What's a good 3-day itinerary for Zurich?

Day 1 stays within the Altstadt, both banks of the Limmat. Start at Lindenhof hill by 8:30am, when the stone benches are still cool and the terrace is nearly empty. You can see straight across to Grossmünster's twin towers on the opposite bank. Walk downhill to Fraumünster by 9am. The church dates to 853, and the five Chagall stained-glass windows installed in 1970 are the reason to go, at 5 CHF admission. Cross the Münsterbrücke to Grossmünster, completed in 1201, and climb the Karlsturm tower for another 5 CHF. The 187 steps get narrow near the top. By 11:30am you'll be at street level in Niederdorf. Lunch at Sternen Grill on Bellevueplatz runs about 9 CHF for the signature bratwurst with a Bürli roll. The smell of charred pork fat carries across the square from half a block away. Walk Bahnhofstrasse afterward and stop at Sprüngli for Luxemburgerli, the small layered biscuits this confectionery has sold since 1836. Dinner at Zeughauskeller, the 1487 arsenal turned beer hall, where Zürcher Geschnetzeltes in cream sauce costs about 38 CHF.

Day 2 groups the two largest museums with an afternoon on the lake. National Museum Zurich sits directly behind Hauptbahnhof inside a turreted building from 1898. It opens at 10am. The permanent Swiss history galleries are free, and temporary exhibitions run about 10 CHF. Walk east about 15 minutes to Kunsthaus Zürich at Heimplatz, founded in 1819 and expanded with the Chipperfield extension in 2021. The collection holds Giacometti bronzes, Hodler alpine landscapes, and the Bührle Collection acquired in 1960. Admission is 23 CHF. Lunch at Kronenhalle on Rämistrasse, where original Chagalls and Picassos hang above white-linen tables and a Wiener Schnitzel costs about 52 CHF. Walk 5 minutes south to Bürkliplatz afterward and board a 90-minute lake cruise for about 14 CHF. The water tends to stay swimmable through September, around 20°C by late August, and you'll see locals jumping off the Frauenbadi wooden deck near Stadthausquai. Dinner in Seefeld at Razzia, a 1930s cinema turned restaurant, where pasta dishes start at 26 CHF.

Day 3 starts at Hauptbahnhof. Take the S10 to Uetliberg, a 20-minute ride covered by the ZVV day pass at 13.60 CHF for zones 110 through 150. The summit sits at 871 metres, and on a clear morning you might see the Glarner Alps to the south and the Jura range to the northwest. The observation tower adds another 70 steps. Mind you, the wind is steady up there even in late August, so bring a layer. Come back down by noon and take tram 7 to Museum Rietberg in Rieter Park, Enge district. The museum opened in 1952 inside Villa Wesendonck, where Richard Wagner wrote parts of Tristan und Isolde in the 1850s. Admission is 18 CHF. On warm afternoons Rieter Park smells like cut grass, and you'll find families stretched out on the slopes under old-growth beeches. For a final dinner, walk to Hiltl on Sihlstrasse. It has operated since 1898 as the world's longest-running vegetarian restaurant. The buffet runs about 5 CHF per 100 grams.

Zurich's tram network covers every stop on this itinerary. A 24-hour ZVV pass for the central zone costs 8.80 CHF. From Zurich Airport, the S2 and S16 trains reach Hauptbahnhof in 10 to 12 minutes for 6.80 CHF. Worth noting, the Zurich Card at 27 CHF for 24 hours or 53 CHF for 72 hours bundles transit with museum admission and lake boats, which likely covers its own cost if you follow this itinerary. Tap water is drinkable from the city's 1,200-plus public fountains. Budget roughly 80 to 120 CHF per day for meals, entries, and transport, or about 99 to 148 USD at the current rate.