Spending several hours eating, drinking and enjoying the city – as a local.

That’s what we did in Bern with the Taste my Swiss City tour and it was such a fun way to explore.

I’m kind of a paradox when it comes to exploring new places – I do super extensive research so that I know the best spots to eat and sightsee, but at the same time I don’t like having a set plan so I can still spontaneously divert and discover while I’m there.

So this tour was perfect for me. It does all the “research” for you – the restaurants and bars are recommended by a local – but it has no guide and no strict timeline – so you discover and eat your way through the city, at your own pace.

(I also loved that the food stops are a surprise until you get your ticket :))

I’ve been to Bern before, only as a stopover on the way to and from the mountains, so I loved spending several leisurely hours eating, drinking and enjoying the city.

First up was a local cheese and meat platter with wine, right next to one of Bern’s many beautiful fountains.

I loved that we could go from place to place with no hurry and take time to stroll the city in between.

The second stop had a big bustling patio with a gorgeous view of the Aare river on one side and Bern cathedral on the other.

…and a really beautiful indoor seating area with big windows and lots of light. It was my favorite spot for the food and the views 🙂 

Took a break in between stops and sat next to Einstein. If you watched my Stories, you also saw that I spent quite some time gushing over the bears at the park below 🙂

Stop #3 was trying some local beer! (Saison 1 was my favorite)

Wanted to photograph every fountain in Bern because they are just so pretty

After 3 hours of slow exploring and food, watched the sunset and finished the evening with cocktails at spot #4.

About the tour:

• You can do it in 12 different cities in Switzerland! Bern, Basel, Geneva, Lausanne, Locarno, Lugano, Bellinzona, Ascona, Neuchatel, Fribourg, and La Chaux-de-Fonds
• There is no guide and no time constraints – just check when restaurants are open and stay at each spot as long as you want.
• It’s not just for foodies – yes, the food is tasty and you get to try something local and new, but it’s also a sightseeing and learning experience 🙂
• Spots are recommended by a local and have a theme. Ours was Trendy Bern that’s more focused on hip bars and cafes, but you can also do a Classy Bern that’s more of a dining experience.
• In Bern, the places were easy to find, fun and were a mix of mostly locals, or locals and tourists. My favorite place I would not have discovered through Google, only through walking around and exploring the city, so I loved that the tour brought me there!
• More info and how to book: https://www.myswitzerland.com/en-ch/experiences/cities-culture/citytrips/taste-my-swiss-city/ 

My tips:

• I recommend doing the tour in a city you’ve never been to or a city that you haven’t had a chance to explore at a leisurely pace. I would actually even do it in a city where I live because it forces you, in a cool way, to experience the city differently. Basically, do it if you want several quality time hours of eating and discovering 🙂
• Leave enough time for the tour (2-4hrs) so you don’t rush from stop to stop and can explore some new or hidden corners. Wear comfy shoes too!
• It’s a great idea for a date night. For example, if you live in Zurich, you can easily do it as an evening out in Bern or Basel.

*Taste my Swiss City is organized by Switzerland Tourism and this blog post is a paid collaboration.