DON’T MISS
IamExpat Job BoardIamExpat HousingIamExpat Webinars
Newsletters
EXPAT INFO
CAREER
HOUSING
EDUCATION
LIFESTYLE
EXPAT SERVICES
NEWS & ARTICLES
Home
Lifestyle
Swiss news & articles
Which Swiss cantons have the longest (and shortest) school summer holidays?
Never miss a thing!Sign up for our weekly newsletters with important news stories, expat events and special offers.
Keep me updated with exclusive offers from partner companies
By signing up, you agree that we may process your information in accordance with our privacy policy

Which Swiss cantons have the longest (and shortest) school summer holidays?

Never miss a thing!Sign up for our weekly newsletters with important news stories, expat events and special offers.
Keep me updated with exclusive offers from partner companies
By signing up, you agree that we may process your information in accordance with our privacy policy
or
follow us for regular updates:

Related Stories

7 things expats in Switzerland need to know about in August 20237 things expats in Switzerland need to know about in August 2023
Drivers told to brace for heavy traffic jams during the Swiss school holidaysDrivers told to brace for heavy traffic jams during the Swiss school holidays
When should I go on holiday to avoid the Swiss school breaks in 2025?When should I go on holiday to avoid the Swiss school breaks in 2025?
October 2024: 10 changes expats in Switzerland need to know aboutOctober 2024: 10 changes expats in Switzerland need to know about
8 key things happening in Switzerland in May 20248 key things happening in Switzerland in May 2024
8 important things happening in Switzerland in April 20248 important things happening in Switzerland in April 2024
8 key things expats in Switzerland need to know about in February 20248 key things expats in Switzerland need to know about in February 2024
9 things expats in Switzerland need to know about in December 20239 things expats in Switzerland need to know about in December 2023
For expats of all colours, shapes and sizes

Explore
Expat infoCareerHousingEducationLifestyleExpat servicesNews & articles
About us
IamExpat MediaAdvertisePost a jobContact usSitemapRSS feeds
More IamExpat
IamExpat Job BoardIamExpat HousingWebinarsNewsletters
Privacy
Terms of usePrivacy policyCookiesAvoiding scams

Never miss a thing!Sign up for expat events, news & offers, delivered once a week.
Keep me updated with exclusive offers from partner companies
By signing up, you agree that we may process your information in accordance with our privacy policy


© 2025 IamExpat Media B.V.
© 2025 IamExpat Media B.V.
Jul 11, 2025

Whether you are excited for a holiday to destinations far afield or are a parent biting your nails thinking about all the time you have to fill, the school holidays are a fact of life in Switzerland, but which places have the most and least time off during the summer?

School summer holidays in Switzerland

To make sure that the country’s roads, railways and airports aren’t completely swamped, Switzerland staggers its summer holidays by canton. This means that while some students have to wait until mid-July to begin their holidays, schools in parts of Graubünden, Valais, and Ticino are already shut by the end of June. By contrast, Canton Zurich is the last to go, with schools breaking up on July 12 in 2025.

In addition, it is also up to individual Swiss cantons - and in many cases the over 2.000 different local councils - to decide how long to give students off in the summer. This means that the amount of time given off varies by up to six weeks.

Which students have the shortest and longest break?

As it stands, Canton Ticino offers the longest school summer holidays in Switzerland, coming in at 10 weeks. This means that students in the region have more than twice the amount of summer off than in some other parts of the country (detailed below).

According to Watson, this is mainly due to agriculture. In the past, students typically helped out on the farms during the summertime. The weather also plays a part, with Ticino often experiencing distractingly high temperatures more quickly than places north of the mountains.

By contrast, a select number of communities in Canton Aargau have the shortest summer holidays. Students in Gränichen, Schafisheim, Hunzenschwil, Rupperswil, Staufen, Niederlenz, Lenzburg and Ammerswil are given just four weeks off before having to pack their bags and head back to class.

How long are the summer holidays in each Swiss canton?

In all, here are the places with the shortest and longest school summer holidays:

  • Four weeks: Parts of Aargau
  • Five weeks: Zurich, Schaffhausen, Thurgau, St. Gallen, Solothurn, Appenzell Ausserrhoden, most of Aargau and Bern, parts of Schwyz, Lucerne and Graubünden
  • Six weeks: Jura, Neuchâtel, Zug, Obwalden, Nidwalden, Basel-Stadt, Basel-Land, Glarus Apenzell Innerrhoden, most of Schwyz, Lucerne and Uri, parts of Bern and Graubünden
  • Seven weeks: Geneva, Vaud, German-speaking Valais, Fribourg, parts of Graubünden, Uri and Bern
  • Eight weeks: French-speaking Valais, Italian-speaking Graubünden
  • Nine weeks: Isenthal in Canton Uri
  • 10 weeks: Ticino

For more information, check out the official data.

Chris Rinckes / Shutterstock.com