Jet d'Eau
140-metre high water jet soaring over Lake Geneva
Walk out along the stone jetty to feel the refreshing misty spray of 500 litres of water propelled into the air every second.
Eaux-VivesFreeIconic
Geneva & Lausanne, Switzerland
Ideal: 3–4 daysBest: May–SepPrice: Very expensive
In 60 seconds
Geneva & Lausanne in 60 seconds
Anchoring the western crescent of Lake Geneva, the twin cities of Geneva and Lausanne combine international diplomacy with French-Swiss lakeside sophistication. Geneva boasts its towering Jet d'Eau, humanitarian institutions and historic Bains des Pâquis, while hilly Lausanne rises in tiers of Gothic ramparts, Olympic museums and contemporary cultural quarters.
Best for
- Culture
- History
- Lake
- Weekend
Known for
- Jet d'Eau fountain
- Olympic Museum Lausanne
- Bains des Pâquis baths
Skip if
You are looking for cheap nightlife; Geneva's international crowd gravitates towards refined cocktail salons, quiet bistros and lakeside lounges.
Your match
Choose a few travel interests and we will show how well Geneva & Lausanne fits them. Choose interests
See
Must experience
The things that would make the trip incomplete without them.
Cathédrale Saint-Pierre
InexpensiveHistoric cathedral where John Calvin preached during the Reformation
Climb the north and south towers for a 360-degree vista of the lake, Mont Blanc and the Old Town rooftops.
Vieille-VilleHistoryView
The Olympic Museum
ModerateWorld Olympic headquarters & interactive museum in Lausanne
Set among sculpture-dotted parkland in Ouchy, tracing the Olympic flame, medals, equipment and historic games.
Ouchy, LausanneMuseumSports
Eat
Where to eat
A short list, kept short on purpose. Each entry answers one question: when is this the right choice?
Local
Where to eat the food this city is actually known for.
Café du Soleil
ExpensiveHistoric village bistro famed for authentic Gruyère fondue
A rustic 18th-century restaurant renowned across Geneva for serving pure, creamy AOP Gruyère fondue with crusty bread.
Petit-SaconnexFondueHistoric
Café Papon
ExpensiveSubterranean dining under 17th-century stone vaults in Old Town
A vaulted dining room tucked behind the city hall where politicians and locals have gathered for refined Swiss-French dishes since 1808.
Vieille-VilleHistoricOld Town
More places to eat
Too few picks yet for their own heading, so they share this list.
Brasserie de Montbenon
ExpensiveBelle Époque casino hall with terrace facing the Alps in Lausanne
Soaring gilded ceilings, seasonal Vaudois cuisine and a grand outdoor terrace overlooking the park and Lake Geneva.
Montbenon, LausanneBrasseriePanoramic
Boréal Coffee
InexpensivePioneering specialty coffee roaster in central Geneva
Ethically sourced single-origin coffees, silky flat whites and homemade banana bread in a laid-back brick-walled setting.
Rues-BassesArtisanCoffee
Beyond the obvious
Hidden gems
Less obvious, rarely queued for, and usually the part people remember.
Bains des Pâquis
Inexpensive1930s public bathing jetty with sauna, hammam & fondue
The democratic soul of Geneva: swim in lake water, sunbathe on stone piers, and eat cheap seasonal platters and bubbling fondue.
PâquisFondueLocal
CERN Science Gateway
Renzo Piano-designed science centre at the Large Hadron Collider
Explore tubular exhibition tunnels suspended above the ground explaining the fundamental particles and origins of the cosmos.
MeyrinArchitectureFree
Lausanne Cathedral & Night Watch
Switzerland's finest Gothic cathedral with a 600-year watchman tradition
Stand below the cathedral tower after 10 pm to hear the night watchman shout the hours into the night air, unbroken since 1405.
Cité, LausanneFreeGothic
After dark
Bars & nightlife
Little Barrel
ExpensiveIntimate craft spirits and bespoke cocktail hideaway
Warm wood-lined cocktail lounge with rare vintage rums, small-batch vermouths and personalized drink recommendations.
Eaux-VivesCocktailsCozy
Orientation
Neighbourhoods
How the city is actually divided, and what each part is for.
Vieille-Ville (Geneva Old Town)
Ancient hill quarter with secret courtyards and antique shops
Cobblestone lanes winding up to Place du Bourg-de-Four, the oldest town square in Geneva dating back to Roman market days.
Flon & Ouchy (Lausanne)
Trendy converted warehouse district and charming lakeside port
Flon brims with contemporary architecture, art and cinemas, while metro lines lead directly down to the tree-lined harbour of Ouchy.
Stay
Where to stay
Areas rather than hotels — pick the right one and the rest follows.
Eaux-Vives & Lake Quays (Geneva)
Very expensiveElegant lakeside district beside parks and the Jet d'Eau
Walk along the water's edge to the flower clock and enjoy buzzing neighbourhood bistros and wine bars.
CentralLakeside
Ouchy Waterfront (Lausanne)
Very expensiveGrand palace hotels and lakeside promenade in southern Lausanne
Stay beside the boat piers with immediate ferry connections across to Evian-les-Bains in France.
LakesideRelaxed
Practical
Know before you go
- Free Geneva Transport Card
- Every guest staying in Geneva hotels, hostels or campsites receives a complimentary digital Geneva Transport Card.
- Connecting the twin cities
- Frequent SBB trains link Geneva and Lausanne along the lakeshore in just 35–45 minutes.
- Mouettes genevoises
- Yellow water taxi boats (Les Mouettes) crisscross Geneva harbour, included in standard public transit tickets.
- Lake swimming
- Geneva Plage and Bains des Pâquis provide clean lake swimming areas with diving boards and showers in summer.
Plan this trip — useful links
Context
History in 5 minutes
Enough to make what you are looking at legible.
- 1536
Geneva adopts the Protestant Reformation under John Calvin, transforming into the intellectual 'Protestant Rome'.
- 1919
The League of Nations selects Geneva as its headquarters, cementing the city's role as the global capital of diplomacy and human rights.
Further out
Nearby escapes
Worth a day if you have one to spare.
Mont Salève
The 'Balcony of Geneva' limestone ridge across the French border
Ride the cable car up the sheer cliff face for an expansive aerial overview of Geneva, the lake basin and the Jura mountains.
25 minutes by bus 8 to Veyrier, then cable carCable carViews
Nyon & Roman Museum
Picturesque wine town with Roman basilica ruins and white castle
Stroll between medieval turrets overlooking the lake and explore subterranean Roman columns discovered beneath the town.
15 minutes by direct train from Geneva or LausanneCastleHistory