Lake Zurich Cruise

Among the busy city life perfect way to temporarily escape is lake Zurich boat trips. Lake Zurich Navigation provides various scheduled boat cruises daily (between 1.5h and 4h) during all seasons and on all parts of the lake as well as the river Limmat, 

Passengers can relax on well-maintained steamboats or motor vessels and Limmat boats while enjoying the beautiful natural landscapes.

For a really unique trip, tourists may take part in one of the boat cruises of the Lake Zurich Navigation on different Dream boats which involves the Fondue Sail, the Steamboat Dinner or the Late Riser’s Brunch (Breakfast Boat). Whether you’re a party person, an epicurean or a family, there’s a Dream Boat for everyone.

Facts : – 

 Route             :   e.g. Zürich – Rapperswil – Zürich 

 Distance     :   length of the lake to Rapperswil 28 km, total    length of the lake including upper lake 42 km

 Duration        :   1 h 30 min, 3 h or 4 h

Excursion tips : – 

• Knie’s Kinderzoo (children’s zoo) Rapperswil
• Lakeside promenade Walenstadt
• Rapperswil, the “City of Roses” on the shores of Lake Zurich with picturesque old town and four rose gardens
• Uetliberg – Zurich’s local mountain
• Chocolate factory Lindt & Sprüngli

Food & Beverages : –

Catering services available in the boat restaurants.

Reservations : –

No seat reservation required – free seating.

General information : –

Time required  :  2 to 4 hours (half day)

Suitable for children with age :  0 to 5 years, 6 to 9 years, 10 to 13 years, 14+ years

Weather :  Indoor

Category :  Urban, Relax

Different kind of cruises : –

Zurich is situated in the north-west corner of the 42 km long bay. There are several various cruises to be made, varying from brief river cruises to full day cruises to the opposite end of the lake and back.

The lake cruise vessels depart from the ‘Bürkliplatz’ and the river cruises depart from the ‘Zürich Landesmuseum. There are a variety of cruises. These are the key ones:

• Limmat River Cruises: these 50 to 60 minute canal boat trips start and end from the Zürich Landesmuseum and take you to the Limmat River, the Old Town and the lake. The ‘Zürichhorn’ dock is where it switches and heads back to the middle of the town. Round trips from the docks along the way also possible.

• Short round trips of about 90 minutes;
• Medium round trips which take 2 to 3 hours;
• Long round trips of 4 hours;
• Upper Lake round trips: these cruises cover the entire lake from Zurich to Schmerikon and back. It takes a full day (7.5 hours), including a short break in Schmerikon.

Most of the boats consists of 2nd and 1st class areas, where 1st class is usually at the upper deck, also most of the boats have either a restaurant or a bistro on board.

Preparation : –

The best for the boat trip is Sunny clear weather, however cloudy or drizzling weather also still worth. Take along sun glasses and sunscreen. Check the timetable to see which cruise suits you best.

Tips to make most of your day : –

Round trip is not mandatory here, you can get off in one of the town by take a boat along the lake, and go back to Zurich by train, or vice versa. The railway station is just a few minutes on foot from the boat dock in most of the towns.

 Examples : –

 Zollikon, Küsnacht, Thalwil, Herrliberg, Horgen, Uetikon, Wädenswil, Richterswil, Rapperswil and Schmerikon;

You can take a boat from Zurich to Rapperswil (2 hours), and a train back to Zurich (about 40 minutes) if you want to see most of the lake but don’t want to spend an entire day on the water. There are also cruises in the so-called Obersee (Upper Lake) area, starting from Rapperswil other than cruises starting in Zurich.