How to Drive from Zurich to Rhine Falls & Stein am Rhein for a Great Day Out

Take a day trip by car from Zurich to the Medieval town of Steim am Rhein. Travel Zurich to Rhine Falls by car. Visit Stein am Rhein and Rhine Falls.

There are a ton of great things to do in Zurich but sometimes it's fun to get out of the city. I'm always looking for great places to visit near Zurich (e.g., did you know that you can easily travel from Zurich to Liechtenstein and back in a day?). 

I visit Switzerland at least once a year on business and particularly enjoy taking day trips from Zurich when I have some free time. On a recent trip to Zurich, a friend who lives in town planned a half-day itinerary for us. 

We'd take his car and drive from Zurich to Stein am Rhein and Rhine Falls. Read on to find out how I discovered that Stein am Rhein and Rhine Falls make a great day trip from Zurich by car.

A Day Trip from Zurich in the Swiss Countryside

This self-drive day trip was my first road trip experience in Switzerland. Yes, train travel from Zurich is fantastic and I've done it many times (e.g., taking the train to Lucerne for a weekend). 

However, on the train, the Swiss Countryside passes by quickly and there is no way to stop and really appreciate it. Since we were driving, I could ask my friend to stop so I could admire the rolling fields and take pictures wherever I wanted. 

Visiting Stein am Rhein from Zurich

Stein am Rhein is a historic Swiss town with an amazingly well-preserved Medieval core. The atmospheric Old Town of Stein am Rhein is what makes the town an ideal side trip from Zurich especially if you have access to a car.

We parked outside of town and walked toward the center of Stein am Rhein. Half-timbered buildings and charming pubs greeted us.

A tall and severe church tower reached for the sky.

Stein am Rhein (as the name implies) is situated along the Rhine River. Medieval buildings lean forward and look as if they might tumble into the river at any moment.

The facades on Stein am Rhein's main square are intricately decorated.

As with many towns in Switzerland, we found colorful fountains where you can even drink the water.

At the far end of town (it's less than a 5 minute walk from end-to-end in Stein am Rhein), we spotted a charming clock tower.

I could have photographed Stein am Rhein's colorful shutters all day. 

How long does it take to get from Zurich to Stein am Rhein by car? About 45 minutes from Zurich city center.

SIDEWALK SAFARI SPOTLIGHT: Looking for other cool things to do on a trip to Switzerland? Why not: Spend a weekend traveling from Geneva to Lausanne to Montreux? Tour Lake Zurich on a short boat cruise and keep an eye out for the birds of Switzerland on the journey? Take a Zurich day trip by train to Rapperswil? Buy a Zurich Day Pass and explore the city by public transportation Visit Basel in December and celebrate New Year's Eve? Go hiking on the North Face Trail near Wengen?

Take a Drive from Stein am Rhein to Rhine Falls and Take a Walk

Rhine Falls (Rheinfall in German) is about a 30 minute drive from Stein am Rhein and is the perfect addition to a half-day self-drive itinerary from Zurich. We parked the car and took a walk along the park next to the raging water. 

The flow of water over the falls is so high that fish cannot swim upstream. According to Wikipedia, only some eels can slither their way over the rocks.

A historic waterwheel sits on a side channel to take advantage of the free source of hydroelectric power. It blows my mind that the Waterwheel House has been here since the 12th century and was used as a hammer mill. 

We climbed further up the trail and admired the cascades falling over the rocks in various channels.

It's so easy to see how powerful Rheinfall is simply by watching the water churn.

Rhine Falls has carved a channel through the rocks. Two large isolated boulders sit in the middle of the channel. 

If you take a boat cruise (we didn't have time to do this on our half-day tour to Rhine Falls from Zuirch), you can clamber out onto one of the rocks and view Rhine Falls head on.

Scanning the waterfall, I even spotted a hole punched into the rock with water circling around like a drain. I've never seen anything like it.

We had driven to the Neuhausen am Rheinfall side of the waterfall from Stein am Rhein. On the opposite bank, we could see Schloss Laufen high on a hill. 

I felt like we'd taken a step back in time and could also hear the clank of the hammer forge in my mind making important tools for the castle.

How long does it take to get from Rhine Falls to Zurich? Less than an hour.

As you can see, if you have a weekend to spare in Zurich, carving out a half-day for a drive to Stein am Rhein and Rhine Falls is well worth it. I am always on the lookout for places to visit near Zurich and this particular Swiss day trip itinerary did not disappoint. Check it out!

Half-Day Driving Trip from Zurich to Stein am Rhein and Rhine Falls Map

Click on the image of the map below to open up an interactive version in Google Maps to help you plan your Zurich to Rhine Falls and Stein am Rhein day trip.

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