Private Lugano & Lake Como Day Trip from Zurich

The Gotthard Route and Ticino

From Zurich the motorway follows Lake Zug and the shore of Lake Lucerne before climbing the Reuss valley to the Gotthard, the historic crossing between northern and southern Europe. Since 1980 the Gotthard road tunnel, almost 17 kilometres long, has carried traffic under the pass, and on the southern side you emerge into the Leventina valley, where stone villages, chestnut trees and Italian place names announce a different Switzerland.

The road continues past Bellinzona, whose three medieval castles are a UNESCO World Heritage site, and over the Monte Ceneri to Lugano, a drive of about two and a half hours. Our chauffeur stops whenever you need a break or a photo. Many travellers ask how to get to Lugano from Zurich: the train takes around two hours, but the private car brings you straight to the lakefront without changes.

Lugano Lakefront, Piazza della Riforma and Via Nassa

Lugano is the largest city of Ticino, set on a bay of Lake Lugano between two mountains, Monte San Salvatore and Monte Brè. Its mild climate allows palms, magnolias and olive trees to grow, and the city has an Italian elegance in its squares and cafes. The heart of town is the Piazza della Riforma, a large square framed by the neoclassical town hall, and from here the Via Nassa runs under shady arcades lined with shops.

Above the centre, the Cathedral of San Lorenzo shows a fine Renaissance facade and a terrace with views over the rooftops and the lake. The lakefront promenade leads to the modern cultural centre with its concert hall and art museum. During your free time of around three hours, our chauffeur suggests a route; is Lugano worth visiting on a day trip? Its lake, mountains and southern atmosphere make it unlike any other Swiss city.

Parco Ciani and the Lugano Mountains

Parco Ciani stretches along the lake at the eastern end of the promenade and is one of the most beautiful city parks in Switzerland. Created around a 19th-century villa, it has wide lawns, flowerbeds that change with the seasons, camellias and azaleas in spring, tall cedars and palms, and benches right on the water with views across the bay to Monte San Salvatore.

If you want a higher view, funiculars climb Monte San Salvatore, at 912 metres, and Monte Brè, at 925 metres, in about ten to fifteen minutes each; tickets are not included, and they make a good choice on a clear day. The best time to visit Lugano is April to October, when the park is in flower and the terraces are open, though winter days are often sunny and mild.

Como Old Town and Cathedral

From Lugano the road reaches the Italian border at Chiasso and arrives in Como in about 40 minutes. Como lies at the south-western tip of Lake Como and still follows the grid of the Roman town founded here over two thousand years ago. Its medieval walls survive on three sides, with the tall Porta Torre gate of 1192, and the old town is a pleasant maze of pedestrian lanes, small squares and shops famous for Como silk.

The Cathedral of Como was built over almost four centuries, from 1396 to 1770, combining a richly carved Gothic and Renaissance marble facade with a baroque dome. Next to it stands the striped Broletto, the old town hall of the 13th century. You can visit the cathedral free of charge outside services; modest dress with covered shoulders is expected inside.

Como Lakefront, Brunate and Lake Como

Lake Como is shaped like an inverted Y and is one of the deepest lakes in Europe, at over 400 metres, with villages and grand villas lining its steep shores. In Como, the lakefront around Piazza Cavour is the place to watch the ferries come and go, and a lakeside promenade leads west past gardens to the neoclassical Villa Olmo of the 18th century.

Across the water, a funicular opened in 1894 climbs to Brunate, a hilltop village known as the balcony of the Alps for its views over the lake and, on clear days, the snowy peaks. Boat rides and the funicular are not included and can be added during your free time of about three hours. As for a Lake Como day trip from Zurich, Como is the most practical town to reach and return from in one day.