Stop googling away your every weekend.
Where are you, what are you after? We know Switzerland's best outings — 4212 places listed, 166 already honestly rated from 🏆 to 🟥, including what to avoid. Free, in 10 seconds.
We curate Switzerland — not a full list, but the gems, matched to your profile.
How it works
- 1Your placeWhere are you — or where do you want to go?
- 2Your situationWith whom, what weather, how much time?
- 3Your best matchesHonestly ranked, just for you.
Go deeper — our excursion guides
- 🏆 ConvivaPlus Index 98/100🐐 Zoo
One of Europe's best zoos — the Masoala rainforest hall and the Lewa savanna circuit are real journeys, not just enclosures. A full day that captivates every age.
✚ Masoala hall is a tropical experience even in the rain✚ Kaeng Krachan elephant park with underwater viewing✚ continuous buggy-friendly pathways throughout✖ by far the priciest option on this list✖ very crowded on fine weekends and during school holidays🕐 Weekday mornings (from opening) are significantly quieter than weekend afternoons. - 🏆 ConvivaPlus Index 97/100🐐 Streichelzoo/Erlebnis-Bauernhof · 🛝 Quartier-Spielplatzfree♿ wheelchair accessible · per Ginto / Pro Infirmis
Real animals (llama, pony, goats, rabbits) plus playground, café and under-3s area — free and right in the neighbourhood. Maximum family fun per effort.
✚ animals and play combined for free✚ rotating programme (kids yoga, festivals)✚ right next to Freibad Heuried✖ indoor area is small✖ café hours limited at weekends - 🏆 ConvivaPlus Index 98/100💦 Strandbad/Badi (See)♿ wheelchair accessible · per Ginto / Pro Infirmis
The city's most beautiful lake bath: sandy beach, trees, views of the lake and Alps. Here you don't just swim — you spend a whole summer day.
✚ genuine sandy beach with Alpine views✚ plenty of shade under old trees✚ large sunbathing meadow✖ only open during bathing season✖ fills up early on top days - 🏆 ConvivaPlus Index 96/100🚠 Schifffahrt/Fähre🐕
Hop on a ship with your ZVV day pass: quick circular route from Bürkliplatz, wind, seagulls, Alpine views. The cheapest way to see Zurich at its most magical — kids love the boarding and disembarking.
✚ included with ZVV day pass for public transport✚ lake breeze + Alpine panorama✚ short hops between boats possible✖ crowded boarding on peak days✖ winter timetable drastically reduced - 🏆 ConvivaPlus Index 97/100🌲 Aussichtspunkt/Gipfel · 🚠 Zahnradbahn🐕
Zurich's home mountain: take the S10 up, then explore the observation tower, playground and the Planetenweg accessible via public transport. A full mountain day that starts with a tram ticket.
✚ summit fully accessible by public transport✚ observation tower + panorama over lake and Alps✚ hiking trails for every level✖ tower climb means lots of stairs✖ views vanish in high fog — check webcam first🕐 Fine Sundays get busy up top; start early or pick a weekday. - 🏆 ConvivaPlus Index 97/100🔬 Kunst/Geschichte
Swiss history in a fairy-tale castle right by Central Station: modern, child-friendly presentations, courtyard and often family programmes. Kids and teenagers free — indoors, any weather.
✚ free entry for under 16✚ modern staging, not dusty✚ right at Central Station, weatherproof✖ very busy on rainy weekends✖ lots of content — pace it with small children - 🏆 ConvivaPlus Index 97/100🐐 Streichelzoo/Erlebnis-Bauernhof · 🛝 Wasserspielplatz · 🛝 Quartier-Spielplatzfree♿ wheelchair accessible · per Ginto / Pro Infirmis
Splash pad, muddy water play, animals and an ice cream café — free and right in the neighbourhood. Maximum water fun for minimal effort on hot days.
✚ water play + animals free combined✚ ice cream café, plenty of shade✖ sandbox uncovered✖ café hours tight on weekends - 🏆 ConvivaPlus Index 96/100🐐 Wild-/Tierparkfree
Native wildlife — wolf, lynx, bear, wild boar — experience free in the forest. A genuine nature walk with animal highlights instead of enclosure course.
✚ free, native wildlife close-up✚ beautiful forest trail✖ no petting zoo✖ hilly, strenuous with buggy🕐 Wolf and bear enclosures busiest at feeding time. - 🏆 ConvivaPlus Index 97/100🍫 Schoggi-Erlebnis · 🍫 Manufaktur-/Fabrik-Touren
Chocolate experience world in Kilchberg with the world's largest chocolate fountain, interactive tour and tasting — a feast for the senses, in any weather.
✚ massive chocolate fountain✚ interactive tour + tasting, weather-proof✖ admission comparatively expensive✖ according to visitor reports very busy on weekends/holidays — time slot ticket recommended - 🏆 ConvivaPlus Index 97/100🐐 Zoo · 🐐 Streichelzoo/Erlebnis-Bauernhof
The children's zoo of circus family Knie in Rapperswil is like it was made for families: petting, pony rides, elephants and camels — a full day of animal moments.
✚ lots of petting + pony rides✚ elephants/camels, thoughtfully designed for kids✖ admission not inexpensive✖ according to visitor reports very busy on fine weekends/holidays🕐 Arrive early in summer; closed in winter season. - 🏆 ConvivaPlus Index 97/100🐐 Streichelzoo/Erlebnis-Bauernhof · 🍓 Beeren-/Obst-Selbstpflücken · 🍓 Kürbis-/Erlebnis-Bauernhof
The legendary pumpkin farm above Pfäffikersee: massive pumpkin exhibition in autumn, animals, large playground and pick-your-own — a seasonal classic for families.
✚ world-famous pumpkin exhibition in autumn✚ animals, large playground, pick-your-own✖ reportedly extremely crowded during pumpkin season✖ parking and access congestion on weekends🕐 During autumn pumpkin season, come on weekdays or early. - 🏆 ConvivaPlus Index 96/100🐐 Wild-/Tierpark · 🌲 Wald-/Naturpark/Naturreservat
In a primordial landslide landscape live bears, wolves and lynxes — and mouflons eat from your hand. A natural animal park that combines wilderness and close encounters.
✚ bears/wolves + free-roaming deer/mouflons to feed✚ spacious natural terrain✖ hilly, lots of walking✖ crowded on fine days🕐 Bear and wolf feeding draws most visitors at midday. - 🏆 ConvivaPlus Index 97/100🌳 Stadtpark · 🐐 Streichelzoo/Erlebnis-Bauernhoffree🐕
Large lakeside park at Lake Constance with free animal park, playgrounds and paddling area — a complete family day by the water, without spending a single franc.
✚ free animal park + playgrounds✚ right on Lake Constance, paddling area✖ very popular in fine weather✖ little shade at the waterfront - 🏆 ConvivaPlus Index 97/100🔬 Technik-/Verkehrsmuseum · 🔬 Wissenschaftszentrum
Switzerland's most visited museum: locomotives, aircraft, space travel and countless interactive stations, plus planetarium and film theatre. A full day that captivates every tech enthusiast.
✚ huge, incredibly much to try out✚ planetarium + film theatre, weather-proof✖ admission expensive (additional offers extra)✖ very crowded on rainy weekends/school holidays🕐 Arrive early on bad weather weekends — it fills up quickly. - 🏆 ConvivaPlus Index 96/100🌲 Wasserfall · 🚠 Schifffahrt/Fähre🐕
Europe's most water-rich waterfall thunders — and by boat you sail right into it, onto the rocks in the centre of the spray. A natural spectacle that makes children marvel.
✚ boat ride to the rocks in the middle of the waterfall✚ spectacular, combines well with Schloss Laufen✖ boat rides chargeable + seasonal✖ crowded at the landings on fine days
🏆 Top pick97© No machine-readable author provided. Pjetter assumed (based on copyright claims) · CC BY-SA 3.0🏆 ConvivaPlus Index 97/100🐐 Reptilien/Insekten (z.B. Papiliorama) · 🌳 Tropenhaus · 🐐 AquariumHundreds of free-flying butterflies flutter through tropical domes, plus a nocturnal animal house, rainforest and petting area — a warm, vibrant experience, especially on cold days.
✚ free-flying butterflies, nocturnal house✚ tropically warm — perfect for cold/rainy weather✖ entry fees aren't cheap✖ domes are humid and warm- 🏆 ConvivaPlus Index 96/100🎢 Freizeitpark · 🎢 Märchen-/Themenpark
Germany's largest amusement park and one of the best in the world: over one hundred attractions in lovingly designed country-themed areas — a mega-day for the whole family.
✚ World-class theme park, huge variety✚ suitable for all ages, excellently organized✖ located abroad — passport/border + long travel time✖ admission expensive, very crowded during peak season🕐 Peak season/holidays very crowded — arrive early, plan for wait times. - 🏆 ConvivaPlus Index 98/100🔬 Technik-/Verkehrsmuseum♿ wheelchair accessible · per Ginto / Pro Infirmis
The only science center in Switzerland — and not a museum where you keep your hands in your pockets: over 500 stations beg to be touched, turned and tried, plus a 15,000 m² outdoor park with a 130-metre marvel bridge. A whole day passes before you've seen half of it. When it rains outside, this is the best spot in the canton — accessible right into the last lab, but price-wise the opposite of cheap.
✚ 500+ hands-on stations, touching encouraged✚ outdoor park with 130 m marvel bridge (Easter–Oct)✚ fully wheelchair/stroller accessible + loaner wheelchairs✖ by far the priciest (adult CHF 34, a family quickly hits ~CHF 100)✖ packed on rainy days + ZH school holidays, especially Wednesday afternoons🕐 Quietest on weekdays outside the holidays and right at opening (10 am); sunny Saturdays are surprisingly empty. - 🏆 ConvivaPlus Index 88/100💦 Flussbad · 🛝 Wasserspielplatzfree🐕♿ partially accessible · per Ginto / Pro Infirmis
The Limmat island for free: shallow river water for splashing, meadow, barbecue areas and a dedicated dog zone. In high summer, the city's most relaxed free water fun.
✚ free river bathing, shallow for kids✚ barbecue spots + plenty of meadow✚ separate dog area✖ only worthwhile in warm weather✖ limited shade on peak days🕐 On hot weekends, crowded from midday — mornings have more space. - 🏆 ConvivaPlus Index 88/100💦 Freibad♿ partially accessible · per Ginto / Pro Infirmis
Family open-air pool with toddler splash area, slide and sun sails — and in winter the facility becomes an ice rink. Two seasons, one location.
✚ toddler sprinklers + children's pool✚ sun sails against midday heat✚ ice rink in winter✖ quickly full at weekends✖ changing facilities showing their age🕐 Weekend afternoons are most crowded — opening at 09:00 is worth it. - 🏆 ConvivaPlus Index 87/100💦 Strandbad/Badi (See)♿ wheelchair accessible · per Ginto / Pro Infirmis
Lake bath on the right bank with large meadow, diving tower and relaxed atmosphere — popular, but more spacious than the west-bank baths.
✚ large sunbathing meadow✚ diving tower for the brave✚ good lake access for children✖ bathing season only✖ less shade than Mythenquai - 🏆 ConvivaPlus Index 87/100💦 Freibad♿ wheelchair accessible · per Ginto / Pro Infirmis
Swimming in a heritage building: Letzigraben pool was designed by writer-architect Max Frisch. Spacious facility with diving tower, children's area and park character.
✚ protected architecture by Max Frisch✚ plenty of space, rarely overcrowded✚ children's pool + diving tower✖ bathing season only✖ somewhat away from the city centre - 🏆 ConvivaPlus Index 84/100🛝 Robinson-/Waldspielplatzfree
Here children can do what's normally forbidden: build with real tools, make fires, let loose. Supervised, free, at the forest edge — adventure instead of plastic slides.
✚ supervised building/crafting with real materials✚ fire pit + forest proximity✚ free✖ bound to supervision times/season✖ less suitable for very small children - 🏆 ConvivaPlus Index 87/100🌳 Stadtpark · 💦 Planschbeckenfree🐕♿ wheelchair accessible · per Ginto / Pro Infirmis
The living room of District 5: large meadow, old trees, paddling pool and neighbourhood bar. Here families, students and after-work Zurich mix quite naturally.
✚ paddling pool in summer✚ lots of shade + kiosk bar✚ free, very central✖ packed on fine evenings✖ paddling pool seasonal
🧭 Swiss day trips: 4'212 listed, 166 reviewed
The ConvivaPlus Ausflugs-Radar holds 4'212 excursion destinations across 14 Swiss cantons, plus 6 cross-border destinations on Lake Constance. The greatest density is not where you would expect it: Bern (2'397) is ahead of Zürich (1'782).
And here is the number nobody else publishes: 166 of them — 4 % — have been visited, rated and given an editorial verdict. The other 4'046 are listed as places, with coordinates and base data from OpenStreetMap and Wikidata, and they say so: they carry the label "not yet reviewed" and never count as a match in the radar. An untagged attribute never raises a score — it only lowers the confidence level.
That is the uncomfortable part, and it is the reason this page exists: a directory that pretends to know everything is more pleasant to read and useless to use.
⚖️ Honestly rated: 368 named weaknesses
Across the 166 reviewed destinations there are 438 strengths — and 368 explicitly named weaknesses. That ratio is no accident, it is the house rule: 166 out of 166 destinations carry at least one downside. Not a single one gets away without.
Go looking for that on a tourism website. There you will read "family-friendly" and "ideal in any weather", because the site belongs to the destination or lives off it. Here you read "by far the most expensive item on this list" and "very crowded on fine weekends" — in the same entry as the praise.
For public places the verdict is direct. For named private businesses, critical points remain explicitly an opinion based on experience ("according to user reports"), never a statement of fact — that is not timidity, it is the condition that allows us to stay critical.
166 out of 166 reviewed excursion destinations carry at least one explicitly named weakness — 368 downsides against 438 upsides in total. No tourism portal publishes this, because none writes down its weaknesses.
🏆 ConvivaPlus Ausflugs-Index: 57 to 98 points
The ConvivaPlus Ausflugs-Index is a score from 1 to 100 that works without a profile: how strong is this destination in general? In the current data it ranges from 57 to 98, with a median of 84.
It is anchored in the editorial verdict and deterministic: no randomness, no date, no user signal. The same data always yields the same score — recalculable on the methodology page.
The five verdict tiers are distributed as follows: 18× Top, 67× Strong, 49× Solid, 32× Situational. The fifth tier — "Avoid" — has never once been awarded. That belongs here, otherwise the scale would be a claim: the tier exists, it is sharp, and it is still empty because no visited destination has earned it so far.
What actually makes you click on an excursion tip?
One click – anonymous, no sign-up required.
💸 Free day trips: 57 of 166 cost nothing
57 of the 166 reviewed destinations (34 %) charge no admission, another 55 fall into the inexpensive band. Together that is the majority — in a country whose excursion reputation says otherwise.
In the radar, "budget: free" is a filter, not a promise: it shows only what is tagged free and leaves out everything untagged. If you would rather read than filter, the long-form version is in our guide 50+ trips under 20 francs.
🌧️ Rainy day trips: 59 reviewed destinations hold up
59 reviewed destinations are explicitly tagged as rain-proof, 62 as heat-proof, 87 run all year round. This is the axis on which a Sunday turns — and the one no printed guidebook covers, because a book knows no weather.
What matters is what "rain-proof" does not mean here: not "has a roof". The Masoala hall at Zurich Zoo is a tropical experience in the rain; an indoor pool in the rain is just an indoor pool. The tag sits on the experience, not on the building.
Seasonal cross-checking happens here anyway — the seasonal overview carries the dated events, the radar the permanent destinations.
♿ Wheelchair accessible: 29 confirmed — and 96 open
This is the most honest number on the whole page. Of 166 reviewed destinations, 29 are confirmed wheelchair accessible, 24 partially, 17 explicitly not accessible — and 96 are simply not yet verified.
That is more open questions than answers. We write it down anyway, because the alternative is worse: claiming "accessible" without verification sends someone to face a flight of stairs. In the radar an unverified attribute therefore never counts as a match — set the "wheelchair" filter and the 96 uncertain ones disappear from the list instead of sneaking into it.
The confirmed data does not come from us but from the City of Zurich's open accessibility dataset (Ginto / Pro Infirmis). Outside the City of Zurich that dataset does not exist — which is exactly where the gap comes from.
👶 With a toddler: 112 destinations from the first year
112 of the 166 reviewed destinations make sense from ages 0 to 3 — that is, with a pram, a midday nap and a time window that closes at 3 p.m.
The age band is a filter in its own right, not a label. "Family-friendly" means something different for a baby than for a ten-year-old — and it is precisely that conflation which makes most excursion lists useless for parents. Set the pram as a constraint and you only get what is confirmed pram-compatible.
🐕 Day trips with dogs: 46 destinations say yes explicitly
46 reviewed destinations explicitly allow dogs. This too is a yes/no/unknown axis: what is not confirmed is not claimed.
For getting there, 131 of the 166 destinations are confirmed reachable by public transport — the combination "dog plus public transport plus rain" is exactly the kind of question a list is useless for and a filter is everything for.
⏰ Quietest times: 82 destinations with a crowding note
82 of the 166 reviewed entries carry a concrete note on when it is quieter there — "noticeably calmer on weekdays from opening than on a Sunday afternoon" and similar sentences, which decide more about an outing than the admission price.
Nobody else has an interest in publishing this. A business does not advertise that it is overcrowded on Sunday afternoons.
🔍 How we rate — and where the limits are
The ConvivaPlus Eignungs-Radar matches your profile against tagged location attributes: age range, indoor/outdoor, weather suitability, accessibility, duration, price band, season, interests and public transport access. The full formula is on the methodology page.
Three limits we do not hide: first, only 166 of 4'212 destinations have been editorially reviewed — the rest is a directory, not a judgement. Second, the accessibility data comes from a solid source only for the City of Zurich. Third, a verdict is a dated editorial opinion, not a measurement: every entry carries its as-of date, and through the feedback form any business and any visitor can challenge a verdict.
More tools built the same way are in our tool directory.
Sources, licences and what comes from them
- Wikidata — base data and coordinates (CC0) — 1'294 destinations carry a Wikidata ID
- OpenStreetMap — coordinates and place attributes, © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL)
- Open Data City of Zurich — wheelchair accessibility data, supplied by Ginto / Pro Infirmis (CC0)
- opendata.swiss — open government data portal of the Confederation, cantons and municipalities
- Federal Statistical Office (FSO) — official municipality register for canton and municipality assignment
- Wikimedia Commons — place photos, licence and author shown per image
Discussion
7 voices from the community
In Ticino ci sono ancora pochissime mete verificate. Però apprezzo che lo scriviate invece di riempire la lista con qualcosa di generico.
Der Punkt mit «regentauglich heisst nicht Dach» ist so richtig. Ein Hallenbad bei Regen ist halt trotzdem nur ein Hallenbad.
Graubünden fehlt fast komplett. Verstehe ich bei dem Aufwand, aber sagt es doch oben gleich – ich hab zuerst gedacht, bei uns gäbe es einfach nichts.
Berechtigt, danke – und es steht jetzt drin: von den erfassten Zielen sind bisher erst die redaktionell geprüften mit einem Verdikt versehen, der Rest ist Verzeichnis. Welche Region als Nächstes drankommt, entscheiden wir auch nach solchen Rückmeldungen.
De Hiiwiis, wänn's am ruhigschte isch, bringt mir persönlich meh als jede Ytrittspriis. Simer letschti am Zischtig am Morge gange statt am Sunntig – komplett anderi Wält.
Le filtre « fauteuil roulant » qui fait vraiment disparaître les lieux non vérifiés au lieu de les inclure « au cas où » — merci. C'est la première fois que je ne dois pas re-vérifier chaque adresse moi-même.
Endlich mal eine Ausflugsseite, die auch schreibt, was NICHT gut ist. Bei den meisten liest man nur «ideal für die ganze Familie» und steht dann vor einer Treppe mit dem Kinderwagen.

ConvivaPlus Editor · Family & Day Trips
Writes about day trips, family and local life – honestly assessing what's worth it.
- Day trips
- Family
- Local
- Cities & regions
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