What to buy in Switzerland? — Top 10 things to buy in Switzerland & best gifts from Switzerland

As one of the top destinations in Europe, Switzerland attracts millions of tourists to visit every year with its majestic, spectacular natural scenery, quaint and tranquil cities, many interesting experiences. Whether you are on a vacation or on a business trip, your trip will not be complete without a shopping experience. Deciding what to buy in Switzerland can be quite difficult because Switzerland has a lot of meaningful, beautiful and good quality souvenirs and gifts, especially when visiting big cities like Zurich, Geneva, Bern or Lucerne. So, what to buy in Switzerland and what should I buy in Switzerland? Let’s check out our suggested top 10 things to buy in Switzerland including best Switzerland souvenirs, best souvenirs from Switzerland, best things to buy in Switzerland, must buy in Switzerland and best gifts from Switzerland as well as best places to buy them to clear the answer!

Best gifts from Switzerland: Chocolate

Coming to Switzerland, you will enjoy the sweet taste of delicious chocolate bars. Swiss chocolate has been produced since the 18th century. Switzerland is one of the world’s leading chocolate exporters, you will be surprised by the variety and diversity of different types of chocolate, with many rich and varied flavors. Today, with modern technologies, chocolate products have higher quality. Swiss Chocolate is not only one of the most loved and famous foods in the world, but it is also one of the best gifts from Switzerland, best things to buy in Switzerland, must buy in Switzerland for both relatives and friends. Because of the attractiveness and popularity of chocolate, a chocolate association was established in Switzerland called CHOCOSUISSE (the Association of Swiss Chocolate Manufacturers) with the aim of managing the production and export of chocolate.

The Swiss people love chocolate just as much as they love and are proud of their country, so their chocolate production is also special compared to the rest of the world, to bring out the best flavor, the most delicious and attractive taste for customers. Switzerland has some of the best and most famous chocolates in the world, such as Lindt and Nestle. In the center of large cities such as Geneva and Zurich are home to the most prestigious and quality chocolate shops with rich and diverse designs and many attractive and wonderful flavors. You can freely choose your favorite chocolate flavors such as milk chocolate, sugar coated chocolate, chocolate nuggets, almond chocolate, candy chocolate… with famous chocolate brands around the world such as Lindt, Sprungli, Teuscher, Suchard. Coming here, visitors can also see and enjoy handmade chocolates with great and unforgettable flavors. Besides, the people here also transform these chocolate bars into different desserts, very delectable.

Chocolate shops are present all over streets throughout Switzerland, so you can easily buy these delicious and attractive chocolate bars, related-chocolate products as gifts. Lucerne is also a place where visitors can freely choose for themselves excellent chocolate types. However, when you buy chocolate, you should also note, if you buy to enjoy directly, you should choose handmade chocolates that will be more delicious. If you want to buy as a gift, you should buy packaged products available at supermarkets, shops, the price is both cheaper and convenient. You should not buy handmade chocolate as a gift, although this type of chocolate is delicious, it is very easy to melt and does not keep for long.

This is a great gift for your loved ones because chocolate not only brings great taste, but it also helps release Dopamine, making people happy, comfortable and happy. Chocolate deserves to be the first choice when you want to best souvenirs from Switzerland.

Where to buy

• Negozio Lindt Chocolate: (Address: Pilgerweg 58, 8802 Kilchberg, Switzerland/Hours: 10AM–6PM; Sunday: Closed).
• The Sprungli store is located at Zurich’s Central Station and at locations 21 and 67 in Bahnhoffstrasse street, Zurich, Switzerland. Opening hours from 6:45am to 9pm.
• Merkur Chocolaterie (Swiss Chocolate): (Address: Bahnhofstrasse 106, 8001 Zürich, Switzerland/Hours: 9AM–8PM).
• Confiserie Teuscher store (Address: Storchengasse 9, 8001 Zürich, Switzerland/Hours: 10AM–6:30PM; Sunday: 12–6PM) in the Old Town and Confiserie Teuscher (Address: Bahnhofstrasse 46, 8001 Zürich, Switzerland/Hours: 10AM–6:30PM; Sunday: Closed). Each store will have different opening hours, but the earliest is 9am and closes at 8pm at the latest.

What to buy in Switzerland: Alta Terra Alpine Herb Food Products

A family business from Bern, Switzerland, Alta Terra produces oils, vinegar, salt, honey and organic food products with regional flavors, seasoned with herbs, flowers and spices of the Alps. Furthermore, all products are made using hand-crafted organic ingredients from small family farms with no pesticides, fungicides and herbicides…so this is sure to be these are extremely meaningful and nutritious Swiss souvenirs for your loved ones.

Revealing some of the gifts that you can buy are: Honey tea bags, Alta Terra salt blended with herbs, Dried marigold flowers, Alpine Herbs Vinegar and aromatic oils…

Where to buy

Schweizer Heimatwerk Department Store (Address: Uraniastrasse 1, 8001 Zürich, Switzerland/Hours: 10AM–6PM; Sunday: Closed)

Best Switzerland souvenirs: Watches & Jewelry

Swiss watch is an item that is so famous all over the world and is one of the items that visitors can not help but buying as a gift. Switzerland is famous as a place to produce best watches with many designs of sophisticated, luxurious, ingenious, exquisite and elaborate and expensive, which are a wonderful combination of trendy aesthetics and cutting-edge technology. Swiss watches are considered the benchmark and measure of quality in watchmaking. Typically, famous Swiss watch brands such as Patek Philippe, Tag Heuer, Rolex, Tissot, Omega, Longines…

Although the price of Swiss watches is quite expensive, you will definitely be extremely pleased, impressived and satisfied with what you get. A Swiss watch brand that many tourists choose is the affordable watch maker Swatch and this is also one of the best-selling watch brands in Switzerland. With spend just 80 USD to a few hundred USD, you can own a great Swatch watch. Because this is a well-known item, visitors can easily find and choose watches at shops along the streets, supermarkets or shopping malls in big cities.

Another iconic Swiss souvenir is watch. You may be surprised to find that most of the world’s famous watch brands are originated from Switzerland. Besides that, exceptional jewelry designers seem to flock to Switzerland making the country full of gorgeous bracelets, cufflinks, brooches and earrings, chain… that make women must be fascinated with. So if you are wondering what to buy in Switzerland and find the best souvenirs from Switzerland for your grandmother, mother, wife or girlfriend, jewelry is not a bad choice.

Where to buy

• Maurice de Mauriac Zurich Watches (Address: Tödistrasse 48, 8002 Zürich, Switzerland/Hours: 9AM–6PM; Saturday: 11AM–2PM; Sunday: Closed).
• FREITAG Flagship Store Zürich (Address: Geroldstrasse 17, 8005 Zürich, Switzerland/Hours: 11AM–7PM).
• Les Ambassadeurs AG (Address: Bahnhofstrasse 64, 8001 Zürich, Switzerland/Hours: 11AM–6PM/Sunday: Closed), or Patek Philippe Boutique at Beyer Uhren und Juwelen (Beyer Chronometrie AG) (Address: Bahnhofstrasse 31, 8001 Zürich, Switzerland/Hours: 10AM–6:30PM).
• MANOR department store is located (Address: 75 Bahnhofstrassee, Zurich, Switzerland/Hours: 9am–8pm).

Best things to buy in Switzerland & must buy in Switzerland: Cheese

Swiss cheese is also one of the delectable foods of Swiss cuisine. Even, Swiss cheese has surpassed French cheese and is known as the “King of cheeses”, is a food not to be missed of any diner when coming to Switzerland. The production of cheese in Switzerland is an artistic labor process with many complicated processes and stages. In particular, cheese production in Switzerland is mainly used by people using manual tools and methods. Cheese production goes through many different stages, extremely careful and meticulous to be able to create the greasy, bright yellow flavor of this unique food.

Not only France, but Switzerland is also home to some of the best cheeses in Europe. You can eat Swiss cheese with a sandwich, or as a snack. It is also the main ingredient of the famous Swiss cheese hot pot fondue. The rich, beautiful cheeses with bright yellow color, fancy holes are the result of an enthusiastic artistic labor process. Therefore, this is an attractive gift for your friends and relatives to bring back after your trip to Switzerland. However, cheese is not easy to bring home because it also involves freezing, taste and customs. If you want to buy cheese as a gift, you should buy hard cheese rather than soft cheese. You can find Swiss cheese at any market, department store, convenience store, local shop in any Swiss city.

Best switzerland Souvenirs: Wine

As a country famous for its wine because it grows a lot of types of grapes with suitable natural conditions in terms of soil, altitude, air and light in famous wine-growing regions such as Valais, Vaud, Geneva and Ticino, Lavaux, Zurich… One of the wine brands that visitors can choose to buy is Pinot Noir made from berry black grapes or white wine made from white grapes originating from the famous Lavaux vineyard region.

What should I buy in Switzerland? Yes, Swiss wine is a great gift that you should buy for your relatives and friends. Swiss wines are also of the same premium quality as wines in some other European countries. If you are a wine connoisseur, you will definitely love Swiss wines. Almost premium and fine wines in Switzerland are made by locals. You won’t be disappointed when visit vineyards near Geneva, Zermatt Valley or other parts of Switzerland. However, Swiss wine is mainly produced for domestic consumption. Among them, the wine near the Zermatt valley is also worth trying.

Where to buy

• Le Caveau de Bacchus (Address: Cr de Rive 5, 1204 Genève, Switzerland/Hours: 9:30AM–7PM; Saturday: 9AM–6PM/Sunday: Closed).
• Wine shop near the entrance to the Zermatt Valley (Visper Tiguren), Geneva, Switzerland.

Top 10 things to buy in Switzerland: Swiss Army Knife

The pocket Swiss Army Knife multi-purpose knife was derived from the climbing and camping interests of the indigenous people. This is also an item that you can choose to buy as a gift because this is a personal knife with many favorite utilities in the world. It is compact, smooth, sharp, convenient and extremely useful: Used to open wine, open cans, use as scissors, pliers, magnifying glass, tweezers and even toothpicks, cutting bread,… bearing the characteristic of Switzerland.

This product has been copied in many forms in many European countries such as Germany, Spain, France, etc., but their quality is still not comparable to the real Swiss Army Knife knife made in Switzerland. The price of these multi-purpose knives is also quite cheap, only about 20CHF (CHF is the currency of Switzerland) to 100CHF, depending on the size of the knife you want to buy, the price is different. You can buy it at shops in the city or at the souvenir stalls at the airport.

Of course you can buy Swiss army knives everywhere in Europe, but it’s nice to be able to buy this in switzerland, isn’t it? This compact, pocketable knife has been around since the 1800s and it includes a variety of tools. These tools come in different sizes and functions. In particular, you can easily put this knife in your wallet.

The Swiss Army multi-purpose knife seems to have become a unique souvenir and is sure to cause interest in those who receive it. This is a great gift for those who love outdoor activities, and those who love camping. Revealing, the two most famous brands of Swiss Army Knives that you can refer to are Wenger and Victorinox.

Where to buy

• Dolmetsch Store branch 1 in Zurich Railway Station, open Monday to Friday: 8 am to 9 pm and from 9 am to 20 pm on Saturdays.
• Dolmetsch Store branch 2 (Address: Limmatquai 126, 8001 Zürich, Switzerland/Hours: 9AM–9PM; 11AM–8PM).
• Rue du Marché Shopping Mall, Geneva, Switzerland.

Best Switzerland souvenirs: Traditional crafts

If you are looking for a souvenir other than food and watches, herbs… you should consider choosing traditional Swiss crafts. Some famous Swiss handicraft items are Cuckoo Clocks, Cowbells, etc. The cuckoo clocks are very famous in Switzerland. Although the first cuckoo clock was made in Germany, this type of clock has its origins in Switzerland.

Inside the cuckoo clocks are colorful flowers, dancing people in traditional costumes or Bernard dogs… with high quality handcrafted designs and exciting music like “Edelweiss” and “Happy Wanderer”… through metal pegs and posts, make everyone delights.

Making cowbells are a traditional craft in Switzerland. They come in different sizes, forged or cast from metal. Beer mugs are another classic Central European souvenir. They also come in many varieties and are designed in different styles.

In addition, you can also buy other souvenirs such as wooden toys, glassware, chess board sets, music boxes… When traveling to Switzerland, you should visit shops and flea markets to buy unique souvenirs.

Where to buy

• Limited Stock Store (Address: Spiegelgasse 22, 8001 Zürich, Switzerland/Hours: 11AM–6:30PM; Saturday: 10AM–5PM; Monday, Sunday: Closed).
• Harrison Spirit store (Address: Spiegelgasse 22, 8001 Zürich, Switzerland/Hours: 11AM–6:30PM; Saturday: 10AM–5PM; Monday, Sunday: Closed).
• Schweizer Heimatwerk store (Address: Uraniastrasse 1, 8001 Zürich, Switzerland/Hours: 10AM–7PM/Sunday: Closed).
• Teddy’s Souvenir Shop AG (Address: Limmatquai 34, 8001 Zürich, Switzerland/Hours: 10AM–8PM; Saturday: 10AM–7PM; Sunday: 11AM–5PM).

What to buy in Switzerland: The Heidis Book Series

Introduced as a series for children and those who love children, the Heidi book series is a meaningful gift not to be missed when coming to Switzerland. The image of a little girl wearing a milkmaid dress, with two pigtails with a kind heart has become a Swiss figure that is known and loved all over the world.

Must buy in Switzerland: Traditional dress for girls

A pair of scarlet, cat-print shoes are the traditional shoe of almost all girls in Switzerland. This is a shoe that has been passed down through the generations, it is said that almost all Swiss girls take their first steps in a pair of Tiger-Finkli shoes. Why don’t you buy a pair of these cute little shoes for your special girl? And you can even dress her up in a traditional Heidi style.

Best souvenirs from Switzerland: Dog collars

Made of premium leather, dog collars are now designed in both traditional and modern versions of the original design. For more than 250 years, dogs in Switzerland have been wearing Appenzeller dog collars. Currently, this unique culture has been introduced to a number of countries across Europe. Buy this wonderful souvenir for dog lovers.

Some best day tours, trips, activities and transfer services, tickets in Switzerland you can refer to

• 4G WiFi (SG Pick Up) for Europe
• 4G Portable WiFi for Europe from Uroaming
• 3G/4G SIM Card for Multiple European Countries (HK Airport Pick Up)
• Half Day Trip to Mount Titlis with Cable Car from Lucerne
• Jungfraujoch Day Tour from Lucerne
• Day Trip to Mount Titlis with Cable Car (Zurich Departure)
• Swiss Travel Pass

Are you looking for more Switzerland travel guide and top things to do in Switzerland: Tours, activities, attractions and other things? Read more: Switzerland itinerary 8 days — What to do & How to spend 8 days in Switzerland by train perfectly? And here.