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Spring in Switzerland

If you are traveling in Switzerland in April and May, you’ll need to plan carefully because hiking season in the alps doesn’t start until mid June.

Below are links to all our spring guides to help you plan your trip, for both tourists and locals.

Need help planning? Book a travel advice call.

Planning a spring trip?

Make sure to choose activities that work for the month you are traveling.

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Spring destinations

These ideas focus on big views and popular regions, places that are sure to satisfy and impress those traveling in Switzerland for a short visit.

Bernese Oberland in Spring • 20 Best Hikes & Activities

What to do in April and May in Interlaken, Jungfrau Region and Bernese Oberland: hikes, waterfalls, viewpoints, lakes, rivers, and gorges.

Bernese Oberland
Bernese Oberland & Bern

Lucerne in Spring: 25 Best Activities for April & May

Spring hikes and activities in the Lucerne region, including mountain tops, lake cruises, low elevation hikes and scenic drives.

Lucerne Region

Zurich in Spring: 20 Best Things to Do (April & May)

Hikes and other activities for spring in Zürich, Appenzell, Heidiland and Toggenburg regions.

Eastern Switzerland

Need a spring itinerary?

Get our “Ready to go” template itineraries in our Switzerland Guide, saving you time and stress.

Spring hiking

Hikes you can do during the spring season.

25 Best Spring Hikes in Switzerland

The best hikes for spring in Switzerland (April to June), when most mountain resorts and trails are still covered in snow.

March in Switzerland: 18 Best Hikes for Early Spring

Hiking options for March, when the mountains are still covered in snow, including both winter hikes in the mountains and lowland trails that should be free from snow.

20 Best Hikes for May in Switzerland

Where to hike in Switzerland in May, with scenic spring trails by lakes and rivers, countryside walks, low-elevation mountains with early wildflowers.

Spring flowers

Where to see the best spring flowers in Switzerland, including hikes and bike rides.

17 Spring Flower Hikes in Switzerland (April to June)

Our favorite spring flower hikes in Switzerland for April to June, to see cherry blossoms, crocus, narcissus, dandelions and wildflowers.

Switzerland

Les Pléiades Hike • Easiest hike for Narcissus flowers

Easy
2 h
5.45 k
200m
200m

The easiest flower hike near Montreux to see the narcissus blooms (wild daffodils) in late May. Accessible by car or train and an easy hike with lots of places to picnic.

Lake Geneva Region
Montreux Riviera

Tulips at Mainau Island

See thousands of tulips and other flowers at Mainau Island, an enormous park just over the German border. Plus a great playground and nice picnic areas with lake views.

Germany

Zürich Spring Flowers – 13 Best Places to Enjoy Them

The best places in Zürich city to enjoy the spring flowers and a calendar of when they appear so you won’t miss any of your favorites.

Eastern Switzerland

Seleger Moor Flower Garden

Large park with many acres of flowers, mostly rhododendrons and azaleas, the largest collection in Switzerland. It has stroller-friendly paths to wander and a family barbecue area. Best in May.

Zürich Region

Spring sightseeing

What to do on the various public holidays in spring.

Swiss Cities & Villages

Our guides to the most charming cities and villages in Switzerland and neighboring countries.

20 Swiss Mountains to Visit in April

The best mountain viewpoints to visit in April in Switzerland in popular destinations like Grindelwald, Zermatt, Lucerne, and Zurich.

Switzerland

30 Best museums in Switzerland for kids

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.

Switzerland

Spring holidays

What to do on the various public holidays in spring.

Easter Weekend in Switzerland (2026): 20 Best Hikes & Activities

What to do on Easter weekend in April in Switzerland, including mountain viewpoints, hikes, boat rides, and other amusements.

Switzerland

Pfingsten Weekend: 33 Hikes & Activities (2026)

Where you can hike on Pfingsten weekend, including mountains that are opening early for the holiday. Plus activities for non-hikers.

Ascension Weekend: 20 Hikes & Activities (updated 2023)

Pretty picnic spots, proper hikes, and children’s theme trails for the upcoming Ascension holiday weekend. All are day trips from Zürich or Lucerne.

Spring break ideas

What to do on the various public holidays in spring.

Spring Break in Europe: Trip Ideas for Families

While we wait for the snow to melt in Switzerland, here are some of our favorite places to travel around Europe during spring break.

9 Best European Beach Destinations for Spring Break

After the long winter, our family is anxious for sun and sand. So we often spend spring break on European beaches, even if the temperatures are still cool for swimming. We always have a good time and love being on the beaches off season, away from the crowds.

Spring break hiking trips around Europe

Since hiking season doesn’t start in Switzerland until about mid-June, we often spend our spring breaks hiking elsewhere in Europe, often along coastlines. Here are some of our favorite spring hiking trips we’ve done as a family.

Spring for Zürich locals

These spring ideas are those living in Zürich that don’t necessarily need to see the most famous stuff. Focused particularly on beautiful low key wanders along rivers and lakes and through forests.

10 Spring walks near Zurich for April

Spring nature walks near Zürich that are possible in April while the snow is still melting on higher elevations.

Zürich Region

Zurich Springtime Flower Walk

Easy
.75 h
2.3 k
30m
40m

Our favorite springtime walk in Zurich, passing through two big parks with beautiful flowering trees, wild blooms, and cultivated gardens.

Zürich City, Zürich Region

Zurich Spring Break Staycation: 10 Fun Activities for Locals

If you’re staying local during spring break, there are plenty of fun family activities to fill up your schedule. When we do a spring staycation, we like trying new activities to add some excitement to the holiday. Here are some favorites from previous spring breaks in Zurich.

Eastern Switzerland
Zürich Region

Feeling overwhelmed?

If you need help organizing your wish list into a practical plan, book a Travel Consult with Tanya.