The Ultimate Travel Guide to Rhine Waterfalls, Switzerland

Overview of Rhine Falls:

The whistling sound of blue turquoise water, picturesque greenery, stiff rocks, red boats, everything makes Rhine Waterfall, an amazing, glorious & heavenly place to alleviate the workload. Rhine waterfall is one of the largest waterfalls situated in the heart of Switzerland & has become a spectacular tourist attraction for a fun holiday. In this blog section, we are going to get the basic information about the Rhine falls,  which you can grab before planning a trip to Switzerland.

Rhine Falls are Europe’s most powerful waterfall and are located in the north of Switzerland. There are two sides to the waterfall.

1. Northern Banks – Has a long promenade along the Rhine river. The falls are visible from a distance
2. Southern Banks – This entrance takes you through Schloss Laufen (Castle of Laufen) to multiple terraces that give you a view of the Rhine Falls from several vantage points. You can get close enough to get wet!

I find the Southern Banks to be vastly superior to the Northern one since you can get up close to the waterfall from this side. You can stroll over the train bridge from the Southern side to the Northern side as well.

Best Time To Visit Rhine Falls Switzerland:

The cool splashy water looks amazing on the body when you get tired from the scorching heat and can’t wait for the bathing or swimming. The recommended time to visit Rhine falls in Switzerland is from May to June due to the peak amount of water. However, if you are planning boat trips with your family, you can visit from April to October because the wide array of boats are available during this time.

How to Get to Rhine Falls?

The Rhine Falls can be reached by train and by car. The easiest way to reach the Rhine Falls is taking a train to either the station called ‘Neuhausen Rhinefall’ or ‘Schloss Laufen am Rhinefall’. Both stations are located right next to the falls. It takes 45 – 60 minutes train ride from Zurich to get there.

If you travel by car, you can use one of the parking lots near Schloss Laufen either P5 or P6 parking lot or near Schlössli Wörth either P1, P2 or P3 parking lot. If there’s no parking space left you can park on parking lots farther away as well, from where you can take a bus to the Rhine Falls. Rhine Falls is located at ‘Schloss Laufen Rheinfall’ bus station.

OPENING HOURS

Northern Banks – 24 hours free access

Southern Banks – Opening hours for ticketing:

June-Aug                                                08:00 -19:00

Apr/May & Sep/Oct                                 09:00 -18:00

Nov/Feb/Mar                                           09:00 -17:00

Dec/Jan                                                  10:00-16:00

TICKET PRICES:

Northern Banks – No entrance fee

Southern Banks – 5 CHF per adult entrance fee. Tickets can be bought at the site or online

Things to Do in Rhine Falls 

Take photographs of the breath-taking scenery of Rhine Falls

The best thing to do in Rhine Falls is photography, which is almost everyone's favorite activity to cherish the happy moments in life. There is no entry-fee to see the astounding views of thunderous falls. You can take the few stops to fully enjoy the wavy falls from all over the platforms before climbing up the stairs. 

The most popular thing to do in Rhine Falls is not surprisingly, to walk down to a viewpoint at the base of the waterfall. This is where you can literally feel the thundering water roar underneath your feet. Another Rhine Falls attraction is to take a boat out into the Rhine River, to get even more up-close and personal with the waterfall.

Boat riding

Boat rides are awesome activities for both kids and parents where you can sing a song, according to the current scenes. Remember, the entrance on the Rhine waterfall is free. But to sit on a colorful boat, you have to purchase for either a short-time round trip or a long-time round boat trip.

If watching the Rhine Falls from the river banks isn’t good enough for you, you can choose from 4 different boat rides for a more exhilarating experience. Take the short 15-minute round trip that gets as close as possible to the falls. The Rhine Falls boat rides are color coded to make your choice easier.

All tours depart from and end at Schlössli Wörth, except for the ferry crossing which runs between Schlössli Wörth and Laufen Castle.


Rhine Falls Boat Ride Dates & Times

You can enjoy a Rhine Falls boat ride from April to October. The opening times are as follow:

April and October – 11:00 – 17:00

May and September – 10:00 – 18:00

June, July, and August – 09:30 – 18:30

Feeling Hungry? Eat Buffets

The good thing is you don’t need to go outside to search for food. Several eateries, cafe shops are there that provide tasty meals in the most affordable budget.

The best restaurant near to the waterfall is Schloessli Woerth. Totally would recommend to anyone visiting the waterfalls.

Final Thoughts

A wonderful experience overall. Wear good running shoes because it is a lot of hiking. Explore different paths to have new experiences. Good Luck!