The number of tourism arrivals has been rapidly developing in Switzerland. With up to 20 million international overnight stays, the Alpine country has lots to offer. The most famous region is Geneva, situated at its name giving lake. Similar to Austria, Switzerland has a distinctive winter and summer vacation season. Most international tourists come from Germany, quickly followed by the United Kingdom and the United States.
Best time to visit Switzerland for winter sports
If you travel to Switzerland to ski or snowboard, the best time to travel is obviously during the winter. It gets incredibly crowded on the slopes during the Christmas holidays, but things slow down again in January. It then gets busy again in February when school vacations in the Netherlands, Germany, and Austria enable many tourists to travel.
January - Good for winter sports
Although January is the slowest travel month globally when people prefer to stay at home after the Christmas holidays and with adverse weather in the Northern Hemisphere, this doesn’t apply to travels to Switzerland. While January is a slow month in the nation’s capital, it is mid-season in the mountains. January is a perfect month for a ski trip in the Swiss Alps as the biggest crowds will be staying away until February. January weather in Switzerland is ideal for skiing but horrible for a city trip: cold and wet. January weather in Switzerland is diverse, but snow and freezing temperatures can be expected in the mountains. In Switzerland, the average maximum temperature is 4 degrees Celsius (39 Fahrenheit), and it rains eight days per month on average.
Winter sports: January is a perfect month for winter sports.
City trip (Geneva/ Lucerne /etc): Low crowds but adverse weather make January not great for an Swiss city trip.
Summer mountain activities: Nope. It is not happening. It is winter.
February - Busy in the mountains
February is a slow month in Switzerland, but for winter sports, it is peak season. Hotels are packed in ski resorts, but most hotel rooms remain empty when you get away from the snow. February is an excellent month to ski to Switzerland, but we recommend postponing a city trip until the weather starts improving in late March. In February, the average maximum temperature in Switzerland is about 6 degrees Celsius (43 Fahrenheit), and it rains on 7 of 28 days.
Winter sports: Busy month for winter sports.
City trip: Expect bad weather & low crowds.
Summer mountain activities: Still not happening.
February - Busy in the mountains
February is a slow month in Switzerland, but for winter sports, it is peak season. Hotels are packed in ski resorts, but most hotel rooms remain empty when you get away from the snow. February is an excellent month to ski to Switzerland, but we recommend postponing a city trip until the weather starts improving in late March. In February, the average maximum temperature in Switzerland is about 6 degrees Celsius (43 Fahrenheit), and it rains on 7 of 28 days.
Winter sports: Busy month for winter sports.
City trip: Expect bad weather & low crowds in Swiss cities.
Summer mountain activities: Still not happening.
March - Great deals!
As the snow melts, Switzerland witnesses a shift in tourism. While the ski resorts get emptier, the cities fill up with tourists seeking cultural experiences. In Switzerland, the weather improves quickly in March. Although it can still be cold and rainy, March brings spring joy, and the city comes to life. Either on the slopes or in the city, you need to be lucky with the weather. That means you need cold weather in the Alps or warm weather in the city to make your stay truly enjoyable. The temperature is slowly rising, but the rain is not going away. In March, the average maximum temperature in Switzerland is 11 degrees Celsius (52 Fahrenheit), while it rains on about eight days that month.
Winter sports: March is a perfect month for winter sports with relatively low crowds, good snow conditions higher in the mountains, and great travel bargains.
City trip: March allows for a city trip in Switzerland, but you have to be lucky with the weather.
Summer mountain activities: Although ski lifts are still operational and paths have not been cleared yet, you can start hiking in March.
April - Busy around Easter
April is the last month where you can enjoy the slopes. Although some areas, like the glacier in Kaprun, remain operational well into summer, most of the 400+ ski resorts close mid-April. The weather in Switzerland is still unpredictable, but it gets warmer as the summer nears. April is an excellent month to visit Geneva, Lucerne or other cities because the bigger crowds have not yet arrived. You do have to be lucky with the weather as rain can ruin your day.
It can get busy around Easter. Easter is one of the busiest weekends for almost all of Europe’s major destinations. Easter takes place on a different date each year; in 2022, the Christian holiday happens halfway through April.
In April, the weather in Switzerland starts to improve quickly. As the month progresses, the temperature rises. The average maximum temperature is 17 degrees Celsius (45 Fahrenheit), with rain about seven days this month.
Winter sports: Most ski areas close halfway through April. Higher situated ski resorts stay open throughout the month.
City trip: With quickly improving weather, April is a good month for a city trip in Switzerland but stay clear of the crowded Easter weekend.
Summer mountain activities: With improving weather, April can be an exciting month to hike in the Alps as long as you are lucky with the weather.
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May - Good pre-season month
May is a pre-season month and brings warmer weather and more tourists to Geneva, Lucerne, and other major summer destinations. Switzerland has lots of public holidays, and the majority of those holidays are spread over May and early June. During those holidays, domestic tourism briefly peaks, while international arrivals also start to increase. May is most definitely not peak season (yet).
Overall, May is an excellent month to visit Switzerland. The weather is improving, and it is not too busy yet. It gets warmer at the end of the month. The average maximum temperature throughout the month is 21 degrees Celsius (70 Fahrenheit) while it rains on eight days in the country’s capital.
Winter sports: Except for some glaciers, May brings an end to the winter fun.
City trip: If you stay clear from the public holidays in Switzerland, May is a perfect month for a city trip.
Summer mountain activities: The first hiking huts reopen in May, and the weather improves quickly but be aware of possible bad weather days.
June - our favorite month to visit Switzerland
The Swiss summer truly kicks off in June when the weather improves every day. Unlike the other summer months, June is relatively quiet. Most schools in Europe are still in session, and the school vacations in Switzerland have not started either. The average maximum temperature in Switzerland will climb to about 25 degrees Celsius (77 Fahrenheit) in June with some hot days. It rains slightly more in the summer in Switzerland than in the winter, with about nine days in June.
We believe June is a perfect month to visit any region in Switzerland. The cities can get hot but most of the days are very pleasant.
Winter sports: It is summer, no winter sports.
City trip: Without the craziness of peak season but with good weather, June is a good month for a city trip to Lucerne or any other major city.
Summer mountain activities: June is a perfect month to spend in Switzerland’s mountains with great weather and almost no crowds.
July - Peak season starts in Switzerland
Crowds start to increase rapidly as the summer gets into full swing. Swiss schools are out for the summer, and Europeans start to travel massively. July brings out the best of the cities and the Alps. You can enjoy great weather with very few rainy days, and there are endless opportunities to explore Switzerland’s diverse nature in July. Outside the cities and some hotspots, you can quickly get away from the crowds. Although the Liechtensteinklamm, Zell am See, or the Krimml waterfalls can get busy, any nearby operational ski lift will bring you to mostly deserted mountains. The only crowd that will bother you on top of those mountains are herds of grass grazing cows.
July weather in Switzerland is close to perfect, which makes it the ideal month to visit. If you want to avoid crowds, we recommend skipping the cities and significant hotspots. However, since travel might still be slow in 2021 due to COVID-19, it might be the perfect year to travel to Switzerland in the peak season. The average maximum temperature is 27 degrees Celsius while it rains on about nine days.
Winter sports: No winter sports in July.
City trip: It can get (too) busy in July. The start of the month is better than towards August.
Summer mountain activities: July is perfect for summer activities in Switzerland.
August - Peak season!
Like most other major tourist destinations in Europe, the peak season in Switzerland reaches ultimate hights August. August is simply the busiest month of the year for summer tourism in Switzerland. Needless to say, there are no winter sports in the middle of summer. Although it can always rain in Switzerland, the weather is perfect, with sunny day temperatures quickly going up to 30+ degrees Celsius (86 Fahrenheit). The average maximum temperature in Switzerland is 27 degrees Celsius (81 Fahrenheit), with rain on about eight days.
When you travel to Switzerland in August, it is best to plan. Crowds can be significant at the most popular tourist destinations such as Lucerne. An intelligent way of planning is booking timed entry to tourist attractions or visiting them in the morning.
Winter sports: Unless princess Elsa changes the weather, no winter activities in the middle of summer.
City trip: August can get too crowded for a city trip in Switzerland.
Summer mountain activities: The mountains show themselves from their best side in summer, with all huts open and lifts operational for summer activities.
September in Switzerland
The late season in Switzerland starts in September when most tourists are back at work. September usually brings excellent weather to Switzerland, but it becomes more unpredictable. Bad September weather means that torrential showers show up to ruin your day, but this rarely happens. If you can change your plans on short notice, we recommend keeping an eye on weather conditions and planning your day according to the weather. The average maximum temperature will drop to 21 degrees Celsius (70 Fahrenheit) while it rains on seven days in Geneva.
Winter sports: No winter sports in September.
City trip: If you are lucky with the weather, September is a good month for a city trip in Switzerland.
Summer mountain activities: One of the last good months is hiking or biking in the Alps.
October - Slow month in Switzerland
October is a slow travel month in Switzerland. Although autumn in the lower regions of the Alps brings beautifully colored forests, weather conditions are highly unpredictable. October is certainly a good month to travel to Switzerland as long as you prepare for rain and wish for the sun. The first glaciers, including Kaprun, will open for winter sports operations halfway through the month. However, even in the higher areas, most hotels and bars will remain shut until early December. The average temperature will drop to about 15 degrees Celsius (59 Fahrenheit) with rain on six days.
Winter sports: The first glaciers will open for winter sports halfway through the month. Most areas remain closed.
City trip: The weather is unpredictable in October, but October can be a great month to travel in Switzerland with relatively low crowds if you are lucky.
Summer mountain activities: The weather can be bad, and most huts are closed. Lifts are usually not operational.
November - Bad month to visit Switzerland
Visiting Switzerland in November is not the best timing. Although the crowds are relatively low, there is an apparent reason why: the weather. November weather in Switzerland can be cold, wet, and highly unpredictable. The winter sports season hasn’t started yet, and rain will ruin most city trips. However, if you are lucky with the weather or only plan indoor events, November can be an excellent month to visit, for example, Lucerne, as the crowds will be extremely low. It will rain on about eight days while the average maximum temperature drops to 9 degrees Celsius (48 Fahrenheit).
Winter sports: Some ski areas are operational with artificial snow. If you are lucky with the weather and get snow, some areas open early.
City trip: With bad weather, November is not a great month for an city trip in Switzerland.
Summer mountain activities: Not happening.
December - Christmas holidays bring big crowds
The Christmas Holidays bring lots of tourists to Switzerland’s ski resorts. Geneva sees some Christmas shopping tourists, but international arrivals don’t peak like they do in summer. Overall, December is the busiest winter month as people around the world have holidays. Around Christmas and New Year’s Evening, you’ll find the priciest hotel rooms, and there is a surge in ticket prices. Meanwhile, in the mountains, the ski season kicks off. Although most significant resorts can produce snow, there may be no natural snowfall until January. During the holidays, it is jam-packed in the ski resorts. With good weather, you’ll experience some of the busiest winter sports days of the year. The average maximum temperature is 5 degrees Celsius (41 Fahrenheit). In December, you can find the famous Christmas markets throughout the country.
Winter sports: Lower areas are often still without snow, and it gets incredibly crowded during the Christmas holidays.
City trip: It can get busy around the holidays, and the weather is not so great.
Summer mountain activities: Not happening in winter.
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