Where To Stay in Zurich: Best Areas and Hotels

by Emily | posted in: Switzerland | 0

Last updated on May 16th, 2026

Looking for a specific place to stay in Zurich? Here are our highest recommendations places and best pick hotels if you are looking for where to stay in Zurich.

If you are planning a trip to Switzerland, makes sure to visit Zurich to truly experience this fantastic city. It is one of the must-visit cities in Switzerland, featuring many amazing things to do in the city. You have to spend at least one or two days in Zurich when exploring Switzerland.

However, searching for where to stay in Zurich can be a headache. Zurich is an expensive place to visit, in terms of transportation, food, and also accommodation. Although Zurich has a range of accommodation, from luxury to mid-range, and budget hostels, there is no real bargain when you’re looking for where to stay in Zurich.

Our Zurich accommodation guides include some best hotel recommendations for the different price ranges. If you haven’t decided where to stay in Zurich, check out the recommendations with our pick of the best hotels in Zurich.

Quick Tips: Where To Stay in Zurich

If you like the idea of staying in the city, here are our quick tips for where to stay in Zurich:

District1, Altstadt (Old Town)
Unterstrass
Zurich City West

More detail on why you should stay in these areas in Zurich.

What is the best place to stay in Zurich?

District 1, also known as Altstadt (Old Town) without a doubt, is our top choice for where to stay in Zurich. The Old Town is probably the best place to stay in Zurich in terms of convenience. Most of the major sites are within walking distance including Hauptbanhof can easily get around in the city. Here you will get a range of mid to high and luxury hotels in this area.

Where to stay in Zurich for family and kids?

We recommended staying in the Unterstrass, district 6. This area is slightly further away from the town but less crowded. It is still very mobile and convenient.

Where to stay in Zurich for budget travelers?

For budget travelers, staying in Zurich West can be a good option. The accommodations here are cheaper compared with the old town area. It is further from the city center but it is still very convenient as the Zurich’s public transport (trams and trains) system is very thorough and easy to use. A short ride can easily get you to the main attractions.

Friendly reminder, Zurich is the central hub of finance and business not only for Switzerland but also for the world. Accommodation can be run out when there is a special event or conference. We recommended booked your accommodation as soon as possible as your travel plan is set. This not only can secure your stay in Zurich but also can get a cheaper price as the hotel rate will get an increase when the rooms run out!

District1, Altstadt (Old Town)

As for many historical European cities, the Altstadt (Old Town) is always the preferred area to stay in. It’s centrally located and all the best things to do and see can be reachable by easy walking. The main train station is also located in the old town area, so you can easily walk to the hotel once you reach Zurich.

Among those areas, Altstadt (Old Town) is also the best place to stay if you are visiting Zurich for the first time. Here is our best pick when looking for where to stay in Zurich.

Best luxury hotel: Hotel Schweizerhof Zurich
Best high-priced hotel: Central Plaza Hotel
Editor Pick Zurich Hotel: Motel One Zürich
Best budget hotel: Hotel Limmathof

Hotel Schweizerhof Zurich

Probably the most luxurious and high-class hotel in Zurich, Hotel Schweizerhof Zurich has everything that you could imagine. The location is excellent and situated right opposite the main station at the beginning of the Bahnhofstrasse. One minute of the short walk can get you to the main train station.

While the hotel is decorated in a classic European style with two award-winning in-house restaurants and a classy whiskey bar. Rooms are sound-proofed and offer adjustable beds and contemporary amenities. Excellent and professional staff guarantee your best stay in Zurich. Check for the best rate here.

Central Plaza

High-range: Central Plaza Hotel is perfectly situated at Zurich’s Central Square right next to the main railway station. Centra Plaza Hotel is within 5 minutes walking distance from the main station and has easy access to most of the attractions in Zurich. The Bahnhofstraße, Zurich’s most popular shopping street, is only a few steps away from the hotel.

The property offers upscale soundproof rooms with comfortable beds for resting your head after a tiring trip in the city. The professional staff is charming and friendly. Definitely a pleasant stay in Zurich! Book your stay here.

Motel One Zurich

Where To Stay in Zurich - Motel One Zürich

Best Pick: Motel One Zürich is my top pick when looking for where to stay in Zurich. It is a more balanced option that combines style and comfort without the high price tag. Everything about the hotel was amazing. Incredible location, close to the train station and the attractions, with many great restaurants and pubs nearby.

Motel One Hotel features modern comfortable rooms and elegant design. Incredibly helpful and friendly staff make this somewhere you’ll be happy to relax. A great value for money when you are looking for where to stay in Zurich. Check for the best rate here.

Hotel Limmathof

If you are searching for where to stay in Zurich which is centrally located and at a reasonable price, Hotel Limmathof is what you are looking for. Hotel Limmathof is a mid-to-budget hotel located in the heart of the old town. The location is awesome, which is close to train stations, shops, and attractions.

The staffs are very helpful and welcoming with reception open 24 hours. The room was very clean and comfortable though maybe some refurbishment is needed. With the price offer in Zurich, Hotel Limmathof is definitely a great deal! Check for rooms availability here.

Unterstrass

For travelers with family and kids, we recommended staying in Unterstrass, Zurich. Located in District 6, the Unterstrass is a perfect place to stay when you want to easily go around Zurich without being in a crowded place. It is slightly further away from the town but it is still very mobile and convenient. Besides, a short tram ride can easily connect you to the city center.

For the best stay in Untersrass Zurich:

Best pick hotel: Hotel Krone Unterstrass
Best mid-to-budget hotel: ibis Styles Zurich City Center

Hotel Krone Unterstrass

The Hotel Krone Unterstrass serves all your family members by offering a comfortable stay in Zurich. It is located right next to the Kronestrasse train station, so very convenient to get to the city center.

The rooms are clean and spacious with great bathrooms. The friendly staff makes every effort by providing help and support for every guest. An excellent stay in Zurich for the price you paid. Check for rooms availability here.

ibis Styles Zurich City Center

The ibis Styles Zurich City Center is well located, with an only a 5-minute walk from the main train station. This newly renovated property can be considered as mid-budget accommodation when you are looking for where to stay in Zurich. But still, the elegant design of the hotel gives you a good and relaxing feel about the property.

A simple good breakfast for your stay on the property. Check for rooms availability here.

Zurich City West

Due to Zurich’s high prices and costly accommodation, staying in Old Town is more suitable for high-end travelers who want to stay near the attractions without budget concerns. In fact, public transport is pretty convenient and well-connected in the city, so staying in Zurich West is another great option if you are looking for accommodation with budget-friendly.

Here are a few recommendations if you are looking for where to stay in Zurich City West.

Popular pick hotel in Zurich West: H+ Hotel Zurich
Best budget hotel: Ibis Budget Zurich City West

H+ Hotel Zurich

For a great price and best quality, H+ Hotel Zurich is one of the popular picks when looking for where to stay in Zurich. The hotel is not in central Zurich but can be reached by taking the city tram which takes approximately 15 mins to the main attraction. A bus stop is also located right in front of the property.

The hotel is nicely decorated and clean. Spacious rooms and comfortable bed. Great value for money. Check for the best rate here.

ibis budget Zurich City West

The Ibis Budget Zurich City West is a good place to stay in Zurich if you are looking for a good clean place to rest on a reasonable budget after sign-seeing in the city. The property is located in the trendy Zurich city West with well deserved by public transportation at a good price. It is well connected and easily accessible with 10 minutes of public transport from the city center and Zurich Main Station. If you prefer to walk, it’s about 30 minutes walking distance to the center.

Staffs are very friendly and helpful. A simple free breakfast is provided too for guests staying at the hotel. Take note that this is a budget hotel, so you’ll get what you paid for. Check for rooms availability here.

Overall: Best Place To Stay in Zurich

All in all, Zurich is an expensive city to travel to and travelers aren’t going to have it too easy in Switzerland. So it is very important to know where to stay in Zurich to find the perfect Zurich accommodation for your wants and needs.

For an experience like no other, we highly recommended Motel One Zurich and Central Plaza as the best places to stay in Zurich. Both are located in the Altstadt (Old Town) so it is very convenient to visit all the attractions in the city.

Lastly, need more inspiration on how to plan your travel itinerary in Switzerland, check out other travel blog posts here: Switzerland itinerary: A Complete Travel Guide Blog

Popular cities with a detailed travel guide blog to visit in Switzerland:

Jungfrau Region:

Day Trip To Keukenhof: A Travel Guide Blog

by Emily | posted in: Netherlands | 0

Last updated on May 16th, 2026

This Keukenhof travel guide blog will step you through the things to know, the best things to do, and how to plan for a tulip day trip to Keukenhof from Amsterdam! My itinerary to this flower garden explains!

Keukenhof is such an iconic sight in Netherland in regards to the famous windmills. Known as Gardens of Europe, Keukenhof is one of the world’s largest flower gardens and probably the most beautiful spring flower garden in the world. Definitely, a must-visit place while you are in Amsterdam in Spring, and your Amsterdam itinerary can’t be complete without it

Every year during Spring, Keukenhof is very busy with people flocking from all over the world to see the beautiful tulips, the floral displays, and flower-themed attractions. Make sure you stop for a visit, whether you just want to catch a glimpse of the famous flower bulbs or want to spend hours wandering through its garden’s flowers. Trust us, the Keukenhof is one place you don’t want to sleep on.

A trip to Keukenhof is very simple and easy. But you might still wonder when is the best time, how to go there, and what to do in Keukenhof when you are in the garden. For your convenience, we have compiled this Keukenhof travel guide blog with the detail on the necessary travel information including the transportation, tours, and other services for your trip there. Let’s check it out!

Keukenhof, Lisse

Keukenhof is located in Lisse, a small town in the Dutch countryside. This flower garden has the most Dutch tulips which are famous the world over, with more than 7million flower bulbs planted in Keukenhof every year during Spring.

You’ll see the beautiful flowers of a different kinds (even though tulips are the most numerous) with different colors, beautifully combined like a painter would do. Every year there will be a theme for the flower show and it changed every year.

It is good to know that The Keukenhof Gardens are open only for about 8 to 9 weeks every year. 2026 marks the 77th opening of the gardens at Keukenhof. Besides, Keukenhof will be open from March 19 until May 10, 2026.

The blooming time will be around the end of April. If you are too early or too late for the garden’s flower show, the visit to the pavilion garden is still unforgettable.

Keukenhof Netherland

Official Website: https://keukenhof.nl/en/
Opening Time: Daily from 08:00 – 19:00 (from 20 March to 11 May for 2025)
Ticket: Adult ticket costs $20 per person (Online) and $9 for Children (4 – 17 years)
- Note: Combi ticket is available with public transport. Check for more detail.
- It is cheaper purchase online!
More Option: Skip-the-line Keukenhof Ticket and Transport from Amsterdam

Things To Know Before the Trip

To ease your time and effort, here is an Insider’s travel guide on things to know before visiting the Keukenhof,

What is the best time to visit Keukenhof?

The prime blooming time varies from year to year, depending on the weather. The best time to visit Keukenhof is the end of April as this is a higher chance of full bloom.

How much time do you need for Keukenhof?

We recommended at least 3 to 4 hours to explore the flower garden. Keukenhof is so huge and one can spend a whole day enjoying the beauty of all the flowers.

What time is best to visit Keukenhof?

The gardens can get very busy as it is only open for a few weeks every year. So expected huge crowd and long line-up during the weekend and school holidays. We recommend coming early when the garden is open so you can make the most of your time. Keukenhof opens at 8:00 daily until 19:00.

Can I cycle through Keukenhof’s park?

No. Keukenhof is a pedestrian park and you will be required to park your bicycle at the entrances to the park. You are free to cycle and explore the surrounding area outside of Keukenhof by bike.

Getting To Keukenhof from Amsterdam

How To Get To Keukenhof from Amsterdam — Getting To Keukenhof from Amsterdam City Centre

Depending on your departure location, there is various transportation to get to Keukenhof. But rest assured. It is relatively easy to get to Keukenhof from Amsterdam with public transport. Here is how to get to Keukenhof from Amsterdam with travel information.

From the Schiphol Airport – If you are just arrived Netherland via flight, or have taken the train or bus to Schiphol Airport, take the Keukenhof Express bus (#858) to Keukenhof. Bus departs from the exit of Arrival Hall 3 – 4 to Keukenhof six times an hour. The easy bus ride takes about 30 minutes from the airport to the main entrance of Keukenhof.

From the city – If you’d rather take the bus from the city, there are direct buses from Leiden Centraal station, and transfer to Keukenhof Express (#854) to the Keukenhof. The Keukenhof Express departs up to four times an hour and takes 30 minutes to get to Keukenhof.

You can also take the metro M52 to get to RAI Amsterdam from Amsterdam’s central station or the city center. From there, take the Keukenhof Express (#852) straight to Keukenhof. This bus departs up to eight times an hour and it takes approx. 35 minutes to get to Keukenhof.

There are also buses departing from Haarlem station and Katwijk, Noordwijk or Noordwijkerhout. But the bus frequency is less.

Additionally, we recommended purchasing the Combi Ticket, which includes your transportation to and from Amsterdam, as well as your skip-the-line ticket into Keukenhof. It is helpful, especially the garden is always busy and you might end up spending a lot of time queueing for tickets. Price varies departing your departure point.

Keukenhof Travel Restriction: Because of the current global situation, Keukenhof can receive a maximum number of visitors per day although there is no corona measurement to visit the garden. The garden has implemented timeslots to prevent busy times during the day. The ticket can only purchase online with valid on a specific date and predetermined arrival timeslot arrival. Visit the Keukenhof official website for more details.

Tour To Keukenhof

If needed, there are also tours to Keukenhof from Amsterdam that takes to the garden from the city. These make good options if you want to take the hassle out of arranging your transportation.

My Visit To Keukenhof

Kenkenhof Itinerary — A Trip To Keukenhof

We visited Amsterdam as part of our Europe trip in April. The visit to Keukenhof is part of our itinerary as we were so excited to visit this Tulip flower garden. From the city center, we decided to take the direct bus from the Leiden Centraal station so without worry on too much about the transfer time. About 30minutes of bus ride brought us to the lovely, colorful town of Lisse.

Once we get down from the bus, the entrance of the garden is just in front of us. Admission was very easy as we bought the combi ticket to Keukenhof in advance. So it is very easy and fast for us to get into the garden.

Keukenhof Travel Blog - Tulips — Beautiful Tulips in Keukenhof

As soon as we walked in the front gate, we were greeted by spectacularly synchronized and coordinated colors of flowers. There are several areas of themed garden spaces, all nicely kept and clean and tidy grounds.

These gardens have SO many different kinds of flowers such as hyacinths, daffodils, carnations, crocuses, lilies, irises, roses, orchids, and of course, Dutch tulips!

Keukenhof Travel Blog - More Tulips — More beautiful Tulips in Keukenhof

Over 7 million beautiful tulips and other flowers were nicely decorated in every corner of the park. Most of the tulips were in full bloom and were very beautiful. Can’t imagine nature can be so gorgeous!

The Keukenhof is so enormous and you can spend hours walking around leisurely and taking hundreds of pics. Inside the garden, there are many benches to sit on and cafes or food stands if you are looking for some food or snacks. You can also buy tulips at the shops and they will explain to you how to plant the flower and take care of them. There even has an indoor flower exhibit inside the Keukenhof. Everything can be found inside the garden and is well-organized.

Inside Keukenhof - Beautiful Decoration — Beautiful Decoration inside the garden

After spending hours in the garden, we made our way out and back to Amsterdam for another adventure. My visit was in the mid of April and it was not the prime blooming for the garden’s flower show. But the experience in the pavilions is unforgettable. I can imagine the gardens will possibly be even more stunning for the next 2 weeks. Well worth a visit for the tulip maniac experience!

More Keukenhof Travel Guide Tips

Wear comfortable shoes because you’ll walk miles when visiting Keukenhof.

Be sure to pick up the free maps at the entrance to help you navigate the extensive park!

Inside the garden, there are many places to grab a cup of coffee, beer, or quick lunch. But there are particularly expensive! Besides, it can be a long lineup during busy hours. You can bring your own food and have it in the garden. Many benches and resting points are dotted around the park.

If you are directly going to Keukenhof once arrived in Amsterdam, there is a locker to store your luggage so you don´t have to worry about it. And, it’s FREE!

Try to get there as early as possible. When the buses and crowds arrive photo opportunities become more difficult.

For self-driving to Keukenhof, the car journey is around 25 minutes from the city. Plenty of parking in the gardens and it costs €9 per car.

Buy the combi ticket as it saves you plenty of time and you won’t have to wait in the queue for as long before entering. If you are planning on multiple visits to the Keukenhof, then purchase a season pass. It allows for unlimited entries and exits during the season.

Overall: A Trip To Keukenhof

All in all, a trip to Keukenhof is a must-do if you are in Amsterdam during April or May. It truly was a glorious experience of never-ending infusions of colors linked with different flowers in the garden. We could not have enough tulips, I am certainly glad I didn’t miss the trip to Keukenhof when visiting Amsterdam. This was a highlight of our trip to the Netherland!

If you plan to visit Amsterdam during Spring, you must consider putting the trip to Keukenhof as part of your Amsterdam itinerary. We stayed there for about 4 hours but if you have all day long is much better. Friendly reminder, buy your ticket in advance!

Lastly, looking for more Amsterdam travel information? Or planning for a day trip from Amsterdam? Check out more from the Amsterdam travel blogs below:

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