Zurich Christmas Market Guide: Best Tours & Festive Winter Things To Do

The markets, station to lake

Zurich's seven Christmas markets, one by one

The numbers run from the station down to the lake. On foot that is about 40 minutes of walking, two to three hours with stops, and the hilltop market makes a weekend extra. The map shows where each one sits; tap a number to jump to it.

Zurich does not have one Christmas market, it has seven, and each one does a different job. One keeps you dry, one sings, one sells what Zurich makes, and one sits on a hill above the fog. Six of them lie within a 25-minute walk of each other, so the only real decision is the order.

01Polarzauber in the main station

Under a roof
In the station
Fondue carriage
Kids’ train

Step off the train and you are already there. More than a hundred huts fill the hall of Zurich HB around a giant tree that Lindt now hangs with Lindor balls, where the Swarovski crystal tree used to stand. It is the one market with a roof, so it is where everyone goes when the sleet starts. Many people still call it the Christkindlimarkt.

Go here firstThe Parsennbahn, an old railway carriage where fondue is served. Get a table in the afternoon, before the after-work crowd arrives, while the children ride the little Lindt train.

Daily from 11 am, until 9 pm (10 pm Thursday to Saturday); 24 December until 4 pm

Our guide to the station market

A tall Christmas tree hung with red ornaments in the hall of Zurich main station, with crowds and market huts around it — The tree in the station hall, now decorated by Lindt

02Zürcher Weihnachtsallee on Europaallee

Outdoors
Next to the station
Fondue till midnight

Walk out of the station's south side and the modern street along the tracks swaps lanes and gables for street food and design stalls, with a karaoke bar thrown in. About eighty exhibitors take turns through the season while the Glühstube pours mulled wine. At weekends, mini markets pop up as well.

Best as a late last stopIt sits beside the station, off the walking route below, and its fondue chalet serves until midnight every day, long after the Old Town huts have shut. Come back here to end a late evening rather than start one.

Daily from 11 am, closing at 10 pm (8 pm on Sunday); fondue served until midnight

03The Singing Christmas Tree on Werdmühleplatz

Outdoors
About 8 min from HB
Carousel

A few steps off Bahnhofstrasse, rows of singers stand on the tiers of a stage built like a fir, and more than forty choirs take turns through the season. A fondue chalet stands beside it, and the children's carousel costs CHF 3 a ride.

Time it rightIts late start catches people out, so check the hours below before you set off. Come after dark and stand near the front. Twenty minutes is plenty on your way down to the Old Town.

From 4 pm on weekdays, 1 pm at weekends; until 9 or 10 pm

The trick with Zurich's markets is not to choose one. Walk from the station to the lake, and let each square do the one thing it does best.

04Weihnachtsmarkt Münsterhof

Outdoors
About 15 min from HB
Open 24 Dec

In front of the Fraumünster, a smaller and smarter square where most huts belong to Zurich shops and labels, so what you take home was made or chosen here. Concerts play on most evenings. A local tour operator calls it the most upscale market in town.

Go here firstThe mulled wine, brewed on the spot. Then browse for gifts. If you are still shopping on Christmas Eve, this is one of only two markets that open that day.

11 am to 9:30 pm, Sunday until 7:30 pm; open on 24 December

05Weihnachtsmarkt Dörfli in the Niederdorf

Outdoors
About 10 min from HB
Fire shows
Candle dipping

Cross the Limmat by the Münsterbrücke, pass under the twin towers of the Grossmünster, and you are in the market that looks like the postcards. Around seventy huts squeeze into the narrow lanes of the Niederdorf on the right bank. Come on a weeknight if you can, since Saturday evenings in the narrow lanes can slow to a shuffle.

Go here firstThe fire shows on Zwingliplatz and Hirschenplatz, then the Märlibaracke on Zähringerplatz, where children dip their own candles. Ask at the huts for the day's show times.

From 11 am; until 9 pm on weeknights, 10 pm on Friday and Saturday, 8 pm on Sunday

Old Town markets and lights

Wooden Christmas huts and strolling visitors on a square in Zurich's Old Town at dusk — Huts in the Old Town at dusk

06Bellevue Noël on Sechseläutenplatz

Outdoors
About 20 min from HB
Fondue for 600
Carousel

Follow the river down to the lake and the big square by the Opera House opens up. It now hosts Bellevue Noël, which took over from the Wienachtsdorf, with around a hundred stalls of local and eco-minded products. Its landmark is a walk-on Advent wreath 164 feet (50 m) across, with a platform about 16 feet (5 m) up. Children get a carousel and a teddy workshop. There is even a postbox for their wish lists.

Go here firstThe wreath. Climbing it is free but needs a time-slot ticket, so check the market's page to see how the time slots work. Go up at dusk, then warm up in the fondue chalet that seats 600. On each Advent Sunday another candle is lit.

11 am to 10 pm, Sunday until 8 pm; the chalet bar until midnight Monday to Saturday

Bellevue Noël in detail

07Uetliberger Weihnachtsmarkt, up on the hill

Outdoors
25 min by train
Weekends only

The odd one out. On seven weekends, starting earlier in November than the city markets, hobby craftspeople set up at Hotel Uto Kulm on Zurich's own mountain. Take the S10 from the main station, then walk up a short hill. On a foggy day the top is sometimes in sunshine.

Go here firstThe Bavarian curling lane, then a candle-dipping table, then fondue in the Maiensäss. A grey Saturday is the right day for it.

Weekends only; Saturday noon to 8 pm, Sunday 10 am to 6 pm

6Within a 25-minute walk

1Under a roof

2Open on Christmas Eve

12 amLast fondue, at the Weihnachtsallee

Hours follow what the organizers published for the current season and walking times are rough. Every date and opening hour in one table.

Also on the calendar. The Lucy lights above Bahnhofstrasse are switched on at 6 pm on the evening the markets open, with late shopping that night. Children aged 4 to 9 can ride the Märlitram, a Christmas tram ride that leaves from Bellevue; tickets go online shortly before the markets open and sell fast. On 6 December the Samichlaus, Switzerland's St Nicholas, makes his rounds. Zurich at Christmas with kids has the details.

The season in practice

How Zurich's Christmas season works

Most plans come down to two questions. Will you spend your evenings in town or a whole day out of it? And which week? The markets and the crowds each run on their own calendar, and so do the towns nearby.

Style · afternoons and evenings in town

Markets and lights, food and fondue

Fondue e-tuk-tuk, food walk, market walk, chocolate walk

2–10 pmdark from about 4:30; huts open until 9 or 10

The markets look their best after dark, which in December means from late afternoon. Walk them on your own, then book one evening with a seat at a table or a guide at your side, or an afternoon food walk before the lights come on, because standing at a chalet in the cold gets old by the third night.

Style · a day out

Snow and waterfalls, or other towns

Titlis and Lucerne, lake cruise with Lindt, Rhine Falls

5–10 hcoach from the bus station by the main station

Days are short and often grey down in the city, so use the daylight for a trip. A coach does the driving and brings you back in time for the markets, or you take the train to a town with a Christmas market of its own.

The season, fortnight by fortnight

How crowded the evenings get

Early Nov1market in ZurichUetliberg weekends
The hilltop market opens its seven weekends
Mid-Nov1–7markets in ZurichOpening night
Opening day is a Thursday in the second half of November, Lucy lights at 6 pm
Late Nov7markets in Zurich+ Basel, Einsiedeln
Calmer weeknights, first Advent Sunday
Early Dec7markets in Zurich+ Bremgarten, Stein
Samichlaus on 6 December, busy weekends
Mid-Dec7markets in Zurich+ Rapperswil
Usually the busiest Saturdays
Christmas2open on the 24thClosed 25–26
Zurich's markets are closed on 25 and 26 December; Basel's Theaterplatz runs into January but shuts on the 25th

The bars are rough guidance on how full the market lanes get in the evening. We would pick the highlighted fortnights, late November and early December. Every city market is open by then and weeknights are calmer than in mid-December, with time left for a trip to the markets in Basel or Einsiedeln. Every date and opening hour.

Opening hours, market by market

Open every day
Late fondue chalet or chalet bar
Some days only

Polarzauber, main stationUntil 10 pm Thursday to Saturday
11–9
Weihnachtsallee, EuropaalleeUntil 8 pm on Sunday
11–10fondue
Singing Christmas TreeFrom 1 pm at weekends
4–9
MünsterhofUntil 7:30 pm on Sunday
11–9:30
Dörfli, NiederdorfUntil 10 pm Friday and Saturday
11–9
Bellevue NoëlUntil 8 pm on Sunday; chalet bar to midnight Monday to Saturday
11–10bar
UetlibergWeekends only, Sunday 10 am to 6 pm
Sat 12–8

Weekday hours as published by the organizers; the dashed ends mark the days a market opens earlier or stays open later. The two late segments are the Weihnachtsallee fondue chalet, every day, and the Bellevue Noël chalet bar, Monday to Saturday.

Go early on a weeknightBetween dusk and 7 pm on a Monday or Tuesday the lights are on and the lanes are usually at their calmest.
Keep Saturday for a tripSaturday evenings in mid-December tend to draw the biggest crowds. Spend the day in the snow and come back late.
Mind Sunday and the 24thShops close on Sundays and most markets close earlier, several by 8 pm. On Christmas Eve only two markets open.
Book the small tours earlyThe fondue ride and the food walk take few guests at a time, so book early if your dates are fixed. Our picks.

Zurich in December covers the weather and the short days, plus what to wear for an evening of standing still on cold cobbles.

An evening on foot

A Christmas market walk, from the station to the lake

About 40 minutes of walking without stops, and two to three hours with them. It links five markets with the best lights and the two big trees, and it costs nothing.

A tall Christmas tree covered in warm lights on Paradeplatz at night, with a blue Zurich tram and the lit Savoy hotel behind — Paradeplatz, halfway along the route

Left bank, from about 4:30 pm

Landesmuseum courtyardThe castle-like museum behind the station, its courtyard hung with arches of light. The guided walk starts here.
Polarzauber in the station hallWarm up under the roof and see the Lindt tree. Pick up your first mug here.
Bahnhofstrasse and the Lucy lightsWalk south under the strings of light along Zurich's grand shopping street.
Singing Christmas Tree, WerdmühleplatzA short detour to the right. From 4 pm on weekdays, carols from the tree-shaped stage.
ParadeplatzThe big lit tree between the banks, trams sliding past.
MünsterhofZurich-made gifts and home-made mulled wine in front of the Fraumünster.

Over the Limmat on the Münsterbrücke

GrossmünsterThe twin towers above you, lit lanes around the church.
Dörfli in the NiederdorfSeventy huts in the old lanes, with fire shows on Zwingliplatz and Hirschenplatz.
Bellevue Noël, SechseläutenplatzClimb the Advent wreath with a time-slot ticket, then sit down for fondue in the big chalet.

Rather walk it with a local?

Der Nachtwanderer runs a two-hour guided version from the Landesmuseum, usually at 6 pm, with stories about Zurich's Christmas customs and a punch or mulled wine in a mug designed for the tour. Groups go up to 18. Its scores are thin, 4.4 from five reviews on Viator and 3.5 from ten on GetYourGuide, where some guests found it rushed and the guide hard to hear in the crowds, while others praised the guide's knowledge. Book it for the stories, not for the route, which you can walk alone.

Viator GetYourGuide

Our picks

Three things we would book, one for each kind of day

The markets need no booking. These three add something the stalls cannot give you: a seat and a blanket on a cold night, a guide who knows which shop makes the best sausage, and a day above the fog, often in sunshine.

A white e-tuk-tuk parked by the river at night, with a floodlit church tower reflected in the water

For the evening

Cheese fondue and wine in an e-tuk-tuk

eTukTuk · private, up to 4 guests

4.8 on GetYourGuide (192+) and Viator (239+)

Your driver collects a freshly made pot of fondue from a partner restaurant, then drives you slowly past the Grossmünster, the Fraumünster and down Bahnhofstrasse while you dip bread and potatoes at a table built into the cab. A bottle of white wine comes with each tuk-tuk. In winter blankets and lambskins come on board, with rain covers for wet nights.

Price: from ~$194 per person
Duration: 1.5 hours
Start: Europaallee 7, by the main station
Catch: Street noise, no lactose-free fondue

GetYourGuide Viator

Full details and who should skip it

A small food tour group raising little glasses of schnapps among the shelves of a Zurich spirits shop

For the afternoon

Zurich food walk with 8+ tastings

Secret Food Tours · up to 12 guests

4.9 on Viator (633+) · 4.8 on GetYourGuide (156+)

Three and a half hours through the Old Town, eating as you go: Bircher muesli, hot chocolate in a grand café, a Zurich sausage with sauerkraut, a cheese shop with hay schnapps, Rösti with a creamy stew and a local Riesling, fondue bites dipped in kirsch, and chocolates from the city's oldest chocolatier. On the afternoon departure, a champagne truffle or a Zurich cocktail replaces the muesli and hot chocolate. Come hungry; it adds up to a full meal.

Price: from ~$137 on Viator, about $173 on GetYourGuide
Duration: 3.5 hours
Start: Bellevueplatz, by the lake
Catch: Lots of walking, tips extra

Viator GetYourGuide

Full details and who should skip it

The revolving Rotair cable car on Titlis gliding above snowy peaks under a deep blue sky

For a day out

Mount Titlis and Lucerne by coach

Best of Switzerland Tours · coach group

4.7 on GetYourGuide (4,182+) · 4.5 on Viator (2,034+)

The coach leaves the bus station beside Zurich HB at 9 am and stops first in Lucerne, with about an hour in the old town. Then it drives on to Engelberg, where the revolving Rotair or the non-revolving Titlis Connect carries you up to the glacier. On GetYourGuide the Ice Flyer chairlift over the crevasses is included too. The Cliff Walk suspension bridge and the glacier cave open when the weather allows. Building work on a new summit station limits time at the top to about an hour, weather permitting, before you descend to Trübsee, where the restaurants are. When the city sits under grey cloud, the summit is often in sunshine.

Price: from ~$201 per person
Duration: About 10 hours
Start: Sihlquai bus station, Zurich
Catch: About an hour at the summit, food extra

GetYourGuide Viator

Full details and who should skip it

The 7 tours

Seven festive things to do in Zurich, with the catch

We read the winter listings for Zurich on both booking sites and kept seven we would book ourselves: four for an evening or afternoon in town, three for a day out. Each card shows the price and the operator. Next come the rating and the catch, with a button for each site that sells it.

Matching a tour to your trip

Our three picks suit most first visits, but a stopover calls for different bookings than a family week, and a tight budget changes things again. Find the line that sounds like your trip, then jump to the card.

What we left out. Most tours sold under a Christmas name in Zurich are new, with few or no reviews yet, and the private Christmas-market day trips are priced for a whole group. A couple of them appear in our food and Old Town guides, with their catches spelled out.

One evening only: Walk the free route early, then sit down for fondue in the e-tuk-tuk once your feet are cold.
A weekend: The free walk or fondue on Friday evening, Titlis on Saturday, then the food walk on Sunday afternoon, since the markets close at 7:30 to 8 pm that day.
Three or four days: Add the chocolate walk on a dry day and the Rhine Falls on a grey afternoon, back in time for the markets.
A rainy day: The city tour with the lake cruise and Lindt keeps you mostly indoors, and the station market has a roof.
Bringing children: Lindt's tasting room on the city tour goes down well with most children. Under-sixes travel free in the e-tuk-tuk as long as they share your fondue.
On a tight budget: The markets cost nothing. Two tours cost least, the guided market walk at ~$79 and the Rhine Falls half day at ~$85.

In town Evenings out for food and chocolate

Two guests clinking glasses of white wine inside a covered e-tuk-tuk at night with a fondue pot on the table

Our evening pick

Swiss Cheese Fondue and Wine e-TukTuk Tour, eTukTuk

For couples who want the Old Town lights from a covered seat.

A private electric tuk-tuk with a driver-guide and a pot of fondue made fresh by a partner restaurant (200 g of cheese per person). It comes with bread and steamed baby potatoes for dipping. Pickles and a bottle of white wine complete the table. You eat at the built-in table while the guide tells the stories behind the churches and squares you pass.

Duration1.5 hours
OperatoreTukTuk
RatingGetYourGuide 4.8 (192+) · Viator 4.8 (239+)
StartEuropaallee 7, beside the main station
StrengthsPrivate and seated under rain covers, with guides reviewers name again and again
Ideal forCouples, small families, a first evening in town

Good to know: Four guests at most per vehicle, priced per person. The fondue is made with alcohol (an alcohol-free version on request), there is no lactose-free option, and street noise sometimes drowns the guide. Not for wheelchairs. About $198 on Viator. Fondue in Zurich.

~$194per person

GetYourGuide Viator

A table seen from above with a fondue pot, plates of golden Rösti and small dishes of Swiss specialties

Our afternoon pick

Zurich Food Tour with 8+ Tastings, Secret Food Tours

The one to book on your first afternoon, so you know where to eat later.

A guide with an orange umbrella leads a dozen guests at most through the Old Town. You start with Bircher muesli and hot chocolate, move on to a Zurich sausage and a cheese shop, then sit down to Rösti with Riesling. Fondue bites come next. A historic gin and Swiss chocolate finish the walk, and there is also a secret dish. On afternoon tours a champagne truffle or a Zurich cocktail takes the place of the first two stops, and on Mondays a proper fondue stands in for the cheese shop and the fondue bites.

Duration3.5 hours on foot
OperatorSecret Food Tours
RatingViator 4.9 (633+) · GetYourGuide 4.8 (156+)
StartBellevueplatz 2, 15 minutes early
StrengthsEnough food for a meal, local spots, a private option
Ideal forCurious eaters, solo travelers, friends

Good to know: Cheaper on Viator; about $173 on GetYourGuide. Alcohol is served from 18 only. Tips are not included, and one guest wished for a few minutes to buy things at the stops. Not suited to wheelchairs. What to eat at Christmas.

~$137per person

Viator GetYourGuide

Arches of white and blue lights over the Landesmuseum courtyard at blue hour, with market huts below

Christmas markets

2-Hour Guided Christmas Markets Walk, Der Nachtwanderer

For first-timers who like a story with their mulled wine.

An evening walk from the lit courtyard of the Landesmuseum through the station market, to the Singing Christmas Tree, through the lit lanes past the fondue chalet by the Grossmünster to the Münsterhof, ending by the lake at Bellevue. A punch or mulled wine comes in a Christmas mug designed for the tour.

Duration2 hours, usually from 6 pm
OperatorDer Nachtwanderer
RatingViator 4.4 (5) · GetYourGuide 3.5 (10)
StartLandesmuseum, Museumstrasse 2
StrengthsChristmas customs explained, four markets in one go
Ideal forA first evening, travelers who like context

Good to know: Few reviews and a split verdict. Some found it rushed, with no time for a drink, and the guide hard to hear; others loved the guide. Up to 18 people. Mulled wine only on request. Our free route covers the same ground.

~$79per person

Viator GetYourGuide

A smiling chocolate tour guide in a straw hat standing in front of the counters of a Zurich chocolate shop

Highest rated

Chocolate Walking Tour of Zurich, Unique Ways

For the friend who brings an empty suitcase for chocolate.

A local guide takes fifteen people at most through the Old Town's chocolate shops for more than thirteen tastings, with the history of Swiss chocolate along the way. The route bends to what the group likes, and on GetYourGuide a sweet gift to take home is included.

Duration2 to 2.5 hours
OperatorUnique Ways
RatingViator 5.0 (141+) · GetYourGuide 5.0 (35+)
StartZurich Old Town
StrengthsSmall group, local shops rather than one brand
Ideal forChocolate lovers, gift shoppers, a dry afternoon

Good to know: All sweet and no savory, so eat something first. Bring your own water bottle to fill at the fountains. About $110 on GetYourGuide. Chocolate in Zurich.

~$106per person

Viator GetYourGuide

Out of town Days in the snow and by the water

Riders on the Ice Flyer chairlift on Titlis floating above glacier crevasses and deep snow

Our day-out pick

Mount Titlis with Ice Flyer and Lucerne Day Trip, Best of Switzerland Tours

For anyone who came to Switzerland hoping for snow.

The coach leaves Zurich at 9 am and stops first in Lucerne, about an hour in the old town, before the drive on to Engelberg. On Titlis the cable cars are paid for, the revolving Rotair or the non-revolving Titlis Connect depending on the day. A guide leads you to the Cliff Walk suspension bridge and the glacier cave when weather and snow permit. The Ice Flyer is included on GetYourGuide; on Viator it comes only with the Mt Titlis Day Tour option, weather permitting.

DurationAbout 10 hours
OperatorBest of Switzerland Tours
RatingGetYourGuide 4.7 (4,182+) · Viator 4.5 (2,034+)
StartSihlquai bus station, Limmatstrasse 2, check in 15 minutes early
StrengthsGlacier snow all winter, no cable car tickets to sort out
Ideal forA grey day in the city, first-time visitors to the Alps

Good to know: While the new Titlis summit station is under construction, visits to the top last about an hour (weather permitting), and then you head down to the Trübsee middle station, which has the restaurants. No hotel pickup. Food and winter clothing are not included either (jackets and boots can be rented at the top). The Cliff Walk and glacier cave can close in bad weather. A beginner ski upgrade is offered in winter, and snow tubing runs at Trübsee from December to March when the weather allows. About $205 on Viator. Snow days from Zurich.

~$201per person

GetYourGuide Viator

Two smiling visitors in front of the giant chocolate fountain at the Lindt Home of Chocolate

Most reviewed

Zurich City Tour with Lake Cruise and Lindt Home of Chocolate, Best of Switzerland Tours

A rainy-day plan that ends in unlimited chocolate.

A coach ride up through the Zürichberg for views over the city and the lake, a guided walk through the medieval Old Town, a 30-minute cruise on Lake Zurich, then the Lindt Home of Chocolate with its tasting area. A visit to the FIFA Museum can be added.

Duration5.5 to 6.5 hours
OperatorBest of Switzerland Tours
RatingGetYourGuide 4.5 (5,744+) · Viator 4.2 (1,196+)
StartSihlquai bus station, by the main station
StrengthsThe whole day organized for you, Lindt included
Ideal forShort stays, families, a first look at Zurich

Good to know: A big coach group, and the cruise is short. It runs by day, so the markets wait for the evening. Viator scores it lower. Lindt and other chocolate.

~$91per person

GetYourGuide Viator

The Rhine Falls pouring white over rocks below Laufen Castle on its wooded cliff

Half day

Rhine Falls and Stein am Rhein Half Day, Best of Switzerland Tours

The short afternoon trip, back in time for the markets that evening.

An afternoon coach north (Viator lists a 1:15 pm start) to Europe's largest waterfall, seen from the terraces of Laufen Castle, with a boat ride close to the spray available at extra cost. Then a guided walk through Stein am Rhein, a small town of painted medieval houses that runs its own fairy-tale Christmas market from early December. The coach does not set aside time for the Märlimarkt.

DurationAbout 5 hours
OperatorBest of Switzerland Tours
RatingGetYourGuide 4.6 (2,506+) · Viator 4.5 (874+)
StartSihlquai bus station, by the main station
StrengthsTwo sights in half a day, the cheapest trip of the three
Ideal forA free afternoon, travelers short on days

Good to know: Time at each stop is short and the boat costs extra. The Märlimarkt in Stein am Rhein is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays. About $87 on Viator. Christmas markets near Zurich.

~$85per person

GetYourGuide Viator

A small heads-up. These are GetYourGuide and Viator affiliate links, so when you book through one we earn a little commission and you pay exactly the same. It keeps this guide going and never touches our ranking or the catches we point out.

Before you go

Eight things about Christmas in Zurich that no listing puts in big letters

None of these sits at the top of a booking page or a market website, and each one decides whether your evenings feel easy or like a queue.

What you should know

The Wienachtsdorf is gone. The market by the Opera House is now Bellevue Noël, with a walk-on Advent wreath instead. Older blogs, and even some tour listings, still use the old name and mention its ice rink. What is there now.
The station tree is Lindt's now. The famous Swarovski crystal tree in the main station has been replaced by one hung with Lindor balls. The market around it is called Polarzauber, though many people still call it the Christkindlimarkt.
Weeknights before 7 pm are the sweet spot. Friday and Saturday evenings and the Advent weekends tend to pack the Niederdorf lanes and the station hall. Hours for each market.
Christmas Eve is half a day, Christmas Day is nothing. Most markets close on 23 December. On the 24th only the station market (until about 4 pm) and the Münsterhof open. Zurich's markets are closed on 25 and 26 December.
Sunday closes the shops, not the markets. Swiss shops shut on Sundays. The markets still open, though most close earlier on Sunday, and the shops in the station keep going.
Grey is more likely than white. A lid of low cloud often sits over the city in December. If you want sunshine, go up. The Uetliberg is sometimes above the cloud, and for certain snow there is Titlis. The weather in December.
Private does not always mean cheap per group. The fondue e-tuk-tuk is private but priced per person, the food walk takes up to 12, and the coach trips carry a full coach. Read the group size before you compare prices.
Tips are welcome, not expected. No tour includes them. Rounding up the bill, or a few francs for a guide you liked, is plenty in Switzerland.

Everything in one table

Seven festive tours, catch included

The seven tours side by side, so each row shows a strength next to its catch.

Swipe the table sideways to see all columns →

Tour	Ideal for	Price	How long	Where it starts	Operator and rating	Strength and catch	Book
Fondue e-tuk-tuk (our evening pick)	Couples, a cold night	~$194	1.5 h by day or evening	Europaallee, by the station	eTukTuk GetYourGuide 4.8 (192+) Viator 4.8 (239+)	Covered, seated, private. Street noise, 4 guests per vehicle.	GetYourGuide Viator
Secret Food Tours (our afternoon pick)	Eating your way round	~$137	3.5 h on foot	Bellevueplatz	Secret Food Tours Viator 4.9 (633+) GetYourGuide 4.8 (156+)	A full meal in tastings. Long walk, pricier on GetYourGuide.	Viator GetYourGuide
Titlis and Lucerne (our day-out pick)	Snow, often sun above the cloud	~$201	About 10 h	Sihlquai bus station, 9 am	Best of Switzerland Tours GetYourGuide 4.7 (4,182+) Viator 4.5 (2,034+)	Lucerne, then the glacier. Long coach day, about an hour at the top, food extra.	GetYourGuide Viator
Christmas markets walk	Stories on a first evening	~$79	2 h, usually from 6 pm	Landesmuseum	Der Nachtwanderer Viator 4.4 (5) GetYourGuide 3.5 (10)	Four markets and their customs. Few reviews, can feel rushed.	Viator GetYourGuide
City, lake and Lindt	A rainy day, short stays	~$91	5.5–6.5 h	Sihlquai bus station	Best of Switzerland Tours GetYourGuide 4.5 (5,744+) Viator 4.2 (1,196+)	Three sights, no planning. Big group, short cruise.	GetYourGuide Viator
Chocolate walk	Sweet teeth, gift shopping	~$106	2–2.5 h on foot	Old Town	Unique Ways Viator 5.0 (141+) GetYourGuide 5.0 (35+)	13+ tastings, 15 guests at most. All sweet, no savory.	Viator GetYourGuide
Rhine Falls and Stein am Rhein	A free afternoon	~$85	About 5 h, from early afternoon	Sihlquai bus station	Best of Switzerland Tours GetYourGuide 4.6 (2,506+) Viator 4.5 (874+)	Waterfall and painted town. Short stops, boat extra.	GetYourGuide Viator

About the numbers. Prices are per-person "from" rates in US dollars (the lower one when a tour is on both sites), and ratings are what each site showed when we compared. Dates and group size move them a little, as do offers, so peek at both. The booking page has the final word.

Who went

Reviews from travelers who spent December in Zurich

Fourteen travelers, some with frost on the cobbles and some with drizzle down their collars, on what won them over and what they would do differently.

★★★★★Fondue by e-tuk-tuk

We booked the fondue tuk-tuk for our first night because we landed tired and did not want to queue at a chalet in the cold. Best decision of the trip. Robbie picked up the pot, tucked lambskins round our knees and drove us along the river while we ate. He stopped by the Grossmünster so we could take photos without getting out, and told us which market had the best roasted chestnuts. We finished the wine, he dropped us at our hotel, and we went to bed warm.

★★★★★Secret Food Tours walk

Eight stops and I could not eat dinner. The cheese shop with the hay schnapps was the winner.

★★★★★Titlis + Lucerne snow day

Zurich was grey for three days, so we went up Titlis on the fourth. Above the clouds the sky was completely blue and the glacier was blinding. The revolving cable car is fun, the Ice Flyer was cold but worth the extra layer, and the glacier cave felt like walking inside a freezer. Lucerne in the morning was a nice warm-up before the mountain. Bring your own snacks, food at the top is expensive.

★★★★☆Christmas markets walk

Our guide knew a lot about Zurich at Christmas and the mug is a nice souvenir. But eighteen people through a full station hall on a Saturday is a lot, and at the back we heard half of it. Go on a weeknight.

★★★★★City, lake + Lindt

A good way to see the city in one go when you only have a day. The coach went up the hill first, so we saw the lake and the mountains before the clouds came down, then a walk in the Old Town and a short boat ride. Lindt was packed, but the tasting room makes up for it. We were back in time for the markets.

★★★★★Chocolate walk

I am Belgian, so I came to judge. I left converted, and with a bag of truffles.

★★★★★Rhine Falls half day

We wanted to see the falls without hiring a car in winter. The coach was warm and on time, the guide gave us the history of Schaffhausen on the way, and the falls were louder than I expected even from the castle terrace. Stein am Rhein was the surprise, every house painted, with Christmas huts in the square. Not a lot of time there, so we went back on the train two days later.

★★★★★Fondue by e-tuk-tuk

Cosy, private and the fondue was proper. Our guide Marco explained more in ninety minutes than our guidebook did in three days.

★★★★☆Secret Food Tours walk

Great food, great guide, but three and a half hours on cold cobbles in December is long. The Rösti stop with the Riesling was where we finally sat down and warmed up, and I would happily have stayed there all afternoon. Wear proper boots and skip breakfast, you will eat plenty. Tips are not included, which our guide mentioned once at the end, politely.

★★★★★Titlis + Lucerne snow day

Real snow, real glacier, real cold. Rent the jacket at the top if you came with a city coat.

★★★★★Christmas markets walk

I almost skipped this because of the reviews, and I am glad I did not. Alexander was a brilliant storyteller. He started us in the courtyard of the national museum under the light arches, explained why the station tree changed from crystals to chocolate, and timed the Singing Tree for when a choir was on. Yes, it moves quickly and you will want to go back to some markets on your own afterwards. That is the point, you know where to go.

★★★★☆City, lake + Lindt

Organised and easy, exactly what my parents needed. The lake cruise is only half an hour and the boat was not full in winter, so we had the windows. Lindt was the highlight for my mother, who did not leave the tasting counter for twenty minutes. One star off because the coach group was big and the Old Town walk felt hurried.

★★★★★Chocolate walk

Thirteen tastings and our guide still found a shop I would never have walked into. Take a water bottle, you will need it after the pralines, and do not plan a big dinner straight after. We bought half our Christmas presents on the way round.

★★★★★Rhine Falls half day

A misty afternoon at the falls, which made them look wild. The painted houses in Stein am Rhein are worth the trip on their own.

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Mittens on

Book an evening and an afternoon, then a day out

Walk the markets on your own; they are free, and the route above does the job. Then add the three things the stalls cannot give you: a seat with fondue and a blanket, a guide who takes you to the city's best sausage and cheese, and a day in the snow above the grey.

On GetYourGuide all three can be cancelled for free up to 24 hours ahead, and you can reserve there now and pay later. On Viator, check the terms on each listing. December weekends can fill, so if your dates are fixed, book those first.

Fondue e-tuk-tuk1.5 h · from ~$194GetYourGuide Viator
Secret Food Tours walk3.5 h · from ~$137Viator GetYourGuide
Titlis and Lucerne10 h · from ~$201GetYourGuide Viator

✓ Free cancellation up to 24 hours before on GetYourGuide
✓ Reserve now, pay later on GetYourGuide

Good to know

How Zurich keeps Christmas, and what you are looking at

Five minutes of reading, and the choir on a tree, the bread man in the bakery window and the candle on a 50-meter wreath will all make sense.

Zurich is a banking city with a medieval core, and at Christmas it shows both. The grand shopping street hangs its lights like a chandelier, the old lanes on both banks of the Limmat fill with wooden huts, and in between the city keeps a handful of customs you will not find in other Christmas market towns.

01A market under the departure boards

The hall of Zurich Hauptbahnhof is the busiest railway station in Switzerland, and every Advent it gives up its floor to more than a hundred huts. For years the centerpiece was a tree glittering with Swarovski crystals. Now Lindt dresses it in Lindor balls, a fitting change in a country that eats more chocolate per head than almost anywhere. The station market in detail.

02Lights with a name

The lights above Bahnhofstrasse are called Lucy, and the city treats their switching on as the start of the season: 6 pm on the evening the markets open, with the shops staying open late. Rennweg and the lanes around Neumarkt hang lights of their own, as do other side streets of the Old Town.

03A tree that sings

On Werdmühleplatz, a few steps off Bahnhofstrasse, choirs stand on the tiers of a stage built in the shape of a fir and sing for the passers-by. More than forty choirs take turns across the season, so no two evenings sound alike. The Old Town markets.

The moment to look out for is not a stall. It is stepping out of the cold into the station hall with glasses steaming, to find a hundred huts and a giant tree reaching toward the roof.

04Samichlaus and the bread man

On 6 December, Saint Nicholas Day, the Samichlaus visits Swiss children in a red robe and white beard, often with a sack of nuts and tangerines plus gingerbread. Bakeries fill their windows with the Grittibänz, a sweet bread shaped like a little man with raisin eyes. Buy one; they are best still warm.

05Cheese against the cold

Five of the seven city markets serve fondue at a table, in a chalet or, at the station, a railway carriage, and the Swiss take cheese fondue as seriously as their trains: melted cheese with wine and a dash of kirsch, bread cubes on long forks, and a rule that you keep stirring. Raclette, scraped from a half wheel onto potatoes, is the stand-up version at the stalls. Where to eat both.

06A wreath you can walk on

The four candles of an Advent wreath mark the four Sundays before Christmas. At Bellevue Noël the wreath is 164 feet (50 m) across with a platform you can climb, and a candle is lit on each Advent Sunday, so the wreath grows brighter as Christmas comes closer. Bellevue Noël.

7Christmas markets in the city

100+Huts in the station hall

40+Choirs on the Singing Tree

50 mAcross the walk-on Advent wreath

Want a market in a smaller town with an abbey or painted houses around it? Christmas markets near Zurich lists the ones worth a train ride.

Questions and answers

Frequently asked questions about the Zurich Christmas markets

Fourteen questions we hear again and again, with the full answer.

When are the Zurich Christmas markets open?

The downtown markets open together on a Thursday in the second half of November, then run until 23 December. The station market and the Münsterhof also open on 24 December. The weekend market on the Uetliberg starts in early November, ahead of the rest. Dates and hours for every market.

What are the opening hours of the Zurich Christmas markets?

Most open at 11 am and close at 9 or 10 pm, earlier on Sundays. The Singing Christmas Tree opens at 4 pm on weekdays and 1 pm at weekends. Two places run until midnight, the Weihnachtsallee fondue chalet every day and the chalet bar at Bellevue Noël from Monday to Saturday. On 24 December the station market closes at about 4 pm.

Which Christmas market in Zurich is the best?

It depends on the evening. For rain or a first look, Polarzauber in the main station, which is under a roof. For atmosphere, the Dörfli in the Niederdorf with its fire shows. For gifts made in Zurich, the Münsterhof. For families and fondue, Bellevue Noël by the lake. Walk between them and you see all of them in one evening.

Are the Zurich Christmas markets free?

Yes. Entry to every market is free. Climbing the walk-on Advent wreath at Bellevue Noël is free too, but needs a time-slot ticket. You pay only for what you eat and drink or buy. Rides such as the carousel at the Singing Christmas Tree cost extra too.

Are any markets open on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day?

On 24 December only two open, Polarzauber in the main station until about 4 pm and the Münsterhof. Zurich's markets are closed on 25 and 26 December. Basel's Theaterplatz market runs into January but closes on 25 December, and the Märlimarkt in Stein am Rhein runs into early January.

What happened to the Wienachtsdorf on Sechseläutenplatz?

It no longer takes place there. The square by the Opera House now hosts Bellevue Noël, with about a hundred stalls, a fondue chalet for 600 and a walk-on Advent wreath 50 meters across. What Bellevue Noël offers.

Is the Swarovski tree still at Zurich main station?

No. The big tree in the station hall is now sponsored by Lindt and decorated with Lindor balls. The market around it, often still called the Christkindlimarkt, now runs as Polarzauber, with more than a hundred huts and fondue in an old railway carriage.

Where can I eat fondue at the Zurich Christmas markets?

Bellevue Noël and the Weihnachtsallee have fondue chalets, as do the Singing Christmas Tree and the Uetliberg. At the station market you eat it in the Parsennbahn railway carriage. For a covered seat while you see the city, the fondue e-tuk-tuk serves a pot on board from ~$194. Fondue and Christmas food.

Should I book a guided Christmas market tour in Zurich?

Only if you want the stories. The markets are close together and easy to walk alone, and the guided walk we list (from ~$79) has few reviews and mixed scores. A fondue ride or a food walk adds more to an evening than a guide pointing at huts.

Which Christmas markets near Zurich are good for a day trip?

Lucerne and Basel are about an hour by train and have several markets each. Einsiedeln has a market in front of its abbey for about ten days, Bremgarten one huge long weekend in early December, and Stein am Rhein a fairy-tale market among painted houses. Markets near Zurich.

Will it snow in Zurich at Christmas?

It might, but do not count on it. December days are around 39 °F (4 °C), often grey and damp, and snow in the city rarely lasts. For certain snow, take a day trip up to the glacier on Titlis, where the sun often shines above the clouds.

What should I wear to the Christmas markets?

Warm layers and waterproof shoes with a good grip for wet cobbles. Add a hat and gloves. You stand still a lot at a market, and that is when the cold gets in. A small backpack leaves your hands free for a mug and a fork. What to wear in December.

Is Zurich at Christmas good for kids?

Very. There is the Märlitram, a Christmas tram ride for children 4 to 9, the Lindt Christmas train in the station, carousels, a teddy workshop at Bellevue Noël and candle dipping in the Niederdorf and on the Uetliberg. Go early in the evening, before the crowds. Zurich at Christmas with kids.

Can I cancel the tours for free?

On GetYourGuide, yes. It shows free cancellation up to 24 hours before for all seven tours on this page, and lets you reserve now and pay later. On Viator, check the terms on each listing. Late cancellations and no-shows are charged in full, so check the weather forecast before a mountain day.

Read before you travel

Guides to Christmas in Zurich

Ten questions that keep coming up, each with the long answer instead of the short one.

Zurich Christmas Markets & Things To Do

What to expect, in short

Zurich's seven Christmas markets, one by one

01Polarzauber in the main station

02Zürcher Weihnachtsallee on Europaallee

03The Singing Christmas Tree on Werdmühleplatz

04Weihnachtsmarkt Münsterhof

05Weihnachtsmarkt Dörfli in the Niederdorf

06Bellevue Noël on Sechseläutenplatz

07Uetliberger Weihnachtsmarkt, up on the hill

How Zurich's Christmas season works

Markets and lights, food and fondue

Snow and waterfalls, or other towns

The season, fortnight by fortnight

Opening hours, market by market

A Christmas market walk, from the station to the lake

Rather walk it with a local?

Three things we would book, one for each kind of day

Cheese fondue and wine in an e-tuk-tuk

Zurich food walk with 8+ tastings

Mount Titlis and Lucerne by coach

Seven festive things to do in Zurich, with the catch

Matching a tour to your trip

In town Evenings out for food and chocolate

Swiss Cheese Fondue and Wine e-TukTuk Tour, eTukTuk

Zurich Food Tour with 8+ Tastings, Secret Food Tours

2-Hour Guided Christmas Markets Walk, Der Nachtwanderer

Chocolate Walking Tour of Zurich, Unique Ways

Out of town Days in the snow and by the water

Mount Titlis with Ice Flyer and Lucerne Day Trip, Best of Switzerland Tours

Zurich City Tour with Lake Cruise and Lindt Home of Chocolate, Best of Switzerland Tours

Rhine Falls and Stein am Rhein Half Day, Best of Switzerland Tours

Eight things about Christmas in Zurich that no listing puts in big letters

What you should know

Seven festive tours, catch included

Reviews from travelers who spent December in Zurich

Tell the next traveler how it went

Thank you, your review is in moderation

Book an evening and an afternoon, then a day out

How Zurich keeps Christmas, and what you are looking at

01A market under the departure boards

02Lights with a name

03A tree that sings

04Samichlaus and the bread man

05Cheese against the cold

06A wreath you can walk on

Frequently asked questions about the Zurich Christmas markets

Guides to Christmas in Zurich