Sunday Shopping and Holiday Opening Hours in Zurich
General Hours of Operation
In general, stores are open Monday through Friday from 9am – 6pm; on Saturdays and the day before holidays, many close as early as 4pm. Sundays and public holidays are days off. Only a few stores are open on these days; an overview can be found here.
What is Sunday shopping?
In Switzerland, most stores remain closed on Sundays. One exception is Sunday shopping: stores are allowed to open on up to four authorized Sundays per year. In Zurich, these usually take place during the Advent season so that visitors and locals can conveniently buy their Christmas gifts over the weekend.
Sunday Shopping
Many stores in Zurich's city center are additionally open on three Sundays in Advent:
November 29, 2026: 11.00am – 6.00pm
December 6, 2026: 11.00am – 6.00pm
December 20, 2026: 11.00am – 6.00pm
Night Shopping
The pre-Christmas season kicks off in Zurich on November 19, 2026, at 6pm with the lighting of the “Lucy” Christmas lights. That same evening, Night Shopping will take place in the city center. Until 9pm, shoppers looking for Christmas gifts will stroll through the many participating stores.
November 19, 2026: 6.00pm – 9.00pm
New Year Shopping
January 2 is a holiday in much of Switzerland. Nevertheless, many stores in downtown Zurich are open from 9am to 8pm and invite shoppers to enjoy their first shopping trip of the new year.
January 2, 2027: 9.00am – 8.00pm
More Shopping Tips
Where to shop, how to pay, and what to give as gifts
- Shopping: Swiss chocolate, luxury watches, up-and-coming brands, or traditional shops with a long history – in Zurich, everyone can find just what they’re looking for, even during Sunday shopping in Advent. Learn more at Shopping in Zurich.
- Finding Shops: The overview of Zurich shops features a wide selection of stores throughout the city.
- Payment: The currency in Switzerland is the Swiss franc (CHF). CHF can be withdrawn from ATMs or obtained by exchanging currency at official exchange offices. Further ideas for stretching the travel budget are available under Zurich on a Budget.
- Gifts: The gift vouchers from Zürich Tourism are perfect as Christmas gifts. They’re versatile and can be used, for example, for souvenirs and postcards, for private guided tours from Zürich Tourism, or for public guided tours offered by partner businesses.
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