Nestled at the northwestern tip of Lake Zürich, Switzerland’s largest city defies its modest half-million population by punching well above its weight. Far more than a banking capital, Zürich also represents a sophisticated blend of gastronomical creativity and cultural dynamism.

The city's landscape tells a story of contrasts: ancient Roman foundations juxtaposed with cutting-edge architecture, and traditional banking halls side by side with avant-garde galleries. Zürich's "gallery mile" boasts over 50 museums, transforming the city into a global art destination that rivals much larger urban centers.

Switzerland Spa Guide: The Best Spas in Geneva

A quick tram ride to Uetliberg mountain offers panoramic views of the city framed by the Swiss Alps, while lakeside bike paths and urban hiking trails provide accessible adventure. As you’ll discover below, the city's spa culture adds another dimension of wellness, with establishments that blend medical precision with luxurious treatments formulated with Alpine ingredients. 

With its blend of cultural richness and natural beauty, Zürich epitomizes modern Switzerland: precise, progressive, and perpetually surprising. Read on to discover the best spas in Zurich highlighted in our Switzerland spa guide and discover the best flight deals when planning your next getaway.

Alma Hotel

Mainaustrasse 24, Seefeld, Zürich, Switzerland; (+41) 44-380-80-10

This women-only, women-owned spa, housed in the Alma Hotel in the trendy Seefeld neighborhood on Lake Zürich’s eastern shore, focuses on wellness from the inside out in a luxe Art Nouveau environment. Recharge with a visit to the steam bath, dry Finnish sauna or more humid biosauna, then stretch out on one of three preheated cherry stone loungers.

If you’re inspired to add a yoga session to your visit, Alma has partnered with the YogaKlub studio, which leads classes on the rooftop in the summer, giving participants a wide-open view to the hills and Lake Zürich. In winter, classes head to a cozy space indoors.

 Skincare products from the Swiss botanical line Farfalla complement an extensive menu of massage options including Ayurvedic, holistic bodywork, and craniosacral therapy.

 A three-hour spa pass is available, but an overnight stay in the 16-room hotel complete with the Alma’s signature organic, vegetarian breakfast tempts you for a longer visit.

Hürlimannbad & Spa Zurich

Brandschenkestrasse 150, 8002 Zürich, Switzerland; (+41) 44-205-96-50

Boasting a rooftop warm infinity pool, thermal baths, and a vaulted Roman private bathing area, this former-brewery-turned-spa underwent an extensive renovation in 2022 and now features stylish elements such as an emerald bath with underwater music and a digital detox lounge kept strictly phone-free.

Try a Roman-Irish spa ritual that leads you through 10 bathing zones—including a floral steam bath, exfoliating alcoves stocked with Farfalla sea buckthorn peeling scrub, hot herbal steam, massage jets, and bubble loungers.

Massage choices include a milk and herbal compress ritual; hop extracts and hot stones; and a millennia-old “Rhassoul” hammam treatment using Moroccan clay. To keep your energy up, the bistro sustains visitors with a menu of superfoods, lighter bites, and healthy drinks.

LABO Spa

Talacker 41 8001, Zürich, Switzerland; (+41) 43-497-34-40

Minimalist dark woods and leather accents greet you at LABO Spa, Zürich’s first day spa. Blending science-backed treatments with a soothing and Zen-like environment, this urban getaway offers body treatments like Skin Nourishment, which prepares the skin with a salt and coffee peel before applying deeply hydrating marine algae and body butter, followed by a face and scalp massage.

The De-Stressing Soother enhances a scrub and wrap regimen with a hand-blended melange of frankincense, chamomile, and rosemary essential oils. Spa co-founder Carole Nicolas says, “In addition to the range of treatments, the ambiance plays a central role. The stressed visitor steps into a place of peace and relaxation right in the middle of the city, only to return to everyday life refreshed and full of energy just an hour later.”

We’re intrigued by LABO’s Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy option. Book a 90-minute session in their pod—solo or with a companion—to experience up to three times the outside air pressure, allowing your lungs to take in nearly 100 percent of oxygen. As more oxygen dissolves in the blood and tissues, the treatment promises to promote growth factors and delay the aging process.

A 75-minute Swiss Oxygen Facial is designed to breathe new life into tired, dull skin; and a 90-minute facial incorporating CBD serum promotes deep sleep and harmony. Thai, Hawaiian, and Ayurvedic massage modalities are another option.

ReFIVE Spa at FIVE Zurich

Döltschiweg 234, 8055 Zürich, Switzerland; (+41) 44-456-55-55

A luxury escape from Zürich’s bustle, ReFIVE Spa is located within the five-star FIVE hotel, nestled on a wooded hillside overlooking the city and featuring a steam bath, sauna, and nature-inspired indoor-outdoor pool.

Among an abundance of body care options, a three-step cellulite fighter called Hollywood Peach incorporates a detox scrub and lymphatic massage. The ReFIVE Experience starts with a hydrating facial followed by a full-body massage; and a Spa, Pool & Lunch package invites you to enjoy a full-body massage, lunch at The Vault, and complimentary access to the indoor-outdoor pool.

Craving relaxation? Feather Touch, Balancing Act, and Muscle Melt rituals melt away tension with expert strokes and organic local Jardin des Monts oils; while the Maderotherapy Treatment employs anti cellulite massage techniques and wooden massage tools to promote lymphatic drainage.

Facials are designed to renew, drawing on elite skincare brands such as Valmont, an Alpine-sourced line used in the Hydration des Bisse Facial to detoxify skin and reverse the effects of pollution. A needle-free BotoCare Facial uses peptide-rich Swissgetal formulations to smooth away wrinkles, “Giving you Botox-like results without any needles, and ideal for dull skin,” according to a spokesperson.

Stadtbad Zürich

Stauffacherstrasse 60, 8004 Zürich, Switzerland; (+41) 44-241-04-27

A traditional Turkish hammam is the centerpiece of this centrally located destination featuring the best of Eastern and Western wellness rituals—actively inviting visitors to ditch their digital devices for a fully restorative experience.

Set aside up to three hours for the spa’s signature Hammam ritual. After disrobing and showering, you’ll wrap yourself in a pestemal (thin cotton towel) before warming up on their hot stone platform or in the steam bath. The spa provides a Kese (exfoliating glove) and olive oil soap so you can deep clean at your own pace in a private niche. Follow up with a mist shower, foot bath, and sauna kept at a toasty 190°F with a cold plunge just steps away.

Stadtbad also offers Thalassotherapy, utilizing algae extracts, nutrient-rich mineral salts, and healing clay in a warm wrap for detoxifying and purifying effect; and Ayurvedic treatments such as Shirodhara—with its warm stream of fragrant oil over the forehead—and Rasayana, in which the therapist performs a deep head and face massage, a body peel, and herbal compresses soaked in warm milk.

The Dolder Grand Spa at The Dolder Grand Hotel

Kurhausstrasse 65, Zürich, Switzerland; (+41) 44-456-60-00

Take as much space as you need—the spa facilities here span 4,000 square meters and comprise separate Ladies’ and Gentlemen's Spas, each with a Kneipp foot bath, sauna, steam bath, aroma pool, steam pots, and icy plunge pool.

The stately, 125-year-old Dolder Grand Hotel’s spa also offers a 25-meter swimming pool and cooling “snow paradise,” hanging chairs in a chill-out room, and a mosaic-adorned meditation room. “Our offerings are thoughtfully designed to harmonize mind, body, and soul,” notes spa director Sabine Schanzenbach.

Spa Profile: The Dolder Grand Spa

Extensive facial treatments utilize elite Margy’s Monte Carlo products, organic Amala lotions, and innovative, science-based treatments with the Swiss brand La Prairie. A spa café features an ever-changing seasonal menu.

Japan’s black lava stone ritual is an experience you wouldn’t expect to find in Switzerland, but it turns out to feel right at home. “The five Sunaburos are inspired by a traditional Japanese concept and were specially designed for The Dolder Grand,” says Schanzenbach. “The heated pebbles provide the perfect surface for lying back and relaxing in ultimate comfort.”

[Photos courtesy of spas and hotels]

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Lisa Tsering’s career spans journalism, copywriting, movie reviews, and much more. Her work appears in the Hollywood Reporter, in Salon, on iTunes and Apple Music, and in the San Francisco Chronicle, i-escape.com, the San Jose Mercury News, and the Times of India. 

Over a 20-plus year career as an international journalist, she interviewed countless Bollywood stars and global VIPs (such as Kamala Harris, Hillary Clinton, and Oscar winners) and won numerous awards.Follow her on Instagram at @lisatsering and see her work at lisatsering.me.