Zurich Open-Top Bus Tour: Lake Views & Historic Landmarks

Grossmünster Twin Towers Tour by Open Bus with Audio Guide, No Stops Needed

An open-top bus sightseeing tour of Zurich with a one-hour audio-guided route through the old town, past the National Museum and Rietberg Museum, and along Lake Zurich. The audio guide plays in English, Spanish, French, German and two additional languages. Children from age 4 are welcome. You can add a boat cruise on Lake Zurich (available May through September) at checkout. If you do, the driver hands you your ticket and you walk to the pier from the final bus stop.

Step-by-step itinerary

Stops and time spent at each

1. National Museum Zurichpassing by
2. Rietberg Museumpassing by
3. Fraumünster Churchpassing by
4. Grossmünster Churchpassing by
5. Lake Zurich5m

Zurich city sightseeing tour

• Meet driver at Zurich Bus Station
• Board red open-top bus
• Enjoy 1-hour audio-guided city tour
• Pass by Zurich station and ShopVille
• Admire Swiss National Museum architecture
• See Urania Observatory
• View Schweizerische Kreditanstalt bank building
• Pass FIFA headquarters exhibition
• Pass Rietberg Museum and historic villas
• View Heinrich Escher mansion and park
• Pass Fraumünster Church
• Pass Grossmünster Church
• Continue along Lake Zurich shore
• Optional boat cruise from pier
• Tour ends at Zurich Bus Station

The experience

The tour starts at Zurich Bus Station, where you board the red open-top bus and settle in for a one-hour loop through the city. The audio guide comes with headphones, so you hear the story of each landmark as it comes into view: no guide talking over the engine, no stopping to gather around a sign. You pass Zurich Station, one of Switzerland's oldest railway hubs and the largest in the country, then roll past the National Museum with its blend of historic and modern architecture, the Urania Observatory (the city's first concrete building, opened in 1907), and the headquarters of FIFA and its football museum. The route takes you through neighborhoods and along streets shaped by centuries of banking, trade and culture.

The Rietberg Museum appears next, set in three historic villas and a park where the composer Richard Wagner once lived and worked on Tristan und Isolde. You'll see the Fraumünster and Grossmünster churches (the latter's twin towers are the symbol of Zurich itself), and then the bus follows the shore of Lake Zurich. If you've chosen the boat cruise option, you step off here, collect your ticket from the driver, and walk to the pier. The cruise runs only from May through September. Either way, the tour ends back at the bus station.

The audio guide is available in English, Spanish, French, German and two other languages, so you can follow along in whichever one you prefer. Infants sit on an adult's lap. Children from age 4 travel as regular passengers. The open-top design means you're exposed to the weather, but it also means you see the city without glass between you and the landmarks: no reflections, no obstruction, just the view and the story.

What’s included

• One-hour open-top bus sightseeing tour with audio guide and headphones.
• Lake Zurich boat cruise (if selected at checkout, available May–September only).
• audio guide in five languages.

Options for this experience

2 options

Zurich Sightseeing Tour5 departure times: the first at 10:00, the last at 16:30Only the Zurich City Tour, without the boat cruise included

Zurich Sightseeing Tour and BoatAvailable from 1 Mar 2027Zurich City Tour that includes a boat cruise on Lake Zurich

You'll see the exact price of each option when you check availability.See dates and prices

Before you book

Days and timesEvery day5 departure times: the first at 10:00, the last at 16:30

Book up toStart time

AgesAdult (13 and older) · Child (4 to 12 years) · Under 4: can't be booked

GroupUp to 42

Audio guideEnglish, Spanish, French, German, Chinese and Japanese

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated 4 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortPublic transport nearbyInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Swisstours Transport

Is this one for you?Pick the bus-only loop if you want to cover the main landmarks in one seated route with audio commentary, or add the boat cruise if you'd rather see the city from the water as a separate experience.

Traveler reviews

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Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (4 to 12 years). Children under 4 can't be included in the booking.

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.

Can I add the Lake Zurich boat cruise to my ticket?

Yes, the boat cruise is an optional add-on available at checkout. If you select it, the driver will give you your boat ticket when you board the bus and direct you to the pier at the final stop. The cruise operates from May through September only.

What languages does the audio guide come in?

The audio guide is available in English, Spanish, French, German and two additional languages, so you can listen in whichever language you prefer.

Is the bus really open-top, or does it have a roof?

The bus is open-top, which means you sit in the open air with no roof overhead. You'll see the city without glass or barriers between you and the landmarks, though you'll be exposed to the weather.

What is the Rietberg Museum, and why does the tour stop there?

The Rietberg Museum is a collection of non-European art housed in three historic villas and a modern building, set in one of Zurich's oldest parks. The composer Richard Wagner lived in one of the villas in the 19th century while composing Tristan und Isolde. The museum is one of Zurich's major cultural landmarks and a stop on the sightseeing route.

Does the tour include entry to any museums or churches?

No, the tour is a bus ride with views and audio commentary. Entry to museums and churches is not included. You can visit them separately on your own time.