During our trip to Zürich, we couldn’t resist the chance to embark on a trip to Europe’s biggest waterfall, the majestic Rhine Falls! In a country full of natural splendours, the Rhine Falls still stands out. Although there are ways to reach the falls by public transport but we thought that the benefits of taking a tour would be worth the extra cost. We took our tour to the Rhine Falls with Best of Switzerland Tours and here is the full review.
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Contents
The Coach from Zürich
Our journey began at the coach park next to Zürich HB. We took our ticket voucher and exchanged it for a sticker at the little white booth, which I probably dropped twice. I affixed it to my bag and hopped on board., claiming two seats and settling in. This coach was a little older than the double-decker we took on our JungrauJoch tour with Best of Switzerland, but still, it was clean and comfortable. We drove for around 45 minutes, taking a little deto to pass through a very cute village with typical half-timber houses.
The coach pulled up and half of the group decamped for photos with the big Rheinfall sign. The ever-patient guide Fatima gave everyone a few minutes and then gathered us back together and walked us to the lift. These glass lifts very nearly give you a glimpse of the falls but they are very slightly around the corner so they don’t spoil the surprise.
If you are visiting Zürich, check out our blog “How to Spend 2 days in Zurich”.
The Boat
Everyone on the tour opted to pay a little extra for the chance to get close to the falls on a motorboat. The group were all given their tickets and clambered on board/ The captain aimed the bow at the base of the rushing water. It was a battle of wills as the engines fought the force of the falls. At this point, the weather was pretty grey and rainy so we all had our raincoats on anyway, but it was good to have them as the spray came straight towards us.
The Observation Decks
Then it was time to get really up close and personal. The large concrete promontory that sticks out in front of the falls isn’t the prettiest or most sympathetic structure, but it kept our legs dry as the water crashed past at 600m³ per second. The spray fell like rain and whipped up by the wind of the waterfall chilled our faces. We got some photos and a quick real for Instagram before making our way up to the next viewing point.
Coming out from the rock, the covered concrete platform was mere feet from the plummeting white water. It looked like you could just reach out and touch it…but that was probably a bad plan so I didn’t try, lest I lose a finger. From here, we watched the other tour that the boats run. The motorboat heads to the large rock in the centre where visitors can disembark and have a walk. It clearly took some real skill to get the boat there safely. It was a shame that we didn’t have time to do this as my inner geography geek would have loved it (and in 100,000 years, that rock might be inaccessible so best to visit now)!
The final spot was a large open terrace overlooking the river and the top of the drop. It was strange that as the river opened up, I could see the volume of water, but lost almost all sense of the waterfall itself. I kept imagining what would happen if you were happily travelling along the Rhine years ago then you notice the water moving a little faster, the roar of the distant falls starting to creep in and realising that you were a LONG way from either river bank. It was a scary thought.
Laufen Castle
After catching the lift back up, we took a look inside Schloss Laufen. There has been a castle here for over 1200 years in some form or another. It has amazing views of the falls below. Inside, the museum’s exhibitions range from information about the castle’s history to mock-ups of the way people lived within its walls through different eras. There are also some quite strange rooms, one lined with singing portraits and another featuring a fake train ride. It is a fun distraction, but we zipped through quite quickly.
With a little time to kill and the sun, making an unusual appearance, we decided to grab a drink and snack and hang out in the children’s play park. We really climbed and we really slid. The park area, opposite the pretty church, and next to the crenellated ramparts was a lovely spot for a picnic.
We made it back to the coach bang on time as Fatima rounded up the unbothered stragglers.
Top Tip for Taking Tours: Be at the designated meeting point at the designated meeting time or you will be judged!
Final Thoughts on This Tour to the Rhine Falls with Best of Switzerland
Visiting the Rhine Falls with Best of Switzerland, was an interesting mix of independent travel and guided tour. It was nice to have the convenience of a coach both ways and to be pointed in the right direction for the boat and the tours, but I did enjoy the chance to explore on our own for some portions. I wish we had more time at the Rhine Falls; to take one of the nature trails or hop on the train to see the view from the viaduct…but I guess we kind of did in the museum. Overall, it was a brilliant way to spend half a day during a trip to Zürich and a great way to visit the Rhine Falls.
Rosie xx