Autumn can be a lovely time to visit Switzerland, with lots of beautiful fall colors.
But you do need to plan carefully as many mountain areas start to close at the end of September. You also need to be flexible with your plans if bad weather moves in.
Here are some tips to help with your trip planning: when to visit, where to see the best fall colors, what’s open, and indoor activities.
When is autumn in Switzerland / Best time to visit
Autumn season in Switzerland is from September to November. If you want fall colors, the best time to visit is mid October. If you want the most hiking options, best to come in September before mountain resort close.
Here’s what to expect in each fall month:
September is an excellent month for hiking, with mild weather and most mountain resorts open. Although it’s a beautiful time to visit, you won’t see as many wildflowers, waterfalls start to dry up, and the green meadows turn yellow.
In October, the weather gets cooler and you’ll experience more rain and often snow at high elevations. You’ll need to check the trail status and opening times carefully. The best fall foliage is typically the second & third week of October.
By November, most mountain resorts are closed and the leaves have fallen. Weather is unpredictable and the days are short. This is not a good time to visit.
Weather in fall
In October and November, you should expect cold temperatures and wet, cloudy weather.
In the cities and lower elevations, temperatures are on average between 4–12 C (40–53 F).
On mountain hikes, temperatures range from -5 to 5 C (23 to 41 F), but it can get much colder with wind and other poor weather conditions.
Occasionally, we get sunny weather in November, where temperatures rise to 16 C (60 F). But this is a bit unusual and doesn’t last long.
Fall colors in Switzerland
Leaves usually start changing colors in Switzerland in early October, with the best fall colors in mid-October.
It’s helpful to check local webcams to see the state of the trees. We also suggest checking the MySwitzerland fall foliage map.
Maple & beech trees
At lower elevations, you can enjoy birch, maple and beech trees that turn orange, yellow and red.
But not everywhere in Switzerland gets the bright colors because there are many micro climates, some that are more friendly to these types of trees. Also, it doesn’t get this bright every year.
The Jura region is particularly good for bright fall colors. Below is our favorite autumn hike for these colors at Wasserfallen.
Golden larch trees
The most special fall tree is the larch, a conifer tree that turns bright yellow.
You can see these in the St. Moritz Engadin region, Zermatt and Valais region, some mountainous parts of Ticino.
Below is one of the easiest places to see golden larches at the Morteratsch glacier near St Moritz. See more Golden Larch hikes.
Other Swiss alpine fall colors
Above the tree line, you’ll see a different kind of color change in autumn, but just as beautiful. Fields turn golden, blueberry bushes turn bright red, and snow dusts the peaks.
The photo below shows one of our favorite high elevation autumn hikes at Realp.
Best destinations for fall
If you are planning a trip to Switzerland specifically for fall colors and/or hiking, our favorite destination is St Moritz in southeast Switzerland. It’s home to the golden larch trees and it has many great fall hikes that don’t require mountain transport.
Many other parts of Switzerland are also nice during fall. Here are our suggestions.
The best hikes and places near St Moritz to enjoy the golden larch trees in autumn.
Where to go in October in Switzerland for the best fall colors and hiking, with open cable cars and services.
The best autumn hikes in and around Zermatt for fall colors, plus what's open and what to pack.
Swiss mountains to visit in fall
Most mountain resorts in Switzerland stay open through mid-October. And some popular mountain viewpoints like Jungfraujoch, stay open mostly year round.
So if you visit in October and November, you will have many choices for spectacular mountain views, even if you don’t want to hike or trails are closed.
The few Swiss mountains that stay open in November after hiking season ends, so you can enjoy the views and perhaps hike if the weather cooperates.
The best Swiss mountain viewpoints to visit that are easy to reach with cable cars and mountain trains.
Swiss mountains you can visit during the off-season (late fall and spring) when other mountain resorts and trails are closed.
However, you should always double check the mountain’s website for the current conditions and operating times.
A few examples of exceptions.
- every popular “year round” mountains take a small maintenance break, often in November
- some mountains change to a limited schedule after summer holidays, open only on weekends and school breaks.
- some high elevation resorts, like Zermatt, close earlier, starting in late September.
When mountain resorts close, this means the gondolas, restaurants, hotels, amusements (coasters, scooters) and other services are closed. Also, trails are no longer maintained and monitored for safety.
Note: If we get warm weather in late October and early November, some mountains may re-open on weekends if the weather is nice.
Fall hiking
Autumn can be a fantastic time to hike in Switzerland, especially if you choose hikes that showcase the spectacular fall colors.
To get you started, here are some posts that catalog our favorite fall hikes around Switzerland for October and November.
Best hikes in Switzerland for beautiful fall foliage, with trail options for all ages and abilities, in a variety of Swiss regions.
A few hikes that you can do in November in Switzerland (assuming no snow), focusing on lower elevation areas with panorama views.
Best places near Zurich to enjoy the fall colors, both in the forests and the mountains, good for a harvest picnic or a hike.
Note that any of these trails can close last minute due to weather. So it’s very important to check trail status, weather forecasts, and mountain lift operating times carefully before making plans.
Also note that trail services like mountain railways, bus service, mountain huts and restaurants start closing or reduce opening times in late September. So you may need to adjust routes and bring more supplies than in summer.
Fall festivals
Autumn is a great time to visit in you want to participate in cultural events. Below are a few we suggest.
Everything you need to know about visiting the November onion festival in Bern Switzerland, including finding the best onion braids, how to get there, what to eat, and fun traditions.
Light festivals around Switzerland to visit during the dark nights of winter months from October to February.
Räbechilbi is a fall tradition where children carve lanterns out of turnips and parade them around the neighborhood. Here's info about the biggest celebration in Richterswil near Zürich.
A few notes:
- Most Christmas markets start opening from the last weekend of November. But a couple open earlier. Learn about Christmas in Switzerland and see market opening dates.
- Most cow parades are over by the first weekend of October. See dates for upcoming cow parades and alpine festivals.
Snow activities for fall
Although winter season doesn’t really start in Switzerland until mid December, there are a few places you visit snow during autumn.
First, there are several glaciers where you can experience snow year round, including the Jungfraujoch and Titlis.
Second, a few high elevation ski resorts often open in November is there is enough snow, like Arosa and Andermatt. However, sled runs don’t usually open until December, since they are usually at lower elevation.
Ski resorts in Switzerland that open in November for early season skiing, including glaciers and high elevation resorts.
Where you can see snow in Switzerland in summer, including glaciers that offer summer sledding and skiing.
Rainy day ideas
You can definitely expect cold, rainy days during autumn. So it’s best to have a list of indoor activities as a backup plan.
Switzerland has many great museums to visit, including fun chocolate factories. Thermals baths and indoor swimming are popular way to warm up.
City walks are a good choice for cloudy days, since you can always pop in a cafe or shop to escape the cold.
Our favorite interactive museums in Switzerland that are both entertaining and educational for all ages, from history to culture to science to food to industry. Good choice for cold rainy days.
Thermal baths are a nice treat on cold weather days, where you can enjoy heated pools with massage jets, steam baths and sometimes fun extras for kids like water slides and lazy rivers. Here are our favorites near Zurich.
Our favorite indoor activities near Zurich for kids and adults including interactive museums, castles, sport, playgrounds, swimming, & more.
FAQ for Autumn in Switzerland
What to pack for fall in Swizerland
You should bring warm clothes and layers when visiting Switzerland in October and November.
For both cities and mountains, it’s best to have a thick winter jacket, sweaters, gloves, winter hat, and scarf.
If you are hiking, bring a warm down jacket, warm base layers, and waterproof outer layers. You will need to adjust your clothing to account for warming up on the hike and cooling down quickly when you rest.
Even if you are staying in the lowlands, best to bring waterproof shoes suitable for walking on wet surfaces. Bring an umbrella, but you may not always be able to use it due to wind.
Is Switzerland crowded in autumn?
From late August to late September, most tourists are gone and Swiss kids are back in school. So that is a great time to travel to Switzerland.
However, Swiss schools have fall breaks for 1-2 weeks between end of September and mid-October (see schedule by canton). Prices can be higher during these school holidays and some mountain resorts can get busy during this time.
For example, we did a day trip to Lenzerheide during the fall break and tried to rent a mountain bike. But every bike had already been reserved for weeks by families spending their autumn holiday in this popular mountain biking resort.
What can I do in November in Switzerland?
Some popular tourist destinations like Pilatus, Gornergrat, and Jungfraujoch stay open year round. That means you can ride up the cable cars and mountain trains to enjoy the views. But don’t expect to hike in November as the trails are often covered in snow.
But some of these mountain railways have a short maintenance break for 1-2 weeks in November. So definitely check carefully for any schedule maintenance breaks before making plans.
See our November suggestions:
The best activities when visiting Switzerland in November including mountain viewpoints, light shows, food & cultural events, early Christmas activities, and where to hike and ski.
The few Swiss mountains that stay open in November after hiking season ends, so you can enjoy the views and perhaps hike if the weather cooperates.
