Best Family-Friendly Cities in Switzerland to Visit with Kids

Switzerland is one of our favorite family travel destinations with the perfect mix of natural beauty and outdoor adventures that both we and our toddler enjoy. There are so many kid-friendly activities, including unique Alpine playgrounds with jaw-dropping views and kid-friendly hikes. The restaurants are surprisingly kid-friendly, and even getting around every day on the trains is a blast for kids! From charming lakeside towns to outdoorsy Alpine villages, our family had an amazing time exploring all of the family-friendly cities in Switzerland. If you’re wondering where to go in Switzerland with kids, these are our favorite family-friendly cities in Switzerland, along with our top choices for toddler-approved activities in each city!

1. Lucerne

Lucerne is a picturesque town located on Lake Lucerne, surrounded by some of Switzerland’s famous peaks. It is only a one hour train ride from Zurich, so it is doable as a day trip. But we love staying in Lucerne for the Old Town charm and to maximize our time in the area.

Best Kid-Friendly Activities in Lucerne

Swiss Museum of Transport

The Swiss Museum of Transport was a highlight of the trip for our toddler. This museum is dedicated to all things transportation, and the best part is how hands on everything in the museum is. If your toddler loves to climb all the things and push all the buttons like ours, they can play to their heart’s content here. The Swiss Museum of Transport is just a short bus ride from Lucerne, and there is a discount with the Swiss Travel Pass.

Mt. Pilatus, PILU Land Playground, and Ropes Course

Mt. Pilatus is one of Switzerland’s iconic peaks. The views of the lakes below from the top of the mountain are stunning on a clear day. Kids have to make their own fun up on the peak (groups of kids were feeding birds when we visited), but they will have plenty of the fun on the way down the mountain. One cable car stop has a dizzying ropes course for older kids, and the other cable car stop has the castle-themed PILU Land Playground. Check out our toddler-friendly Switzerland itinerary for all the details on how to get to the playground and ropes course from the summit.

Lake Lucerne Boat Cruise

While you can go on a cruise of Lake Lucerne, it is very likely that you will be taking a boat at some point during the day anyway as part of your transportation between activities. Luckily, all boat rides are included if you have a Swiss Travel Pass so it makes for a free fun activity for kids. The boat that we took had a water play area in the back for even more toddler fun on the boat ride.

Meggenhorn Castle

Meggenhorn Castle is slightly off the beaten path, but so worth the detour. While you can’t go inside the castle, the grounds are stunning, with a beautifully manicured garden overlooking the lake and vineyards. The best part for kids is that it also has a fun playground and a free petting zoo! Find all the details for how to reach this hidden gem in our toddler-friendly Switzerland itinerary.

Felsenweg (Cliff Walk) Hike

The Felsenweg (Cliff Walk) hike is one of my favorite easy hikes in Switzerland. The path is pretty flat, so it’s easy for toddler legs to walk on their own instead of being carried, and there are views the whole way. The Cliff Walk itself has the quintessential Swiss postcard view, overlooking the lakes below while listening to the chimes of the cowbells all around. Our toddler-friendly Switzerland itinerary has all the details for how to find this slightly hidden hike.

2. Lauterbrunnen

Lauterbrunnen is known as the “Valley of 72 Waterfalls,” and it truly lives up to its nickname. This picture-perfect village nestled in a valley is surrounded by towering cliffs with waterfalls spilling over the cliff faces. It truly feels like something out of a fairytale. Lauterbrunnen is the transportation hub of the area so it’s the most convenient place to stay in the area. From there, we were perfectly situated to hop on the cable cars and explore the mountain peaks, nearby mountain villages, hiking trails, and Alpine playgrounds.

Best Kid-Friendly Activities in Lauterbrunnen

Alpine Playgrounds

The alpine playgrounds in Switzerland are next level. The playgrounds have really fun themes and unique play structures that I haven’t seen in playgrounds in the US. Best of all, the playgrounds all have amazing views and cafeterias with patios. No sitting on a boring park bench waiting for your kid to finish playing! Kids will be having the time of their lives on the mini ziplines and creative slides, while parents can enjoy a snack and a drink with beautiful mountain views. I wish all playground days could be like this at home.

Lauterbrunnen Valley Hike

The first time we went to Lauterbrunnen, it felt like we were transported to a storybook town. The best way to appreciate the curtain of waterfalls in the valley is to hike on the flat paved Lauterbrunnen Valley Hike. The path is wide and flat so it’s perfect for toddlers to run around, and it is bordered by family farms so you’ll even see some cows as you walk.

Fallbodensee Hike

The Fallbodensee lake hike was another highlight of our trip. It is a man-made lake, but it is perfectly situated atop a hill to reflect the neighboring peaks in its pool. Our toddler loved the jacuzzi footbath next to the lake. They have benches in the small pool next to the lake where you can wade in and soak your tired feet after the hike up. Best of all, a train line passes right in front for easy entertainment for our toddler.

Trummelbach Falls

If you have ever wanted to go behind the scenes of a waterfall, then Trummelbach Falls is your opportunity to do just that. This powerfall waterfall rushes down the inside of a mountain, with walkways and caves connecting the different viewing platforms.

3. Brienz

Brienz is a charming lakeside town known for its woodcarving located on the edge of Lake Brienz. It is on the way to Interlaken and Lauterbrunnen, and a good option for some water fun if the weather is not clear enough for heading up to the peaks.

Best Kid-Friendly Activities in Brienz

Lake Brienz Boat Cruise

Boat rides are always fun for kids, and a free fun activity since it is included in the Swiss Travel Pass. The cruise on Lake Brienz is especially pretty because of the turquoise water of the lake.

Playground Rallye on the Lake Brienz Promenade

For a change after all the alpine playgrounds, the Lake Brienz Promenade has a series of lakeside playgrounds. A particularly fun one during the summer is the Brienz water playground, which is like a giant life sized water table with water cranks and water see saws.

4. Thun

Thun is a picturesque town located at the western end of Lake Thun. Interlaken is nestled between Lake Brienz and Lake Thun, and is usually the jumping off point for visiting Thun. We were not initially planning on visiting Thun, but the picturesque castles and stunning St. Beatus caves were a highlight of our trip.

Best Kid-Friendly Activities in Thun

Lake Thun Boat Cruise

There are no shortage of lakes in Switzerland, and Lake Thun is another opportunity for a scenic boat ride. This boat ride is also covered by the Swiss Travel Pass.

Thun Castle

Thun Castle is perched on a hill in Thun, so it has amazing views over the lake and to the mountains beyond. While we enjoyed the visit before we had a kid, they also have a kids program where kids can learn to be knights to keep little ones interested.

Oberhofen Castle

Oberhofen Castle is located right on the water on the shores of Lake Thun. The grounds are very picturesque, but that doesn’t mean it’s boring for kids. When we visited, we saw lots of little ones dressed up in costumes (available on site), and there were areas in the castle where they could listen to fairy tales. There is also a playground and swings on site to get all the wiggles out. Of the two castles, Oberhofen Castle seemed to be more fun for kids, but both are worth visiting if you have time in the area.

St. Beatus Caves

The St. Beatus Caves are a truly unique sight. You can walk right next to the cascading waterfalls along bridges that criss-cross the cliff face. If visiting with kids, note that there are a lot of steps to enter the caves and strollers are not allowed. There is also a playground on site if kids are not tired out from running around the caves. Of all the amazing natural wonders in Switzerland, this was one of my favorites.

5. Bern

Bern, the capital of Switzerland, has a charming old town with the Aare river running through it. Even though it is the capital of the country, it still makes our list of family-friendly cities in Switzerland because it has a very laid-back, family-friendly charm.

Best Kid-Friendly Activities in Bern

Bear Park

Bears are the symbol of Bern and Bern has their very own bears living in a park in the city. Even though the bear park is right in the middle of the city, it is pretty large and borders the river. We walked by on our way to a restaurant nearby, but spotting the bears would be a fun thing for kids to do as well.

Rose Garden

The Rose Garden is our favorite place to catch the sunset in Bern. There are plenty of grassy areas for little ones to run around and a dragon playground to burn off more energy. This is the perfect place to hang out for a chill rest day afternoon.

Zytglogge clock tower

The Zytglogge clock tower is one of the icons of Bern and puts on a fun mechanical show every hour. It’s right in the middle of the old town, so it is a convenient free show to keep kids entertained for a couple minutes.

Bern Animal Park

We did not visit the Bern Animal Park, but would visit if going to Bern again with our kiddo. The zoo is right next to the river and has a variety of animals and a playground. It’s not as big as many of the zoos in the US, but fun for kids nevertheless.

6. Zurich

Zurich is one of the main transportation hubs in Switzerland. Chances are, your flight will be landing or taking off here, so it’s worth it to explore for at least a day. Zurich is another scenic lakeside city in Switzerland. But besides the lake activities and old town there are also many kid-friendly activities.

Best Kid-Friendly Activities in Zurich

Lindt Chocolate Factory

What’s not to love about free chocolate samples? The Lindt Chocolate Factory is a short train ride outside of Zurich. Believe me, the Lindt chocolate in Switzerland tastes better than the version we have in the US so the free samples are worth it!

Zurich Zoo

The Zurich Zoo is another opportunity for kids to visit with animals while in Switzerland. The Zurich Zoo is not that big, so if visiting both Zurich and Basel, then I would opt for the Basel Zoo instead.

Lake Zurich

The promenade along Lake Zurich is great for a walk, or you can enjoy a boat cruise on the lake.

7. Basel

Basel is known for its art scene and museums. But it also has a charming old town bordered by the Rhine River. Basel is one of the great family-friendly cities in Switzerland to insert in your itinerary when you need a couple days to slow down and rest in between hiking and mountain excursions.

Best Kid-Friendly Activities in Basel

Basel Zoo

The Basel Zoo is one of the largest zoos in Switzerland. There are a variety of animals, including the big ones like elephants and giraffes. The Basel Zoo is not as big as some of the zoos in the US, but our toddler still spent an enjoyable half a day watching the animals here. Using the Basel Card (included with any accommodations in Basel), the entrance fee is a good value.

Tinguely Museum

Basel has many museums, but not all of them are very interesting for kids. The Tinguely Museum, with its mechanical displays, has some interactive exhibits that may better hold kids’ attention spans. We didn’t know if our toddler would be interested in a museum, so we visited the Tinguely Fountain instead for a taste of the same art.

Rhine River Cruise

For another boat riding opportunity, take a Rhine River cruise to see the old town from the water.