Rhine Falls – Must do Day Trip from Zurich – Beyond The Miles Travel Blog

When researching my visit to Switzerland, I learned that just an hour train ride away from Zurich was Europe’s largest waterfall, Rhine Falls. I just knew that I had to take a day trip to see this beautiful waterfall and it was as great of a day trip as I had thought that it would be.

As the largest waterfall in Europe, Rhine Falls measures 490 feet wide and 75 feet tall. While this seems like a rather small waterfall compared to the likes of other famous large waterfalls around the world, like Niagara Falls and Iguazu Falls, it’s still very impressive and definitely worthy of a visit. The falls formed over 14,000 years ago during the ice age on the upper Rhine River. While the falls are most powerful in the summer months, the water flow of the falls is still strong enough the remainder of the year, making it a year-round attraction to visit.

Getting to the Falls

At just under 30 miles from the city of Zurich, there are many ways that you can take to get to Rhine Falls.

By Train – Switzerland is known for its reliable train service and taking the train from Zurich to Rhine Falls is incredibly easy. The train ride takes about an hour from the main train station in Zurich. There are actually two different trains you can take; they each stop on opposite banks of the falls. Taking the train to Schloss Laufen am Rheinfall will leave you off on the southern bank of Rhine Falls with just a short 5-minute walk to the falls. Taking the train to Neuhausen Rheinfall will leave you off on the northern bank of Rhine falls with a 10-minute walk downhill to the falls.

By Car – If you are renting a car while visiting Switzerland, Rhine Falls are a short drive just outside the city of Zurich. With your own car, you can take your time and stop to explore other nearby towns along the way.
By Tour – If you don’t feel comfortable navigating the train and don’t have a car, there are many different tours that you can take to Rhine Falls from Zurich. Some even combine other attractions and towns nearby.

Northern Bank of Rhine Falls

The northern bank of Rhine Falls will be where the majority of the tourist amenities like boat tours, shops and restaurants are located. This will be where the majority of visitors end up when visiting Rhine Falls. As an added bonus to the fact that there is so much to do on the northern bank of Rhines Falls, it’s also free to enter this side of the falls.

Below are the top things to do while visiting the northern bank of Rhine Falls:

Take Photos of Rhine Falls – If you take the train to Rhine Falls and get off at Neuhausen Rheinfall, you will get your first beautiful view of the falls just before the train comes into the station. After you get off the train, you will walk downhill towards the falls. This gives you many views of the top of the falls on your way down. When you get down to the bottom, there are many spots to stop and get a great photo of the falls. One of the great things about the northern bank is that you get a full view of just how big the falls are and why they are the largest waterfall in Europe.

Take a Rhine Falls Boat Tour – There are multiple different boat tours all color coded based on the type of tour that you can take to get up close to the falls. The following boat tours are available:
- Blue Boat – This 15-minute boat tour will take you right up to the falls, so close that you will feel the power of the water rushing down and may just get a bit wet.
- Pink Boat – This 30-minute audio boat tour will take you up close to the falls like the blue boat, but will also take you down the Rhine a bit while you listen to the audio portion of the tour which will help you learn more about the falls and hear stories about the falls as well.

Yellow Boat – This 30-minute boat tour that goes out to the rock in the middle of Rhine Falls is a must do. The 5-minute boat ride will take you to the middle of the falls to where the large rock stands right in the falls. You then have 20 minutes to climb the stairs up over 90 feet to the top of the rock. Once on top, you are in the middle of the falls which gives you a very stunning and unique view of Rhine Falls. I definitely recommend this boat tour.

Grab a Bite to Eat – If you’re spending a good portion of your day at Rhine Falls, chances are you will get hungry. There are multiple different restaurants available to choose from, including everything from quick snack stands to sit down restaurants and bars. And many of the restaurants have great views of the falls. There’s no better way to enjoy a meal than to have it overlooking a beautiful view!
Buy Swiss Souvenirs – Whether you’re looking to buy a gift for a family member or friend at home or to buy something for yourself as a memory of your trip, there are a few gift shops you can check out for Swiss souvenirs.

Travel Between Northern and Southern Banks of Rhine Falls

While there is much to do on the northern bank of Rhine Falls, the southern bank is also worthy of a visit. If time allows, you should make sure to visit both banks of the falls for a different perspective. There are a couple of ways to get between the northern and southern banks of the Rhine Falls.

Take a Boat Across – The quickest way to get from the northern to southern banks of Rhine Falls is by boat. The red boat will take you between the two banks in just 5 minutes.
Take a Scenic Walk – If you have the time and enjoy walking, I highly recommend walking between the northern and southern banks of Rhine Falls. The walk is very scenic and a great way to get a view of the falls from another perspective. If you walk back towards the path that leads down from Neuhausen Rheinfall train station, follow the signs to the right before you go up the hill. From here you will follow a beautiful path that will lead you to a railway bridge to cross the river above the falls. This will give you a stunning view of the top of the falls. As a note, there is quite a bit of uphill climb on this walk.

Southern Bank of Rhine Falls

While you won’t find all the gift shops and boat tours like the northern bank, the one thing the southern bank has going for it, is its proximity to the falls. On the southern bank, you can get extremely close to the falls without having to take the boat tour. Another difference is that unlike the northern bank of Rhine Falls which is free to enter, the southern bank of the Rhine Falls has an admission fee of CHF 5.

If the northern bank of Rhine Falls is free, why is it worth it to visit the southern bank, well there is still plenty to do here, including:

Viewing platforms – Once you pay the admission fee, start heading down the trail and stop at the numerous viewing platforms for an up-close view of Rhine Falls. There are viewing platforms at the higher level at the start of the trail and also ones as you descend down and at the bottom of the trail. There is even a viewing platform inside a cave that will get you so close to the falls that you will feel the power of the falls. These views are a much different perspective than the views from the northern bank of Rhine Falls.

Panoramic Elevator – Once you reach the bottom of the trail, there is an elevator that you can take back up to the top. Not only is this elevator a great idea if you don’t want to walk back uphill, but it is also a glass elevator giving you a stunning view of the falls as you ascend to the top.
Laufen Castle – At the top of the southern bank, sits Laufen Castle. This castle is over 1100 years old and features conference facilities and a restaurant which includes an outdoor terrace.

The Perfect Day Trip from Zurich

As the largest waterfall in all of Europe and with its close proximity to the city, a visit to Rhine Falls is a must when in Zurich. It makes for a great escape from the city to get out into nature. The fact that it is so close and doesn’t require a long day can make it a relaxing and less stressful day trip and allow you to still get back to Zurich at a reasonable hour.

Are you ready to visit Europe’s largest waterfall? Beyond the Miles Travel can help you plan this day trips as part of a perfect Switzerland vacation.