Zurich in December: weather and what to wear
Pack for the cold that creeps up while you stand still. A December day in Zurich is rarely bitter, but it is grey more often than not, and at the markets you spend hours on your feet outdoors. This guide covers what the weather usually does and how to get above the cloud, then what to wear so the third mug of mulled wine is for pleasure rather than for warming your hands.
What a December day feels like
Expect daytime highs of about 39 °F (4 °C) and nights around 32 °F (0 °C), freezing or close to it. That sounds mild, yet the air is damp, and half an hour standing at a stall drains the warmth from your feet faster than a brisk walk would. Snow falls in the city now and then but comes and goes and rarely lasts long, so do not count on white streets. Grey, damp days are the norm.
| December in Zurich | Typical |
|---|---|
| Daytime high | About 39 °F (4 °C) |
| Night | Around freezing, 32 °F (0 °C) |
| Sunrise | Around 8 am |
| Sunset | Around 4:30 pm |
| Sky | Often grey under low cloud, with sunshine above it in the mountains |
| Snow in the city | Comes and goes, rarely lasts |
The grey lid and how to get above it
The Hochnebel is the defining feature of a Zurich winter. A layer of low cloud settles over the Swiss plateau, sometimes for days, so the city sits in flat light while the peaks above enjoy sunshine. You cannot plan around it from home. You can watch the forecast once you arrive and move when it suits you.
- The Uetliberg. Zurich's own hill is about 25 minutes from the main station on the S10 train, then a short uphill walk to Uto Kulm. On some grey days the top rises above the cloud; on others you stay inside it. A weekend Christmas market trades at the top, from noon to 8 pm on Saturdays and 10 am to 6 pm on Sundays;
- Titlis. A full day out, high enough that the glacier keeps its snow all winter, with a good chance of sun above the plateau's cloud. Snow and winter day trips from Zurich compares it with the lower Rhine Falls trip.
Without a car, the easiest way up is a Titlis and Lucerne coach day by Best of Switzerland Tours, from ~$201. Departure is at 9 am from the Sihlquai bus station next to the main station, and the outing lasts about 10 hours. Lucerne's old town comes first, about an hour on the way, and then cable cars lift you to the summit. The Cliff Walk and the glacier cave depend on weather and snow. Its catch is that the price covers neither food nor winter clothing, and there is no hotel pickup. Coming dressed for snow saves you the rental of a jacket and boots at the summit.
A good chance of sun above the cloud
When the forecast promises another grey week in town, Best of Switzerland Tours takes you up to the Titlis glacier with a stop in Lucerne, about 10 hours in all, from ~$201. Wear boots you can walk on snow in.
Short days suit the markets
Daylight runs from around 8 am until about 4:30 pm. That gives you only eight and a half hours, which for a market trip works in your favor. Most stalls open about 11 am and the lights come on in the late afternoon, so by 5 pm Bahnhofstrasse is lit along with the Old Town lanes, and you get a whole evening of lights without staying out late. Spend the grey daylight on a museum or a day trip, then go to the markets after dark. The Lucy lights along Bahnhofstrasse are switched on at 6 pm on the opening day of the markets. Final hours appear on each market's page shortly before opening. The dates and hours guide puts every city market in one table.
What to wear at the markets
Think in layers you can open and close. In one evening you move from a cold square into a warm hall or a tram and back out again many times over.
- Base and middle layers. A thermal top under a fleece or wool sweater does more than one heavy coat, and you can peel it off in the station hall;
- A waterproof outer jacket. Grey December days are often damp. A hood beats an umbrella in a crowd holding hot drinks;
- Waterproof boots with grip. Old Town cobbles get wet and slick, and you will stand in one spot for long stretches. Warm socks matter more than you expect;
- Hat and gloves. Standing still at a stall is when the cold gets you. Thin gloves let you hold a mug and pay without taking them off;
- A small backpack. Room for a spare layer and whatever you buy, so both hands stay free for food.
Swiss francs are the currency and cards are widely taken. Out of town, the Winterthur Wintermarkt and Bern's Sternenmarkt take cards only, so carry one even if you like paying in coins.
Plans for a wet day
A wet day does not have to empty your plans. Polarzauber, the market inside the main station hall, sits entirely under a roof with more than 100 huts, open from 11 am until 9 pm, or 10 pm from Thursday to Saturday. Behind the station stands the Swiss National Museum, and Lindt Home of Chocolate in Kilchberg fills a wet afternoon well; our chocolate guide covers the museum and the coach day that includes it. On a rainy Sunday, with most shops shut, the station hall is the obvious refuge, since the station shops stay open. The station market guide has the details.
For museums plus trams there is the 24- or 72-hour Zürich Card, from ~$35, which adds free entry to the most popular museums on top of free public transport in the city zone and on the airport train. Zürich Tourism sells it. Print the ticket before you travel, since the listing insists on paper, and expect the card to pay off only if you ride often and see a museum or two. Check which museums it includes before you build a wet day around it.
If you would rather see the Old Town without walking it in the rain, the fondue e-tuk-tuk with eTukTuk, from ~$194, copes with the weather. The vehicles are weatherproof, with rain covers. In winter they add blankets and lambskins, and you eat cheese fondue at a built-in table while you ride past the Grossmünster. The catch is street noise that can drown out the guide, on a private tour priced per person.
Late December and the holidays
Most city markets run until 23 December. On 24 December only Polarzauber and the Münsterhof market open, and the station market closes at about 4 pm. Zurich's markets are closed on 25 and 26 December. For a market after Christmas, Basel's Theaterplatz market runs into January (it closes only on 25 December), while Stein am Rhein's Märlimarkt carries on into early January; Christmas markets near Zurich covers both.