Float down Zurich Limmat River

Quick info

Region	Zürich city
Start:	Wipkingerpark, Zürich, near Wipkingerplatz tram stop
End:	Glanzenberg train station
By car:	parking at Luzern Altstadt garage (Baselstrasse 4, 6003 Luzern) From Zürich 40 mins
By public transport:	Horw train station From Luicerne 6 mins, Zürich 53 mins

Route:	about 2 hrs floating + travel time
Distance:	7 km one way
Difficulty:	easy, mild rapids

Open:	best June to August
Cost:	no fee to float
Rental:	on-site equipment rental from smileswim.ch
Services:	cafe and public WC at both ends of float
More info:	www.limmatbuddy.ch

Route overview

Here is a map of the Limmat river floating route.

Equipment

You’ll need an inflatable boat, ring or other floating device suitable for rivers. Pool toys generally are not sturdy enough and pop a leak too easily.

When our kids were younger, we used an inflatable boat. A boat allows the group to stay together, you can carry more supplies, and you can stay dry. But they are heavier to transport, particular on public transportation. So best if you bring a trolley.

For a family of four, we prefer the Intex Excursion 5. We had Excursion 4 for a couple years but it felt to cramped when we were all in the boat.

With adults and teenagers, we like to float on this Intext individual lounge chair. It’s very comfortable and you can stay dryer than if you are in a tube. We bring a single paddle to help navigate.

See more about floating equipment, like dry bags, pumps, and life vests.

Renting equipment

The company Smile Swim offers equipment rental a 2 min walk from the Wipkingerpark entry point (Wipkingerweg 6, Zurich).

They rent inflatable rings, boats, unicorn floats and SUP boards starting from CHF 20/day. Everything comes fully pumped up and ready to go. They also rent life jackets and dry bags.

You do need to return the equipment back to the shop. There is no return at the exit point.

How to get there

It’s best to access the one-way float with public transport. But I’ve included driving instructions as well.

By public transport:

To reach the entry point at at Wipkinger park, take a tram to the Wipkingerplatz stop, the closest stop to the launch point. If you have a boat, it’s best to use a small collapsible trolley that can fit in the boat during the float.

Return from exit point at Glanzenberg

The float ends at a park near the Glanzenberg train station. See exit point on the map. There is a big grassy park where you can pack up your boat.

Then a 5 mins walk to the train station where you can catch a train back to Zürich, about a 12 min ride.

By car:

If you must drive, the driver can drop your crew and equipment at Wipkinger park. There aren’t many good places to stop the car temporarily – good luck!

Then park at the end point at Glanzenberg (20 mins), which has metered parking under the bridge (near Limmatstrasse 18, Zürich). Take public transport back to the launch point (25-30 mins).

What to bring & wear

For warm weather, we wear our swimsuits and perhaps a light shirt to protect from the sun, plus a life-vest. We wear flip-flops, sandals or water shoes that can get wet and protect our feet if we need to walk in the river.

We bring small quick-dry towels to dry ourselves and equipment at the end of the ride. Don’t forget sun hats and sun cream. You can burn quickly on the boat. Pack everything in a dry-bag to protect from the water.

We bring snacks and drinks in a soft-sided cooler. We try to pack light because those boats are small and can’t fit a lot of cargo.

For more info, see my post: How to float on a Swiss river

Safety & regulations

Note: Conditions may change, especially after heavy rains. So use good judgment, follow the rules of the river, and respect the water.

Zürich city requires that each person on board must have a life-jacket. You may be fined if they happen to be controlling the river when you float by.

They also require that you clearly label your boat with your name and contact information. This helps in rescue operations in case empty boats are found and they must search for survivors.

See LimmatBuddy.ch for more info.

Navigating obstacles

This river is usually very mild and slow-moving. There are small rapids, but usually not so big that they will flip your boat. You need to avoid the bridge pylons, rocks in shallow areas, and trees and brush on the sides of the river.

The river can be very shallow in parts. We’ve been stuck briefly on on some rocks and had to push off, but not a big problem. We only needed to paddle occasionally to redirect the boat.

Important: Dam crossing

There is one dam on the river that you must walk around. Right before you reach the Werdinsel, you must exit the river on the west side at the stairs shown below.

Then carry your boat to the launch on the other side of the dam. This obstacle is clearly marked starting 2 km before you reach the dam. You cannot miss it.

The end of the float in Glanzenberg is clearly marked and you must exit the river on the left/west. There is another big dam after the exit point and you cannot pass through or walk around it.

Photo story

Note: I have removed info for the Platzspitz launch, as it is under construction thru at leats 2028.

Launching the boat at Wipkinger park

Here is Wipkingerpark, where people launch their boats from these stairs. 

Sometimes they have this sign at the park explaining the dam later down the river.

Ready to paddle.

Trees line the river, with walking and bike paths on both sides.

Lots of time to relax.

A few deeper places where you can float outside the boat. Stay close to the boat and best to have a safety line to throw into the water to pull people back in.

Lots of people floating on hot days.

Dam crossing

At the fourth bridge, you need to pull to the left and exit the river as the signs indicate below. There is a dam after this bridge that you cannot float over. You exit at these stairs under the bridge.

Here’s the dam you are avoiding.

You have to carry your boats 250m to the entry point after the dam (see on map). There are stairs and a platform where you can relaunch into the water.

Note: You are no longer allowed to relaunch your boat on this ramp near the dam. The city wants you to walk further down the path to the official entry point. There is a sign showing where to put in your boats.

Second half of the river

You can easily pull off the river and picnic on the shores. At Werdinsel, there are fire pits, a playground and cafe.

So many boats on hot summer days.

Lots of quality family time along the way.

A few little rapids to create some excitement for the kids.

But mostly just chillin’.

Happy river rats.

You pass under a lot of bridges, some have signs indicating where best to go under them.

Exit the river

As you near Glanzenberg, you’ll see signs pointing you to the exit point on the left.

Here is the exit point at Glanzenberg, clearly marked with signs. There is a dam after this point so you cannot continue to float.

There is a large grassy area where you can dry and pack up your boat. Then a short walk to the Glanzenberg train station where you can catch the train back to Zürich.

For more float routes in Switzerland, see the Kanuland section of SchweizMobil.ch, which describes routes on the Aare, Reuse, Rhein, and Thur rivers.