Pricey, safe and open until morning. Zurich's clubs run past 05:00 on weekends, and the night trains run with them.
Live city guides: Zurich.
Best clubs: Zurich.
Where to go out
Swiss nightlife is a weekend sport with a high price tag. Bars fill from about 22:00, clubs open around 23:00 and the floor fills after midnight. Clubs in Zurich stay busy until 05:00 or 06:00, and a few list hours that run into the morning. A beer in a bar costs CHF 6 to 10 (about €6.50 to €11).
Zurich is the centre, and the other cities are smaller. Zurich nightlife splits into bars around Langstrasse and the Old Town, and clubs in the Industriequartier and Zurich West. Basel, Bern, Geneva and Lausanne each have a smaller scene, all within three hours of Zurich by train. Street Parade fills the city every August.
The drinking age is split, and weeknights are quiet. You can buy beer and wine at 16 and spirits at 18, except in Ticino, where every drink needs 18. The mistake visitors make is planning a Tuesday. Many clubs, Hive among them, open only from Thursday, and the night network runs mostly on weekend nights.
Serious sound systems, a deep booking scene and Street Parade every August.
Zurich, Basel and Bern are about an hour apart by train, so one base covers a long weekend.
Montreux Jazz and Paléo fill July, and Basel Fasnacht runs through the night in winter.
Zermatt and Verbier stay up late from December to April.
The sound, the doors and the cocktails are well run and expensive.
Switzerland counts among the safer countries in Europe for a late night.
Not for you if you are on a tight budget. Even a cheap night costs about €60.
Starts at 04:00 on the Monday after Ash Wednesday, when the city lights go out, and runs for 72 hours. Under an hour from Zurich by train.
Five days of acoustic-led concerts at the foot of the Matterhorn. The next edition is 6 to 10 April 2027.
Sixteen days on Lake Geneva, from 2 to 17 July in 2027. Under half an hour from Lausanne by train.
An open-air festival above Lake Geneva, 19 to 25 July in 2027. Under half an hour from Geneva by train.
A free techno parade on the second Saturday of August, 8 August in 2026 and 14 August in 2027. The trucks cover about 2.4 km along the lake.
Friday in the bars of Langstrasse, Saturday in a club in the Industriequartier. The Zurich nightlife guide has the doors, hours and night lines.
Two nights in Zurich, then an hour by train to Basel (Nordstern) or Bern (Dachstock) for a smaller Saturday.
Two nights in Zurich from Thursday, then Lausanne (Folklor), just over two hours away, and Geneva (Audio Club), about two hours 45 minutes on the fastest trains.
Two nights in Zurich, then three in Zermatt or Verbier for après-ski between December and April.
Three nights in Zurich, two in Munich (about four hours by train) and two in Vienna (about four more).
Second Saturday of August, free, about 900,000 people in 2025. Trains and buses run until about 04:00.
On Geroldstrasse in the Industriequartier. It lists Thursday to 04:00, Friday to 07:00 and Saturday to 09:00.
The bar street of Kreis 4. Longstreet stays open until 04:00 on Fridays and Saturdays.
From about 01:00 on weekend nights, on a normal ticket. Night lines carry an N.
At 04:00 on the Monday after Ash Wednesday the lights go out and Fasnacht begins.
Late nights from December to April. Both need a transfer in the valley.
The standard late meal, at roughly CHF 10 to 14. Most kitchens close early, so many people use the shops around Langstrasse and the station.
Grilled sausage in a bread roll with mustard, from street grills. Many close before the clubs do.
The national sausage, split and grilled. Found at grills and kiosks.
Melted cheese over potatoes and gherkins, sold at winter stands and in ski resorts.
Baked cheese on bread, called croûte au fromage in French-speaking areas. A dish for before the night starts.
Alternative venues are relaxed. Bigger, upmarket clubs choose their crowd, and groups of men can wait longer.
Beer and wine from 16, spirits from 18, and 18 for everything in Ticino. Most clubs set the door at 18.
Prices include service. Round up, or add a franc or two. Nobody expects 15 per cent.
Cards are normal in Zurich. Carry francs for cloakrooms and small bars.
Cannabis is illegal, though adults caught using it usually face a CHF 100 fine. Other drugs are prosecuted.
Dealers approach visitors around Langstrasse and the station, and pickpockets work crowds at Zurich HB and big events such as Street Parade.
Ask before photographing people, as Swiss law protects the right to your own image. Residential quiet hours start at 22:00.
| Club entry | CHF 15–35 (about €16–38) |
| Beer in a bar, 0.3 to 0.5 litres | CHF 6–10 (about €6.50–11) |
| Cocktail | CHF 16–25 (about €17–27) |
| Single ticket, one zone, about an hour | about CHF 4.50–5 (about €4.80–5.40) |
| Night S-Bahn or bus, weekend nights | Normal fare, no surcharge |
| Taxi, short city ride | about CHF 25–40 (about €27–43) |
| Döner kebab | about CHF 10–14 (about €11–15) |
Four beers, a CHF 15 club entry, a döner and the night S-Bahn.
A bar first, a club at about CHF 25, three beers, two cocktails and the night S-Bahn.
A top club, four cocktails and a taxi home. One franc is about €1.07.
The ZVV night network runs from Friday to Saturday and from Saturday to Sunday, starting at about 01:00, on a normal ticket with no surcharge. Night lines carry an N. Taxis are expensive.
Beer and wine from 16, spirits from 18, and 18 for everything in Ticino. Staff ask for a passport, ID card or driving licence when in doubt.
Cards and contactless work in most bars and clubs. Keep some francs for cloakrooms.
Most club nights sell at the door. Festivals and big club nights sell online, so book early. Street Parade is free.
Generally legal for anyone old enough to buy the drink. Police act on behaviour, and some towns set local limits.
Violent crime is low. Watch for pickpockets at Zurich HB and street dealers around Langstrasse.
Banned in enclosed public spaces since 1 May 2010. Sealed smoking rooms are allowed, and cantons can be stricter.
Swiss German in Zurich, French in Geneva and Lausanne. English works in most bars. Say prost or santé.
Yes, if you can afford it. Zurich has the deepest club scene, and the other cities add smaller ones.
Zurich clubs usually run until 05:00 or 06:00 on weekends, and some to 09:00. Bars mostly close between 02:00 and 04:00.
About €60 for a cheap night and €110 for a normal one. A beer in a bar is CHF 6 to 10.
16 for beer and wine, 18 for spirits. Ticino requires 18 for all alcohol.
Zurich, for the clubs, the late hours and Street Parade.
On the second Saturday of August: 8 August in 2026 and 14 August in 2027.
