Nestled between Switzerland and Austria, Liechtenstein is a tiny alpine principality offering spectacular mountain scenery, world-class skiing, medieval castles, and sophisticated cultural attractions. Despite being the world's sixth smallest country, it packs impressive experiences into just 160 square kilometers.
Top day trips
Handpicked excursions within easy reach.
Feldkirch, Austria
Feldkirch is a small medieval town in Vorarlberg just across the border, built around a hilltop castle and an intact old town of arcaded streets. It is compact enough to see properly in half a day, leaving time to combine it with another stop. The draw is walking a genuine Austrian old town without the crowds of Innsbruck or Salzburg.
Highlights: Schattenburg Castle dating to 1200 · Well-preserved medieval old town with arcaded streets · Montfort Tower and historic city walls · Excellent farmers market on Saturdays · Dramatically cheaper dining than Liechtenstein
St. Gallen, Switzerland
St. Gallen is a Swiss city built around one of Europe's most significant monastic sites: the Abbey of St. Gallen, a UNESCO World Heritage complex whose library holds medieval manuscripts predating the Carolingian era. The old town around it is dense with oriel windows (Erker) that locals decorated over centuries. It rewards visitors interested in manuscripts and architecture more than a generic city stroll.
Highlights: UNESCO-listed Abbey Library - the most beautiful baroque library in the world · Stiftsbezirk Cathedral with stunning baroque interior · Vibrant university city with excellent restaurants · Textile Museum showcasing the region's weaving heritage · Shopping streets with Swiss and international brands
Bregenz, Austria
Bregenz sits on the eastern shore of Lake Constance (Bodensee) and is best known for the Bregenzer Festspiele, an opera festival staged on a floating stage on the lake each summer. Outside festival season it's a lakeside town with a funicular up to the Pfänder for panoramic views over the lake and three countries. It works well as a half-day or full-day trip depending on whether the cable car and lake walk are both on the agenda.
Highlights: Bregenz Festival - world-famous floating opera stage on Lake Constance (July-August) · Vorarlberg Museum of art and regional history · Upper Town (Oberstadt) medieval quarter with tower views · Lake Constance (Bodensee) promenade and swimming areas · Pfander cable car for Alps panorama
Chur, Switzerland
Chur claims to be Switzerland's oldest continuously inhabited town, with a compact old town built around the Chur Cathedral complex on a raised platform. It's smaller and quieter than St. Gallen but has a genuinely old core with Roman-era origins, and it sits at the gateway to the Graubünden Alps. A half-day is enough for the old town itself, with the option to extend into the surrounding hills.
Highlights: Switzerland's oldest city with 5,000 years of continuous habitation · Chur Old Town (Altstadt) with Roman and medieval layers · Ratisches Museum covering the region's history · Cathedral of the Assumption - Romanesque and Gothic architecture · Gateway to Graubunden's mountains and the Glacier Express railway
Rhine Falls (Rheinfall), Switzerland
The Rhine Falls near Schaffhausen are the largest plain waterfalls in Europe by volume, and the trip is built entirely around experiencing their scale up close, by viewing platform or by boat. It's a longer drive from Vaduz than the other options here, so it typically becomes the main event of the day rather than one stop among several. The falls themselves take under an hour to see properly, with boat trips extending the visit.
Highlights: Europe's largest waterfall by volume - spectacular year-round · Boat trips to the rock in the center of the falls · Schloss Laufen castle overlooking the falls · Visitor viewing platforms at varying heights · Neuhausen am Rheinfall village with historic buildings
Vaduz Surrounding Villages Circuit
This is a self-directed loop through the smaller villages of the Liechtenstein Rhine valley - places like Triesenberg, Balzers and Schaan - rather than a single destination. It suits travellers who want to see how the country lives outside its capital, including the Walser heritage in Triesenberg and the older village cores along the valley floor. It works well by bicycle given the short distances and mostly flat terrain, with Triesenberg requiring a climb.
Highlights: Balzers - Gutenberg Castle and traditional village · Triesen - St. Mamerten Chapel among vineyards · Triesenberg - Walser Museum and Rhine Valley panoramas · Schaan - local cafes and shops · Ruggell - Rhine wetlands nature reserve
Trips by distance
How far you can go in a day.
Getting there
Transport options for day trips.
- Tours
- Organized day tours from Vaduz to Swiss cities available from CHF 60-80 per person via Liechtenstein Tourism
- Private
- Car hire from CHF 50-80/day economy from Zurich Airport or St. Gallen; best for flexibility
- Public
- SBB Swiss trains connect from Buchs SG to St. Gallen, Chur, Zurich; LIEmobil Bus 11 connects to Feldkirch and Austrian network
- Rental
- Bicycle rental from Vaduz Tourist Office CHF 15/day for Rhine Valley cycling across to Switzerland
Day trip tips
Make the most of your excursions.
Start early for St. Gallen and Bregenz - both deserve a full day and returning by 7PM allows for dinner in Vaduz
Book the St. Gallen Abbey Library (CHF 12) online in advance - one of the world's most beautiful baroque libraries
The Rhine Falls are best visited spring/early summer when snowmelt maximizes the water volume