Biking in Zurich is a great way to appreciate the city and its hidden sights. Here’s our guide and tips on how to go about it!

Tracey looking at park goers - Zurich bike tour

Cycling is one of my favourite ways of exploring a city. It’s quicker than walking, and as someone who loves going off-the-beaten path, it’s easier to access the nooks and crannies of a place that isn’t accessible by public transport or car.

In Zurich, we got to explore the city via e-bike tour. We spent the morning riding through neighbourhoods, exploring parks and museums, taking in the gorgeous architecture, and getting a feel of the city’s daily life and culture.

If you’re looking to do something similar, here’s our guide to biking in Zurich!

Read also: 5D4N Zurich Itinerary for First-Timers — Exploring Iconic Attractions and Hidden Gems with the Zürich Card

What are E-bikes?

Motor on the e-bike - Zurich e-bike

We used an e-bike for this tour — I initially thought that they would be similar to a personal mobility device and no pedaling would be involved.

However, an e-bike is actually a bicycle with a motor mounted on it. This helps reduce the effort needed to pedal, which is especially useful when you’re going uphill. So you still gotta work your legs, but it’ll be way easier!

Whether or not you should get a normal bike or e-bike comes down to personal preference. The latter was heavier than what I was used to, but I loved the speed and power boost it gave me, especially when we had to go uphill. The higher you put the setting on the motor, the more effortless it is to cycle.

E-biking in Zurich: Tour vs. DIY

E-biking tour VS DIY - Zurich bike tour

Photo credit (left): Zurich Tourism via Facebook

For this trip, we went on a private e-bike tour with Zurich Tourism and customised our tour route with their help. They also have public tours with a set route.

The good thing about going on a tour is that they’ll provide the bikes, so there’s no need to rent one externally.

Regardless if you go with a private tour or not, the service and care provided by the tour guide is no different.

Our guide, Lucy, was enthusiastic in sharing more about Zurich and each attraction. She waited for us whenever we fell behind, expertly bringing us through the traffic, and constantly checked on us when we were on the go. We felt super safe when cycling with her!

Here’s how to help you decide between a tour, or a DIY e-biking trip:

ProsCons
Tour (with Zurich Tourism)– Minimal planning required
– In-depth explanation from the tour guide
– Has private and public tours
– Unable to choose attractions*
– Shorter time in each attraction (5-10mins)*
DIY– No time limit in each attraction
– Flexible planning to cater to your needs and interests
– Possible difficulty in navigating the roads
– Have to plan your own route

*Private tours are customisable and may let you stay at each attraction for longer.

E-Bike Tour City
Cost: From CHF39/pax (50% off with Zürich Card)
Tour timings: Varies
Meeting point: Velostation Europaplatz, Europaallee 7, 8004 Zürich (Google Maps)

Sample 2.5-Hour Zurich Bike Itinerary

Bike route - Zurich bike tour

1) Meeting point: Europaalle, Gustav-Gull Platz

The tour at the meeting point -  Europaalle meeting point

The starting and ending point of our customised tour was at Europaalle, Gustav-Gull Platz, where we met up in front of Starbucks. This street is in front of the Zurich HB station, and has many shops.

Lucy, our guide, came on time and brought us down to Velostation Europaplatz — a huge underground parking compound just for bicycles — to collect our e-bikes. Once we got them, she explained to us how it worked and let us test-ride for a while.

For those looking to do a DIY biking trip, the Züri rollt Rental Station is at the basement as well! Bicycles can be picked up spontaneously at the station, while e-bikes have to be booked in advance.

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Cost: Free with deposit of CHF20 for bicycles, CHF30/day for e-bikes
Opening hours:8AM – 9:30PM, closes on 5:30PM on PH
Address: Velostation Europaplatz, Kasernenstrasse 100 (Underground) 8004 Zürich (Google Maps)

2) Zürich West: Viadukt, Josefwiese

Viadukt Arches - Zurich west district

Once an industrial area, Zürich West was revamped and is now a popular district with plenty of spaces for shopping and activities.

We got to see the Viadukt, old railway arches that have been repurposed to house local stores and boutiques. There are more than 50 shops here, and one indoor market hall at the end that sells food and local produce.

Josefwiese - Zurich West

Photo credit: Zürich Tourism

Cycling behind the Viadukt, we passed by Josefwiese, a park where locals gather during the weekend to relax.

When we went on Saturday, it was absolutely packed with families having a picnic, and children running around and playing all sorts of sports. The atmosphere was super lively!

Opening hours: Varies per store
Address: 8005 Zürich
How to get there: 6min bike ride from Europaalle (Google Maps)

3) Lettenviadukt

Letten Viadukt - Things to do in Zurich

We crossed a railway-turned-pedestrian bridge known as Lettenviadukt, that overlooked a section of the Limmat River.

The river running beneath us had a beautiful green tinge to it, and flowed steadily. Lucy shared that locals would swim in a section of the river (Flussbad Unterer Letten) during the warmer months!

People chilling by the Obere Letten - what locals do in zurich

People chilling by Flussbad Obere Letten, another section of the Limmat River where locals can swim in.

Entrance fee: Free
Opening hours: 24hrs
Address: 8037 Zürich, Switzerland
How to get there: 3min bike ride from Viadukt (Google Maps)

4) Musee Visionnaire

Entrance to musee visionnaire - things to do in Zurich

Our guide then took us through Old Town where we got the chance to look inside Musee Visionnaire, which showcases contemporary art.

We saw some really cool pieces from a temporary exhibition called Landsichtassache (literally meaning LandViewObject). One of them was a Minecraft server called buildtheearth.net which aims to recreate our entire planet in the game server, at a 1:1 scale!

A screenshot of the Minecraft remake of the Christ the Redeemer in Brazil (left), and a photo of a colourful chewing gum art (right) - Musee Visionnaire

Photo credit (left): @Build The Earth via Facebook

Another piece that caught our eye was a tiny chewing gum art done by London artist Ben Wilson (AKA Chewing Gum Man) which I found super cool, because who would have thought to reuse chewing gum like that?

*Pro-tip: Show your Zürich Card and enter the museum for free!

Cost: CHF10/pax (free with Zürich Card)
Opening hours: Varies
Address: Predigerplatz 10, 8001 Zürich
How to get there: 9min bike ride from Lettenviadukt (Google Maps)

5) Rechberg Park (Baroque Garden)

Entrance view of Rechberg Garden - Rechberg Garden

Amongst the many gardens we went to, Rechberg Park (Baroque Garden) impressed me the most with the architecture. There were two floors to the garden — if you could see it that way — and it had a very symmetrical layout as characteristic of baroque gardens.

Cone-shaped trees spaced evenly apart stood like soldiers at the upper floors, and the grass patches were overgrown with wild flowers.

The flower beds on the ground floor (the parterre) were empty when we went, but we still enjoyed exploring and looking at them from the high vantage point.

Entrance fee: Free
Opening hours: 6AM – 9PM
Address: Künstlergasse. 8001 Zürich
How to get there: 6min bike ride from Musee Visionnaire (Google Maps)

6) Chinawiese (Chinese Garden)

A view of the pavillion, pond, and temple at the Chinese Garden - Chinese Garden

I’ll admit I didn’t think much of the Chinese Garden at first, but one step into the compound really made me feel as if I was back in China.

The vibes were super zen and calming! There was a pond in the middle, and surrounding it were a pavillion, a pagoda, and a building that looked like a temple, with a sheltered walkway to the side that reminded me of the Long Corridor at the Summer Palace in Beijing.

It’s impressive how its feel and look was so accurate to Chinese culture!

Entrance fee: Free
Opening hours: Varies
Address: Bellerivestrasse 138, 8008  Zürich
How to get there: 12min bike ride from Rechberg Park (Google Maps)

7) Schanzengraben

Zurich Urban Kayak - Schanzengraben Canal

Photo credit: Zürich Tourism

The final place we passed by was Schanzengraben, a short canal branching from Lake Zurich. We got to see locals kayak on the green waters.

Tucked away from the bustle of the city, the “Venice of Zurich” is a great place for those who are looking for some peace and quiet. Behind it is the Old Botanical Garden of Zurich, which houses a collection of ancient trees and over 50 medicinal plants.

Entrance fee: Free
Opening hours: Varies
Address: Bellerivestrasse 138, 8008  Zürich
How to get there: 11min bike ride from Chinawiese (Google Maps)

Tips on Exploring Zurich by Bike

Taukee with her e-bike - Things To Do In Zurich

I really loved e-biking in Zurich and soaking in the rhythm of local life. The company and knowledge that Lucy shared with us was wonderful as well!

Here are some tips to help with your next e-biking trip in Zurich, especially if you plan on DIY-ing 😄

Rental Bikes in Zurich

Zuri rolt bikes - Zurich e-bikes

For those who want to go biking in Zurich by themselves, here are two rental bike companies we recommend:

“Züri rollt” – Free Bicycle Rental in ZurichPubliBike “Züri Velo”
How it worksCollect and return the bike at the Bike StationSimilar to ride share bikes in SG: unlock and return the bike at any docking station
CostFree (with deposit of CHF20) for bicycles

CHF30/day for e-bikes (~S$47)
CHF3/30mins for bicycles (~S$5)

CHF5/30mins for e-bikes (~S$47)
App / WebsiteWebsite (for e-bike booking: click here)App
Opening hours8AM – 9:30PM, closes on 5:30PM on PHAvailable 24hrs
LocationBike Station at Zurich Main Station, EuropaplatzAt various docking stations

Road Conditions in Zurich

A cyclist and a bicycle traffic light - Road conditions

Roads in Zurich are well-developed and almost everyone obeys traffic rules. We did our tour on a Sunday, which meant that most roads in Zurich were quiet (Sundays are sacred for the Swiss).

Traffic was heavier in busy areas like near the Old Town, but it wasn’t too overwhelming.

The roads were smooth to ride on, though the gravel roads were a bit harder to cycle on. We had no problem crossing traffic junctions as Lucy was always ahead of us and signaled when to proceed.

If you’re cycling on your own, look out for the bicycle traffic lights. Also, something to note is that road users in Zurich (and throughout Switzerland) coming from the right have the right of way.

Safety Precautions 

Tracey and Lucy waiting at a traffic light crossing - safety precautions

Safety is always priority, so here are some tips on making your e-biking trip a safe and fun one! Click Read More for the full list.

Read More

What places would you visit while biking in Zurich? Let us know in the comments below!


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Lim Liang Ying
Escapist, aspiring actress, and collector of junk, Liang Ying has way too many hats she wants to wear. If she could be a kind of bread, she'd be a European loaf (good crust, fluffy insides)

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