Best Apps for Zurich: Trams, Maps and Walking Tours

A tram ticket, somewhere to get lunch, a little background on the church you've just walked past. Those are the things you're likely to reach for your phone for in Zurich. A handful of useful apps can sort out most of them.

For a first visit, we'd start with SBB Mobile, then add MeteoSwiss. If you're planning a longer walk, swisstopo is worth a look too. We've also included The Schnitz, the interactive walking-tour app we're building, with Zurich as our first focus.

Here's what each one is good for, and where you can happily skip a download.

Which Zurich apps are worth downloading?

SBB Mobile: the one to set up before you arrive

SBB Mobile handles timetable searches, ticket purchases and updates to your journey. It's a sensible first download if you're arriving in Zurich by train, particularly if you're visiting other Swiss cities on the same trip.

Look up the journey to your accommodation while you're planning. Later, when you're standing outside the station with your bags, you'll have one less thing to work out. The app also covers local transport, so you can keep using it for the rest of your stay.

One small point that's easy to miss: downloading the app doesn't make its timetable work offline. SBB's app help says timetable queries need an internet connection.

Your map: save the places you want to visit

Keep a map you are comfortable reading ready for the day. Save your accommodation, your arrival stop and a few places you want to visit. Group nearby stops together so you can spend more of the afternoon looking around.

If you expect to spend time without mobile data, prepare the relevant map area and test it before leaving Wi-Fi. The swisstopo section below explains one option for downloaded Swiss maps.

The Schnitz: a tour guide in your pocket, at your own pace

Sometimes you get to a place, read its name on the map, and still have no idea why it's interesting. Or you hear a story and immediately want to ask something else.

That's what we're building The Schnitz for. It's our upcoming app for self-guided walking tours, with audio stories, directions and a guide you can ask questions as you go. Zurich is where we're starting.

Say a detail on an Old Town building catches your eye. Who put it there? What was this place used for? With “Ask your guide,” you can ask your own question, by typing or using your voice on supported devices. The guide works from the tour's sources and lets you know when they don't contain enough information to answer.

You set the pace. Listen to a story, read the transcript if you prefer, stop for coffee, then carry on. There's no group waiting for you to finish looking at something.

We're bringing together curated audio tours and personalised walks, so you can follow a particular interest or start with a City 101 introduction. There are city games too, with challenges at the stops, for days when you'd rather solve something with friends.

The Schnitz is still in development. You can take a look at what we're building. For a visit now, save a few nearby stops on your map and prepare a short written route before you go.

MeteoSwiss: check it before heading to the lake

An afternoon by the lake is a lovely plan to leave flexible. Before you head out, have a look at the local forecast in MeteoSwiss, the Swiss weather service's app.

MeteoSwiss has local forecasts, precipitation animations and weather warnings; you can find the details in its official app listing. The rain view is useful when you're deciding whether to walk now or have lunch first.

We'd check it before a longer outing too. A forecast won't organise the day for you, but it can help you decide whether to keep that museum idea in reserve.

swisstopo: when your walk takes you further

For a longer walk around Zurich, or an outing to the Uetliberg, swisstopo gives you detailed Swiss national maps and tools for planning your route.

You can download map areas before you go, which is particularly handy if you won't have mobile data. Do that on Wi-Fi and open the saved area once before setting off.

For a few streets in the Old Town, you may be perfectly happy with the map you already use. swisstopo becomes more useful when you want to look at the wider route and terrain. Give yourself time to check both before choosing a walk.

A few Zurich guides we like

For ideas about where to eat or what to do, we also like these local websites:

• Calma Guide covers cafés, independent shops and creative events. Have a browse when you want a few places to build a day around.
• Harrys Ding is worth a look for Zurich restaurants, cafés and bars, with food stories to help you choose where to stop for a meal.
• hellozurich has an events calendar covering concerts, exhibitions, theatre and more. Check what's on during your visit.

Save whatever catches your eye, then leave a little room to wander between stops.

A couple of things to sort out before you go

Can you explore Zurich without mobile data?

Yes, with some preparation. swisstopo lets you download map areas, while SBB Mobile needs a connection for timetable searches. Check the offline options for each app you plan to use, and save your accommodation address somewhere you can open without a signal. A saved map won't give you live departure updates.

Which apps would we choose for a short Zurich visit?

For a weekend, we'd keep it simple: SBB Mobile and MeteoSwiss, plus a map you are comfortable using. Add swisstopo if a longer walk is part of the plan. For city stories and questions along the way, keep The Schnitz in mind for a future trip: it is the city-exploration app we are building.

Once you've sorted that out, put the phone away for a bit. You can decide what comes after the next coffee when you get there.

Sources

App information checked on 8 October 2026, using the providers' pages linked throughout this post: SBB, MeteoSwiss and swisstopo. This is an editorial shortlist, not a hands-on comparison. We're the team behind The Schnitz; that section reflects our app in development.