Zurich Open Top Bus, Chocolate and Cheese Factory Tour Appenzell

Zurich’s red open-top bus is only the beginning. This full-day outing carries you from city streets to Swiss countryside, then into two polished food attractions: Chocolarium in Flawil and Appenzeller Schaukäserei near Appenzell. The chocolate and cheese pairing is the main draw, especially if you want several Swiss tastes in one day without arranging trains and tickets yourself.

I like the easy mix of sightseeing and food, and I like that the route adds Appenzell and St. Gallen rather than stopping at factory gift shops. Guide Thanasis has been singled out for being entertaining and helpful. The main drawback is timing: the tour is split into two parts, with about an hour between the Zurich bus tour and the afternoon departure, and cheese production may have finished by the time you arrive.

Key points to know before booking

• The day begins with Zurich from an open-top bus, including views of Lake Zurich, the old city, Rietberg Museum, FIFA Museum, and Urania Observatory.
• Chocolarium is an interactive museum, not simply a working factory floor. Expect exhibits, explanations, and tastings rather than a full production tour.
• Appenzeller Schaukäserei focuses on cheese tradition and display, while live production may not be running during your visit.
• Appenzell gives you a short taste of northeastern Switzerland, with painted buildings, cobblestone streets, and the Landsgemeindeplatz.
• St. Gallen may replace or supplement Appenzell time depending on the seasonal schedule, with a 30 to 45 minute stop near its UNESCO-listed cathedral.
• The $125.66 price includes transport, admissions, the driver-guide, and the Zurich bus tour, but not lunch.

Zurich by red open-top bus

You meet at Zurich Bus Station on Ausstellungsstrasse 5, near the city’s main transport links. The first portion lasts about an hour, although the published timing also allows roughly 90 minutes for this city segment. It is best viewed as a broad introduction rather than a detailed walking tour.

From the upper deck, you get a quick look at Zurich’s main sights while an audio guide supplies the commentary. This is useful on a first visit because you can cover more ground than you could on foot, then decide which parts of the city deserve a closer look later.

The bus passes Zurich Hauptbahnhof, Switzerland’s largest railway station. The station is more than a place to catch a train. Its ShopVille center contains around 190 shops and restaurants, many open every day, including Sundays when much of the city’s retail activity is quiet.

The route also passes Urania Observatory, which opened in 1907 and was later protected as a historic monument. You’ll see Lake Zurich, an important part of the city’s setting, as well as the former Credit Suisse headquarters, Rietberg Museum, FIFA Museum, and several notable villas and parks.

The Rietberg Museum is particularly interesting for a quick outside view. Its villas and park are linked to Otto Wesendonck, Richard Wagner, and collections from Asia, Africa, Oceania, the Near East, and Tibet. The FIFA Museum offers a modern counterpoint, with 3,000 square meters devoted to football.

I like this opening because it gives you orientation without requiring a full day in Zurich. Still, keep your expectations in check. The audio commentary and passing views cannot replace time inside the museums or a proper old-town walk.

The one-hour break in Zurich

After the city tour, you do not immediately board the vehicle for the countryside. The chocolate and cheese portion leaves Zurich later, with the departure listed at about 1:30 p.m. That creates roughly an hour of free time at or around the bus station.

This pause is one of the tour’s most important practical details. Some people appreciate the chance to eat lunch, use the station facilities, or buy something for the road. Others find it awkward, especially if they expected one continuous tour.

Lunch is not included. You should plan to eat during this break, since the countryside stops focus on exhibitions, tastings, and sightseeing rather than a scheduled meal. Zurich Hauptbahnhof is a sensible place to find food, and its shops and restaurants make the pause less inconvenient than it might sound.

The split schedule also explains why this is an eight to nine-hour experience rather than a short afternoon excursion. You are paying for a full regional outing, but part of the day includes waiting and road travel.

The road to Chocolarium in Flawil

Once the second vehicle leaves Zurich, the drive to Chocolarium takes about 1 hour and 20 minutes. The air-conditioned vehicle carries a maximum of 27 people, so this is a small-group road trip rather than a large coach experience.

The change of scenery is part of the appeal. Zurich gives way to the northeastern Swiss countryside, and the drive helps connect the city with the rural food traditions that follow. Still, you should be comfortable spending a fair amount of the day seated. The return journey alone takes roughly 1 to 1.5 hours.

Chocolarium, also called the Factory of Happiness by Munz and Minor, is in Flawil. The visit lasts about an hour and includes admission. Inside, you learn about chocolate production from cocoa bean to finished bar through interactive displays and explanations.

You can expect tastings and a playful presentation of Swiss chocolate. The attraction is designed as a self-guided or lightly guided museum experience, so it is not the same as standing beside workers through every stage of a live factory shift.

That distinction matters. Some visitors arrive expecting an operating production floor and feel disappointed when the visit centers on displays and retail. I think Chocolarium works best if you treat it as a chocolate museum with samples, not as an industrial tour.

The attraction is still a good fit for families, casual food fans, and anyone who wants a simple introduction to Swiss confectionery. The one-hour visit is long enough to learn the basic process without turning the day into a technical seminar.

Appenzeller Schaukäserei and the limits of live production

From Chocolarium, the vehicle drives about 30 minutes to Appenzeller Schaukäserei. The cheese dairy visit lasts around 90 minutes and introduces the traditional methods behind Appenzeller cheese.

You’ll see displays related to the cheese-making process, learn how milk, natural ingredients, aging, and local methods shape the flavor, and sample cheese at different stages of maturity. The smells and visual displays help make the visit more memorable than simply buying a wedge in a shop.

But this is another place where expectations matter. The facility functions largely as an interactive museum and presentation center. Cheese production may not be running when you arrive, especially later in the day or on a weekend. Several reviews describe reaching the dairy after production had ended.

I would not book this tour solely to watch workers make cheese in real time. Book it for the explanations, tastings, displays, and the chance to connect Appenzeller cheese with the region where it is made.

The stop is still worthwhile for food lovers, though the gift shop and commercial side are part of the experience. If you dislike attractions that finish near retail displays, you may find the presentation too polished.

A short look at Appenzell

The village of Appenzell gives the day a welcome change of pace. Here, you can walk among colorful buildings with painted facades, cobblestone streets, traditional cafes, and the Landsgemeindeplatz, the square used for the area’s historic open-air assembly.

This is the most characterful stop on the route. The food museums explain Swiss products, but Appenzell shows you a living town with a strong local identity. You have free time to take photographs and explore at your own speed.

Do not expect a long mountain excursion. The schedule is built around a brief village visit, not a hike into the Appenzell Alps. You get a compact introduction to the town, with time for a few streets, photographs, and perhaps a cafe stop if the timing allows.

Season matters here. The schedule has been adjusted because many Appenzell shops close seasonally and winter sunsets come earlier. At certain times of year, the tour may place more emphasis on St. Gallen after the cheese visit.

St. Gallen and the UNESCO cathedral

The revised schedule includes a 30 to 45 minute stop in St. Gallen after the cheese factory. This is a useful addition, especially when Appenzell shops are closed or daylight is short.

Your main target is the cathedral, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Even with limited time, you can take photographs and get a feel for the historic center. The stop is brief, so think of it as a sampler rather than a full city visit.

I like this adjustment because it gives the tour another cultural layer. Chocolate and cheese are enjoyable, but a cathedral and old city add variety. The tradeoff is that the day can feel compressed, particularly if you want a relaxed visit in both Appenzell and St. Gallen.

The exact balance may depend on the season and operating hours. That is worth checking before booking if your priority is one specific town.

What the $125.66 price really covers

At $125.66 per person, this is not the cheapest way to see Zurich, Appenzell, or St. Gallen separately. The value comes from combining several admissions and transport legs into one arranged day.

Your price includes the Zurich open-top bus tour, transport in an air-conditioned vehicle, a driver-guide, admission to Chocolarium, admission to Appenzeller Schaukäserei, and free time in Appenzell. You do not need to organize regional trains, local connections, or entrance tickets on your own.

The tradeoff is efficiency versus control. You cover a lot of ground, but you accept a fixed schedule, a long day on the road, and limited time at each stop. If you already know Switzerland’s rail system and prefer independent visits, separate day trips may give you more time in each place.

For a first visit, I see the price as reasonable if you value convenience and want food-themed sightseeing. It is weaker value if your main goal is a working factory tour or extended time in Appenzell.

The guide can shape the whole day

The driver-guide is important because much of the experience takes place between stops. A good guide can turn the long drives into useful context about Zurich, Swiss food, and the towns ahead.

Thanasis has received especially warm praise for being entertaining, obliging, and good at keeping the day engaging. That kind of personal touch matters on a tour with several hours of transport. At the same time, the experience can vary if the guide gives little commentary or spends too much time talking privately with the driver.

You should not assume every departure will have Thanasis. Treat his presence as a welcome possibility, not a guarantee. The open-top bus portion uses audio commentary, while the regional section depends more heavily on the driver-guide.

Who should book this day trip?

I would recommend it to you if you want a broad taste of northeastern Switzerland without managing several connections. It suits first-time visitors, families, couples, and food-minded sightseers who enjoy a planned day with tastings and short walks.

You’ll get the most from it if you are happy with museum-style attractions, sample portions, and scenic road travel. The tour also works well when Zurich is your base and you want to add rural Switzerland without changing hotels.

I would be cautious if you want a slow day, serious cheese production, or long visits in Appenzell and St. Gallen. You may also find the afternoon departure inconvenient, particularly if you prefer starting early. The city tour and countryside excursion are not one continuous departure, and that one-hour gap should be part of your decision.

Should you book it?

Book this tour if your ideal Swiss day includes city views, chocolate, cheese, and a few regional towns with transport handled for you. The strongest parts are the variety, the countryside route, the tastings, and the chance to see Appenzell and St. Gallen in one outing.

Skip it if you expect active factory production or want deep time in any single place. The attractions are mainly interactive museums, and the schedule can feel rushed or oddly divided. Plan lunch during the Zurich break, expect a long day, and treat the tour as a convenient sampler of northeastern Switzerland rather than a close study of one town or craft.

Free cancellation is available up to 24 hours before the start time. The tour ends back at the Zurich meeting point.

FAQ

Where does the tour start?

The tour starts at Zurich Bus Station, Ausstellungsstrasse 5, 8005 Zürich, Switzerland.

Where does the tour end?

It ends back at the same meeting point in Zurich.

How long does the experience last?

The full experience takes approximately eight to nine hours.

Is lunch included?

No. Lunch is not included, and the schedule provides about an hour between the Zurich city tour and the later departure. You can use that time to eat.

What food attractions are included?

Admission to Chocolarium and Appenzeller Schaukäserei is included.

Is the Zurich bus tour included?

Yes. The Zurich open-top bus city tour is included, with audio-guided commentary.

How large is the group?

The tour has a maximum of 27 participants.

Can I cancel for a full refund?

Yes. You can cancel at least 24 hours before the experience starts for a full refund. Changes or cancellations made less than 24 hours before the start time are not accepted.