Our 33 best bad weather ideas for Switzerland
Even though there's a saying that there's no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothes, sometimes you can't possibly deny the persistent rain and thick fog.
If you are looking for an activity for your children, with the family, alone or with your friends to create a fun bad weather program in Switzerland, our ideas will help you.
At the top of this page you can navigate through the bad weather ideas all over Switzerland and book your ticket right away. In this article, we will go into more detail about 33 ideas that you can all do in bad weather.
Indoor activities away from home in case of bad weather
Of course, indoor activities are perfect in bad weather. That's why here are some ideas on how to spend your day indoors and where to travel to do so.
Visit an Escape Room
While you are doing one exciting, tricky puzzle after another with your friends or family to escape from the room you are locked in, you won't be able to pay any attention to the weather. This way, time will fly by and maybe the sun will be shining again by the time you complete your mission.
Brave the rain while solving the puzzle (Photo: Escape Company GmbH)
An Escape Room is fun in any weather (Photo: Escape Company GmbH)Throw yourself into the floods
Yes, you can actually surf in Switzerland. And you can do it indoors. If you're not afraid of the water except in the form of rain and don't mind getting wet, indoor surfing or body boarding might be a good option for you. With a surfboard under your arm and flip-flops on your feet, you're guaranteed to feel like summer, even if it doesn't look like it outside.
Bodysurfing is perfect as a bad weather program (Photo: Xstream Park)
Just like indoor surfing (Photo: Xstream Park)Look at Switzerland in miniature
Just because it's bad weather outside doesn't mean you can't explore Switzerland. Right next to the Rhine Falls near Schaffhausen is the Smilestones. In this miniature world, which is reminiscent of the Miniatur Wunderland in Hamburg, a lovingly designed Switzerland with many details awaits you. So if you're looking for a bad weather program nearby, you don't have to go further than Smilestones.
And while you're there, why not visit the Rhine Falls afterwards? When it rains, the waterfall is even more impressive than it already is.
Plan your bad weather program at Smilestones
Here the sun always shinesVisit the Glasi Hergiswil
On the shores of beautiful Lake Lucerne, the "Glasi Hergiswil" glass factory has been producing its beautiful products by hand for over 200 years. On the museum tour you will learn everything about the history of this fascinating craft. Of course, there is also a window where you can watch the professionals at work and a factory store where the glass products are sold.
Treat yourself to a spa day
If homemade yogurt masks and salt-olive oil scrubs are too far for you, you can spend a few relaxing hours at a spa. Whether it's a sauna, a massage or a bubble bath, the bad weather will soon be forgotten. Some spas are located on mountain tops, like the one on the Rigi, and others you'll find in hotels or in cities.
Wellness on the Rigi (Photo: Rigi Bergbahnen)
Sit out the rain with a relaxing massage (Photo: Rigi Bergbahnen)Visit a chocolate factory
If you can't replenish your endorphins via the sun, at least chocolate will take care of that. So visit a chocolate factory and watch your happy hormones get going again. In Switzerland, there are several chocolate manufacturers that have set up a visitor center. You'll quickly forget that it's bad weather outside and you might miss something important.
Chocolate fountain at the House of Läderach (Photo: Seraina Zellweger)
Chocolate fountain at the Lindt Home of Chocolate (Photo: Seraina Zellweger)Visit a cheese factory
Chocolate and cheese go hand in hand in Switzerland. If you're more of a salty type, a visit to a show dairy might distract you from the bad weather. We have written a detailed article about cheese factories in Switzerland for you. Maybe there is one near you?
Spend a day at the museum of transport
The Museum of Transport in Lucerne is the most visited museum in Switzerland. And for good reason. There is so much on offer that you can easily spend a day in the exhibitions about the means of transport of the past and the future, in the planetarium with a journey into space, in the Swiss Chocolate Adventure or in the cinema with the largest screen in Switzerland. The weather is completely irrelevant.
Cinema at the Museum of Transport (Photo: Museum of Transport Lucerne)
Media World at the Museum of Transport (Photo: Museum of Transport Lucerne)Go to a museum
A visit to a museum is an absolute classic when the weather is bad and is always a good idea. Whether it's raining, snowing, foggy or just cold. If you have a museum pass - for example in the form of a Raiffeisenbank bank card - you can enjoy free admission to over 500 museums.
In our article about 15 extraordinary museums in Switzerland you will find even more inspiration for a museum visit of a special kind.
Let off steam in a swimming pool or water park
Swimming pools and water parks are a popular option when the weather isn't behaving the way you'd like it to. Pack your swimsuit and plunge into the waters.
- The 13 most exciting water parks in Switzerland
- Splash and Spa Ticino
- Alpamare Pfäffikon
- Säntispark Abtwil
Visit a zoo
Even if zoos don't only have indoor areas, they are a good opportunity to escape the weather for a while. This way, you can check right in with the animals to see how they behave in bad weather. Do they hide in a hole, brave the conditions, or take a nap inside under a cozy tree?
Watch a movie in the cinema
Fixated on the screen, a portion of popcorn in hand and a good company next door will quickly make you forget that the sun decided not to show itself today. Plan a spontaneous visit to the cinema and watch a good movie to escape the weather. At the Museum of Transport in Lucerne, for example, you have an exciting 3D evening program of feature films or an afternoon screening of documentaries.
Cinema at the Museum of Transport (Photo: Museum of Transport Lucerne)
Splash & Spa in Ticino (Photo: Splash & Spa)Immerse yourself in a virtual world
If you don't know what to do in bad weather, you always have the option to escape the real world and dive into a virtual one. At VRillant you can choose between different games that will definitely distract you from the current weather. The games in Lucerne and Zurich have poetic names like Tower Tag, Jungle Quest, Alice in Wonderland or Rotten Apple.
Escape the real world (Photo: VRilliant)
And dive into a VR game (Photo: VRillaint)Become a professional in making coffee
If you like coffee and have always wanted to know how baristas master their craft so perfectly, you'll love a barista course. There are providers all over Switzerland who will be happy to show you how to become a pro. During a taster course, you'll get an insight into the world of coffee and learn all about the origin, handling and preparation of this popular drink.
Take part in a creative workshop
You never stop learning. Even bad weather can't change that. If you want to learn something new, like making jewelry out of silver, painting ceramics or pouring concrete, get inspired by our workshops. Nothing makes you forget the weather easier than when you concentrate fully on something. And if something beautiful is created in the process, all the better. Or?
Visit a silver workshop (Photo: My masterpiece)
Make your own jewelry (Photo: My Masterpiece)Play a round of paintball
Bad weather and many resulting hours on the sofa can accumulate a lot of energy. An ideal outlet for this energy is a visit to a paintball arena, where you shoot paintballs at your opponent. There are different providers in Switzerland that offer indoor and outdoor paintball. Invite your friends and plunge into the colorful fun. But be careful! You should bring a certain pain tolerance and a readiness for bruises.
Have fun in an indoor amusement park
Indoor amusement parks are the perfect place to keep your kids busy. Be it jumping on the trampoline, climbing on the climbing wall or in a parkour zone, no one will get bored here. Of course, a visit to the trampoline is also suitable for the big kids, aka adults, as a bad weather program in Switzerland.
Indoor rope park (Photo: Outdoor Interlaken)
Trampoline jumping in Xstream ParkGo to a climbing hall
Climbing is a wonderful sport that can be done indoors or outdoors. If the weather doesn't permit a trip to the mountains, you have the option of going to a climbing gym to prove your skills at climbing or bouldering as Spiderman or Spiderwoman. If you don't have any equipment, you can rent it at the climbing gym and start your fight against gravity.
Indoor climbing at Freiruum (Photo: Freiruum)
Climbing gym Freiruum (Photo: Freiruum)Look at the largest collection of gems in the world
In Uznach in the canton of St. Gallen you will find the largest gemstone collection in the world. The gemstone center is over 2400 m² in size. Here you can admire an incredible abundance of precious, glittering and shining stones. If you wish, you can buy a specimen that you particularly like as a souvenir. Since the Gemstone Center is not a museum, gallery or exhibition, you don't have to pay an entrance fee. You can just walk by and enjoy the bright colors. So the unpleasant weather outside is soon forgotten.
Visit the tropical butterflies
In the Papiliorama in Kerzers, there are over 1000 butterflies to look at on an area of 1200 m². While it's raining cats and dogs outside, you can watch the tropical animals go about their daily business in the dry. The 120 plant species in the tropical climate under the spacious dome will immediately transport you into another world.
Afterwards, the Nocturama awaits you, where you can observe the nocturnal animals. Here, a bright full moon night is simulated during the day, when numerous animals such as bats, sloths and raccoons come out of their hiding places
Butterfly in the Papiliorama (Photo: MySwitzerland)
Bat (Photo: Pexels)Outdoor activities in bad weather
Outdoor? Yes, outdoor!
While everyone is heading to the safe and dry, you can take a chance and venture outside on an adventure. There is no such thing as bad weather, only bad preparation. Therefore our recommendation: Bring the right equipment.
With warm and rainproof clothes, some spare dry clothes, waterproof shoes and an umbrella, you'll be ready for anything. To estimate how waterproof you need to equip yourself, it helps to take a last look at the weather forecast before you go.
Go to Europapark
Have you ever been to Europapark and had to wait in line for over an hour at your favorite ride? If the weather is bad, that won't happen to you. Unless the weather is absolutely hideous or it's pouring rain, a day at Europapark can be a good bad weather option. Dress warmly and waterproofly, take a layer of spare clothes and you will hardly think about the bad weather because of the joy of the short waiting times.
If it does get too cold or wet, you can watch one of the many high-quality shows, visit an indoor roller coaster or take a break in one of the many restaurants.
You can visit Europapark even when the weather is not so nice (Photo: Europapark)
So you have to queue less at your favorite ride (Photo: Europapark)Go on a kayak tour
At first glance, kayaking seems to be something you do only when the weather is nice. But the lake is shrouded in a particularly mystical atmosphere when the sky is overcast and the raindrops hit the water beside you. Well dressed, a few hours in a kayak - on a guided tour or on your own - is an impressive experience.
The sun doesn't necessarily have to be shining for a kayak tour (Photo: Hightide Kayak School)
Dress warmly and discover the lake in a mystical atmosphere (Photo: Hightide Kayak School)Walk in a cave
Caves have one advantage. They are mostly waterproof, except for a few leaks, and have more or less the same temperature all year round. So you will definitely be spared from rain and the fog will not be able to penetrate inside the cave. The St. Beatus Caves on Lake Thun, the Hölloch in the canton of Glarus, the Bärenhöhle on Monte Generoso or the Nidlenloch in the canton of Solothurn are just a few caves that you can visit even in bad weather.
Visit the hellhole in bad weather (Photo: Trekking Team)
A cave is equally warm and dry or damp all year round (Photo: Trekking Team)Admire a waterfall
Waterfalls also depend on rain. So if it doesn't want to stop raining for several days, a visit to a waterfall can be very impressive. The Rhine Falls, by the way, are particularly impressive when the water masses have been accumulating for several days and are tumbling down the Rhine. But also the Trümmelbach Falls in Lauterbrunnen or the Reichenbach Falls in Meiringen are very impressive during or after the rainfall.
A waterfall is a good destination for your bad weather program (Photo: Seraina Zellweger)
Especially the Rhine Falls then carries a lot of water (Photo: Christof Zellweger)Go puddle hunting
When the weather is bad, puddles are in high season. If you're a kid or want to release your inner child once again, slip on your rubber boots and jump into any puddle you can find. With a warm shower, dry clothes and a hot cup of cocoa waiting for you at home, it doesn't matter if you're dripping wet afterwards.
Take a boat trip
Even on a ship, bright blue skies are not mandatory. In cloudy weather a boat trip can be a mystical and impressive experience, if the view is not completely blocked by the fog. Round trips are best if you want to stay completely dry. There is also the possibility to combine your ride with a brunch or a delicious lunch. With the right wind and weather protection you can venture out on the outside deck in between to warm up again afterwards in the inside area of the ship
Bad weather program for home
You don't necessarily have to leave home and plan a bad weather activity away from home. There are also things you can do in your own home. Here are our tips for you.
Bake a cake
When was the last time you baked a cake? Or dropped off some homemade cupcakes for your neighbors? If the weather is dampening your spirits, the delicious smell of a freshly baked cake or the sight of lovingly decorated cupcakes can brighten your day again.
Baking a cake lifts the bad weather mood (Photo: Pexels)
Try your favorite recipe and give someone a gift (Photo: Pexels)Practice you handlettering skills
Writing beautifully takes practice. If you created a folder on Pinterest a long time ago with all the beautiful lettering you'd like to try, now is the time. Create a beautiful card or write a saying to put on your fridge.
Create a photo book
The photos from your second-to-last vacation are still lying around in a box or gathering unsorted in a folder on your computer? Then it's high time to revel in the beautiful memories and compile them into an album.
Organize a mystery dinner
When it's raining, storming, snowing, foggy outside, or a tornado just blew by, the scene is set for an exciting evening with friends as you solve a murder mystery. Buy a playset, cook up something delicious and invite your friends over for a murder mystery dinner.
Enjoy a good movie
Annoying weather is perfect for continuing to watch your favorite show on Netflix or catching a good movie without a guilty conscience. With a bowl of popcorn and a comfy blanket, nothing can get in the way of your morning, afternoon or evening of movie entertainment.
Cinema with popcorn is THE bad weather program par excellence (Photo: Pexels)
Enjoy a rainy movie night (Photo: Pexels)Pamper yourself with a homemade spa
Recipes for homemade yogurt masks or scrubs abound. Check your pantries and fridge for spa-worthy ingredients, search the internet for your favorite recipe, and treat yourself to a pampering pack while the weather outside does its thing. For extra fine skin, by the way, make a face mask with Greek yogurt, a teaspoon of honey and a teaspoon of cocoa powder.
Create a herb garden
A small herb garden for the balcony is surprisingly easy to make. All you need are some cardboard cups or other containers, some soil and some herb seeds that you can get at specialty stores. And since plants need water to grow, as we all know, maybe rain has its place today?
Plant a herb garden (Photo: Pexels)
Here's how to harvest after a rainy day (Photo: Pexels)As you can see, even in bad weather, there are plenty of opportunities for you to keep busy. Choose your favorite activity for your bad weather program and show the rain, fog or storm that you're not impressed.
Because the sun will surely shine again.