The top places to visit in Switzerland are Lucerne, the Jungfrau region, Zermatt and the Matterhorn, Zurich, and Geneva. Foreign overnight stays in Switzerland rose 5.1% to 22 million in 2024, the highest figure in 50 years, according to Switzerland Tourism data drawn from the Federal Statistical Office. These five span the country’s most-photographed bridge, its glaciated high Alps, its best-known peak, and its two largest cities.
- Lucerne — Home to the Kapellbrücke, a wooden covered bridge built around 1365 and largely rebuilt after a 1993 fire; it remains Europe’s oldest surviving bridge of its kind.
- Jungfrau region — The Swiss Alps Jungfrau-Aletsch area, a UNESCO World Heritage Site inscribed in 2001, home to the Aletsch Glacier, the largest in the Alps.
- Zermatt and the Matterhorn — A car-free alpine resort beneath the 4,478-metre Matterhorn, one of the most photographed peaks in the world.
- Zurich — Switzerland’s largest city and financial center, on Lake Zurich, with the easiest international airport connections.
- Geneva — A lakeside city on Lake Geneva, home to numerous UN and international organizations, with day-trip access to French Alps views.
Planning note: Zurich, Lucerne, and the Jungfrau region connect easily by train in one western-central loop; Geneva and Zermatt sit further southwest. A week covers three of the five comfortably; all five needs 10 days or more given train times through the mountains.
Sources
- Travel And Tour World — Switzerland’s Tourism Hits Fifty-Year High
- Wikipedia — Kapellbrücke
- Wikipedia — Jungfrau-Aletsch protected area
- Switzerland Tourism — Matterhorn
See the Top 10 Countries to Visit in 2026 roundup for how Switzerland compares globally.