Rapperswil & Lake Zurich Ferry Ride

Rapperswil is a cute historic town on the south end of Lake Zurich. It has a picturesque castle, small old town center, a nice lakeside promenade with lots of cafes, and a big playground with grassy fields below the castle. The walking tour through town is short, but interesting with beautiful views from the castle terrace above the town. We love that there are lots of play things scattered about to entertain the kids. Most of it is pedestrians-only, so kids can roam free.

To get there, we took the ferry from Zurich, about a 2 hour ride, which made for a beautiful full day outing. If you need extra entertainment, the Rapperswil Kinderzoo is a short walk from the lake, a fun outing for little kids.

First a little video of our ferry ride. Please subscribe so you don’t miss upcoming videos.

Location

Rapperswil is located on the southeast end of Lake Zurich. It is easily accessible by car, train or ferry boat. We prefer public transportation because car traffic can be quite bad on busy weekends. For a full day outing, we like to take the ferry there from Zurich and return by train. More info about how to get there and the end of this post.

Overview of Rapperswil

Here is a map of Rapperswil. The center of Rapperswil is pedestrians-only. Lakeside you’ll find lots of cafes with outdoor seating. With kids, you’ll definitely want to walk along castle walls, where you’ll find an activity path. This ends at a great playground below the castle. There is another small playground from the castle terrace up on the hill. The Knies Kinderzoo is a short walk from the center of town.

Rapperswil Walking Tour

I recommend stopping by the Tourist Info office (near ferry dock) for a free brochure with a map. The town offers a free digital scavenger hunt, which is accessible with the RappiTrail app. This includes a walking tour with a around the city.

Lakeside Promenade

There are cafes lining the boardwalk along the lake near the ferry dock. We usually have pizza at Dieci, but on busy weekends, call ahead to reserve a table so you don’t have to wait.

Enjoying some gelato by the ferry dock.

Nice view of the alps from town.

The activity path

At the north side of the castle, leave the lake path and walk up the stairs to the path along the castle wall where you’ll find some fun play things for kids.

Here you use the ropes to climb up and ring the bells.

Below are some “domino” blocks to knock over and a marble run for rocks.

The playground

At the end of the activity path and far end of the castle wall, you’ll find a big playground with slides, swings and stuff to climb on.

There is a big grassy field where kids can run. We brought frisbees and a ball to throw.

A little beach next to the playground, perhaps for wading and swimming during summer.

Castle Viewpoint

From the playground, walk up the stairs on the castle walls to reach the castle on the hill. Walk past the castle reach a beautiful terrace with views of the lake, alps and town below.

There is a little playground on this terrace next to the castle.

People like to sit on the castle wall. Not for my kids!

Rapperswil old town

From the castle, you can walk down these stairs to return to town.

Lots of interesting buildings throughout the old town.

If you want more of a walk, try the wooden walkway over the lake.

Getting There

Rapperswil is easily accessible by car, train or ferry. Traffic is often bottle-necked through this town on weekends and during commute hours, so we recommend taking public transportation.

By ferry: The Zurich lake ferry drops off right in Rapperswil. Not all ferries from Zurich go this far (especially off season), so check the schedule beforehand. The ferry runs from April to October, with a limited schedule in April, May and October. From June and September, the ferry generally runs once an hour from 9:30 to 17:30. Check the website for current timetable and fares. The ferry takes about 2 hours from Zurich. It stops a few times along the way. There is a cafe inside the boat, where kids can have hot chocolate and snacks. Picnics are allowed on the boat.

By train: Take a train to the Rapperswil station, which drops off right next to the old town. I recommend taking the S7 or S25 trains, which go right along the lake for nice views. It takes about 40 mins from Zurich HB.

By car: Drive south of Zurich to Rapperswil and park in one of the well-marked several parking garages in the old town area. We typically park in the City Parkhaus near the old town (Merkurstrasse 11, 8640 Rapperswil-Jona)

This map shows some of the parking.