Zurich · Month comparison

May vs September

September ranks #1 overall vs May at #4. The undersold sweet spot — warm enough for the lake, dry enough for the alps, prices drop from August.

Lake Zurich shoreline with Alps in the distance on a May afternoon

May

#4 of 12 months

Best match

The whole city moves outdoors — Bürkliplatz markets, lakeside apéros, first warm evenings.

  • ↑19°C with low humidity — Üetliberg hiking and Lake Zurich boat-and-bike weather
  • ↑Bürkliplatz Saturday flea market and the Tuesday/Friday farmer's market in full season
Lake Zurich and Alps in clear September light

September

#1 of 12 months

Best match

The undersold sweet spot — warm enough for the lake, dry enough for the alps, prices drop from August.

  • ↑20°C and lake still at 20°C through early September — last realistic swim window
  • ↑Knabenschiessen folk festival (2nd weekend) on Albisgüetli — fairground and shooting tradition
FactorMaySeptember
Weather score
8
9
Value score
6
5
Crowd score
6
5
Events score
6
7
Atmosphere
9
10
Avg high temp19°C20°C
Monthly rain90mm80mm
Daily sunshine7hrs7hrs

May trade-offs

  • ↓90mm rain is the year peak alongside June — afternoon thundery showers common
  • ↓Hotel rates climbing 25% from April; bank-holiday weekends sell out

September trade-offs

  • ↓Daylight contracting — by month end down to 12 hours
  • ↓Lake temperature drops fast in the last week — pack a wetsuit if swimming end-Sep
See all 12 months for Zurich →May in detail →September in detail →
Scores compare months within Zurich. Climate data: Open Meteo ERA5 30-year normals (1991–2020). Methodology →