Best Things To Do On A Day Trip To Liechtenstein From Zurich
Read on to discover what to do on a day trip to Liechtenstein from Zurich!
Visiting Liechtenstein on a day trip from Zurich is a fantastic way to discover what is probably the most hidden gem European country that is full of breath-taking landscapes and quaint villages.
Having visited this unique landlocked country on a day trip a few years ago, I was extremely impressed with its beauty and pleasant people. Liechtenstein is one of my favourite travel memories and I honestly can’t recommend it enough.
So that’s why I’ve written this blog post, detailing all your options regarding how to reach Liechtenstein from Zurich, and top things to do when discovering this overlooked but stunningly gorgeous country.
Best Things To Do On A Day Trip To Liechtenstein
So without further ado, let’s take a look at what are some of the best things to do on a day trip to Liechtenstein from Zurich:
Hiking
If you’re a lover of hiking then you will absolutely fall in love with Liechtenstein! The tiny country has an incredible number of hiking trails. There are over 250 miles of very well preserved trails that are well sign posted.
I actually walked across the length of Liechtenstein in just one day and was blown away with the landscapes and mountain views. Obviously one day is not really enough time to reach the country and go on a long hike.
Hiking trails in Liechtenstein
If you’re an experienced hiker and want to spend some quality time hiking some of the longer trails, then I recommend visiting Liechtenstein for a couple of days at least.
If you’re not much of a hiker then it is certainly possible to go for a short hike for a few hours on one of the easier trails and experience some of the majestic views.
Here is a mix of some of the best hiking trails that you may want to consider when visiting Liechtenstein. These range from long distance trails suitable for experts to shorts hikes, ideal for beginners or if you’re short on time on a day trip:
- Liechtenstein Panorama Trail – this trail is over 26 miles and covers the Rätikon Alps. There are hotels along the trail if you want to complete the entire trail over a couple of days.
- Liechtenstein Trail – this is a route that connects all of the country’s municipalities over a distance of more than 45 miles, covering the entirety of the whole country.
- Sass-Weg – a popular trail that goes through the village of Malbun. This is a short trail that is just a few miles in total distance. It is a perfect option when on a day trip to Liechtenstein, especially if you’re an inexperienced hiker.
- Path of Philosophers – passing through the mountainous municipality of Triesenberg above the Rhine Valley, this hike is around 10 miles in total and can be completed in around 4 hours.
- Fürstin-Gina-Weg – another trail with amazing landscape views, this trail leads to the Augstenberg mountain close to the Austrian border. The trail is 10 miles as well and can be completed in 5 hours.
Visit Vaduz
If you’re not too bothered about going on a long hike on your day trip to Liechtenstein, then you should definitely visit the country’s capital city; Vaduz.
Vaduz is perhaps unsurprisingly a really tiny capital city, with a total population of just over 5,000 people. I honestly didn’t know what to expect in the capital. But I loved its quaintness and was surprised at just how much there is to do there.
Vaduz has a main square and high street that has plenty of clothes stores and very good restaurants. There are several beautiful buildings with impressive architecture, such as St. Florin Cathedral and the Red House.
See Vaduz Castle
Probably the most iconic and famous building in the whole of Vaduz and the rest of Liechtenstein for that matter is Vaduz Castle.
The castle is based high up overlooking Vaduz. It’s easily reachable and takes just a short 15 minute walk from the centre of the city. The castle is the official home of the Prince of Liechtenstein and is over 900 years old.
Unfortunately, the castle isn’t open for tourists however. This means you can’t enter the building, but it’s definitely worth seeing up close and the views of Vaduz from here are very lovely indeed.
Go to a few museums
What I found most surprising about Vaduz is just how many varied museums it has, with a total of six altogether.
Visiting a museum in the capital is ideal if you want to learn more about the country’s history and cultural heritage. Here are three of the best museums in Vaduz that are worth seeing:
- Liechtenstein National Museum – this museum covers the entire history of this fascinating country and is a great way to learn more about its past.
- Kunstmuseum Liechtenstein – a very impressive modern and contemporary art museum, featuring international artwork and is a must for any art lovers visiting Liechtenstein.
- Postal Museum – this may sound like an unusual museum, but in Vaduz there is a museum dedicated to the country’s postal history, including exhibits and a very large collection of stamps.
Enjoy some local cuisine
Sampling a country’s cuisine is always a must when visiting for the first time, and the same is true for Liechtenstein.
There are a lot of top quality restaurants in this tiny country. Most of these can be found in the capital of Vaduz.
So what exactly does Liechtenstein cuisine consist of?
Well it’s quite similar to the cuisine of its neighbouring countries of Switzerland and Austria. There are plenty of popular meat dishes that consist of veal and sausage, and cheese is traditionally popular too.
Liechtenstein’s national dish is called: ‘Käsknöpfle‘, which is a type of cheesy pasta.
I stopped for lunch in Vaduz at a nice restaurant and really enjoyed the local cuisine I tried. However as a vegetarian I found my options were a bit limited, which was a shame.
Travel Options For Visiting Liechtenstein From Zurich
So what exactly are your travel choices when visiting Liechtenstein on a day trip from Zurich? Let’s take a look at your best options:
Train 🚆
I would definitely recommend taking a train from Zurich if you’re planning on going on a day trip to Liechtenstein.
With the fastest train taking just under an hour, it’s a quick and easy way to get to Liechtenstein. The views during the the train ride are fantastic! The train travels alongside Lake Zurich, making for a pleasantly scenic journey.
I love a good train journey and this train ride in particular remains one of my favourites. Travelling via train either through Switzerland, Liechtenstein or Austria provides totally breath-taking scenery that is rarely matched anywhere else.
Trains from Zurich arrive at Schaan-Vaduz train station, which is just over 2 miles away from the capital of Vaduz. To reach Vaduz from the train station you can catch a local bus which are quite frequent.
The only negative to taking the train from Zurich to Liechtenstein is the cost: the cheapest ticket is £49 and the price can rise to up to £87, which is a bit exorbitant for just a 1 hour train ride to be honest.
👉 Pro tip: to ensure you pay the cheapest price for a train ticket from Zurich to Liechtenstein, make sure you book online and in advance. The later you leave buying your ticket, the more costly it will be.
Bus 🚌
If train tickets to Liechtenstein sound a little too pricey for your liking, then the cheapest option is to take a bus from Zurich.
You can catch a Flix Bus from Zurich to Schaan via Feldkirch, and tickets are cheap, between just £10-15. Although this sounds like a good option, it does take longer than the train, around 2 and a half hours.
This is worth keeping in mind if you plan on visiting Liechtenstein on a day trip. You’ll lose precious time visiting the country if you plan on catching a bus.
👉 Pro Tip: if you do decide to catch a bus to Liechtenstein, then I recommend downloading the Flix Bus app and booking your ticket directly on the app.
I’ve used this app and travelled with Flix Bus several times in the past. They offer a really good and cheap service all over Europe.
Rent a car 🚘
If you’d rather not use public transportation then renting a car is always a good option.
The drive from Zurich to Schaan in Liechtenstein is just over 70 miles. This should take you a little over an hour to reach. So it’s a little bit quicker than catching a train, but it’s not the cheapest obviously.
Taxi 🚕
You can always take a taxi directly from Zurich to Liechtenstein if you don’t want the hassle of public transportation or renting a car.
But this is going to be super expensive! The cheapest quotes coming in at over 300 Euros, so it’s really not worth it unless you have money to burn.
Plane ✈️
Unfortunately it’s not possible to fly directly to Liechtenstein as the country doesn’t have an airport! It is one of only six countries in the entire world to not have an airport, so there’s no option at all to fly there.
This is one of the reasons why the country isn’t visited so much by tourists, as it’s only accessible from Austria or Switzerland.
However, there is a heliport in Balzers, but it’s unlikely you’ll be flying in to Liechtenstein via helicopter! The nearest airports are St. Gallen–Altenrhein Airport in Switzerland and Friedrichshafen Airport in Germany.
Day Trip To Liechtenstein From Zurich FAQs
Still not sure about visiting Liechtenstein on a day trip from Zurich? Allow me to answer some of the most commonly asked questions about this unique journey:
Is a day trip to Liechtenstein worth it?
Yes, a day trip to Liechtenstein is most definitely worth it! I honestly wasn’t all that excited about visiting Liechtenstein on a day trip. But I was totally blown away with the beautiful mountain landscapes and the magical villages.
It’s a shame that it’s such an overlooked European destination by many tourists. It is a lovely place, and a day trip is in my opinion the ideal length of time to visit and see what this tiny landlocked country has to offer.
Is Liechtenstein expensive to visit?
Yes, Liechtenstein is one of the most expensive European countries to visit, alongside its neighbours Switzerland and Austria. So you can expect high prices in terms of travelling there, as well as accommodation and restaurant prices.
But a visit to Liechtenstein doesn’t have to be too expensive if you plan wisely. If you spend a day trip hiking for most of the day (like I did) and buy a few snacks, then you really don’t have to spend too much money at all.
How much time do you need to spend in Vaduz?
Vaduz is a delightful city, but because it is so small you really don’t need to spend that much time there at all. I recommend setting aside a minimum of 2 hours to visit Vaduz.
It all depends on what activities you may want to do. I suggest seeing some of the architectural highlights such as Vaduz Castle and maybe spending time in one of the many museums there too.
It’s also the perfect spot to grab a bite to eat for lunch, with plenty of decent restaurants serving local Liechtenstein specialities.
Conclusion: Day Trip To Liechtenstein From Zurich
So that concludes everything you need to know about visiting Liechtenstein on a day trip from Zurich. If you have some spare time in Zurich and fancy a bit of an adventure, then I strongly recommend visiting this special place.
Liechtenstein is such a unique country in central Europe that is totally unspoilt by tourists. It remains one of my favourite trips – the views of the natural landscapes are so stunningly beautiful and it is a perfect destination for hikers.
I hope you’ve enjoyed reading through why you should visit Liechtenstein on a day trip from Zurich and now feel inspired to experience this wonderfully peaceful and beautiful nation.
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➡️ Planning your trip? Here are my favourite resources:
🏨 Accommodation: I recommend using Booking.com
🚙 Rental Car: Use Discover Cars for the best car rental prices
❤️ Travel Insurance: I recommend using Visitors Coverage
✈️ Flights: Use Kiwi.com for the best prices on flights
