Introduction to Zurich
Perched beside the picturesque Lake Zürich, Zürich offers the best of all worlds with its incredible public transport system, a picture postcard old town that unfolds on both side of the Limmat river, tonnes of culture and world class museums that would be the envy of any European city, plus a fantastic bar and clubbing scene – no surprise that the city consistently ranks among the world’s most livable cities.
Where to stay in Zurich on a budget
Capsule Hotel Alpine Garden
Situated directly opposite check-in 1 of Zurich airport is the Capsule Hotel Alpine Garden with 144 capsules in 8 bedrooms, separate bathrooms, a small gym area and a café area for breakfast, drinks and snacks or just to relax.
If you have a late flight out or arriving late at night and are looking for an affordable and comfortable option to stay in Zurich airport, this is the place. Booked at least a month in advance you can get rates between 60-70 CHF.
Plus, you can get 15% off your stay with the code: CAPSULE15 at the Capsule Hotel Alpine Garden and at any of their other locations , which currently include Lucerne and Basel
Stacked two high, the capsules are a Japanese style pod bed but designed in Switzerland. You can reserve the bottom bunk pod for an extra few francs. Rooms are mixed gender but there is a women only dorm if you prefer. There is also a capsule for people in wheelchairs and 5 capsules with bigger sliding doors for those with reduced mobility.
There are separate male and female communal toilet/shower rooms plus a disabled toilet/shower room. The capsules have a sliding door which locks and the key is via an app on your smartphone with bluetooth enabled or via a 4 digit pin code which you receive while checking in. In this way you have a key for both the room and your capsule this way.
The capsule on the inside includes a comfortable mattress, lighting, mirror, a couple of clothes hooks, very quiet ventilation system, mural of clouds on the ceiling and Swiss alpine scenes on the interior to give you a nice local feel. There is space under the lower capsule to store your luggage and shoes. They have cable locks if you need, as well as a separate luggage storage room.
The star feature of the hotel is the lounge. There is a host on duty 24-7. There are a bunch of cowering desks with plugs that have great views of the terminal window so a good spot for working and people watching.
A nice selection of wines are available and also cocktails on demand. There is a supermarket in the terminal about a 10 minute walk away but if you are feeling lazy, there are snacks like Pot Noodles available plus they make excellent flammkuchen and pizza from the oven (cookies too).
Breakfast contains cereals, fresh croissants, jams etc. There is a coffee machine too. The full continental breakfast is around 14 CHF.
There are no TV sets on the premises. There are groups of tables where you can play board games or chess with friends. There is also a Book Swap shelf where you can grab a book. The decor is a low key Danish Modern if that makes any sense. All in all, a very relaxed vibe.
Things to do in Zurich for free
1.The Secret Doors of Zurich
This might sound like something out of an Indiana Jones movie… but what if I was to tell you that there are three hidden doors in the heart of Zurich, each a time capsule and a portal into the towns ancient roman history and they only can be accessed with the help of a key…and you can get that key- here’s how.
Hidden in full sight of tourists and locals, hidden in an alley, an underground garage, or beneath the Lindenhof, history buffs can discover archaeological sites throughout Zurich’s Old Town. In these Portals or “archaeological windows” as they are referred to, you can discover relics like the remains of a Roman fort, ancient pile dwellings, and the Ehgraben sewer, each site, a magical insight in how medieval towns handled waste.
Most sites are open to the public for free, including those in the Parkhaus Opéra and Thermengasse. However, a key is needed to access the Ehgraben, Lindenhof-Keller, Stadtmauerkeller, and Brunngasse and you can obtain this key from the Stadthaus (City Hall) at Stadthausquai 17, Counter S, Monday to Saturday (check for hours). You will need to deposit your own ID as security deposit so bring that along. You will also get a map of all the sights for this magical quest.
Uetliburg , with a stunning panoramic view of Zurich and the lake is the perfect escape from the hustle and bustle of the city
2.Best viewpoint in Zurich: Hike unto Uetliburg
Popular with locals, hikers and bikers looking for a break from the hustle and bustle of the city, Uetliberg is the perfect escape. Towering 2850 feet above sea level, Zurich’s very own mountain, offers one of the best panoramic views of the city. If you are lucky on a clear day, you get not only stunning views of the city but also of the Alps.
Uetliberg gets busier in late Autumn when thick fog blankets the entire city and also in winter when the hiking trails leading from the summit become popular for sledding.
You have the choice of hiking upto to the summit or if you are not feeling top energetic, there is a short train ride from the main train station and then it is a short hike up to the viewpoint. There is a cafe and bar at the viewpoint if you want a coffee or drink while enjoying those beautiful views.
3.Museum in Zurich you can visit for free
Before we talk about the art, as an architecture nerd I have to tell you, like the Fondation Beyeler in Basel, 1.Kunsthaus Zürich has to be one of THE most beautiful museums in the world. In 2021, David Chipperfield built a light-filled, cuboid extension that is just as much a highlight as the art presented within. Now to the art. The museum houses one of the grandest collections of contemporary art, from the largest collection of Munch paintings outside Norway plus works by Alberto Giacometti, then you will find famous names such as Picasso, van Gogh, and Chagall, Pop Art pieces by Warhol and Hamilton and other artists such as Rothko, Twombly, Beuys and Baselitz.
All this plus a design store, a bar and a “Garden of Art”, makes this museum unmissable.On Wednesdays you can get free admission to the entire collection (except to exhibitions), which also stands for children under the age of 14.
The 2.Kunsthalle Zurich can be visiting for free on Thursdays, from 5pm and if you have the Zurich Card, you get a 20% discount.
The Swiss National Museum in Zurich , also known as the 3.Landesmuseum Zürich is another museum you can visit for free with the Zurich card. It is one of the most important cultural and historical museums in Switzerland. It showcases the country’s rich heritage through extensive collections of artefacts, art, and historical objects, ranging from prehistoric times to the present day. The museum features exhibitions on Swiss culture, archaeology, and art, offering insight into the nation’s diverse history. Its iconic building, a blend of historic and modern architecture is a dream to photograph.
4. Where to eat and drink in Zurich on a budget
Edi’s Weinstube: Cheapest place to drink in Zurich and probably the rest of Switzerland!
1. Cheapest and coolest place for a Drink in Zurich-Edis Weinstube
This bar might be the cheapest place in Switzerland to have a glass of wine at 4CHF. However Edi’s is so much more than that, it is an institution attracting a diverse crowd of older regulars mingling with students and tourists creating this melting pot of ages and cultures. It also functions as a porn art museum where new artists display their work. You will find some playful imagery across the bar so this might not be for everyone. There is also a wine shop, where you can grab a bottle of wine for 9.90 CHF (takeaway available until 10 PM on Fridays and Saturdays).
2. Ass-bar
On your travels, you often come across a concept, so simple and brilliant and you wonder, how the hell does this not exist everywhere in the world- Let me get you into a little secret that is the Ass-Bar ( (the name is a play on words and in Swiss-German means “edible”), a bakery with a difference. The concept of the Äss-Bar is simple. It is like any bakery but here you will find here day-old and discounted pastries, sandwiches, pastries and beverages that have been collected from bakeries and food shops across Zurich. Everything is sold at 50% discount of the original price so in terms of value, this is the best value deal in town. Not only is this an affordable source of food for locals and tourists, it is the owner’s way to contribute to the community while reducing food waste. If you see one in Zurich or anywhere in Switzerland, step inside and do your part.
3. Bar Basso
A slice of Italy on the Schanzengraben with their beautiful outdoor terrace, Bar Basso is a relaxed restaurant bar where you can have a nice glass of wine. They serve some of the best pizza in town and it’s also worth trying their shared plates Tavolata from the menu.
4. Dine at Haus Hiltl, the worlds oldest vegetarian restaurant dating back to 1898!
With over 100 dishes to choose from, pesto pasta, crispy greens, spicy daal to tofu curries, to Thai green curry – every imaginable vegetarian dish is on the menu and can be found at the buffet counter of what many may argue to be the greatest vegetarian restaurant in the world, Haus Hiltl. The mind boggling choice of dishes, salads and desserts on top make this a veritable feast. The food is weighed here by weight so in true Swiss style, food waste is kept to a minimum, a lesson that many buffet restaurants across the world could take a leaf from. Prices are not cheap but average by local standards but the quality of the food, ambience make this unmissable. Plus, did I mention that this is the oldest vegetarian restaurant in the world, dating back to 1898. There are several locations in Zurich. We chose the restaurant on Dachterrasse, which benefits from a beautiful outdoor terrace, which is the perfect place to be on a sunny day. Also, they have a range of refreshing homemade fruit juices and lemonades (I tried the passionfruit -lemonade) that complements the food nicely.
Day Trips : Exploring beyond Zurich
Visit Rapperswill
Rapperswill
Looking for ideas for a day trip from Zurich? Alpine Garden hotel manager, Sue, a native from the beautiful Rapperswill recommends you visit her home town on the southern tip of Lake Zurich.
A medieval town with mediterranean vibes and a pretty castle towering on a hill that offers panoramic views of the Glarus Alps all the way to the Zurich Oberland, Rapperswill is a dreamy town. Packed with picture postcard alleyways, lots of boutique shopping options, with a great variety of places to eat and drink on their outdoor terraces if the weather is nice. The town is the known as the City of Roses thanks to the 16,000 roses that flower in the rose gardens of the Capuchin monastery bordering the lake and on the “Schanz”.
One of the coolest features of the town is the half-mile-long, 8.2-foot-wide wooden bridge that connects Rapperswill across the narrowest point of the lake to the neighbouring town of Hurden. If you are taking the train from Zurich, I would suggest changing at Rapperswill onto the train to Hurden, so you can walk back along the bridge, following in the footsteps of ancient pilgrims that would walk the very same route on their way to Santiago del Compostela.
Good to know: The trip to Rapperswill is free with the Swiss Travel Pass and Zurich Card users will need to buy a 4-zone extra ticket that allows you to travel within the entire Zurich transport network.
Tip: For good coffee and cakes, I highly recommend Gioia de Vita (Klugstrasse 10). The Hotel & Restaurant Jakob also comes recommended by native Sue for a drink or bite to eat at their jazzy brasserie.
Top tip: Invest in the Zurich Card to save money on public transport plus free access to museums
Zürich has one of the best public transport systems in the world that includes trams, buses, trains, and boats. Everything runs like a clockwork, making it easy to hop anywhere within the city or make a day trip to places like Uetliburg. If you are looking to save money, I highly recommend investing in the Zürich Card.
The Zürich Card offers tourists and locals convenient access to many of Zürich’s attractions. It provides unlimited travel by tram, bus, train, boat, and cableway within the city and surrounding regions. This includes free travel between Zürich Airport and the city centre, making it a convenient option for those arriving by plane. It also includes the trip up the Uetliberg and mini lake cruises across Lake Zürich. Additionally, cardholders receive free or discounted admission to museums (such as the Kunsthaus Zürich and the Swiss National Museum) access to a variety of leisure activities, and discounts at selected restaurants and shops. The card is available for either 24 or 72 hours, making it a flexible option for exploring Zürich with ease.
You can find more details at Zürich Card.
Swimming in the Limit River in the summer is THE best thing to do in Zurich for free
FAQ: Zürich Budget Travel
Q: Is Zürich expensive?
A: While Switzerland is known for high costs, our guide proves budget travel is possible with smart planning. Stay at the Capsule Hotel Alpine Garden ( don’t forget to use this discount code CAPSULE15 to get 15% off your stay at the Capsule Hotel Alpine Garden and at any of their other locations , which currently include Lucerne and Basel, ) take advantage of the free opening hours of museums, hike up Uetliburg, go tubing down the river in the summer- best things in Zurich can be enjoyed without breaking the bank.
Q: How can I save money on food in Zurich?
A: Try places like Äss-Bar, Haus Hiltl, and take advantage of buffet-style restaurants.
Q: What’s the best way to get around?
A: The Zürich Card offers unlimited public transport and additional discounts and is the best thing you can invest in to save money when visiting Zurich.
Disclaimer: Prices and availability may vary. Always check current information before traveling.
