When you are traveling abroad with the whole family, it can be difficult to keep the kids entertained. Few kids want to walk around an art museum for hours on end, and they’ll be sure to complain about it. If you plan to travel to the beautiful country of Switzerland, you may be worrying about what activities your family will do. To make sure your trip is enjoyable for the entire family, here are 5 fun things to do with your kids in Switzerland this winter.
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Aathal Dinosaur Museum
Location: Seegräben
When: Tuesday-Saturday: 10am-5pm
Sunday: 10am-6pm
Monday: Closed
Tickets: $21 for adults; $11 for kids
Take yourself and your kids back to prehistoric times and explore the Aathal Dinosaur Museum, the only dinosaur museum in Switzerland. The kiddos can tour the different exhibits that showcase the past lives of dinosaurs. They can also see exhibits displaying what life would’ve been like for dinosaurs in modern times. Not only will your kids have a great time, but so will you. You can learn about the history of the Stegosaurus while seeing the archaic bones of Pterosaurs. There are over 645 exhibits with 19 special dinosaur exhibits for you and your family to explore. The museum focuses its dinosaur displays on original bones that were found in Switzerland. You can find up to 42 dinosaur skull replications and 31 large-scale dinosaur models throughout the museum. If you want to learn more about the history of the dinosaur bones, you can sign up for a guided tour of the entire museum. It is the perfect activity for your whole family when you are visiting Switzerland. There is so much to see inside—you may even end up spending the entire day there!
Aathal Dinosaur Museum – Credit: Roland zh / Wikimedia Commons
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Jungfraujoch
Location: Jungfraujoch
When: December to April
Tickets: $91
Your kids will be in awe of the extraordinary scenery of Switzerland visible from a train ride on the Jungfrau Railway. It will take you from Kleine Scheidegg to Jungfraujoch, the highest railway station in Europe. Your train will be lined with windows so you can see the Swiss mountains as you travel beneath a man-made underground tunnel. This train will feel like a rollercoaster to your kids, though it’ll only be moving upwards. You’ll be able to sit back and relax as you enjoy the amazing views that Switzerland has to offer. Then in no time, you’ll arrive at Jungfraujoch at an elevation of 3,454 meters. Jungfraujoch sits in the Bernese Alps and is a saddle connecting the summits Jungfrau and Mönch. This will be an incredible journey for your whole family. Your kids will be in constant awe—and so will you. Once you arrive at the top of Jungfraujoch, you can visit the Sphinx Observatory to get a better view of the Bernese Alps. After, make your way over to the Top of Europe building and grab some dinner with an unbeatable view before your train departs. Everyone is sure to love this Swiss adventure, so don’t miss out on it when you visit.
Jungfraujoch
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Basel Zoo
Location: Basel
When: November-February
8am-5:30pm
Tickets: $43 for families; $21 for adults; $19 for seniors; $15 for youth; $10 for children
You can never go wrong with bringing your kids to the zoo when traveling abroad. They’ll get to see new animals from around the world that they might have only seen on TV. At the Basel Zoo, you’ll see dwarf mongooses, macaque, white-faced saki, bison, kudu, okapi and other extraordinary animals! You can see a list of all the different types of animals on the Basel Zoo website. If you want to learn more information about the specific animals that live at the Basel Zoo, you can go on a guided tour. There are many types of tours you can take, including a tour of the zoo, monkey house, aquariums and more. You can even request a special theme for your tour to customize it to your kids’ interests! Some of these themes include evolution, camouflage, warnings and deception, bionics and more. All tours can be conducted in English—including the themed ones. Let your kids see some of the animals that roam the lands of Switzerland by taking them to the Basel Zoo.
Basel Zoo – Credit: © Traumrune / Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 3.0
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Lenzerheide
Location: Graubünden
When: December to April
Tickets: $75 for adult day pass; $64 for senior day pass; $50 for youth day pass; $25 for children’s day pass
You can’t take your kids on a family vacation to Switzerland without visiting at least one ski resort. At Lenzerheide, all the activities and events are designed for family fun. Here, there is something for everyone in the family to enjoy! Spend your day skiing or snowboarding down the snowy Swiss mountains, or hop on a ski lift for a full view of the resort. If you have some skiing or snowboarding enthusiasts in your family, you can even take them for sunrise or moonlight rides down the slopes. Your kids will be jumping with excitement over the adventures they’ll have at Lenzerheide. And if you’re worried about missing out on sledding with them this winter, don’t! This resort has sleds that you can take down the bunny slopes with your kids. But the best part about this resort is that they have programs designated just for the little ones. Every day there is a new activity for your kids to enjoy. So check your travel dates to see what activity fits your kids’ interests the best, and plan accordingly! Some of the special activities include a mini cross country course, a night by the campfire, a trek through the resort’s Magic Forest, and a puppet show! A family trip to Lenzerheide will not let you down, so buy your tickets today.
Lenzerheide
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Chillon Castle
Location: Veytaux
When: November to February
10am-5pm
Tickets: $12.50 for adults; $6 for children
The Chillon Castle is located along the shores of the Geneva Lake and looks like it is straight out of a fairytale. The castle is surrounded by a fortress that protects it from the outside world. You can access the castle by crossing over a bridge that goes through this outer fortress. Your kids will love the authenticity of this real-life castle; it’ll be as if one of their video games (or books) is coming to life! Once you pass the fortress you can explore the grounds of the castle. Inside there are four courtyards, underground rooms, three formal banquet halls, chambers, a chapel and more. However, the best room in the entire castle is the weapons room. Your kids will rave over the original weaponry they have only seen online. They will love this castle and you’ll love the smile it brings to their faces. The castle’s staff even hosts special days designated for children. They can dress up as princesses for a day or play the role of a wizard’s apprentice! These are just two of the many special activities that your kids can participate in at the castle. A tour of the Chillon Castle is perfect for any child who is a fantasy lover. You can even let your kids dress up in medieval times to get hilarious and adorable photos of your little kings and queens defending the Chillon Castle. It’s a perfectly magical place to visit as a family on your winter adventure!
Chillon Castle – Credit: Luca Florio / Flickr
So, want to make sure everyone in the family is satisfied with fun on your Swiss winter adventure? These are the things to put on the list!
Hannah Parker
Hannah is a writer for trekbible and dreams of being an investigative journalist, or maybe a world traveling videographer, or perhaps the next voice of NPR; basically Hannah wants to be a multimedia journalist. Her voice is too big for her small body so she likes to stand on tall surfaces and shout very, very loudly. Hannah has many passions (some including poetry and the occasional chicken nugget or two) but is always searching for her next hobby.
