As Europe’s largest waterfall, the Rhine Falls Switzerland is a mesmerising spectacle of raw, untamed power and breathtaking beauty, which invites tourists from around the world to witness its awe-inspiring waterfall. This picturesque waterfall, located on the Swiss canton borders of Schaffhausen and Zurich is a bucket list location for all visiting Switzerland.
In this post, we will share information about the enchanting Rhine Falls, sharing facts, the boat tours you can take, our personal experience and tips, as well as our beautiful photos from our visit. We hope this post inspires you to visit this magnificent wonder waterfall for you to experience its powerful magic.
Rhine Falls Facts
Here are some facts about the Schaffhausen waterfall which is great to know in advance:
- The Rhine Falls was formed during the last ice age.
- It’s 150m in width and 23m in height
- There are multiple viewpoints around, but the best view in our opinion is from a boat
- During the Summer, it is the most powerful, but still impressive to see when it’s Winter
Rhine Falls Boat Trips!
When visiting, we highly recommend one of the boat trips on the river and up to the waterfall. This was honestly such a fun thing to do, we felt perfectly safe and had fun with the water spray while it was a hot sunny afternoon!
There are three coloured boats to choose from based on what you want.
The pink boat is the longest, taking around 30 minutes along the river Rhine first and then to the waterfall, complete with an audio guide. This is a great option for those with plenty of time and wanting to learn more about the facts and history of the waterfall. You end the tour by also first getting a little wet from the waterfall spray!
As of 2023, this costed 11 CHF per person.
The yellow boat provides the rock experience, where you are taken to the middle rock area for the best views. You get off at the middle rock area and can spend around 10 minutes enjoying the Rhine Falls from that point before the boat comes back for you. The boat also takes you close to the waterfall on the way back.
As of 2023, this costed 20 CHF per person.
The blue boat, which we decided to take, was in our opinion the most fun option. It takes you directly to the Rhine Falls on both sides of the middle rock. The driver does get you right into the waterfall spray but at a safe distance. You can get more wet at the front of the boat, so keep this in mind.
As of 2023, this costed 8 CHF per person.
Additionally, there is a red boat from the promenade area of Castle Worth to the waters edge of the Laufen Castle area. This is more of a commuting boat across the river. With this boat you do not get close to the waterfall like the others. So you will also not get wet, only unless if its raining!
As of 2023, this costed 6 CHF per person.
Travel Tip: If you are staying in Zurich, take a guided tour to Schaffhausen and the RhineFalls for a day trip!
Our Personal Visit To The Waterfall
We visited the Rhine Falls Switzerland during the Summer month of August. We arrived on the late Friday afternoon with plans to stay the night in Schaffhousen on a mini road trip. This worked out perfectly, as it seemed that Fridays after 4pm was not a busy moment to explore.
We parked at Rheinfall Parking P1 as this was the easiest location, but there are plenty of other parking locations around the RhineFalls depending on when and how long you will visit.
We had booked in advance a 15 minute blue boat trip for 18:24 (weird time but this was what it was on their site!). However we were actually able to get on one of their boats earlier at 18:00 due to the lack of other tourists. This was pretty nice that they allowed that, and we ended up getting front row seats right at the front of the boat.
This was so fun, with it still being sunny but having the water spray from the waterfall up close was pretty amazing. It was currently heatwave weather when we visited, so it was the perfect activity. Highly recommended for all who would want the same experience!
There are many restaurants around the Rhine Falls waterfall you can grab a bite to eat or drink at too. We had a drink at the Laufen Castle terrace area, and then dinner at Restaurant Park am Rheinfall. Both were lovely!
Rhine Falls Photo Locations
You can choose to walk around the whole waterfall for many Rhine Falls Switzerland photo locations. Some of our best Rhine Fall photo location recommendations are:
- From the Laufen Castle at the top where you can look down, where you can also have dinner and stay the night!
- From the promenade opposite, which is the same side as where you can take one of the boat rides
- From the Rheinfallweg observation deck, which you can get to either walking up from the promenade or from across the train bridge where Laufen Castle is.
- From the Castle Worth, situated next to the promenade and has the perfect dining restaurant looking unobstructed towards the Rhine Falls.
- From the 5 CHF paid viewing point area, which is below the Laufen Castle, where you can get super close with a concrete platform. Here you will also find one of the typical red Grand Tour of Switzerland Sign!
Waterfall Summary
For your visit to the Rhine Falls Switzerland, we hope it’s as great as our own trip. We really loved the visit, which we enjoyed with 2-3 hours without rushing.
Tips:
- For the boat rides, wear suitable clothing based and expect water spray from the waterfall, more when sat at the front and less at the back
- Book in advance during popular touristic moments such as on weekends during Summer, to be sure you have a spot on the boat of your choice
- Don’t forget to have fun, make memories, take photos and videos!
- Check if visiting when there is a special event, such as the Swiss National Day fireworks at Rhine Falls!
Leave a Reply