If you're visiting Zürich, Switzerland and searching for a day trip to get out of the city, look no further than Rhine Falls.
Rhine Falls is the largest waterfall in all of Europe. The falls are 490 ft wide and 75 ft tall.
It is a short day trip on the train from Zürich HB, making it very accessible. My train journey was around 50 minutes and cost about $35 USD. You could also take the bus, which is about a 1 hour and 10 minute ride and $6-8 USD tickets.
Another option is a guided tour, where you’ll meet in the center of Zürich and they will take you there and back, as well as around the falls. I was planning to do one of these guided tour groups with a friend, but we booked separately and I ended up not being able to get a ticket, while she did. After comparing the two experiences, I would always recommend going on your own. I had so much more freedom and got to do things at my own pace. My friend was shepherded around quite quickly, and didn’t get to see and do a lot of the things I was able to, like the boat rides, which were a major highlight in my opinion.
Upon arriving at the train station on the northern side of Rhine Falls, called Neuhausen Rheinfall, it was about a five minute walk down a number of stairs. There are also elevators that take you down the hill for those who can't or don't want to take the stairs.
Rhine Falls was beautiful from the get-go. I stood at the guard rail at its base and just looked out to the falls, feeling the mist being blown through the air and hitting my face. As you walk around the perimeter to the right, you will walk by rows of flags from different countries and pass a little café with families eating ice creams and sitting in the shade away from the sun. The day I went to visit, it was clear blue skies and sunshine, with the summer heat beating down. It was much hotter in Switzerland that summer than I was anticipating.
As you carry on, there is a kiosk across from the boat house where you can buy tickets for the boat rides that go up to the edge of the falls. There are five different boat routes that you can take. I got two different tickets. First, I took route number 4. It was about 15 minutes total and brought us right up against the falls and circled around the the perimeter. I would recommend sitting on the right side of the boat, as it only came up to the falls on that side when I was on board. I also got a ticket for boat number 2. This is just a small ferry boat that is a three minute shuttle, which takes you to the base of the castle, Schloss Laufen.
Schloss Laufen is located on the hill overlooking Rhine Falls. There is an elevator that can take you up from the boat dock to the castle itself. Once you're up at the top, you can go into the castle and walk around the exhibition on the history of Rhine Falls. I usually like museums, but this wasn’t my favorite. I wouldn’t go out of my way to walk through the castle if there are other things you are hoping to do.
From the castle, you can go down to the observation deck, where you will be standing over the top of Rhine Falls and get a panoramic view of the whole area. It was very crowded, and took a while to get to the front to get my pictures, but it was worth the wait. The view is beautiful!
From there, I went back up to Schloss Laufen and headed around the back, where there is a bridge going over the water at the top of the falls. I crossed the bridge and took the loop back towards the train station. I was able to support some local businesses and had an ice cream and a Coca Cola in the sunshine, looking out at the falls.
After a few hours at Rhine Falls, some might be done for the day and want to head back to Zürich. Others, like me, might want to see some more. A short train ride away is the city of Schaffhausen, which has been around since the Middle Ages. It is around a 10 minute ride and tickets cost about $12 USD.
Schaffhausen is very beautiful and historic. At the center of the city is the Munot Fortress, from the 16th-century. It is definitely worth a look around. When you head to the top of the fortress, you get a great view over all of the city. Something to be aware of if you're planning to put this spot on your itinerary, however, is that there were a lot of steps to get up to the fortress. It is not an easy hike up.
Another stop on your visit should be the Gothic church of St. Johann and the Kloster Allerheiligen, an old monastery. It was very peaceful within its walls, with pretty gardens. I ended up grabbing a selection of chocolates from a local shop to take back to my hotel with me before I headed back to the train station. There are many little shops and cafés to get a bite to eat or have something to drink. Schaffhausen is located in a wine region of Switzerland, so you know there will be great options for drinks. I was able to walk through some of the vineyards by the fortress as I was heading back down towards the center of the city.
At the end of the day, it was very easy to hop back on the train and head straight back to Zürich HB; it took around an hour to return to the city. Make sure to check the schedules and train lists at the station! There will be trains that go straight through, rather than having to head back to Rhine Falls to get off and make a connection.
Tips for your visit:
Get to Rhine Falls early. It gets very busy and ticket lines get very long.
Bring sunscreen. You will be outside for long periods of time.
Wear supportive shoes. You will be doing a lot of walking. There are also hiking trails nearby that you can take through the surrounding woods.
Be aware that there are certain months where boat tours and the castle are either not running/open or have limited hours.
Click here to view the Rhine Falls website.
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