Everything you need for a boat trip on Lake Zurich — ZSG scheduled services, paddle steamers, the Limmat river cruise and boat rental. GA & Swiss Travel Pass valid.
Lake Zurich (Zürichsee) covers 88.66 km² and is up to 136 m deep. The ZSG (Zürichsee Schifffahrtsgesellschaft) operates all scheduled ferry services with 17 vessels, including two historic Belle Époque paddle steamers from 1909 and 1914. For city sightseeing, the River Cruise takes three electric boats along the Limmat through the historic centre.
Choose from short loops to the full lake crossing — or explore the Limmat river through Zurich's old town.
Short loop through the lower lake basin from Bürkliplatz, calling at Wollishofen, Zollikon, Tiefenbrunnen and Zürichhorn, so you see both shores. Runs 3 April–18 October 2026.
GA valid · ZVV validYear-round loop on both shores. Depending on the departure it calls at Wollishofen, Kilchberg, Rüschlikon, Thalwil, Erlenbach, Küsnacht or Zürichhorn.
GA valid · ZVV validRound trip Zürich–Rapperswil–Zürich. Each departure serves only part of the stops, running along either the left or the right shore; the Long Lake Cruise does not continue into the Obersee.
GA valid · ZVV validOne-way crossing of the full lake to the medieval town of Rapperswil. Return by train in ~40 min.
GA validCircular trip by electric boat from Landesmuseum (350 m from Zürich HB) via Limmatquai, Storchen, Bürkliplatz, Zürichhorn and Bellevue, passing Lindenhof, Town Hall, guild houses and Grossmünster. 3 April–18 October 2026.
Electric · CHF 4.70 adultsBuffet breakfast cruise on Lake Zurich. CHF 80 per adult (12+) and CHF 40 per child (6+), buffet included. In winter it runs every Sunday and public holiday until 25 December 2026. Book at zsg.ch. Separate ticket — GA not valid.
Separate ticket · Full guideFrom Belle Époque paddle steamers to the medieval island of Ufenau.
DS Stadt Zürich (1909) and DS Stadt Rapperswil (1914) — two historic Belle Époque paddle steamers. In 2026 they run on set steamer days between 3 April and 18 October, usually leaving Bürkliplatz at 12:20 (see timetable). No steamers in winter. GA valid.
Car-free island near Rapperswil with a medieval church and restaurant. ZSG boats call there from April to mid-October only, for example the Ufenau shuttle and the Upper Lake Cruise.
Medieval old town at the eastern end of the lake. 13th-century castle, rose garden and cobblestone streets. Return by train (40 min) or second boat.
The River Cruise passes Zurich's most iconic sights: Lindenhof hill, medieval guild houses, Town Hall and the twin towers of Grossmünster.
EMS Uetliberg, inaugurated in summer 2025, runs on a 3,550 kWh battery and saves about 300 t of CO₂ a year. Zero emissions on the water.
Cheese fondue evening cruise on MS Limmat, 19:30–21:45: on Thursdays from January to April, and from October to December 2026 mainly on Tuesdays (plus selected Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays). CHF 75 per adult, CHF 37.50 for children 6+; drinks, starter and dessert are extra. Tickets online at zsg.ch.
Long Lake Cruise departures in the 2026 summer timetable (1 May–30 September). In spring and autumn boats leave Bürkliplatz at 11:20 and 13:20 (plus 12:20 at weekends); for the winter timetable see below. Full timetable at zsg.ch.
| Departs | Note |
|---|---|
| 09:20 | Course 101, via the right shore |
| 10:20 | – |
| 11:20 | Course 105, via Thalwil and Horgen, arr. 13:30 · 🚢 steamer on Sundays Jun–Aug |
| 12:20 | Course 107 · 🚢 steamer on most steamer days (see below) |
| 13:20 | Course 109, via the right shore, arr. 15:30 |
| 15:20 | – |
| 17:20 | 🚢 Course 117, steamer on Sundays Jun–Aug |
| Departs | Note |
|---|---|
| 11:40 | – |
| 12:40 | – |
| 13:40 | Course 106, arr. Bürkliplatz 15:50 |
| 14:40 | 🚢 Course 108, steamer on most steamer days, arr. 16:50 |
| 15:40 | Course 110, arr. Bürkliplatz 17:50 |
| 17:40 | – |
| 19:45 | – |
2026 timetable, valid 14 December 2025–12 December 2026. Source: ZSG timetable 2026 (PDF) · Updated 8 October 2026.
Valid from 19 October to 12 December 2026. The timetable from 13 December 2026 had not been published as of 8 October 2026.
In winter two Long Lake Cruises run every day, leaving Bürkliplatz at 11:20 and 13:20 and returning at 15:50 and 17:50, plus several Short Lake Cruises with extra departures at weekends. The Mini Lake Cruise, River Cruise, paddle steamers, Upper Lake Cruise and Ufenau shuttle are suspended. The Brunch Cruise sails every Sunday and public holiday until 25 December 2026. Low-water restrictions are possible.
| Service | Times |
|---|---|
| Long Lake Cruise, course 105/106 (daily) | Bürkliplatz 11:20 – Thalwil 11:51 – Oberrieden 11:59 – Horgen 12:09 – Halbinsel Au 12:24 – Wädenswil 12:37 – Männedorf 12:48 – Stäfa 12:59 – Rapperswil arr. 13:30; back at 13:40, Bürkliplatz arr. 15:50 |
| Long Lake Cruise, course 109/110 (daily) | Bürkliplatz 13:20 – Küsnacht 13:47 – Erlenbach 13:58 – Herrliberg 14:09 – Meilen 14:22 – Halbinsel Au 14:32 – Wädenswil 14:45 – Richterswil 14:59 – Rapperswil arr. 15:30; back at 15:40, Bürkliplatz arr. 17:50 |
| Short Lake Cruise | Daily 11:00, 12:30 and 14:00; Mon–Fri also 16:00; Sat, Sun and public holidays also 11:30, 13:30, 15:00 and 16:00 |
Source: ZSG timetable 2026 (PDF) · Updated 8 October 2026.
The ZSG operates all scheduled ferry services on Lake Zurich and the Limmat river cruise.
Zürichsee Schifffahrtsgesellschaft AG
zsg.ch
Zürich Bürkliplatz
700 m from Stadelhofen station
1.5 km from Zürich HB
Landesmuseum Schiffsteg
350 m from Zürich HB
Limmat boats only
ZSG: +41 44 487 13 33
[email protected]
Table reservations (Zürichsee Gastro): +41 44 487 13 13, [email protected]
Online at zsg.ch, at the pier, or via SBB app. GA & Swiss Travel Pass valid on all scheduled services.
Year-round (reduced winter timetable from 19 October 2026).
Paddle steamers, Mini Lake Cruise & River Cruise: 3 April–18 October 2026.
2026 fares. GA & Swiss Travel Pass fully valid on all scheduled services. ZVV zone passes accepted. The reduced fare applies to children aged 6 and over and to Half Fare Card holders. Children under 6 travel free.
| Ticket / Route | Adult 2nd cl. | Adult 1st cl. | Child 6+ / reduced | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mini Lake Cruise (~1 h) | CHF 7.20 | N/A | CHF 3.60 | Single ticket, zones 110+140 (dogs also CHF 3.60) |
| Short Lake Cruise (~1 h 30 min) | CHF 9.40 | N/A | CHF 4.70 | Single ticket, zones 110+140+150 |
| Long Lake Cruise (~4 h 30 min) | CHF 28.00 | CHF 46.20 | CHF 14.00 (1st cl. CHF 23.10) | 9 o'clock pass, all zones |
| Limmat River Cruise | CHF 4.70 | — | CHF 3.30 | Single ticket, zone 110 (valid 1 hour) |
| Upper Lake Cruise / Lake Cruise from Rapperswil | CHF 18.80 | — | CHF 9.40 | 24-hour ticket |
| Ufenau shuttle | CHF 4.70 | — | CHF 3.30 | Single ticket, zones 180+181 |
| Brunch Cruise (buffet incl.) | CHF 80.00 | — | CHF 40.00 | Adults 12+, children 6+ · separate ticket · GA not valid |
| Cheese Fondue Cruise (fondue incl.) | CHF 75.00 | — | CHF 37.50 | Drinks, starter and dessert extra · separate ticket · GA not valid |
| Fondue Chinoise Cruise | CHF 91.00 | — | CHF 45.50 | Separate ticket · GA not valid |
| Bike | Extra ZVV ticket (2nd class, reduced) or SBB bike day pass CHF 14.00 | No bikes on the Limmat boats | ||
| Children under 6 | Free | — | Free | |
| From 13 December 2026 | Not yet published | ZVV fares rise by 2.1% on average; new boat fares had not been published as of 8 October 2026 (zvv.ch) | ||
Source: zsg.ch and the ZSG experience cruise pages · Updated 8 October 2026.
Blue circles = ZSG lake stops · Green diamonds = Limmat piers · Gold star = Main pier Bürkliplatz
17 vessels, from a 1909 paddle steamer to the battery-electric EMS Uetliberg.
Historic Belle Époque paddle steamer built by Escher Wyss: 59.1 m long, 260 t, 500 hp. Runs on steamer days between 3 April and 18 October 2026 (see timetable). GA & Swiss Travel Pass valid.
Belle Époque paddle steamer. On most steamer days the steamers run course 107/108: dep. Bürkliplatz 12:20, dep. Rapperswil 14:40, back in Zürich at 16:50. GA valid.
Flagship of the ZSG fleet since 1964. Licensed today for 1,000 passengers (originally 1,500).
Built by ÖSWAG: 56.6 m long, up to 700 passengers, 268 banquet seats and a lift to all decks. Used for the Brunch Cruise and the Fondue Chinoise Cruise (the cheese fondue cruise runs on MS Limmat).
Fully electric, inaugurated in summer 2025. 3,550 kWh battery, saving about 300 t CO₂ per year. MS Albis and MS Pfannenstiel are to follow by 2027.
Fluvius, Pontus and Navalis: three fully electric, wheelchair-accessible boats operating the River Cruise from Landesmuseum, 3 April–18 October 2026.
ZSG serves 31 stations, including the river stations. All lake piers are wheelchair accessible; on the river only Landesmuseum is. All boats, including the electric Limmat boats, take wheelchairs up to 80 cm wide. Uetikon has no lake cruise service in the 2026 timetable.
Rent a boat on Lake Zurich — pedalos, rowing boats, electric boats, motorboats and a sauna boat. Small boats can be driven without a licence.
Mythenquai 25, Zürich
Answers to the most common questions about boat trips in Zurich.
Yes. The General Abonnement (GA) and the Swiss Travel Pass are fully valid on all ZSG scheduled services on Lake Zurich, including the historic paddle steamers, with no supplement. Half Fare Card holders pay the reduced fare. GA and Swiss Travel Pass are NOT valid on experience cruises (Brunch Cruise, Fondue Cruise) — these require a separate ZSG ticket.
The one-way trip takes about 2 hours 10 minutes (for example 11:20 → 13:30). The Long Lake Cruise (round trip Zürich–Rapperswil–Zürich) takes about 4 hours 30 minutes. The Mini Lake Cruise lasts about 1 hour and the Short Lake Cruise about 1 hour 30 minutes.
It is the ZSG River Cruise: three fully electric boats (Fluvius, Pontus and Navalis) make a circular trip of about 55 minutes from Landesmuseum, 350 m from the main station, via Limmatquai, Storchen, Bürkliplatz, Zürichhorn and Bellevue, passing Lindenhof hill, the Town Hall, medieval guild houses and Grossmünster. It runs every 30 minutes from 3 April to 18 October 2026. A zone 110 single ticket costs CHF 4.70 (reduced CHF 3.30).
The lake cruises from Zurich depart from Bürkliplatz pier, a 700 m walk from Stadelhofen station or 1.5 km from Zürich HB. The Limmat river cruise departs from Landesmuseum, 350 m from Zürich Hauptbahnhof (main station). The Upper Lake Cruise and the Ufenau shuttle start in Rapperswil and Pfäffikon SZ.
In 2026 DS Stadt Zürich (1909) and DS Stadt Rapperswil (1914) run at weekends and on public holidays from 3 to 30 April and from 1 to 18 October, daily in May and September, and Monday to Saturday in June, July and August on course 107/108 (dep. Bürkliplatz 12:20, dep. Rapperswil 14:40, back at Bürkliplatz 16:50). On Sundays in June–August they run courses 105/106 (11:20) and 117/118 (17:20). There are no steamer trips in winter. The GA and Swiss Travel Pass are valid.
Yes. The Long and Short Lake Cruises run year-round; from 19 October to 12 December 2026 the winter timetable applies, with two Long Lake Cruises a day (11:20 and 13:20 from Bürkliplatz). The paddle steamers, the Mini Lake Cruise and the Limmat River Cruise only operate from 3 April to 18 October 2026. Until 18 October a reduced low-water timetable is in force — check the current situation at zsg.ch.
Book online at zsg.ch. For table reservations, Zürichsee Gastro can be reached at +41 44 487 13 13. GA and Swiss Travel Pass are not valid — a separate ZSG ticket is required.
Usually, yes. Bikes are taken along when there is room, but the ZSG is not obliged to carry them; you need an extra ZVV ticket (2nd class, reduced) or the SBB bike day pass (CHF 14). Bikes are not allowed on the Limmat boats. Dogs travel at the reduced fare.
Data: ZSG (Zürichsee Schifffahrtsgesellschaft AG), zsg.ch · Prices and timetables may change — verify current information at zsg.ch. Updated 8 October 2026.