Lady’s Itinerary for 24 Hours in Zurich, Switzerland

I want to share my travel itinerary for 24 hours in Zurich with you today. This global financial hub in Switzerland lies on Lake Zurich and is full of history and charm.

24 Hours in Zurich

In fact, Zurich was more beautiful than I remembered. My last visit was years ago, and while I loved the city, I somehow came away with memories of a cold, austere place full of big banks.

But when I traveled back to Zurich on my way to Liechtenstein I had the chance to correct my faulty memory and rediscover the Swiss city.

Where to Stay in Zurich

My 24 hours in Zurich began on Tuesday evening. After my flight landed, I took a train from the airport to the city center.

From there I walked 10 minutes to my Zurich accommodation, Boutique Hotel Helvetia. It had a lively bar, restaurant, and roof terrace. My room was sleek and modern, and it came complete with a view.

What to Do in 24 Hours in Zurich

After getting settled in, I kicked off my 24 hours in Zurich with a walk around the city. It was then that I started to remember the beautiful bits of Zurich.

First there were the pretty church spires, then the bridges and boutiques, and finally the narrow cobblestone lanes. By the time I arrived at the Park Hyatt for dinner, I had warmed to a city I remembered as cold.

I dined that night at Parkhuus restaurant with the sales manager of the Park Hyatt Zurich. I knew I liked the place as soon as the menus arrived. They were laid out like a market menu, with ingredients as headers instead of courses.

Additionally, next to each menu item was the country of origin of the food. It was as if I could travel the world and eat well without ever leaving my chair. Perfect.

I was so intrigued by the concept that it took me forever to order. Thankfully I had a glass of champagne to get me through.

I finally settled on pumpkin soup made from Swiss pumpkins and a steak from Canada. Both were divine, and our server chose an excellent wine to go with them.

For dessert I had a dish that was simply called Brandy. It was part cake, part cream, part pastry, and part heaven.

As if that wasn’t enough of a sweet ending, I had a traditional Swiss cocktail in the ONYX Bar that was all berries and cream. I went back to my hotel in good spirits that night.

The next morning I was up early and off to see Liechtenstein. The small sovereign state didn’t take long to see, so I had plenty of time to explore Zurich when I returned to Switzerland.

I spent most of my time walking around the city center. From the wide retail thoroughfare of Bahnhofstrasse to the adjacent narrow streets packed with boutiques, I did my share of window shopping.

To atone for coveting material things, I continued my 24 hours in Zurich by stepping into a few churches. One of them was the Fraumunster church with its famous stained-glass windows by Marc Chagall.

I’d seen them on my last trip to Zurich, but I’d forgotten all about them. Stumbling upon them again was one of the highlights of my trip.

I spent the last of my 24 hours in Zurich wandering through more retail areas, down streets filled with restaurants and cafes, and through gardens and parks near Lake Zurich.

I also had a quick dinner at a place called Piadina Bar on bustling Niederdorfstrasse and enjoyed a walk through the gardens near the university.

24 Hours in Zurich

When my 24 hours in Zurich came to an end, I took the train back to the airport and flew home to London. I regretted not spending more time in Switzerland, but was happy to have rediscovered Zurich’s charm.

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