A weekend in Zurich
Written October 2026
Picture a city with a lake you can see from the end of most streets, trams that run so neatly you stop checking the time, and a zoo on a wooded hill above it all. That's Zurich. It has a reputation for banks and watches, and the kid side of it gets less airtime than it deserves.
So here's a weekend that skips the bank district. Day one is the zoo, a museum full of old trams, and a playground and a botanical garden by the lake. Day two is a natural history museum, lunch in the middle of town, the football museum, and a playground on the west side to burn off whatever's left.
It's built for kids from about three to ten. Two days is the right size: Zurich is a calm city, and the plan is the same.
Where to stay
Stay in the middle of town if you can. The main station is the center of everything, trams run out from it in every direction, and the airport train comes straight in. The lake is an easy walk.
We only list four hotels here, so this is a short list rather than a menu. Check each listing for what the room offers.
Glockenhof Zurich
A central hotel with suites, so a family can share a space bigger than a standard room. Close to the old town and an easy walk to the lake.
Suite with separate bedroom
MEININGER Zurich Greencity
The practical pick, with cribs for the youngest. It's south of the center in Greencity, so plan on a tram ride in.
Cribs available
The Dolder Grand
The splurge: a grand hotel up on the wooded hill above the city, with a kids club. The zoo is nearby, which makes day one easy. The center is a ride away.
Baur au Lac
A grand old hotel at the head of the lake, by the water and the old town, if you want the setting and the walkable center.
Some booking links here pay Play Day a commission. It does not change which hotels are named or the order they are in.
At a glance
- Walking
- Easy. Everything is a short tram ride or a walk of a kilometer or two, and the city is mostly flat in the middle. The zoo is on a hill, so the way up is by tram.
- Ages
- Three to ten. Toddlers get the zoo and the playgrounds. School-age kids get the trams, the evolution museum and the football.
- Season
- Late spring to early fall is the best of it, when the lakeside and the playgrounds are in play. The museums carry you through the cold months, and the zoo is worth a winter morning if you dress for it.
Getting around
You don't need a car. The train from the airport takes you into the main station in about ten minutes, and from there trams go almost everywhere in this plan.
Day one is a tram up to the zoo, then a tram back down toward the lake. Day two is mostly on foot through the middle of town, with one tram ride west at the end.
Zurich runs on tickets that cover trams, buses and boats alike, so ask at the station what covers your days. Strollers roll onto the trams without fuss.
The zoo, the trams and the lake
Start on the hill with the animals while everyone's fresh, then ride a tram down and spend the afternoon at the lake, by way of a museum full of old trams (yes, really).
- MorningGive it about three and a half hours
Zoo Zürich
A big zoo set among trees on the Zürichberg, above the city. It's known for the Masoala Rainforest, a whole indoor tropical forest you walk through, which is a great thing to know about on a gray day.
Give it the morning and a good part of the early afternoon. The paths wind uphill and downhill, so it's a lot of walking for short legs.
The tram from the center stops at the zoo. Check the listing for how to book.
AfternoonGive it about an hour · 1.8 mi from the last stopTram Museum Zürich
Old Zurich trams in an old depot, and for a kid who has been riding the new ones all day it's a pretty good joke. Climb in, sit where the passengers used to sit, ring a bell.
It's small, so it's a short stop, and only open part of the week. Check the listing before you plan around it.
- Late afternoonGive it about an hour · 0.9 mi from the last stop
Blatterwiese Playground
A playground on the lake side of town, in the park near the Chinese Garden, with space to run around it. After a morning of walking and looking, this is where the kids get to be loud.
Mühlerama, a working mill museum, is close by if anyone wants one more thing.
Also here: Mühlerama
Early eveningGive it about 45 minutes · 0.5 mi from the last stopBotanical Garden UZH
The University of Zurich's botanical garden, a short walk up from the lake. It's a quiet place to wander, with big greenhouses for when the weather turns. Kids tend to like finding the weirdest plant, so make it a game.
- DinnerGive it about an hour · 0.7 mi from the last stop
tibits Seefeld
A vegetarian buffet in Seefeld, a couple of tram stops back toward town. Everyone picks their own plate, so nobody has to agree on dinner.
Still got legs? Walk down to the lake in Seefeld as it gets dark. The water and the lights are a good way to end a day.
Museums, lunch and a football detour
Day two stays in and around the middle of town, with one big museum for animals, one for football, and a playground on the west side for the end of the day. Take it slowly: there's a good lunch in the middle.
- MorningGive it about an hour and a half
Natural History Museum UZH
A university museum of animals, from the very small to the very big. Kids who have just seen the zoo get to look at things up close that were too far away or too fast the day before.
It's one of those museums that's easy to do in an hour and a half, which is the right size.
Kunsthaus Zürich, the city's big art museum, is a short walk down the hill if anyone wants to swap animals for paintings.
Also here: Kunsthaus Zürich
- LunchGive it about an hour · 0.5 mi from the last stop
Haus Hiltl
A vegetarian restaurant near the main shopping streets, well known in the city and an easy lunch when everyone wants something different. It's busy, so go early.
AfternoonGive it about an hour and a half · 0.7 mi from the last stopFIFA Museum
The world football museum, in Enge on the lake side of the station. It has the history of the game and a lot of things to look at and try, which suits a kid who plays and also one who just kicks things around the house.
Even a kid who doesn't care about football tends to find something to like. It's a good rainy afternoon.
- Late afternoonGive it about an hour · 0.7 mi from the last stop
Kollerwiese Playground
A neighbourhood playground in the west of the city, about a kilometer and a half from the FIFA Museum, where locals go. It's the quiet, ordinary end of the weekend, and your kid will be glad of the space.
- DinnerGive it about an hour · 1.0 mi from the last stop
Santa Lucia Paradeplatz
A restaurant at Paradeplatz, in the middle of the old town and a short tram ride from the playground. A civilized place to end the weekend.
A last walk along the lake before bed? It's calm at that hour, and it's a nice way to say goodbye.
If it rains
Most of day two is already indoors. On day one, swap the playground and the garden for Mühlerama and the Kulturama Museum of Human Evolution, and keep the zoo for the indoor rainforest.
With a toddler
Keep the zoo and the two playgrounds, and cut the museums. The Botanical Garden is a gentle half hour with a stroller. Nap on a tram.
With big kids
Add the Kulturama Museum of Human Evolution, which kids around eight and up tend to take to, and swap the playgrounds for more of the lake.
In summer
People swim in the lake and the river here, and it's normal. Spend the late afternoon on day one by the water instead of in the museums, and give the playground a long evening.
What to skip
The shopping streets and the bank district. They're a lot of walking past windows, and your kid will have opinions. Cross them to get somewhere else.
Questions
Is Zurich good for kids?
Yes, and it's calmer than people expect. It's compact and tidy, the trams are easy with a stroller, there's a zoo on a hill, a lake, and a handful of museums made for kids.
How many days do you need in Zurich with kids?
Two is right for a first visit: one for the zoo and the lake, one for the museums and the middle of town. Add a third and you're into day trips.
Do you need a car in Zurich?
No. The train from the airport goes to the main station, and trams run to the zoo, the lake and the playgrounds.
Where should you stay in Zurich with kids?
In the middle of town, near the station and the lake. The four hotels under Where to stay are all in the directory.
Is the zoo worth it?
It's the best half day in the city. Go in the morning, and use the indoor rainforest if it rains.
Photos
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