Zurich Old Town: Guided Walk, Lake Cruise or On Your Own?
5 min read
For a first visit, the two-hour Zurich Old Town walking tour from Zürich Tourismus is the best starting point: it is short, it is by the tourism office itself and it covers the Old Town on foot. Choose a bus tour with a lake cruise if you prefer to sit, and wander on your own if you already know what you want to see.
The options
| Option | Duration | From | Rating and reviews | Fits whom |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zurich Old Town Walking Tour: 2-Hour | 2 hours | €13.59 | 4.6 · 1,219 | A first look on foot |
| Zurich: City Bus Tour with Audio Guide and Lake Cruise | 3.5 hours | €47.83 | 4.2 · 1,584 | Sitting, with an audio guide and the lake |
| Zurich: Open-Top Bus Sightseeing Tour with Optional Cruise | 1 to 2.5 hours | €23.91 | 3.9 · 1,248 | Open-top bus with an optional cruise |
The walking tour
The walk starts at the tourism office in the main station. The listing names Bahnhofstrasse, the Lindenhof viewpoint, the Town Hall and the churches of St. Peter, the Grossmünster and the Fraumünster, which you see from the outside on this tour. It starts at €13.59 and is rated 4.6 from 1,219 reviews. The booking page says the tour is held in two languages except on Saturdays, so check which language applies to your date. It is listed as not suitable for people with mobility impairments.
One option includes the Zürich Card, and with a Zürich Card the page lists a 50% discount on the tour; show the valid pass before the tour starts.
Check availability and prices for the Old Town walking tour
The bus tour with cruise
The bus tour with audio guide and lake cruise is listed at 3.5 hours with commentary in eleven languages, and it includes a 90-minute cruise from Bürkliplatz on Lake Zurich. While the lake shipping company ZSG runs its low-water timetable (since 19 October 2026), ask the operator whether the cruise still lasts 90 minutes. You see the university quarter, Zürichberg, the National Museum and the Kunsthaus from the bus, with one photo stop. It starts at €47.83. Luggage and large bags are not allowed. If you want a cable-car view as well, the city tour with bus, cable car and ferry is listed at 4.5 hours, starts at €60.55 and visits Felsenegg; the cable car is replaced by the Dolderbahn during maintenance, which the page dates to 11–15, 18–22 and 25–29 January and 1–5 February 2027.
On your own
The Old Town is compact, and some of its best places are free. The official tourism site describes the Lindenhof, on the site of a Roman fort, as a green viewpoint over the Old Town, the Grossmünster and the Limmat, and the Fraumünster is known for the stained-glass windows by Marc Chagall. Walking by yourself costs nothing; a guide adds the history that signs do not. The Lake Zurich cruises category covers the boat on its own, and our guided city tours category lists every walk and bus option.
Which to choose
Take the walk when you have two hours and want the stories. Take the bus and cruise for a sit-down overview, perhaps in poor weather or with tired feet. Go alone if you have been before. The walk meets at the tourist office in the main station and is guided in German or English; the bus and cruise tour leaves from the bus station at Ausstellungsstrasse 5 and ends at the Bürkliplatz pier.
