Switzerland
Zurich in May
🌷 SpringPleasant and some showers.
🎒 Pack: warm jacket for evenings · compact umbrella or rain jacket
Why May scores 9.0What goes into the score
How it works- Weather comfort8.5
- ✓Comfortable temperatures (19°C highs / 9°C lows)
- ✓Comfortable humidity (dew point 9.7°C)
- !Wet: ~128 mm rain, ~4 heavy-rain days
- Air quality9.3
- ✓Good (within WHO guideline) (PM2.5 ~9 µg/m³)
- Seasonal hazards10.0
- ·No notable seasonal hazards
- Safety baseline9.0
- ·Normal precautions
| May | Sep | |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 9.0 Excellent | 9.4 Excellent |
| Season | 🌷 Spring | 🍂 Autumn |
| High / low | 19° / 9° | 19° / 11° |
| Rain | 128 mm | 87 mm |
| Humidity | dew pt 10° | dew pt 12° |
| PM2.5 | 9 µg/m³ | 6 µg/m³ |
Typical-month data: NASA POWER (MERRA-2 reanalysis) 2015–2024 (modelled, not a forecast). Temperatures: Zurich weather-station normals. Rainfall: Zurich weather-station normals (national met service).
Holidays & crowdsMay 2027
No long holidaysNo long public-holiday weekends this month. School holidays aren't counted, so check those if you want to avoid family crowds.
Other public holidays: Ascension Day (6 May)
National holidays only; regional holidays and school breaks aren't included. Source: holidays (open-source public-holiday calendar).
Nature calendarBlossoms, leaves & seasons in Zurich
- Snowy daysTypical datesSnow likely Nov–Mar (most in Feb: ~5 days)
Average number of days with snowfall at Zurich. About 18 cm of snow falls in an average Feb.
Source: Zurich weather-station normals (national weather service, via Wikipedia climate table)
Explore ZurichEvents, sights, food & souvenirs
Check event dates locallySwitzerland's largest city on Lake Zurich, a financial centre with a medieval old town, museums and lakeside life.
No major events on our calendar for May.
Coming up later
Zurich Street ParadeDate variesUsually the second Saturday of August
A huge free techno parade of love mobiles around the lower basin of Lake Zurich.
Why go: Hundreds of thousands attend, so lakeside transport is very crowded.
Where: Lake shore
Swiss National DayEvery year1 August every year
Switzerland's national day, with fireworks over the lake and speeches.
Why go: It is a public holiday and many shops close.
Where: Across the city
SechseläutenDate variesUsually the third Monday of April
Guild parade ending with the burning of the Böögg snowman.
Why go: Local afternoon holiday.
Where: Sechseläutenplatz
Altstadt
The old town on both banks of the Limmat river, with guild houses and narrow lanes.
Grossmünster
A Romanesque church with twin towers, where Zwingli started the Swiss Reformation.
Fraumünster
A church known for its Chagall stained-glass windows.
Swiss National Museum
The main museum of Swiss cultural history.
Lake Zurich
A lake for summer swimming at lidos and for boat cruises.
Uetliberg
A hill with views over the city and the Alps.
Zürcher Geschnetzeltes
Sliced veal in cream sauce with rösti.
💡 Traditional restaurants
Luxemburgerli
Small, light macarons with cream filling, a Zurich specialty.
💡 Confiserie Sprüngli
Cheese fondue
Melted cheese with wine and garlic for dipping bread, mostly eaten in the colder months.
💡 Restaurants
Swiss chocolate
Swiss chocolate and pralines from the city's long-established confectioners.
💡 Confectioners
Swiss watches
Swiss-made watches, from everyday brands to luxury makers.
💡 Bahnhofstrasse
Airport transfer Kiwitaxi
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