If you’re planning 7 days in Switzerland in March, this itinerary covers some of the country’s most beautiful places — including Zurich, Lucerne, Lauterbrunnen, Mürren, and Jungfraujoch. This one week Switzerland itinerary balances scenic train travel, mountain views, charming towns, and a few unforgettable experiences along the way.
I just got back from a beautiful 7-day trip to Switzerland with my little sister.
And man — there was a lot to see and do.
Planning the itinerary was tough because there are so many beautiful places in Switzerland. While I only had 7 days, my sister is staying for two weeks, adding on a day trip to Bern, staying in Montreux, and then ending in Lugano with day trips around there.
(She said Lugano was a great place to visit as well!)
But for this post, I’ll walk through my exact 7-day Switzerland itinerary for early March.
7 Days in Switzerland Itinerary (Quick Overview)
Day 1 — Arrive in Zurich
Day 2 — Explore Zurich + Lindt Chocolate Factory
Day 3 — Train to Lucerne + Old Town walking tour
Day 4 — Mount Pilatus excursion
Day 5 — Train to Lauterbrunnen + visit Mürren
Day 6 — Jungfraujoch (Top of Europe)
Day 7 — Train to Zurich Airport
Is March a Good Time to Visit Switzerland?
March is actually a great time to visit Switzerland if you want snowy Alpine scenery without the peak summer crowds.
Ski season is still going strong in the mountains, while cities like Zurich and Lucerne are quieter and easier to explore. You may not be able to hike many trails yet due to snow, but iconic viewpoints like Mount Pilatus and Jungfraujoch are open year-round.
If you’re planning a Switzerland itinerary in March, expect beautiful snowy mountains, fewer tourists, and slightly lower hotel prices compared to summer.
Day 1: Travel Day to Zurich
Our round-trip flight departed from Boise, Idaho and landed in Zurich.
After accidentally getting on the wrong train (oops!), we arrived fairly late in the day and mostly just crashed at our hotel.
We did walk over to Coop Supermarket, which quickly became one of our favorite budget food spots, and grabbed some of their prepared food for dinner.
Then it was straight to bed after a long travel day.
Day 2: Exploring Zurich
We slept in a bit and had a busy day planned for our first full day in Zurich.
To start the day, we went to Zepter Bar for a milchkaffee (basically a latte), and then popped over to The Bagel Shop, where we shared a smoked salmon and cream cheese everything bagel.
Honestly, it ended up being one of our favorite things we ate in Switzerland.
After breakfast we joined a Free Walking Tour of Downtown Zurich.
If you’re new to free walking tours, they’re fantastic. They aren’t technically free — you tip your guide at the end whatever you think the tour was worth. We were told 20–30 CHF is typical.
The tour lasted about 1.5 hours, and our guide showed us several interesting sights while explaining the history of the city.
One interesting stop was a viewpoint where she told us we were standing above a seven-story bunker. Apparently many hotels, apartment buildings, and public spaces in Switzerland have bunkers in case of war.
Kind of fascinating, right?
After that we hopped on a quick train ride to visit the Lindt Home of Chocolate.
We booked our reservations in advance (highly recommend) and spent a couple of hours on the self-guided audio tour learning about the history of chocolate and why Switzerland became so famous for it.
There were plenty of chocolate samples along the way too.
The tour ends in a large gift shop where you can purchase lots of unique Lindt flavors.
It was definitely a cool experience and one I’d recommend adding to your Zurich itinerary.
That evening we wandered through vintage and thrift stores before heading to dinner at Swiss Chuchi for traditional Swiss fondue.
Day 3: Zurich to Lucerne
We woke up a bit early and walked to another hotel for coffee before grabbing French pastries at Juliet — highly recommend the Swiss roll.
Then we continued on to B2 Hotel.
It’s a bit off the beaten path, but the hotel has a stunning library café with 33,000 books surrounding the room. It’s honestly a dream for book lovers and made for a really charming backdrop.
On the way back to the hotel, we stopped at a luxury consignment store called First and Second.
They carried brands like Prada and Gucci. The prices weren’t cheap, but they were reasonable for secondhand luxury.
Next up was what is arguably one of the prettiest cities in Switzerland — Lucerne.
The train ride was only about 45 minutes, and our hotel — Ameron Hotel Flora Lucerne — was a short five-minute walk from the main station.
After dropping off our bags, we downloaded a free Lucerne walking tour app and wandered through Old Town, appreciating the car-free streets, colorful architecture, and historic buildings.
We grabbed an early dinner before heading back to the hotel for a drink.
Day 4: Mount Pilatus
This ended up being one of my favorite days of the trip.
Lucerne is surrounded by incredible mountain peaks. Many hiking trails are still snow-covered in March, but Mount Pilatus is accessible year-round.
You take an aerial cable car to the top, and the views of the lake, town, and surrounding Alps are incredible.
We were lucky enough to spot a mountain goat at the top!
There’s also a walkway carved into the rock that leads to several scenic viewpoints. Definitely worth walking around.
After heading back down the mountain, we returned to the hotel for a quick nap and a FaceTime call with my baby.
Later we wandered through town grabbing mango sorbet from Cuckoo Coffee and a mini meringue cake from Aux Merveilleux. The white chocolate one was amazing!
For dinner we got a great table at Fondue House Du Pont and had a wonderful evening chatting with our waiter and enjoying the view.
Afterward we walked across Chapel Bridge and Spreuer Bridge, which display historic painted panels along the bridge ceilings.
Day 5: Lauterbrunnen and Mürren
The final leg of my trip was Lauterbrunnen, and I have to be honest — this area was probably my favorite.
It’s absolutely stunning.
The train ride from Lucerne to Interlaken was beautiful and easy. We decided to stay in Lauterbrunnen instead of Interlaken because I wanted a slower pace at the end of the trip.
And it delivered.
We checked into Hotel Silberhorn, grabbed a coffee, and immediately made our way toward Mürren.
Mürren is a beautiful mountain village perched high above the valley with incredible views of the Alps.
The Schilthornbahn cable car ride up is steep — the world’s steepest with a 160% gradient.
As someone with a slight fear of heights… my palms were sweaty.
(If you read that line and immediately started rapping Eminem… same.)
We explored the shops, grabbed coffee and a homemade treat from Café Liv, and took entirely too many photos of the surrounding Alps.
We ended the day sharing a pizza in the hotel restaurant while planning the next day’s adventure.
Day 6: Jungfraujoch (Top of Europe)
We woke up early for breakfast and then made the short walk to the train station for our biggest adventure of the trip: Jungfraujoch.
The train from Lauterbrunnen to Jungfraujoch takes about two hours and passes through several mountain villages along the way.
The views are honestly out of this world.
At the top, there’s plenty to do including viewpoints overlooking the Aletsch Glacier, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the longest glacier in the Alps.
There’s also:
- The Ice Palace
- Restaurants and cafés
- A self-guided tour app
- A spot where you can mail postcards from the Top of Europe
It’s definitely one of the pricier experiences in Switzerland, but it was completely worth it.
After a few hours exploring, we made our way down the mountain.
We stopped by Coop grocery store, picked up a pistachio croissant, crackers, and salami, and then walked a couple of miles along the road in front of Staubbach Falls.
The valley scenery is incredibly picturesque, and I especially loved the farm stands and vending machines selling local cheeses along the road.
We ended the night with a small charcuterie dinner (Switzerland is not cheap!) and went to bed.
Day 7: Travel Day to Zurich
Our final day started with breakfast at the hotel and one last deep breath while taking in the stunning view of Lauterbrunnen Valley.
Then I hopped on an almost three-hour train ride back to Zurich Airport.
And then home.
Trip Highlights
Some of my favorite moments from this 7-day Switzerland itinerary included:
- Free walking tours
- Mount Pilatus
- Walking along the road in Lauterbrunnen
- Jungfraujoch
- Cheese vending machines
- Public water fountains throughout the cities (the water is incredibly clean and safe to drink)
What I Would Do Differently
Eat more meals from Coop or Migros
Restaurant meals in Switzerland are expensive. Grocery stores like Coop and Migros have great prepared foods that can help keep your food budget under control.
Consider the Swiss Travel Pass or Half Fare Card
Transportation in Switzerland is incredibly easy, but if you accidentally get on the wrong train (like we did), you’ll need to buy new tickets.
If you’re traveling across the country like we did, a pass might be worth it.
Increase your travel budget
Switzerland is beautiful — but it’s definitely an expensive destination.
Total Cost of 7 Days in Switzerland
Here’s what the trip ended up costing for my portion.
Total Cost of the Trip
| Flight | $504 |
| Food & Drink | $405 |
| Hotel | $789.12 |
| Souvenirs | $108.31 |
| Transportation & Tours | $665.37 |
| TOTAL COST | $2,471.79 |
Our food costs were lower because we were very intentional about not eating out for every meal.
The most expensive portion of the trip was Jungfraujoch, but it was absolutely worth it.
Final Thoughts on Visiting Switzerland in March
Overall, this 7 day Switzerland itinerary in March turned out to be a wonderful way to see a mix of cities, mountain towns, and iconic Alpine scenery.
Even in early spring, Switzerland is incredibly beautiful and very easy to explore by train.
Next time I visit, I’d love to come back in late summer to hike hut-to-hut through the Alps and experience the country from a completely different perspective.
Have you been to Switzerland or are you planning a trip there?
I’d love to hear your experience or what you’re most looking forward to.
— Whitney
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