Appenzell Alps Day Trip from Zurich – Farm Life & Cheese Tasting
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Zurich, Switzerland
- 11 hours (approx.)
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
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Overview
Go beyond Zurich, and enhance your experience of Switzerland with this day trip to the Appenzell canton where mountains, traditional villages, and farms offer a photogenic backdrop. You’ll learn about Swiss history and culture from a guide, and enjoy visits to a farm, a show dairy, and Mt. Hoher Kahn where mountain restaurants beckon for lunch (own expense). Samples of Appenzeller cheese are among the perks.
- Sample local treats such as fresh cow milk during a farm visit
- Explore the traditional country village of Appenzell with a guide
- Find vantage points for photos that you’d struggle to find alone
- Enjoy free time at Mt. Hoher Kahn's summit for walking or lunch
What's Included
- Aerial cable car ride up to Mt. Hoher Kasten with breathtaking panoramic views
- Visit to Appenzeller dairy, including museum and cheese tasting
- Visit of a typical Swiss dairy farm
- Guided walk through the charming and traditional village of Appenzell
- Full guided tour by a professional English speaking guide
- Small group experience (maximum 16 guests)
- Transportation in a comfortable Mercedes minibus with AC and free Wi-Fi
- Carbon-balanced operations certified by myclimate
- Hotel pick-up and drop-off
- Food and drinks
- Gratuities
- Personal expenses
Meeting and Pickup
Meeting point
- Best of Switzerland Tours AGSihlquai 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.8:30 am
Itinerary
Depart from central Zurich in an air-conditioned minivan and travel through scenic, green countryside to a typical Swiss farm where you can taste a glass of fresh milk.
Visit a local cheese factory to uncover the production secrets behind Appenzeller cheese during a cheese tasting, and then continue to Brulisau to experience panoramic vistas of the dramatic Swiss Alps. Ride an aerial cable car to the snow-capped summit of Mt Hoher Kasten, and capture views from an altitude of 6,000 feet (1,800 meters).
Enjoy a unique dining experience in the mountaintop’s revolving restaurant (own expense), and stroll through the beautiful Alpine Garden before returning to sea level for a short walking tor of Appenzell.
After thoroughly exploring the region, return to your vehicle and to Zurich.
Visit a local cheese factory to uncover the production secrets behind Appenzeller cheese during a cheese tasting, and then continue to Brulisau to experience panoramic vistas of the dramatic Swiss Alps. Ride an aerial cable car to the snow-capped summit of Mt Hoher Kasten, and capture views from an altitude of 6,000 feet (1,800 meters).
Enjoy a unique dining experience in the mountaintop’s revolving restaurant (own expense), and stroll through the beautiful Alpine Garden before returning to sea level for a short walking tor of Appenzell.
After thoroughly exploring the region, return to your vehicle and to Zurich.
Zurich (Pass By)
1
Stein
30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
2
Appenzeller Schaukaserei
1 hour 30 minutes • Admission Ticket Included
3
Hoher Kasten
1 hour 15 minutes • Admission Ticket Included
4
Appenzell
2 hours • Admission Ticket Free
Zurich (Pass By)
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking, unless booked within 12 hours of travel. In this case confirmation will be received as soon as possible, subject to availability
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Near public transportation
- Infant seats available
- Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
- Not suitable for infants under 6 years, exceptions only on request.
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 16 travelers
Supplied by
Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Featured review
martyhall50
Great trip. Guide was very nice and informative.. the coach was very comfortable and the views were breathtaking
Reviews
4.4
based on 148 reviews
Dee_H, Jul 2025
It was great. Had a good variety of stops. Loved the dairy farm. Small group which made it more fun. Guide was very good.
Christine_S, May 2025
An excellent full day of exploring! Started w/a visit to a beautiful hillside farm and hearing from the farmer his day w the cows, complete w seeing them walk back up the hill and past us for the milking line! Cheese samples and seeing how it’s made, pastry samples, chocolatier explanation of how his company makes their very own delicious chocolates using local ingredients and samples! A ride up to the top of Appenzell in Hoher Kasten, tram ride. Enjoyed a delicious lunch while rotating 360 for views, although it did become cloudy at the top. Then toured a beautiful town, complete w shopping time. We did it all! Thank you Monika! You were the best!!
Peter_T, Oct 2024
Awesome tour. Martin was excellent as driver and guide. Loved every aspect of the tour. Particularly enjoyed the Dsiry farm and hearing the passion of the farmer. Views from the mountain and meal at the revolving restaurant (extra optional of own) was fantastic.
SinaraRegina_M, Aug 2024
Our guide Martin was such a lovely and knowledgeable man. We absolutely loved the tour through the farm and the city of Appenzell not to mention all the delicious goodies we left with! The museum and the chocolate boutique were amazing as well.
Brittany_K, Jul 2024
This tour felt very disjointed and a bit too long if I’m being honest. I was mostly interested in the dairy farm and cheese factory visit but was excited for the other stops. I did very much enjoy the dairy farm visit and found it informative. I also enjoyed the information provided from your guide Thomas! He was knowledgeable and forthcoming with information. He welcomed all my questions. After the cheese factory visit, I found the day to drag out a bit. First things, the lunch stop was late in the day falling close to 2pm. We had one option only and it was the restaurant at the mountain top stop. It was expensive and mediocre. After this, we were taken to multiple store fronts in the village of appenzell. I think it’s nice that samples were provided from the stops but honestly it felt awkward having 15 people hovering in small shops while the guide picked up the samples to pass around. I think the backend of the tour could be shortened to just a free time experience in Appenzell. Best to let people browse the lovely shops at their leisure instead of being led around like sheep for an hour. Major room for improvement on this tour but I do like the concept of it.
Diane_S, Jun 2024
The cow farm and its owner. She was very welcoming and explained about the process of preparing milk to be sold. We learned a lot.
Julieta_B, May 2024
Visiting the farm where I learned a lot about cows.
Also, the farm was sustainable having a solar panel.
Dana_W, May 2024
This was an excellent tour. We happened to have a great group so that made it even better. Peter was a wonderful guide. The farm tour was very interesting and the cheese tasting was very good. We had a nice time on the mountain and were able to see a lot despite some cloud cover. Peter made sure to point out countries and highlights. Appenzell was a very cute village with not too many people. The tastings were all very nice and we did go home with a very nice goody bag. Would def recommend this tour option.
PrincePrakash_N, Aug 2023
A good trip if you want to escape from Zurich city. Cheese factory and farm visit was nice. However, after that the appenzelle city tour was boring and we literally had nothing to do. The trip to Hohen Kaster mountain was also very boring. Instead of this, they could have taken us to Aescher which was more interesting. Some activities should have been included in the second half part of the trip to avoid boring walks. Our guide Monica was awesome and she did everything in her capacity to keep us engaged
Response from Host, Aug 2023
Dear PrincePrakash,
Thank you sincerely for taking the time to provide feedback on our small group tour to Appenzell. We appreciate all your comments as they help us improve our services and provide a better experience for our guests.
We deeply regret to learn that the walking tour in the old town and the excursion to Hoher Kasten mountain didn't live up to your expectations. From the peak of Hoher Kasten, one can enjoy an inspiring panorama of the Alpstein massif, the Rhine Valley, Lake Constance, and even Austria and Lichtenstein. Before the descent, our guests enjoy an unparalleled lunch experience at the revolving restaurant.
Appenzell is a very traditional Swiss village with its own charm and natural beauty, full of well-preserved half-timbered houses and painted facades. We are very surprised to hear that you found Appenzell not worth visiting. During the walking tour, our guests are introduced to various local specialty shops where they gain insights into regional products and receive Swiss delicacies to fill their goodie bags (included in the tour rate).
It’s wonderful to hear that your guide Monica made a positive impact on your experience. Our guides take pride in sharing their insightful knowledge about each destination and the history and culture of our country as a whole.
We hope that you take beautiful memories of your stay in Switzerland and hope to welcome you again on tour soon.
Kind regards,
Ambika from Best of Switzerland Tours
Todd_G, Aug 2023
The tour was an amazing day of seeing Switzerland in the Appenzell area. Martin our tour guide was informative, thoughtful, and friendly in providing great stories of the Appenzell area. He took us to several more places that we weren't expecting and each spot was remarkable with either the views or the food/shopping of the area with many goodies provided throughout the tour.
maria_w, Aug 2023
Peter was extremely professional, and provided excellent customer service. He made a point of getting to know all the 10 members of his travel group. He provided interesting tidbits of history throughout the day, making the trip, a truly enjoyable learning experience.
Lynn_F, Jun 2023
This tour is one of the best ones that we did while on Germany, Austria, Switzerland trip! The company gave us a bag full of goodies- chocolate, cheese, pens, etc. You definitely want to book this tour. The views from the mountain top restaurant were breathtaking!!! The trip to the cheese factory was fascinating!! This trip packed in a lot of activity with freebies along the way!!! Great job to this company!!!
Jocelyn_W, Jun 2023
Peter was an amazing tour guide. Very informative and pleasant. The trip to the diary farm was my favorite part. The family was so welcoming and such an inspiration
Michaela_R, Jun 2023
I loved everything!
Konrad, the guide, was knowledgeable and friendly. We stopped at inspiring places that gave the true sense of the Appenzell area.
Suresh_K, May 2023
Martin Benz amazing!! A+
An asset I wish to have him on my 2 upcoming tours
Worth the money paid thanks to him
martyhall50, May 2023
Great trip. Guide was very nice and informative.. the coach was very comfortable and the views were breathtaking
Akash_J, Oct 2022
Very well organised and explained by Guide. Must visit place for everyone. Sunny day made this tour wonderful.
Linda_F, Oct 2022
Our guide, Franz, was knowledgeable and patient. The view at the top of the mountain was breathtaking. I appreciated the cheese tasting at the cheese factory. We had plenty of time at each place. When we visited Appenzell, we were given freebies in 4-5 shops. I felt like I was trick or treating at 51 yesrs old… cool! LOL. To me, it did worth the price. I would recommend.
Sherpa57185, Aug 2019
I have gone on many excursions with Viator but this has been the worst trip ever. Don't get me wrong the driver was nice , he drove the car safely and he spoke a little. The trip was very misleading according to the description. First the chocolate tours was just a store that everyone in the world has so why take us to the store. The prices were not discounted and it was a waste of time. The cheese tour was useless also.. In my group we had four family members. When we got to the cheese factory we had first three pieces in tiny tiny cubs of cheese for us to try on the tray . We had to ask, listen we paid a lot of money for this tour, and we only have three pieces of each product of cheese on the plate please give us an extra piece. It was pathetic. Then we were given a key and an app for our phone to do a tour on our own. well the tour was in another language and not English. We could have done that ourselves. Then the museum was closed so you couldn't visit it next door. The tour was two minutes long . Then we went to sit on a table outside and we were told to leave because it belonged to the restaurant. NO BODY WAS THERE so we could have sat down. Later we did a long drive that you could have rented a car to do, to the cable car. The cable car took us to the top of the mountain and we had a long time to spend there doing nothing. Then we went to Appenzell a small town which was also a waist of time. It was a two minute walking tour and then we had free time to walk by our selves. It was such a disappointing trip I would not recommend it to anyway. We paid $204.00 X 4 people and that's another vacation. If anyone is planning on going on this excursion, rent a car and drive around yourself. DONT WAIST YOUR MONEY.
Linda_L, Jun 2019
We liked being in a small group in a van after touring in a large coach for several days. Our guide was very nice and knowledgable. He stopped the van so we could get pictures of the gorgeous Swiss countryside. Unfortunately Monday was a holiday so we were unable to visit the chocolate store however we did enjoy the cheese tasting. The clouds closed in while we were on the mountain but we still enjoyed the limited views from the top. Appenzel is a very picturesque Swiss village.
Mark_R, May 2019
Could not be more pleased. A wonderful experience of what makes Switzerland special. The countryside was so beautiful. Franz our guide was super kind and a generous host and brought it all to life.
HengYee_W, Dec 2018
The best thing about this tour is the good service and interesting commentaries provided by Karen. However , much improvement needed for the visit to the cheese and chocolate sites. In particular, there was no tour conducted at the Chocolate site. It was a stop over for purchase to be made. Best to include a detailed guided visit of these two sites and information about the making of Chocolate and cheese.
Eugene_A, Sep 2018
This was a nice little tour with an expert guide that took us first to a Lindt outlet store. I laughed because it was almost exactly like the one I visit on Long Island. Maybe the chocolate tastes different? We were told that the real chocolate factories in Switzerland are not equipped to handle guided visits in a hygenic manner, so this was the next best thing. I wonder how the prices compared to the airport duty free stores. Anyway, it was fun to visit Apenzell and see cheese being made as well as sample the various Appenzell cheese. I now know the differences and will look for them in the U.S. The ride up to the mountain would have been nice but unfortunately there were clouds that day. Overall, it was nice to get out of the city, walk around Appenzell, which was actually kind of quiet (best to avoid Mondays for this tour since some family-owned stores close on Monday and stay open on Saturday instead). Overall, it was nice to get out of the city and up into the mountains and see a bit of rural Swiss life where the only sound sometimes are the cowbells.
Janine K, Jul 2018
The tour of the cheese factory is not worth it. It is all in German, with really no English translations. The Maison de Gruyeres in Gryueres is a million times better.
The Lindt outlet is a convenience store-sized location. It is nice to be able to get things made in Switzerland, as it does taste better. I especially like the wafer thins!! Yes, you can get Lindt all over the world, but check where it is manufactured - not usually Switzerland. Really, this 'outlet' stop is a time to buy Lindt at prices you can get in the supermarkets.
Seeing the city of Appenzell was nice - very cute, quaint town. The guide gave a great walking tour however, there wasn't much time at all to shop and wander on your own.
Russell D, Jul 2018
AMAZING! I highly recommend this tour. By far, one of the coolest tours that we have done. Our group for the day consisted of 12 people including us. We started off our day with our tour guide Thomas and the Lindt chocolate store. You do not get to tour the factory. However, if you do some research chocolate shops normally don't let people in on tour to protect their recipes and ways. Still, the chocolate shop was pretty cool. There many different types of chocolate that I've never seen in the US before. And of course you do get two free pieces of candy, one on the way in and one on the way out. Thomas even brought a cooler with to keep our chocolates from melting. After that we enjoyed about an hour long scenic ride through the countryside to get to the cheese factory. We enjoyed our cheese tasting first. I know other comments complained about being given a repackaged box of cheese but we had a plate with some strawberries and walnuts and 5 kinds of Appenzeller cheese to try with bread there was more than enough for everyone. We all purchased drinks and sat down to enjoy the tasting. Then there was a small self-guided tour of parts of the factory. From there we were off to Mt. Hoher Kasten. We took the cable car to the top. At the top we enjoyed walking around and seeing some AMAZING views the weather was perfect. We also chose to eat at the revolving restaurant. I know other people said that it was over priced, I feel that it was the same price for other meals that we had in Zurich. Many of the items on the menu were all products from the town of Appenzel, just at the base of the mountain. There was enough time to enjoy the views outside and eat. Finally, we finished the day in the town of Appenzel. Thomas let us change the schedule a little. We went to the brewery together first. Then we went to the bakery and got to sample a local treat. Thomas took us on a small walking tour of the town and talked about the history and their voting system. Then we had about half an hour to ourselves to explore. I wish there would have been a little more time in the town but that is my only complaint. Overall, great day, small group, and truly a great taste of everything that Switzerland is known for.
george_h, Jun 2018
The van is a comfortable Mercedes with room for 8. Our driver spoke good English and was very knowledgeable about Switzerland. I believe his name was Franz. The first stop was the Lindt chocolates outlet store with enough variety to sate any chocoholic. Then it was off to the foothills of the Alps for a stop at the Appenzeller cheese factory where you could taste different cheese selections included, and enjoy a local beer. Then to the factory to watch the cheese production. Now off to the mountains to enjoy a cable car ride to a mountain top restaurant that revolves and viewing platforms for fantastic views of peaks and valleys of the Rhine river area.
Stephen_L, May 2018
Our tour guide Martin was wonderful. Started with Lindt chocolate tour which was really not a factory tour, but rather a chocolate store tour that was connected to the factory. Health regulations prohibit factory tours. But it was a beautiful store with wide selection of chocolates which we all bought and enjoyed the free samples on entering. Next came the cheese factory tour which had a glass partition allowing a direct view of the production floor and cheese storage area. We had a marvellous cheese tasting experience with lovely cheeses, fruit, nuts, and bread. Drinks whether alcoholic or non alcoholic had to be purchased with the tasting - not a deal breaker. Then we went to a town and took an enclosed lift up an alp. Unfortunately it was foggy so no view, but I was assured it would have been a spectacular view but for the weather. So we ate at our expense at the revolving restaurant - it was OK but not special but with nothing else to do we connected with our fellow travelers. Had the weather been more cooperative we might have skipped the meal to take in the view. Lastly we went to a lovely small town for a descriptive walk about and grabbed a coffee. A return to Zurich ended a lovely if at times weather frustrating day. I should mention that Martin pointed out the farms, rolling hills, architectural elements and historical landmarks throughout the drive. Very informative. There were restrooms at every stop. Overall quite enjoyable and recommended.
LesterLim_C, Feb 2018
The mountain is really cold. so keep yourself warm. Chocolate and Cheese tour can be disappointed
Michelle E, Feb 2018
This was a GREAT tour! The chocolate factory has some great deals and the chocolate is wonderful. The cheese factory was a bit stinky but it is a cheese factory! The mountains are so beautiful! You are in for a treat!
Craig G, Dec 2017
Absolutely amazing, turned out to be the best part of our trip and was great. The tour guide was extremely knowledgeable and passionate about the tour and even inclement weather didn’t detour our great experience
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