Close enough to get wet.
The Rhine Falls and the Black Forest in one private day.
An hour north of Zurich the Rhine goes over a ledge a hundred and fifty metres wide, and the boat out to the rock standing in the middle of it is the reason people make the trip. This private tour puts you on that rock and then crosses the border for Stein am Rhein and the Black Forest. Half a day if you turn round at the water, a full one if you carry on into Germany.
- Duration
- Half a day if you turn round at the falls, and a full one if the Black Forest goes in as well.
- Pickup
- Zurich, with the falls sitting an hour to the north of the city.
- Group size
- A private driver, a plan built for your party, and the boat tickets held before you arrive.
- Season
- Loudest in spring when the snowmelt comes down off the Alps, and running perfectly well for the rest of the year.
An hour north of Zurich the Rhine drops over a limestone ledge a hundred and fifty metres wide, and in spring, when the snow is coming off the Alps, six hundred cubic metres of water go over it every second. It is the most powerful waterfall in Europe and it is on our doorstep.
The lift takes you down to the platforms at the water. Then a boat runs out to the rock that stands in the middle of the falls, and you climb the steps inside it and stand on top with the river going past on both sides. That last part is the reason to come.
A full day, or a comfortable half day out of Zurich, depending on how far into Germany you want to go. A private driver who guides, boat tickets held, and passports worth having with you.
Written about this day
Coming back, the road passes closer to Appenzell than to anywhere else worth stopping, though that is a day of its own. Other days out of Zurich are on the private tours page. The same lake country taken slowly is Lake Lucerne by private boat. In December the drive north is worth making for the Christmas markets instead, and Basel is at the end of it.