Zurich Boats, Funiculars and City Tours

October 29, 2026

Zurich’s guided and ticketed sightseeing is built around water and a few short rides: electric boats on the river, steamers and motor ships on the lake, a funicular up to a university terrace, and a rack railway into the wooded hills. Prices are in Swiss francs (CHF).

The Limmat boat

The Zürichsee-Schifffahrtsgesellschaft (ZSG) runs low electric glass-roof boats from the landing behind the main station, past the Rathaus, Grossmünster and Fraumünster, then out onto the lake as far as Zürichhorn. Each way takes about 25 minutes. The round trip costs about CHF 4.60 for adults and CHF 3.20 reduced, on a separate ZSG ticket rather than an ordinary city transport ticket. It runs from April to October, and it can be suspended when the water is low, so check zsg.ch before you walk to the pier. A Zürich Card covers it.

Lake cruises from Bürkliplatz

The short lake cruise lasts about 90 minutes and costs about CHF 9.20 for an adult in second class. The long cruise to Rapperswil takes about 4.5 hours and costs about CHF 27 in second class. These are 2025 brochure fares, so confirm them. The Zürich Card includes the short cruises but not the long one to Rapperswil. In winter the timetable is reduced, and the short sailing may run only between Bürkliplatz and Kilchberg.

Polybahn funicular

Since 1889 the Polybahn has climbed from Central to the ETH terrace in about 100 seconds. The terrace gives a wide view over the Old Town, the river and the lake. It is covered by city tickets and the Zürich Card, runs roughly from early morning to evening on weekdays and shorter hours on Saturdays, and Sunday service should be checked at polybahn.ch.

Dolderbahn

A small rack railway runs from Römerhof up through hillside woodland to The Dolder Grand and the Adlisberg forest paths. Check the current fare and timetable before you go.

Guided city walks

Zurich Tourism offers a two-hour guided Old Town walk from the information desk in the main station. It has been listed at about CHF 25 for adults and CHF 12.50 for children, but the schedule changes, so confirm both on zuerich.com . For self-guided routes, see the walking tours page .

Uetliberg train works

The S10 to Uetliberg does not run between Zürich HB and Selnau until 13 December 2026 because of temporary works. Walk the signposted 12 minutes to Selnau or take tram 3 or 14 to Stauffacher. When it runs again, the trip takes about 25 minutes.

Booking and tickets

Most of these rides are bought on the day at a machine or on a transport app. For a packaged city tour with a guide, you can look through a search for Zurich city tours and compare what is included.