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Three Incredible Day Trips from Zurich

Three Incredible Day Trips from Zurich - Rhine Falls, Stein am Rhein, and Lichtenstein!

We spent three days in Zurich, but two of the days we took some fun day trips outside of the city. They were all close by and easily accessible with our Swiss Travel Pass — no need to book a tour or a guide, you can do these on your own at your own pace. Any of these would be a great option as a full-day or even half-day trip from Zurich.

If you’re looking to get out of the city and see some of the Swiss countryside, here are our top recommendations! :)


Stein am Rhein

Three Incredible Day Trips from Zurich - Rhine Falls, Stein am Rhein, and Lichtenstein!

Oh my gosh you guys, I am madly in love with Stein am Rhein!!!

Three Incredible Day Trips from Zurich - Rhine Falls, Stein am Rhein, and Lichtenstein!

This was the most beautiful, colorful, charming little town.

Three Incredible Day Trips from Zurich - Rhine Falls, Stein am Rhein, and Lichtenstein!

So many cute houses on the river with vibrant gardens.

Three Incredible Day Trips from Zurich - Rhine Falls, Stein am Rhein, and Lichtenstein!

Complete with a castle on a hill!

Three Incredible Day Trips from Zurich - Rhine Falls, Stein am Rhein, and Lichtenstein!

I would walk over this bridge every day.

Three Incredible Day Trips from Zurich - Rhine Falls, Stein am Rhein, and Lichtenstein!

I would love to live somewhere with so much charm!!!!

Three Incredible Day Trips from Zurich - Rhine Falls, Stein am Rhein, and Lichtenstein!

How amazing are these medieval buildings?

Three Incredible Day Trips from Zurich - Rhine Falls, Stein am Rhein, and Lichtenstein!

Head down to the main square and have breakfast or lunch at one of these charming cafes.

Three Incredible Day Trips from Zurich - Rhine Falls, Stein am Rhein, and Lichtenstein!

Lots of shopping, wandering, and browsing on the narrow, pedestrian streets.

Three Incredible Day Trips from Zurich - Rhine Falls, Stein am Rhein, and Lichtenstein!

We just got lost in these cobblestone streets, turning wherever our heart desired next.

Three Incredible Day Trips from Zurich - Rhine Falls, Stein am Rhein, and Lichtenstein!

Stein am Rhein is honestly straight out of a fairytale.

Three Incredible Day Trips from Zurich - Rhine Falls, Stein am Rhein, and Lichtenstein!

Cannot get over these medieval buildings and their beautiful frescoes!!

Three Incredible Day Trips from Zurich - Rhine Falls, Stein am Rhein, and Lichtenstein!

I highly, highly recommend spending a morning here if you ever have the opportunity!!

Three Incredible Day Trips from Zurich - Rhine Falls, Stein am Rhein, and Lichtenstein!

We stopped for lunch at Walz Cafe and it was amazing. We got this strawberry pastry for dessert and it was TO DIE FOR. We originally got one to split, but it was so good we ended up going back for a second one!!! Too good to share!!!


Rhine Falls

Three Incredible Day Trips from Zurich - Rhine Falls, Stein am Rhein, and Lichtenstein!

Rhine Falls is the largest waterfall in Europe — and it’s just 40 minutes from Zurich!

Three Incredible Day Trips from Zurich - Rhine Falls, Stein am Rhein, and Lichtenstein!

We combined Stein am Rhein and Rhine Falls into one day. We did Stein am Rhein in the morning, then went to Rhein Falls in the afternoon.

Three Incredible Day Trips from Zurich - Rhine Falls, Stein am Rhein, and Lichtenstein!

You can stand inches away from this incredibly powerful waterfall… Feel the mist, hear the thunderous roar… You can even reach out and touch it!

Three Incredible Day Trips from Zurich - Rhine Falls, Stein am Rhein, and Lichtenstein!

When you get to the falls from the train or bus station, you can go left or right. We went left. We walked across the bridge to the viewing platform, made our way down, then took the boat back across the river.

If you go right, you can do that in reverse, or you can just take the boat straight to the viewing platform and then go back on the boat. I definitely prefer the way we did it, we definitely got to see more. But if you want less walking, you can just take the boat there and back and skip walking across the bridge. :)

Three Incredible Day Trips from Zurich - Rhine Falls, Stein am Rhein, and Lichtenstein!

Such a fun afternoon from Zurich!


Liechtenstein

Three Incredible Day Trips from Zurich - Rhine Falls, Stein am Rhein, and Lichtenstein!

The next day we spent the morning in Liechtenstein! Because… why not?? :) :)

Three Incredible Day Trips from Zurich - Rhine Falls, Stein am Rhein, and Lichtenstein!

The Swiss Travel Pass works the same in Liechtenstein too — free transportation on all trains, buses, and boats.

Three Incredible Day Trips from Zurich - Rhine Falls, Stein am Rhein, and Lichtenstein!

Liechtenstein is so close to Zurich, and we definitely thought it’d be fun to say we’d been to Liechtenstein.

Three Incredible Day Trips from Zurich - Rhine Falls, Stein am Rhein, and Lichtenstein!

When are you ever going to have another opportunity! :)

Three Incredible Day Trips from Zurich - Rhine Falls, Stein am Rhein, and Lichtenstein!

We spent the morning in the tiny little town of Balzers.

Three Incredible Day Trips from Zurich - Rhine Falls, Stein am Rhein, and Lichtenstein!

We hiked through gorgeous vineyards for a stunning panoramic overlook of the town.

Three Incredible Day Trips from Zurich - Rhine Falls, Stein am Rhein, and Lichtenstein!

It was so quiet and peaceful… we hardly saw a single soul all morning!!

Three Incredible Day Trips from Zurich - Rhine Falls, Stein am Rhein, and Lichtenstein!

It was like we had the entire place to ourselves.

Three Incredible Day Trips from Zurich - Rhine Falls, Stein am Rhein, and Lichtenstein!

We wandered in this church as the organist was practicing for Sunday service. So magical. We escaped the rain that had just started to sprinkle and just sat for a few minutes enjoying the music.

Until next time, friends. xoxo

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5 Responses
  1. Rosemary O'Kane

    Loved that piece about Zürich but would have liked you to include pricing for say meals out, coffee stops etc That would be most helpful.

  2. Amy Bailey

    Hello Kevin and Amanda,
    I must confess you are living my dream. I am also dazzled by your astute use of ads and photoshop.
    Would you be willing to give me some practical advice on this as a possible alternative to a traditional job? I am an aging pharma sales rep who now works to play….
    Love your blog!

  3. Laura ~ Raise Your Garden

    Stupendous! How lovely. My husband and I would have NEVER been able to even have attempted sharing that dessert. Never. Fabulous pics as always.

  4. Cathy

    I love your travel posts! Your photography and enthusiasm are so amazing. I would love to see a post on the planning details of your trips. Thanks for sharing your incredible travels.

  5. lisa@hooplapalooza

    dang. only way i could do this would be to photoshop my body in your pics. if you ever get tired of your life, please send it over to me ;>D

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Meet Kevin & Amanda

Kevin and Amanda

We love to travel and to eat! Here we share our favorite quick and easy recipes, plus travel tips and guides for our favorite places around the world. If you have any questions about what camera I use or how I edit my photos, check out my photography tutorials.

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