Switzerland transforms into a summer wonderland in July.
The blend of natural beauty, cultural vibrancy, and plenty of outdoor activities makes this month a perfect time for travelers.
In today’s article, I’ll tell you what makes so special Switzerland in July, from its weather and scenery to its cultural events and travel tips.
Table of Contents
Weather In July
July is a summer month and it’s even the month when summer is peaking. In general, it’s going to be very sunny.
There are a few days when it’s going to rain, but overall it’s going to be very warm. The temperature is usually above 25℃ during the day.
There are also days or even weeks when it’s going to be warmer than 30℃. But what you can be sure of is that the weather is rather dry.
So, unlike tropical countries where it’s humid and you are sweating a lot, in Switzerland, it’s dry and hot.
During the night it can be cooler, so usually, it’s around 18℃, which means you probably will have to wear closed shoes and long pants.
However, sometimes the nights are going to be quite warm and the temperatures will be above 20℃.
I said earlier that July is a very sunny month but then there are also years when it’s going to rain a lot.
For example, in 2021 it was raining for the entire month and there were only a few days when we had sun.
So, sometimes it is very unpredictable; you might think it’s really sunny but maybe you can also be unlucky then there will be a lot of rain.
Regardless of that, what I can tell you is that July is going to be the hottest month in Switzerland.
Swimming
Because it’s so warm, you should definitely consider going for a swim out in nature. Switzerland has a lot of lakes, rivers, and creeks where you can swim.
For example, you can go to Lake Lucerne, Lake Geneva, Lake Constance, or Lake Lugano. These are nice lakes where you can swim. There are many places with beautiful beaches.
What’s really cool is that the water is mostly going to be warm, above 20℃. Usually, I would say it’s around 23℃, which is definitely very comfortable for swimming.
If you want to go a little bit more adventures, you can also swim in the rivers. I really prefer swimming in the River Rhine.
It’s perfect for swimming. The water temperature is between 19℃ to 23℃ in summer.
However, you need to be a good swimmer to swim the river; otherwise, it might be too dangerous for you.
Instead, I would rather recommend you to go Swimming in the lakes. If you want to get even more adventures, then you should definitely go swim in the creeks in the Alps.
Lavertezzo
Ticino has fantastic creeks to swim in. There are so many great locations where you can swim, for example, Lavertezzo.
It has a beautiful bridge from where you can jump into the creek. But it’s also going to be very crowded during the peak season.
I really love swimming there. The water is very clear, but it is also going to be very cold.
This is something that you need to be aware of when you’re going up in the Alps. In the creeks, the water is usually 11℃ to 15℃.
This is the maximum you can get in many places, but there are also a few places in the Alps where the water is going to be warmer, around 15℃ to 19℃.
Nature In July
In July, everything is going to be lush green because of the summer peak season.
But recent years have shown that droughts can be more frequent, and I think this is even going to happen on a more common basis in the upcoming years.
And then it’s probably not going to be possible for the landscape to be lush green.
Usually, the droughts start in mid-July and last until early to mid-August, but as I said, it’s never really predictable.
Peak Season
As I mentioned, in July everything is going to be open because it’s peak season.
A lot of people are going to travel in this month. Basically, everywhere in Europe and even in North America, it’s going to be school holidays in July.
And a lot of families with their kids are going to travel because that’s the only time that it’s possible. This means it’s going to be really crowded in certain places.
So, I recommend you avoid visiting hotpots like Zermatt, Lauterbrunnen, or Lucerne. If you want to visit hotpots, then you need to be prepared for the crowds.
So, if you don’t like a crowded time, then July is not the right month for you to travel. But I suggest visiting less-known places to enjoy the time.
For example, if you are in Zermatt, you can go to Grimentz. It is one of my favorite villages. This is small, very authentic, and Swiss, but there will be only fewer people.
Even great things like suspension bridges, hiking trails, and lakes are not going to be very crowded. So, you may still enjoy Switzerland with fewer people even during the very busy July.
Also, if you want to travel to hotpots with fewer people, then you’ll have to come in the early morning.
Attractions In July
When it comes to the attractions, the great news is July is really a fantastic month.
All of the attractions are going to be open. It’s definitely going to be the jackpot month for traveling in Switzerland.
You can go to every mountaintop and take every cable car ride. So, you have so many options to explore like caves, museums, and activities.
The only thing you cannot do in July is visit attractions that are only open in winter.
Because it’s going to be the peak season and many people are going to be traveling, some of the attractions will have limited capacity, which means that some tickets may already be sold out.
It’s really important for you to know that you’ll have to book tickets 1 to 2 days, even 1 to 2 weeks, or even 1 month in advance.
This is because all of the attractions can not handle a lot of people.
For example, the Lac Souterrain at Saint Leonard has only a fixed number of boats, and a fixed number of people can fit into a boat.
Yes, it’s a little bit sad. I also prefer traveling more spontaneously, but this is not possible during July.
Cultural Events
July is not perfect for enjoying cultural events in Switzerland.
We’re going to have typical summer festivals like dance festivals and street food festivals. There is also something more on the traditional side.
For example, in the city of Schaffhausen up in the fortress Munot, every Saturday you’re going to have the Munot Ball.
There you can enjoy a dance around the circle called the “Quadrille” but for this, you will have to pay an entrance fee.
One thing I want to share with you is that on the 31st of July, there will be fireworks for the National Day of Switzerland, which is celebrated on the 1st of August.
At the Rhine Falls, many people shifted the fireworks to the 31st of July. There are also going to be a lot of shows with airplanes and other military gear.
The flight show is going to take a few hours and the fireworks at the very end take 20 minutes.
Most importantly, you don’t have to pay anything to enjoy this show.
Prices
July is the best time of the year when the entire tourism industry is going to be making the most of their revenue.
So, the hotels are going to be more expensive because the demand is very high. Also, airplane tickets are going to be more expensive than in other months.
Even some of the attractions and trains are going to cost more because this is the best season of the year for them to make good money.
If you’re a budget traveler and saving costs is very important to you, then July is probably not the best month to travel.
Hiking In July
July is a great month for hiking because all of the hiking trails are open.
Also, July’s daytime is rather long, giving you a lot of hours of sunlight, but as I said it can be very hot.
So, it’s really important to bring enough sunblock, something to eat, enough water, and wear a hat for hiking.
These things are really important; otherwise, your hiking might not be as enjoyable as you probably thought it was going to be.
Snow
If you want to see a lot of snow, then July is not the right month for you to travel.
But if you just want to get a quick feeling of how it is to touch snow, then you need to go to some of the pass roads.
Above 3000 meters, there’s going to be a lot of snow. So, if you go to Zermatt, you can see snow in Gornergrat, and Matterhorn.
By the way, even in July you can still go skiing. We call it summer skiing. You can go skiing in places like Saas-Fee, Zermatt, and Mount Titlis.
These places are located at higher altitudes, and over there the snow is quite persistent during summer.
I think in the next few years it will still be possible to ski, and after 10 to 15 years it might be finished.
Waterfalls
The waterfalls are powerful in July.
It’s a great month to see waterfalls, but because of the peak season, some of the waterfalls can be quite crowded.
Waterfalls like Rhine Falls, Giessbach Falls, Staubbach Falls, and Trummelbach Falls are going to be very crowded.
If there’s a drought, then you’ll see less water in waterfalls, but Rhine Falls and Trummelbach Falls are so powerful that there will never be no water.
Pass Roads
The pass roads are one of my favorite attractions in Switzerland. In July, all of them are going to be open.
If you want to travel the pass roads at any time in July, then definitely take a car because it’s going to be more flexible.
It’s also really great to travel the pass roads by car; you can stop at any place that you want.
