Switzerland · BASEL TOURS

The 15 Best Basel Tours & Day Trips

47 tours  ·  from $12

Basel has more museums per street than anywhere else in the country and a border on each side. These 15 walk the Rhine and the old city, then head out to Colmar and the Black Forest, with prices and crossing times.

Stories of Basel's Old Town - Tinguely Fountain sets a playful tone
Basel Tours, Tour Reviews

Stories of Basel’s Old Town

1.Stories of Basel’s Old Town

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 203 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $33Our pick

Walk Basel’s Old Town with a local guide for about two hours, stopping at Tinguely Fountain, Barfüsserkirche, Basel Minster, Marktplatz, Town Hall, and Andreasplatz. Expect stories about fountains, statues, architecture, and city life. English and German may be combined, so confirm the language format before booking.

“This was a bilingual tour where the guide told the stories in both English and German which was fun to hear. Thomas was informative and witty. It was a nice easy stroll through Basel that ended with a lovely taste of gingerbread. I highly recommend it!”

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Basel Farmer's Market, Cheese, Chocolate & Pastry Tour - Marktplatz and the Basel Minster route
Basel Tours, Cheese Tours, Chocolate Tours, Markets, Shopping Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours

Basel Farmer’s Market, Cheese, Chocolate & Pastry Tour

2.Basel Farmer’s Market, Cheese, Chocolate & Pastry Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 171 reviews · 3 hours (approx.) · from $112

Walk Basel’s Old Town with a local guide, stopping for seasonal market tastes, Swiss cheese, bean-to-bar chocolate, and a traditional pastry. Guides such as Gina and Jean add stories about Basel and Swiss food. Expect a light tasting tour rather than a full meal, with some walking and possible tram travel.

“I was disappointed with tour, . Wanted to hear more info on Basel . Disappointed in guides cheese and chocolate shop. Would have loved to buy some chocolate to take home, but it wasn’t a store. He didn’t offer us water during cheese/chicolate tour and there was only one chair to sit down in store. When we went to bakery, had to sit on a window ledge to eat pastry. This tour was not worth the money . He was late for our tour(he did email and let us know) and left us after tour to get back to hotel. Wouldn’t recommend this tour to anyone . Debbie marx”

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Basel City Sightseeing Bus Tour - What you see during the two-hour route
Basel Tours, City Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours

Basel City Sightseeing Bus Tour

3.Basel City Sightseeing Bus Tour

★★★★★★★★★★3.5 · 104 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $34

See Basel by bus in about two hours with audio commentary, a smartphone app, headsets, and shopping vouchers. The route covers central sights and may include stops near the Rhine, Paper Mill, and Stücki Park. Board at Tinguely Fountain’s nearby bus stop, and arrive early because buses can fill up.

“Bus was overbooked. Units in bus were broken and stopped working constantly. Girl on bus who was in charge seemed mad because we brought our tickets through this site and said we should have bought them through the city transport.”

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Mt. Pilatus & Lake Lucerne Cruise Small Group Tour | From Basel - Lucerne and the route toward Pilatus
Basel Tours, Cruises & Boat Tours, Mount Pilatus Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours

Mt. Pilatus & Lake Lucerne Cruise Small Group Tour | From Basel

4.Mt. Pilatus & Lake Lucerne Cruise Small Group Tour | From Basel

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 99 reviews · 8 hours (approx.) · from $463

Travel from Basel to Lucerne by train, then ride the famous Dragon Ride cable car to Mount Pilatus, enjoy summit views, descend by the steepest cogwheel railway, and cruise Lake Lucerne. English-speaking guides such as Anna, Rose, Michael, and Ray have led this full-day outing. Expect public transport, changing weather, and lunch at your own cost.

“I appreciate that Viator customer support and tour guide Michael Verros coordinated to find me for the tour. It was one of the best tours on my 2 week trip. Michael is a gem and a great guide!”

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Basel Historical Old Town Tour - Cobblestones, pharmacies, and the stories behind the streets
Basel Tours, Historical Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours

Basel Historical Old Town Tour

5.Basel Historical Old Town Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 99 reviews · 1 hour 30 minutes (approx.) · from $21

Walk Basel’s Grossbasel with an English-speaking local guide in a group capped at 15. The 90-minute route covers the Town Hall, Basel Minster, Romanesque passageways, the original opera house, Tinguely Fountain, and a Swiss sweets tasting. Guides such as Jean, Jonas, Lina, Lena, and Ray have led recent tours.

“Our tour guide, Lina was absolutely amazing! She is a former student of the Basel area and was extremely informative. She went above and beyond to answer all of our questions, and to show us sights we would have never seen. She showed up on time for our departure, and met us in our hotel Lobby. I would highly recommend her if you are planning to visit Basel!”

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Swiss Cheese Tasting Experience | Basel - Learning from the cheese expert
Basel Tours, Cheese Tours, Food & Drink, Tour Reviews

Swiss Cheese Tasting Experience | Basel

6.Swiss Cheese Tasting Experience | Basel

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 81 reviews · 35 minutes (approx.) · from $21

Meet your cheese expert at Binningerstrasse 15 in Basel for a 35-minute tasting of up to seven Swiss cheeses. You may try Gruyère AOP alongside lesser-known regional cheeses while learning about Swiss cheese-making, local farmers, and the happy cows behind the milk. The small group has no more than 15 people.

“In less than six hours of our schedule the vendor delayed the time of the event. While the time change was for an hour for the first event and a second event delayed 30 minutes it still negatively impacted later plans we had so we missed this event. While on a prior walking tour of the town we walked by the shop. The shop was closed and the shop did not look very reputable so we were very disappointed. This venue seems far below the standards of the other Viator tours we have done.”

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Basel : Private Custom Walking Tour With A Guide (Private Tour) - Basel’s Old Town in a two-hour route
Basel Tours, Guided, Private, Tour Reviews, Tours, Walking Tours, Walking Tours in Basel

Basel : Private Custom Walking Tour With A Guide (Private Tour)

7.Private Custom Walking Tour With A Guide (Private Tour)

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 75 reviews · 2 to 8 hours (approx.) · from $76

Explore Basel with a private local guide such as Paola, Rahel, Michael, Marc, or Francis. Choose a two to eight hour walk focused on history, architecture, food, shopping, photography, or local life. Hotel pickup is offered in Basel, and the route can include major sights, quieter corners, restaurant tips, and practical help getting around.

“Kripa was a great guide - the issue we had was we had requested a 2 hr tour with history as well as cheese and chocolate options. Kripa was not informed about the cheese and chocolate so we didn’t get to experience any of that. Clearly a miscommunication between Viator and the guide”

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Alsace wine tour and medieval villages. Small group guided tour - Eguisheim begins the Alsace story
Basel Tours, Guided, Tour Reviews, Tours, Wine Tours

Alsace wine tour and medieval villages. Small group guided tour

8.Alsace wine tour and medieval villages. Small group guided tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 71 reviews · 6 hours (approx.) · from $365Top rated

Travel from Basel in a private group of 2 to 6 with guide Colin Bell, visiting medieval Alsace villages and family-run wineries. The approximately six-hour tour includes pickup, wine tastings, regional history, and scenery around Grand Cru vineyards. Tastings are included, but lunch, extra drinks, and personal injury insurance are not.

“Colin was a delightful driver and wine tour guide. The wineries we visited were excellent and we ended up buying quite a bit of wine to drink on the cruise!”

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Glacier Express, Swiss Alps & Lucerne Tour | From Basel - The Glacier Express toward Andermatt
Basel Tours, Scenic Train Journeys, Tour Reviews, Tours

Glacier Express, Swiss Alps & Lucerne Tour | From Basel

9.Glacier Express, Swiss Alps & Lucerne Tour | From Basel

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 67 reviews · 10 hours (approx.) · from $597

Travel from Basel to Chur, ride the Glacier Express toward Andermatt, then continue by train to Lucerne for an Old Town walk. Guides such as Jean, Rose, Ana, and Georgina have led this long, rail-heavy day. Expect mountain views, several train changes, and possible seasonal or operational substitutions.

“The experience was great. A full day out with a personal guide and 6 trains from and to Basel inc the Glacier Express. However, we would not use Viator again as it is the equvilant of booking.com which I had not realised when I searched 'Glacier Express trips'. Not enough description of the day and no efficient connection between Viator and 'Booking Tours of Switzerland' as the former kept asking for a meeting point, which I had already arranged. A very expensive, but thankfully memorable 10 hour trip, despite the time on the Glacier Express only being under 2 hours.”

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Swiss Chocolate Tasting Experience | Basel - Arriving at Binningerstrasse 15
Basel Tours, Chocolate Tours, Food & Drink, Tour Reviews

Swiss Chocolate Tasting Experience | Basel

10.Swiss Chocolate Tasting Experience | Basel

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 50 reviews · 35 minutes (approx.) · from $25

At Binningerstrasse 15, a chocolate expert guides you through Swiss chocolate heritage, cacao origins, and six grand cru samples. You’ll taste beans, compare chocolates from different regions, and learn how to store chocolate properly. The 35-minute session is intimate, informal, and limited to 12 people.

“We were squished 12 on a hard wooden bench - the presenter didn’t have much energy as he spoke slowly with long pauses while he decided which chocolate to present next. The chocolate didn’t taste that good and certainly didn’t represent Swiss chocolate. The guy was pleasant and very friendly. But that said, it is clear he just started making chocolate last August and he is using tourists for seed money for his company.”

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City tour Basel (walking tour) - Elisabeth Church and Basel’s quieter side
Basel Tours, City Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours, Walking Tours, Walking Tours in Basel

City tour Basel (walking tour)

11.City tour Basel (walking tour)

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 35 reviews · 1 hour 20 minutes to 1 hour 40 minutes (approx.) · from $31

Join Rafael for a compact Basel walking tour from the Strassburger Denkmal to Marktplatz. In about 80 to 100 minutes, you’ll see the BIS Tower, Elisabeth Church, Tinguely-Brunnen, Barfüsserkirche, Freie Strasse, Basel Minster, Pfalz, and Rathaus, with time for questions and local suggestions.

“Rafael showed us the most interesting and beautiful sites and views in the old town. He was friendly, flexible, patient and answered all our questions, and we had many. The walking tour was perfect for our limited time in Basel.”

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Basel Private Walking Tour with a Local - Starting at Barfüsserplatz and finding your bearings
Basel Tours, Private, Tour Reviews, Tours, Walking Tours, Walking Tours in Basel

Basel Private Walking Tour with a Local

12.Basel Private Walking Tour with a Local

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 32 reviews · 2 to 6 hours (approx.) · from $66

Explore Basel with a private Lokafyer for two to six hours. Your local host can shape the walk around old-town sights, architecture, neighborhoods, street art, photography, or everyday Swiss life. Guides such as Alina, Francis, Jeyani, and Alistair have received strong praise, though guide quality can vary.

“We travel alot and this tour was both very personalized and informative. Alina spent extra time making sure we were satisifed and even stayed and had lunch with us. Definately a5 star tour.”

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The Best of Basel’s Hidden Treasures: A Self-Guided Audio Tour - Starting at Marktplatz and Basel Town Hall
Audio Tours, Basel Tours, Guided, Self-Guided Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours

The Best of Basel’s Hidden Treasures: A Self-Guided Audio Tour

13.The Best of Basel’s Hidden Treasures: A Self-Guided Audio Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 32 reviews · 1 hour to 1 hour 30 minutes (approx.) · from $11Best value

Follow a one-hour to 90-minute VoiceMap audio walk through Basel, from Marktplatz past the Town Hall, Rhine, Basel Minster, Tinguely Fountain, and Stadtcasino. English narration, GPS directions, maps, text, and offline access let you pause, detour, or continue at your own pace. Admission to museums and attractions is not included.

“Very easy to understand but one person lost voice recording and could not get it back halfway through tour”

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Zermatt & Mt. Gornergrat Small Group Day Trip from Basel - A short introduction to Zermatt village
1-Day Tours, Basel Tours, Day Trips in Basel, Matterhorn Tours, Tour Reviews

Zermatt & Mt. Gornergrat Small Group Day Trip from Basel

14.Zermatt & Mt. Gornergrat Small Group Day Trip from Basel

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 30 reviews · 11 to 12 hours (approx.) · from $749

Travel by Swiss rail from Basel to Zermatt, walk through the old village, visit the mountaineers’ cemetery, then ride the Gornergrat railway nearly 10,000 feet above sea level. Guides such as Michael, Emil, Feyssal, and Eric are known for handling the complex connections and explaining Switzerland along the way. The group is capped at 15 people.

“Train ride through beautiful Swiss countryside … do it ! Seeing the Matterhorn is worth the trip, especially if you are on time constraints of a quick vacation .”

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Explore Basel in 60 minutes with a Local - Basler Münster and the Rhine views
1-Hour Experiences, Basel Tours, Tour Reviews

Explore Basel in 60 minutes with a Local

15.Explore Basel in 60 minutes with a Local

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 29 reviews · 1 to 2 hours (approx.) · from $98

Explore Basel’s Old Town in a small group of up to eight people, with a local guide such as Alexander, Chad, Maria, Francis, or Feh. In about an hour, you’ll see the Basler Münster, red Town Hall, Hotel Les Trois Rois, Spalentor, and St. Alban City Gate, plus receive personal tips for the rest of your stay.

“Our guide canceled on us at the last minute . For a once of a lifetime trip, we are highly disappointed”

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