Celebrating a birthday as an adult usually means booking a restaurant, hoping everyone shows up and splitting the bill at 11 pm. It can also come with a programme. Here are ten ideas for Zurich, sorted by group size, with what they cost and how long they take.

For 4 to 8 guests

  1. Escape room as a group of six, then the bar. One room for CHF 210, so CHF 35 per person, then the prosecco package with a table reservation. At Escape City with a cake from Confiserie Bachmann on request.
  2. Cooking class. Three hours, from CHF 120 per person, the menu is the meal.
  3. Rooftop apéro with a view of the lake. Summer, from CHF 20 per person, no reservation needed for small groups.
  4. Wine tasting. Two hours, from CHF 60 per person, calm and sociable.

For 8 to 20 guests

  1. Escape room split across two or three rooms, then apéro. The teams compare their times at the bar. Birthday apéro with snacks CHF 69, with pinsa CHF 89 per person, each with three drinks.
  2. Boat trip with apéro. Two to three hours, from CHF 60 per person, weather-dependent.
  3. Bowling with food. Two hours, from CHF 40 per person, laid-back.
  4. Private table at a restaurant with a set menu. The classic, from CHF 70 per person, little programme.

For 20 to 40 guests

  1. Escape room tournament plus apéro riche. Up to 36 people play at the same time in six rooms, then five courses in the lounge. One venue, one evening, one bill.
  2. Rented venue with catering and DJ. From CHF 100 per person, lots of organising, but the freest format.

How a birthday at Escape City works

Arrive in Zurich-Altstetten, free parking outside. Guests play in teams of 2 to 6 in one of the six rooms, from Titanic (4 of 8) to Houdini (8 of 8), in English or German. Then the bar & lounge with around 100 seats: prosecco package (bottle and table reservation), birthday cake package (cake from Confiserie Bachmann in four flavours, order four days ahead), birthday apéro with snacks or with pinsa. Anyone who wants to stay after the game stays: Friday until 1:30 am, Saturday until 2 am.

Checklist for a birthday with a programme

  • Fix the date and time two weeks ahead, earlier for weekends.
  • Think of the guest list in teams: who should be in a room together?
  • Decide on food: snacks, pinsa or just cake.
  • Way home: trains from Altstetten run past midnight.

Request a birthday party

Frequently asked questions

Where can you celebrate a birthday in Zurich with a programme?

Escape room with a bar, cooking class, boat trip or bowling. For groups of eight or more, an escape room centre with several rooms and its own lounge works best.

How much does a birthday at Escape City cost?

Room CHF 99 to 210 per team, plus prosecco package (service fee CHF 65 for up to 6 people), cake package (CHF 165 on top of the room, up to 10 people) or apéro with snacks CHF 69 or pinsa CHF 89 per person.

How many guests fit into an escape room?

Up to 6 per room. With six rooms, up to 36 people celebrate at the same time; the lounge has around 100 seats.

Can we bring or order a cake?

Order one: a cake from Confiserie Bachmann in chocolate mousse, vanilla mousse, strawberry or Black Forest, for 8 to 10 people, at least four days ahead.

How long does the bar stay open?

Until closing time: Friday 1:30 am, Saturday 2 am, Sunday 11:30 pm, weekdays 11 pm.