Zurich Open-top Tour and Chocolate and Cheese Countryside

Zurich is only the opening act. I like the mix of open-top city sightseeing and quiet countryside stops, and the visits to Chocolarium and the Appenzeller cheese factory give the day a tasty Swiss theme. The main drawback is organization: you do not get a separate guide, and clear instructions at the meeting point and stops matter.

This $123 outing covers a lot of ground in nine hours, from Lake Zurich to the cobbled streets of Appenzell. I especially like that you get free time in the village rather than only a quick photo stop, but the schedule is full and lunch is not included.

Key points to know before booking

• Zurich comes first: See the Swiss National Museum, Rietberg Museum, Lake Zurich, historic squares, parks, and other city sights from an open-top sightseeing bus.
• Chocolate gets 75 minutes: Maestrani’s Chocolarium combines a visit, tasting opportunities, shopping, and time to look around.
• Cheese is a tasting stop: The Appenzeller Schaukäserei introduces local cheese and offers a 45-minute visit, but no cheese production is included.
• Appenzell gets one hour: You can walk its cobbled streets, photograph colorful buildings, and visit Landsgemeindeplatz.
• The day includes long bus stretches: The listed transfers take about three hours in total, so this suits you if you prefer seeing several places in one outing.
• Meeting-point care is important: The bus leaves from Zurich Central Bus Station Sihlquai, and the company asks you to look for the Swisstours bus or office and speak directly with the driver.

Why this Zurich and Appenzell combination works

Many Switzerland day trips force you to choose between a city and the countryside. This one gives you both, though neither receives a full day. You begin in Zurich, Switzerland’s major banking center, then head east toward St. Gallen canton and the Appenzell area for food, village streets, and rolling hills.

I see the appeal for a first visit. Zurich can feel hard to read in a short stay, while Appenzell offers a more traditional Swiss setting with colorful façades and mountain views. The chocolate and cheese stops also give the day a clear purpose. You are not simply riding a bus past scenery. You have places to enter, things to taste, and time to wander.

The trade-off is pace. This is a nine-hour outing with several transfers, and the journey back to Zurich takes about 75 minutes. If you want a slow village day or a detailed guided visit inside every attraction, this will feel hurried. If you want a broad introduction with minimal planning, the format makes sense.

Starting at Zurich Central Bus Station Sihlquai

Your day begins at Zurich Central Bus Station Sihlquai. The instructions say to look for the Swisstours bus and office, then go directly to the driver. That sounds simple, but you should arrive with the meeting point clearly saved on your phone and allow time to identify the correct vehicle.

This detail deserves attention because one poor experience involved confusion at the station, difficulty finding the bus, and being told to get off after approaching the driver. Another person missed part of the outing after not understanding where to get off. Those problems do not prove that every departure is difficult, but they do tell you to confirm the bus name, show your booking details, and ask the driver to explain the day’s stops before leaving.

The driver speaks English. A driver-guide is included in the tour description, but a separate guide is not. That distinction matters. You should expect transport and basic direction rather than the constant commentary of a dedicated city guide.

Zurich from the open top

The first section is a sightseeing bus tour through Zurich. The route includes the Swiss National Museum, Rietberg Museum, Lake Zurich, parks, museums, and historic squares. You see these places from the bus rather than receiving long visits inside them.

An open-top bus is useful here because it gives you a wide view of the city. On a clear day, you can take photographs without a window reflection, and you get a better sense of how Zurich’s neighborhoods connect. Sit where you can see both sides of the road if possible, since city routes rarely offer the same view throughout.

The Swiss National Museum is one of the major cultural markers on the route. The Rietberg Museum adds another museum reference, while Lake Zurich provides a change from urban streets. The value is not deep exploration. It is orientation. After this introduction, you will know which parts of Zurich deserve a longer visit if you return.

The tour is a good match for you if Zurich is a short stop on a larger Swiss trip. It is less suitable if you have already planned several days in the city and want inside visits to museums or extended time by the lake. The sightseeing bus section gives you a broad look, not a museum day.

The 80-minute ride to Maestrani’s Chocolarium

After the Zurich circuit, you have an approximately 80-minute bus journey to Maestrani’s Chocolarium. This is one of the longest transfers of the day, so think of it as part of the experience rather than dead time. You are leaving the city for the northeastern Swiss countryside, and the change in setting is central to the tour.

At Chocolarium, you have 75 minutes for a visit, photographs, sightseeing, and shopping. The attraction focuses on how Swiss chocolate is made, and you can taste a range of chocolate treats. For many people, this will be the most immediately enjoyable stop because it combines an indoor attraction with a simple reward at the end: chocolate in your hand.

The time is enough for a focused visit, but not for an unhurried afternoon. If you want to buy gifts, leave time for the shop rather than spending every minute on the display areas. Families and chocolate fans will likely find this stop easy to enjoy. If you do not care for sweets, its importance to the day drops considerably.

I also like the balance here. The tour does not ask you to spend the entire day in a factory setting. It gives you a compact introduction before moving on to cheese and the village. That keeps the food theme varied.

Appenzeller cheese in 45 minutes

The next drive takes about 30 minutes to the Appenzeller Schaukäserei. The visit lasts 45 minutes and includes photographs and time at the cheese factory. You can explore the traditional Appenzeller cheese and taste different varieties of this well-known Swiss specialty.

There is an important limitation: cheese production is not included. You should not arrive expecting to watch a full working production process. This is better understood as an introduction to the product, its regional identity, and its flavor.

The 45-minute stop is short but sensible. Cheese tasting does not require the same amount of time as a full museum visit, and the schedule needs to leave room for Appenzell itself. If you are sensitive to strong cheese, the tasting may be more memorable than comfortable. If you enjoy local food, this is a practical way to try something you might not order on your own.

The transfer from the factory to Appenzell takes about 15 minutes. That short ride helps the day feel connected rather than divided into unrelated attractions. Chocolate, cheese, and then a village known for Swiss tradition make a coherent route.

One hour among Appenzell’s painted buildings

Appenzell is the most atmospheric stop. You have one hour of free time to walk the cobbled streets, photograph colorful buildings decorated with frescoes, and find a café or Swiss food if you choose. The village is surrounded by the Appenzell Alps, so the setting adds open countryside and mountain views to the day.

I would use the hour for a simple walking loop. Start around the central streets, look closely at the painted façades, and make your way to Landsgemeindeplatz, the square associated with the annual open-air assembly. You will not have time for a long hike, but you can get a strong sense of the village’s character.

Sunday planning matters. Shops in Appenzell are closed on Sunday, though you can still walk around and take photographs. That makes the stop more visual than commercial on that day. If buying local goods is important to you, choose another day if your schedule allows.

The free time is one of the better features of the outing. You are not kept in a group every minute, and you can decide how to use the hour. The downside is that one hour passes quickly. You will need to keep an eye on the departure time because the bus returns to Zurich after the village visit.

The long ride back to Zurich

The final transfer lasts about 75 minutes and returns you to Zurich Central Bus Station Sihlquai. By this point, you will have had a full day of sightseeing and tastings, so the ride can be a useful chance to rest.

The transport is an air-conditioned bus, which is helpful after spending time outdoors and moving between several stops. Still, the overall schedule includes roughly three hours of bus travel when the listed transfers are added together. That is not a flaw by itself, but it changes how you should judge the $123 price.

You are paying for access to several attractions, organized transport, the open-top Zurich segment, and the convenience of reaching Appenzell canton without planning separate connections. You are not paying for lunch, a dedicated guide, or a long visit at each location. I consider the value fair for someone who wants variety and convenience in one day. It is less attractive if you prefer independent travel and already feel comfortable arranging Swiss trains and local buses.

What the $123 price really buys you

The cost includes the air-conditioned coach, the Zurich open-top sightseeing bus, Chocolarium, the Appenzeller Schaukäserei, and free time in Appenzell. That is a reasonable bundle for a nine-hour day, especially if you value door-to-door transport between a city, two food attractions, and a rural village.

Lunch is not included. You should plan to eat during your free time in Appenzell or bring something with you, since the schedule does not describe a separate lunch stop. The village gives you a chance to find a café or Swiss meal, but one hour is not a generous restaurant window.

The price also buys simplicity. You do not need to work out the route from Zurich to Chocolarium, then to the cheese factory, then to Appenzell, and back. Switzerland’s public transport is excellent, but several connections in one day can take attention away from the scenery. Here, the bus handles the complicated part.

The value depends on your priorities. I would pay it for a first taste of northeastern Switzerland, especially if I had limited time. I would skip it if I wanted a serious Zurich city tour, a long mountain walk, or an in-depth food workshop.

Who will enjoy this day most

This outing suits you if you want a packed but varied day. It works particularly well for:

• First-time visitors who want a quick look at Zurich and rural northeastern Switzerland
• Families and food lovers who enjoy chocolate tastings and cheese
• People who prefer organized transport over several independent connections
• Photographers interested in Appenzell’s painted façades and countryside setting
• Visitors with only one free day who want more than a city tour

You should think twice if you use a wheelchair, since the experience is not suitable for wheelchair users. You may also find the pace tiring if long bus rides bother you or if you need generous time at each stop.

The tour has received mixed feedback on the practical side. One person especially praised the guide, while other experiences point to unclear directions at the bus station and uncertainty about when to get off. I would not ignore that pattern. Confirm the departure location, identify the Swisstours bus, and ask the driver to explain the sequence before the bus leaves.

My verdict: book it for variety, skip it for depth

I would book this tour if I wanted one easy day combining Zurich, Swiss chocolate, Appenzeller cheese, and a traditional village. Its strongest feature is the range: you get city views, food stops, countryside roads, and free time in Appenzell without changing hotels or arranging several tickets.

I would not book it if your main goal is a detailed Zurich tour or a relaxed day in the Alps. The city portion is seen from the bus, the cheese stop does not include production, and the schedule leaves only one hour in Appenzell. The logistics also require care at the starting point.

Book it for a broad first taste of the region, arrive early, confirm the bus with the driver, and treat the day as an overview rather than a deep study of any one place. That is where the $123 price makes the most sense.

FAQ

Where does the tour start?

It starts at Zurich Central Bus Station Sihlquai. Look for the Swisstours bus or office and go directly to the driver.

Where does the tour end?

The tour ends back at Zurich Central Bus Station Sihlquai.

How long does the experience last?

The full experience lasts nine hours. Starting times depend on availability.

Is lunch included?

No. Lunch is not included in the price.

Is the tour conducted in English?

Yes. The listed tour language is English, and the driver speaks English.

What is included at Chocolarium?

The visit includes entry to Maestrani’s Chocolarium, with time for sightseeing, photographs, shopping, and tasting chocolate treats.

Is cheese production included at the Appenzeller Schaukäserei?

No. You can visit the cheese factory and taste different Appenzeller varieties, but cheese production is not included.

Are Appenzell’s shops open on Sunday?

The shops in Appenzell are closed on Sunday. You can still walk through the village and take photographs.

Can wheelchair users join this experience?

No. The experience is not suitable for wheelchair users.