Rhine Falls and Stein am Rhein Half-Day Tour from Zurich

Recommended by 90% of travelers

Badge of Excellence

Zurich, Switzerland

High interest

Booked 2 times today.

5 hours 15 minutes (approx.)
Mobile ticket
Offered in: English

Why travelers loved this

4.6

· Brian_R ·

Jun 2026

This was a nice day trip from Zurich for us. Konrad was a great driver and guide. We appreciated the small group and the transportation. The falls were gorgeous and a great place to see. The town was beautiful and a different experience from Zurich. We appreciated all the information that Konrad shared and he was willing to take pictures for us. A great, overall experience.

· matthew_h ·

May 2026

I had a great time today with Thomas our guide and his colleague our driver, the whole experience was really well organised it was a little busy at the falls and not to mention very hot and Thomas's stories about the buildings at stein am was very informative I would highly recommend this trip

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Overview

Switzerland is known around the world for its natural beauty and snow-capped mountains, but one sight may stand out from the rest: Rhine Falls, the largest waterfall in Europe. On this coach tour from Zurich, you’ll stop to see the falls from Laufen Castle, enjoy an optional Rhine Falls boat ride (extra cost), and visit the quaint town of Stein am Rhein.

Rhine Falls and Stein am Rhein sightseeing trip from Zurich
Choose to enjoy an optional boat ride to see the Rhine Falls up close
Take a walking tour of Stein am Rhein village, known for its mural-coated medieval houses
See another part of Switzerland without the hassle of navigating public transportation

What's Included

Fully guided tour by professional multilingual guide
Transportation in comfortable coach with AC
Guided village walk in Stein am Rhein
Visit to Rhine Falls (including ticket), and access to Laufen Castle and Historama
Carbon-balanced operations certified by myclimate

Food and drinks
Optional boat ride (CHF 12 per adult / CHF 8 per child, payable on site by cash or card)
Hotel pickup and drop-off
Gratuities
Personal expenses

Meeting and Pickup

Meeting point

Best of Switzerland Tours AG
Sihlquai Bus Station, Limmatstrasse 2, 8005 Zürich, Switzerland
The official departure point for all tours departing from Zurich is Sihlquai Bus Station, near Zurich’s main train station (Zürich HB). Please check in at least 15 minutes before departure at the “Best of Switzerland Tours” counter with your QR code on your voucher ready, printed or electronically.

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

Operating hours
.1:15 pm

Itinerary

Hop aboard an air-conditioned coach vehicle to start your journey away from Zurich. Venture through the landscape of Switzerland with your guide who will share historical and cultural tales along the way.

Make your first stop at Castle Laufen, a medieval fortress overlooking the Rhine Falls. View the large waterfall, immerse yourself in its grandeur as 153978 gallons (700,000 liters) of water per second cascade down. Then, take a boat ride (available during summer at an additional cost) right up to the falls, or make your way to the Belvedere panoramic trail.

Afterward, venture to Stein am Rhein, a village known for its medieval houses adorned with murals. Embark on a guided walking tour through the Old Town to encounter the fresco-covered houses.

At the end of your adventure, relax in the comfort of your transfer back to Zurich.

Zurich (Pass By)

Rhine Falls

1 hour 10 minutes • Admission Ticket Included

Stein am Rhein Town

1 hour • Admission Ticket Free

Zurich (Pass By)

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Not wheelchair accessible
Stroller accessible
Service animals allowed
Near public transportation

Infant seats available
Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
Optional boat ride: CHF 12 per adult / CHF 8 per child (April to October, subject to availability, payable on site by credit card or in cash)
The boat ride is not suitable for guests with reduced mobility or strollers
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 48 travelers

Supplied by

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

Traveler Photos

Gallery picture 1 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 2 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 3 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 4 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 5 (from a traveler's review)

Reviews

4.6

based on 800 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

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Sort by: Most insightful

Great experience!

Warren_M, Jul 2026

Incredible waterfall with a chance to stand within feet of the roaring waters! Far exceeded expectations! Loved the tour of the town and very pleased with the tour guide! Very enjoyable experience.

Tour team was exceptional...

Eloisa_R, Jul 2026

Tour team was exceptional and punctual. Stefan is a great example and representation of Switzerland. We hope we can see him again when we return. Rhine Falls was a dream to see. I would recommend to anyone traveling, we will schedule other tours when we return. :)

The places we visited...

Linda_R, Jul 2026

The places we visited were excellent!!! The bus ride was hot!!! Why couldn’t he turn the a/c on??? Your guide was great!!!

Matthew our guide was fun...

Andrea_V, Jul 2026

Matthew our guide was fun and informative. He really took his time with the history of the region but never boring.

Fun day!

Julie_H, Jul 2026

Matthew was an excellent guide; informative, friendly, knowledgeable. His enthusiasm and attentiveness added to a very good itinerary.

Perfect half day trip

Lola_B, Jul 2026

Such a wonderful trip from Zurich. At the falls, do the boat ride. It’s amazing! The town Stein Am Reine is like walking into a Harry Potter movie. Everyone was so nice!

Yes, an enjoyable half day.

Conrad_D, Jul 2026

Yes. A very nice way to spend half day on Zurich. Monica was our tour guide. She was lovely, very knowledgeable and organized us well. I enjoyed the trip. It wasn’t rushed and we were able to secure enough people to take the boat ride, which is a “must-do” IMO. Have fun. Worth the expense.

Matt was a great guide...

Anish_C, Jul 2026

Matt was a great guide and the tour covered the falls and the old towns which are always fascinating.

Stein Rhine Waterfalls

Evelyn_L, Jul 2026

Matthew was outstanding, very professional and also gave us quite history of the little towns . We took the boat in the waterfall which I highly recommended.

Not bad, but could have been better.

Shawn_W, Jul 2026

The tour was pleasant. There are more steps down and up to get to the boat ride o the Falls. For some, it was an expected challenge. The Castle was over looked on the tour, and we didn’t have enough time at Stein am Rhine. The boat ride was an additional cost and I thought it was inclusive. The tour guides were new, and the ride home was a long, somewhat rambling history lesson. They did have a nice photographer that was full of good information.

Poor bus air condition made us giving poor

Deeplina_N, Jun 2026

The bus was ok but the air condition was very poor with extreme heat on that day. The tour guide Annette very nice lady.

Must see.

Daniel_M, Jun 2026

Fabulous experience. Views are breathtaking and the town was a real treat. Tour guide was excellent. Highly recommend this excursion.

Splashy

Sharmila_M, Jun 2026

Visit the dreamy , quaint and picturesque village of Rhein Am Stein. Get close to the biggest falls in Europe !!

Highly recommend

Cheyenne_H, Jun 2026

This tour was fantastic! The falls were absolutely breathtaking! We did the boat ride that took us right up to the falls and that was amazing! Definitely, a must do! The medieval town of Stein am Rhein was such a sight to see. Our guide was so knowledgable and friendly.

Fabulous Rhine Falls and Stein am Rhein

Kevin_N, Jun 2026

It was absolutely wonderful. The falls were beautiful, and the town was incredible. Our guide was so informative and had the best personality. Wish we would’ve had more time in both places.

Worth the time and money!

LISA_N, Jun 2026

The Rhein Falls include a lot of stairs, be warned!! The view is absolutely worth it and I recommend the boat ride! Stein am Rhein is another world, classic old world town with incredible architecture and artwork!!

Worth every cent for the experience 👍

Patrick_L, Jun 2026

The Rhine Falls were amazing! We didn’t do the boat ride but t the views on the platforms were excellent… we even felt the mist on the lower platforms!!

Rhine Falls

Brian_R, Jun 2026

Excellent tour!

Bruce_B, Jun 2026

Excellent tour! Rhine Falls are a natural beauty to behold. Stein um Rhine is a charming medieval village. Renate is a wonderful guide and very knowledgeable. I would highly recommend this tour.

Stein am Rhein was an...

Robert_F, Jun 2026

Stein am Rhein was an unexpected delight. Definitely opt for the boat ride at the falls, it gets you close to them for the real experience

If you get Adolfo as your guide woo hoo!!!!

Gigi_R, Jun 2026

Tours of Switzerland is a responsive well organized tour operator. The trip leaves on time so be very punctual. Adolfo from Spain was our guide and he was friendly, knowledgeable, organized and fun to be around

Must do in Zurich

Colin_G, Jun 2026

This trip was a fantastic experience and a must do trip when visiting Zurich. The guide was so professional and knowledgeable, Rhine falls was amazing plus visit to stein am Rhein village is a must see

Rhine falls

Carol_M, Jun 2026

The Rhine Falls were absolutely beautiful and walking around the various viewpoints revealed even more beauty. The Town of Stein n Rhein was a fun and inviting town with great historic architecture and stories.

Lively drive /falls/lukch trip

TammieJo_S, Jun 2026

It was well timed—a little too much about the Swiss “wonderfully neutral” part in WWII, [ while history shows they stored stolen Nazi gold and art for Hitler]…but the visit timing was lovely and we had a wonderful lunch in the village outside of Rhein Falls.

We took this tour the...

Sandy_Q, May 2026

We took this tour the afternoon after we arrived in Switzerland. The driver and guide were both very good. The sites were beautiful.

Rhine Falls Tour

Robert_M, May 2026

This was a fantastic tour! Our tour guide Thomas was fantastic! The Rhine Falls was great, but the small town Stein am Rhein was the highlight of the trip for me! It is an amazing middle aged town with incredible architecture and history!

Not what we expected

Louis_T, May 2026

Not really what we expected. The van air conditioner was not working properly. It was in the high 70’s. The guide informed us of a boat ride at the falls but you had to have cash. It would have been nice to know on advance that we needed cash. The guide told us of an atm where we could get some money. The did his best at getting us to the boat. The other people who did not take the boat were left to fend for themselves. Two guides would have been better. The city of stein am rhine we were on our own.. the way to the town he told us the highlights of the town and gave us a map. It would have been better if he took us as a group and gave us the details as we walked. The guide was a very nice man. The tour needs to be refined more.

Response from Host, Jun 2026

Dear Louis, Thank you for joining our Rhine Falls & Stein am Rhein tour and for taking the time to share your detailed feedback. We are pleased to hear that you found the tour guide friendly and helpful. At the same time, we regret that certain aspects of the tour did not fully meet your expectations. Regarding the temperature in the vehicle, please note that Swiss regulations do not allow buses to keep their engines running while parked. Although the air conditioning operates during the journey, the vehicle may require some time to cool down again after a stop. We always encourage guests to share any concerns directly with the tour guide during the tour, as many issues can often be addressed on site. Concerning the optional boat ride at the Rhine Falls, the tour description states that this activity can be booked and paid for on site with cash or credit card. We are sorry if this information was overlooked. We are pleased to hear that the guide assisted guests interested in joining the boat activity. Over the years, we have found that many guests appreciate having the flexibility to choose whether to take the optional boat ride or spend additional time exploring the viewing platforms around the Rhine Falls independently. The site is well organized and clearly signposted, allowing visitors to explore comfortably at their own pace. Similarly, in Stein am Rhein, the guide provides an introduction to the town, highlights points of interest and provides insightful information before guests enjoy free time to discover the picturesque streets according to their individual interests. As preferences vary greatly, we believe this approach offers the best balance between guidance and independent exploration. We nevertheless appreciate your suggestions and will take them into consideration. We hope that despite your disappointment with certain aspects of the tour, you were still able to enjoy the impressive Rhine Falls and the charming atmosphere of Stein am Rhein. We wish you a pleasant rest of your stay in Switzerland. Kind regards, Magdalena from Best of Switzerland Tours

A must!

Erika_C, May 2026

Wonderful tour by the guide (unfortunately I can’t remember her name as we had many tours) very informative and worth it! Wish we would have had more time at the 2nd location as it was truly beautiful and lots to do there.