Best time to visit Zurich
Re-score for me — drag the dial — every chart on the page recolours live for your heat limit 27°C
Default 27 °C is the upper edge of the Holiday Climate Index "ideal comfort" band (Scott, Rutty, Amelung & Tang, 2016). Above this, most warm-tourism travellers report measurable discomfort.
How is this scored? HCI / Steadman / CCI gate — full methodology and citations below.
Compare with another destination
Add as many as you like — stacked below the main strips above. Each row is just the recent-window score strip and (for beach destinations) sea-temperature strip.
Tours in Zurich
30 top-rated tours via Viator. Booking links earn this site a commission at no cost to you.
- 1
Private, excellent guided tour of Zurich (from CHF 21/pers.) - 2
Zurich eTukTuk Private Tour - with Cheese Fondue and Wine - 3
Private Swiss Chocolate, Cheese, Mountain Tour with Hotel Pick-Up - 4
Private Luxury Tour of Switzerland - 5
eTukTuk Private Tour - Best of Zürich - 6
Private Arrival Transfer: from Zurich Airport to Zurich City - 7
Zurich: Interlaken, Grindelwald & Lauterbrunnen Guided Day Trip - 8
Jungfraujoch: Top of Europe Day Trip from Zurich - 9
Rhine Falls and Stein am Rhein Half-Day Tour from Zurich - 10
Zurich Old Town Guided Walking Tour With Private Upgrade - 11
Zurich Grindelwald, Lauterbrunnen Lungern Interlaken Semi Private - 12
Zurich Historic District Guided 2-Hour Walking Tour - 13
Chocolate Walking Tour in Zurich - 14
Heidiland and Liechtenstein Tour from Zurich - 15
Mt Titlis Glacier Paradise Tour from Zurich With Lucerne - 16
Glacier Express and Swiss Alps and Lucerne Tour | From Zurich - 17
Zurich Adventure : Walking tour, Lake Cruise and Cable Car - 18
Discover 4 Countries in One Day from Zurich in Small Group - 19Private Arrival Transfer: from Zurich Airport to Lucerne
- 20
Zurich City Tour with Chocolate Tasting and Lake Cruise - 21
From Zurich: City Tour,Lake Cruise & Lindt Chocolate Private Tour - 22
Zermatt, Matterhorn & Gornergrat Small Group Day Tour from Zürich - 23
Zurich City Tour with Audio Commentary - 24
Black Forest and Rhine Falls Day Trip from Zurich - 25
Beer Tasting Tour in Zurich - 26
From Zurich: Premium Panoramic Train, Lucerne & Interlaken Alps - 27
Swiss Alps: Interlaken and Grindelwald Day Trip from Zurich - 28
FIFA Museum Tickets - 29
Premium Glacier Express Route Private Tour from Zurich - 30
Zurich SkyGlass Bus Tour to Interlaken,Grindelwald &Lauterbrunnen
Last refreshed 2026-10-18.
Similar climatesMunich96% · Bern96% · Lucerne96%
Other destinations with the most-alike year-round climate to Zurich (apparent temperature, rain hours, sunshine — matched within the same trip-profile). The ±N chip compares each match's typical score for the current month against Zurich's. Based on the 2020-2024 climatology, not this year's actual weather.
Month-by-month
| Month | Temp °C | Feels °C | Rain days | Rain h | Rain h/day | Humidity | Wind km/h | Sun h | UV | Interest | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | -1–5 | 1 | 12 | 166 | 13.8 | 78% | 13 | 115 | 1 | Quiet | 4 |
| Feb | 0–9 | 6 | 13 | 150 | 11.5 | 70% | 15 | 137 | 1 | Quiet | 5 |
| Mar | 1–11 | 8 | 12 | 146 | 12.2 | 63% | 14 | 189 | 3 | Quiet | 5 |
| Apr | 4–14 | 12 | 12 | 176 | 14.7 | 59% | 14 | 213 | 4 | Moderate | 6 |
| May | 9–18 | 17 | 18 | 217 | 12.1 | 63% | 13 | 229 | 5 | Quiet | 6 |
| Jun | 14–23 | 24 | 16 | 173 | 10.8 | 61% | 12 | 259 | 6 | Moderate | 7 |
| Jul | 15–25 | 25 | 16 | 180 | 11.3 | 61% | 12 | 278 | 6 | Moderate | 7 |
| Aug | 15–25 | 26 | 12 | 152 | 12.7 | 62% | 11 | 242 | 6 | Peak | 8 |
| Sep | 12–21 | 21 | 11 | 140 | 12.7 | 69% | 11 | 210 | 4 | Peak | 7 |
| Oct | 8–16 | 15 | 12 | 146 | 12.2 | 76% | 11 | 163 | 2 | Moderate | 6 |
| Nov | 3–9 | 6 | 14 | 176 | 12.6 | 82% | 12 | 110 | 1 | Moderate | 4 |
| Dec | 0–5 | 2 | 16 | 205 | 12.8 | 85% | 12 | 87 | 1 | Moderate | 3 |
UV Index in Zurich by Month
UV index in Zurich peaks at 6 (high) in June, dropping to 1 (low) in December. June, July have high UV — SPF 30+ and sunglasses recommended.
Best months in detail
August
8/1015–25°C (feels 26°C) · 12 rain days (152h) · 242 sun hours · 62% humidity · Peak crowd · UV 6 (moderate) · sunniest 1 in 10 days reach 8 (high)
September
7/1012–21°C · 11 rain days (140h) · 210 sun hours · 69% humidity · Peak crowd · UV 4 (moderate) · sunniest 1 in 10 days reach 6 (moderate)
June
7/1014–23°C · 16 rain days (173h) · 259 sun hours · 61% humidity · Moderate crowd · UV 6 (high) · sunniest 1 in 10 days reach 8 (very high)
Every month
Show the other 9 months in detail
January
4/10-1–5°C (feels 1°C) · 12 rain days (166h) · 115 sun hours · 78% humidity · Quiet crowd · UV 1 (low)
February
5/100–9°C (feels 6°C) · 13 rain days (150h) · 137 sun hours · 70% humidity · Quiet crowd · UV 1 (low)
March
5/101–11°C (feels 8°C) · 12 rain days (146h) · 189 sun hours · 63% humidity · Quiet crowd · UV 3 (low) · sunniest 1 in 10 days reach 4 (moderate)
April
6/104–14°C (feels 12°C) · 12 rain days (176h) · 213 sun hours · 59% humidity · Moderate crowd · UV 4 (moderate) · sunniest 1 in 10 days reach 5 (moderate)
May
6/109–18°C (feels 17°C) · 18 rain days (217h) · 229 sun hours · 63% humidity · Quiet crowd · UV 5 (moderate) · sunniest 1 in 10 days reach 7 (high)
July
7/1015–25°C · 16 rain days (180h) · 278 sun hours · 61% humidity · Moderate crowd · UV 6 (high) · sunniest 1 in 10 days reach 8 (high)
October
6/108–16°C · 12 rain days (146h) · 163 sun hours · 76% humidity · Moderate crowd · UV 2 (low) · sunniest 1 in 10 days reach 4 (moderate)
November
4/103–9°C (feels 6°C) · 14 rain days (176h) · 110 sun hours · 82% humidity · Moderate crowd · UV 1 (low)
December
3/100–5°C (feels 2°C) · 16 rain days (205h) · 87 sun hours · 85% humidity · Moderate crowd · UV 1 (low)
Frequently asked questions about visiting Zurich
When is the best time to visit Zurich?
August is the highest-scoring month (8/10 on the Holiday Climate Index). Typical conditions: 15–25°C (12 rainy days). The top three months by score are August, September, June.
What is the worst time to visit Zurich?
December is the lowest-scoring month (3/10). Typical conditions: 0–5°C (16 rainy days).
When are crowds lowest in Zurich?
Search-interest seasonality (Google Trends 2021-2025) is lowest in January and peaks in August. Interest tracks both in-trip visitors and lead-time planners, so treat it as a "destination is on people's minds" signal rather than literal arrivals.
Which months in Zurich have good weather but fewer tourists?
June (climate 7/10, crowd index 49) and May (climate 6/10, crowd index 31) — shoulder months with above-average climate and below-median search-interest. Often the best value-for-weather trade.
What is the UV index in Zurich by month?
UV peaks at 6 (high) in June and is lowest in December at 1 (low). Monthly peak values: Jan 1, Feb 1, Mar 3, Apr 4, May 5, Jun 6, Jul 6, Aug 6, Sep 4, Oct 2, Nov 1, Dec 1.
What is the UV index in Zurich in June?
June is the peak UV month in Zurich, with a daily-peak UV index of 6 (high). Apply SPF 30+, wear sunglasses, and seek shade during midday hours.
How high can UV get in Zurich on the sunniest days?
Most days look like the monthly average, but on the sunniest ~1 in 10 days UV climbs higher than the mean suggests. June is the worst case: typical days average UV 6 (high), but the top 10% of days reach UV 8 (very high) — and even higher. Months where the sunniest days routinely exceed the typical reading: March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October. Plan sun protection for the worst case, not the average.
Is air quality in Zurich bad for travelers?
PM2.5 (fine-particle pollution) exceeds the WHO sensitive-group guideline (15 µg/m³) in 6 months: January, February, March, October, November, December. The worst month is February with a typical-day mean of 13 µg/m³ (moderate); on the worst 10% of days PM2.5 reaches 22 µg/m³ (unhealthy for sensitive) and higher. People with asthma, heart conditions, or sensitive children may want to avoid these months or limit outdoor activity. Source: CAMS via Open-Meteo.