If you’re going to be in Switzerland, but you only have three days – what should you do? While Zurich can give you a taste of city life, Interlaken gives you the outdoor experience – calm or adventurous – you’re looking for. Read on for an ideal three days in Switzerland from my recent trip!
Days 1 + 2: Zurich
We found the perfect hostel to stay in for our nights in Zurich – St. George’s Hotel – which came with a cute balcony room. For a budget-friendly option that still gives you a private room and a quaint experience, we’d highly recommend it.
Besides touring around this bustling city, we had two main stops: Lindenhof Hill, which gives a nice overlook of the city, and the Lake Zurich shoreline.
My favorite fun fact about Zurich – they have public fountains all over that are always flowing with water. Perfectly drinkable and beautiful additions to the city!
Day 3: Interlaken
Just a train ride away is the picturesque town of Interlaken, and while it’s much smaller and less crowded than Zurich, it was a little too touristy for me. While I struggled to find the culture of the city and get connected with the local scene, I knew we wouldn’t regret visiting because… well, have you SEEN this view???
We arrived later in the evening and hid out in a small village, Iseltwald, on Lake Brienz. We found cheese and chocolate from the side of local’s house, which we scarfed down for dinner while enjoying our beautiful patio view at Lake Lodge Iseltwald (another highly recommended place to stay!).
Then, on day three, we did a little more exploring into the town of Interlaken. We ventured up the ever-popular overlook Harder Klum (also hike-able), which revealed stunning panoramic views of both lakes. We also took a boat right on the other lake using our Swiss Travel Pass.
P.S. One of my favorite parts of this entire experience was actually the train rides between all the cities in Switzerland. Not only is the scenery incredible, but the Swiss have this public transit thing DOWN. They have the cleanest, smoothest, quietest and punctual system out there! Bless you, SBB.
Rachel Enerson 