Most of what you come to Basel for sits within a walk of the Rhine: a red sandstone cathedral on its hill, a painted town hall, four ferries that cross on the current, and museums that people cross borders for. Here is what each one is, what it costs, and which guided tours in Basel take you past it.
The Minster is the building you see on every postcard: red sandstone walls, coloured roof tiles and twin towers above the river. Basel Tourismus calls it, with the Mittlere Brücke, the city's most famous landmark.
The Pfalz terrace behind the Minster is one of the city's most popular viewpoints. The Minster's own opening hours shift with the season and the day of the week, so check them before you plan a visit around the interior.
The Rathaus fills one side of Marktplatz with a red sandstone front and painted decoration. Basel Tourismus describes it as five centuries of architecture, art and politics in one building, and it is still the seat of government of the canton of Basel-Stadt.
To see inside, including the rooms of the cantonal parliament and the Governing Council, Basel Tourismus runs guided tours of the Town Hall; book those through the tourist office. The Old Town walk from the Town Hall starts at its main entrance at 10am.
Grossbasel, the Old Town side, faces Kleinbasel across the river, and you cross by bridge or by ferry. The four ferries each hang from a long cable and are pushed across by the current alone, silently, all year.
| Ferry | Where it crosses | Worth knowing |
|---|---|---|
| Wild Maa | St. Alban | Links the medieval St. Alban quarter with modern architecture on the far bank |
| Leu | Below the Minster | Board on the Kleinbasel side for the best view of the Minster |
| Vogel Gryff | Klingental | Becomes the Christmas ferry during the Basler Weihnacht |
| Ueli | St. Johann | Takes a manual wheelchair or a pushchair on both banks |
A ferry crossing is brief, and it is the quickest way to see the Minster from the water without booking anything. The private walk that uses trams and ferries puts the ferry fare in its price.
Basel's museums are the reason many people come. The Kunstmuseum Basel sits in the Old Town, Museum Tinguely on the Kleinbasel bank, Fondation Beyeler in Riehen on the edge of the city, and the Vitra Design Museum just over the border in Germany.
| Museum | What it is | Opening hours | Admission |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kunstmuseum Basel | The city's art museum, in three buildings on St. Alban-Graben | Main building and new wing Tue-Sun 10:00-18:00, Wed to 20:00; contemporary branch Tue-Sun 11:00-18:00; closed Monday | CHF 25, or CHF 18.75 with the BaselCard; the collection is free Tue, Thu and Fri 17:00-18:00 and Wed 17:00-20:00 |
| Fondation Beyeler | Classical modern and contemporary art, over 500 works, in Riehen | Daily 10:00-18:00, Wednesday to 20:00; special hours from 26 September 2026 while its new buildings open | Set by the foundation; book ahead online |
| Museum Tinguely | The museum of the artist Jean Tinguely, on the Kleinbasel bank | Set by the museum | Set by the museum |
| Vitra Design Museum | Design, in Weil am Rhein, over the German border | Daily 10:00-18:00 | Set by the museum; outside the BaselCard zone |
Fondation Beyeler opens its new buildings on 26 September 2026 and runs special hours while they settle in, so book your visit online. Basel Tourismus notes that its building is by Renzo Piano. No tour here includes museum entry: the walks pass the doors and leave the ticket to you, and the BaselCard takes off part of some admissions.
The fountain beside the theatre on Theaterplatz is where the city's own Old Town walk starts, and where the bike, bus and walks keep crossing paths. You will pass it on your way to Barfüsserplatz.
The Spalentor is one of the old gates in the city wall. The audio-guide bus passes it, and the private walks can build it into the route.
Downstream, at the Rhine harbour, the Dreiländereck marks the point where Switzerland, France and Germany meet. The bus stops there for ten minutes, and the Rhine cruise sails past it on its way through the port.
Basel Tourismus asks you to swim only if you are a strong swimmer and to check the water conditions first. Keep away from the bridge piers and the fishing weirs, and watch upriver for ships, which are silent. The bathing houses Rheinbad Breite and Rheinbad St. Johann open from May to September, weather permitting, with showers and changing rooms for a fee.
The tours share the same small centre, but each one sees it from a different angle. The walks climb to the Minster, the bike rides both banks and the cruise sees it all from the water.
| Sight | Which tours reach it |
|---|---|
| The Minster | The Old Town walks, the bike tour and the tasting walks; seen from the water on the cruise |
| The Rathaus and Marktplatz | The Old Town walks, the bike tour and the bus |
| The Mittlere Brücke | The walks and the bus; the cruise passes under it |
| The Tinguely Fountain | The start of the city's own Old Town walk |
| The Dreiländereck | A 10-minute photo stop on the bus; the cruise sails past |
| Museum Tinguely and the Kunstmuseum | Passed by the bus; museum entry is never in a fare |
| St. Johanns-Tor | The start and finish of the bike tour |
| Fondation Beyeler and the Vitra Design Museum | No tour here goes there; you go on your own |
Two hours on foot from the Tinguely Fountain, 75 minutes on the Rhine, or a bike on both banks: compare them side by side.
If you want the city in one go, the Basel city tours set the bus, the boat, the bike and the walk side by side. For the lanes and the Minster on foot, start with the Basel walking tours.
The Minster, the Pfalz, the ferries, the Rathaus and the Rhine swim are Basel Tourismus' own descriptions. Museum hours and prices come from each museum, checked 21 September 2026. Which sights a tour reaches comes from each tour's own itinerary.
Two hours on foot with a tourist-office guide, from the Tinguely Fountain up to the Minster and down to the red Rathaus. English, German or both; food, drink and chocolate are yours to buy along the way.
From $31 per person
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Seventy-five minutes on the Rhine from the landing below the Mittlere Brücke, past the Old Town, the power plant and the harbour. It runs in all weather, with indoor and outdoor decks and a phone audio guide.
From $24 per person
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Two hours round the city on a panorama bus from the Stadtcasino, with an iPad audio guide in eight languages, Wi-Fi and a Läckerli on board. Short photo stops at a park and at the point where three countries meet.
From $36 per person
Check AvailabilityNext: pick your season on the best time to visit, find every start point on the Basel tours map, or compare every tour on Basel Switzerland Tours.