Switzerland is an ideal place for a family vacation, with a wide variety of fun and exciting activities for all ages. From theme trails to alpine playgrounds to mountain scooters, there is really something for everyone.
Here are the best activities for kids and teens in Switzerland, with links to detailed lists for each category.
Contents
Summer activities for kids
1. Fun activity trails
Children will love hiking after trying a theme trail in Switzerland. These trails have fun interactive play stations scattered along the trail, entertaining and motivating kids to keep walking even when the going gets tough.
The gold standard is the Toggenburg Tone Trail with 20+ musical installations along the trail.
2. Alpine Playgrounds
Many mountains resorts have elaborate playgrounds with a view and adjacent restaurant so parents can relax while children play. These are a great way to enjoy the alps if you don’t want to hike. Or the playground can be a reward for good little hikers at the end of the trail.
3. Mountain Coasters
Many mountains in Switzerland have alpine coasters, where you ride down a track on individual cars, controlling your speed with hand brakes.
The longest in Switzerland is at Prädischer, with a 3 km track, reaching speeds up to 40km/hr. Usually children as young as 4 years old can ride double with an adult.
4. Summer toboggans
With summer toboggan rides, you ride on a sled that moves freely on metal half-pipe slide, not attached to a track. You control your speed with a handbrake.
It might seem a little unsafe with no helmet or seatbelt, but in general, they are quite safe if you properly control your speed. Children above 3 years old are usually allowed to ride with an adult. Toboggan tracks range in length from 600 to 1350 meters.
5. Mountain Kick Scooters
After a hike, we love rewarding the kids with a mountain scooter ride, speeding down the mountain The scooters come in different styles from thin to fat tires to three-wheel go-karts, aka monster carts, all with hand brakes.
The routes are usually a mix of dirt, gravel and paved, with distances from 3 to 11 km. Kids around 8 years old can ride them alone, while younger children can usually ride double with an adult.
Sporty activities
6. Swimming in alpine lakes
One of the nicest summer treats in Switzerland is cooling off in a gorgeous mountain lake, especially after a hike. Pick a hot day since the water is cold, so pick a hot day for this activity.
A popular destination is the beautiful Caumasee in southeast Switzerland, but it’s become a rather expensive for non-locals. But don’t worry, there are lots of free alpine lakes to visit.
7. River rafting
Switzerland has a few gorgeous rivers with rapids, where rafting companies offer tours for families. We enjoyed a 2 tour along the Vorderrhein river in southeast Switzerland, through the Swiss Grand Canyon with interesting cliff formations.
Rafting a fun way to see the beautiful Switzerland scenery and an exciting experience for the whole family. Children age 10+ who can swim are welcome on rafting tours.
Read about rafting experience in the Swiss Grand Canyon
8. Rope climbing parks
If you want a sporty activity, climbing parks are a great way to exercise different muscles that hiking and test your mental courage. Most courses have long zip lines through the trees, free fall jumps, and a wide variety of obstacles for big and small.
Some climbing parks have mini-courses for small children from ages 4-8, so the whole family can enjoy the experience.
9. Via Ferrata – cabled climbing routes
A Via Ferrata is an outdoor protected climbing route with steel cables, rungs and ladders fixed to the rock. You wear a harness and clip in and out of the safety cables as you progress through the course. Although you will need strength and flexibility, you don’t necessarily need traditional rock climbing experience to do a via ferrata.
Most are free to use, you only need to rent the equipment. At some places, you can book a guide, but most are self-service. One of the most well-known course is at Mürren Via Ferrata in the Jungfrau Region, with a tightrope, cliff walk and suspension bridge. Families with smaller children may enjoy the Brunnistöckli via ferrata at Brunni Engelberg.
10. Glacier Trek
For a special activity, you could book a beginners glacier trek, where you get to explore the glacial ice with a guide. We did this with our pre-teens on the Aletsch glacier, the longest glacier in the alps at 22 km. You need to reserve glacier tours in advance. Rules vary, but most tours can accommodate children from age 8+.
If you need something cheaper and easier, there are many glaciers you can visit on your own and admire without walking on the ice.
Read more about our Aletsch glacier trek
Exciting engineering marvels
11. Cliff Walks
If you want an easy and safe thrill, try a “cliff walk” attraction, where you can walk on protected walkways built into the side of cliffs. These are usually safe for small children, no skills or safety equipment required.
Most are free to use, after you pay for the gondola ride to reach the attraction. The most famous is probably the Grindelwald First cliff walk, which also has a glass-floor platform. We also like the Thrill Walk at Schilthorn Birg, also in the Jungfrau region.
12. Ride tiny gondolas & steep funiculars
Switzerland is full of interesting, sometimes slightly scary ways of getting up the mountain, including steep funiculars, open air cable cars, vintage steam-powered cogwheel trains, etc. One of the most exciting is the Gelmerbahn, the steep open-air funicular train shown below.
Many smaller mountain resorts have tiny 4 person cable cars that seem more like a toy than the impressive feat of engineering they really are. A few modern cable cars have open air platforms and spinning cars, making the ride up the mountain just as fun as the activities when you get there.
See more crazy cable cars in Switzerland
13. Suspension Bridges
You’ll find has lots of long bouncy suspension bridges in Switzerland that are slightly scary to cross. Some are easy to access, close to a gondola. Others require a hike to earn your thrill.
Indoor activities for rainy days
14. Chocolate factories
Several popular Swiss chocolate brands have fun interactive visitor centers where you can learn about the history and process of chocolate in Switzerland. Lindt Home of Chocolate near Zürich is the newest addition, a must-visit for any family in the region. Most have unlimited chocolate tasting while in the museum and chocolate workshops if you want to learn some skills.
15. Kid-friendly museums
Switzerland has dozens of fun family-friendly museums, packed with interactive exhibits that make learning fun. These museums cover a wide range of topics: science & technology, natural history, sensory exploration, food, sport, etc. Some of our favorites include Technorama and Luzern Transportation Museum
16. Indoor water parks
If the kids need a break from sightseeing, treat them to an indoor water park that have fun attractions like water slides, wave pools, lazy rivers as well as thermal baths and saunas for parents. One of our favorites is Säntispark near the Appenzell region.
17. Indoor playgrounds
If little kids need somewhere to run around on a rainy day, Switzerland has lots of indoor playgrounds, full of amusements like climbing structures, bouncy castles, trampolines, and ball pits.
Winter amusements for kids
18. Long sled runs
Both kids and adults love the long sled runs in Switzerland, where you can sled 3 to 11 km down a mountain on a prepared sledding track. This is a great winter activity for non-skiers as it doesn’t take much skill. Although you can bring your own sled, it’s better to rent a high tech fancy sled that makes for a smooth ride and is much easier to steer. One of the a great winter activities for non-skiers is sledding. Buon long sled runs like the 4km run at Elm, ice skating on disco rinks like the Dolder or frozen lakes like the Türlersee, and sleigh rides like in Davos
See the best long sled runs near Zürich
19. Ice skating on frozen lakes
If it gets cold enough, some mountain lakes freeze thick enough that you can walk and skate on the ice. One of the most popular destinations is Oeschinensee, west of Interlaken. Machines prepare a walking path on the ice, so you can enjoy the views from a unique perspective.
See more frozen lakes where you can ice skate
20. Skiing in fun parks
Many ski resorts in Switzerland have “fun parks” filled with jumps and racing courses. Some have jumps with air bag landings, making it easy to learn and practice big jumps. Some have timed race courses so you can compare speed with your friends. These fun parks don’t cost extra. You might just have to wait in line a bit for your favorite jump.
5 responses
Would like to visit Switzerland in August this year with my 9 yr old and 17 yr old boys. Would like to explore the hidden gems of Swiss where the boys can have fun too. If u can guide me on the same
If you need more help that what you find on my website, you can book a travel consultation with me as described here: https://swissfamilyfun.com/custom-itineraries-switzerland/
Your website is awesome! Thank you!
There is no link attached to: “See the best climbing parks in Switzerland.” Is there supposed to be one? Thanks
Thanks, I forgot to link that up. I’ll take care of that asap.
Your family sure knows how to have fun in Switzerland 🙂
Of all the acivities I like the seasonal ones best. There is also a local Zurich holiday in September, “Chnabeschüüse” a shooting competition for kids. I don’t care for the weapons, but there are tons of food stands and fairground rides!