April is Switzerland’s in-between month. The ski season is closing, the high hiking season has not opened, the alpine passes are still shut, and the country is at its quietest and cheapest. If you accept what is genuinely available – lakes, cities, valley walks, waterfalls and two very Swiss spring traditions – it is an excellent and very uncrowded month.
The numbers
What is closed in April, and why it matters
This is the month where planning from a summer guidebook goes wrong.
- Most ski resorts close between mid and late April. Zermatt and Saas-Fee, with glacier terrain, run longest.
- The high passes stay shut. The Grimsel, Furka, Susten, Nufenen, Klausen and the Great St Bernard typically do not reopen until late May or June. A route that looks obvious on a map may not exist yet.
- High mountain huts and most alpine hiking trails are not yet in season. Snow lies on trails well below the tree line into May.
- Some mountain railways and cable cars close for spring servicing between the winter and summer seasons. Check individual operators before committing to a day.
- Trains keep running. The scenic routes – Glacier Express, Bernina Express, GoldenPass – operate year-round and are the reliable backbone of an April trip.
Two spring traditions worth timing a trip around
- Sechselauten in Zurich, Monday 19 April 2027. The guilds parade through the city and at 6pm a snowman figure called the Boogg, packed with fireworks, is burned on a pyre on Sechselautenplatz. How quickly its head explodes is said to predict the summer. It is a half-day public holiday in the city of Zurich.
- Landsgemeinde in Appenzell, Sunday 25 April 2027. One of the last open-air cantonal assemblies in the world, where citizens vote by raising their hands in the village square. It is a genuine piece of working direct democracy rather than a re-enactment.
What April is actually good for
- The cities. Zurich, Bern, Basel, Lucerne and Geneva are mild, in low season, and at their cheapest for accommodation.
- Lake-level walking – the Lavaux vineyard terraces above Lake Geneva, the Lucerne shoreline, the Rhine at Schaffhausen.
- Waterfalls. The melt is under way, and the Rhine Falls and the Lauterbrunnen valley are building towards their early-summer peak.
- Ticino. Locarno and Lugano are properly warm by April and weeks ahead of the north.
- Blossom in the Valais, where the apricot orchards of the Rhone valley flower in early April.
- Museums and thermal baths – the obvious answer to an unsettled forecast.
Where to go in April
- Lugano and Locarno – the warmest and most reliably pleasant part of the country this month.
- Lucerne and Lake Geneva – lake steamers resume their fuller timetables, and the lakeside walks are open.
- Zurich around 19 April for Sechselauten, and Appenzell on 25 April for the Landsgemeinde.
- Zermatt or Saas-Fee if you want to ski at all in the second half of the month.
- The Rhine Falls at Schaffhausen, loud and full with meltwater.
Prices and crowds
Along with November, April is the cheapest month in Switzerland and the one with the fewest visitors. Hotels in the resorts either close for the between-seasons break or discount heavily; city rates are at their annual low. See what travelling Switzerland costs and what a trip adds up to.
What to pack
Layers and a waterproof shell – April weather here changes within the hour and snow at altitude is still normal. Waterproof footwear for wet valley paths. Sunglasses and sunscreen if you are going anywhere high. A warm layer for evenings, which stay cold. Do not pack for a hiking holiday unless you have checked that your specific trails are clear.
The April 2027 calendar
- Early April – apricot blossom in the Rhone valley in the Valais.
- Monday 19 April – Sechselauten in Zurich; the Boogg is burned at 6pm. A half-day public holiday in the city.
- Sunday 25 April – Landsgemeinde in Appenzell, the open-air cantonal vote.
- Mid to late April – most ski resorts close; Zermatt and Saas-Fee run longest.
- Through April – the Grimsel, Furka, Susten, Nufenen, Klausen and Great St Bernard passes remain closed.
- No national public holidays fall in April 2027, because Easter lands in March.
Read alongside
- Switzerland in March – spring skiing and Easter.
- Switzerland in May – the passes reopen.
- Switzerland in June – the first full hiking month.
- Best time to visit Switzerland – all twelve months compared.
- Switzerland travel guide – regions, trains and how it fits together.
- Switzerland in 7 days – a first-visit route.
- Best things to do in Switzerland – the year-round list.
- Cost of travelling Switzerland – low-season numbers.
Frequently asked
Is April a good time to visit Switzerland?
It is the quietest and cheapest month, and very good for cities, lakes, valley walks and waterfalls. It is a poor month for alpine hiking and a marginal one for skiing.
Can you ski in Switzerland in April?
In the first half of the month at higher resorts, and later at Zermatt and Saas-Fee, which have glacier terrain. Most other resorts close between mid and late April.
Are the Swiss mountain passes open in April?
No. The Grimsel, Furka, Susten, Nufenen, Klausen and Great St Bernard normally reopen in late May or June. Use the tunnels or the rail routes instead.
Can you hike in Switzerland in April?
At low altitude, yes – lake shores, vineyard terraces and valley paths. High trails still hold snow, huts are closed, and some cable cars are shut for spring servicing.
What is Sechselauten?
Zurich’s spring festival, on the third Monday of April – 19 April in 2027. The guilds parade and a firework-filled snowman called the Boogg is burned at 6pm; the speed of its explosion is said to forecast the summer.
What is the Landsgemeinde?
An open-air cantonal assembly where citizens vote by show of hands in the village square. Appenzell Innerrhoden holds its on the last Sunday of April, which in 2027 is 25 April.
How warm is Switzerland in April?
Zurich averages about 14°C by day and 5°C overnight, and Lugano about 16°C. It is still winter above roughly 2,000 m.
Is April cheaper than other months in Switzerland?
Yes. April and November are the two low-season months, with the lowest hotel rates and the fewest visitors of the year.
Switzerland month by month
- January – deep winter, peak ski, and fog on the plateau.
- February – the coldest weeks, carnival, and half-term crowds.
- March – spring skiing and the first valleys thawing.
- April – snowmelt, closed passes, and a country in two seasons (this page).
- May – waterfalls at full volume and the passes reopening.
- June – alpine flowers and the first full hiking month.
- July – peak summer, festivals and long days in the mountains.
- August – warm lakes, National Day and the busiest trails.
- September – the best hiking month and the cattle coming down.
- October – autumn colour, clear air and the passes closing.
- November – the quietest and cheapest month of the year.
- December – Christmas markets and the season opening.
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Written by
John Morrison is the founder and lead travel writer at Packzup. Over the past decade he has explored destinations across Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and Oceania — always self-funded, never on a press trip.
