44 422 25 20
Sun 5:15 PM	eCHo (farewell dinner)	Book via hotel — mention 8:25 PM flight, early seating

Budget Estimate

Item	Per Person
Zürich Card (48 hr)	CHF 53
Uetliberg supplement	CHF 18.40
Sprüngli (coffee + macarons)	CHF 15–20
Zeughauskeller dinner	CHF 35–55
Hiltl Sunday brunch	CHF 57
Fischerstube lunch	CHF 35–50
eCHo farewell dinner	CHF 45–70
Estimated total	CHF 260–325 pp

Switzerland · March 2026

Survival & Navigation Guide

112

Any Emergency

144

Ambulance

117

Police

118

Fire

111

Out-of-hours Doctor

Tram & Ticket Rules ▾

Activate Zürich Card in the Zürich City Guide app before your first journey. Tap your 48 hr card and press Activate. Show QR code to inspectors.

Fine: CHF 90 if caught without a valid ticket. No barriers — plain-clothes inspectors board at both ends, wait for doors to close, then produce badges.

Trams leave on the exact second shown in the timetable. If you're on the platform as it departs, it's gone.

Keep voices low on trams. Phone calls are frowned upon. Swiss public transport is noticeably hushed.

Lost & found: sbb.ch → Help & Contact → Lost property. Items from trams go to ZVV at Zürich HB.

Sunday in Zürich ▾

Almost all shops are closed. Supermarkets, pharmacies, clothing — shut all day. Buy anything you need Saturday before 6 PM.

Open Sunday: Zürich HB shopping mall, airport shops, bakeries, all restaurants, museums, and parks.

Noise is respected. Keep voices down in residential areas.

March 29 is Palm Sunday — Old Town processions and Grossmünster services add local colour.

Essential Apps ▾

SBB Mobile — real-time tram and train departures, live delay alerts. Set home stop to Sihlquai/HB.

Google Maps — download Zürich offline map before leaving Copenhagen. Works without data.

Google Translate — download German pack for offline use. Camera feature reads menus in real-time.

Uber — works normally in Zürich. Pre-load payment. Useful for Fischerstube → Rietberg on Sunday.

Money & Cards ▾

Cards accepted almost everywhere — Visa and Mastercard work at all restaurants and museums. Amex is hit or miss.

Carry CHF 50–80 cash as backup. ATMs are called Bancomats — one inside HB, one near Paradeplatz.

Switzerland is not in the EU. Currency: Swiss Franc (CHF). 1 CHF ≈ 1.05 EUR. Euros sometimes accepted at a poor rate.

Tell your bank before you travel. Danish cards abroad can trigger fraud blocks.

Local Knowledge ▾

Crossing on red: Swiss pedestrians don't. Jaywalking is technically illegal.

Carry ID. A photo of your passport on your phone is generally sufficient.

Tap water and public fountains are safe — exceptional quality. No need for bottled water.

Lost passport: Danish Embassy Bern +41 31 360 76 76 · 24-hr emergency: +45 33 92 11 12.

Nearest hospital: UniversitätsSpital Zürich — Rämistrasse 100 · Tram 9 → Rämistrasse.

Bahnhofstrasse & Extras ▾

Beyer Watch Museum — basement level, Bahnhofstrasse 31. Free. Extraordinary collection of historic timepieces from the 15th century onward.

Sprüngli flagship at Paradeplatz — larger than the café. Luxemburgerli boxes keep well for the flight home. Good edible souvenir.

Cabaret Voltaire — Spiegelgasse 1. Birthplace of the Dada movement in 1916. Small, free to browse outside, 15-min detour from Old Town.

Swiss German Cheat Sheet — Züritüütsch 🔊 tap for audio ▾

🔊 Tap any word to search Google for its pronunciation — Google reads it aloud. Free, no account needed. Opening with "Grüezi" and closing with "Merci" transforms how locals respond to you.

Phrase	Say It	Usage
🔊 Grüezi	GREW-tsee	Hello / Good day (formal). Use entering any shop or restaurant.
🔊 Merci	MER-see	Thank you. Swiss German borrows from French — locals use this far more than "Danke".
🔊 Merci vielmal	MER-see FEEL-maal	Thank you very much.
🔊 Bitte	BIT-tuh	Please / You're welcome. Use constantly.
🔊 Entschuldigung	ent-SHOOL-dee-goong	Excuse me / Sorry.
🔊 En Guete!	en GOO-tuh	Enjoy your meal! Say it to fellow diners; they'll say it back.
🔊 D'Rechnig bitte	d'REKH-nig BIT-tuh	The bill, please.
🔊 Uf Widerluege	oof VEE-der-loo-guh	Goodbye (formal). A warm closer at restaurants.
🔊 Proscht!	PRAWSHT	Cheers! Make eye contact when clinking — avoiding it is considered bad luck.

Place Names & Food Terms 🔊 tap for audio ▾

Word	Say It	What It Is
🔊 Zürich	TSOO-rikh	The city. Not "ZOO-rick" — ü is rounded, ch is guttural.
🔊 Bahnhofstrasse	BAHN-hof-stras-uh	The main shopping boulevard. "Railway station street."
🔊 Grossmünster	GROSS-moon-ster	The twin-towered cathedral.
🔊 Fraumünster	FROW-moon-ster	The Chagall windows church.
🔊 Kunsthaus	KOONST-howss	The art museum. Kunst = art, Haus = house.
🔊 Zürcher Geschnetzeltes	TSOOR-kher geh-SHNET-tsel-tes	The classic Zürich dish — veal in cream sauce with rösti. Order it as "Züri Gschnätzlets" and locals will love you.
🔊 Rösti	RURR-shti	The Swiss potato cake. Not "ROH-stee".
🔊 Zeughauskeller	TSOYG-howss-kel-er	Your Saturday dinner. Zeughaus = armory, Keller = cellar.
🔊 Hiltl	HILT-ul	World's oldest vegetarian restaurant. Sunday brunch.
🔊 Sprüngli	SHPRUNG-lee	The legendary confiserie. Saturday morning coffee stop.
🔊 Luxemburgerli	lux-em-BOOR-ger-lee	Sprüngli's famous bite-size macarons. The thing to order.
🔊 Älplermagronen	ELP-ler-mag-ROH-nen	Alpine macaroni with cheese — vegetarian option at Zeughauskeller.

May every street be a new sketch, every meal a conversation, and every view a memory.

Bon voyage from Copenhagen · Herzlich Willkommen in Zürich

Zürich · March 2026 · v2.1 (Hike) · Updated 9 March 2026