The go-to hike in Zurich is Uetliberg, a mountain in the Swiss Alps that rises 870m, and is located just 5 miles from Zurich city center. From the top, you can expect a great view of Zurich, the lake, and the surrounding area. What makes this hike even more special is the Planetenweg, or “Planet Trail,” which extends from Uetliberg to Felsenegg. Each meter of the hike represents 1 million kilometers as you travel from the sun past each planet to Pluto. The total hike is about 3.75 miles.
Getting There + Back
There are a few ways to get to Uetliberg, but this is the route we’ve planned. We’re hoping for an easy 2-hour hike along the Planetenweg, with a cable car trip to finish off.
To Uetliberg: Take the S10 train from Zurich HB towards Uetliberg. This train should take about 27 minutes.
Back to Zurich HB: You’ll follow the hike to Felsenegg, where you will take the cable car to Adliswil. The cable car arrives every 15 minutes, and is a 5 minute ride. It goes pretty much all day, but it’s always a good idea to check the timetable. After departing the cable car, take a 5-10 minute walk to the Adliswil Bahnhof (train station), where you will catch the 23-minute S4 train back to Zurich HB.
What to See
When you arrive at Uetliberg, follow signs from the station for Planetenweg. This is the start of the planet walk, which starts with the sun. Follow the trail upwards, and after about 10 minutes, there will be a detour to Uetliberg Uto-Kulm. Take this short detour to go to a great viewpoint. When finished, take your same path back to the main trail to make sure you don’t miss any of the planets on the walk.
Follow the trail for an expected 2-hour hike towards Felsenegg. At the endpoint there are more restaurant options and additional views of Lake Zurich and the alps.
Prices
Since this is a free-to-access hike, the only cost for this day trip is transportation! Here is the transportation breakdown per the route above:
- S10 Train to train Uetliberg: CHF 8.80 / person
- Cable car to Adliswil: CHF 4.40 / person
- S4 Train back to Zurich HB: CHF 6.80 / person
- TOTAL: CHF 20 / person
That’s a bit pricy for a destination located only 5 miles from the city center… luckily, there are some alternative ticket options that can save you some money:
- Albis Day Pass: This pass is perfect for a hike to Uetliberg! It’s a 24-hour pass that allows you to take all of the trains/cablecars on the route I mentioned, and costs CHF 17.60. If you plan on any late night travel (past 1am), make sure to purchase a Night Supplement for an additional CHF 5.00.
- Zürich Card: This pass allows for travel throughout the larger Zurich area, including all the connections for your Uetliberg hike! In addition, it includes admission to many local museums, and discounts at some restaurants. The card is available for adults for CHF 27 / 24 hours or CHF 53 / 72 hours.
- Swiss Half Fare Card: If you purchase this discount card, you can purchase almost all tickets for nearly half off. This is so common in Switzerland, that the SBB website assumes that you have it! Using this card will cut the train rides in half, and give a good discount to the cablecar as well, bringing your total to CHF 10.90, saving you CHF 9.10. The discount card itself costs CHF 120.00, and lasts for a whole month. It may only be worth it for you if you’re planning on traveling throughout Switzerland.
Resources
- Swiss Family Fun for some good insight on doing this hike with kids
- SBB Website for planning your train times
**Featured image by Thimo Pedersen
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