How to Spend 2 Days in Zurich

Coming from New York City, Zurich was like a paradise unlocked. The cobblestone streets, the historic old town and the clean sidewalks felt like a step back in time… all while being in a major city. You could feel that there was a hustle to the city, yet a feeling of safeness and calm. Out of all the cities I’ve been to in Europe (so far), I can most imagine myself living in Zurich. 

Day 1: Morning 

We arrived in Zurich in the late morning and checked into our Hotel, Motel One Zuerich. We really enjoyed our stay here and would absolutely stay again. The bed was very comfortable after a long day of travel, we were in a good location to be able to walk into the Old Town and the staff was incredible. 

Day 1: Afternoon 

After we got settled into our hotel, we decided to explore the Old Town. After a while of walking around we decided to stop for food. We decided to stop at Zeughauskeller for authentic Swiss Cuisine. It’s a historic restaurant and is a great place for History Buffs to gather. After this, we explored more of Zurich and went to the Coop (which is like a chain grocery store) and purchased some Swiss Chocolate for our family. We didn’t end up having the time, but if you do, you should go to the Lindt Chocolate Museum. If I could do the trip again, I would have factored in the time to go there. 

Day 1: Evening 

That evening, we were still a bit tired from our day of travel but wanted to experience the nightlife in Zurich. We went to Widder Bar, and had a fantastic experience. There was live music and they had a wide selection of European wine that I don’t get the opportunity to try in the US. The vibes were very cozy and we could have probably stayed an extra hour if we weren’t so exhausted from our travels. 

Day 2: Morning

We woke up excited for our first full day in Zurich - we left the Hotel to get our morning coffee and it started downpouring. You would think this would kill the mood of the day, but the rain truly made the city feel more romantic and cozy. We made our way to the Le Cafe Vi Cafe which you can find down a narrow stairway. We then continued up that stairway to Lindenhof which is a park on top of the hill where you can look at views of the city. This was one of my favorite moments in Zurich because we went early in the morning and we were able to watch the city wake up from this viewpoint. 

After we stayed in the Lindenhof area for about an hour while we drank our coffee and then headed into the city to explore more of Old Town. We were there on a Saturday, so the city was really alive this morning. We passed by many farmers markets, a small festival by the Opera house and cute shops. We eventually made our way to Lake Zurich. I nicknamed it Swan Lake because I have never seen so many Swan’s in my life. 

Day 2: Afternoon 

For Lunch, we decided to go to K Kiosk Bellevue for some Bratwurst. It was a quick and easy lunch that was the perfect amount of food for a light lunch. After lunch we decided to walk back to the lake and get tickets for a boat tour - we did the 2 hour tour. This was the perfect way to have a break from walking while traveling. We sat by the window, ordered hot chocolate and coffee, and enjoyed the views. After this we walked through the Europaallee neighborhood and then walked back to Old town for dinner at the Raclette Factory to try the authentic swiss cuisine, raclette. It’s definitely an acquired taste but we enjoyed being able to try a new type of food. 

Day 2: Evening 

At night, we decided to go bar hopping around the Old Town. We started off at the Panorama Bar - if you want to see views of the city, this is your place. We decided to go at sunset to be able to see the city in both the day and nighttime from that view. Our next stop was Hotel Bourbon where we got some french fries along with our drinks. I got wine at both of these places but at our last stop, I had to get a cocktail. We went to ‘The Old Crow’, which is a super cozy bar in Old Town. We got there right as another couple was leaving the bar so we were able to sit down right away. They are known for their cocktails and they did not disappoint. I ordered the Vanilla Sky cocktail, and it might be the best cocktail I’ve ever had in my life. It tasted like ice cream and nostalgia. I could have had another, but it was time to go home. We went home to rest up for our travel to Lucerne the next day.