You don’t have to travel far from Zurich for spectacular views. Instead of traveling 3+ hours to Zermatt or the Jungfrau Region, you can reach many amazing hikes in about 90 mins from Zürich.
Below are our favorite hikes near Zürich with the best views, sure to impress your house guests or Insta followers. I’ve sorted the hikes by travel time by car. If you are traveling by train, see Best day hikes by train from Zürich.
Contents
- 1. Pizol 5 lake trail
- 2. Hoch Ybrig Panorama trail
- 3. Flumserberg 7 Peak Tour
- 4. Chli Aubrig peak hike
- 5. Braunwald to Oberblegisee lake
- 6. Saxer Lücke
- 7. Chäserrugg panorama trail
- 8. Ebenalp Seealpsee
- 9. Mettmenalp Kärpfbrugg
- 10. Grosser Mythen peak hike
- 11. Rigi panorama trail
- 12. Stoos ridge trail
- 13. Pilatus Tomlishorn cliff walk
- 14. Niederbauen Kulm peak hike
- 15. Walenpfad panorama trail
1. Pizol 5 lake trail
This spectacular hike visits five beautiful alpine lakes scattered along an impressive landscape shaped by glaciers. This popular trail is no secret; you definitely won’t be alone on the trail, no matter when you go. But it’s still one of our very favorite trails in Switzerland that we hike almost every summer.
- Difficultychallenging
- Duration4h30
- Distance10 km
- Ascent⬆️ 430 m
- Descent⬇️ 760 m
- Highest point1820 m
Although the trail is not extremely long or particularly dangerous, it does require endurance and steady footing to manage the rocky terrain. Best for experienced hikers with good fitness and hiking shoes with good tread.
Pizol is an easy day trip from Zurich, with the gondola quite near a freeway exit and train station. Make sure to start early and note the closing times of the lifts, usually 16:30, which is earlier than you might expect on long summer days.
From Zürich: 1hr by car / 1hr10 by train & bus
See details for Pizol 5 Lake hike
2. Hoch Ybrig Panorama trail
Hoch Ybrig is the closest mountain resort near Zurich. After a lovely drive through the countryside, you ride a cable car and chair lift up to the ridge, with views of Lake Lucerne and many mountains. The trail starts here, a wide dirt path traversing the ridge. It’s an easy and safe trail, mostly downhill.
- Difficultyeasy
- Duration2 h
- Distance6,3 km
- Ascent⬆️ 60 m
- Descent⬇️ 420 m
- Highest point1820 m
My detailed post has shorter and longer versions of the trail, even an option for strollers. A few restaurants along the way so you don’t have to carry your lunch. There is also a small lake, popular for fishing, with a nice picnic area with fire pits.
See details for Hoch Ybrig ridge trail
3. Flumserberg 7 Peak Tour
The most impressive hike at Flumserberg is the 7 Peak Tour, which, as the name suggests, visits seven peaks over a long tough hike. After riding a gondola up the mountain, you climb and down a series of peaks in the backcountry.
- Difficultyhard
- Duration5h20
- Distance13.5 km
- Ascent⬆️ 510 m
- Descent⬇️ 880 m
- Highest point2255 m
Eventually you loop around and down the mountain, visiting a pretty alpine lake and mountain restaurant. Then you can hike the rest of the way or ride an alpine coaster instead, our preferred method.
If you are motivated and have all day, visiting all seven peaks is definitely worth the effort. But my detailed post has shorter and easier versions, visiting only four of the peaks but just as beautiful.
From Zürich: 1hr15 by car, 1hr30 by train
See details for Flumserberg 7 Peak Hike
4. Chli Aubrig peak hike
This beautiful mountain trail is close to Zürich, climbing through fields and forest to the Chli Aubrig peak. From the peak, you can enjoy panorama views across rolling hills, a lake and many mountain peaks.
- Difficultymedium
- Duration3h
- Distance9.5 km
- Ascent⬆️ 400 m
- Descent⬇️ 400 m
- Highest point1600 m
Since you can drive to the trail head, it’s a great choice for spring when most gondolas are closed. We like to go in mid May, when the snow has melted and the wildflowers start to bloom.
From Zürich: 40 mins by car, not possible by public transport
See details for Chli Aubrig Hike
5. Braunwald to Oberblegisee lake
Ride a funicular train up to a car-free village, then a gondola to the trail. Start by traversing the mountain, dipping in and out of forests, to reach a remote alpine lake.
- Difficultymedium
- Duration3h
- Distance9 km
- Ascent⬆️ 90 m
- Descent⬇️ 546 m
- Highest point1540 m
Since the trail is mostly downhill, it’s relatively easy. But you’ll need shoes with good tread to manage the rocky path.
From Zürich: 1hr10 by car, 1hr30 by train
See details for Braunwald Oberblegisee trail
6. Saxer Lücke
A cable car makes the spectacular Saxer Lücke viewpoint in the Appenzell region accessible to casual hikers and families. It’s a moderate 3 km mountain trail each way on a rocky trail.
- Difficultymedium
- Duration2.5h
- Distance6 km
- Ascent⬆️ 240 m
- Descent⬇️ 240 m
- Highest point1822 m
The viewpoint shown here is a great place for a picnic. Or you can hike a bit further down to the beautiful Fälensee for a hearty lunch of Rösti at the mountain hotel.
The trail has stairs and some steep slopes to the side. So better for those with a head for heights and steady footing.
From Zürich: 1hr15 by car, 2hr40 by train/bus
See details for Saxer Lücke trail
7. Chäserrugg panorama trail
Short and easy panorama path on a high plateau covered with wildflowers in Eastern Switzerland. You start the day by riding a funicular train, then cable car up up to the cliffs, where you’ll find a restaurant and the start of the trail.
- Difficultyeasy
- Duration1 h
- Distance3 km
- Ascent⬆️ 80 m
- Descent⬇️ 80 m
- Highest point2220 m
The trail is not difficult, more of a stroll. There are cliffs on the sides and no barriers, so you need to be careful with children.
From Zürich: 1hr20 by car, 2hr by train/bus
See details for Chäserrugg panorama trail
8. Ebenalp Seealpsee
This gorgeous lake is a popular destination. But it’s a little harder to get to than you might expect, given all the buzz and plentiful social media pics.
- Difficultymedium
- Duration2h
- Distance5.7 km round trip
- Ascent⬆️ 270 m
- Descent⬇️ 270 m
- Highest point2220 m
Experienced hikers can get here with the mountain trail from the Ebenenalp cable car. However, there have been many deaths on this trail (five in summer 2022). So we highly recommend hiking here using the service road instead, much safer!
At the lake, you can lunch at one of the lakeside restaurants, sampling the local trout. Or walk around the lakeshore to find a perfect picnic spot. You can even rent a row boat and enjoy the views from the water.
From Zürich: 1hr30 by car, 2hr10 by train
See details for Seealpsee hike
9. Mettmenalp Kärpfbrugg
Starting at a beautiful alpine lake, this mountain trail loops through Europe’s oldest wildlife reserve. Among many charms, the big highlight is the dramatic natural land bridge over a raging river shown in the picture above.
- Difficultymedium
- Duration2h30
- Distance7.1 km round trip
- Ascent⬆️ 400 m
- Descent⬇️ 400 m
- Highest point1960 m
If you are feeling extra motivated, I highly recommend the longer loop up to the Legler mountain hut.
From Zürich: 1hr30 by car, 1hr40 by train/bus
See details for Mettmenalp Kärpfbrugg Loop Hike
10. Grosser Mythen peak hike
This impressive peak is an icon of central Switzerland, so it’s very satisfying to reach the top and do a little victory dance.
- Difficultymedium
- Duration2h
- Distance3.5 km round trip
- Ascent⬆️ 410 m
- Descent⬇️ 410 m
- Highest point1800 m
It’s a short but demanding mountain trail, with steep rocky switchbacks gaining about 400 m of elevation over 2km. Better for those with hiking experience who are not afraid of heights.
From Zürich: 45 mins by car / 1hr 15 by train/bus.
See details for Grosser Mythen Peak Hike
11. Rigi panorama trail
Easy mountain trail with panorama views, with an optional cliff walk.
- Difficultyeasy
- Duration3h
- Distance8.2 km one way
- Ascent⬆️ 230 m
- Descent⬇️ 320 m
- Highest point1960 m
It’s wide gravel path even possible with strollers.
From Zürich: 40 mins by car, 55 mins by train
See details for Rigi panorama trail
12. Stoos ridge trail
Ride the steepest funicular in the world up to this gorgeous ridge hike near Lucerne.
- Difficultymedium
- Duration2h
- Distance4.4 km round trip
- Ascent⬆️ 300 m
- Descent⬇️ 300 m
- Highest point1900 m
It’s a popular trail, so you can avoid the biggest crowds by going on a weekday. It does have some steep drop-offs so better for those who are not afraid of heights.
From Zürich: 45 mins by car, 1hr20 by train/bus
See details for Stoos Ridgeline Trail
13. Pilatus Tomlishorn cliff walk
It’s fun just getting to Mt Pilatus, either with a cable car or steep cogwheel train and possibly a boat if you do the Golden Round Trip. From the Pilatus panorama terrace, you hike on a stone path cut into the cliffs up to the Tomlishorn peak.
- Difficultyeasy
- Duration1h
- Distance3 km round trip
- Ascent⬆️ 150 m
- Descent⬇️ 150 m
- Highest point2055 m
From Zürich: 45 mins by car, 1hr20 by train/bus
See details for Pilatus Tomlishorn hike
14. Niederbauen Kulm peak hike
Short hike to mountain peak overlooking Lake Lucerne. Then hike down along a beautiful ridge with mountain views.
- Difficultymedium
- Duration2h30
- Distance5.3 km round trip
- Ascent⬆️ 410 m
- Descent⬇️ 410 m
- Highest point1900 m
From Zürich: 1hr by car, 2 hrs by train/bus
See details for Niederbauen Kulm Hike
15. Walenpfad panorama trail
Starting at the beautiful Bannalpsee lake, this alpine trail winds its way around many dramatic mountain peaks towards Engelberg. It ends at the Brunni Tickle Trail, where kids are rewarded with a barefoot path, playground, trampoline and toboggan run.
- Difficultymedium
- Duration4h
- Distance10 km
- Ascent⬆️ 500 m
- Descent⬇️ 350 m
- Highest point1920 m
From Zürich: 1hr20 by car, 1hr45 by train/bus
See details for Walenpfad trail
If you want even more, there are many other amazing hikes near Zürich. Try our Advanced Search or Browse Hike Categories.
6 Responses
Good afternoon
One quick question? do you have to take the cable car up the mountain.. can we just hike it up..
At most mountains, you can usually hike up with the cable car. But it’s a long way and often not as pretty as starting your hike higher up.
I had the same issue with the Staubern cable car, it was closed due to the winds. Well, to make something out of the day, I went to Walensee and made a walk along the lake. Alternatively, Flumserberg offers short beautiful hikes not to lose the day completely. But I stubbornly wanted to do the Saxer Lücke hike and checked the wind forecast in advance before going there. It is really a great hike, worth all the trouble arriving there by public transport.
Thanks for sharing your experience. And yes, the Staubern cable car (like many others) does close in high winds for safety reasons. Always good to have a backup plan.
Fantastic post, thank you. We have 2 couples of friends visiting soon and we will probably pick one of these.
I will avoid Saxer Lucke, though, because of an unfortunate experience last Fall with house guests, we had made the effort to wake up early with kids and travel by train / bus to Frumsen, hoping to go up, then Saxer Lucke, then down via Fällensee and return from Brulisau (which we have done since then) but the gondola from Frumsen to Staubern was closed due to strong winds ALTHOUGH WE HAD CHECKED on the websites. There were so many people stuck there like us that they apparently changed the way they indicate operating hours (before that it said “OPEN” on their website and closed on a general website with all transportation from Appenzell, no wonder people were confused). Well, it ended up like a super lousy day, quite annoying when your guests are here on a weekend and the weather is amazing!! Since then we are EVEN MORE vigilant with operating info…
Yes, that can be very frustrating when the website doesn’t give up-to-date info.