Things to do in Zurich: A 48 Hour Solo Budget Travel Guide (Under £200)
- Sam Burden
- Jun 28
- 9 min read
Zurich has a reputation. Expensive, efficient, beautiful, and largely unaffordable unless you are prepared to spend liberally. Most budget travel guides skip past it entirely or give it a paragraph before pointing you towards Prague.
I spent 48 hours there solo, on hand luggage only, staying in a hostel and eating almost exclusively from Migros and Coop. For things to do in Zurich, I managed a Lake Zurich boat tour, a chocolate tour, and an audio tour of the Old Town. Total spend, excluding flights: just under £200.
This is the honest guide to doing Zurich without the budget anxiety.
Zurich at a Glance
Country: Switzerland (not EU, uses Swiss Franc, CHF)
Language: Swiss German, but English is widely spoken
Currency: 1 CHF is approximately £0.90 at time of writing
Getting there from the UK: direct flights from London from around £60-100 return
Airport to city centre: 10-minute train, approx. CHF 7
Solo traveller safety: Zurich is consistently rated one of the safest cities in Europe
Budget tip: Download the ZVV app before you arrive; it is the official public transport app for Zurich and the canton, and makes buying tickets and planning routes straightforward. Day passes start from around CHF 6 for Zone 100 (city only). Zone 121 covers the airport and is a separate ticket. Alternatively, the Zurich Card (CHF 29 for 24 hours or CHF 56 for 72 hours) covers all public transport including the airport zone, a free Lake Zurich boat trip, and entry to 40 museums. If you plan to use transport heavily and do the lake, the card is worth it.
Where to Stay in Zurich on a Budget
I stayed at Hostel Viktoria, a solid, clean hostel with everything you actually need: lockers, good wifi, a central enough location to walk most places. Dorm beds in Zurich start at around CHF 45-57 per night, which feels steep by European hostel standards, but is genuinely reasonable for one of the world's most expensive cities.
Book in advance. Zurich hostels fill up quickly, particularly at weekends.
Packing tip: I did this trip with hand luggage only. Zurich is a very walkable city and keeping your bag small means no luggage storage faff and no check-in fees.
Example 48 hour intinery of things to do in Zurich
Day One: Old Town, a Glass of Wine, and the Lake
Morning: The Chocolate Walking Tour
Zurich and Swiss chocolate are inseparable, and this tour was one of the genuine highlights of the trip. I booked through Viator; it is a two-hour walking tour that moves through the Old Town stopping at some of the city’s best artisan chocolatiers. I happened to be the only person on the tour that morning, which made it feel like a private guided experience through Zurich’s chocolate history.
We visited Confiserie Sprüngli for their famous Luxemburgerli, featherweight almond macarons in flavours ranging from champagne to pistachio and stopped at Max Chocolatier and Vittorio Vanini, where I tried truffles, chocolate popcorn, and mini macarons. The tasting notes alone are worth the price.
But what made it genuinely interesting was the history. Swiss chocolate’s story is more recent than most people realise. Cocoa only arrived in Switzerland in the 17th century, and for a long time it was a luxury reserved for the wealthy. The transformation came in the 19th century through two inventions: Daniel Peter’s creation of the first milk chocolate in 1875, made possible by Henri Nestlé’s condensed milk, and Rodolphe Lindt’s discovery of conching in 1879, a process in which chocolate is continuously mixed for 48-72 hours, coating every particle in cocoa butter and producing the silky, melt-in-the-mouth texture Swiss chocolate is famous for.
The other factor is the milk itself. Alpine cows graze at altitude on grass and herbs, producing a denser, creamier milk that gives Swiss chocolate a flavour profile no tropical climate can replicate. Swiss chocolate also has strict sourcing standards around cocoa quality, not every origin makes the cut.
The philosophy on the tour is that chocolate is there to be enjoyed and not rushed. You move slowly, you taste carefully, you learn the story behind each maker. It is not a sugar rush experience. It is genuinely educational and, by the end, you have a very different relationship with a bar of chocolate.
Worth knowing: Lindt has a Home of Chocolate museum outside Zurich in Kilchberg, about 20 minutes by S-Bahn. Entry is around CHF 15 and includes CHF 5 to spend in the shop. If you’re a serious chocolate enthusiast, it’s worth the trip. However, availability is limited and need to book up months in advance.
Lunch: Hiltl
After the chocolate tour, I went straight to Hiltl for lunch and it was the right call. Hiltl claims to be the world’s oldest vegetarian restaurant and sits on the top floor of a department store a short walk from the Old Town. The format is a buffet where you pay by the weight of your plate, around CHF 8 per 100g. The food is hearty: hot dishes, generous salads, soups, and a dessert counter that is harder to walk past than it should be. Load your plate thoughtfully and you eat very well for around CHF 20–25. For vegetarians especially, this is the best meal you will have in Zurich.
Afternoon: Lake Zurich Boat Tour
Lake Zurich is one of those views that stops you mid-sentence. The Alps sit on the horizon, the water is an extraordinary shade of blue-green, and on a clear day it is genuinely one of the more beautiful things you will see in a European city.
The short boat loop from Bürkliplatz takes around 60 minutes and is included free with the Zurich Card, or costs around CHF 3.40 separately. For a solo traveller it is a relaxed, low-effort way to see the lake, and the views from the water back towards the city are worth it for photography alone.
After the boat, walk the lake promenade back towards the Old Town. It is free, it is beautiful, and it takes about 20 minutes at a comfortable pace.
Evening: A Glass of Wine Off the Main Street
Bahnhofstrasse is Zurich’s famous shopping street and largely a place for window shopping on a budget. But duck one street back and the atmosphere changes entirely. I found a wine bar on one of the quieter streets off the main drag and had a glass of Swiss wine watching the city wind down. It was one of those unplanned moments that ends up being a highlight.
Langstrasse and Zurich West are worth exploring if you want to see where locals actually eat and drink. It is less polished than the Old Town, considerably cheaper, and more interesting after dark. Langstrasse has a reputation as the city’s red light district, which is technically accurate but doesn’t tell the full story. It is also home to independent bars, street food, and the kind of unpretentious atmosphere that makes a city feel real rather than staged.
For dinner, I kept it simple: cheese rolls from the chilled aisle at Coop, eaten back at the hostel. They cost around CHF 3.50 each and are genuinely good; fresh, filling, and the kind of thing you would be pleased to find in any supermarket. On the way back I stopped for an ice cream from a shop in the Old Town, another CHF 3.50, and called it a very satisfying evening. Not every meal in Zurich needs to be an occasion.
Day Two: Audio Tour, the National Museum, and the River
Morning: The Old Town on the Touring Bee Audio Tour
Zurich’s Altstadt splits across both banks of the River Limmat. The east bank, Niederdorf, is the livelier side with narrow cobbled lanes, independent cafés, and guild houses that have been standing for centuries. The west bank is slightly quieter and home to Bahnhofstrasse.
I used the Touring Bee audio tour to navigate, which was one of the best decisions of the trip. It is a self-guided tour you do at your own pace on your phone, working through points of interest with commentary. For a solo traveller it is ideal: genuinely informative, no group to keep pace with, and no guide waiting while you take photographs. You can pause it, revisit sections, and spend as long as you want anywhere.
The audio tour costs around CHF 6 and is significantly better value than a group walking tour.
Lunch: Budget Realism
I had a kids meal at Burger King for CHF 9 and added a portion of cheese bites. I mention this not ironically but practically: there are days when you have been walking for four hours, you are hungry, and you need something fast and affordable before the next thing. Burger King is cheaper than almost any sit-down option in Zurich, and a kids meal with an add-on is a perfectly reasonable lunch when you are trying to stay on budget. No shame in the honest approach.
Afternoon: The Swiss National Museum
The Swiss National Museum sits directly next to the Hauptbahnhof (main station) and is one of Zurich’s most underrated attractions. Entry is free on the first Saturday of every month; otherwise it costs CHF 10 for adults.
The building itself, a castle-like structure from the late 19th century, is worth seeing from the outside regardless. Inside, the collection covers Swiss cultural history from prehistoric times through to the modern era. It is the kind of museum where you can spend 90 minutes without noticing.
Late Afternoon: Coffee and the River
Spend your final hours doing what Zurich does very well: sitting near water and watching the city go about its business.
The Limmat river runs through the city and the quays on either side are lined with cafés and spots to sit. A coffee in Zurich costs around CHF 4-6, the one category where Switzerland does not feel dramatically more expensive than the rest of Europe.
If the weather is good and you are visiting in summer, the river baths (Flussbad) are a Zurich institution. Locals swim in the Limmat and the lake throughout the warmer months. Entry is minimal or free depending on which baths you visit.
How to Eat in Zurich on a Budget
This is where most Zurich guides fail you. They acknowledge it is expensive and then suggest mid-range restaurants. Here is the approach that actually works.
Vegetarian note: Zurich is genuinely good for vegetarians. Between Hiltl, Migros, and Coop, you will not go hungry.
48 Hours in Zurich: Budget Breakdown
Item | Approximate Cost |
Hostel Viktoria (per night, x2) | approx. £70-90 |
Lake Zurich boat tour | included with Zurich Card or approx. CHF 3.5 |
Touring Bee audio tour | approx. CHF 6 |
Chocolate walking tour (Viator) | approx. CHF 28 / £27 |
Hiltl dinner (pay by weight) | approx. CHF 8 per 100g |
Supermarket food (Migros/Coop) | approx. CHF 19-21 / £15-20 |
Glass of wine, evening | approx. CHF 9 / £8 |
Transport (ZVV day passes) | approx. CHF 7-13 / £6-12 |
Total (excl. flights) | approx. £170-210 |
Note: Prices correct at time of writing. All costs approximate and based on June 2026 prices. CHF to GBP conversion at approximately 0.90.
Practical Tips for Solo Travellers in Zurich
Getting around: Download the ZVV app before you arrive. A day pass for Zone 100 (city) starts from around CHF 6. Zone 121 (which covers the airport) is a separate ticket. The 80 bus and 50 tram connect the airport to Hostel Viktoria in around 30 minutes.
Tap water: Zurich’s tap water is some of the cleanest in the world, fed by Alpine springs. Every public fountain in the city is drinkable. Bring a reusable bottle and save entirely on buying water.
Language: Swiss German is the local language but English is spoken almost universally in tourist areas.
Safety: Zurich is consistently rated one of the safest cities in Europe. Solo female travellers will find it a very comfortable city to navigate, including at night.
Cash vs card: Zurich is largely cashless. Contactless is accepted almost everywhere, including smaller cafés and market stalls.
SIM card: Switzerland is not in the EU, which means your UK roaming allowance may not apply. Check with your provider before you go, or pick up a local SIM or travel eSIM. Holafly covers Switzerland.
Is Zurich Worth It on a Budget?
Yes. The honest answer is yes, with some adjustment to expectations.
You will spend more per day in Zurich than you would in Lisbon, Budapest, or Sofia. That is simply the reality. But Zurich offers something that cheaper cities do not always deliver: a level of quality and reliability that makes every franc feel accounted for. The transport works. The food is excellent. The city is extraordinarily beautiful and almost entirely walkable.
For a 48-hour solo trip, it is one of the better city break destinations in Europe, particularly if you are flying from the south of England. Short flight, easy airport transfer, compact and walkable city, and enough to genuinely fill two days without rushing.
The budget requires some discipline, particularly around food. But if you are willing to eat like a local at least some of the time, it is achievable under £200.