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World Travel Guide > Guides > Europe > Switzerland > Basel

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Basel tours and excursions

Basel tours

Walking tours

Basel Tourismus offers a number of guided city tours, ranging from standard historical Old Town walking tours to specialist outings to the modern Roche Tower. There's also a Swiss City Guide Basel app, available for Android and iPhones, with an integrated map and brief audio commentaries.

Tel: +41 61 268 6868
Website: https://www.basel.com/de

Boat tours

Why not make the most of Basel’s Rhine-side location by taking a city tour on the water? Rhytaxi Basel offers a new perspective on the destination by running boat tours of the Old Town and port with spoken commentary. You can also use the vessels for simply getting from A to B.

Tel: +41 61 273 1414
Website: http://www.rheintaxi.ch

Basel excursions

Augusta Raurica

Augusta Raurica are the remains of the Rhine's oldest known Roman colony, dating from 44BC, and can be found 12km (7.5 miles) to the east of Basel.

Discover more about this once-prosperous provincial settlement at the Roman Museum (Giebenacherstrasse 17, Augst), then explore the excavated classical theatre, temples, taverns and forum.

Tel: +41 61 552 2222
Website: http://www.augustaraurica.ch

Lucerne

Take the train for the one-hour journey to the pretty lakeside town of Lucerne. Enjoy a ferry trip on Lake Lucerne for stunning views, check out Chapel Bridge – Europe’s oldest surviving medieval wooden road bridge – and enjoy a ride in the world's steepest cogwheel railway up nearby Mount Pilatus, for views from 2,073m (6,801ft) on high.

Tel: +41 41 227 1717
Website: http://www.luzern.com

A digital image at https://illuminoto.com

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Featured Hotels

Hotel Rheinfelderhof

A few minutes' walk from the city centre (and even closer to the Messe Basel trade fair venue), this is a well-priced hotel with almost 50 rooms. It's nothing fancy but has all the basics covered, from free wifi to satellite TV. There's a traditional restaurant on site.

Swissotel Le Plaza

The Swissotel Le Plaza, graded as four-star superior, is a stylish option a few minutes' walk from the Rhine and the Old Town. The hotel has 238 rooms and offers 24-hour room service, as well as a gym with a sauna and steam room. Its Grill25 restaurant serves up the classics in smart surroundings.

Les Trois Rois

One of the oldest city hotels in Europe, Les Trois Rois is Basel's grandest residence. Over the years, its luxurious rooms and suites on the banks of the Rhine in the Old Town have accommodated such luminaries as Napoleon, Charles Dickens, Pablo Picasso, Thomas Mann and Queen Elizabeth II. It also has a fitness centre and various top-notch restaurants and bars.

Courtyard Basel

Part of the Marriott Group – and consequently a reliable if rather vanilla option for an overnight stay – the Courtyard Basel Hotel is set on the southern outskirts of the city and has 175 rooms and suites with the usual amenities and plenty of meeting space.

Hotel Basel

Situated in the heart of the old city for the past four decades, this 4-star hotel has 70 rooms and three suites, all comfortably furnished and equipped with the standard mod cons. There are three restaurants, including a brasserie, and a couple of small meeting rooms.

Teufelhof (Devil's Court)

This enjoyably quirky establishment comprises two hotels: the Kunsthotel (Art Hotel), with nine rooms each designed by a local artist, and the larger Galeriehotel (Gallery Hotel), in which both the rooms and public spaces function as exhibition spaces for artists. Prices can vary greatly according to demand.

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